"What a rush... what a bloody nightmare!"

The tense girl was out of breath. Ayla could not quite believe it. When her mums said that moving to Camden was the best thing for her, she didn't quite accept it at first. But so much had happened in the past two years. And now this! She looked around the platform, taking it all in. There were lots of people. The bright red engine was far ahead - leading carriage after carriage along the platform. Cases hitting the concrete, shoes clapping across the ground, and chatter, endless chatter. A buzz filled the air as thick as the diesel smoke drifting through the station. So many people. Dominique and Rose had left her at the doors, waving their goodbyes. Just as they should.

Nobody had noticed, Ayla affirmed as she struggled to compose herself. She was certain nobody had seen. Surely none of those saying their goodbyes on the platform now, anyway. Her eyes had raced around the station when she picked herself up and, no, she was almost certain nobody had seen her run into the wrong wall. It hadn't left a mark. Thank god! But her coat and scarf were now askew. But, she was in the right place now. Why are there so many others, she worried.

Spotting an open carriage door, Ayla shuffled to the side and twisted herself to catch her faint reflection between the mingling crowd and occasional pacing parents. Yes, her coat and scarf were definitely askew. She watched herself in the glass window as she stood against the platform wall and rearranged her long red duffle coat. Back to the wall, she was at least sure nothing could creep up behind her. No. Just the endless waves of rambling bodies in front of her to worry about. She ruffled up her long red curls so they came to rest at her shoulders, falling across her cheeks. Ready. Almost.

The only question now? When to make her move. Ayla's ashy blue eyes quickly scanned the platform, drinking in everything around her. There were 37 pigeons in the iron rafters above the platform. 37! She wondered if that was the normal amount. Is there a normal amount? she questioned. Ayla then scoured more closely those around her. The thumping boots of the adults, the quick steps of the other children. There was just no order to this whole mess. Which path would she take to get to the safety of the train carriage door?

Directly in front of her stood a large mingling family, too focused on themselves to notice how much of the platform they were taking up! There was a discarded trolley to her left with two more groups of people all endlessly nattering about the cold, about staying warm and, for some inexplicable reason, about how important it was to not stuff Bertie Bott's Beans up other people's noses as they slept. She couldn't be sharing a room with them.. surely.

But then, to her right, a narrow channel had formed between the boisterous family and a man stood on his own with two large suitcases. That was her way. Ayla gripped her large brown trunk tightly with her left hand and raised it in front of her. If someone did get in the way she could buffer them with it and, if the worst case scenario did occur - that is, if a giant rampaging dark knight hell-bent on world destruction did choose that moment to attack King's Cross, of all places, and decide to specifically target the little 11 year old girl with red curly hair - she could throw it at him giving her an extra 2 seconds to escape. Ayla liked to have every base covered.

Moving swiftly, Ayla clutched her trunk and swerved around the large family, between the two enormous suitcases, and around the back of a woman who smelt of oranges to reach the platform edge. Nobody noticed. Nobody could tell, could they? Ayla asked herself. Then, she stretched for the handle and pulled her legs up, clambering through the door and into the awaiting carriage...

As a shy girl, it was a must to find a carriage with little to no one in it. A difficult thing to find but something she hoped would be available before the train would leave. The big groups of familys and children scattered across the platform made it harder to find a spare carriage. I doubt there would be a spare carriage anyway with the swarm of students already boarding. Eleanora thought to herself. Looking for a carriage by yourself wasn't exactly easy too.

Eleanora's parents had left her to enter Platform 9 3/4 by herself. She was nervous to say the least, going through a brickwall by yourself can do that to someone. However, she understood why her parents couldn't see her off, they had other things to look after. Her parents jobs were both very crucial and is in constant scrutiny meaning the jobs need to be done with exellence. Thats why Eleanor adores them and their hardwork.

Marching along the vintage red steam train, Eleanora scans through the windows and finnaly spots a carriage with only a single student occupying it, a rare find. Luckily they seem to be the same age, so Eleanora takes her shot and enters the carriage.

"Hi, are these seats available?" Eleanora asks as she hops onto the small compartment, tightening her grip on her small luggage bag. The girl had bright red curly hair and seemed of the friendly sort, "I'm Eleanora Harper. You can just call me Nora or Eleanor if the 'a' is too much to you, it can get a bit much for me. Saying Eleanora is a much longer word than Eleanor even though you just add a letter to the end. Weird that a letter can change the time it takes to say something.".

Oh gosh, she was rambling. Something she does constantly when nervous, as well as the fidgeting which was on a high right now. If only Eleanora could talk normally to people, then I could actually make friends....

Aquamin got on the train with a trembling heart. Every step seemed shaky, and my heart was pounding. My father consoled her that everything would be fine, and that her mother was not alive, but she would always be there to protect her. She was so nervous walking in the train that she almost tripped over. After barely balancing, she muttered to herself.
"Oh! I almost fell down. Don't be nervous. It'll be okay."
Of course, she was nervous, but she was looking forward to it. She can meet new friends, compete with them in good faith... Everything was looking forward to her. And she started looking for an empty train car.But almost every compartment was full of children, and when she managed to find a compartment that could fit her in, she was sweating with tremors, train shakes, and fatigue. There were some inside, but she was just thankful that there was a car to ride.
"Um... Hello. Are there any seats available?"
Inside, there was a girl with bright blond hair and another curly-haired girl. She was relieved that everyone looked kind.
"I am aquamin. Everyone says my name is weird, but I'm fine. You can call me aqua. Nice to meet you! "
She felt that she was trembling, but she reassured herself. You can be friends with the people you met here. She wanted to get to Hogwarts as soon as possible, so she sat down. Hold her trunk tight. She had a feeling that Hogwarts' first year would be something good.

Ayla squirmed, her eyes darting back and forth between the two girls now inside the cabin with her. Her heart raced as she twisted her feet on the floor. Perhaps there was another cabin? she wondered. Maybe she could quietly leave, feigning that she was meeting someone else, or that she needed to find a toilet. I could just find an empty space between carriages and sit on the floor, right? But the trembling girl couldn't bring herself to stand up. She sank deeply into the plush red bench and knotted her fingers in her lap. Ayla let out a deep sigh.

The two girls had found there way into her cabin and she would make do. After all, her cumbersome trunk was already crammed into the luggage space above her head and, all things considered, the newcomers to her space weren't monsters. At least, she hoped not. They seemed reserved and just as unsure of themselves. Maybe I try to be normal, for once. She determined.

Regardless of intent, Ayla couldn't control her facial expressions and she was never one for hiding her emotions. No, subtlety was not in this girl's tool box. She scanned the pair, examining them from head to toe while mindlessly picking at her nails. In spite of the invasion of her space and her solitude, Ayla did wonder whether both Aquamin and Eleanora were good eggs. The train was fast filling up and she'd need to engage at some point! She glanced behind the pair at the still open cabin door and back at bustling platform beyond the window. Her coat was now sitting heavy around her shoulders - the heat beginning to get to her as she flushed vermilion with nerves.

It was time to rip of the plaster. Whether she wanted to or not! Forcing her face to do as told, she managed to curl her lips into the faintest of smiles, no longer able to make eye contact as she looked around at their clothes, shoes, luggage, the seats, anything. Cute names, though, she realised. I'm Ayla. It's lovely to meet you Nora and Aqua. She mustered what courage she could and realised that there was a question which mattered, now. And, if unexpectedly, she let out a rather cheeky grin. Are you excited?? She quizzed. We're going to Hogwarts!

When she asked if she was excited, Aquamin replied.
"Of course! Now I'm so nervous and looking forward to look forward to it. Of course, it's exciting. Hogwarts? I can't wait to arrive."
She sat down and leaned against the wall and thought about what would happen in the future. The time spent in Hogwarts will be fun. Of course, she was worried that there would be dangerous things, but she decided to think positively because she thought they would rarely happen.
She decided to imagine what will happen from now on. Quidditch games, magic lessons, magic spells... She wanted to meet all of them quickly. She also wanted to meet new professors and new friends as soon as possible. She wanted to get along with the people on this train. But since she was still awkward with them, she thought it would be better to just sit still.
Before I knew it, she couldn't stand the boring silence and looked out the window. Trees, rivers... Various landscapes passed quickly. The window was cold, but thanks to that, she was able to cool her hot cheeks. But soon as she got tired of watching the scenery, she decided to talk to the people she rode with.
"Well, what do you expect most from Hogwarts? I'm going to do it with my house mates. I'm looking forward to living. I can't wait to get there."

Eleanora was glad she was welcomed on the carriage although she could tell that the other girl was just as nervous. Putting her luggage in the compartment overhead, Nora sat down on the plush yet old fashioned seats on the other side of the red haired girl. The fabric of the seats reminded her of her grandparents furniture, a bit nostalgic. It was awkward for a moment until another girl, about the same age, entered the carriage.

Moving over for the blacked haired girl to enter, Nora gave her a warm smile hoping it would be welcoming. Aquamin. What a pretty name!, thought Eleanora. "Nice to meet you too, Aqua. I'm Eleanora Harper, but you can call me Nora or Eleanor," Nora greeted the girl, less ramble this time thankfully.

As the girl sat down, Nora felt the train jolt and start to move. Looking out the window,she could see the families running up to the carriages with their loved ones to smile and wave at them. If only her parents could've been here to do the same but she knew what they were doing is important, so she pushed the thought away.

The landscape was flying past them when the red haired girl finnaly introduced herself. Ayla. Why is everyones name so pretty? thought Eleanora once again with a smile. At the mention of Hogwarts, Nora could feel her excitement ignite again. Excited? Was she excited? Damn right she was! All the stories she has heard through her childhood was all she could think about.

Eleanora could feel her grin widen at Ayla, mirroring her cheeky girn. "Gosh just the thought of it gives me the goosebumps," exclaimed Nora, "I wonder what its really like, y'know? All i've heard are stories but I just want to experience for myself."

Aquamin said so. "That's right. I'm also very curious about what's going to happen. My father told me a lot about Hogwarts, but I'm still very nervous," she said with a smile. "I want to learn many things there."

She finished talking and looked out the window. It was all her first time seeing the scenery, but I felt warm for some reasonably. Clouds, trees, mountains, fields, rivers, etc. swiped by outside the window. She wanted to get to Hogwarts as soon as possible.

She thought, 'What does Hogwarts look like? I can't wait to arrive. It seems like the train is running this fast, but time seems to be running slowly. You'll get along with the people here, right?'

She was so excited that she forgot all her worries. Soon she remembered what her father said. "Aqua, even if you're having a hard time at Hogwarts, if you have a good friend, you'll get over it. If you're having a hard time, send me an owl."

She wondered if she could make good friends, but she decided to try. But she is a person who likes to make friends and play with them. She felt awkward about this silence, so she talked to them first.

"What do you want to do most in Hogwarts? I can't wait to take the professors' classes. How many subjects were there in Hogwarts? I have so many questions. Also, I can't wait to see the magical items in Hogwarts and go to the dorm lounge. Oh, it's hard to wait."

It was happening all too soon, in a matter of hours they would be in the Hogwarts castle waiting to see which house they were going to. Eleanora's thoughts clouded her mind as she watched the forestry and mountains race past her dreamy face. After a little bit, the black haired girl spoke up again, taking Nora out of her daydream.

"I'm excited for the History of Magic classes. I've always wanted to know the history of the magic we have, like where did it come from? Who created it?" Eleanora replied, turning her face away from the scenery, "Although I am excited for all of them too."

What classes were there anyway?, Eleanora thought. She only guessed the History classes was there because well, history is a must in schools, and she had heard it somewhere. Her father didn't really talk about the subjects in the school, all he really talked about was his achievements in Quididtch and the sneaky pranks he pulled. Not to say they weren't interesting per say, just didn't describe Hogwarts really well. Which made it even more exciting to know eveyrthing about it.

What does it look like? The dorms, the halls, the classrooms?, Eleanoras thoughts were getting too much for her, the excitement just couldn't be contained so she let a smile rest on her face. A slight one but it was still there.

Merry stumbled around on the train, still looking for a seat. Even though the train had started moving, Merry was still looking. 'Hopefully I can find a compartment that is mostly empty', she though. She was quite nervous, and as shy as she was, she couldn't bring herself to join many other people.

Merry was already starting to feel homesick. She closed her eyes for a moment, and pictured her little sister's smiling face as she waved goodbye. She was excited, yet very nervous. She felt empty without her sister's cheerful behavior.

She decided that it wasn't safe to keep walking around for much longer, so she held her breath and pushed into the nearest compartment. Inside, three girls are sitting around talking. She felt like she was intruding on them, so she quietly sat down farthest to the door, and pulled out her book.

Merry loved books, and hoped to be in Ravenclaw. Books were a big part of her life, and she loved to get sucked into the imaginary world of her characters. She also wrote her own fictional stories. She opened to where her bookmark was, and disappeared into the world of Twilight.