Rhea blinked in surprise as Ava started cooing over Ash, as well as a raven which had just fluttered in, and that both birds seemed mesmerised by the girl. "Huh," she muttered. "That's weird... I've never seen him act like that." She then turned to Remington. "Err, hi! Nice to meet you." She then glanced at David, who was trying to restrain his raven who had just burst into song. The song was loud and not all that pretty and Rhea quickly put her hands over her ears until it stopped.

"Heh..." she said. "Crazy times. Guess that's Hogwarts for you." She then glanced at Ava. "First year student, huh? Lucky you!" She gave a nostalgic sigh. "I remember when I was a first year. Everything about the school is just amazing! You should see their great hall. They have this spell cast on the ceiling that makes it look like the sky. It's absolutely beautiful!" She gave a grin. "You'll just love it, Ava!" She then remembered herself and straightened to her full height. "I'm Rhea, by the way. Rhea Webb. I'm a third year Hufflepuff student." She gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of her head. "You know what they say about Hufflepuff, don't you? I mean, Ravenclaw's got the smarts, Gryffindor's got the courage, Syltherin's got the ambition. But Hufflepuff? That's where all the special kids go. I guess that tells you all you need to know about me!" She laughed again before suddenly realising that that was not as funny as she had meant it to be. "Heh... just... forget I said that, okay?"

Roy watched Nolan as he joined his group of friends. He was welcomed much more warmly than he had been by most of his muggle friends on his return from his first year at Hogwarts. Roy shook his head as he remembered Nolan and their neighbor coming in from a game of football, going on about a former friend of theirs who had accused Nolan of using magic to cheat. There was a lot going on in the world with the Muggles, but it was tiny things like that where one truly felt the effects. He felt bad for Nolan. It was normal for half-blood wizards to grow apart from their Muggle friends once they started spending every year deep inside the world of magic, but it seemed the process had been accelerated for his younger brother.

Then there of course was the chaos of his mother and eldest brother’s lives. As Obliviators, their jobs had gotten more and more stressful over the past few years. A can of worms had been opened. It was impossible to just remove all knowledge and records of magic now, so they had to focus on keeping more vital information from reaching the Muggle public eye. The heavy criticism falling on the Ministry from all parts of the world didn’t help their stress. Meanwhile, his father was using his role as a journalist to try and defend his family and their community, all the while ignoring claims that he’d “sold his soul to the devil for a piece of ass.” Roy found the whole thing ridiculous. Just a bunch of fear-mongering cowards. Their refusal to just live and let live would eventually force the Wizarding World to defend itself. The Muggles were actively provoking a dragon that had respectfully chained itself up.

He could see it now. A mob of Muggles of forming in London, pitchforks and torches in hand. It was really a comical thought, like something out of old monster movies. The witches and wizards up on the platform in their pointy hats and flowing robes (who really dresses like that in the city anymore?). Shouts and cries, calls for blood. And then Harry Potter would step forward, or maybe Hermione Granger, and with a wave of the wand all the pitchforks and torches turned to flowers. And that was that. He chuckled a bit, when Fletch’s hooting brought him back to reality. He had forgotten he was even holding the cage. But the owl was right. Life went on.

Roy boarded the train, wading through an even denser crowd of students moving in all directions through the corridor trying to find their friends. Over the sound of the other students a familiar sound caught his attention. Someone was singing a particularly annoying song. He rolled his eyes and worked his way over to the cabin where the raven was singing. He was disappointed to hear the song stop before he reached the cabin as it meant he wouldn’t be able to give David a hard time for it.

He walked into the compartment to find Remington and Ava, joined by David and a younger girl he didn’t quite recognize. Ava was petting both the raven and an owl that probably belonged to the girl. The other girl seemed to be going on about how much she enjoyed Hogwarts. “Special, huh?” he asked, laughing. “Is that what you call it?” he smirked. “Special was what my mum called it when my brother got Fletch’s owl pellets to sing and dance. But then again, special was what she called my talent with a paintbrush...” He shrugged, “I guess special can mean whatever you want it to.” He turned to Ava and smiled, “You look like you could use another bird. I’d let Fletch out, but Singer and that owl seem to be having such a good time I don’t want to expose them to his bad attitude.” He assumed that Ava still remembered him. He’d met her once or twice before at the beginning of the holidays. As he talked to Ava, he glanced over at Remington and David and grinned in greeting.

Amelia Hawkins - The Potions Professor

It was a day that was the start of a new beginning for her.

Just the other day she had received the letter of invitation to become a member of the faculty at Hogwarts, and that very same day she had filed her resignation with the Ministry and her work with them came to a very abrupt end. Not daring to linger any further than she already had there, her rush home started with getting all the necessary items packed away before the end of the Holiday. A haphazard collecting of ingredients and reagents of nearly innumerable sorts piled into a handful of suitcases and bags as they flew through the air throughout her private home.

The arrangements by the school were so dismally last minute, that it left her wondering if she had been the last resort to be picked by her former mentor. Was she really fit for such a task? Most of the professors at Hogwarts were well into their middle ages, while she was in her late twenties...Surely they thought I'll of her lack of experience and assumingly the same of her wisdom. Shaking her head as the brass clasps snapped shut and the cases filed themselves together by the door, Amelia nonchalantly made her way from her small comfortable home in London down to the train station itself.

Thankfully, the Post would deliver her supplies and items to the school long before she arrived there.

All she carried with her then was her wand up her sleeve, and a small book. The rest of her clothing was undoubtedly that of a more muggleborn's state as to not draw attention to herself. As she watched on, a small scuffle take place immediately by the platform where all the younger witches and wizards were entering to go to school, the Professor could not help but the slightest frown. Surely, what the protestors concern and irate words were over might have been overly prejudiced, but it did not ever serve anyone well to get them even more inflamed by giving them more to be angry about.

She however, would simply weather the storm.

Walking up to the platform and striding gracefully towards the "door", the Professor simply remained quiet entirely as a new string of rage and curses were fling in her direction. Stoic and apathetic to their baneful words, the beautifully striking coloration of her eyes found the student who had taken a swing at the Muggle just as he found a compartment upon the train; and she would follow.

Tapping her shoulders twice with her wand, her muggle's clothing was quickly covered by that of her blackened professor's robes. Of which also soon gained a white fox curled up lazily about her neck, dangling then from her shoulders was a scarf bearing many shades of blue, to indicate the House she had once graduated from. Smoothly, she sat in the compartment then, quietly across from the two while they admired a new wand.

"Gary, was it?" Amelia spoke quietly, snapping open a book between her fingers. "It is not wise for the wizarding community to inflame the Muggle community. You, I, and everyone on this train are representatives of such a thought. Bear that in mind before you swing at another Muggle again." Her voice was elegant, but stern all the same as she continued. "We must be kind, no matter how much they spit in our faces. For you see, with great and remarkable power comes even greater responsibility. Next time think before you lash out again."

After Gary's first bite into the McChicken, he quickly calmed down. With another sip of his Coca-Cola, he was ready to respond to the woman who entered their compartment, sitting in front of him. The pretty woman who acted like a professor, though Gary had never even seen her. She must be the new professor. Damn, how old is she? She looks pretty young.

That is, until his little brother put Gary's wand to his side, and quickly spoke out before Gary even had a chance to. "That's alright, miss. He knows what he did was wrong." Vincent smiled and nodded.

Gary took another sigh, picked up his Krasue-entrail-core wand, and put on a smile as he started his reply. She's pretty hot too. He had just noticed. He nodded as he himself knew he didn't make the best of choices. "I apologize. Next time, I'll definitely think about my actions."

After all, Gary hadn't been the best student for the last few years. His grades seemed to plummet in his fourth and fifth years. It was only in his sixth year that he had been more encouraged and motivated by a certain staff member - someone who showed interest in him, his potential, and brought him back to where he needed to be. Of course, the unpleasantries of going to school has lingered since his fourth year incidents. Another year of going to school, even if it was going to be his last, brought him fear and anxiety, and loads of low self-esteem.

"So, you're the new potions professor, then?" Gary assumed the conversation about punching the muggle was over, and if it wasn't, he sure hoped so as he changed the subject. He had also heard that the old potions professor planned to retire over the summer.

Amelia Hawkins - The Potions Professor

From the edge of her vision as her gaze did not avert from her book, Amelia simply watched as the two boys exchanged glances with the arrival of her company. First, one had spoken to admit knowledge of the other's wrongdoings, and the other admitted an apology to his own error. In Amelia's mind, it was not necessarily to her that they needed to ask forgiveness.

"You should apologize not to me, but the Muggle you struck." She began first, after the inquiry as to what she was doing on board the express. "But that will wait, we are due to depart soon. I cannot have you missing the Train, now can I?" Deftly snapping the book closed, the Professor lofted it tightly into her fingertips before tucking it away into her robes and smoothly transitioning to a stand. Turning towards the door and sliding it open, her gaze turned to a gravely cold sense as she eyed them both calculatingly for a brief moment.

"As the headmistress of Ravenclaw, I expect maturity from my students who are beyond their fifth year; do try to make a better second impression. You are correct however, I am the new Potions Professor. You may call me Professor Hawkins, if you'd like."

Heavy words hung upon the air then, before she swept away back into the corridor and away in her swaying, graceful stride. Reminding her that it is more often than not best to remain aloof of her students and even more so of the ones that belonged to her House. For as headmistress, she must always remain balanced and unbiased; no matter the cost. Every student is subject to the same rules and law as any other, no matter the history or bloodline that student may have.

It was a rule she had learned and adapted from Professor McGonagall, years ago during her own years of learning at Hogwarts.

Striding on through the corridor as students respectfully made way for her to do just that, Amelia finally came upon a cabin that was much quieter and far less crowded. Leaning into the door frame slightly, she caught the gaze of an older man who was closer to her age and someone who looked to be a relative of his, by the way she clutched onto his hand. Looking at them both as they looked to her, she would inquire politely to Mark, whom she might hopefully soon be his guest.

"Do you mind if I join you two? I won't be a bother or anything of the sort."

The train ride to Hogwarts was her least favorite part of going back to school. Seriously, how could she enjoy staying inside such a cramped room—one which she can't escape at all unless she wanted to fall to her death? Caitlin was lucky to have forgone it last year, having spent the whole summer with her mum on the outskirts of Hogwarts. Her mum was researching the local beasts, particularly those of the XXXX classification. Now that was the best! Not only did she get to hang out with a colony of kind Centaurs, she even got to ride a Hippogriff all the way to the castle to join the others on the first day. And of course, part of the appeal was that she never had to step foot on that blasted means of transportation at all. She looked at the vehicle in question now, puffing out steam and looking all too daunting. Caitlin wondered if she would ever get over this (vehicle-specific) motion sickness of hers, but it currently seemed very, very unlikely.

She stalled for as long as she could, nervously pacing and blatantly ignoring the teasing from her housemates. Who's ever heard of a Gryffindor afraid to ride a train? They joked, although, to her defense, she wasn't scared. She was just apprehensive. That's completely different, isn't it? Half a minute passed before she finally got fed up with stressing out—it wasn't something she usually did—and she dashed inside, ignoring the protests of her stomach. The train wasn't moving yet anyway, so she should be just fine. Juuust fine. Brilliant, even. Yup. She ended up taking ten times as long as the average student to board Hogwarts Express, but hey, that was faster than the previous times. It might not seem like anything to others, but managing to step inside the train was a feat in and of itself. Going against what her instincts were telling her was incredibly hard, she'll have you know.

Caitlin sighed as she continued along the corridor, brows furrowed and a scowl on her visage, already dreading when she finds a compartment to sit in. They felt like cages, really they do. There was hardly enough room for one to walk about, never mind four! The thought made her huff, and she looked like a sulking child as she went through each compartment, searching for the nearest available seat. During her first year, she had taken so long to decide where to sit that the train had started moving before she could settle in. Suffice it to say that results were not pretty at all.

There was a lively compartment filled to the brim with people that she passed by, and she shuddered at the total lack of space. She would have carried on her search for an empty one, but two of the students in there had caught her eye, and not in the good way. Caitlin stopped right at the entrance, looking at the two younger female students before making a face at Roy and Remington, the artist and her rival on the Quidditch Pitch. Both Ravenclaws were quite famous (though she liked to think they were more infamous) as serial flirts. She has many friends who've been victims of them both, much to her dismay.

She burst in their compartment and pointed at the young redhead and the younger blonde, then looked to the two older Ravenclaws. "Too young," she said without preface, squinting her eyes in a sort of glare. Then she left as suddenly as she had burst in, continuing her search for a seat once more.

Last Night

It was a reunion.

Two men shared dinner at a small restaurant. They sat in a window-booth, where they had a view of the London street. This was the same restaurant they had dined in 11 years ago, which was their last meeting. Though it had a different name and owner now. And this was nearly the same table with nearly the same view, though the neighborhood had become much more trendy and the price point a bit steeper. They laughed and conversed for hours, the main course and the first bottle of wine were through, they gladly called for a second.

The taller one had a crooked nose and a sharp jawline softened by a line of white stubble. His name was Charles Horus, thin and gangly, and a healthy swath of silver hair. “You know Phelix, ever since we planned on meeting, there is something I can not get off my mind.”

“Why, what would that be?” Phelix was the shorter, squat and round, smiling from ear to ear. When the wine arrived he filled both their glasses nearly to the brim.

“Remember Sally, our schoolmate, do you remember when she got pregnant? Then Samantha our co-worker… And and Mindy!”

“Do you have a confession to make, Horus?”

“No-no-no. I am thinking about how you correctly ‘guessed’ the gender of their child every time! And you told poor Annie she was having a daughter before she even knew she was with child!”

“That’s what everyone does at a baby shower. The odds are nearly 50/50 now. I think I’ve been wrong a few times…”

“No. You have not.” Charles said flatly. He folded his hands and leaned forward, speaking more quietly. “You are one of them aren’t you? A Wizard? Is that why you never talk about your family? Have you been working with them all these years, now?”

Phelix was quiet for a long moment as he swirled the wine in his glass. The juice was thick, and clung to the sides, dribbling down in long thick legs when his hand finally stilled. “I’m not a very good one.” He finally said.

“I knew it!” Charles clapped his hands together, grinning as if he’d just won a jeopardy. “Why on earth did you become a scientist?!” He laughed, but then, his smile faded. “Why have you never told me?”

“I’m a scientist because I love science. I never told you because… well… at first, while we were in college, it was illegal to say-so… I didn’t lie about my family, they did disown me, and I never spoke to them after that even now. I wanted to leave all that behind me, including magic.”

“I suppose I can understand that. But even after… the existence of magic was revealed. You said nothing.”

“Why trouble anyone? I had divorced myself from magic.”

“And when you 'retired'? What have you been doing?” Charles pressed.

“I was invited to Hogwarts. But you were already in Bolivia, I didn’t think… There was no need to trouble anyone with it.

“Hogwarts? Isn’t that the school?”

“Yes, I teach there. It doesn’t matter I’m a terrible Wizard.”

“Terrible? You made all those predictions…”

Phelix waved his hands. “No-no, that’s nothing, that is just fortune telling, not even a real prophecy.” Phelix pointed at Charles, teasing. “I get it, you always bet against me didn’t you. Do you feel cheated because I must say that--”

“I do not feel cheated, I feel deceived.” Horus snapped. “You kept this secret from me. I never lied to you.”

“Never?” Phelix nearly choked on his wine, but made no further protest on that matter. He might have dug in when he was young, but he was old now. He knew full well who had the higher ground. He did not want to waste his time arguing with precious friends. Not now. “Hmm… Horus, I am sorry that I have hurt your feelings. It just wasn’t important.”

“Not then. But what about during the war? What about now? You work for them. Were you going to tell me if I hadn’t guessed?”

“Charles, please. Tell me, does it really matter that I am a wizard?” Phelix smiled and set down his glass, looking his friend in the eyes with a most serious gaze. “What matters is that I am your friend first and foremost.”

Horus winced, as if the words tasted sour. Then soon replied.

“I don’t know.”

They passed on dessert.

~~~~

Today

Unlike most teachers at Hogwarts, Phelix always dressed like a muggle, generally business-casual. No robes, no hats, just a pair of khakis, a tie with the periodic table of elements printed upon it, an atom-shaped tie-pin, a white button down shirt. He justified his unconventional uniform with the following argument: He was teaching wizards about muggles, he should dress like a muggle teacher. Teach by example.

He was a short stout man, walking with a small waddle. Fairly unremarkable. A nest of whispy white hair grew around his egg-like bald crown. He wore thick-rimmed glasses and carried a brown leather briefcase. Wearing earbuds and periodically glancing toward his smartphone, he hardly looked magical at all.

He stopped in front of a much taller, much younger, much more handsome man. “Professor McCarthey.” Phelix put his phone in his pocket and gave the man before him his full attention. He reached upward, offering his right hand to shake. “I hope your summer was safe… Say…”

Phelix adjusted his glasses and glanced about “... Say...when are we due to update our concealment spell?” There were several muggles that were lingering close to the platform entrance. "Is that our charm? Or is it a ministry matter?"

Muggles becoming aware of magic changed ‘the game’ quite a bit. It was much easier conceal a thing that no one was looking for in the first place.

He sensed that the Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts teacher was a bit frustrated by his face and his manner. He stood like a soldier at his post. Perhaps the day was not going as smoothly as usual. “Anything I can lend a hand with?” Phelix offered, looking up at the young teacher.

"No, not at all" Mark said as the attractive woman about his own age asked if she could stay in his cabin. "I'm Charmed. Er, Charms, I mean," he caught himself in a bit of a Freudian slip, "I'm the new Charms teacher. Mark Crane. And this is my niece Rose Green. Or, more accurately, she's my cousin's youngest daughter. She's never ridden a train alone before, so I'm ridding with her." He held out his hand, offering to shake her own.

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am." Said Rose, letting go of her uncle's hand and holding her hand out for the new woman to shake. "Are you a new teacher too? Don't worry, I'm sure those students will straighten up before long."

When introductions were over, Rose excused herself and started looking through her bag. "Accio Ipad." she said, waving her wand over it. When it didn't come to her, she shrugged. "I guess I can't cast that yet. Uncle?"

"Excuse me for a moment," Mark said to the new woman, and drew his wand. "Accio Ipad" he said, and from somewhere in the depths of a purse that could hold as much as several trunks the device arose. Rose thanked him, grabbed it an turned it on, content to play a game of checkers against the computer. "Sorry about that," said Mark. "You were saying?"

Richard was just about to answer Astrid and Terra when another student walked in. “Mind if I join you guys?” the boy asked. Richard glanced at him and the cat rearing up anxiously on his shoulders. He looked around at the compartment and then looked back at the newcomer.

“Yeah, sure,” Richard said. “We’ve got plenty of room. I’m Richie, and this is Astrid and Terra. We were just talking about what houses we think we’ll end up in.” He scooted over as Toby pushed into the compartment. He helped the boy stow his things and they all sat down.

“I haven’t really given much thought to where I’d end up,” Richard admitted. “I always just assumed I would end up in Hufflepuff like both of my parents.” There were stories about the Sorting Hat taking the student’s choice into consideration, but Richard felt he’d just be grateful that he was being sorted in the first place.
~

"Oh man, that apparation shit is stressful." Cleo opened one eye and looked at him, "You pass your apparation license test?"

A loud, deafening crack reverberated off the compartment walls and Jeff was now sitting just across from her. He felt his stomach do a turn but he ignored it. “I had a little trouble at first, but I can’t say I miss portkeys or flooing. There’s just a lot more freedom with apparation.” Jeff twirled his wand absentmindedly and glanced up at his trunk which was sitting on the rack above him. He flicked his wrist and a book fluttered down, landing gently in his hands.

“And, nah, I don’t mind,” he said. “Get as much work done as you need. I’ll probably just do a bit of reading before I go make my next rounds.” He flipped the book open to a point about midway through and glanced at a note he had previously scribbled in the margins.

“Your summer was good?” Jeff asked.

Toby
__________

Toby was a bit out of the loop on the conversation the boy was speaking of but he knew he had read somewhere something about houses. He shrugged and smiled as the boy introduced himself and helped him stow his small trunk containing his school robes. He sat down and took a good look at his kids he was sharing a compartment with. Astrid and Terra had red hair like fire and a good smile making Toby feel much better about finding somewhere to sit. They had something that Castiel seemed interested to pinpoint and the kitten slinked down Toby's chest like the boy was a mountain and approached the twp girls warily titling her head to the side and sniffing in the general direction.

The boy, Richie reminded him of some of his friends in the muggle world, with brown curly hair.

It was amazing how at ease he was feeling now and sat himself beside Richie staring at the two twins. "I'm sorry, i'm going to fele really dumb but what exactly are you guys talking about? The name Hufflepuff sounds familiar but i've been reading so many of these books I got that everything is jumbling together." He smiled to hide his shame, he sometimes hated the learning disability he had but luckily it was a double edged sword, because when he 'did' finally wrap his head around things he never forgot them.

The twin furthest from the door, Terra, responded, "Well Hogwarts was founded by four powerful wizards." Astrid leaned forward and held out her hand for the kitten to sniff, while Terra launched into a small lecture about the founding of Hogwarts. "Each house is named after one of them. Gryffindor takes the brave. Hufflepuff the hardworking and loyal. Ravenclaw the smart and witty. Slytherin the cunning and ambitious." It was the first time Richie had heard Terra speak and she sounded exactly like her twin sister, except her voice was a bit softer.

"Yeah and we all know you'll be in Ravenclaw." Astrid nudged her sister. Terra rolled her eyes at her.
"Not necessarily. It is about what you value, not just what you are. You can value bravery without being brave. Or you could be very brave, but value book smarts more." Terra shrugged.

"Well I'm sure I'll end up in Gryffindor if that is how it works, and you better too. We have never been separated before." The twins looked at each other and a play of emotion crossed both girl's faces.

"So," Terra turned to Toby, "What is your name and where do you think you'll end up?"

~~~
"It's a ministry issue." McCarthy grumbled. "But of course it's not like they sent anyone to watch the gate. I've already had to confund a few protesters, and Shinawatra
punched a muggle I had to Obliviate him and convince him he walked into a wall. I'm debating giving him a detention, but school hasn't technically started." McCarthy waved his head as if to explain the rest of his thought process.

"Anyway, if you can just keep an eye on the protesters and make sure none of them get too close to the barrier. We may have to consider a different way of getting students to Hogwarts in the future." McCarthy sighed and shook his head, but stopped and moved quickly to break up what was about to become a full on fight. A parent was drawing their wand at one of the protestors.

"Don't-" He clapped his hand on the parent's shoulder. "We can't escalate to that. Get your kid through to the train." McCarthy gave the parent a look that told him plainly that arguing with him would be pointless. McCarthy caught Phelix's eye and nodded to the family as if telling Phelix to make sure they got through the barrier without further incident.

Toby listened intently to the twins and nodded as Terra, or was it Astrid recited the different qualities for each House. He leaned back in his seat and looked up at the ceiling thinking for a moment before shrugging. Castiel while Toby was off in subconscious land almost jumped a foot when Astrid held out her hand. With quick little scurries the kitten slowly inched closer, and closer before taking a very fast sniff then hiding under the seat to come up with thoughts on the scent.

"So, what is your name and where do you think you'll end up?"

Toby snapped himself out of his thoughts and shrugged again. "I'll be honest, I have no idea. I mean i'm pretty good at making friends, and always was the guy that stood up to bullies at school but at the same time I really like learning. I guess i'm a toss up between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor." He smiled and then remembered, "oh and my name is Toby. Toby Webster."

David smiled at the newcomer, the evident parent of the owl.

When Singer finally gave up trying to sing, David let him fly to Ava, joining the owl and hopping around to get Ava's attention.

"Hi Ava," David smiled at her, "you're brother talks about you all the time." David saw something out of the corner of his eye, some sort of amazing creature outside the window that entrapped his attention for a second. A shimmer seemed to surround Ava, not visible per say, but more of a feeling. David could tell that there was a connection between her and the Avian creatures. David furrowed his brow in pretend secrecy and spoke to Ava, "If he sings again, just tell him the Narggles will get him."

"It's nice to finally meet your little sister, Rem," David said, placing his bag on his seat. He turned to Rhea.

"It's nice to meet you officially," he smiled.

As Roy stepped onto the scene, he smiled back at his housemate, "special sometimes really means 'special,' Roy," David said. "Even if we don't all want to be in Hufflepuff, we should all want to be in Hufflepuff," he smiled at being seemingly deep and clever before looking at Ava and winking, "I read that in a book somewhere."

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by Caitlin's sudden burst of anger at Rem and Roy. He smiled a little and tried not to burst out laughing. "I'll see you guys at school." He waved his wand at his bag to follow him and it lifted from the seat and hovered near him. Before he left he spoke to Ava in a conspiratorial low voice that everyone could hear.

"Let me know what you name them, Okay?" He smiled, glancing at the creatures outside the window. "Go ahead and take my seat Roy, I think all of us in here is perhaps too many," he laughed, clapping his hand on his housemate's shoulder. He whistled for Singer to follow as he left the cabin. The Raven made a small sound of protest, looking at Ava then at the retreating David, before acquiescing and flying gracefully to David's shoulder, releasing a feather in the process. David used the levitation charm to trap it in the air.

"Any of you guys can have the raven feather if you'd like. It's really good for many potions, like the muse potion." He gave a last farewell before entering the train hall and heading after his friend.

"Kay!" He called after her. "So you had words for your enemies, but not for your friend," he smiled when he caught up to her. "So," he said excitedly, walking beside her, his bag following behind and his Raven pruning itself, his leather-bound journal leaving his backpack and opening to the page he needed in front them, "I think I finally have the right mix of ingredients to create the Fillius Flying Flees." He pointed at a drawing he made, not a very good one, of an herb that could be found in the Forbidden Forest, "only it's in the Forbidden Forest and I have no idea how to find it. I think it's called, Cazmatere, Cafamere, something like that."

As they walked, his book hit someone in the head that was passing by. The third year Slytherin didn't say anything but glared at them as she passed them by.

"Sorry," David said, turning back to Caitlin and smiling. "Five points to Ravenclaw for defeating a Slytherin," he whispered.

Rhea's face became luminous red at Roy's comment, almost matching the colour of her hair. She was about to make a snappy remark - or at least try to, as she hadn't really thought of a particularly clever one - when Caitlin burst through the cabin door.

"Too young," she said. She pointed at both Rhea and Ava, before vanishing as quickly as she had appeared.

Rhea blinked in surprise, completely forgetting her earlier embarrassment. "What was that all about?" she muttered.

She then looked at David. "Oh, errrr, nice to me you too!" she said quickly, with a little bow of her head. In her attempt to appear respectful, however, she almost completely lost balance and had to steady herself against the doorway for a moment. She blushed again. Great, now I look like a total idiot! she thought. However, she appreciated David's little sentence about Hufflepuff... even if she really didn't understand what it meant. She decided she already liked David and was really overjoyed when he offered the raven feather to anyone who wanted it. She already knew how useful they could be. She glanced sheepishly at the others. "You guys don't mind if I take that feather, do you? It would be really useful for me to have." She grinned. "I heard there is going to be a new Potions teacher this year and I reeeeaaally want to impress them."

And now I sound like a dork... Rhea thought, breathing an inward sigh.

Amelia Hawkins - The Potions Professor

To start, Amelia offered her fellow compatriot a radiant smile in response to his introduction. His little slip did not escape her however as she quietly observed their interactions with one another while she stole a seat to perch in a spot opposite of them. Lofting an eyebrow at the electronic device that was produced before returning her gaze to her fellow professor, the Headmistress of Ravenclaw gently took his hand into hers as she briskly shook it with her own introduction.

"Amelia Hawkins, Professor Crane; and the pleasure is mine, Miss Green!" She spoke warmly and encouragingly to the little one as she shook her hand in turn, even as she began the use iPad. "Fair warning though Miss Green," the clever witch spoke amicably of the situation. "You'll be hard pressed to find an electrical outlet in Hogwarts to recharge that thing....it may be best to save it for an emergency. I doubt you'll find any books you'll need here on the Muggle internet....If there is even a connection."

Turning back to her new found compatriot however, her fingertips slowly rose and gently scratched at the neck of the small arctic fox that lay lazily draped over her shoulders. "You are quite right however, Professor Crane." She began, maintaining a mostly rigid formality in with the audience of one student, and even more who may or may not peek into the compartment. "I am here as the new Potions professor, sadly, my old mentor decided that it would be best that I take his place. He was always quite the puzzler, really. Not only that, but the letter of invitation I received also stated that I would be the headmistress of Ravenclaw."

Subduing a mild bout of laughter quickly at the situation, she looked to Mark with the slightest hint of apprehension. A spark hidden within intellectually enticing eyes as she continued, this time with a far less serious tone to disguise her unease. "I believe that I may have bitten off far more than I can chew!" She admitted, reaching inside her robes to extract her book and idly toying with the ribbon that marked where she had left off.

"Though in the end, I suppose we'll see, so....no matter." Brushing the dismal topic away and returning to a more inquisitive gaze to her opposite, she continued to speak. "Well, Professor? I'm willing to guess that this school was also once your home, what house we're you in? I am a former Ravenclaw myself, and you look to be my age....or at least roughly. Maybe perhaps we met once, but cannot remember it." Cracking an amused expression at the thought of it, Amelia's hand swept across her book and it promptly opened to where she had left off.

"Do tell me a little about yourself, won't you?"

"Oh, we knew about the electricity." Mark said, pulling a small round object with a screen and electrical outlets on top. "A wizard I met in America invented a way to convert the 'rennervate' charm into electricity somehow, I'm not quite sure how. I invested in a company he was starting to make devices that would do that, and he gave me a prototype of it." He pointed his wand at the device and said "rennervate". There was a red flash and the battery indicator on the top of the device increased a bit. "I gave that one to Rose to recharge her Ipad with when he sent me this updated version last month. He hopes to find a way to make it work with other, more powerful spells, and even hopes to use it to help the muggles with their 'energy crisis' and 'global warming'. I doubt the technology will get that powerful for a while, but they do come in handy for the modern witch or wizard that wants to carry a cell phone or computer in traditional magical areas."

"As for the books, there's a witch in Paris that put several magical volumes in e-book form. None of them are her text books, but they might work for reference material, so her parents bought them for her. I'll have to talk to the head-master about putting in electricity at the school. I know Hogwarts is steeped in ancient tradition, but to not even have electric lighting in this day and age seems a bit much to me."

When she told him about herself, he thought for a few seconds before responding. He didn't remember many people from then, but he thought he remembered seeing her. "Were you that girl a year behind me that always seemed to be in the library when I got there? If so, I apologize for not talking to you. I was always in a hurry when I went there, looking up wand lore or healing charms, or finding a place to read the copy of 'Gray's Anatomy' I had to sneak in because a muggle wrote it."

He reached into his laptop case, placing the recharger in and pulling out his robe. "I guess I really should be wearing this instead of a button-up shirt and khakis since I'm a teacher, but I'll put it on before I arrive." He pointed the badge on the shirt at her. "I was also in Ravenclaw, but I didn't interact with many people, so I'm not surprised you don't remember me. I quit when I turned 18, took my OWLs to graduate, then moved to the US to go to a muggle school to learn medicine. I had a medical practice just off of Daigon alley for a few years, but I never had enough customers to keep it open, so I applied for a job at Hogwarts. You'd be surprised how many people won't use muggle medicine, even when it's cheaper and more effective. I even had one customer that kept coming in to have me treat headaches because he refused to take the Ibuprofen I gave him."

Headmistress too? On her first year? That's insane. While Vincent's wand began to cool down, they both nodded at her last comments and allowed her to leave without either side saying goodbye.

After a moment of silence (Well, not "silence" silence - More like, rustling of a McChicken wrapper, noises and chattering from other compartments, and a faint chewing sound), Vincent uttered, "Sorry Gary."

Gary swallowed what he had and gave a confused chuckle as he turned to Vincent. "Why? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Well, I made you apologize twice... and it doesn't look fun. She seemed really strict." Vincent explained.

"That's alright. It was my fault anyways..." Gary sighed, threw away his wrapper, and opened up a McDouble.

Vincent began to open up his Mighty Kids Meal, which had six Chicken McNuggets, small fries, and a go-gurt. (Forgive me if the Mighty Kids Meal doesn't exist in the UK) "She looked better when I held your wand."

Gary laughed, almost choking on his food. "That doesn't make sense."

“The ministry… I’ll have to write them a letter…” Phelix itched under his chin and spoke to himself softly.

He nodded as McCarthy explained himself, then went off to confront more muggles. Phelix blinked, watching the DADA teacher intently. Then sighed. “Hmmm, we can strike them and bewitch them without consequence.I can’t understand why they are upset, either.” McCarthy intercepted a wizard drawing a wand. Phelix rolled his eyes and turned.

He noticed more students looking for the platform entrance. He hurried them along with large gestures and gentle words. At first they were unsure of him, without his robes and wizard trappings they wondered if he was a muggle, but were quickly reassured as directed them toward the platform. Getting them through as quickly as possible, there was no time for apprehensive first years or sentimental parents. They could say goodbye or find muster up their courage after they went through the wall.

The frequency of incoming students tapered out. “Is that all of ‘em?” Phelix checked the time on his phone. “Hope so, we are due to leave any moment now.”

"Pleasure to meet you Toby." The other twin spoke, the one closer to the door. "You have a cute cat." She gave him a warm smile. "What's his name? We don't have any pets. Our dad hasn't ever let us have one." The twins shared a quick glance. "Well what I mean is, we moved a lot and he didn't think it'd be right. When we got the letter for Hogwarts we asked for one, because of the line about being able to bring pets, but he said no. He wants us to focus on our school work."

Terra climbed up onto the seat and reached into her trunk and pulled out a notebook. Inside the notebook were dozen of sketches of plants. She handed the notebook and a pack of pens and pencils to Astrid. Terra then took out the Herbology book. "I'm looking forward to Herbology. You guys?" Terra asked hopping down off the seat and then sitting down next to the window again. Astrid handed her twin the notebook and pens.

Toby smiled and actually blushed a little nodding. "Pleasure is mine you two." He watched as Castiel slinked back into vision and start batting at Astrid's foot. Toby giggled a bit and refocused, "But pets help you study I find. Then again this -IS- my first pet so I'm only talking on a week of data." He got a quick glance at the book being passed and figured Herbology was studying herbs and the sort. "I only know two classes, well three now I suppose. Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark arts. Both of those sound awesome though."

"I am most excited about Defense Against the Dark Arts." Astrid announced. "Terra is obsessed with plants."

"I am not." Terra looked up from her notebook and glared at her sister.

"Yeah, and that isn't a notebook that you've been sketching in since you were eight." Astrid grinned at her sister. Terra couldn't keep her own smile from forming. She went back to transferring information on a plant into the notebook. "For Defense against the Dark Arts the book looks really interesting. I looked through it a bit. I cannot wait to learn how to do counter-spells. I mean of course I'll have to learn how to do the spell first, but I like the idea of breaking spells on people." Astrid looked off into her imagination.

With a nod of agreement Toby seemed to get excited, Castiel resumed the batting of Astrid's foot. "I really like everything I've read about defensive magic so far. And I even read that my wand is supposed to be really good with that sort of thing. Or so the man who sold it to me said." He shrugged and looked around the compartment, still not sure that all of this was real.

Astrid watched Castiel play with her shoe with a grin. She wasn't sure if the kitten would take to her trying to pet him again so she just let him play. "Same here. I haven't read anything about my wand." She frowned. "Where did you read about it? Our wands are very different. I was surprised. He said 'The wand chooses the wizard', but honestly with twins you'd still think they'd be similar wands." Terra rolled her eyes, but Astrid didn't catch it.

"I don't really know what he was talking about either, he just told me that everyone now matter how similar they might be always has something that distinguishes them. Then he told me to always be on guard with my wand, as that was what it was made for. Of course that got me interested so I grabbed a book about the properties of wand wood in Flourish and Blotts. Apparently the wood has some kind of power with protective magic." He shrugged to let both of them he really had no idea what he was talking about and leaned back. Castiel, the kitten decided that the two girls were OK and started climbing up Astrid's leg to settle down in her lap.

Astrid nodded. She was tempted to ask if she could look through the book, but she decided that petting the kitten was more interesting. Let Terra worry about the little details like wand properties. "Hey there kitty. What's your name cutie?" She didn't really ask Toby so much as just enjoy petting the kitten. Terra glanced at her watch and glanced out the window. The platform was bustling as families said their goodbyes. Astrid reached over and squeezed her sister's hand.

~~~
"I'm not saying I agree with the methods Phelix, but sometimes-" McCarthy cut off as he dashed over to deal with the near scuffle.

McCarthy glanced at his watch. "Hope so too. I'll stay here though. I'll Apparate up to Hogsmead after the train leaves. Thank you for your help Phelix." McCarthy saw one kid dash toward the barrier pushing a trolly, he slipped through the crowd and then was through the barrier. McCarthy checked his watch. "I think that kid just made it. See you at the school." He gave one last nod to Phelix before the older man made way through the crowd.

McCarthy found a quite corner of the station before Apparating to Hogsmead. He had several hours before the train would arrive at the station. Until then he'd change clothes and speak with Mcgonagall about the events of the morning. He wasn't pleased with how dangerous it had gotten.

Amelia Hawkins - The Potions Professor

The moment Mark withdrew a small item from his pocket that had obvious muggle electrical outlets installed in it, her inquisitiveness got the best of her. Watching on as he then used the rennervate charm and the battery life jumped a handful of percentages, she first quipped a coy smile at the improvised ingeniousness that this product really was, and what it held the potential for.

"A marrying of both muggle technologies and magic," she began at first, her gaze meeting that of the charms professor once again with a bemused smile. "I thought I'd never see the day, we've tried to keep ourselves segregated and secretive all this time; it makes sense why so many are so hostile towards us. Perhaps however, this little device your friend invented just might be one of the stepping stones we need to find acceptance in such a community. Whether those of purer blood like it or not, we need the muggles....far more than they need us."

Changing tone, the conversation took upon itself a lighter weight than the relatively serious implications from before. Talking about the days from over a decade ago now, when she and Mark were likely at Hogwarts, and had never truly spoken at all, oddly enough. Mentioning the Library first, Amelia attempted to piece together the puzzle while she tapped her chin with a fingertip in thought.

"I think you're quite right," she began, digging into a robe pocket for a brief moment before extracting a pair of half-moon shaped glasses. "I spent more time in the Library at Hogwarts than I'd like to admit....I can recall waking up there in the morning quite a few times." Sliding the bridge of the glasses onto her nose then, her fingertips ran through the texture of her hair, making it slightly more haphazard than before; not quite as bad as it was when she was younger, but close enough to draw a better resemblance. "I was not told when I was little that I was a witch....so there was much catching up to do when I arrived at Hogwarts."

"Is this more familiar to you?" She would quip humorously as she appeared briefly to be her formerly younger, and far more exhausted self at first before finally resuming the more regal and precise posture she had before. By tapping her hair once with her wand to straighten it once again, but she left the glasses on to insure the precision of her vision. "I must say, I was a dreadfully awkward person then, I do apologize for not introducing myself back when I was a student. Perhaps....sometime during the year I could make up for it?"