Well...I guess it starts here?
Annie had barely stepped onto Platform Nine and Three‑Quarters before her muggle parents made her wish she could vanish.
Her stepfather was staring at every owl cage passing by, commenting how the cages are too small for the owls and its "animal cruelty". He also stated wizards should not be trusted. It would be safer to send Annie back into the "normal" (muggle) education system. He said so loudly enough for several other parents to glare at him.
Her mom kept asking her questions they both knew Annie didn't have the answers to. At least she was no longer asking if she had packed everything she needed - and all it took to make that happen is unpacking the luggage three times within an hour to "double-check". Of course, her mother also didn't fail to mention - again, for the 5th time that day - that it's important she behaves well when she is at Hogwarts. As if I have ever broken a rule in my life, she thought.
Annie's mom did not say it out loud, but her tone clearly said "Don't you dare embarrass us!"
With one last hug to each parent, Annie stepped onto the Hogwarts Express.
Dragging her luggage onto the train, Annie reminded herself to stay calm.
She’d done the research. She knew the houses. She knew she was meant for Hufflepuff - loyalty, stability, kindness. The main values she stood for were exactly what Hufflepuff house prided itself to care about. But believing something and knowing it for sure were two different things, and her brain was already spiraling through every possible scenario of what could go wrong. Annie didn't hate many things, but surprises and plans changing were definitely on top of that short list.
She slid open a compartment door, noticed it's empty, and decided to settle in.
After putting her luggage out of the way as quickly as she could, Annie finally sat down. She was sitting right next to the window, just as she had hoped for - at least this little win is going according to plan today!
Her stepfather was staring at every owl cage passing by, commenting how the cages are too small for the owls and its "animal cruelty". He also stated wizards should not be trusted. It would be safer to send Annie back into the "normal" (muggle) education system. He said so loudly enough for several other parents to glare at him.
Her mom kept asking her questions they both knew Annie didn't have the answers to. At least she was no longer asking if she had packed everything she needed - and all it took to make that happen is unpacking the luggage three times within an hour to "double-check". Of course, her mother also didn't fail to mention - again, for the 5th time that day - that it's important she behaves well when she is at Hogwarts. As if I have ever broken a rule in my life, she thought.
Annie's mom did not say it out loud, but her tone clearly said "Don't you dare embarrass us!"
With one last hug to each parent, Annie stepped onto the Hogwarts Express.
Dragging her luggage onto the train, Annie reminded herself to stay calm.
She’d done the research. She knew the houses. She knew she was meant for Hufflepuff - loyalty, stability, kindness. The main values she stood for were exactly what Hufflepuff house prided itself to care about. But believing something and knowing it for sure were two different things, and her brain was already spiraling through every possible scenario of what could go wrong. Annie didn't hate many things, but surprises and plans changing were definitely on top of that short list.
She slid open a compartment door, noticed it's empty, and decided to settle in.
After putting her luggage out of the way as quickly as she could, Annie finally sat down. She was sitting right next to the window, just as she had hoped for - at least this little win is going according to plan today!
Well...I guess it starts here?
Aurelius pulled himself from his misty eyed mother as he glanced around in embarrassment, hoping none of his soon to be classmates had noticed the smothering hug his parents had just given him. He was the last of their children to enter Hogwarts and they never let him forget how quiet the house would now be without him. Waving one final goodbye, he was pulled onto the train by his sister Sinead.
Once inside the train, she pulled himself into a compartment. ‘I’m really sorry Aur, but I can’t sit with you. Shayda made me promise I would sit with her so we could talk about Jens. Just find a compartment and make some friends! And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but stay out of Zeremen’s way.’
And she was gone. Aurelius sighed, and started to walk. She was probably right. Sitting with random new people would probably be safer than sitting with Zeremen, his brother 5 years his senior who had taken an intense dislike to Aurelius since his birth.
As he plodded along the corridor, there appeared to be no empty carriages… but wait! There was only one person in this one! He summoned up his courage, opened the door, and asked ‘Can I sit here?’
Once inside the train, she pulled himself into a compartment. ‘I’m really sorry Aur, but I can’t sit with you. Shayda made me promise I would sit with her so we could talk about Jens. Just find a compartment and make some friends! And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but stay out of Zeremen’s way.’
And she was gone. Aurelius sighed, and started to walk. She was probably right. Sitting with random new people would probably be safer than sitting with Zeremen, his brother 5 years his senior who had taken an intense dislike to Aurelius since his birth.
As he plodded along the corridor, there appeared to be no empty carriages… but wait! There was only one person in this one! He summoned up his courage, opened the door, and asked ‘Can I sit here?’