"I know you'll make us proud."

The words danced in young Christina's head - she couldn't shake her father's optimistic declaration of his faith in his eldest daughter. She could close her eyes and see his smiling face, both of her hands clasped in his as students around them were in the process of saying goodbye to their parents in similar fashion. In his smile she found confidence, hope, pride, and joy - all were his sentiments and not hers. The smile she wore on her face was merely a mirroring of his in hopes that she could fool him and even perhaps herself that she felt ready for this.

"I know you'll make us proud."

From the time she could open her eyes her father would tell her stories of Hogwarts - the greatest Wizarding school across the land! She would play dress up in his old robes and clothing from school. She received her first "wand" as a four-year-old and her father would help her practice her stances and positions of the wand. In reality it was a stick pulled from a tree and Christina could barely stand let alone practice her stances, but her father made it fun. His school robes would pool around her tiny body and whenever she came close to doing something correctly her father would swoon and exclaim and lift her high into the air so she felt like she was flying.

In the present, she felt just as small - her own robes felt like a pool of fabric around her body. She was wearing her full gear as her father wanted to take as many pictures as possible, both with their magic and Muggle cameras. He had showered praise and talked so rapidly that she hadn't had a chance to say anything - not that he noticed.

It was only the two of them, her mother had offered apologies but between work and taking the twins to preschool she wasn't sure how she was going to make it. Her mother assured her she would write often and that Christmas would come before they knew it. Her mother was proud and she knew it, but being Muggle-born herself, she didn't always know how to respond when it came to things of the magic world.

"I know you'll make us proud."

Those were the words whispered into her ear when her father pulled her into one last hug before she stepped aboard the train. He had squeezed her so tight she let out a small gasp at the release. Her feet had left the cobblestone platform and now stood on the solid wood of the train steps. She couldn't remember how she did it but she somehow managed to take each step one-bye-one until her booted feet met the lush carpet of the train car hallway. There were children and young adults moving to and fro around her, some carrying large bags and satchels. Oftentimes trying to balance books that just hadn't fit into their luggage. It was noisy, but Christina could hear none of it - all she heard was a rush of blood and her heartbeat in her own ears.

Oftentimes people who know Christina would describe her as reserved, polite, and quiet. She typically would remain quiet in situations she was unfamiliar with. When she warmed up to her surroundings and atmosphere, she would tend to become a little bit more outgoing and brave - often finding herself in trouble for takings things too far. In this moment, on the train, some would wonder whether or not the girl was a mute. She shuffled past other students silently keeping her eyes on the carpet. She was grateful for her long locks of amber hair in this moment as it provided a curtain - hiding her from any glances she may be receiving.

She had her own luggage in her hands - she had almost forgotten, but after bumping into a group of students and almost losing the bags in her hands she remembered. She threw a quick glare in the general direction of the boys that had bumped into her but continued down the carriage. She lifted her eyes momentarily to look into windows, trying to find an empty cabin.

Finally she found an empty cabin - although she was uncertain it would stay that way. She needed to stand on her tip-toes to bush her bags up on the shelf about the seats. She sat down on the cushioned bend and took her first glance out the window. She could see families bidding last farewells on the platform. She also saw her own father, searching windows to find her face.

He was so sure of her - so sure that she would be the best and do her best. She wanted so much to think the same, but she couldn't. Her whole life, she wanted so much to please her parents, to make them happy. Time and time again she would fail - getting in trouble, using magic to get things she wanted and overall being selfish. She found that getting in trouble was almost too fun - the only thing that hurt was when she knew she had disappointed her parents. She wanted to do her best for them.

Her father finally found her face in the window his smile widening, somehow. His frantic waving caused Christina to duck her head behind the curtain, slightly. Still she timidly waved back at him and mouthed for him to "stop". He laughed and continued to wave, nudging the neighbor next to him, Christina could read his lips "It's my daughter's first year!" he practically shouted at the other parent.

Christina leaned away from the window and let her gaze land on the escaping steam of the locomotive.

Would she make her parents proud?

"Crap"

Those were the words that left Donald McLeen's mouth repeatedly as he ran down Platform nine and three-quarters to catch the train. Donald had said that he could take the bus there and then walk and make it in time, he said there was no need to worry, but here he was sweating bullets as he ran down the platform, dragging his baggage behind him, his faded gray hoodie blowing behind him. The problem was the no one had told him how to get there, he had panicked for 30 minutes until getting through the barrier on accident.

Donald picked up the pace and managed to throw himself and his trunk on the train, he stumbled into the corridor and took a breather. He took stock of himself: His red shirt was already sweaty, his hair was a mess, and he his jeans were riding up.

"Great" he muttered as he dragged his luggage down the hallway, searching for an open compartment. But it appeared everyone had already settled down and filled most up.

He was beginning to worry he would be spending the entire train ride in the corridor when he happened upon an empty one, save for a blond haired girl. Donald slid open the compartment door. The girl looked up on him and he smiled.

"Hi! I'm Donald McLeen, but my friends call me Don. I saw that this compartment wasn't full and was wondering if I could sit here?" He asked hopefully.

"Mom! I got an umbrella AND a jacket!"

It must have been the 7th time Anemone's mother asked her if she took her umbrella (because England's weather is unpredictable, not like the weather back home) and her jacket (because it is very cold in England, not like the weather back home).

"I know, OK? I am not a child!"

Anemone's parents laughed at this statement and made their way to the platform. Although they were both wizards, they actually had never been to Hogwarts. Magic back home was taught in a more private and mystic way so their skills were more raw. Having raw magic was not the problem though. The problem was that they would miss the train if they did not find the 9 3/4 platform!

"Let's follow the boy with the trunk!"

And so they did and they finally made it. Anemone was excited for this new experience, but when she started realising that she will be away from her parents for a year, she starting panicking and her eyes became watery.

"Don't cry sweetheart! You will make a lot of friends and you will have so much fun that you will wish for the year to never end, you will see.", said her dad.

"OK...", said Anemone, without actually believing it that much.

"Come on, one last hug and off you go!", said dad excitingly, while her mother was on the verge of tears.

"I will write often! Bye mom and dad!"

And so Anemone rode the train. It was intimidating to see all those strangers so she was determined to find a quiet place to sit down. After asking a million sorry to anyone she bumped into, she finally found a not so crowded compartment with two kids.

"Hi... Can I sit here?", said as she was wiping a small tear from her eye.

This felt so intimidating.

Ace had been terrified to leave his siblings behind but happy to be with other people like him. People that were different. His younger siblings and mother walked by his side, hand in hand. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and he heard the occasional sniffle come from them. They stood amazed in front of the huge Hogwarts Express as he had only dreamed of this moment. He held his family in his arms one last time but still not in tears as he had expected himself to be.

He clambered into the train and found a compartment where only a few people were and he could wave to his family out the window. He pressed his face against the glass pulling faces at his sister making her giggle. His hand rested on the window sill and sighed. He pressed himself against the window not really wanting to talk to the people around him and hoping that he hadn't walked in on anything. He looked at them awkwardly and smiled before turning at his little sister her his mother was now cradling in her arms.

Ace pushed his head against the headrest on his seat resisting the urge to cry but he knew he had to be brave and overcome his homesickness.