September 1^st falling on a Tuesday didn't quite feel good to Eveline. This was the first day of her magical education. She would walk into Hogwarts a young witch from a powerful family and, in seven years, she would walk out of Hogwarts a witch with power to match or even exceed her family name. Somehow the mundanity of such an important first falling on a Tuesday morning didn't quite feel as momentous as it should have.

She was early. She was always early. One of Mother's lessons - punctuality is important, second only to not appearing desperate. Since no one in particular was waiting for her here, at Platform 9^3/4, she ran no risk of appearing to be a desperate child in need of connection. She was simply a child being where she was meant to be, when she was meant to be there. She'd been accompanied by her older cousin who also attended Hogwarts as a seventh year - Mother was quite busy today, she knew. Her older cousin had already abandoned her to find his own friends, though, so now Eveline stood alone, her trunk resting on the trolley in front of her. Her owl's cage rested atop the trunk.

Eveline's owl, Kerfuffle, shrieked shrilly from her cage. The ugly thing was getting on Eveline's last nerve. She'd been Eveline's last choice at the Magical Menagerie, but Mother had insisted on her as a pet to punish Eveline for 'making her desires known.' Another lesson in not being manipulated. Now Eveline was stuck with this ugly owl for seven years. Kerfuffle's feathers were perpetually ruffled, her beak seemed to be crooked, and she made noises that Eveline was almost certain an owl wasn't meant to make, but the little thing stubbornly clung to Eveline no matter how badly the young witch tried to scare the thing off. She'd tried insulting her, ignoring her, and everything else she could think of, but the little owl was, for all her faults, loyal to Eveline.

"If I take you out of the cage," Eveline said, voice low. "You have to behave. And you have to stop that stupid shrieking. You're going to draw attention. Mother will be furious."

And she hesitantly opened Kerfuffle's cage.

The stupid little bird shrieked even louder, drawing some attention from other students. Kerfuffle swooped out of the cage, far faster than the pathetic thing should have managed, and began flying about. The owl swooped down, taking an unopened chocolate frog from one student's hand, dropping it onto Eveline's trunk. Then the owl swooped over toward another student, taking something else. And another. Eveline knew that Kerfuffle was trying to bring her master gifts, but the stupid little thing was nicking stuff from other Hogwarts students whose only crime was being at the station early, like Eveline.

"Kerfuffle!" Eveline hissed as Kerfuffle passed. "Stop!"

She held out an arm, and the owl obediently landed on her forearm. She'd planned on wearing her black school robes now, so she wouldn't have to change on the train. But this stupid owl was going to ruin them at this rate. Eveline looked down at the stolen items on her trunk.

"What have you done now?" Eveline said flatly as the first of the students came to reclaim their stolen goods.