Backdated: September 1st 2022
@Emma Moonwater

Beatrice wasn't sure what was to come from this year. She'd met and made a lot of new friends through Summer Camp and she truly was excited for the new school year to come. It was weird, coming straight from London and not from her home in Ellon, Scotland. Even weirder to not have been waved off by them at the station. She hadn't seen them for over half the Summer and ow wouldn't see them again until Christmas. It was weird. There was no other word to describe it.

Sitting down in an empty compartment, her rabbit Eos by her side, she'd waited to find her friends Hilda or Monica, but they had somehow been lost in the crush of students onto the train. Which wasn't surprising, since they were mostly all coming from one place, with one entry. A bottle had been created getting onto the train and Bea had lost sight Hilda's golden head of hair and Monica, who even with Kiki, her pet rat around her shoulders, had been a lost sight among the throng of people. Bea didn't mind. She'd find them again when they arrived at school and be able to catch a carriage up with them.

That would be a new experience! Having been a first year last year, she had like the others, come across the lake. Getting a carriage up to the castle would be exciting and new. A sense of accomplishment rushed through the girl, as she realised she wouldn't be an ickle first year. She was better and more grown up than that now.

Emma Moonwater made her way through London's busy train station with her parents by her side.
Her father was showing her the way to the Platform 9 and 3/4 excitedly. She wanted to match his Enthusiasm, but couldn't help but worry. Will she make any friends? Are the teachers going to be nice? Is the schoolwork going to be too hard? Her head was so full of worries, and before she knew it, she arrived in front of the Hogwarts Express. Emma knew it was time to go. She said her goodbyes to her parents, promising to send them letters with updates. She took a deep breath and stepped on to the train.
She made her way through the crowded passageways of the train. A little while later, she found a close to empty compartment. The compartment was occupied by a girl with dark blond curls, who seemed a little older than her. The girl was wearing what seemed to be Ravenclaw uniform. Emma knocked lightly on the cabin door and asked shyly, “uhm, do you mind if I sit here with you? All other cabins are full or taken…”

@Emma Moonwater

Beatrice looked up from watching Eos nibbling on a carrot in her lap. Somehow the feisty rabbit had gotten it into her mind that it was good as gold. Well, at least she wasn't nibbling on the girls textbooks anymore.

Ma had been furious when she had found out, casting repario after repario on said half-eaten textbooks until they were right. She'd scolded Bea for leaving them too close to Eos' enclosure before storming out to cook dinner. She was like that, her mother. Stormy one minute, calm the next. When Beatrice had slunk into the kitchen for dinner, not five minutes later, Ma had been cool, calm and collected, shining her sunny disposition on her eldest daughter like nothing had happened. Sometimes, like that time, it gave Beatrice a head-spin.

Looking closely at the girl in the doorway, Beatrice could see she was nervous. A first year. If her height and worried stature didn't give her away, it was the fact that she wasn't wearing any house colours yet. A first year for sure. Bea smiled at the girl, hoping to convey that she was friendly. "Come in. We was just settling in for the train ride. A'm Beatrice by the way. " Bea hoped her Scottish brogue wasn't too heavy. She'd been practicing more so others could understand better. Last year had been quite a disaster in the communication department because of it.

“Come in. We was just settling in for the train ride. A'm Beatrice by the way.” The girl, Beatrice, said smilingly. Emma noticed she had a Scottish accent, but it wasn't as incomprehensible as she thought Scottish accents were, as she had never heard one before. Emma placed her suitcases in the luggage closet outside the door. She then hurried in and sat down in front of Beatrice and said, “My name is Emma Moonwater, it is nice to meet you, Beatrice.” She put her hand up to shake Beatrice's hand like her parents told her to do when meeting new people. Emma was smiling to not intimidate Beatrice into thinking she's mean. Manners were very important in her family. Emma knew her table etiquette from a young age. She always wanted to make her parents proud of her, and even though her parents were back at home now, she still felt the subconscious need to get their approval. Emma was still feeling nervous about starting her life at Hogwarts, and she hoped that we couldn't see it on her face. She didn't want the first person she met to think badly of her. Her dad always said that first impressions were always essential to getting to know a person.

@Emma Moonwater

As the unknown girl settled into her seat, Bea thought back to her time last year. She had met some of her best friends during that train ride. Hilda, Skraele and Michael. Talking about houses and learning how to box from Michael. She giggled silently at the memory. How she missed them! She hadn't seen Michael and Skraele all Summer, and she couldn't wait to see them again when she got to Hogwarts. Bea had been hoping to see them on the platform, but alas, it was not meant to be. The influx of students from the London quidditch during Summer had caused that, she thought.

Placing Eos on the seat beside her, she met the girl's nervous eyes, and clasped her hand, returning the introductory manner. "Nice te meet ye, Emma! This is Eos by the way. She's a lionhead thumper. My new pet this year. Ma bought her for me during the Summer!" She paused, flushing as she realised she had started to excitedly ramble. Slowing down her speech, she finished it off in a embarrassed hush. "I didn't have a pet last year." Trying to turn her conversation around, she turned the topic back on Emma. "Do ye have a pet?"