Most kids were leaning out the windows, waving at shouting things at their families. It hurt Delphinia to look at her father, so she didn't, and she tried her best to not look out the window. She had only a medium-sized suitcase and her violin case, with her few possessions; The night before she had made sure to pack 5 outfits, her coat, and a couple books. She had also packed her violin, and most importantly, the pastel pink knit blanket her father had knitted for her when she had just been born. She couldn't sleep without it, and she was worried the other girls in her dorm, whichever house she ended up in, would make fun of her for having it. This wasn't in her suitcase or even in her violin case, but instead bunched up in her arms, held close to her light grey button-up coat. Her parents had made her wear semi-formal attire; With her coat, she wore a beige skirt and white long-sleeved shirt under it. She wore her hair in a long braid down her back and ending at her waist, with a red headband. She held the blanket close to her, and luckily it was so small that if she bunched it up, no one could see it in her arms. Standing in the middle of the aisle holding her blanket, she realized she was the only one on the train still foolishly standing. She walked past compartments with kids in yellow robes, green robes, blue, and red robes, and then kids in regular clothes, like her. She eventually came across an empty compartment, close to the end of the train, with no one in it, but it looked like it could easily seat about 6 people. She sat down in the corner of the seat, and held her blanket closely and tightly. Now, she didn't care if Harry Potter himself came onto that train and saw her and made fun of her, she buried her face in her blanket, and began to quietly cry.

Vale had just said goodbye to their parents. They felt sad about being away from them and nervous about what waited for them at Hogwarts. They were starting to feel a little emotional, too. Wanting to take their mind off of it, they started looking for either an empty compartment or a compartment that didn't have many people in it. They soon came across a compartment with a redhead girl inside, clutching a blanket and quietly crying. 'At least I'm not alone. Poor thing,' they thought.

Thinking that the girl might feel better with some company, Vale quietly slipped into the compartment and took the seat next to her, keeping her voice low and comforting. "I thought you could use some company. You know, I understand what you're going through. This is my first real experience away from my family, too, and I'm feeling a little homesick as well. I'm non-binary, you see, and family was the only thing I felt safe with. I got bullied just because I was different from everyone else, and I felt so alone. I bet that's kind of similar to how you feel right now. I honestly don't know what awaits us at Hogwarts, and I'm honestly kind of scared that it'll be just like home. But there's a little voice in the back of my mind saying "It's okay to be scared. But you're going to get sorted into one of four amazing houses and you're likely gonna make a lot of new friends. Wherever you end up, you'll finally have a place where you belong." I can barely hear that voice, but I know it's there. And it gives me just a little bit of hope that it's gonna be okay."

Vale paused, looking at the girl. "I'm willing to bet that there's a little voice in the back of your mind saying that, too. And I'm also willing to bet that when you write your first letter to your family telling them all about the things you're gonna do at Hogwarts, they're gonna be so proud of you. You're a stranger to me, and I can already tell that you're a brilliant girl capable of great things. I'm Vale, by the way. What's your name?" they asked.

Vale smiled in return. "Yeah. I think I'll just try my luck with some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. My parents said that it's basically a rite of passage for Hogwarts students," they said. Vale's parents actually met at Hogwarts, with their father being sorted into Slytherin and their mother being sorted into Hufflepuff. They had told Vale all of the fun things to look forward to like getting sorted, making new friends in and out of their House, and learning all about their magic. But also things like Quidditch (in which Vale's mother was the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain at one point) and all of the holiday festivities. Things like this helped Vale forget their nerves easily.

Snapping out of their thoughts, Vale turned back to Delphinia, wanting to learn more about her. "So where are you from, Delphinia?" they asked.

Vale popped a bean into their mouth, grimacing as they quickly chewed it up and swallowed it. "Earwax! My dad warned me that when it comes to the golden-brown ones, it's either toffee or earwax. But I'm from London. Both my parents are wizards and went to Hogwarts. Slytherin and Hufflepuff respectively," they paused as they popped another bean into their mouth, smiling this time around. "Sugared violet, my favorite! My parents definitely did not lie. These things really are risky," they said.

Vale scooted a little closer to Delphinia, feeling like they were connecting with her. "If there's one thing I'm looking forward to about Hogwarts, it's the Sorting Ceremony. Granted, the part where I'm sitting up there, waiting with bated breath for the Sorting Hat to make its decision makes me a little nervous. But the part where I get sorted into my House gives me hope. Maybe it will give me a place where I finally belong. Maybe I'll finally make friends who will be there for me instead of having no friends and constantly worrying about how bad the bullying is going to be that day," Vale paused, realizing that they were rambling about their problems. "Sorry about that. I got carried away there. Anyways, what are you looking forward to about Hogwarts?" they asked.