The Train to Hogwarts

by **Humphrey Williams** Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:06 am

Humphrey Williams walked directly through the brick wall after he had seen multiple people seemingly disappear through it. Apparently wizards could walk through it but not muggles. His heavy trunk was already making the muscles in his arms ache and he was glad to finally be at the right platform. There was a large sign that said Platform 9 3/4 posted by the entrance.

There was a long scarlet train in the station. He heard a conductor's voice yell, "Last call for the Hogwarts Express! All students not on hop to!" Humphrey broke into a run and the conductor smiled at him. "Couldn't find the platform, eh? Well, get on. Hurry up, we don't have all day. Good luck finding a compartment sonny."

Humphrey hauled up his giant trunk and his pet owl in his cage. Grabbing his things he began the walk down the train. Every compartment at the front of the train was crowded. But as he walked towards the back they slowly started to get less crowded. There, he found a compartment with only one girl in there. He set his trunk and his owl's cage down and knocked on the compartment. "Hoo-Hoo", his owl said. "Yes, i know there is a person in there and i don't usually talk to girls. However, this is a special occasion. My arms are on fire from lugging this trunk around and I will not carry it farther if i can avoid it." he said

The girl with russet hair in the compartment came to the door and slid it open. She just looked at him expectantly. "Oh, you are wondering why I knocked? Well, I-I was wondering if I could join you. I barely made the train on time and my arms are sore from this giant trunk." he said and gave his trunk a kick. "Do you mind?" he asked.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:36 am

After a tearful goodbye to her parents, Well at least with me and Dad, Victoria followed some other students through the platform. She had no idea what to expect, agreeing to attend the school on a whim. All she could hope for was a fresh start.

She could feel Kai stirring in her jacket hood. No doubt he was curious about all the other animals at the station. While all the other first years were chatting each other up, Victoria simply pulled out her camera and started taking pictures of the station. London had so many fascinating structures that were much older than back home.

After taking her time finding a seat at the back, she let Kai down to roam around the compartment. It was only 15 minutes or so til she heard a knock on the cabin. When she opened the door she was met by a raven haired boy who looked slightly nervous.

"Oh, you are wondering why I knocked? Well, I-I was wondering if I could join you. I barely made the train on time and my arms are sore from this giant trunk. Do you mind?"

"Not at all! Come on in." Victoria grabbed his trunk and got it up onto the luggage rack. She smiled at the boy and motioned for him to take a seat. Kai jumped down from the overhead onto her shoulder and silently eyed the caged owl. When sat down he hopped over to the cage and started sniffing it.

"Hi. My name is Victoria. What's yours?" She held out her hand.

by **Humphrey Williams** Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:48 pm

"Humphrey Williams, muggleborn." he said. "Victoria, that is a very pretty name." Humphrey loved that name since he had read about Queen Victoria in his history class. The way the name flowed flutently off the tip of his tongue made him smie. "Well, Victoria, may I ask you what house you hope to be in?" he queried.

"Personally I am hoping for Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw would also be pretty great. I read up on the houses, and parts of Hogwarts Castle when I purchased my course books. From what I have read the first years enter the castle by enchanted boats that glide to a room outside the great hall over the Black Lake. The charms cast on the boats to make them move also prevent you from falling out of the boats. Then after that we go to a chamber outside the Great Hall while the rest of the students are seated at their house tabes. Then in alphabetical order we go up to a stool at the front of the hall and place an old hat on our heads. This hat can talk and has the ability to read your mind and speak silently in your thoughts. It examines you and then places you in the house you are best suited to. Once it decides it proclaims what house you are in by yelling loudly. And then that student can go to the their House Table. The Slytherin tabe is on the far right. Followed by Ravenclaw on the middle right and Huffepuff on the middle left. That makes Gryffindor House, the one of courage and chivary, on the far right. Hopefully it won't be too embarrassing for us first years." he explained this all to Victoria in a matter-of-fact tone. Humphrey felt confident in himself. More so than he usually was.

"Well I think I shoud shut my trap and let you talk for a change. What House do you want to be in Victoria?"

by **Victoria Rossmund** Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:30 pm

All this information was making her head spin. Victoria had gotten her books last week, but didn't know they were supposed to start reading them! She sighed, hoping she'd get the hang of this new world eventually.

"I guess Gryffindor would be cool. I really don't know much about all this. My parents aren't magical, so this is all new." She looked out the window at the rolling hills and blue sky. This place wasn't like home. The dirt there was red from the clay. Everything here was so green and blue.

"Is there anything to do at this school other than study? I'm all for learning and such, but a girls gotta get some fresh air once in a while." She smiled. Maybe this guy could turn out to be cool. Most of her friends back home were guys, though she didn't know why. Maybe it was cause the other girls made fun of her style. Sure, her socks never matched, and most of the time neither did the rest of her. But she didn't really care. Cloths didn't make you smarter. They didn't make you faster, or stronger. So she didn't bother. When she remembered the taunts from her old school, she started to chew on one of the strings on her penguin hat.

by **Humphrey Williams** Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:56 pm

"Oh yes, there is loads of outdoor activities at Hogwarts. The most popular wizard sport is called Quidditch. You fly on a broom high in the air, and I think try to put a ball they call a quaffle through one of three hoops. I read a book about wizard sports but I don't remember the details very well. I come from a muggle background as well, muggles are what wizards call non-magical people. And I don't think you were required or supposed to look through the course books yet. But, I tend to overprepare for things dealing with school." he explained to Victoria.

Looking at Victoria, he noticed the she had a unique hat on. It kind of looked like a penguin, and penguins were his favorite bird, land animal, and sea animal. Would have been his favorite overall animal if not for him being a wizard and discovering that Hippogriffs, a half-horse, half-eagle hybrid, do indeed exist. "Is that a penguin hat???" he asked.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:02 pm

"Yeah! My dad got it for me the week before we left America. Speaking of, are you from there? You don't sound like you're British." Victoria thanked her lucky stars that there may be someone around here that would know what she was talking about.

Just as she was about to ask another of many questions, Kai started meowing at the cage. "Is that an owl? I've seen a lot of students with them but I don't understand the appeal." She leaned over and grabbed Kai off the bench next to Humphrey. The long haired tiger climbed up her jacket to curl back in the hood for a nap.

by **Humphrey Williams** Sat Jan 21, 2012 8:15 pm

"Yes, I am an American. I grew up in Ohio and only moved to Scotland when I was eight. You see, my parents were both killed while I was on the basketball court. It was a a car accident." he somehow managed to tell her. "My Uncle Billy and Aunt Julia were my only relatives living, and they became my legal guardians after the court session held to determine what to do with me." He had never told anybody about this before except for his best friend. It felt good to confide in Victoria.

"It is indeed an owl. Victoria, may I introduce you to my owl George." he said and walked over to the cage. As he said the words my owl George he stuck out his hands like a salesman displaying an item for sale in an attempt to be funny. "It is not a matter of appeal Victoria, owls are used in the wizarding world as the post office. There are no mailmen, just owls that students own who deliver letters for them. Lots of students have them to communicate with their parents." Humphrey Williams explained this to her patiently.

"Anyways, what other questions do you have for me?" he asked her.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:06 pm

Victoria laughed at Humphrey's Vanna White impersonation. She wondered if these Brittans would get the reference.

She couldn't believe that people would send their mail by way of an owl. It seemed too risky. On the other hand, she knew people had been doing it for centuries with carrier pigeons, so why the heck not.

"Anyways, what other questions do you have for me?" Humphrey asked. Victoria was surprised he had shared so much of himself. Just as she was about to ask more about owl mail, interested in writing home, she caught a glimpse of a village that seemed to be growing out of the country side. It suddenly occurred to her that she was still in her regular cloths while a bunch of students were walking past the door in matching robes.

"I think I'd better get ready to go. I'll see you in there!" She grabbed her trunk, made sure Kai was in tow, and went in search of a place to change. She hoped the trip to the school would be as exciting as Humphrey said it would be. Maybe this new life will have some perks after all!

by **Humphrey Williams** Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:03 pm

"Goodbye, see you in Gryffindor hopefully." he said as Victoria Rossmund walked out of the carriage they had shared. He was shocked about how much he had told Victoria about himself. But, confiding in her felt...natural. Somehow everything he had told her about his past made him feel closer to her, and it just felt right somehow. An uneasiness and depression that had been hanging over him for three years seemed to evaporate in a matter of minutes with Victoria. Odd.