Rolling plains, interrupted by trees and the rocky hillside of northern England, passed by the window, in a seemingly endless landscape - always there when Era looked up from her book to take a quick break for her eyes. She and her twin sister, Jennefer, were sitting alone in a compartment of the infamous Hogwarts Express, for the first time taking the trip to their future school. The first time they went anywhere further than what qualified as "the city" for their little rural town, really.

Despite the seeming momentousness of their destination, Era felt calm. Settled comfortably on the seat as she was, and able to shift her attention, between her book, the view outside and her sister, at her leisure, the train ride was far more comfortable than she imagined initially. Even their wagons constant rumbling on the tracks had a certain soothing effect on the young girl.

She was reading a fantasy book, about a young mastermind using his genius for selfish reasons - after the first book she had immediately become utterly enarmoured with the autor's wit and writing - as a non-fiction book would've needed her full attention. Even if she wasn't nervous, her thoughts still frequently wandered to what was ahead: The sorting ceremony, the lessons, but most of all what her life in Ravenclaw would be like in the next couple of years. And like that she was content to spend the rest of the journey, lost in thought, reading her book or every now and again talk to her twin when she wanted her attention.

Opposite to Era, Jen was trying very hard to keep from bouncing in her seat. Saying goodbye to their parents had been quite hard for her - after all, she had never really been away from home for any extended period of time - but the excitement about her upcoming time at one of the most magical places she knew of had all but driven any lingering sadness away. She knew the ride would take quite a long time, and that she should try to conserve her energy for when they actually arrived, but sitting still and waiting for things to happen had never been one of Jens strong points. Luckily, she never really ran out of energy either, and so the biggest problem she had to deal with was not dying of anticipation in the meantime.

Trying to distract herself, Jen looked out of the window for the sixth time this minute. And for the sixth time this minute, she subconsciously started tapping her foot again as soon as she stopped paying special attention to it. When she noticed just a few seconds later, she let out a sigh of resignation. Forcing her foot down, she instead looked over at her twin sister.

Era, being her usual self, had started reading a book almost as soon as they'd sat down, and now had that distant look in her eyes that said louder than any words that she was currently not here, lost in her thoughts or in her book, Jen couldn't be sure. Sometimes, Jen envied her sister for the way she could immerse herself in literature, often becoming almost oblivious to anything around her. It certainly seemed a better way to pass the time than to constantly wonder when they would finally get there. Had it really only been a few minutes?

Jennefer bit back another sigh. If only something happened that would attract her attention, to keep it from constantly wandering in search of things to distract her. Surely things could be more exciting on a train to the famed School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

-

By SK

-

It was now officially the second year that Dee was boarding the train to go to Hogwarts, and she was obviously much older, wiser, and more experienced than the first time. There were no long seconds glancing back at her parents, no, she was a second year now. None of those childish first year things this time.

Both of her parents had taken her to the platform again, and this time, Ileen as well. It had been easier to convince her father this year, after a whole school year in which Dealla had attended Hogwarts with no attempt at contact from his parents - that he knew of. She hadn't told him about the letter that was still crammed into a corner of her trunk, him or anyone. It was almost as if it didn't exist.

But that too was something that Dee was decidedly not thinking about as she dragged her trunk through the moving Hogwarts Express ahead of Ileen. They were already on their second round - they had arrived on the platform just in time to jump onto the train before the doors had closed, so there were students scattered over all compartments already.
"There is no empty one," Dee repeated for what felt to her like the seventh time (it was the third). "I know you wanted a few more hours of reprieve from the idiots in your House but we can just pick one where the idiot ratio is as low as possible, yes? Except..." Her eyes trailed over the row of closed compartment doors. "Except we don't actually know who is in which compartment. Ah well - if we make a bad choice we have a plan you wanted to set in motion, right?" She grinned at Ileen, her eyes sparkling. "And I made a good choice last year, maybe we'll get lucky this time, too?"

Resolutely, Dee let go of her trunk and flung the door of the next best compartment wide open, then stuck her head in to check what company fate had chosen for them.
There were two girls already sitting on the cushioned benches, across from each other, one of them reading a book, the other... doing nothing? Neither of them looked familiar, but they did look pretty similar if one ignored their hairstyles. Either way, they seemed rather peaceful, and there was plenty of space for two more girls and their luggage.
"Hey!" Dee greeted them brightly, already lugging her trunk into the compartment with her. "You don't mind us joining you, do you? We couldn't find an empty compartment. I'm Dee, and the slowpoke behind me, whenever she deigns to join us, is Ileen." She hauled her trunk to the side so her friend actually had a chance of following her into the compartment, then grinned at her two new acquaintances toothily. "First trip to Hogwarts? I don't think I've seen you around before."

Ileen was in a good mood today. She had spent the whole summer at Dee’s place, and it had been a relaxing time. Dee’s mum and dad were very sweet and nice and now, Ileen was looking forward to return home and to meet her other friends again, as well.
The young Slytherin already had pushed the thought of her parents away and buried it somewhere in the back of her mind. She hadn’t seen them in one year. She would never have imagined that when she had said goodbye to them last year at the station. With a slightly shook of her head she focused on Dee again.
With a snort, the brunette Slytherin rolled her eyes. “Is there such a thing as a low idiot ratio?” Ileen arched an eyebrow and peered in one of the compartments they were passing by with their trunks. A bunch of students who she had never seen before where chattered excitedly and showed each other their wands. Oh dear Lord…
“And well – I guess we were a lucky pick last time. Proven by the following year at school…”
She actually complained more out of principle than to really object. On the contrary. If they were new students, maybe they could intimidate them enough so that they weren't too annoying. But if they were loud and tiring, like in the compartment just now, Ileen might have had to make use of her plan earlier than she had hoped. And if they were nice, then maybe she could warn them before it was too late...

Dee pulled the classical Dee-move, while the less enthusiastic girl was still philosophizing about the possible situations to anticipate her reaction. With a devoted sigh she peered over the shoulder of her smaller friend who had randomly teared the next door open. Well, Ileen hoped she had chosen wisely.
While Dee was still blocking the door with her trunk, the young Slytherin managed to catch a glance of the two girls who had claimed this compartment. Huh. Never seen them before. Were they new first years? Honestly, if they were at the same age as Ileen, it would be still likely that they just had slipped by her the past year. She really hadn’t paid that much attention. It had been tough enough to deal with the idiots she had had actual interactions with.
Anyways, the two girls in that compartment seemed peaceful. One of them was reading a book, the other just… stared in the air?

“I would come in, if you would move.” She made a grimace at her friend and had to grin right afterwards. "Do you want to qualify for the first curse?" she teased and stuck her head in the compartment. Her dark brown eyes scanned the two girls. Was she wrong, or did they look a lot alike? “Hey guys. I’m Ileen. What Dee meant is: Do you mind if we join you?”

-

By SK

-

Dee was still grinning back over her shoulder at her best friend, eyes bright and teasing. "I dare you to hex me, I'll hex you right back, and you know it. And I said what I meant, thank you very much."

The first reaction they got from the compartment's inhabitants was very encouraging as well, and Dee turned back towards their new companions with a flourish. "Yes, we're second years, and yes, obviously, we can do magic." There was a delighted spark to in her eyes - someone to show off to, fresh blood to impress!

With a casual gesture, she let her wand slip from her sleeve, and aimed its tip at her trunk that was still standing in a very central position in the compartment. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The right incantation, the right movement, and the trunk was floating up to the luggage compartments over the benches and settled into a free space with a satisfying "Thump!"

Still smiling and just about bubbling with self-satisfaction, Dee let herself drop onto the free space next to the apparently more quiet part of the duo, who had yet to react to their presence. Her attention, however, was focused on the girl across from her - Jen, apparently - and Merlin, those were a lot of questions. Not that Dee minded, no, if the positions were reversed she would have probably asked twice as many questions, and there would have been no stopping her. Ileen could attest to that. Plus, there was no denying that Dee enjoyed the attention.

"Potions is the coolest class," she replied in a conspiratorial tone, voice lowered as if to keep others from hearing, although it was still easily audible to anyone in the compartment. "Don't believe Ileen when she tells you otherwise, she's just obsessed with healing. Which you can also do with potions, mind you." Her cherry-wood wand was still between fingers, and she spun it around in an offhand motion. "You'll learn a bunch of different spells in different classes. I think Charms started with Reparo. That's the Mending Charm," she added with a trace of condescension. "I think in Defense Against the Dark Arts we learned the Sparks charms first... or was it the Curse of the Bogies?" She frowned, trying to remember the first classes a year ago. "Ileen?"

The train jolted over a switch point, and Dee fumbled with her wand, and took that as a queue to stop showing off, so she let it disappear into her sleeve again, with no hint of self-consciousness about the blunder. "Ileen, they want another demonstration! Indulge them?" One might think she was a first year herself, new to all this, from the way her eyes turned toward her best friend, wide and excited.

For Era, this all happened a bit too quickly. One moment she was reading an incredibly amusing passage about a butler soothingly threatening a troll, the next her calm compartment was invaded by someone almost as energetic as her sister and her much more sensible seeming companion.

At least the latter had the decorum to ask politely before just waltzing into someone else's reading time. The louder girl, apparently called Dee, on the other hand, didn't seem to care too much. Which suited Jen just fine, obviously. Era chose to refrain from commenting, since her twin was already bubbling forth with her usual barrage of questions.
And if Era was perfectly honest, she was also very interested in what a second year had to say about what was lying ahead of the Ryder twins. Also Jen had really earned herself a break from sitting still and watching Era bury a nose in her book, as the latter had to admit to herself.

Her interest quickly turned into a short moment of awe - After all the Ryder parents had barely used magic at home, so she definitely wasn't used to this casual use of a spell. And to think that they too would be able to do that soon? The first year already promised to be quite exciting and fruitful.

This only served to make Era even more attentive, intently listening to Dee's elaborations - and quickly mentally discarding some as soon as the second year mentioned potions being the best class. Oh well, to each their own, but Defence against the Dark Arts or History of Magic most definitely seemed like much more interesting subjects, even if the Professor would be less engaging.

As Dee continued to recount her first year, Era's eyes shifted over to the other new arrival, silently sizing her up even while listening to her companion. Ileen seemed much more like Era, more quiet, composed and sensible than the friend - or twin - dragging them everywhere. And as such Era was already looking at her expectantly as Dee encouraged Ileen to show the Ryder twins more magic, still not having spoken a word.

For a second Ileen was tempted to hex her friend, but what kind of impression would that make on the new students? Not a good idea – they probably couldn’t tell the difference from this prank to the other actual idiotic actions others would do sooner or later. And Ileen certainly intended to be a good influence, as she was told that she could be. So, she limited herself to rolling her eyes and sticking out her tongue teasingly to her friend.

Her focus shifted from Dee to the girl with the shorter hair, who immediately started babbling excitedly. The new first-year seemed to be electrified, and as the questions began to rain down on the second-years, the Slytherin's right eyebrow slowly moved higher and higher and a half amused, half disbelieving smile curled the corners of her mouth. Wow. This girl – Jen, was it? – hopefully wouldn’t continue to talk that much the whole ride or Ileen would have to hex her…
Dee on the other hand obviously didn’t mind and rushed into demonstrating her magical skills, even though they were technically not allowed to use magic on their ride to Hogwarts.

Ileen looked back at the other girl, Era (yes, Ileen tried to work on her skill to remember names) who hadn’t said anything so far, was more the kind of girl Ileen could imagine to spend their trip to the school with. Stepping into the compartment, however, Ileen would give both a friendly smile. This expression changed quickly as Dee rated potions as the coolest class. “Pff. Potions is okay, but yes, useful for healing.” She glared at her friend and shook her head in exaggerated indignation and looked at the two girls. “Charms and Transfiguration are pretty cool, too. And,” she turned back to Dee. “We learned the Sparks Charm first, then Curse of Bogies, Knockback Jinx and finally the Smokescreen Spell.” She pulled her wand, hesitated, and then used the levitation charm to put her trunk beside Dee’s.
She still had a point to make and put her hands in her hips as she tried to catch the gaze of Jen and Era. “Healing, however, is important at this crazy school. I would also highly recommend learning ‘Extinguo’ as soon as possible since there is something like a stupid trend to cast ‘Incendio’ at every opportunity.” Exhausted from her little speech, she dropped down next to Dee and crossed her arms with a strict expression. “Never do that. It normally ends in chaos.”

Wow. This trip was more of a school lesson then she had expected and now she was asked to do more magic? Ileen sighted and smirked at her Ravenclaw friend. “You want me to cast a spell? Do you still want me to jinx you?” A teasing twinkle in her eye, she raised her wand. She knew that she wasn’t allowed to do magic, but who cares? After all, they would still be the compartment with the least forbidden things. Probably half the Hogwartsexpress would on fire when they arrived, so who would care about a few harmless spells? “Bullarum Immortalem!”
A steam of golden bubbles broke out of the tip of her wand and floated shimmering in the air. Some of them bumped against the walls and bounced back into the room undamaged. Ileen put her wand away and grinned. “I hope, you like them. I can’t remove them.”