Her father had dropped her off at the station as he shut the engine off with a slight escaping from his parted lips now. She knew what was coming. It was his whole be careful at Hogwarts speech. As her father rambled on and on about the dangers that surrounded the castle this year, she nodded her head at every single word then stopped him in the middle of one of his sentences. "Dad, the train is going to leave without me if you do not wrap this up." She commented with a joke then he father smiled and hugged her. "Be safe, Madison. I love you." Madison smiled while opening the car door now. "Love you, too." She said before closing the front door and opening the back, grabbing her luggage.

Madison walked inside of the train station now then back outside, looking for 9 3/4 as she found it then started to pick up a jog before going through the wall and appearing before her was the train. Her eyes saw some old familiar faces as she offered them waves then boarded the train as she searched for an empty compartment and settled herself there while stuffing her luggage underneath her seat. She stared out of the window at the people below and even saw some scared little first years, not wanting to leave their parents. 'Them were the days.' She thought to herself while pulling out a book to read on the trip.

She let a soft sigh came over her as she waited for more people to board the train and hopefully fill her compartment. Until then, she closed her compartment door and eyed every single passing person with slight glares as a sign of do not enter. Madison chuckled when someone would look at her then continue on walking. She was already loving her time on the train and has even reached Hogwarts yet.

---

---

"Shit. I'm late." A boyishly like voice said as he scrambled through his room, throwing almost anything he could find into one of his carry on suitcases. He zipped it up then quickly jumped inside of the shower, brushed his teeth and prepared himself for his first day back to Hogwarts after a success year last year. This was Johnson's last year at Hogwarts and his father, a former Death Eater gave him a mission and that is to kill the new headmaster. Of course, Johnson gave a reluctant answer but he told his father that he shall not be let down.

Thinking back on the thought, he didn't really want to kill anyone but what's got to be done, must be done. Johnson sighed as he adorned his body with a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and blue converses. He showed his Ravenclaw colors proudly as he left his home then got inside of his car, driving towards the train station.

Within a matter of minutes, he had arrived and immediately grabbed his bags then went to slot 9 3/4, charging through the wall and going through as everyone had boarded the train except for him. Good thing he had gotten there when he did or else he was going to be in deep shit if he missed the train and not gotten to go to Hogwarts until the winter session. Johnson climbed aboard and searched for compartments as he saw most of the ones already taken and filled. He saw a compartment with only two people and stood at the door, leaning against it.

"Got room for one more?" He'd ask while waiting on a response before sitting down. The train started to chug, which rocked them a bit, causing Johnson to scurry quickly to a seat and place his carry on suitcase underneath his seat. His emerald green eyes stared out of the window as the train ride towards Hogwarts had begun and there was no stopping it now since it was on the move and in the groove.

---

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Double checking to make sure her broom was still on the edge of the cart, Eva wheeled her trunk and luggage toward the gate. She stroked Shadow's wings through the cage and looked to see the wall of 9 and 10 coming up. She took a deep breath and smiled. She was heading back for her last year at Hogwarts. She lined up at the wall and ran through immediately, letting out her air as the wall swallowed her up for any Muggle standing nearby.

She blinked open her eyes to find herself standing on Platform 9 and 3/4, along with many other people heading to Hogwarts. She smirked as she saw all of the new kids getting on toward the back of the train, where they were supposed to go, and she rolled her cart to one of the helpers getting things on. Her father wasn't here to see her off, as usual, so she looked for her friends. Dressed in her muggle type clothing, as she would change into her robes later, she noticed a few of the parents glaring at her. She rolled her eyes and tapped her side, making sure her wand was still there. It was in a handmade wand holder, one she made herself, on her belt loop, but the brown wood was noticeable against her pale skin.

She was making her way toward some of the front cars when she was suddenly shoved, hard, against the side of the train. "Ugh!" She felt something pop in her shoulder as she stood back up and she saw Luke Weston smirking at her from in front of her. She growled under her breath and gripped her shoulder. "Freakin' watch it, Weston!" she snarled at him.

"I didn't do anything," he said calmly, the lies rolling off his tongue with ease. If she didn't know he was an amazing liar, she could have believe him. "It looked like you tripped and fell." He walked off laughing and Eva growled under her breath. Still gripping her shoulder, she made her way onto the train, pulling herself up into one of the cars. She found an empty car and immediately swung into it, taking it so no one else could.

Setting some of her carry-on things down on the seat, she poked her head back out into the hallway and saw Slick making his way down. He looked great as ever... Eva quickly shook her head and smiled friendly at him. "Hey, Slick! Got us a car!" She shoved the door open the rest of the way and waited for him to come over.

---

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Alva woke up this morning bright eyed and bushy tailed- not even bothering to groan and turn of the alarm for the extra five minutes of sleep. Instead, the tiny figure realized that this was her first day back at Hogwarts. Flinging off the cover she decided to go with the flamboyant look today. After all, her paleness drew some attention and recognition, but, why not go for the extra mile? The girl would gather her clothing, go to the bathroom and shower. Getting out, she would pull her hair back into her famous high-set ponytail after blow drying it, leaving the bangs to do their own thing. After brushing her teeth, she would put on silver eyeshadow and a very considerable amount of eyeliner. With a quick positive huff and a smile in the mirror -practically jumping out of her skin with energy- she would go back to her bedroom in order to get her luggage.

Walking down the stairs, her mother would grab the car keys, drop her off at the train station, give her a peck on the forehead -wishing her luck for the school year- and then leave off for her job. Taking a leap through the wall to platform 9 and 3/4, she would see a few familiar faces: Slick, Eva and oh goodness... Lucas. First item on today's agenda: Avoid the boy at all costs before she killed him. She watched as Evangeline was hit in the shoulder by the boy, obviously painful by the look on her face. If he had just messed up the chances of Gryffindor winning the first Quidditch game....

With a sigh, she would walk onto the train in order to find a compartment. In the process, she would pass by Eva. "Hope the shoulder's okay," she said, quickly. Continuing to walk down the isle she would see a compartment that was open. Good, she had it completely and entirely to herself. Well, at least for the moment. Sitting down on the left side, placing the carrier box that currently held Argentum, the girl would pull out her phone, stick in her earbuds, and click on her playlist until someone else came along.

Location: Street, train station, Scarlet Express.
Interacting: Eva Drake @WhiteStar19

---

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Greg was in a foul mood, not having been able to take a flight to England for his last year. Instead he had to travel by Floo powder! Now his clothes were covered in soot. He was not giving anyone the satisfaction of seeing him with the appearance of a chimney sweep! He ducked into a nearby coffee shop, where the barista looked at him with wide and unbelieving eyes.His black jeans looked to be grey, including his new red button down shirt! His converse slid across the linoeleum as he rushed to the counter, the thick coating of ash not allowing traction. "Just need to use your bathroom, thanks!" Gregory reached over the counter, grabbing the key attached to a long plastic tag that read Boys. With a nod, he locked himself inside. Pulling out his wand, he muttered a quick charm to clean off his clothing and left just as quickly. He threw the key back to the bewildered girl before sparing her a wink.

As he was pulling his luggage down the street towards the train station, his watch beeped. It was his alarm and he was going to be late. Settling his shoulders, Greg set off at a dead run, yelling at pedestrians to move out of his way. When he finally made it to the platform, he rushed through the entrance to 9 3/4 in record time, but panting a little. Collecting himself, he nodded and waved to a few of the faces he recognized from around Hogwarts. He hoped Lucas would show his, however. He was in the perfect mood to really let the Ravenclaw have it.

As he pulled his trolley into the train and started walking down the hall of compartments. He spotted Alva say something in passing to someone in a compartment. A moment after, Eva popped out her head and Greg grinned. No one knew how to make his day better than his best friend and captain. "Hola, La Capitan!" he shouted back at her, picking up the pace and grabbing her in a tight hug. He'd missed her his two months at home, more than he normally did and it felt great to be reunited. He let go and held her at arms length by her shoulders, looking her over. "The summer definitely agreed with you! What did Alva want by the way? I saw her pass by on my way to you."

---

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Location:Family estate, car, train station
Interacting: Johnson Leeds [@Hushed Whispers]

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Charles Kemp hugged his mother and father, who wished him well and luck this coming year. They didn't doubt that their son would do well in his studies, but this year the boy had a special job to do. His father had informed him of a seventh year, charged with the task of murdering the Headmaster. His father, Charles Kemp IV, told him in no uncertain terms that this plan must succeed, no matter the cost. The prodigal son eagerly accepted the challenge. When they had finally said their last goodbyes, Charles slipped into the back seat of the family chauffeur. The man was a competent driver and got the young man their in good time.

Collecting his things from the driver, who had exited the car to gather his young master's effects, Charles approached the station. He sniffed at the obviously lower class of Wizardry that accompanied him on his trip through to 9 3/4. "They'll let anyone in these days.." the boy muttered to himself, before adopting a more personable expression. He had appearances to keep up, after all. He smiled and nodded at the right people, other Purebloods from upstanding families. He even nodded to a Half-blood or two, but only because their parents were wild successes. They didn't deserve his time otherwise.

His driver had accompanied him and lifted his cart into the train for him. "Thank you Jeffrey, that'll be all. For you troubles," thanked the arrogant young man, depositing five large Galleons into the man's gloved hand. The driver nodded to the boy, "Of course, young Master. Good fortune on this school year, I'll be here for your return trip as well." Bowing low, he left and Charles made his way into a compartment with only one other student. Nodding, he found his seat and settled his things. Some time after when the train was nearly to depart, Johnson Leeds opened the compartment door and asked if he could join them. This was the boy his father said was tasked with the assassination. Good."For a Leeds, there's always room." Charles assured the older boy.

---

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The elder Vanzant was dressed as properly as ever, a wide brimmed cream hat with an elegant black dress that suited the older woman's figure well. She kissed Elize on the cheeks as she told her good bye and good luck, with a nod of her head the younger and only remaining Vanzant aside from her widowed grandmother headed for the train. Their driver helped Elize load her things onto the train before kissing her cheeks as well, "Au revoir, Mademoiselle. Rester hors des ennuis." He insisted as he gave her a brief hug, she had known Bale her entire life and he served now as a father figure to the young woman. He was a pureblood as well but one of the lesser known of those in France. Elize only laughed and gave a brief reply, "C’est bientôt dit, Bale. Au revoir, monsieur." Her grandmother waved one last time as Bale gave her his arm so that he could help her to their car. She was nearly 80 years old now and her health was starting to go south.

With her large Serval in tow on her harness and leash that were a beautiful icy blue color the young Ravenclaw made her way through the train to find a compartment to sit in, preferably alone though she knew that was unlikely to happen. She did find an empty one, passing several of the people she was acquainted with through high society on the way there. She slipped inside and took the leash off the large feline who was happy to sit at her full height beside Elize on the bench after she has stowed her bag away. She had removed a bed just the right size for the Serval. She was just over 2 feet tall at the shoulder with long elegant legs and radar dish ears and acted much like a dog as far as mannerisms were concerned. The creature was by far Elize's most precious possession and was the embodiment of Elize in feline form. Predatory and unconcerned with petty things, the feline might as well have been royalty.

---

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The boy with the pale blond hair and bespectacled green eyes saw no small amount of familiar faces once he passed through the magical threshold and into Platform 9¾, his grotesquely large trunk wobbling on his cart, and Mellifluous yipping merrily from within her cage on top of it. Unfortunately, two of those faces belonged to people in whose honour, he often thought, the word 'putrid' had been invented. Seeing them climb onto the train, he stopped in his tracks, hands suddenly tight on the cart's handle. He did not frown or scowl, but he did grit his teeth behind his lips and glare in their general direction as they disappeared inside one of the cars. As if on cue, Mellifluous growled, betraying his own emotions.

"That was the Kemp boy, I take it?" Said his mother behind him, her voice deceptively nonchalant. Hyacinthus Trivett knew better. He could hear the rumbling beneath. She was furious, vengeful, and she did not await his response before continuing. "Poor lad probably doesn't even know just how inbred his oh-so-pure family tree is."

Hyacinthus felt her place a stern hand on his shoulder, fingers pressing tight on his skin, and the bones beneath. The gesture was not comforting, but it did lend him some clarity, and perhaps a bit of much needed strength. It made him let out a sigh, close his green eyes, and try to clear his head.

"Calm." His mother spoke again, and he turned his eyes towards her. He found her now standing beside him, as statuesque as always in her black dress, sporting a small smile in half-feigned amusement. "Need I remind you that killing your foes with poisoned pastries, while always amusing, is also very illegal?"

Hyacinthus smiled back at her, his hands relaxing on the cart's handle as he sighed again, his chest almost deflating underneath his favourite woolen cardigan. At last, he spoke, his voice unwavering. "No, mum. I understood that very well the first time. I will not kill my fellow students with poison."

"Or?" His mother lifted an eyebrow as she asked. Ursula Startifant's rules admitted no loopholes.

The boy almost rolled his eyes. "Or with the Killing Curse. Or use the Cruciatus Curse on them. I promise."

"Good lad." His mother hugged him, her arms feeling bony around him. Their warmth, however, always made up for it. They did not part from each other for a while, even as she spoke, her voice still as stern as the rest of herself. "Remember that you are not a Slytherin, and I won't have my son become a dark wizard because of some bully."

She let go of her son, and in her hand was his wand, as beautifully rustic as always. She tapped on his forehead with the tip of it. "If you decide that you want to bring justice upon him, which you are entitled to, let it be a proper duel, as befits the son of an Auror and a Startifant."

"And a pediatrician." His father's firm voice came from his other side, his hand suddenly on top of his head, patting gently. "No son of mine is going to poison a minor."

This time, it was Hyacinthus who did the hugging, clinging to his father like a devil's snare, his smile wider now as he pressed his cheek against the other's chest. When he let go at last, the elderly man ruffled his son's hair, prompting the teenage Hufflepuff to laugh. The anxiety was not doing him any favours, but his family had a talent for forcing it to subside when he really needed it to, such as right now. He did not want to start his fifth year as a forlorn, nervous wreck. He was better than that.

Hyacinthus took a deep breath, feeling his nerves unravel in his stomach, a pleasant fluttering taking over the intolerable dead weight. He grabbed the handle of his cart with both hands and pushed forward again, humming. Mellifluous began to yip at him again, but started barking as the cart was taken from her owner's hands, to be loaded onto the train. In truth, she sounded more annoyed than upset.

"Now, before you leave..." His mother said, and her hand was once again on his shoulder, while with the other she handed him his wand, along with a small blue box. "Do you remember our rules, Hyacinthus?"

The boy turned around and took the wand and the box eagerly. The willow felt perfectly comfortable in his grip, like it should have been there since the day he was born. Ollivander had called it an exceptionally fitting match, which to eleven-year-old Hyacinthus had come as a disappointment, given how much he had wanted a rowan wand.

"Yup." He answered with a quick nod, slipping his wand into the safety of his pocket. "Macarons are for dessert, not for breakfast. And just because the Whomping Willow is related to my wand doesn't mean I get to visit it. And if I want to enter the Forbidden Forest, I mustn't get caught."

Ursula Startifant humphed for a second, but only for a second. Her eyes stared deep into her son's, exploring their depths, looking through the sarcasm. Then, blinking only once, she smirked. "Good boy."

There was another hug, shorter, stiffer, joined by Frederick. And then Hyacinthus was alone, and his parents were walking away, hand in hand, their eyes still glancing at him with every step.

"And remember..." His mother said, halting for a second, a dozen feet away. Her look had gained a powerful warmth, and that rumbling had returned to her voice. "You are our son."

And I love you too, mum. Hyacinthus thought as he smiled and waved at them. Once they left the platform, vanishing through the magical threshold, he stepped into the car, his free hand ghosting over the pocket in which his wand awaited, longing to be used. He did not let his smile falter as he walked past the compartments, looking for one with friendly faces.

His search turned out to be a short one, as he encountered an almost empty compartment. Almost empty, that is, save for his favourite Gryffindor, who sat on the left side, apparently listening to muggle music. Alva seemed lost in her musical reverie, which was not an unpleasant sight, to be honest. If anything, it made him feel like engaging in good-hearted mischief, and so he prepared to strike. He crouched a bit and, without missing a beat, pounced her like the most harmless of foxes.

"Boo!" He said, joyful, giving her a tight squeeze, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

---

---

Eva smiled at her best friend and hugged him back, taking a deep breath. When he pushed her away and complimented her, she blushed a dark red and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. She opened up the car door a little more and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind her. She smiled at him again. The summer had been very good to him as well, but it wasn't like she was going to say it out loud... She caught herself staring at him and shook her head quickly.

"Oh. Uhhh..." Eva bit her lower lip and looked toward the ground, a nervous habit she had picked up from her first year at Hogwarts. She couldn't believe that she still did it. She had been trying to stop. She tugged down her shorts self consciously and kicked a leg over her other one. Her boots where noticeably long, going up and over her knee as they normally did, with the heel being extremely high. "She was just making sure I was alright," Eva said, finally realizing that Slick would find out sooner rather than later what Luke had done. "Weston knocked me into the train earlier and it messed up my shoulder. It's not a big deal though. It's probably just a bruise."

She rolled her shoulder, trying to prove her point that it wasn't a big deal, and she felt something pop. She cringed and gripped her shoulder before smiling at him with a wince. "See? Not a big deal." She took a deep breath and held onto her shoulder. She really didn't need this right now, with Quidditch starting in a few weeks. She didn't exactly know a spell to help her out here, so she just leaned back on the seat like it was nothing. "So how was your summer? Did you miss me?" she teased at him, laughing lightly at the last part.

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After managing to dislocate the shoulder of the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, though the Captain herself didn't know at the time, Luke made his way up onto the train. He shoved passed a few first years looking for an empty car. Seeing that there really wasn't anyone, he turned back and made his way toward the front, toward first class. He passed by Slick's and Eva's car and smirked at the Captain cradling her arm before continuing on. He came to the car with Johnson and Charles in it and paused. Death Eaters do attract each other.

He paused and opened the door. They had room for one more. "Hey Leeds. Kemp." He smirked at the two of them before turning his eyes to the one he didn't know. "Random dude I don't know. How's it going?" He chuckled under his breath and swung in, plopping down on the seat next to Leeds. Kicking up his feet on the empty seat space across from him, he looked around at the other two boys.

"So... How was everyone's summer?" The conversation seemed so normal, but with a deadly underlying tone. Luke glanced at Johnson and over to Charles, curious as to what they were thinking. It would be interesting to see how his final year at Hogwarts turned out, especially with these two in play here. "You practice over the summer, Kemp? Bet Hufflepuff will still kick your asses this year anyways." Luke smiled again and leaned forward onto his knees, waiting for the responses from the boys.

Johnson smiled over towards Charles as soon as he sat down then thanked him. A fellow Death Eater right before him as he raised a brow. "So, like to show boat around your driver and such, huh?" Johnson spoke towards Charles with a smirk then looked out the window at the scenery as the train past through various land masses. His ears then twitched as her heard his last name called. It was Lucas, or Luke as he liked to be called sometimes.

Johnson nearly fainted when he sat beside him, always finding Luke a bit cute though would never tell him that admittedly. "Uhm, my summer went well. Just a lot of wizarding studies still. My father and such, you know." Johnson chuckled a bit then cleared his throat. "But I still had time to myself to party and go to the beach." He nodded his head slightly while raising a brow. "What about you, Luke?" He'd ask him while waiting for a reply.

The cart lady didn't waste no time to come by as she asked them if they'd like anything from the cart. Johnson shook his head no as she gave the other boys whatever they wanted then proceeded her trek to the next compartment and so forth. Johnson sighed softly while leaning his head against the window, wondering if Hogwarts was going to be the same in the terms of the classes, clubs and Quidditch. No one knew of his mission except for his fellow Death Eaters as he hoped that they all at least had his back through this matter.

Question is, how was going to kill the new headmaster and where?

"Now, you're absolutely sure your wand is in your bag?"

Ophelia always hoped that it would be different. Her parents would see her off to school without completely embarrassing her.

Her father eyeballed her while her mother remained silent. She was always the one who kept her cool, but honestly, that was just because she would start to cry if she tried to speak. Ophelia was their world, a gift from someone watching over.

She groaned, stuck her hand in her messenger bag and pulled out her wand. She waved it in front of her father's face while his eyes widened. He gently shoved her arm down to her side.

"Put that away!" He scolded. "A wand is not a play toy."

Ophelia rolled her eyes and stared at her mother with pleading eyes. Sabrina smiled and placed a hand on Cassius' shoulder.

"Calm down, Cass. Let's say our goodbyes so that she can get on the train." At the last part of the sentence, Ophelia noticed that her mother's eyes began to water a little bit. She screamed internally. Every time.

She hugged both her parents for an excruciatingly long time while they both told her how much they would miss her and how much they loved her. She was certain her face was brighter than her hair at this point, and she tried not to look around her at all the other students getting ready to go to Hogwarts as well.

"Remember to write us, sweet one!" Her mother called after her as she began to board the train. Ophelia glanced back and smiled at them awkwardly. She loved her parents, but my god, were they annoying. She waved quickly and then pushed herself onto the train to avoid anymore embarrassing messages.

Every compartment Ophelia passed had either a couple of people or a lot of people inside. She began to lose hope that she would never find an empty one to sit in, but luck was on her side when she found a lonely little compartment. Once all her things were settled, Ophelia sat down and removed her scarf and jacket. She let her little feline friend out of his cage and he immediately hopped up on to her lap, purring heavily as Ophelia moved her hand across his gray back.

She looked out the window but could not seem to find her parents. That was alright though. Her mother did tell her to write them. A yawn escaped her mouth and in response, Ophelia let her head fall back onto the seat. Fatigue washed over her-it had been a long day. As if on cue, Thomas snuggled himself into Ophelia's lap while her eyes slowly closed. The memory of smile remained on her lips as drowsiness took over and pulled her into sleep.

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Tom whistled jauntily to himself as he wheeled his cart through the busy crowd at King's Cross Station, the duffel bag with his Quidditch gear sitting atop the trunk with his clothes and school supplies. He'd said goodbye to his mother this morning when he'd left the flat, which always a little sad - but he'd promised to write, and now he was actually at the station his enthusiasm for another year at Hogwarts was beginning to overtake him. Between classes, Quidditch, friends and the occasional research project there was always plenty to do and learn, not to mentions his N.E.W.T exams at the end of the year! As he approached the wall between Platforms 9 & 10 he saw a lost looking couple in muggle clothing and a young boy looking at their ticket and glancing between the two platforms.

Remembering his first time trying to find the platform he pulled up alongside them. Sure enough there was an owl in a cage on the luggage trolley, a sure sign of a Hogwarts student. "Looking for 9 & 3/4's?" he asked, smiling at the relief in their faces as they nodded "Yes! it doesn't make anyn sense" the woman said, gesturing to the ticket."It's through that wall - watch; I'll go first", Thomas said pushing off and walking directly at the solid looking wall, blinking reflexively at the last second. When he opened his eyes again he was at an altogether different looking platform with a familiar train pulled alongside. He kept walking and look behind him to see the family come through the wall as one, stunned expressions on their faces. He waved goodbye as they thanked him and pushed his trolley over to the luggage loading zone, already on the lookout for familiar faces.

He waved hello to a couple of friends as he jumped on the train, starting the traditional search for a friendly carriage. Students were still milling around in the corridor so it took a few minutes to make his way along the train, stopping occasionally to help firsties stow backpacks in luggage racks or get them settled into cars as older students bustled past. Finally he looked into one carriage, his face lighting up as he saw his long-time friend. "Hey Mel!" he said, sliding the door open and stepping into the carriage, closing it behind him as he sat down on the opposite bench. "Long time no see huh? Looking forward to final year?"

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It was to fingers brushing his hair, ghosting over the skin of his forehead, that Zeke woke up. His body comfortably melded against the warm covers of his bed, he kept his eyes closed, for the snatches of sleep that would soon become rare once the year started again. The fingers stilled for a moment, before Zeke heard his mother say, "I miss when your hair was like this."

Eyelids fluttering blearily open, Zeke groped for his side-fringe, weaving his fingers through his hair just in time to see the last wisps of brown-black be overrun by maniacal crimson. "I didn't know it turned back when I slept," he said plainly, as his locks became longer in his hands, an unruly nest atop his head.

"Why else do you think I wake you up, rather than make you set a spell on that old Muggle clock you keep?" Zeke smiled, and flung his arm over his eyes. His mother stood up from where she had been sitting on the bed, and opened the doors of his wardrobe, empty but for one hanging set of clothes.

Snorting, Zeke threw off the covers, and began to sit up. "That's not a very flattering nickname for Kymmen." As if on cue, a pitch-black raven swooped in through the window with the sunlight, and cawed its morning. His mother only tossed his clothes at him and closed the door behind her, and he only laughed.

Pulling off his nightwear to don ripped jeans, a faded tee, and shrug on his robes and sneakers, Zeke wiped the night's sleep away from his eyes and whistled a two-note tune. In a flutter of wings, Kymmen launched himself from the window sill and perched himself on Zeke's shoulder. With the summer slipping away, he bent to pick up his luggage, he felt the public mask be tucked away in his coat pocket, for later use.

His parents were in the kitchen, and after a hearty breakfast together, Zeke found himself at the doorstep, luggage in tow, Kymmen fluffing his feathers in mute and disgruntled protest in his cage. His father pulled him into an embrace, made him promise to work hard, and clapped his shoulder. His face was lined, and when Zeke returned he would find more weariness in the crinkles at the corners of his lips. But Zeke smiled back, as though the concept of his parents ageing didn't hurt as much as it did.

And then his mother enveloped him in her arms. She held him tight, and Zeke returned the hug, feeling the narrow shoulders under him rise and fall with even breath. When she pulled away, she held him by the forearms. Her eyes searched his face, and Zeke knew she was looking at the shock of red hair, the piercing in his frown, and remembering the bright laughter of a boy with black hair who had been well-mannered to all. Zeke hadn't bid them goodbye - not yet, not properly - but he could feel his face turning to stone, the corners of his lips tugging downwards. And his mother knew exactly what he was doing.

She combed the stray strands out of his face as the wind blustered around them, whipping Zeke's robes about his ankles. "I do miss the dark hair," she said softly.

When Zeke opened his eyes and stumbled to regain his balance in the bustle of King's Cross, with luggage and crow in hand, he pretended the pinch in his chest was no more than a by-product of Apparition. He took stock of his surroundings, in a lone corridor where no one had seen him. Muggles passed in an oblivious stream, ten feet away. Hastily, Zeke gathered his belongings, and marched out into the brightly-lit platform.

After hurtling himself at a pillar, Zeke was on Platform 9 3/4. There was the usual blend of veteran students, come back for another year at the grind, and first-years who all looked pasty and quaking. Zeke manouvred his way around them, almost twice as tall as some of them. He attracted strange looks for his hair, but found himself unbothered. In the crushing mass, he heard flashes of voices that sounded familiar, glimpses of faces none too strange, but in the swell of the crowd had no desire other than to make his way to the train.

Swinging himself onboard, he hauled his things with him and prowled the aisle. He came across a compartment with a well-known red-head, and he quietly slipped himself in. Slumbering, Ophelia had her cat in her lap. Carefully, Zeke set his trunk and cage up on the seat opposite her. But those feline eyes seemed fixated on Kymmen, so Zeke unlatched the wire door and let Kymmen ride on his shoulder.

He swore that cat gave him a dirty glare for that.

Quickly leaving a note on his luggage with an echoed snatch of conversation he had caught on the platform (Remember to write your mother, sweet one) and guessing Ophelia would be able to recognise his handwriting, Zeke slipped back out onto the narrow corridor again. There were third-years zipping up and down the walkway, but their steps faltered and became paces again when one of them collided against his midriff and caught his glower. He walked for some time, before he came across a compartment with a blonde pixie.

He poked his head into Alva's compartment, leaning in and tipping Kymmen precariously so he squawked in indignant outrage and flapped his wings for balance. "I can't tell if you avoided the sun like a ghoul this summer, or if I'm remembering you tanner," he chimed with a smirk that broadened into a smile. "How were your hols?"

Then, he noticed that there was another boy with her, and at once his eyes skittered over him. Septum ring, dyed blonde hair. Hyacinthus, Hufflepuff fifth-year. Zeke gave him a nod of the head in salutation. "All right," he said, by way of greeting.

Location: Train to Hogwarts
Interacting:Eva @WhiteStar19

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---

Gregory raised an eyebrow at Eva as she grew nervous and then blushed so profusely. He thought she'd have a little more confidence by now and could take a compliment without going all cherry tomato! His expression was slightly surprised when she literally pulled him into the compartment, but he laughed it off as she shook her head to some thought only she knew. Eva was a mystery like that and Gregory had always just gone with it. She seemed a little different than last year somehow, though he couldn't put a pin on it.

"My summer was fine, reconnected with some of the squad when I visited the old 'hood. Sister and Ma are doing alright, all things considered. Oh! They moved since Stuart's military benefits finally came in, got a nice apartment in Bayonne." Greg informed her, the last delivered with more than little relief and happiness. He couldn't bring himself to smile though at mention of Luke and his usual prickish ways. "Are you serious?! Of all the asshole ways to start the year, he chooses to mess with you?" he had a familiar scowl on his face and his hands were tight fists on his lap. He moved over to her side of the compartment, touching her shoulder here and there. It was definitely out of the socket and the longer it was out, the worse it would get. "I know how to get it back into place, been there." Gregory told her, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Just try to relax."

He grabbed his trunk and slid it to the middle of the small space and stood it on its side. Taking a seat on the upended luggage, he felt comfortably level with her and leaned forward. He began to gently massage her shoulder, relaxing the muscles, working his way down and around the affected joint. "As for missing you, of course I did! I don't know how I can cope without having you around. Did you miss me, huh. Did ya?" Gregory asked, a grin finally reaching his face as he teased her right back.



Location: Train to Hogwarts
Interacting:Lucas @WhiteStar19 Johnson @HushedWhispers

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---

"Have to give the riffraff something to gawk over, eh?" Charles responded with a superior looking smile. His intentions had been just that, to allow his peers to see the difference between a regular wizard and one of high-stock. To show them their place. He straightened his dark emerald tie momentarily. "How have you been, alright?" Charles asked obligatorily, making himself sound interested. He liked to make people believe he was like the rest of them, pestered by those petty things called emotion. A waste of time, if you asked him. Although Johnson was a very important man this year and might need all the support he could get.

"A little early to be celebrating your victory, Lucas. I did get a match or two in during the summer, played against some of my father's friends, in fact. Good men, didn't let them score however. I think I may have hurt their pride." Charles grinned with a bit too much teeth at the last, relishing in the humiliation of men older and more experience than he was by far. He leaned back in his seat, remembering the red and frustrated wrinkled faces. Old people were funniest that way, too angry to use their head. He pulled out a newspaper to pass the time, but not before sending a raised eyebrow and questioning look Johnson's way. Already, he was practically swooning at the sight of Lucas? "The guy could afford to play a little more hard to get," Charles thought.

---

---

As usual, Wyatt's parents were always at work so they weren't able to see their son off on his 6th year at Hogwarts. He hated how much they had to work to support their family as well as finance Wyatt's school supplies. The only reason Wyatt even attended the school was because his parents pushed him to do so. They wanted their son to grow up to be a strong wizard with a good job so he wouldn't have to struggle like they did. With his parents being muggles, they really didn't understand that much about magic outside of what Wyatt has described, but nevertheless they were extremely proud their son was excelling in his studies.

After rolling his trolley through the portal between Platforms 9 and 10, Wyatt found himself on Platform 9 3/4 just in time as the last of the students were boarding the train. He gave his belongings to the loaders and entered the train with a bag hanging from his left shoulder filled with books that he was going to read on the way and his black cat Jinx. He had already read half over the summer and planned on reading the rest of the books he was given for this term before classes even began. Making his way down the compartment aisles, he was wearing black on black like usual when he wasn't in uniform. He had on a black jumper, black jeans, black boots and wore a long brimmed fedora hat that those in the muggle world called a witches hat. Instead of wearing his normal glasses, he had on his contact lenses but hid them behind black sunglasses due to lack of sleep and disgusting baggy eyes from overnight studying. As usual he was walking and reading a book at the same time, taking a chance of bumping into someone in front of him. After passing a few familiar faces and a compartment filled with the pretty boys from Satan, he finally found an empty on just like he wanted and settled in.

Wyatt sat Jinx on the floor and immediately started to go back into his book. It was a complete life saver as the lady with the trolley full of goodies came passing back. He shot up and searched his pockets for a few galleons.

"I need some coffee please. Black and a few cubes of sugar." Wyatt needed something to make him more alert and not so dead looking. At the moment he was completely pale and his eyes were sunken in. Thank god for his sunglasses. Hopefully Quidditch practice would be scheduled soon so he can get his tan back. He gave the lady his money and sat back down to sip his beverage. Just as he was about to get back into his Transfiguration text book, some random 5th year Slytherin passed by his compartment with some smart remark.

"Mudblood already hitting the books. Spare us your know-it-all babble this year and jump out of the train would ya," the boy mumbled as he passed by. Wyatt looked over and glared at the boy as he started to walk away. Wyatt brought his hand over his mouth and fake coughed, muttering a charm as he did so.

"Confundo." Just then the boy became disoriented and ran smack into a random compartment door, falling on his behind. Wyatt smirked and looked out of his compartment at the 5th year. "You should really watch where you're going. You're disturbing the peaceful atmosphere and some of us are trying to study." Jinx growled and hissed at the boy as he tried to stand up and regain his posture, only to fall again.

---

---

"That's great!" she said, when he mentioned moving his mother and sister into a better apartment than by previous. "That will definitely be better for them." She shifted her shoulder again and cringed. It was definitely not bruised. Something was seriously wrong with it. She rolled her eyes when he began to get angry about Luke and said, "Don't worry about it, Slick. The prick isn't worth it." When he said back in place, it all made sense then. Luke had managed to dislocate her shoulder. She winced when she thought about, but soon enough, Greg was on the other side of the compartment with her, trying to get it back in place.

She turned a light pink this time, the flush crawling up from her neck to her ears, and she forced herself to chill. She stared down at her opposing wrist to the one that Greg was messing with. The black ink of the tattoo stood out against her pale skin and she smiled down at it as he teased her back about missing him. "Of course I missed you. Why wouldn't I?" She laughed and shook her head, black locks flying everywhere. "You probably couldn't live without me, Slick. I bet you couldn't even tie your own shoes without me." She stuck her tongue out at him, a very childish thing to do, but she didn't care.

She sighed and leaned back against the seat. Greg's massage skills were very relaxing. She snorted and sat up again, just remembering something that her father had told her not to do. "You know, my dad didn't want me to come back this year and he made me swear not to see you." She chuckled under her breath before turning her dark eyes to him. "He thinks you're a 'bad influence'. Can you believe that?" She rolled her eyes and sat back farther, before eyeing him again. "So. You make any conquests over the summer?"

Slick was very much a ladies' man and Eva knew it. He was probably just dying to talk about all the girls he hooked up with over the summer and was just being polite because 1) she was in pain and 2) it was the very beginning of the school year. Nothing to get into right away. She hated talking about it herself, but she knew if she wanted to keep her feelings hidden... might as well act like it was nothing right? "Let me guess... two blondes, three red heads, and a brunette?" She laughed.

---

---

---

---

Luke waved the cart woman off before turning back to answer Johnson's question. "I didn't do much. Mainly practiced Quidditch and went around getting some very... interesting advice from some people on this school year." He smiled toward Johnson. "Mother, of course, told me to be good before I left, which I sometimes find very difficult to do... Already injured the Gryffindor Captain, Eva." He turned his eyes to Charles. "You're welcome, by the way."

He pulled his feet in closer to himself, and scooted over as Johnson made more room by going closer to the window. Resting his elbows on his shoulders, Luke leaned forward, bracing his chin against his knuckles as Charles described what he had been doing over the summer. Luke just rolled his eyes. "I'm sure their pride was hurt a lot, especially after you paid them however much to let you win." Luke snorted and stood up, stretching his shoulders.

He pulled at the collar of his shirt. It was extremely hot on the train for some reason, at least it was to him. Without even saying anything to the other guys, he pulled off his shirt and threw it down on the chair before reaching up and grabbing his trunk. He grabbed a vest out of the trunk and pulled it on. It was black leather and very revealing, but he didn't care. As long as he had his robes on before they reached Hogwarts, he was sure that none of the other passengers would care either. He shoved shirt back into trunk and sat down again, now just dressed in the cargo shorts he was wearing earlier and the black leather vest at the moment. Two girls happened to be passing by and they caught sight of Luke. He dropped a wink in their direction. Both stared at him for a few moments before hiding behind their hair and giggling to each other as they ran off.

He turned his eyes back to the boys in the car. "I am really that attractive?" he said with a laugh, leaning back and sticking his hands behind his head. He looked at Johnson and said, "Have you ever considered joining the Quidditch team for Ravenclaw? They could use prettier guys like you. Definitely would distract some of the female players of the other team." Luke laughed again.

---

---

Teddy couldn't really believe it. There, right in front of him, was the famous Hogwarts Express. The impressive scarlet engine stretched the length of the hidden platform surrounded by young witches and wizards going off to school. His new school. Hogwarts.

He'd been looking forward to this day all summer. In fact, he'd convinced his parents to London a day early just so he could be sure to get here on time. He'd ended up regretting that as his first time on a Muggle airplane hadn't agreed with him. Gus in particular had not enjoyed the trip. All the charms to conceal his presence on the plane had put him in a worse mood than usual. Their goodbyes at the platform had taken longer than any back home as this time he'd be farther away. Despite his protestations that he was usually really far from home anyway, his mother had insisted on an extended lecture, warning, blessing, and last-minute packing list check. But what could be done? It was just her way. Still he'd been rewarded for his trouble when she passed him a bag of chocolate frogs with a smug grin. "Just don't eat them all on the train..." she had sighed as he stuffed them in his bag. Another round of hugs later, his parents walked through the barrier once more leaving Teddy to board the train.

Teddy zipped up the light hoodie he was wearing, conscious of the chillier weather. It was easily a good twenty degrees colder here than it was back home. Of course no where near as cold as King Cove, but he always did take some time to acclimate to colder temperatures. He wore the white hoodie over a green henley he had bought when discovering he would be a Slytherin. He also wore a pair of dark blue well fitted jeans and some brown chukka boots. Thinking about King Cove made him wonder what his friends would get up to this year. In just a few hours they'd be starting their own journey to school. Of course they planned to write, but everyone knew how that went. Hopefully they wouldn't have too much fun without him.

Tadeo wheeled his luggage cart to the train, ready to board it and meet some of his fellow students. He drew a few curious looks as he had expected. The older students clearly didn't recognize the new young wizard. A quick glance at the two snapback caps bearing "Houston Rockets" logos would likely inform them of his status as a transfer. He didn't mind the looks, in fact some of them were quite pleasant looks from some of the young witches. He of course returned a friendly "Hey" or "Hello" anytime he made eye contact. These were all potential friends, potential allies, interesting people no matter what. And there was no chance he'd still be a stranger by the end of the term.

He loaded his luggage, giving a helping hand here and there, taking only a small bag and Gus's cage with him into the rest of the train. He glanced into a few compartments, seeing groups of friends catching up and recounting their holidays. He noticed a compartment with some students about his age with room for one. He had planned to try and join them when the boy immediately ahead of him said something into the compartment across from it. Suddenly the boy walked right into a door and fell... twice.

Holding back a grin, Teddy approached the boy and helped him to his feet. "You all right there, man? Looks like you got turned around a bit." He bent over and picked up a few knuts that had fallen out his pocket, holding them out. "I'm Teddy, by the way. I just transferred from King Cove." He stood there with his hand outstretched, ignoring an exasperated sigh behind him since the two were blocking the passage. The other boy glanced at the knuts then up to Teddy's face, his eyes narrowing. He still seemed a bit dazed, but he reached out with both hands and carefully took his coins.

"Thanks..." he mumbled, then turned around, muttering something about Mudbloods and foreigners, and something that sounded like Godzilla?

Teddy peeked in and found a blonde boy dressed all in black sitting alone with a cat. The girl behind him grumbled some more about the blocking the corridor so he slipped halfway into the compartment to let her pass. "So, can I sit here or are you just confunding anyone who tries to come in?" The charm had piqued his curiosity, as it seemed to have been skillfully done from his view. He just wasn't sure what the guy had done to deserve it. Not waiting for a reply he entered the compartment and set down his bag and Gus's cage. He took a seat then reached out and pet the cat softly on the head. He recalled his friend Alice had told him that he should ask before touching someone else's pet. But he was already doing it so there was no point now.

Ophelia woke with a start as her head slipped and collided with the window to her left.

A groan of pain sounded from her mouth, her hand flying to the exact spot that had been hit. Thomas shook with a stretch, stared at her for a moment as if to ask "you okay?" He then immediately made himself comfortable again. Ophelia rubbed her head while glaring at the window, but not for long, as a yawn grew inside her and escaped her lips. She reached her arms into the air and stretched quietly, slumping back with the taste of sleep still in her mouth. Sluggishness tugged at her eyelids but she found that she could not make herself comfortable enough again to fall back into a slumber.

Instead, she let her eyes travel back to the window. Beautiful country moved like a scene from a film as the Hogwarts Express chugged along to its destination. They weren't too far from school but they also weren't too close either. Ophelia sighed, knowing that she couldn't sleep away the rest of the ride there. She scratched a spot behind Thomas' ear, the gray cat's tail twitching slightly in response. A warm smile appeared on Ophelia's face looking at her beloved little friend.

Ophelia finally noticed that another person had been in her compartment she looked up. Although this trespasser was no longer around, she noticed a slip of paper on top of their things. Reaching over carefully so as not to disturb Thomas, she snatched it in her hand and read.

Remember to write your mother, sweet one.

Ophelia grimaced. Of course Zeke couldn't have just pretended that he didn't hear anything, it just wasn't his style. She rolled her eyes and set the paper beside her. Just as she was about to get up, a trolley full of sweets stopped by her compartment. The woman wheeling it peaked inside.

"Anything today, dear?" She asked, a frighteningly wide smile plastered on her sweet face.

She reached into her jacket pocket, fetching out just a few galleons. "Two cauldron cakes, please." Ophelia said as she handed over the money. Once the woman wheeled away she opened up her suitcase, taking one of her books out.

Her plan was to get up and explore, but Ophelia decided her time was better spent eating sweets and reading a good book. She settled in once again for the ride, hoping they would arrive sooner, rather than later.

Madison kept her reading her book silently to herself as she continued to watch people walk past her compartment. She liked it, honestly as just didn't want to speak to anyone until Hogwarts. That was until her ears twitched as the door to her compartment slid open as she glared the person before her but realized it was Thomas. He spoke her first then sat down before her on the opposite bench. She closed her book but marked her page with a bookmark then looked over towards Thomas with a smile.

"Hey there, Thomas." She said then sat her book right beside her. "It has been a long time." Madison said with the nod of head then eyed him. "Yeah, I really am looking forward to it. Just hope nothing goes down this year." She said with a reassuring tone then eyed him with a raised brow. "What about you? Are you looking forward to this year?" She asked then thought of another question. "Oh! How was your summer?" She'd ask with the biting of her lip, feeling like she was asking too many questions at once.

She ran her small and slender fingers through the raven locks of her hair with a sigh then lowered her head a bit before raising it back up to look at Thomas, awaiting his answers.

---

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Charles' attitude at the moment kind of made him disinterested in talking to him at the moment. With the roll of his eyes, Johnson just had to comment on the words Charles had just spoken. "Yeah but it doesn't mean you have flaunt in front of the commoners." He responded then shook his head. "I'm alright. Johnson asked towards Charles then eyed Luke again, blushing a bit but lowering his head to hide it.

"Ugh. Mothers right?" He commented with a slight chuckle. "Already injuring the others, Luke? For shame." He slapped his arm playfully then laugh, a little. Johnson listened to Luke's words towards Charles and nodded his head at every single word. His eyes caught sight of the two girls that stopped at the door to wink towards Luke as Johnson made a scowled face that was plastered upon his face.

When the girls left and Luke looked at him, the look went away quickly as he smiled at Luke. "Eh, you're alright." Johnson waved a hand at Luke, teasing him a bit as he bit his lower lip, hearing Luke's next words. [color=007aff]"Uhm, nope. I rather not ruin this beautiful face because the teams can get pretty vicious. I'll just root from the stands again this year."[/b][/color] Johnson fist pumped in the air then heard his comment about distracting the female players. "Ah, yes. But I'd like to distract the guys, too."

He'd wink at Luke then look over towards Charles. "So, Charles, what are you forward to this year at Hogwarts?" He'd ask while slightly looking at Luke.

Location: Train to Hogwarts
Interacting:Eva @WhiteStar19

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Gregory's hat followed his head as he nodded in agreement. It would be much better for them and in turn, for Greg. He was always worried about them, still in Newark without a man in the house. What if someone broke in while they were home and he wasn't there to protect them? He tried not to think about those kinds of things too much, they just made everything worse than it actually was. "You're right, I know it, you obviously know it. Doesn't mean I can't have nice happy thoughts about the prick walking into a woodchipper." He grinned at this thought, as if he'd found a twenty underneath his pillow from the tooth fairy. "Hey, I learned how to tie my shoes at least five minutes before I met you, swear to God and on my ma's grave," he joked, kissing his free hand and moving it in the pattern of the cross in front of his chest.

Gregory snorted when Eva said he couldn't live without her. However much it felt like he was missing his better half, he'd never admit it to his best friend. To put that on top of her being his Captain, oh he'd never live it down! It'd be the cherry on top of the whip-cream, to complete her ego sundae. At news of what her father thought of him, Slick's eyebrows shot up in surprise and bit of indignant hurt. "He should come and see the real scum of Hogwarts! A dirty Jersey boy like me is nothing compared to say... Lucas or Kemp." But his fingers had stopped for a moment, frozen by the surprise at hearing her father's honest opinion of him. He hadn't expected such a harsh judgement. "What horror stories have you been telling them, huh?"

Gregory had pulled her forward on the seat, so she was more in front of him and he didn't have to reach behind her. Eva sure had a high pain tolerance, that was for sure. "He's got one thing right, I am the bad influence out of the two us. The only difference between you and me, is that I actually listen to good sense and you have it." He grinned back at her, perfectly hiding the little amount of hurt he felt hearing that. To most people, if he wasn't a mudblood he was most definitely a hoodlum. Eva being one of the exceptions. Her next question nearly made him blush, though! Maybe she was indeed the bad influence. But Gregory felt a little obliged to answer when he felt her intense stare boring into the top of his head.

"You want the details? You got 'em. First, you need to stop leaning back dammnit. I'm trying to loosen you up so it's easier to pop you back in. Second, I didn't sleep with such a plethora of women, I'll have you know! Third-," at that moment, Greg brought his right thumb over the protruding joint, lifted and turned her arm until he felt it slide up to the socket, and then slowly pushed. Eva would definitely feel the pain, until he heard an audible pop from her shoulder. It was in! And probably a huge relief, Gregory had knocked his own shoulder out a few times during some scraps and knew the whole ordeal was damn painful. Pretty soon it might be his party trick to pop the damn thing out and in with ease. "Third, you're all fixed up." He smiled broadly, happy that he managed to help out Eva. "But if you really must know, it was one girl. A smoking hot latina one of my boys hooked me up with at a party. Other than that, a gentleman never tells." Which was complete bullshit, but he'd spare her the lurid details, for her own mental health. He sat back and looked at her face, which seemed to have a faint flush, which worried him. He tipped back his hate at the front brim, so he could get a better look at her face. "You okay, Eve? You're lookin' a little flushed, still in pain?"



Location: Train to Hogwarts
Interacting:Lucas @WhiteStar19 Johnson @HushedWhispers

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Charles took his right hand off of the paper to clutch to his chest theatrically. "Oh, that truly huurts, Lucas," he feigned in a convincing tone of petulance and unhappiness. His eyes were wide as he looked at Lucas, as if questioning how he could say such awful things. Then he was laughing, a throaty chuckle that was a bit contagious. "I don't buy my way into success, Lucas. You should know that. You have to take what you want for it be of any worth, not just throw money at it. Although you wouldn't know anything about true sacrifice, would you Weston?" He delivered this statement with a playfully raised eyebrow and a challenging smirk. He nearly laughed at Johnson and his nearly puppy-like agreement, nodding at his master's every word. Or nearly as pathetic, but Charles didn't let such opinions color his face.

They always seemed to think he solved every problem with his wealth, but that was simply not the case. Most of his achievements and awards had been achieved through hard work and talent, as well as his early magic schooling. It was probably easier for them to believe what they wanted to, seeing themselves not measuring up to an underclassmen. "I didn't do it to flaunt my wealth, I did it took make my life easier as only I can. My driver didn't ask me if I wished for him to follow me, he simply did. The same with my luggage. Jeffrey is a remarkable servant after all. And the car, isn't it just amazing? Not at all like those dirty muggle things, it doesn't produce any carbon emissions and runs solely on charm work! A project my father wanted me to test drive."

He wouldn't deny to these two that he had paid a bit of the staff and students here and there to keep hush about sensitive matters. Or that he threatened others for the same effect. He had the power over these sheep, so he used it, simple as that. Johnson seemed to have asked him a question, making Charles come out of his short reverie. He had zoned into his own world when Lucas decided it was an appropriate time for a wardrobe change. "Oh Johnson, you should know better than I what great things might come of this year," Charles said with a hint of meaning, being subtle for the fourth and unknown boy. "Other than that, I plan to take first rank in the scholastic scores. Secondly, it's my belief that this year my team will take the House Cup this year. They face some extraordinary penalties otherwise."

After that last statement, Charles was once again enjoying the thought of putting people in their place. He shook out the paper to give it rigidity once more and began reading again.

---

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It took a few moments for someone to come along, the lyrics and the beat of the song in her ears. People were outside the train, hugging there parents, parents hugging their children, and of course there was the very large crowd of first years scurrying around, doing there best to get situated. Alva could here faint foot steps on the train floor, people running or jogging, doing their best in order to find a compartment. As she sat looking out the window, warm embraces all around her, she would remember herself as a first year. Even smaller, frizzy haired and just as pale. Her parents couldn't decide who would take her to the station, so they both had decided to come, the two hardly speaking to each other. She hugged each of the separately, and a brief handshake passed between them. And, before she knew it, there was a full out argument. Alva stopped the flood of memories from coming over her at that point. No need to get depressed before the school year even started. Besides, she was the kind of girl that everyone expected to have a smile on her face.

No sooner than she went back to heavily concentrating on her music, did she feel someone pounce on her a "boo" breaking through the noise. Having sat in what could be considered silence for the girl for the last ten minutes, AJ practically jumped out of her skin. Looking up, eyes wide, a shocked look on her face she would see none other than her dear friend Hyacinthus from Hufflepuff. "Jazz," she squeaked, seeing the goofy grin on the boy's face. "You know not to do that, kid I could have hit you or something," she added with a laugh. "What's up? Enjoy the holidays? All that stuff.

Waiting on Jazz's response, AJ would notice that her other friend, Zeke, poked his head through the compartment door. She gave him a small wave and a bright smile. "Probably both, really. Holidays where the usual. You know, bouncing back and forth between mom and dad, arguments from the two of them, etcetera, etcetera. Anyways, yourself?" AJ noticed Zeke looking at Jazz and couldn't help but let thoughts run through her mind. Oh stop it you, she scolded herself, mentally.