This Morning Ride
First years were always sort of nervous and exciting, a mixture of both. Bella Light stood with her parents at Platform 9¾ as they watched the Hogwarts Express arrive. A shiny, red steam-powered train, it was the transportation method that was going to take Bella to her new home — Hogwarts.
“We are going to miss you so much, Bella!” Bella’s mother, Adele, muttered, giving Bella a hug. Her father, a bit more reserved just gave Bella a smile and ruffled her hair.
“You are going to have a great time there. Your mother and I met at Hogwarts and fell in love. Maybe you will too!” Her father, Patrick, chuckled.
“Gross, Dad! I’m only eleven! I just hope it’s not too difficult or anything…I’m slightly nervous,” Bella admitted quietly.
“You’ll be fine, my daughter. We believe in you. Just don’t forget us, and relax. Have fun! In fact, this train ride may be where you will make friends!” Adele said.
The train doors opened at exactly 10:50 AM at King’s Cross Station, giving a 10 minute buffer time to enter. Bella stood there, watching as groups of friends walk into the train. She felt slightly reluctant to leave, although that was a strange feeling since she had been wanting to leave for so long.
“Just go! Have fun! Bye!” Patrick rolled his eyes as he pushed Bella into the train. She nodded, tucking back her hair and trying to look confident.
“Okay! I got this. Love you guys! Bye!”
She entered the train, not knowing what to expect.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Bella moved through the squished compartments with her suitcase and backpack, not knowing where to sit. She knew how important first-day impressions were, and how sitting with the right — or wrong — people may change the course of her year. However, she also knew that she shouldn’t think too much.
“Bella, it’s only the first day!” She told herself, shaking her head in exasperation.
She finally decided to on a seemingly empty compartment — or so she thought. As she walked into the compartment, her head was so much in the clouds that she didn’t notice the person sitting on the cushioned benches.
(366 words)
“We are going to miss you so much, Bella!” Bella’s mother, Adele, muttered, giving Bella a hug. Her father, a bit more reserved just gave Bella a smile and ruffled her hair.
“You are going to have a great time there. Your mother and I met at Hogwarts and fell in love. Maybe you will too!” Her father, Patrick, chuckled.
“Gross, Dad! I’m only eleven! I just hope it’s not too difficult or anything…I’m slightly nervous,” Bella admitted quietly.
“You’ll be fine, my daughter. We believe in you. Just don’t forget us, and relax. Have fun! In fact, this train ride may be where you will make friends!” Adele said.
The train doors opened at exactly 10:50 AM at King’s Cross Station, giving a 10 minute buffer time to enter. Bella stood there, watching as groups of friends walk into the train. She felt slightly reluctant to leave, although that was a strange feeling since she had been wanting to leave for so long.
“Just go! Have fun! Bye!” Patrick rolled his eyes as he pushed Bella into the train. She nodded, tucking back her hair and trying to look confident.
“Okay! I got this. Love you guys! Bye!”
She entered the train, not knowing what to expect.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Bella moved through the squished compartments with her suitcase and backpack, not knowing where to sit. She knew how important first-day impressions were, and how sitting with the right — or wrong — people may change the course of her year. However, she also knew that she shouldn’t think too much.
“Bella, it’s only the first day!” She told herself, shaking her head in exasperation.
She finally decided to on a seemingly empty compartment — or so she thought. As she walked into the compartment, her head was so much in the clouds that she didn’t notice the person sitting on the cushioned benches.
(366 words)
Bella Light
This Morning Ride
Word Count: 500
Date: September 1st, 2026
Time: Early Morning
Location: Hogwarts Express, Platform 9¾
The hootin' and hollerin' of the rambunctious bunch that was the Arcana children was the first sign @Bella Light got that she only had a hint at the chaos she was finding herself in. Eight dark haired children, each of the ages between 11-17, wearing house robes of varying Hogwarts houses, were trying and quite frankly struggling, to get their "ducklings in a row" to board the train to Hogwarts.
They made noise loading onto Platform 9¾,
"You're stepping on my toes!"
"Quit hitting me with your cart or I swear I will throw your luggage onto the tracks!"
"Has anyone seen my Remembrall?"
"Have you checked under your nose?"
"Do we have time to stop for snacks?"
"We already stopped for snacks AND bathroom breaks! What is WRONG with you?!"
"Are we even going in the right direction?"
"If you all don't quit bickering, we are ALL going to miss the train."
They made noise loading onto the Hogwarts Express,
"I want a seat at the front! I'll see you guys later!"
"Hey! You're cheating! Get back here!"
"Can you guys try not to embarrass the Arcana name?!"
"I have a spot already saved, I'll see you guys later..."
"What is even--oh my goodness you got the new crysta--"
"I'm sorry for my siblings, I'm sorry for my siblings, I'm sorry for my siblings..."
"I don't know you guys..."
Xio Arcana was having a great time experiencing her first "boarding" with her siblings, but it was time for her to "leave the nest" and start her own journey. She found the closest empty cabin and promptly got comfortable. She tucked her hand-me-down luggage into the compartment above, took off her hand-me-down robe and lazily rolled it up and tossed it towards the window side, and took out from her pockets her various sweets she had brought with her. She couldn't decide which one she wanted so she opened them all and spread them across the seat as she began to doodle in her sketchpad. When @Bella Light entered the cabin, her eyes immediately shot up and connected with hers.
Xio smiled brightly and placed her sketchpad aside, before Bella could react, Xio was speaking at unknown speeds of excitement,
"Oh! Hi! My name is Xio Arcana! Im a first year going to Hogwarts, you seem like you are too! What is going to be the subject you're most excited about?! Im super excited for Charms and Potions!"
She continued as she gestured for Bella to take the seat across from her in the cabin,
"What's your name?! Take a seat, please! I haven't had great luck with my studies but everything I've seen so far is so interesting! What house do you think you're going to be sorted in?? My family have been in various Hogwarts houses...I hope I get Hufflepuff like Vesper, or even Gryffindor like Ren...oh, those are my siblings! I have seven, that's a lot, I know! Do you have any siblings?" she finally finished breathlessly.
Last edited by Xio Arcana on 5 Sep 2026, 04:59, edited 7 times in total.
This Morning Ride
Bella stared at the girl, @Xio Arcana who was rapidly talking, waiting for her to finish. She gave a smile as she sat across from the other girl.
“Hi, Xio! My name is Bella Light, nice to meet you! I really like Charms, just like you! Honestly, Transfiguration class sounds super interesting, too!”
She looked at the other girl, who was excitedly leaning forward to listen to Bella, almost falling off the bench.
“I really want to be in Ravenclaw or maybe Hufflepuff, too! I don’t think I am nearly brave enough to be in Gryffindor, but who knows! Slytherin sounds nice, too…wait, that’s all four houses, right? Yeah, I really want to be in all of them! Even though I know that’s not possible. And also, I hope I can be in the same house as you!”
Bella now curiously observed the other girl. Xio had dark brown eyes, and messy, wavy black hair. She seemed like a really nice person, and Bella hoped that perhaps they could be friends.
“I don’t have any siblings, but both my parents came from Hogwarts. In fact, they met and fell in love there!” Bella exclaimed. “I do sometimes wish I can have siblings, though. It could get a bit lonely now and then being an only child. But enough about me! Tell me about your siblings! Who are they? What houses are they in?”
“Hi, Xio! My name is Bella Light, nice to meet you! I really like Charms, just like you! Honestly, Transfiguration class sounds super interesting, too!”
She looked at the other girl, who was excitedly leaning forward to listen to Bella, almost falling off the bench.
“I really want to be in Ravenclaw or maybe Hufflepuff, too! I don’t think I am nearly brave enough to be in Gryffindor, but who knows! Slytherin sounds nice, too…wait, that’s all four houses, right? Yeah, I really want to be in all of them! Even though I know that’s not possible. And also, I hope I can be in the same house as you!”
Bella now curiously observed the other girl. Xio had dark brown eyes, and messy, wavy black hair. She seemed like a really nice person, and Bella hoped that perhaps they could be friends.
“I don’t have any siblings, but both my parents came from Hogwarts. In fact, they met and fell in love there!” Bella exclaimed. “I do sometimes wish I can have siblings, though. It could get a bit lonely now and then being an only child. But enough about me! Tell me about your siblings! Who are they? What houses are they in?”
Bella Light
This Morning Ride
Word Count: 235
Date: September 1st, 2026
Time: Early Morning
Location: Hogwarts Express, Platform 9¾
Xio clapped her hands in excitement,
"My older brother Jax once transfigured my mother's favorite cooking pot into a chicken and she forced him to chase it for hours and turn it back to normal, well...as normal as he could, everything that was cooked in that pot no matter what always tasted like chicken, hah-hah!"
Xio smiled brightly as she listened about @Bella Light's parents,
"My parents also met at Hogwarts! But they didn't really like each other at first...my mom tells me that they used to argue all the time before he finally asked for a truce! Obviously it worked because here me and my siblings are!"
When Bella talked about her wish about siblings, Xio couldn't help but scoff and roll her eyes, waving her hand towards Bella in a boring gesture,
"They ain't all that people make them out to be...they are basically my roommates with shared retaliation towards our parents. Im the youngest out of eight so I usually am on my own, most of the time. But I guess it does help to have a few extra hands for when things get dicey, hah-hah!"
Xio shuffled uncomfortably for a moment after that, but she then quickly picked up her sketchpad and opened it to a blank page and faced it towards Bella, "Here are my siblings in age order, house, and a little bit about who they are to me!" (Under Siblings)
Last edited by Xio Arcana on 5 Sep 2026, 04:59, edited 4 times in total.
This Morning Ride
Bella laughed when she heard @Xio Arcana describe her brother Jax’s incident.
“That’s cool, how your parents fell in love! It’s sweet! Sort of like an enemies-to-lovers trope, but in a really good way! Sorry, was that offensive? I apologize if that was!” She added hurriedly. “And yeah, I’m sure having siblings have its pros and cons. But now you have people you already know when you start Hogwarts, right? And they can teach you stuff and warn you ahead of time of events…”
Bella looked at Xio, who was shrugging. Xio then handed Bella a piece of paper from her sketch pad and showed it to Bella.
Bella finished reading it and then looked up. “That’s interesting! I probably won’t be able to remember them all, not yet anyways. Maybe give it a few more weeks!” They both burst into laughter.
That was when the Trolley Witch came along with her cart, shouting "Here comes the Snack Cart! Buy your snacks now!"
"Xio, are you going to buy anything? My parents said something about delicious candies and chocolate frogs, as well as cakes and juice! I don't know what to buy!"
Bella suddenly realized that if the Trolley Witch was here, it meant that the ride was halfway over. She felt a streak of excitement at what may be coming next.
“That’s cool, how your parents fell in love! It’s sweet! Sort of like an enemies-to-lovers trope, but in a really good way! Sorry, was that offensive? I apologize if that was!” She added hurriedly. “And yeah, I’m sure having siblings have its pros and cons. But now you have people you already know when you start Hogwarts, right? And they can teach you stuff and warn you ahead of time of events…”
Bella looked at Xio, who was shrugging. Xio then handed Bella a piece of paper from her sketch pad and showed it to Bella.
Bella finished reading it and then looked up. “That’s interesting! I probably won’t be able to remember them all, not yet anyways. Maybe give it a few more weeks!” They both burst into laughter.
That was when the Trolley Witch came along with her cart, shouting "Here comes the Snack Cart! Buy your snacks now!"
"Xio, are you going to buy anything? My parents said something about delicious candies and chocolate frogs, as well as cakes and juice! I don't know what to buy!"
Bella suddenly realized that if the Trolley Witch was here, it meant that the ride was halfway over. She felt a streak of excitement at what may be coming next.
Bella Light
This Morning Ride
Word Count: 255
Date: September 1st, 2026
Time: Morning
Location: Hogwarts Express
Xio gestured towards the messy pile of candy and other confectionary sweets littering her lap and seat.
"I ransacked Ren's stash before we got to the station, I am pretty much set for the rest of the ride! What's your favorite sweet? Mine is the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean! I actually started a collection last summer when my brother Jax gave me a box of all the flavors he didn't want."
She stated as she took what looked like a old, slightly crumpled, decorative cardboard box that held about 20+ beans from out of her skirt pocket and began listing the flavors she owned.
"I have soap...toothpaste, my personal favorite...grass...pistachio...earwax..."
She trailed off as she realized she was talking a bit too much about her strange personal hobby.
"But I do like chocolate frogs as well, I just hate having to chase my snack when I'm hungry, hah-hah!"
Xio placed her beaten up Bertie Bott box aside and glanced over at the trolley with @Bella Light.
"I'm slightly allergic to pumpkin so I'm not allowed to have pumpkin pasties...which is a real bummer. It's my father's favorite treat, so he enjoys saying 'more for me to enjoy, and less for you to miss, it's a fair trade'. Zev's favorite is Chocolate Cauldron's, he says the best way to eat them is to first dig out and eat the firewhisky filling first, then finish it with the chocolate cake so that you're not tasting fire for the next three meals."
Last edited by Xio Arcana on 5 Sep 2026, 04:59, edited 3 times in total.
This Morning Ride
"Wow, you have so many candies! In truth, I don't know which one is my favorite because I never tried many of them before. I heard of them, of course, in my parents' stories, but I only half-believe that they exist! It seems so cool, but also slightly out of place, you know? Since I have went to a regular school before Hogwarts and magic and candies like this wasn't really a thing."
Bella took a second glance at @Xio Arcana's Bertie Bott box.
"I really really want to try the Every Flavor Beans, too! I think my personal favorite might be Pistachio, just based off the flavors you told me. I might get a chocolate frog and a bean box, what do you think? I probably just won't get a Chocolate Cauldron, since I have no clue what tasting fire is like and sort of don't really want to know."
Xio gave a laugh.
"Do you mind if I try out one of the beans first? Just to see if I should buy it or not? I don't mind that they are the strangest flavors!"
Xio was just about to reply when the Trolley Witch gave a ring of the bell and yelled to the compartment before theirs, "Hurry up, or I'm moving to the next compartment!"
Bella took a second glance at @Xio Arcana's Bertie Bott box.
"I really really want to try the Every Flavor Beans, too! I think my personal favorite might be Pistachio, just based off the flavors you told me. I might get a chocolate frog and a bean box, what do you think? I probably just won't get a Chocolate Cauldron, since I have no clue what tasting fire is like and sort of don't really want to know."
Xio gave a laugh.
"Do you mind if I try out one of the beans first? Just to see if I should buy it or not? I don't mind that they are the strangest flavors!"
Xio was just about to reply when the Trolley Witch gave a ring of the bell and yelled to the compartment before theirs, "Hurry up, or I'm moving to the next compartment!"
Bella Light
This Morning Ride
Word Count: 400
Date: September 1st, 2026
Time: Early Afternoon
Location: Hogwarts Express
Xio gave an excited smirk as she picked back up her crumpled box of "unwanted" Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean collection.
"Of course! We can play the game my siblings and I play all the time...So, how you play is that you pull 3 random beans from the box without looking...then you get to see which of the 3 you want to: Eat, Pass, or Remove.
-There are 3 Rounds per Game.
-You only have 2 pass per entire game, and that just means someone else playing has to eat that bean!
-And in order to "Remove" a bean you have to take a different one from the box and Eat it no matter what!
Then, we do it all over again! Here, I'll play with you!"
Xio let Bella pull her beans from the box first, she was given a White one with brown flecks (can be Toasted Marshmallow or Cauliflower), a Pink one with various sprinkled colors (Fruit or Earwax), and a Green one (Green Apple or Grass).
Then Xio pulled her 3 beans, she pulled a Black one (Licorice or Black Pepper), a Orange/Yellow one (Cinnamon or Vomit), and finally a Bright Blue one (Blueberry or Toothpaste).
"Ofh! Man, I pulled some rough ones...ummmm..I'm feeling very generous and give you the 'good' one since it's your first time!"
Xio hands Bella the Bright Blue bean and eagerly watches for her reaction. Once Bella bites into the bean, her tastes buds are immediately flooded with the taste of toothpaste and mouthwash, giving her a fresh and minty bite.
"It's not great, but its not as bad as the other ones!"
She said as she now had the dilemma of dealing with the other two beans. She decided to "Remove" the Black bean and tossed the Orange/Yellow bean into her mouth. Which Xio IMMEDIATELY SPAT IT OUT the train window, coughing and struggling to not continue to cough.
"THE WORLD IS SO CRUEL IT WAS VOMIT....now for my salt in wound..."
Xio finally said weakly as she reached into the box, and per the honor of the game, simply tossed the random bean into her mouth. The relief on her face when it was Grape Jelly instead of Bacon.
"So, now that you've experienced Bertie Botts, if you ever find a flavor you just can't stand, I would love to add it to my collection!"
