After getting onto the Hogwarts Express, Elara spent a few minutes walking along the corridor looking for somewhere to sit. Most compartments were already occupied. Some students were talking loudly as if they'd known each other for years, while others looked just as uncertain as she felt.

Eventually, she found a compartment with a few empty seats and she claimed a seat by the window. After stowing her trunk away, she settled into her seat just as the train began to move.

For a while, she watched King's Cross disappear behind them. Buildings gradually became less common until they gave way to fields, farms, and small villages that disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. Sunlight flickered across the compartment as the scenery rolled by. She wasn't normally the type to sit still for long, but she ended up watching outside more than she expected.

After a while, she pulled out one of the books she had brought and tried reading. She got through a few chapters before realising she had no idea what she'd just read. At some point she had started looking out the window again instead.

Although she tried focusing on the pages, her attention kept drifting elsewhere. Sometimes it was the scenery outside. Other times it was the sound of people moving around in nearby compartments, doors opening and closing, voices carrying through the corridor before fading again.

Time passed without her really noticing. Eventually the book ended up closed on her lap, while she leaned lightly against the window. The glass was cooler than she expected. By then the light outside had changed. Longer shadows stretched across the fields, and the reflections in the window had become easier to notice.

At first, she didn't realise the train had started slowing down, but eventually she noticed after a while. Around her, students began putting books away and reaching for bags. Elara sat up properly and glanced outside again. A moment later, the train came to stop. For a second, she stayed where she was. Then she picked up her book, stood, and followed the rest of the students out.