1 September, 2024 | Open, please owl before joining | Outfit:

Reducio

After saying goodbye to her family, Christina got on the red, old-fashioned train. Even though her father is a wizard, Christina never grew up in the Wizarding World, and she keeps wondering why everything is so old-fashioned. Really, using a quill to write, in 2024? Well, at least the train has some charisma to it, she ponders.

Since she was early there was still lots of space on the train. Christina easily found an empty compartment where she sat down. After all, she didn't know anyone yet, so it didn't make sense to get into a full compartment when there were so many empty ones. One downside of growing up in the muggle world. However, she truly hoped to meet some new people, since she's a very extroverted and excitable girl. And, without a phone, she didn't really know how to keep herself busy through the trip. It's not like there was enough space for her to get in some exercise, and she didn't like reading very much. Perhaps she should've thought of doing something creative like drawing or writing. It's never too late to start, she thought, foreseeing this sort of situation happening more often at Hogwarts.

Christina grabbed some pen and paper out of her trunk, being happy she didn't just bring quills with her, and started scribbling. That's when she had the idea to start keeping a diary: a Hogwarts diary. Since no one had entered her compartment yet, she started writing immediately. She wrote down the date on the top left corner and continued to write her experience saying goodbye to her family at the platform today. Even though she managed to keep herself busy, secretly she really hoped that someone nice would enter her compartment and strike up a conversation.

Rosa hugged her mother tightly one final time "You promise you'll write?" she asked. It was a combination of excitement and nerves that went through her, Hogwarts had been something she was dreaming of since she was 6 but now that it was here she felt bittersweet about it, she didn't want to leave her whole life behind. "Every chance we get" her mother replied to her. Both her parents were busy people so she wasn't expecting much. She turned to her father and hugged him saying a goodbye over her shoulder before setting off on her own for the first time.

Rosa was a small girl and was having trouble carrying her large trunk by herself. She was out of breathe by the time she was on the train and eager to find a compartment to sit it. She found one that sounded quiet from the outside and opened it, taken aback when she saw another girl sat there already. Rosa was a very introverted girl and quite worried about the prospect of making new friends but she knew she had to take the opportunity when it was right here. "Oh! Hello! Sorry I didn't realise someone was in here. It it okay if I sit here?"

1 September, 2024 |Interacting with @Rosa Dreary | Outfit:

Reducio

Christina had been writing in her newly created diary for a few minutes when she suddenly heard the door to her compartment slide open. She looked up, wondering if someone was coming to sit with her. That's when she saw a girl with long, black wavy hair and big brown eyes looking into the compartment. The girl looked surprised to see her, and Christina heard her say "Oh! Hello! Sorry I didn't realise someone was in here. It it okay if I sit here?".

Immediately, Christina got excited. This looked like a nice girl, and she could become her first friend at Hogwarts! Even though she tried to appear nonchalant, she couldn't hide the big smile that was forming on her face. "Of course, hi! Get in, take a seat!", she responded. Christina quickly got rid of her pen and her notebook, which turned out to become quite a messy affair. She smashed the notebook down on her pen, which then started leaking ink all over her trunk. "Oh shoot! I'm sorry, give me a minute.", she said. Why did she have to be so clumsy, just when she was about to make a friend!

After quickly cleaning up the ink that spilled out with some tissues, all her attention was back on the mysterious girl who walked into her compartment. She looked at the girl with big, curious eyes, and asked: "My name is Christina, what's yours?"

The two girls talked for a little, before another girl walked in.

Amaryllis hugged her father one last time, smiling with excitement. Her sister, Azalea frowned. "It's not fair! I wanna go to Hogwarts with you." Amaryllis kneeled down and tightly hugged her. "I will send you owls every single day. I promise." She let go of Azalea, standing up. "Bye mom." She gave her mom a little side hug. "Have fun sweetie. And remember, it doesn't matter what house you get. We will love you no matter what." She was slightly taken aback. She hadn't even thought about whether or not her parents would approve of her house. "Uhm..Thanks I guess." Her mom was very proud to be a Ravenclaw. And she knew she would be slightly disappointed if Lis didn't get anything else. "We'll see you again for Christmas!"

She struggled getting her heavy bag up the steps. She felt the bags weight lighten and looked up across the platform to see her father putting his wand away. She smiled, waving at him one last time before walking into the train. She started walking down the long corridor, searching for an available compartment. She heard talking coming from one of them and looked inside to see two girls who looked to be around her age sitting in there. She smiled at the blonde girl. "Hello. I'm Amaryllis. Is it alright if I sit with you?"

1 September, 2024 | Interacting with @Amaryllis Thornwood | Outfit:

Reducio

As the new girl walked in, Christina looked up from her conversation, a gentle silence filling the room. That was when the new girl introduced herself, as Amaryllis. Such a pretty name, Christina thought, before quickly responding to her question.

"Of course you can sit with us!" she said enthusiastically, moving over a little so that the girl could sit down next to her. She also moved her bag, with all her writing supplies, out of the way. Then, she gestured to the open spot next to her, hinting at Amaryllis that she could sit down.

"I'm Christina. You have such a pretty name! Does it mean anything?", Christina blurted out with a big smile on her face. Did that come out weird?, she thought to herself. One day, she really should learn to have a filter when talking.

Waiting for Amaryllis to respond, Christina discreetly started studying the girl beside her. She had dark brownish hair and deep blue eyes. On her nose, Christina also noticed some slight freckles. All in all, the girl next to her seemed like a girl she could definitely get along with.

Christina got a warm feeling in her chest: before the two girls entered the compartment, she was a little bit worried about making friends at Hogwarts. She was scared people would already be friends with each other, and that she would be unable to fit in. However, Christina as her extroverted self actually loved meeting new people, and these girls seemed very nice as well. Perhaps she didn't have to worry after all.

1 September, 2024 | Interacting with @Amaryllis Thornwood | Outfit:

Reducio

Hearing the other girl's response put a big smile onto Christina's face. "I'm sure the flower must be lovely, and smell lovely too!", she responded. Christina quite liked the other girl's excitement about flowers, one she doesn't share, but she thought it was a great topic nevertheless. "Actually, I have a flower in my name as well! My full name is Christina Rose. Must be one of the reasons why I actually love the color red.", she added to the conversation, chuckling at the end of the last sentence.

After a while, the conversation quieted down. While Christina noticed Amaryllis grabbing a book, she herself continued writing in her new diary. Thinking of the previous conversation, she started scribbling little roses where she thought they fit nicely. She had never thought about this, but it's quite a lovely thought, sharing a name with a flower.

Before a lot of time had passed, the girl next to her spoke up again. "Which house do you think you'll be sorted into? I'm hoping for Hufflepuff," she said.

Hufflepuff huh..., Christina thought. She put down her quill, while visibly pondering over the question. She hadn't actually thought about what house she would get into. She would be a great fit for Hufflepuff as well, since she was a very loyal person. Perhaps not Slytherin, since she wasn't that cunning. While she would be a great fit for Ravenclaw, due to her cleverness, she wasn't very studious. However, she wasn't sure if that was even really a Ravenclaw trait, or if people exaggerate that.

Lastly, Gryffindor. Her father had been sorted into Gryffindor when he was her age. Christina thought that this would be quite a good fit as well. She wasn't sure whether she was really brave, but she was quite passionate. Overall, she really didn't know where she would end up.

"I'm not sure actually...", Christina finally responded to the question. She decided to spare the other girl the whole reasoning, and just told her: "Honestly, I think I would fit in quite well with both Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. My father was a Gryffindor before me, and I heard that increases the chances of me getting into Gryffindor. I'm not sure if that's just rumors though.", she explained.

Finally, after taking a moment to catch her breath, she returned with a question of her own. "So, do you have any pets?"

Amaryllis read her book quietly, looking out the train window from time to time. She turned her head towards the girl after hearing her question. Her eyes widened with excitement, thinking about her pets back home "Yes I do actually! My father likes finding lost or hurt animals and nursing them back to health and sometimes we keep some of them. My backyard looks like a care for magical creatures class!" She laughed. "We currently have two Mooncalfs, one named Juniper and the other Henry. They adore my dad but are rather indifferent to everyone else. My sister has a purple pygmy puff named Fluffy. And my mom has a screech owl named Athena. " She made a slight face thinking of the owl. She's mean to everyone besides her mom. "We have a few beast and animals my dad is currently taking care of that we aren't keeping permanently though. I really want a cat or a kneazle but my parents said I can't have one yet. My mom says our house has too many pets right now. I'm hoping for one for my birthday." She paused, smiling at Christina. "Sorry for going off again, I just love animals and beast. Do you have any pets as well?"

1 September, 2024 | Interacting with @Amaryllis Thornwood | Outfit:

Reducio

Christina didn't expect the extensive explanation coming from Amaryllis. However, when Amaryllis mentioned the large amount of pets she had, she looked at her in awe. "Mooncalfs? That's so cute!", Christina said, accidentally interrupting the other girls' story. Christina was a little bit jealous, actually. Her parents didn't allow her to get any pets, saying that she and her sister were trouble enough, so she never grew up around animals.

After listening quietly for the girl to finish the rest of her story, enthusiastically nodding with everything she said, Christina told Amaryllis that she didn't have any pets. "I would love a pet, perhaps a cute little bunny, but I'm not allowed to have any either." Her lips turned into a little frown, before turning back into a smile. "But that sounds great! I would love a house full of animals. I also can't wait until the third year, apparently we get to take a course on Magical Creatures then. But for now, I'll have to do with stories..", Christina finished explaining.

Looking back at the book which the other girl was still holding, she wondered: "By the way, what are you reading?" Even though Christina herself wasn't a girl who loved to read (imagine having to sit still and concentrate for that long) this question flopped out. She really should learn to be more tactful in the future.

Amaryllis was surprised. "Your parents really won't let you have any type of pet? Not even a little hamster?" Maybe they were allergic. She couldn't imagine not having a house and yard full of animals. It could be a little overwhelming at times though. Especially when it's her turn to feed them. Her ears perked up at the mention of a beast class. "Oh my days I can't wait to be in that class! My father took it and he said it was wonderful!" The conversation was quiet for a little bit. Not an awkward silence but a comfortable one. Christina was still writing things down in her diary and Amaryllis went back to reading. They were both doing their own thing for a couple more minutes before she heard the other girls voice. By the way, what book are you reading? her eyes widened. She was ready to go on a lengthy explanation of the book plot, characters, and her favorite books in the series but stopped herself. She really had to work on not oversharing all the time. Not everyone wants to hear her go on about her books. "It's called wings of fire. It's really good it's about dragons! I brought a couple with me if you wanna borrow the first book." She pulled the first book in the series out of her bag. "This is the first book. It's called the Dragonet Prophecy ." She set the book down next to her in case Christina wanted to give it a try. "Do you like dragons? My mom hates them but I think they are such fascinating creatures."