Callum Robertson | Kings Cross

Cal walked through Kings Cross Station, doing as he was told by his parents. Of course, they weren't there to send him off, because they were, 'to busy'. Cal was tired of it, and he was actually glad they weren't there, as he didn't want to have hear them complain about one of his flaws. As he went through the wall, Arrow yipped in confusion, as to why they didn't crash into the wall. "It's magic, Arrow. You'll be seeing a lot of that where we're going." Arrow barked once again in response, what he said, was unknown to Cal. Now, Cal actually smiled. He never did, because most of the time, he was with his bothersome parents. Now, he was free from them. Cal ran a hand through his hair, just to make it a little more casual. He still wanted to look nice, just not prefect nice.

There it was, the Hogwarts Express. The whistle chirped twice, it was loud and shrill, but the sound made Cal happy, as this is what he always wanted to do, ever since he found out about it. The steam was rolling of the train like clouds. One puff when into Cal's throat, and he coughed violently, before placing Arrow in his arms, and walking into the train, giving his belongings to the porter. He sat down in Compartment 2. Arrow barked again, this time more impatiently, if, Wolfs could be inpatient. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon."

Stefen Bauer | Kings Cross

(In German)

"...And that Steven is why you don't allow an Ogre near your cabbages. Anywho, this poor excuse of a train station is the Brit's attempt in emulating the glorious and precise German train system. Hardly even using any kobold bones..."

Stefen tried to give his full attention to the odd man, Liubert, but his asinine ramblings -while intriguing at first- served only to grate his nerves. Instead Stefen opted to drown out his de-facto guardian's voice by focusing on trying to find this platform 9 (3/4), trudging along with his luggage of which a cozy wool pouch contained the temperamental piglet.

"...Okay in you go." The odd man stopped in-front a brick pillar. Stefen blinked twice, not quite sure how far the man had gone off the deep end.

"That's a pillar."

"Yes, and this is a coat and you are being dense, now get in. Oh and be a dear and go for a running start."

Stefen wasn't one to disobey his elders, but his mind was sending off alarm bells. He wasn't a brave lad, most of his childhood antics could be attributed to his ignorance rather than his bravado, but the odd man stood expectantly at the pillar. He swallowed his tongue and took a blind run, hoping the bruises won't be as bad this time around.

...

Miraculously he still stood without stars over his head. He found himself in a new place, with new sounds. The steady rhythm of steam engines and the bustle of other similarly dressed and packed students boarding a train. He looked around for Liubert, but the man was already long gone. Stefan found himself alone without instruction beyond "board the train, sit pretty, fit in, and don't get hexed" whatever that meant. He put on his stoic smile and followed behind students that seemed to know what they were doing.

Stefen eventually saw himself following behind what he assumed to be a local, quickly tailing him to an aptly labelled compartment 2. He knocked but hardly waited for a response before speaking up.

"Guten tag, Ist das raum ofen?"

@AbysmalDemon

Cal was reading the Daily Prophet in the train car. Something about a major breakout in Azkaban. Twenty people broke out, none being too important. Petty crimes, following the Dark Lord, robberies, but one, just one, stranded out. Lestrange. He had heard the name before. His parents were talking about the name, probably just the Ministry dealing with the breakout. He tossed the paper on the seats across from him, getting ready to take a nap, until someone knocked on the door, speaking in German.

Cal knew little German, from his cousin, Nya, who had taken a class, and taught him some while she was away from college. He only picked up, 'Good Day' and 'Open' which meant the other boy wanted to sit here. Cal pointed his wand at the compartment door, and made the incantation, "Alohamora." The door unlocked, and he waved his wand to the side, opening the door, allowing the boy to come in and sit down. Cal pointed to himself as to talk about himself and began, horrible German, "Uhh... I'm Callum, kleine deutche."

@Barkmeat2

Paul Richards| Kings Cross
Paul was tired, the whole night he had gotten woken up by his mother making sure he had everything packed. As he walked through kings cross station, Paul did his best to not yawn as he walked. "Paul are you sure you have everything?" his mother asked as she lead him to the platform. "Yeah Ma I have everything." he said slightly annoyed, not at his mother so much but at his father for not showing up. "Paul no need to snap at me." his mother said sternly. With a sigh Paul smiled "I'm sorry ma." he said as his mother stopped at a pillar and motions to said pillar with her hands. "Well here we are...quickly now" she said as she noticed the blank face of her son. "whats wrong Paul?" she asked sightly concerned, after a second of confusion Paul responds "That is a brick pillar ma...What do you want me to bang my head against it?." he said emphasizing the brick pillar "actually if it gets rid of my headache sure why not." he said slightly annoyed. as his mother looked at him with an amused face "Silly boy its magic, just run at it and you get to the platform." she said with a smile as she walked into the pillar. after a second of stunned silence he rushes after her with his stuff.

After a tearful goodbye from his mother Paul stepped onto the train. as he walked the hall way he tried to find a place to sit, most of the cars were full, save for one with two people talking inside. one seemed to be trying to communicate to the other, unsure if they would be friendly he knocked on the window.

Stefen sat timidly in the train's seats, not knowing how to strike up conversation. The boy knew a fair bit of German, but Stefen didn't really wanna be a hassle.

"Eez gut, English eez gut. Dank you, mein name ist Stefen. Ich new to zis country, but not bad. Learned small english in schule."

He fumbled with his luggage as another set of knocks came from outside the compartment. He instinctively looked to herr Callum for instruction, but quickly righted himself and saw a face through the window.

He gave a timid smile and nod.

@caliban22@AbysmalDemon

So the boy knew some English, which was good. Now he wouldn't have to speak half assed German the whole train ride, and end up embarrassing himself.

"Your English isn't bad. Especially compared to my German. My name is Callum, but you can call me Cal." Cal laughed at his bad German quip, and then moved his hand out to shake Stefen's, but it was interrupted by a knock on the door.

A boy looked through the window, and knocked on it, creating a hollow thud each time. Cal slid open the door, and greeted the boy with a warm smile. But his eyes shifted over to the paper on the seat. He couldn't stop thinking about the name...

Lestrange.

Paul smiled to the two, as he entered the cabin. "Do you mind if I take a seat here?" he asked "All the other seats are taken." he says as he looks at the two. one kept looking at a news paper Must be something interesting in the news he thought as his eyes shifted over to the other person "I'm Paul, Paul Richards" he said holding out his hand to both of them. "what are your names?" he asked cheerfully.
Paul was very nervous as these two people could easily be very rude, he knew how some pure bloods look upon his half blooded kind. As he held his hand out he hoped one of them would shake it.

"Not at all! My name is Callum, but, you can just call me Cal." He reached out and shook the outstretched hand. He figured he should probably speak for Stefan, as Paul might not understand. "And this is Stephan." Cal gestured to Stephan who was sitting on the seat across from him.

He picked up the Daily Prophet, and handed it to Paul, indicating the Azkaban incident with his index finger. "It's pretty bad, isn't it." He sighed, thinking about his parents job, and how hectic their job must be right now. But then he cleared his mind of it, and started thinking about the day ahead.

Hiroshi Yukimora|Kings cross

Hiroshi walked through kings cross, unwillingly lost. As if he wasn't out of place as it was, a lonesome Japanese boy walking through a train station with a cart of tiny business suite cases. All the suite cases were of course magic, bigger on the inside. Hiroshi continued to walk up and down Kings Cross, crossed that his mother. The one person who had wanted him to go to Hogwarts wasn't able to take him and see him off. Something to do with the team wanting to do some extra practice before the season started.

(In Japanese)

"Be a good boy, she said. You'll do fine she said. Platform 9 (3/4) wouldn't be to hard to find she said. From all the days she could have gone to work." Hiroshi grumbled to himself as he continued to walk up and down Kings Cross.

As Hiroshi was about to give up, he turned around astonished to see a young boy run straight into a brick wall and disappear. Hiroshi smacked himself on the forehead for not noticing the brick wall that had a tiny sign that said 9 (3/4) above it. He slowly pushed his cart towards the wall. Even though Hiroshi knew that he would pass through the wall, a slow unnerving feeling crawled up his spine. He took a big gulp, and calmly pushed his cart through the wall, with him following behind it.

The next time Hiroshi blinked, he was at totally different place compared to where he was a second ago. He was on a different platform, brimming with life. Children and parents, with carts carrying the oddest of commodities, but what took his breath away the most was the big red train that read "Hogwarts express".

After figuring out where his luggage would be stored, he boarded on the train not knowing what to find or expect. There he found himself walking up and down the aisles of the train, trying to find an empty compartment. He walked up and down a couple of times, realizing most of the compartments were already full. He continued to walk until he came across compartment 2. Inside he saw 3 other boys already chatting with one and another. He didn't want to disturb the conversation they were already having, but he didn't want to stand for the entire ride either. He sighed, and tapped on the window of the compartment.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Do you have room for one more?"

The compartment certainly became much more lively with the arrival of a 4th lad, an oriental if anything. Actually, that didn't seem politically correct, Asian? Asian-English? He couldn't rightly just say Japanese or Chinese, and have it turn out to be Korean or something. He wasn't prepared, the schools of a small rural German town had not prepared him for this moment and he would like no social faux-pas to transpire on his first day. Gotta start off with a joke, the 2 other boys were sociable as is so he had to step up his game to not seem like some weirdo in the corner.

"Hallo, freund... uh... das seat ist great, eef ist not enough, Ich can help you in conquering the Brits'."

He offered a timid laugh, hoping that joke would be as funny as it was in his head. Not 2 seconds later he instantly regretted it and opted to stare into the woolen pouch that housed the piglet -of which sat a boar with a smug look that seemed to be telling him "You dun goofed."

@theactivepanda

Hiroshi stood in front of the compartment not knowing how to handle the joke, or at least he was hoping it was a joke. More so he had a hard time understanding the boys accent, he had only spent a couple of years in London practicing his English. And how he was standing there trying to understand what the boy had just said. Hiroshi was pretty sure the boy said that the seat was free, or maybe he was saying that the seat was great and the boy was planning on sitting on it. Hiroshi stood at the compartment door for what seemed liked half a minute, and he realized he must have looked like a complete idiot just standing there. Hiroshi gave the boy a smile and decided to take the risk and sat down.

Hiroshi sat down diagonally across from the boy who had offered him a seat. And sat quietly , staring out at the window thinking of what to say next. ' Maybe you should introduce your self' he thought.

" I'm Hiroshi by the way, you can call me Hiro."

Paul chuckled at the attempt at a joke "Good try mate" he said with a smile to Stephan " I'm Paul pleasure to meet you Hiro" he said kindly holding out his hand for a hand shake "This is Callum, and Stephan" he said motioning to the two respectively "so what houses do you think you will get?" he asked innocently.
His father, in one of his rare fatherly moments, had told him of the houses Hogwarts had. Personally he didn't care as long as he got to be with some friends, and that he could join the quidditch team.

Estelle & Orion | Kings Cross

To say their parents were excited in having to drive them up to the train station was an understatement. As soon as the twins had unloaded their luggage from the back of the van and placed them on carts, their parents drove away without so much as a wave or a goodbye. Estelle blinked, trying to hold her tears at bay. She felt a hand slip into her own and glanced up at her twin, who gave her a reassuring smile in return. "They...They just need to get used to the idea. You'll see, they'll come around." Estelle nodded, both secretly knowing that no matter how much time they had, their parents simply refused to acknowledge them now because they were going to a school of magic. With one last look in the direction their parents drove of in, the twins turned and began pushing their trollies up and down the station, searching for platform 9 3/4. However, no matter how much they looked they failed to find what they were looking for. Luckily they heard an elderly woman talking about the platform with her grandson.

Orion bravely walked up to her and she was nice enough to show them the pillar. The twins gave each other uneasy looks at the prospect of walking through what appeared to he a solid surface, even if the lady had demonstrated by walking through it. Taking a deep breath, Estelle remembered the woman's tip on a running start and sped towards the wall. She fought against the urge to squeeze her eyes shut and before she could blink she stood on the other side of the wall staring at a gleaming red steam engine. She stood there in stunned disbelief as Orion joined her.

After staring for a bit, the twins followed the other children's example and loaded their luggage onto the train and stepped aboard with their pets. It seemed the train was relatively empty, Estelle only finding four boys sharing a compartment. She peeked through the window, blue eyes bright with curiosity and long blonde hair falling about her form past her waist. Her twin peered over her shoulder and upon seeing that the compartment was full, tugged Estelle into the compartment across from the four boys. The siblings sat down and let their pets out from their carriers. Salem curled up in Estelle's lap while Titania perched on Orion's lap so she could look out the window and chattered softly to her owner.

Arabella Ibcuss | Kings Cross

Arabella smiled at her mother and father as they messed with her hair and uniform. "We will send you a letter every week, and your brother is right here if you need him," Xander smiled and stacked their bags on to a trolley, "Now if you need anything just barrow Xander's owl and send us a letter, okay sweetie?" Arabella was pulled into a bear hug.

"There is no need to worry mum. I'll send you a letter as soon as I can." Smiling she hugged her mother. "I am going to miss you both so much!"

"We're going to miss you two sweetie." Her mother smiled sadly and motioned for Xander to start leaving. With one last quick goodbye they turned and headed for the wall.

"Just run straight through it Ara, Not a problem." Xander grabbed her hand and pulled her through the wall. "Wasn't so bad. Now, I'm going to go find my friends and you can go find someone to sit with. Come on." Ara stared after her brother in shock. What in the world just happened? "Are you coming or am I just going to leave you here?" At that she took off after her brother embarking upon the train to a new adventure. With her brother off with his friends it was up to Arabella to find her own place to sit.

Finally, after a while of searching the train and rather rude comments about stupid first years who know nothing, Arabella found two compartments. She decided to try the one with two people who looked to be twins across from a group of boys who she hoped she would eventually meet. Popping her head in the door she hoped for the best. "Hey, Do you have room for one more?"

please delete. Didn't see I need to apply first!

Pausing with one foot raised to board the platform, the hand on her arm squeezed before falling away. Gray eyes shifting to focus on the person that had grabbed her, nervously shifting hazel eyes focused on her has she half-turned to stare at her brother.

"Will you write?" He asked softly, Amelia arched a brow and sighed softly when Aiden seemed to shrink onto himself, the soft hoot from the cage still in her bands drew her attention for a moment. Her owl, Entenia seemed early to explore the air, Amelia allowed her lips to twitch into a semblance of a smile, blinking when a person paused before her and offered a smile.

"I'll take your owl, and your bags as well mmiss, may you enjoy your first year at Hogwarts." The male smiled and gently pulled Entenia's cage -though with a nod and a tug, he released it and smiled- and the messenger bag as well as the suitcase that she'd forgotten she was holding. Waving as the man turned and moved to a compartment where other pets were being placed -she hadn't noticed it, seems missing last night's sleep and the day before didn't agree with her- she focused on her brother and sighed softly.

"Maybe, I know...things have been tense at home and all, I'll try. One good thing about starting school means that my lessons are at an end. I'll...see you Aiden" She reached forward and pulled her brother into a hug, even though they didn't really talk and when they could it was slightly forced and awkward, they were siblings and were ignored by both their parents. She pulled away and ruffled his chestnut-brown hair before stepping into the step she'd been about to take, her right hand twitching to rub her eyes, she turned and began to search for a compartment to sit in until they arrived at Hogwarts. Walking quietly and quickly, she came across one and found it packed with other children, her head tilting as her eyes scanned each student, a twitch of her lips signifying a smile as she reached forward and knocked. Pulling the door open, she took a step in and bowed slightly, manners ingrained into her since two taking over as she straightened and offered a small wave.

Hopefully these people would be her friends in the coming future.

" Hello, have room for one more?" She asked softly, her left hand reaching up to absently tie her ink-black hair with the ribbon she always hand tied to her wrist. Entenia's soft hoot had Amelia's tense muscles relaxing. She unlocked its lock and allowed Entenia to climb into her hand, her talons gripping for balance as Amelia lifted hee hand and places her owl on her shoulder, Entenia hooted softly and flapped her wings as she settles and stills.

Hiroshi gave Paul a smile, and gave him a light handshake. Hiroshi was relieved that the boys in the compartment were kind enough to let him have a seat. ' They seem kind', Hiroshi thought to himself. Paul had mentioned something about houses. Hiroshi heard that the Hogwarts school placed their students into different groups, or so called 'houses'. And these houses would compete with one another for points, and that the Quidditch team would also be separated into these different houses. He didn't know much about the houses, besides they were all represented by some sort animal. Hiroshi not wanting to embarrass himself responded:

" What ever house shall be fine, as long as I'm with good company it does not matter. But out of curiosity, how do they know which house they put you in? Do they do some sort of test?"

Hiroshi was curious, and worried. How did they place students into the different houses. Was one house better than the other. As he pondered about this as he looked out of the compartment and saw that the compartment across from them had began to fill up with other students.

Houses? Like dorms? Well shoot the Stefen's impromptu guardian certainly didn't tell him about this, he just assumed that students would be separated by gender and lumped into one inclusive dorm. Well, Stefen would at least try to save face,

"Ja, just ze cheapest one, hopefully not too far from classes, vouldn't vant ma and pa to into vorryings."

Hopefully that would be a suitable answer, in fact Stefen felt rather pleased with his response: quick, honest, humble and- they're giving Stefen confused looks...

Cal chuckled, but only a chuckle, as he didn't want to make the foreign student feel bad, or embarrassed. "Not those houses. It's kind of like categories, or like a team of sorts. You get placed in them by a sorting hat, which kind of gives you a personality quiz, and puts you in the house you fit in."

Ghost growled in his lap, and yawned, they hadn't even taken off yet, and still, he was tired. "I hope we take of soon. Ghost is getting bored, and tired. He gets tired when he's bored."

Then, a girl from outside the compartment opened the door, with a stack of magazines in her arm. "Quibbler?" "Sure, I'll take one." Cal said with a smile. After she had left the cart, Cal continued to talk, "What the hell is a Nargle?!"

---

The girl kept walking through the train, her blonde longs bouncing on her shoulders as she did. "Quibbler? Quibbler?" Her responses varied from; 'sure I'll take one', 'no thank you', or 'no one wants that shit!'. Mostly, the last one. Then she went down the other side of the train. She found an almost full compartment, with twins, and another girl. "Excuse me, but, may I sit here? Every other cart is filled to the max with super loud people, or people who don't want me there.

Her robes were black, with a vibrant blue trim, signaling, she was in Ravenclaw. Her luminous, curly blonde hair, went down to her waist, and she had rather strange glasses on. "Plus, this is the one least filled with Nargles." She gave them a bright smile, hoping they would let her sit.

Ned, short for Edward, was very nervous. Although the clothes he had put on were his favourite, they were still third- or fourth-hand. In fact, he thought he had seen black and white photos of a different boy from the same orphanage who was wearing them; so old! His pickets were re-sewn multiple times and the seams of the pants’ legs had been renewed so many times that the sleeve itself looked almost crimped.
‘Miss Montomerty! Aren’t we leaving? it’s half-past-ten!’ he shouted from the bottom of the stairs towards the room where the headmistress was arranging her own looks.

‘SILENCE!’ was heard from behind the thick wooden door and he felt embarrassed; the whole orphanage was staring at him anyway. He didn’t need more attention.

‘Oh, look who’s here!’ said Mitch, the local bully. ‘Sicky Neddie is going to school? I wonder… isn’t it a bit late, eh guys?’ he exclaimed and from behind the crowd came our the three bullies who always walked alongside Mitch. They created a tight enclosure around Ned.

The skin prickled, the eyes darted from one to the other and so forth; Ned didn’t know what was going to happen, but he had seen what they were capable of. He used to watch them beat-up one or two kids every day in the gardens; the view from his hospital bed was the most suitable for this.

‘Leave him be, Mitchell!’ the stern voice of the headmistress was heard and the bullies scattered.
Her dress was of the finest velvet, the fascinator on her head had a few lovely flowers; Ned smiled involuntarily at their gentleness. The flowers looked like a bow on a pig.

‘Let’s go, young man,’ she ordered and the two of them, he dragging a rather small but heavy trunk, and she in her lovely blood-red dress.
The car was stuffy and Ned felt like he would be sick a couple of times before actually using the paper bag she had left on the backseat for him.

‘Off we go, you have ten minutes to find the Hogwarts crowd and this platform… what was it again? 9 ¾. Wonder where that might be.’
Ned’s nerves were as tight as they could have got. Ten minutes were less than impossible. He had never been at King’s Cross, let alone know the location of this platform whatsoever. Just when he was going to give way to desperation, of never finding out what this Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry might be, his eyes met a couple of girls who miraculously disappeared in the column between platforms 9 and 10.

‘That must be it!’ he said and was about to point there, but then recalled that pointing was not permitted. Instead, he ran, as fast as his semi-atrophied limbs would permit him. The train was already steaming and the engine was running. His heart beat very fast; the adrenaline rush was the only thing that allowed him to run, with the trunk in hand, over the small metal steps and into the wagon. He was out of breath. His eyes stung and there was an odd wheezing sound coming out of his lungs.

He hoped that there was nothing wrong with him, but the efforts put into climbing onto this red steam-powered train were immense for someone who had just got up from a year-long stay in bed. He sat on his trunk, forgetful of the fact that he might be obstructing someone’s path in the corridors, and attempted to stabilise his breathing and the trembling of his limbs.