Ze' Hogwarts Express
Nothing is what it seems in the wizarding world. McGonagall's voice echoed through his head. Alexander was standing in the middle of King's Cross Station, where the supposed Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was located. He knew that it existed, but he couldn't help the doubt threading through his mind. Just to be safe, he arrived 2 hours early. Anxiety just gets to him sometimes.
Alexander had been standing there for a while now. He did not know how to find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and decided to just give in and ask a stranger. As he looked for someone who might have been a wizard or witch, somebody strolled up next to him.
He was taller than him, with long curly hair and a freckled face. He was wearing strange clothes, too. He was pushing a cart holding the same materials as Alexander. Alexander assumed that he was a wizard.
"Hi," he asked timidly. "You wouldn't happen to know where Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is, do you? Or are you just a Muggle? Oh, you probably are, I'm so sorry just ignore me I should just go-"
"Hey," the stranger said. "Chill. I'm a wizard. Who are you?" His voice was like a melody.
"I'm Alexander Hamilton. I go to school here? My dad was a wizard, and my mom was- what was it, muggle? Yeah, muggle." The stranger looked confused.
"Hey, I'm John Laurens, but how come you have no idea what you're doing and your dad's a wizard. You look so confused, like You-Know-Who is going to come and attack you. Where's your father, anyways?"
"My father left my family," Alexander said quietly. He still didn't believe it. His mind was constantly at war, one side wanting to deny it, and one side blaming everyone around him. His brother, his mother, his friends.
"Oh. Sorry," said John. John seemed nice. He was very cute and kind. "So, you've never been on the platform before? Do you want me to show you?" Alexander could tell John was trying to make up for the awkward silence after his question. Alexander never felt a close connection with someone that fast before.
"Sure." John smiled. His smile was like the moon and stars. "So, what you do is you just walk right through that wall."
"Oh, yes, I should have known. Just walk through a solid brick wall," Alexander said. Sarcasm was always one of his strong points.
"Just watch and learn," said John. He elaborately curtsied and took his cart and ran right through the wall. This dramatic little fucker.
"Oh, well here we go." Alexander took his cart and sprinted full force into that 'wall'. He was never one to half-ass something.
John was waiting for him on the other side.
"You made it! Glad you didn't die. It would suck that I would lose you already."
"Kinda wish I was dead. Then I wouldn't have to deal with you."
Oh, they could tell that they would become best friends already.
Like all other magical places, Platform Nine and Three Quarters was busy. There were wizards and witches alike, some talking amongst each other, others boarding a large red train. Alexander saw a middle aged man help three girls onto the train. Sisters, perhaps? He saw a kid with poofy hair complain to his parents. It was all quite overwhelming, honestly.
"Come on, Alex! We're going to be late!" John called for him. He made his way towards John.
"Woah. How did you even know about this place?"
"My dad told me where to find it. He had, uh, work so he, uh, couldn't drop me off."
"Let's get on the train!"
They handed someone their trunks, and boarded the train.
"Let's find a compartment," said John. He grabbed Alex's hand, and led him through the train. They couldn't find an empty compartment, so the went into one with 2 boys sitting there already. Apparently John recognized them.
"Hercules! Oh my god! It's been so long!" exclaimed John. They embraced, and Alex got a better look at Hercules. He was tall and muscular, dark skinned and wearing wizarding robes.
"Hey man! It's been so long! Hey, look who I found!" he gestured towards the other kid.
"Well, if it isn't Aaron Burr, sir!" John laughed. "The prodigy of Princeton Elementary! Alex, this is Burr, Burr this is Alex."
Aaron eyed him suspiciously. It was as if he had a problem of being introduced to new people.
"Hi, Aaron. I am Alexander Hamilton, at your service." He tried his best mimicking John's curtsey while sitting down. Alexander made it a personal goal of his to make Aaron Burr befriend him.
"Hello," said Aaron. He pulled out a book. "Please leave me alone."
Oh, this was going to be difficult. Alex turned his attention toward the other boy.
"Nice to meet you, too," he said. Hercules looked like he wanted to laugh. "What?"
"You are naturally talented at annoying Burr. You are joining our squad, man," he said.
"Isn't he the best," John beamed. "Hey, you've seen Laf anywhere?"
"Na, I think he's transferring from Beaux to here though. How does that even work?"
"Beauxbatons Academy?"
"Yeah," replied John. "How do you know about that and not know how to get onto the platform?"
"I just did some light reading."
Hercules scoffed. "Work outside of school? Man, you crazy."
Excuse me?
"Well, I'm sorry, that I was grew up not knowing anything about magic. I'm sorry that I want to learn about the wizarding world-"
He felt a hand on his arm. John's hand.
"Dude, calm down. You don't always have to say what you believe," he chided him.
"I second that," said Aaron. The second time that he spoke that day.
Alexander felt foolish. He was about to apologize as he heard knocking on their compartment door. It was three girls. He rose up to open the door.
"Hello? Can we join you guys? All of the other compartments are either full, or filled with the annoying kids," one of the girls spoke. She was very pretty, with curly hair. She was standing in front of the two other girls, almost as if she was shielding them.
Aaron's head popped up from his book as soon as he heard her voice.
"Angelica Schuyler?" he asked incredulously. Alexander couldn't see what the big deal was, but John and Hercules looked a bit surprised as well.
"Yes, I am Angelica. This is my sister, Eliza, and my other sister, Peggy. Now can we go in your compartment the sycophants are gonna get to us."
"Yeah, sure, come in!" said John. The atmosphere of the compartment shifted, as if everyone was trying their best to impress the Schuyler sisters. Burr was especially unctuous.
"So, what brings you here, Angelica Schuyler?" he asked her.
"You say my name like it is a title. Stop," she said. They just met, and Angelica was already done with his shit.
"Well, it is, considering your father is the Minister of Magic. Say, maybe one day, when we grow up, we share a name as well."
"You disgust me," said Angelica. One of her sisters giggled. John and Hercules just watched what went down like a movie.
"Oh, so you've discussed me? I'm a trust fund, you can trust me." Too far, Aaron, too far.
"Excuse me? I, for one, need you, pompous Princeton kid, to fuck off and never come back again. You know why I came into this compartment? To get away from little shits like you. The kids asking for my hand in marriage, to get my name. AS IF!"
Wow. Angelica could bring down the house. Aaron left, but he winked to her on the way out, undeterred.
"I'm sorry about that," she said. "It's just that he thinks he is the smartest in the room. Which is wrong, because I probably am-" One of her sisters punched her playfully in the arm. "Hey! 'Liza! I just saved your sorry ass from that fiend, and this is how you repay me-" She cut off. Probably remembered that she was in a compartment with 3 other strangers.
"Hello?" asked John. "Nice to meet you?" John was brave. Talking to them first. It was like he didn't even notice the fact that the girls were extremely cute.
"Hi," said all of them at once. It was like they were one mind.
"Hi," said John. Alexander and Hercules said nothing. John sighed. "Honestly, we have three more hours, y'all are making this awkward."
And so they talked. Alexander learned how the Schuyler sister's father was the Minister of Magic. He learned what the Minister of Magic actually was. He learned how Angelica probably was the smartest in the room, he learned how Eliza was sweet and kind and loyal, he learned how fun and innocent Peggy was. He also learned more about his male companions. He learned how John's father ran a slave trade for house elves, and how he hated it and wanted to form an organization that would free house elves (S.P.E.W., he would call it, for Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare). He learned how Hercules's parents ran Twilfitt and Tatting's, a store that sold robes. He learned how Hercules enjoyed making robes for the wealthy, but he wanted to work with the Aurors, perhaps spy on the enemy. And then he learned stranger things. (And then he learned the stranger things, like how Hercules said he would totally have intercourse with the Schuyler sister's mother, or their horse. A bit strange, but Alexander wasn't going to kinkshame.)
And the time went by, until at last, they had made it to Hogwarts.