The massive locomotive, with its billowing smokestack, cozy compartments, and piercing whistle, was nothing like the trains in Japan. Yes, the ones back home were jam-packed with people pushing and shoving each other, but the trains themselves at least glided smoothly along the tracks.

The Hogwarts Express... was different. It tossed and jolted you like too many espressos on a Sunday morning. Sometimes it let out horrifying blaring noises that shook you to your core, and other times it suddenly began to rattle along the uneven iron tracks so shakily you could feel the vibrations in your bone marrow and you felt like a badly glitching video game character.

Josephine Elizabeth Morgan was gripping an armrest so hard her knuckles were ivory white, finally living out her dream to experience life from the perspective of a lone sock tumbling in a dryer.

She’d gotten up early that day to soak some raspberries in Darjeeling tea - the exact concoction that was now hopelessly spilled everywhere. Several areas on the opposite plush seats were rather sticky, and the occasional raspberry could be found nestled in a seat corner even though she’d done her best to wipe the majority of them off.

Thoroughly exhausted from her Diagon Alley shopping spree with Lady Aithne (which wasn’t much of a spree, except that the Higas were extraordinarily frugal people who took great care in teaching the young girl about the evils of greed and material desire - a lesson that left a significant impact on the witch to this very day), the girl had ordered a few cauldron cakes from the sweets cart and now sat back with a History of Magic textbook in her hand, fully intending to relax for the rest of her journey.

A butterbeer sat in a lidded cup, the liquid sloshing around as the train rattled. She’d intended to try it out since she had yet to taste the wizarding beverage, but after the fruit infused tea fiasco she didn’t feel much up to the challenge.

Sh knew that she should probably be sitting in a compartment with other students - “Make new friends on the way there!” Lady Aithne had told her. But Jo knew there was no need for that. She already knew she’d be a Slytherin, and there was really no need to talk to anyone outside of her house.

She eventually finished the book, which wasn’t very long anyway, and was reaching for her bag when she heard a knock on the compartment door. She frowned - she’d hoped to avoid any visitors.

Still she was given little choice, as to ignore the knock would simply result in a louder one. She bit her lip as she stored the book away in her bag and shouted, “Come in!”