[IC] Year One [ Closed for TheDookieNut and El Taco Taco ]

[El Taco Taco]

Sadie Ethans had been waiting for this day for the past four years. She had been blown away by the sudden appearance of a barn owl on her brother Brennan's eleventh birthday and been extremely put out about not getting one herself. Her parent's had thought the letter a silly prank until a woman in dark robes had appeared on their doorstep and told them no, magic really does exist. It had been a day Sadie would never forget, one that forever altered the course of her life. When she had asked the severe looking woman if she would get to go to Hogwarts, the evil woman had simply told her to wait and see.

For four years, Sadie had waited. She sent Brennan letters weekly, demanding to know everything he was taught and to reassure her that she would get her chance as well. He did neither of these things, likely because he found her frustration amusing. Her pestering only worsened over his holidays, to the point where mum and dad had to send her to her room (which Sadie found supremely unfair). She'd nearly had a nervous breakdown in the week leading up to her eleventh birthday. Her owl had been cruel and hadn't shown up until nearly lunchtime on July Thirteenth. She'd already given up hope on being selected for Hogwarts and had resigned herself to a life of misery by the time her beautiful parchment letter arrived.

Nothing had been as wonderful as reading 'Dear Miss Ethans' in elegant emerald script. Nothing, perhaps, except the sight of the scarlet Hogwarts Express, and knowing that she had a place on it.

"Right, now promise you'll write every week," her mum instructed her as she dusted off Sadie's cardigan. Sadie could barely speak for her excitement.
"Yes mummy. Oh, look at the train," she was bouncing in place, and she missed the amused look her parents exchanged with one another. Sadie only had eyes for the steam spilling out of that beautiful engine, her heart beating a painful staccato in her chest. She needed to be on the train now!

"Sadie, calm down," Brennan grumbled, looking annoyingly cool in his school robes and with a broomstick slung across his shoulder. "You're embarrassing me."

She stuck her tongue out at Brennan, before her father shot her a warning look. She blushed and tried not to fidget.

"Brennan, you look out for Sadie. Make sure she doesn't, err, blow anything up."

Sadie pouted. Blow up one loo, on accident, and no one ever lets you forget it. Brennan sulkily muttered some form of assent. As soon as mum and dad were done hugging him goodbye, he had scurried off to go meet up with his friends. Sadie made a 'hmph' sound. He couldn't have abandoned her any quicker!

"Be good sweetheart. Work hard," her mum squeezed her tight. Sadie laughed as her father picked her up in a bear hug, before setting her down neatly next to her trunk.

"I will. I'll be the best," Sadie's fist clenched and her eyes lit up. She was going to make Brennan, who thought he was too cool for his little sister, look like a complete twit. She'd best him at everything! Her parents exchanged another, rather worried look, but before they could say anything the whistle had sounded.

"I have to go! I love you mum, love you dad!" Her father helped lift her and her things onto the train, and before she knew it, they were pulling away from the station.

Sadie released a high pitched squeal of excitement. Oh gosh, she was finally here! She was here and this was real and not just another frustrating dream! She tried not to hyperventilate. Mr. Tufty, her screech owl, shot her a withering look. A taller girl with dark hair helped her move her things into an empty compartment, where she left Sadie to bounce on the seat, nose pressed to the glass.

"I'm going to Hogwarts, I'm going to Hogwarts~!"

[TheDookieNut]

Coming from one of the remaining Pure Blood families, George had no fear of not recieving his letter. After blowing both the kitchen windows one Novemeber evening, both his parents couldn't deny they'd be sending their son to Hogwarts with their eldest. Of course, that night had always stuck in his mind vividly. That was the night his own father was finally caught and arrested. It had been all over the Daily Prophet that week.

Known Death Eater George Nott Sr. Finally In Chains

It was a black stain on his family, although many of the other Pure Blood families didn't care for their status, even his brother had recieved a fair number of threats over the years. However, in his fifth year, Theodore was no longer under such scrutiny.

As they passed onto the platform for the fifth time, George clung onto his trunk as tightly as any nervous child would.
"Here you are. Your father would be proud." His mother cooed. She was a tall woman, thick brown hair completely opposite to George's. It had been pure luck; he shared his father's name as well as his hair and looks. Unlike Theodore, who had his mother's rosy cheeks and bushy brown hair. Swallowing hard, George turned his eyes to his remaining parent and sighed. "Write when you can. I'll try and get letters to your father." She kissed his cheek gently and smiled, stepping back to look at her two sons. "Both of you, behave. Please. Theo, look after your brother. For heavens sake, don't do anything stupid." She teared up and pulled them both into a hug.

"I'll be back for Christmas, mum." Theo smiled, patting the woman gently on the back. She pulled away and nodded, a hand moving to each of their cheeks. Seconds past before she let them leave. "Greyback!" Theodore shouted, making a dash into the crowds. Of course this left George standing around on his own. He sighed gently and passed his trunk over to a prefect. He smiled gently and climbed on board.

It was a strange feeling to climb on board the Hogwarts Express. As his feet touched the floor and his hands touched the shiny metal exterior, George felt himself change. There was no way life was ever going to change. Hogwarts was going to be the best seven years of his life. He would be on the Quidditch team, maybe even join Duelling Club, something that had picked up since Professor LongBottom arrived in the school. He could meet all the ghosts, find Peeves, spot the Giant Squid, meet a real centaur. George inhaled his first breath as a new person and pushed himself onto the train.

He walked along onto the first corridor, looking at all the students, most meeting with friends, others bumbling around to meet new friends. He felt his feet carry him down the gangway, moving with the crowd. He eventually forced himself to stop by one door; it had been the first mostly empty cabin he'd seen in almost an entire carriage. He swallowed hard and pulled open the door. The whole train jerked forwards, and they were off.

"Can I sit?" George coughed, resting his trunk by the door. To be honest, if the girl said no, there wasn't much she could do. He pulled his trunk inside and rested it against the opposite seat. He looked at her for a second and silently judged. She seemed far too excited to be pure blood. Half blood perhaps, he guessed Muggle Born lastly, avoiding the term his father had grown him up using.

[El Taco Taco]

Sadie hummed an idle little ditty, the same annoying little tune she had bothered her brother with all summer. By the end of the holiday, she'd had her brother flying into fits of rage only three notes into her song. It had backfired slightly, as it was now perpetually stuck in her head, but it was a small price to pay. She'd achieved what all little sisters worked towards-- she'd driven her older brother insane. That would teach him to think twice before he played keep away with her things again.

She continued to bounce in her seat. Mr. Tufty tucked his head beneath a wing disdainfully. She'd thought the owl to be quite funny when she'd bought him, but Sadie wished she had selected a pet less prone to nipping her fingers. Maybe Mr. Tufty just wanted to stretch his wings. He'd been confined to her room since she'd bought him last month. Her mum said having an owl swooping around the neighborhood might qualify as suspicious. Sadie hoped Mr. Tufty was just grumpy. The alternative was rather...worrying. Mr. Tufty wouldn't always hate her, right?

The door to the compartment slid open, and Sadie's head immediately swiveled to watch. Her hazel eyes lit up with curiosity. A boy stood in the doorjamb, about her age, with white blonde hair that would be the envy of all the girls back in tiny Hankerton. Mum always said not to stare, but Sadie had yet to kick the habit. She wanted to know everything about everyone. Was that so terrible? This argument had never gone over well with her mum.

"Go right ahead!" She chirruped brightly, legs swinging. Sadie was exceptionally useless at sitting still. The train jerked forward, and Sadie managed not to squeal in delight (but only just). She gripped the edge of her seat in a bid not to fidget, craning her neck to look out the window. Her idle hands had a way of getting her into trouble. She didn't mean to break things, but she just got so excited and then things ended up dropped or shattered or, like the unfortunate Loo Incident, exploded. It was best for everyone that she refrained from poking things.

"I'm Sadie Ethans, by the way!" Sadie was at the stage of excited where 'Everything I Say Ends in Exclamation Points!' Mr. Tufty hooted derisively, clearly unimpressed. The nerve! She scrunched her nose at her bird before returning her attention to her new companion. “What’s your name? Is this your first year too? How long is this train ride anyways?”

The last bit wasn’t entirely directed at her companion. She looked out the window impatiently, the city transforming into a blur as the train picked up speed. Surely this would be a quick ride... wouldn't it?

[TheDookieNut]

George watched her for a moment before attempting to heave his trunk onto the overhead racking. It was certainly heavy. He struggled for a moment, and managed, eventually, to get the thing tucked away safely. Why his brother hadn't bothered to teach him anything, he'd never know. Their mum had always said Hogwarts would be the best years of his life, learning before would ruin the experience. He dropped from the seat he was stood on and rubbed the now tender part of his shoulder he'd used to push the trunk into the storage.

Eyes turned down to look at both the girl and her owl. Part of him wished he'd bought a pet, something to keep him company. After all, he'd probably be in the same house as his own dad. He wouldn't even think what would happen if he was.
"George Nott." He commented, sitting himself opposite her. Her excitement as obvious but it was normal. He suspected anyway. He suspected his excitement would arise when they saw the castle. Then panic and fear then excitement. "First year." He added quietly.

Maybe he did have too many guards up. After all, the student he shared a compartment with, well, she was bubbly and happy to chat. He on the other hand, would have been happy to sleep or hide himself away. Looking back up to her, after his moment at watching the last of the station disappear into the steam, he replied with an answer he wasn't completely sure about.
"About six hours, I think. My brother says the feasts at eight and the Sorting Cerimony is at seven. I assume well arrive a while before then."

Morbid curiosity was getting the better of him. He knew making friends early would help. Yet he had no way to break the ice. He slid off his seat and stood back on the seat again. Diving a small hand into his trunk he retrieved a box of sweets and a pack of playing cards. He returned to his seat and opened the sweets.
"Here." He offered her one with a smile and waited. "Have you ever had one before? They're fun, but scary. In the last box I had, I swear there were at least three vomit flavours and a seaweed flavour." He placed the box down on the tiny table they shared and took one for himself.

His face was hesitant at first until he seemed almost relaxed.
"Toothpaste." He smiled. Next he drew up the cards. The box was a vivid red, two giant letters on the front- WW. "Exploding Snap?" He offered, opening the box a little.

[El Taco Taco]

He was awfully quiet. Sadie didn’t quite know what to make of that. Mum had bemoaned her inability to keep her voice down a thousand times this past summer. ”You’ve been screaming since you were born, Sadie, please give it a rest,” was a popular complaint of Brennan’s. She didn’t mean to be so loud, honest, but something about quiet made her deeply uncomfortable. Sadie resolved not to worry about it, her excitement for Hogwarts swiftly overwhelming any other thoughts.

“SIX HOURS,” she hadn’t meant to shout, but the thought was horrifying. She’d already waited years for this! Now she had to sit through a six hour train ride? Couldn’t magic speed things up? Sadie had been reading her textbooks for weeks, and a little extra speed seemed perfectly within the realm of possibility! Of course, perhaps it was a safety thing, but she’d nicked her brother’s spellbooks and they had things like shield charms in them—Sadie finally remembered that shouting was rude. She winced. “Sorry. Just… that’s like, a million years.”

A beat of silence passed. Sadie tried not to fidget. The landscape blurred past, turning into rolling countryside. Somewhere out there, in a tiny little village that smelled of cows and cheese, her little dog would be waiting for mum and dad to come back home. That life felt a thousand miles away, almost unreal compared to the train. It was curious.

George offered her a sweet. Sadie blinked intelligently. A jelly bean? She was about to ask what was so scary about jelly beans when he mentioned vomit. Curiosity lit up her hazel eyes as she connected the dots.

“So, they’re weird… on purpose? Huh.” Sadie considered that for a moment, and waited as he tried one. A wild grin spread across her face as he mentioned toothpaste. “I have got to try this.”

She tipped out a bean, brown and shiny, popping it into her mouth enthusiastically. It took a moment for her to place the lemony flavor. She laughed brightly, even as she resisted the urge to spit it out. That was impressively disgusting. How had Brennan not shared these with her before? What a git!

“Wood Varnish.” She turned the box over in hand, examining the packaging. It looked unlike anything she’d ever seen before. “’Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans’. That is really the most accurate name for anything in the history of the world.”

She replaced the box neatly, impressed she hadn’t spilled it. His next offer made her eyebrows elevate and her grin grow wider. ‘Exploding’ was such a dangerous description, especially when it came to Sadie, but it was awfully exciting.

“Mum says I’m not to explode anything,” she admitted with a laugh, swinging her legs as her excitement built. Sadie had always been rather… competitive. “But I’m the reigning Queen of snap back home, and I will defend my title at all costs. How does the exploding part work? Is it like normal, non-blow-uppy snap?”

[TheDookieNut]

((Welcome back.))

She really was exicitable. George almost leapt out of his seat when she screamed some rather angry distaste out loud.
"It flies by." He stammered. They did have an entire country to cross, on a steam train. He'd heard muggle trains were faster, but there was something spectacular about steam powered trains. Perhaps it was the magnificence. "You've got a whole year ahead of you, more things than you'll ever imagine." If Hogwarts was really as wonderful as he'd been told, then things were really going to take off, he couldn't quite picture it in his head.

His own parents- well, his mum would already be home and his father would be fully aware of his sons new attendance to the school everything started at. His stomach turned at the thought. Both his parents had been Slytherin's, his grandparents and his cousins; at least most of them. He didn't need to be related to his death eater father in any other way, he shared a name and some hair, that was all. He didn't want or need to share a house.

He watched her amazement for a second and smiled. Deffintely muggle born. He couldn't wait to see her face when they finally arrived. She was entering a whole new world and nothing was ever going to be the same again.
"Some of them are nice. I've had banoffee pie more than once." He added, rolling up his sleeves. "There's plenty of sweets like this out there. Liquorice snaps, candy wands which produce sparks when you use them. They're not harmful, just fun." George , despite having forced himself out of his comfort zone, was feeling at ease. Sadie could quite well be a friend by the time they got off the train.

He quickly laughed.
"It's a lot like muggle snap, the cards just explode randomly. Makes the games a lot harder. Especially when you're trying to match a pair and this whole deck goes up." He smiled.

[El Taco Taco]

He assured her the train ride would fly by—Sadie could only hope it would. She’d never been particularly patient, and she’d wanted to go to Hogwarts for so long. Brennan never answered enough of her questions and he had refused to show her even just a hint of magic (“It’s against the law, blah blah blah, I’m a total jerk”). She knew next to nothing about it. It was a magical school, Brennan played some sort of game on broomsticks and was in a house called Gryffindor and apparently a ghost taught one of his classes. He’d always been rubbish at writing home and his letters never went into much detail. Mum and dad said he was going through a phase and simply needed space. Sadie thought he was just being a selfish prat.

“I hope so,” she tore her gaze from the green farmland rolling by, resolving to be a little less anxious. Everything would work out. She would make it work out. Sadie had always been determined, and Hogwarts had been so dear a dream for so long, she couldn’t bear the thought of it not living up to her expectations.

George was explaining the sweets and Sadie was trying not to get too excited, which was a doomed effort. Candy wands? How would that even work? Sadie’s curiosity burned, gears beginning to whiz in her brain. She’d read the brief section on crafting in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One which stated that, beyond simple tricks, true item enchantment was all but lost. Only the Goblins still knew how to create wondrous things, a secret they jealously guarded. Sadie hadn’t finished the section on Goblin Crafting in her copy of A History of Magic, as her mum had to physically confiscate her textbooks so she would do her chores. Mum had kept her busy with the chickens and the cows for the remaining week of summer holiday, insisting that she would have plenty of time with her books at school.

“They just explode? That’s perfect. Prepare to lose!” she laughed, folding her legs up on her seat. Sadie got comfortable, pulling her red hair to one side and absently fiddling with the ends. “So did you grow up with all this, then?”

[TheDookieNut]

George was a little jealous. The Pure Blood kids, well, they were excited, finally going to Hogwarts. The act was like a coming of age, a right of passage. Yet to all the muggleborns, the whole thing was something from their wildest dreams.
"Yeah, both my parents came here." His voice trailed off slightly, uncomfortable and a little unsure. Perhaps he should have been thankful that Sadie wasn't like him. All the Death Eater arrests had front pages of the Daily Prophet, for years. Sometimes there would be months or years without another arrest. George shuffled the cards quietly, replaying that evening in his head.

***

"Mum! Theodore has my gobstones! He won't give them back!"

"For Merlin's same, stop arguing." His mother had called from the living room. "Just give them back and stop fighting." It took a few moments before Theodore gave them back. Outside, it was thundering, stormy and cold. The eldest Nott son moved over to the window and innocently looked outside. At the age of eight, he was old enough to realise somethings. Such as the two ministry officials that stood outside their house. He watched for a moment longer, counting men from the far side of their curtain.

It was another thundering noise that disturbed both Theodore and George from whatever they were doing. They were the unmistakable sound of their father's feet on the stairs.
"Kiera." He shouted, hurrying down the hall at a sprint. "They're here." That's all George and Theodore heard. During fights and private conversation, their parents always surrounded themselves with a protective wall of sound, preventing any sound from escaping that bubble. He next noise they heard wasnt something any of the Nott family would forget any time soon.

Bang!

The whole front door flew off the handles and sped at full speed down the entrance hall. Foot steps hurried down their corridor and the most visor moment he could remember from that evening occurred. His brother hurried over and pulled George up and behind the sofa, whilst the vision of his parents running in, holding hands occurred before them. There was another moment, one that defied his entire childhood. His father's hand rose up, as if the murder any of the Auror's that had come into their home. Instead, a small, pale white hand arose to deter George Sr. from making any more mistakes. Then his father pulled their mother into a loving embrace and kissed her, longer than he ever had, until he was thrown from her side.

***

George had never been able to remember just why that image stuck in his head for so long. Theodore had often explained it to be due to 'Dad's other women over the years. That Mum wasn't even sure he loved her.' It was obvious from that kiss, surely.

Coming back to reality, George handed the cards out quietly and offered Sadie another sweet.
"What was it like for you growing up?" At least it would create conversation, he wouldn't hear the same boring stories again and again, he'd finally hear something different and something new.

[El Taco Taco]

It was a little strange, to be chatting to someone whose family had gone to this mythical school. Logically, Sadie knew that she and Brennan were the strange ones, what with being muggleborn, but it was still impossible to imagine what magic was really like. She’d only ever seen the severe woman in green transform into a cat—and now some funny jelly beans. Her textbooks had moving pictures, but so did the internet, and that in itself didn’t seem particularly special. Growing up with magic had to be better than farm life in a tiny village. No wonder Brennan was so bitter coming back to Hankerton every summer. Surely it couldn’t even compare.

George went quiet for a moment. Sadie wasn’t the most aware of people, but even she could sense that something was off. He looked contemplative and Sadie, in a rare fit of good manners, elected not to comment on it. He dealt cards, and they felt curiously warm. They really could explode, and the thought made her grin widen. She accepted the sweetie, ignoring the thought of her mum’s chiding (”They’ll rot your teeth!”), nibbling as she considered his question. What was life like in Hankerton?

“Boring. The Ethans have been raising cows for the past hundred years, and will probably keep doing so until the eventual heat death of the universe.” She grimaced. She’d never liked farm life. School in Swindon had captured her imagination, and Swindon wasn’t even really a proper city. She’d been to London once to get her school supplies and it had been the best day she’d ever had. The city was glamorous and exciting and didn’t smell of cows. There were so many lights and people! It was a whole other world. “When I wasn’t in school, I was cleaning out the barn or tending chickens or doing any one of my ten billion chores. I mean,” she blushed as she realized how selfish she sounded, “It was just a lot of work. Things weren’t bad I just… don’t want to be a farmer when I grow up. I like cows, they’re funny creatures, and it’s important work and all, but I want to go explore. My brother’s the same way. Dad was right upset when he said he didn’t want the farm.”

She’d said too much, as she usually did. Sadie had never been good at knowing when to stop talking.

The cards were dealt and smoking slightly. Sadie flipped hers, a funny looking King of Hearts with a lion’s hat. The hat roared at her. Aww, how cute! She couldn’t help but giggle. Mr. Tufty shot her a foul look, which she ignored.

“So, you said something earlier about sorting,” she commented, feeling a bit apprehensive. “My brother’s gone on and on about how awful it is, but he’s a git and last time I trusted him I ended up stuck in a well, sooo… what’s the deal with that?”

[TheDookieNut]

George listened, curious more than he possibly should have been for a Pure Blood wizard.
"Want to know something funny?" He asked, picking up his own hand of cards. "I've never seen a farm before." George's entire family, cousins and all, lived in the city. The Nott family tree, much like any of Pure Blooded family, extended back into the Black Family. Of course there wasn't anything much of that family anymore. However, there were other cousins, families out there he shared Black blood with. Then again, there was surely a point where all Wizarding families shared Black blood. George shared it at least three times, he tried not to think of the implications. Preservation and all that. Now the more he thought about it, the worse his family sounded.

"I'm sure it can't have been that bad. You'll miss it over the winter." She probably go home for Christmas, then again, he probably should too. Mum was alone, and it wasn't like they were going to let Dad out any time soon, or at all. George finally placed down his first card, a Jack of Spades, a rather happy young man danced upon the card face, twisting a pipe around in his fingers. He'd show her chess at some point, merely for the comedic value and as she won't have seen it before. Well, that was if they were put into the same house. The last thing he wanted and needed was to be wearing the same colours as his father, not when George was sure he'd grow up to be the spitting image.

"Sorting?" He rose an eyebrow and tried to describe it the same way his parents described. "There are four houses, like families that you can become part of. Except you don't choose them yourself. The Sorting Hat does that." He realised how vague he was being. "It's a hat that sits on your head and reads your mind and thoughts, deciding which qualities you have and which house you should go in." He said, taking another jelly bean. Tomato. "The houses are pretty cool, there Hufflepuff, Gryfindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin." He hesitated on the final house, his stomach twisting. "Most people want to be in Gryfindor or Slytherin, most of the Pure Blood families have ended up in either of those."

[TheDookieNut]

-stupid nodeletable post-

[El Taco Taco]

He had never seen a farm? How strange. Or was it? Did wizards have farms? And if they did, did they have normal animals on them, or magical ones? She realized that she had no idea what animals existed in the wizarding world, and she wasn’t sure how she’d go about learning about that. None of her textbooks had made any mention of beasts, magical or not. Perhaps she hadn’t found the relevant sections yet? Sadie filed the thought away.

“You aren’t missing much,” she informed him with a shrug, “Picture the quietest, smelliest place you can, and it’s still probably more exciting than Hankerton. I mean, I’ll miss mum and dad and Arfur, but I definitely won’t miss cleaning up after the cows at five in the morning.”


Sadie flipped over the first of her cards—the two of diamonds, and she was very impressed with the way the red diamonds spun and glittered—paying mind as he explained sorting.

“A magic hat?” She queried with a grin, because really, it all sounded a bit ridiculous. Of course, she reminded herself, she’d just eaten a jelly bean that tasted of wood varnish and was playing snap with cards that were due to explode, so… perhaps her sense of what was sensible was obsolete in this world. She considered his words for another moment, popping a jelly bean into her mouth. Ooh, tiramisu! And not just the flavor, but the texture, and she could have sworn she was actually eating a piece… that was pretty awesome. “Why do people want to be in those houses?”

[TheDookieNut]

George only knew what he'd grown up hearing. Gryfindor was the house of Harry Potter, the now greatest wizard of all time. It was highly unlikely Sadie would know who he was. A lot of the muggle borns wouldn't know. Slytherin, on the other hand, was a house of blood-pride. All Purebloods desired to go there, well, most.
"They're the favourites. My mum says Gryfindor is for the brave and the strong, and that Slytherin is for the powerful and determined." It was hardly like he could say racist and evil. "Most people like to think they're brave or powerful." His stomach tossed and turned at the thought. He glanced down at his cards and placed down an eight of hearts. Two blonde haired females danced around the picture, blowing kisses his way. Had he been older, George would have made a remark about feeling too much like his 'late' father.

"I guess you'll get used to all the stuff in this world. My brother tells me that Hogwarts is far better than you can imagine. Seeing the castle for the first time is brilliant." He smiled. He pulled out another sweet and chewed timidly. Tangy, filled with juices.. George refused to swallow for a moment. It tasted soapy. He eventually swallowed and looked back at Sadie. "What did your parents say when you first got your letter?" He can't imagine what life must be like for a muggleborn to recieve a letter. To read about magic and then to finally find out they're magic too. It was a moment he'd never experience.

[El Taco Taco]

Sadie chewed on her jelly bean thoughtfully, flipping over another card. Six satyrs lounged about, with goblets of wine and pan pipes. She could almost hear their music and the card made her smile. She wasn’t sure what suit it was supposed to be—spades, perhaps? Sure.

George answered her question, and he had a point. She could see the appeal of bravery and strength. She’d been raised on stories and movies of heroes and epic journeys her whole life, and hadn’t half her imaginings been of grand adventures for herself? Hogwarts had been the ultimate dream come true. She really was special and this was the first step on her own journey. Her smile widened at the thought. Gryffindor sounded nice, even if her idiot brother was there. He’d be ignoring her anyways, so she tried not to let him spoil it for her.

“I hope so,” she laughed there, leaning back in her seat. “My brother’s been tight-lipped about everything, he just tells me to piss off and leave him alone whenever I ask questions.” She rolled her eyes, annoyed at the thought. She knew she had a tendency to get excitable (and explosive) but he was a total prat about it. Mum said it was because he was a teenager, but Sadie thought that was a cop out. He was being a jerk, jealously guarding the secrets of magic from her. Rude!

“I think my dad said ‘stop screaming’ and then ‘get the extinguisher’ after I accidentally set the curtains on fire,” she offered a cheeky grin, selecting a black jelly bean. Licorice. Bleh. “I mean, they went through it with my brother four years ago, so they were a little more prepared, but my mum was right scared of the owl. I think they thought it was a prank the first time, but some old lady came by and talked to them about it and showed them magic. They’re not big fans of the whole magic thing, but I think it’s just really weird for them. So you said your brother’s been going here? What house is he in?”

[TheDookieNut]

George smiled and laughed. Magic really was something new to all people like Sadie. He knew they had stories, nursery rhymes; even he did.
"He's in Ravenclaw. First of my entire family.." He awkwardly shifted in his seat and pulled up his next card. "He's in his fourth year too, they probably know each other. Does your brother play Quidditch?" He realised soon after Sadie probably didn't know what Quidditch was. It wasn't like he knew any muggle sports to compare it to either. Regardless, he found it unlikely that she'd know. "It's fun. You'll probably enjoy it." Turning over a single goblin, he looked over the card and his almost hateful stare. The card was a little damaged due to use, something which seemed to have bothered the goblin in the picture. "It's pretty violent at times, or at least the professional stuff is." He'd never seen Hogwarts Quidditch before.

Outside the carriage, the countryside sped by. The world outside a blur, yet in the distance, the muggle city of Luton spat grey and brown onto the horizon. George's geography wasn't the best. He could see a town he did know though, located some miles to their left.
"You see that town there?" George pointed to the small blot on their left. "That's Ilkley. Its completely inhabited by wizards. There isn't a muggle in the entire town." The blonde dropped back into his seat and sighed. It was an awkward moment before he finally dropped his goblin Ace onto the table. Much like a lot of the cards, its suit was often difficult to tell. The goblin adjusted his jacket and brandished his own spades patch on both of his pockets. Perhaps it wasn't his day, before George could even notice, the compartment door slid open and a tall, thin student, already dressed in the black, blue and silver robes he'd been chosen to wear the same day four years ago, stepped inside.

"Fane packed my study books in with your stupid Duelling magazines again." Theodore stepped up onto the seat, ignoring both his brother and Sadie until he yanked the heavy leather trunk down onto the seats. He looked between the two of them and his brain ticked quickly. "Theo." He introduced, offering his hand out to Sadie. She wasn't freaking out about either of them... She seemed the same age as his brother... The simple fact she was almost buzzing in her seat. Muggleborn. He smiled a little and pulled his hand away.

"Yeah, this is-"

"I'm his brother. Your cards are smoking too much, best play faster. I don't expect them to have much game time left." The taller brunette yanked the trunk open and hunted around for a thickly bound, leather and ivory book from the bottom of George's trunk. He slammed the whole this shut and pulled out a wand that seemed almost too well cared for. He looked both ways before swishing his wand to lift the trunk up to a height he could manage. With both feet on the seats again, Theo pushed the trunk up onto the racking and dropped back down. It was something the boys did share in common that seemed to show. They both equally pushed strength over magical talent. Theo preferred to use his own body to move objects than rely solely on magic. George on the other hand, who currently knew very little on the subject, would, over time, prefer the strength of his own mind to push his magic to greater levels and more powerful standards.
"Mum needs to sort Fane out." Theo sighed before picking his book up and moving towards the compartment door.

[El Taco Taco]

“Quidditch is the thing with broomsticks, right?” Sadie queried, “Brennan says he plays Beater, but he won’t explain much past that. It freaks mum out, she’s right protective. Apparently he broke his leg last year; she had a fit when she found out, tried to convince him to quit playing.”

George pointed out the window to a blurry town and Sadie dutifully followed his gaze. It was whipping by, and she realized suddenly how fast they must actually be moving. She couldn’t help her gasp when he described it. No muggles? Somehow, she’d never thought of wizarding villages or cities, had thought everyone was simply living among normal people. That was silly; of course wizards would flock together to form towns. Sadie flipped a card over. A stag with ten clubs in his horns thrust his head into the breeze majestically, a doe nuzzling against his chest.

“That’s crazy awesome,” she began, but she was distracted by the opening of the door. A much taller boy, taller even than Brennan, entered. He didn’t pay them much mind, saying something about books as he dragged down George’s trunk. She shot a curious look at her companion, but as he wasn’t looking too perplexed, she surmised that he knew the bloke.

“Theo,” the boy introduced, offering his hand. She shook it with a bright smile, sunny as ever.

“Sadie! It’s a pleasure.”

Ah, brothers. Sadie was amazed Theo was as cordial as he was, her own brother being a massive prat. At his warning she turned her attention to her cards. She laughed in delight, a wicked grin dimpling her cheeks.

“Haha! This is stupendous!”

“Oi, Sadie, did mum leave the pasties with you—”
The door opened again, catching her attention. Her brother stood in the doorway, speaking more to the bubbly blonde waiting behind him, waving her off. He turned, nearly running straight into Theo, stopping on a dime. Sadie had never seen Brennan’s face twist so hatefully so quickly. Grumpy git though he was, this was beyond his normal levels of surliness. His loathing was, alarmingly, directed entirely at Theo. Sadie quirked a brow.

“Nott,” he gritted out. Holy shoes, was that a vein popping? Sadie snorted, but Brennan (for once) didn’t take the bait. Sadie cleared her throat loudly.

“Ground control to Major Bren?” He seemed to snap out of it, huffing in irritation. Sadie twisted in her seat, digging into her large messenger bag and withdrawing a paper bag. She passed it towards him, rolling her eyes as he grabbed it viciously. “Hey! Don’t be a jerk!”

“Sadie—“ He looked ready to explode. Rather like the cards, Sadie mused. His scowl renewed at the gaze he cast about the compartment. “You should be more discerning in your company.”

[TheDookieNut]

Theo was the very personification of the middle class wizarding world. Like most Pureblood families, the Nott's came from a rich history, linking back to the Black family as most did nowadays. Both boys had been raised in a household, although unstable, had been 'proper'. It had rubbed off more on Theo than it had on George. The taller, black haired boy smiled and disappeared towards the door. The book in his hands was thick, ancient in appearance and clearly well-read. On close examination, several of the pages could be seen to be dislodged and no longer connected to the spine of the white cased tome. Inside was passages George could never understand. He'd stole a moment to try and work out exactly what had been keeping his brother so quiet over the last year, but inside were confusing texts and passages written in a language he didn't know. Theo had told him they were Runes from time to time but he still didn't understand. Earlier in the summer, he had managed to work out partially at what Theo had hoped to do with his life after Hogwarts. The day they took a trip to Diagon Alley, Theo had expressed a great interest in the wand George had been given. Aspen, something Theo had seemed to think had made a lot of sense. Dragon Heart String, something Theo seemed almost hesitant in.. It worried George, he didn't understand what it meant but if it was going to make school worse-

Theo seemed to stop in the doorway, another voice bursting over their ears. The newcomer was clearly talking to Sadie, whoever he was. Mum? Her brother? He glanced over to Theo and watched his head raise a little; a trait he'd taken up from his uncle. He smirked and scoffed.

"Ethans." He muttered curtly. Clearly they hated each other for whatever reason. George felt his mind race, he was worried. If they hated his brother, would they hate him too? For what his father did.. Probably. He didn't want them too, school was already going to be difficult. It hadn't occurred to him, despite the news that Sadie had shared, that the two were Quidditch rivals. His own brother had been a chaser for over a year now, despite his height he was exceptionally quick. "I'm sure I'll see you on the field this year, best not to fly into the wall again. Sometimes it hard to keep up with better players." His accent was richer than his brother's, heavy in an Oxford tone. Theo smiled and pushed past him into the corridor again, leaving George watching the two. Sadie's brother looked almost like he was going to explode himself. He wouldn't have been surprised if his brother ended up with a black eye before the train ride was over.

Then the boy turned his attention to them both. He felt eyes on himself, uncomfortably. Discerning? What was he, an animal? George felt annoyed, stressed almost. How exactly was he lesser? So his brother and the boy didn't get on, he didn't exactly care. He wasn't his brother, he was just related to him. As they were both related to a mass murderer.

[El Taco Taco]

The cards were smoking vigorously now. Sadie was far more worried about her brother’s temper than the playing cards in hand. Ethans blood ran hot, and Brennan was the worst of all of them. Sadie drew in a deep breath. Already she could feel her ears reddening, her own teeth grinding as she tried to keep her irritation under control.

“You’re a prat,” she informed her brother with a hiss, “Get out of my compartment.”

“Shut it you little shit,” Brennan was surlier than usual—he must really hate Theo, she surmised. She knew him well enough to know he was simply lashing out, emotionally crippled as he was. Still, her lips pursed into a thin line at his poor manners. Instinctively, she chucked her cards at him. Several of them exploded along the way, and it filled her with a vicious sort of pleasure to see her idiot brother flinch back. For a moment she thought he might tackle her; their childhood had been half spent in cahoots and half spent trying to maim each other. She jut out her chin, sitting up as tall as she could.

He made an irritated huff that sounded something like ‘brat’, but he stalked out nonetheless. Sadie tutted, sticking her tongue out at his disappearing back. After a long moment (and a quick set of deep breaths), she shot George an apologetic look. Sadie had the good grace to blush.

“So,” she said after a beat, “My brother’s kind of a jerk. A lot a jerk,” she amended thoughtfully, scrambling to pick up the cards she’d chucked at him. “He kind of turned into a rampaging git a few years back. He used to be pleasant, I swear.”

She sighed there, before bouncing back brightly.

“I’m sorry about all that!”

[TheDookieNut]

Theo hadn't exactly been the one to talk about the people he hated and those he didn't consider a friend. Their mother had said he got his temper and superiority complex from their father. So long as neither of them would end up reliving the life the man had, neither of them had seemed too bothered; at least until George noticed how much his mum saw their father in his face. Bastard genetics... He'd be okay so long as nobody paid attention. There had to be other Death Eater's kids in the school, they were all probably fine. That was how things tended to work, people just didn't care, right? George glanced up at Sadie and smiled. He shook his head. He could hear his brother's voice in his head. How can an eleven year old have the weight of the world on his shoulders? Grow up, George

"Honestly, it's fine. Brothers are like that." He commented, gathering what was left of his cards.The box had been enchanted on purchase, a simple repairing charm fixed each of the cards once they returned to their packaging. Perhaps they were a more expensive brand. He stuffed them back into his pocket and turned his eyes out the window. He had no idea where they were now or how long it would be until they arrived at school. He dreaded to think in all honesty. His stomach was leaping and jumping around. Was it this normal to be nervous? The sounds coming from the compartments on either side of them indicated just how excited everyone seemed to be. Then there was Sadie who seemed to be bouncing off every wall.

"What sort of things did you do then? You know, as a muggle?" Perhaps he sounded ignorant, yet he knew very little of the muggle world. He'd seen muggles living in his neighbourhood but he didn't know what they did for fun, or where they went to school. "Did you go to school as a kid? There is no other school for wizards. We're all home taught."

[El Taco Taco]

George’s comment on brothers brought a grateful smile to her lips. It was nice to not be alone in dealing with obnoxious siblings. She finished collecting the cards she had thrown, arranging them as neatly as one could arrange recently exploded cardstock. Passing them to George, she returned her attention to the landscape, humming brightly. Everything would be lovely—they must be getting close, right? Sadie could only hope. She needed to be at the castle now!

He asked her about what she did—and she tilted her head, considering his words. As he mentioned that he had yet to go to school, she found herself gaping. No primary school? That was just weird.

“Everyone is homeschooled? What if both your parents work?” She frowned, finding the idea very peculiar. Her mum and dad were always busy with the farm and their business. There’s no way they would have had time to homeschool her. “I started primary school when I was five. I would have been going to secondary school this year if I hadn’t gotten my letter. Um… outside of school and the farm, I really like films! And video games!”

Sadie didn’t really think how alien her words would sound as she began babbling, bouncing away.