September 1, 2023

Outfit:

Reducio

Light colored jeans, purple and green sweater, Mary Janes, homemade bracelets, hair in two braids

Matilde stepped onto the Hogwarts express for the first time. She followed her brother down the train, looking inside each compartment, curiously. There were plenty open, but they were filling up fast. What should she do, join a compartment, or find an empty one?

Her brother, Martyn, found his friends quickly. “You’re welcome to sit with us…”

“No!” Matilde said quickly. “I mean thanks. That’s really nice of you…but I feel like I should at least try to talk to someone.” She smiled at him gratefully.

Martyn grinned back. “There you go, that’s the spirit.” He ruffled her hair.

“Hey!” She smoothed it back down.

Martyn waved and headed off with a rowdy group of other fifth years.

Matilde wandered past a few other compartments. She tried her best not to think about how this moment could determine her whole future- or at least the next seven years. She was never one to dwell on worries. In situations like this, she would usually be the one to talk to someone she didn’t know. But this was different. Feeling shy today, she found an empty compartment. She could see her parents, talking to her aunt and uncle. She didn’t think they could see her from where they were standing. Matilde sat down, near the window.

@Maddie Gittings

She stared at the wall in front of her and turned to her brother. "And I'm just supposed to run through it?" She asked with an extreme skeptical look on her face. "Yep!" Noah replied not skipping a beat. "Maybe it'll be easier if you watch me?" She nodded. He ran right through it was like he was there and then he wasn't. She breathed in deeply. "I got this, I got this." She muttered to herself. She ran faster than she ever had before, she closed her eyes tight bracing herself to run into a wall. But she just kept running and running. She stopped and opened her eyes doubtfully. "There's no way!" She said, as she gazed around at the busy station. There was a humongous red train in front of her with HOGWARTS EXPRESS painted in big, black, bold letters. She turned to her dad her face red. "What- What if I fail all my classes dad?" He chuckled, "You fail all your classes, you're killing me!'' In a more serious voice he said, "We both know that will never happen, now you best get on that train before it leaves you behind!" She gave him one last hug before her brother Noah yanked the back of her black cloak. "Cmon!" He complained. "Coming, Coming!" She replied cheerfully. She stepped onto the train and she gawked. So many compartments and so many kids. She skipped down the compartments until she saw a girl sitting by herself looking lonely. Maddie was the complete opposite of lonliness. So she went and sat right down next to her boldly. "Hi, I'm Maddie, want a jelly bean?" She laughed unable to contain her excitement.

@Maddie Gittings
Maybe she should have joined a compartment after all. No one had entered hers yet. Why was she so worried about this? She resolved that if by the time the train was out of the station no one had come in, she would find some other first years herself. Just as she had the thought, a girl came, quite literally, skipping into her compartment. She looked about Matilde’s age and had red hair, much more vivid than her own. Slightly surprised, Matilde smiled at her brightly.

“Hi, I’m Maddie, want a jelly bean?” The girl asked. She looked so excited she could burst, and a laugh escaped, as if she couldn’t hold it all in. Matilde liked her immediately.

“Thanks! I’m Matilde. Mu-til-da Or Tilly. A lot of people call me Tilly.” She popped the jelly bean into her mouth. Her face lit up with joy “Ooh, lemon! That’s my favorite!”

She instantly wondered everything about Maddie. Was she a first year? Was she from a wizarding family? How was she feeling about starting Hogwarts? Tilly would bet she wasn’t a bit nervous, she didn’t seem like the kind of person who was easily intimidated. Did they have anything in common? She contemplated what to ask her first. She decided to start simple. “Are you a first year? I am.”

She threw a jelly bean up in the air and caught it in her mouth. She giggled it seemed like she did that a lot. She opened her mouth wider to catch one more.

Maddie smirked at Matilde. She seemed so nice and innocent but Maddie had always enjoyed people like that anyways. Matilde was also a huge relief to Maddie, who was scared that she wouldn’t meet a friend although she would never tell anyone that of course.

“Yep, I’m a first year too!” She replied without skipping a beat. Literally she started to ramble on about quidditch and how much she enjoyed it. “Whoops sorry, kind’ve got ahead of myself there!”

“Well I hope I get sorted into Gryffindor that’s where everyone in my family was sorted!” “Wait want to see a cool new spell I learned?”

“W-windgaurdium leviosa!” She stared at her wand for a second and then started to laugh. “Hey atleast I tried!”

She gazed at the new girl curiously. So many questions had filled her mind so rapidly she felt slightly overwhelmed. Where was this girl from? Was she nice? What if Maddie lost her too? She muttered out a sentence.

“What house do you think you’ll be sorted into?”

@Maddie Gittings
Maddie began to talk about her love of quidditch. Matilde listened, but didn’t really know what to say back. She’d only seen quidditch played a handful of times. She hoped Maddie would like her even though she didn’t know much about quidditch. Maddie switched topics again, to a spell she was learning. She seemed to talk a lot, she definitely had a lot to say.

“W-windgaurdium leviosa!” Maddie said. Nothing happened. “Hey atleast I tried!” She exclaimed laughing. Tilly laughed too. She hadn’t tried any spells yet. Though she was only seven when her brother started his first year, she remembered when he singed all the hair off his arm attempting a spell before he had started school.

Maddie asked her what house she thought she’d be sorted into. Tilly thought for a moment. “Honestly, I don’t really know. My older brother is in Ravenclaw, and so was my mom when she went to Hogwarts. My dad’s a muggle, so he doesn’t know much about Hogwarts but he thinks I’ll be in Gryffindor.” Tilly laughed. “I think it’s just cause that’s the house he wishes he were in.”

She thought for a moment about what else she could ask Maddie. “Are all your family wizards?”

The question seemed to strike Maddie hard. Her eyes started to bundle in tears, she tried to keep them back. "dont cry, dont cry." Almost as if it was a touchy subject for her. "Well my five brothers are all magic, and my dad is a wizard, but my mum well she's or was a muggle."

Maddie decided that switching the subject would definitely be the best idea. "How about your family do you come from wizards?'' Maddie glanced out the window and jumped up out of her seat. The huge Hogwarts castle came into view. It had grand windows so many that it would take forever to count.

"Wow this is really it!'' She thought. "Oh no the sorting ceremony, that's gonna be hard!" She nearly pressed her nose onto the window to get a better look at the castle. Once stepping back she started to draw on the window.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you earlier, what were you sayin?'' She kept drawing hearts on the windows. She looked like she wasn't paying attention but that was just maddie, a bundle full of never stopping energy. It looked like Maddie never ran out of energy that's for sure!
@Matilde O’Fionnagan

Was? Matilde regretted the question immediately. Did Maddie’s mom pass away? She definitely had a weird response. Especially when she changed the subject so quickly. Matilde wanted to comfort her, but the conversation had already moved on.

"How about your family do you come from wizards?” Maddie asked, but before Tilly could answer, she jumped up and pointed. Tilly could just see Hogwarts castle. It really was spectacular. A giddy excitement filled her. This was really where she’d spend the next seven years? She couldn’t believe they were almost there, the ride had felt so short. Maddie began to talk about the sorting. Tilly supposed she was a little nervous. Mostly because she didn’t know what it would be like. Her family had refused to tell her anything, insisting it was a surprise.

Maddie began to draw on the window. Matilde smiled at the cute little hearts taking shape under her fingers. Maddie turned her attention back to Tilly, reverting back to the previous conversation.

“No. My older brother, mom, and all her family, yes, but my dad’s a muggle.”

There was very short silence, not awkward, just a natural break in conversation.

“Do you think we should dress in our robes? If we can see the castle we must be close.”

@Maddie Gittings

She bounced her leg restlessly while continuing to draw. She felt comforted by the fact Matilde was a half-blood as well. It made her feel like when she went to Hogwarts she wouldn't be alone by herself she'd have someone with her someone to count on.

“Sorry s’pose I didn’t say much about my family.” She cleared her throat. “Well, I have five brothers.” She said clearly. “They’re all pretty annoying actually.” She laughed and Matilde laughed as well. “Well my mum er she’s at St. Mungos.” She ended awkwardly.

She glanced down at the muggle clothes she was wearing. A red tank top and light blue jeans. She also had on some extremely dirty sneakers, so dirty that it would take ages to clean.“Yes robes, we should definitely change into those c’mon!”

She gestured for the door and they exited swiftly making their way through the compartments. They ducked under countless students heads, most of them Maddie didn't care to hit, but knew she had to act kind for her new friend. They approached the lavaratory, this was really it the start of her Hogwart's journey. “Well first one out waits for the other.” She said excitedly. @Matilde O’Fionnagan

Her mom was at St. Mungo’s. St. Mungo’s… it sounded familiar. Was it the magical hospital in London? She had even more questions, but didn’t think it was a good time to ask them. She decided to talk more about her family. “My brother is 15,” Matilde offered. “He teases me a lot, but he’s okay most of the time.”

The two girls left the compartment. Matilde changed out of her jeans and sweater and into her brand new robes. She’d only worn them once before, when she’d tried them on at Madam Malkin’s. She liked the way they swished around her, like a flowy skirt. She decided not to take off her bracelets, wanting to keep a bit of her personality with her as she faced the sorting, whatever that may be. She didn’t have to change her shoes, her mum had made her wear the Mary Janes she’d picked out for Tilly for school on the train. She’d wanted to wear her good old pair of yellow, water-proof boots she’d worn everywhere since she was little, but her mum had insisted on some new shoes for school. Matilde liked them, but still hadn’t completely broken them in. They felt stiff, too new on her feet.

Matilde exited the lavatory, waiting for Maddie.

@Maddie Gittings

She strolled into the lavatory. It was a unique lavatory to say the least. The stalls just opened when you got near and they changed colors when someone was inside. The sinks were painted an odd forest shade of green. The kind of green you would see on the moss that painted the trees deep in the forest. She swiftly walked into one of the many stalls and gazed around her. The stall turned a gash shade of red. "Wow." She whispered quietly to herself.

She tied the laces around her dusty brown boots tight. That's better!" She shook them so that some of the dust went away, and revealing the true white color of the boots. She slipped on one of the plain black work robes she had gotten back at Madam Malkin's. She loved the length of it, and she had really appreciated Madam Malkin's efficiency while measuring her. She grabbed a hair tie out of one of the robes many long silk pockets. She hurried to braid her hair, and finished very quickly, and impressive time. She pressed and pulled up some lace socks that she had thought were so pretty. She finally pulled her robes off and pulled a grey cardigan underneath them. She then put her black robe back on.

She opened her stall door and stepped outside. The stall then turned green again, leaving Maddie gawking. She took a huff of breath. This was it, she thought, this is where my journey begins. She exited the bathroom and spotted Matilde out of the many kids waiting and skipped over to her happily.

@Matilde O’Fionnagan