Closed So The Journey Begins

Platform 9^3/4 was filled to the brim with students, ranging from the hopeful and nervous younger students like Zvezda to the more casually excited elder students who had been through this routine many times before. Zvezda's eyes took in the postures of the students around her, the ways they walked, and even the clarity of their words. The part of her who was raised in Russia under her Durmstrang alumni dad and siblings was sizing her classmates up, predicting which would be talented mages and which would be witches and wizards in name and name alone.

The other part of Zvezda remembered all too clearly what it was like to be underestimated. They'd called her a Squib when they sent her to England. Her parents had tossed her out like rubbish because of her own perceived weakness, but she wouldn't let them be proven right. She would prove her strength and talent. That part of her wondered if maybe judging these strangers was unfair. She was treating them like her parents had treated her.

Exchanging goodbyes with her grandparents was short and curt. Her maternal family wasn't as cold emotionally as her paternal family, but they were still fairly detached. No words of longing or sadness were exchanged. Her Babochka impressed the importance of eating properly while her Dedushka had given her a handshake that would have made a grown man weep in pain. It was nice, knowing that he respected her strength enough to not hold back.

Zvezda rolled her trunk onto the Hogwarts Express, feeling a pang of longing for the icy, treacherous lands of Durmstrang. She didn't ask for help, no matter how heavy her trunk was. If she couldn't handle carrying it by herself, she didn't deserve to bring her supplies with her.

With her trunk secured, Zvezda got around to finding a compartment on the train. This part was one of the more difficult parts of her Hogwarts journey so far. She was hopeless when it came to talking to people, so her best bet was to find someone who was quiet and reserved, like her.

She was rewarded for her searching when she found a compartment with but a single occupant: a Korean boy, flipping through one of the books from the school shopping list. Zvezda walked into the compartment without hesitation. She didn't speak to him at first. She sat across from him in the compartment, clasping her hands in her lap. She began to people watch through the window, catching a final glance of her grandparents exiting Platform 9^3/4.

"You are being dedicated to your studies," Zvezda said, her Russian accent thick but not unintelligible. "This is a good trait. It will pay off tremendously when we arrive at school. My Papa has said that true power comes from knowledge. From learning things."

With a casualness, she pulled her wand from her pocket and began to examine it, twirling the blackthorn wood in her fingers and memorizing the curves in the wood. She wondered how long it would take until the wand felt like an extension of her arm. Her dad had always said it was important to get a feel for one's wand.

Only a few minutes had passed and Jaemin was thoroughly enjoying looking through the history book in his hands. “Huh, interesting.” He flipped back to the front to read over the different sections of the book, scanning over the chapter titles to get a better glimpse of what he was going to be learning. Gargoyles, goblins, even the Salem witch trials, this was certainly going to be a favorite class of his he could already tell.

People continued to say their goodbyes and get onto the train but no one had entered his cabin yet so he just continued reading on his own. He was so into his own world he almost didn’t notice someone had entered his compartment until they were already sitting across from him.

He glanced up from the pages of the book at the girl, who was now staring out the window as he had done too when he sat down. Careful not to be caught staring, Jaemin looked across at his cabin mate, trying to get a feel for her. She had very light blonde hair and blue eyes, she didn’t say anything at first and kept to herself, seemed to be very polite and proper from what he could. He was pretty sure she looked around the same age so maybe she was nervous for the first day as well. Not that he minded the company but honestly he wasn’t the best at conversation with new people so he wasn’t sure if he should say something or not.
Luckily he didn’t have to start up the conversation as the girl turned to him and spoke, an accent coming through as she did, Russian maybe?

“Yes, thank you.” He said giving a small nod to her. “My parents always taught me to work hard in my studies, I mean my mother is also a teacher so everyone does expect me to do well. And I do enjoy it also, reading and learning new things.” He admitted and noticed she had pulled out her wand, noticing how she began to examine it. “I like your wand, I haven’t really pulled mine out much since getting it.” Closing his book, he sat forward some more, reaching his hand out to the girl. “My name is Jaemin, by the way, Jaemin Choi. Are you a first year as well?” He asked the girl, genuinely curious to find out a little about the stranger he would be sharing this ride with.

Zvezda listened intently, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees to prop her head up as she offered her full attention. Her wand was still clasped firmly in both of her fists beneath her chin.

"A teacher," Zvezda repeated, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Which subject does she teach? History of Magic? Does she teach at Hogwarts?"

What were the odds that Zvezda would sit near one of the teachers' children on the Hogwarts Express? And this boy had an appreciation for learning that demanded her respect. If she played her cards right here, she could have a potential ally at school. Someone with whom she could share a friendly rivalry to elevate them both to their highest potential.

She was getting ahead of herself.

Zvezda sat back a bit, giving her wand a little twirl. The flexible wood bent slightly as it spun between her fingers.

"My father is saying that a wand must be like an eleventh finger. If a koldun - apologies. A mage, that is - is unfamiliar with his wand, he is as useful as an icy bridge in the summer," she said in her melodic, accented voice.

When she received her wand, Zvezda had spent three hours practicing pulling it from her pockets as fast as possible. When she didn't have pockets, she tucked it into her waistband. Even now her wand felt dreadfully new and unfamiliar, though. She felt clumsy with it. Unpracticed. She hoped that her familiarity with the magical wood would improve with time.

"I am first year student, yes," she confirmed with a nod. "I am Zvezda Morozova. Great-granddaughter of Vladimir Troll-Slayer Morozov."

She said the words clearly with a big, proud smile on her face at the name she was fortunate enough to carry. Her family had a reputation as fighters of great beasts, magical and otherwise, but her great-grandfather had propelled their family to greatness after slaying a great number of mountain trolls in his travels across Europe.

"I fear that I know little of well-known magical families in... Korea? I am curious to learn more of the Choi's," she added, sliding her wand into her sleeve.