The hogwarts Express
Sam
To say he was nervous would have been a blatant understatement. He stood smack in the middle of the crowded platform of King's cross 9 and ¾'s. Students and parents with their respective luggage roamed all around him, making him feel oddly claustrophobic.
He was eleven (finally), he was from a wizarding Family (at least half the part), and thus he would be attending Hogwarts for the first time in his Life, finally!
It was not his first time on this platform, filled with chattering witches and wizards, magical pets, some out of place muggle parents and the big, red hogwarts express puffing in the background. He was here every year on the first of september since he turned eight, because that was the first year his older Brother attended the school and ever since he refused to be left behind when Dean got dropped of at the station. Ever the clingy little brother.
He didn't particularly like to admit, that he (more or less secretly) had cried every single year when he was left behind at the platform, either in Ellens comforting arms or with Bobbys firm hands on his shoulders.
These two seemed to have the honour of dropping the young Winchester off every year.And now the four of them stood here, but this year both Winchesters are going to leave and they wouldn't have to comfort a crying Sam on the way back home.
He flinched as a hand landed on his shoulder and distracted him from a huge barn owl that stood proudly in a cage a few meters from him. 'Sam, we should stard loading up your luggage right away. We don't have much time left.' He looked up in Bobbys face, nodding to indicate he heard him.
Because like every year, they were running quite late. Just proper Winchester etiquette really.
'Come on Sammy!', Dean made an impatient waving gesture to get his brother moving alongside him towards the train. All the while the comforting hand on his shoulder stayed.
Bobby was a sceptic by nature, Bobby was a muggle, and Bobby had basically raised Sam. All that coming together made him a bit skittish, every year again when they shoved themselves through the overgrowded platform.
He knew Sam was kind of small for his age and even if he couldn't wait to finally, after all these years, be able to follow his brother, the amount of people towering over him all around still overwhelmed him immensely. So Bobby stayed close, as long as he still could.
They reached one of the open train doors and after heaving in his own trunk, Dean reached for his Brothers. Sam helped him a bit clumsely and rather unnecesarely.
'Don't look so nervous my little first year! I'm gonna make sure you're having a great start to your new school life', Dean spoke loudly over his shoulder to Sam.
And Sam knew, that even if it sounded like something said in passing, he meant it. Dean was always his number one safe place in life and one of his big brothers best quality was, that he was never embarrassed of Sam. He always stood by him and proudly introduced him to everyone as his little brother. And Sam loved him for that.
'We're gonna look for a free compartment and put our stuff in it, then we can quickly go say bye to Bobby and Ellen, okay?', Dean asked while Sam reached for the cage with their owl, that Ellen handed to him.
It was a rather small Tawny owl, named Bones. Their Dad had pressed a cage into Deans arms on the day before his first schoolyear. In it a shaggy looking owl, with tiny animal bones scattered all around her on the floor of the cage, hence the name. It was mostly Deans owl, but while he was at home and from now on also at school they would share it. She softly hooted at him and he stuck a finger in, for her to nibble at while he followed Dean through the narrow hallway. He liked to think that he was her favourite.
Daen cursed regularly as their luggage banged on every surface it possibly could, until he stopped in front of a compartment. 'Is it empty?' Sam still had hope of not immediately having to share one with stranger kids. 'Yeah for now.' Dean was already opening the door for them. 'But it ain't gonna stay that way dude. There's literally no space in this train. Every seat is desperately needed.' He grinned, because he knew exactly which thoughts were circling in his brothers head. They had countless conversations about Sam having to open up more, getting some friends. Dean would be okay with at least one friend at this point. But Dean at least understood him, much different to their dad, who just couldn't understand how his second son could be so different to his first. Like he couldn't understand so many things.
Sam mumbled something along the lines of 'don't burst my bubble' and helped his brother putting up their things in the nets over the seats.
Once they finished they hurried outside again, wanting to give the adults there a proper goodbye.
And this was the first year without tears at the king's cross station for the Winchesters.
After many warnings of being 'prim and proper' this year for Dean and lovingly well wishes for Sam, only interrupted by the whistle indicating the departure, they both entered the train again and it promptly started to move.
Sams heart fluttered. He was more nervous than he expected, but tried to overshadow the bubbling anxiety with his excitement.
He was actually relieved to no measure as he got his invitation for Hogwarts approximately a month prior. Which was completely unreasonable. He and everyone around them knew that he, just like his brother and father, was indeed a wizard. He had started showing signs of rogue magic in young age just like Dean had and maybe had tried out his brothers wand every now and then.
Yes magic outside of school was forbidden, but it was also a known fact that children with magical parents had generally nothing to fear, since the ministry could only pin out where the magic happened but not by whom, and so it could have easily been the parent and not the child. And if you where aware of that, you might as well use it to your advantage.
So he clearly was able to do magic, but a tiny part in his anxious brain still bugged him with constant, 'what ifs'. What if he somehow took more after his muggle mother and didn't have enough magic for hogwarts or something? He knew these were stupid thoughts and so he was told by everyone he consulted regarding that topic, but he couldn't help himself. He's a nervous bean okay?
But now he walked through the jolting hogwarts express, right behind his brother and all was well.
All was not well.
Because as they were about to enter their previously empty compartment, he saw three vaguely familiar faces through the glass. He only managed to yelp out a small 'Dean!', before the door was ripped open by his brother.
'Hey guys! You have to tell me all about the Quidditch championship!' The older Winchester seemed to forget about his little companion for a moment as he enthusiastically greeted his classmates. Of which the two male counterparts instantly caught on to the topic of Quidditch. The only female in the space obviously didn't share the passion, but she put the cat aside that previously sat on her lap to properly greet his brother.
All the while Sam stood hesitantly at the threshold. He had seen the golden trio before of course, kind of met them as well, but that still didn't change the fact that they were three years his senior and; oh well Harry bloody Potter- the boy who lived and from all that Dean had told him a, quote :'crazy dude who fought against you know who basically every damn school year', Hermione Granger- probably one of the smartest, hardworking witches ever and Ron Weasley- 'just a great guy', according to Dean, 'oh and freaking fantastic at chess', and exactly that had saved his friends lifes at some point apparently.
So yeah, he was even more overwhelmed then usually when faced with the prospect of meeting new people.
'We saw Bones and your stuff in here. Figured we could join you?' Hermione spoke up, while sitting down again. The other two started to settle as well, as Dean turned around to Sam again.'Of course, perfectly cool with me. So let me give you a proper introduction:', he pulled Sam into the compartment and rested his hands on his shoulders, lightly squeezing them. 'This is my brother Samuel. You've briefly met before, but this year he's finally old enough to join in on the fun!' Sam glared at Dean. 'No one ever calls me Samuel', then he turned towards the trio: 'I'm Sam, nice to meet you.' The latter part was mostly mumbled towards their feet, but oh well, it will have to do.
He got equally polite answers, making him glance up at their smiling faces. He grinned back, the first load of pressure taken from his shoulders.
'He's quite nervous, it being his first day and all that. I wanted to stay with him, until Hagrid takes over at Hogsmead Station.' Dean pushed down on his shoulder indicating him to sit with him, opposite of his friends.
'You're not gonna believe how tall Hagrid is, I thought it was over for me the first time I saw him!' Ron exclaimed. And while Sam believed him, he doubts that Hagrid will scare him. He likes to think that he has seen enough other weird things to not be frightened by a friendly half giant. He appreciates the sentiment though and gives Ron a tentative laugh.
From there on the conversation starts to pick up and Sam managed to relax more and more.
After maybe an hour he actually got a bit sleepy and after a small glance towards his owl, whose cage he placed next to himself on the seat, he saw a rather sleepy Bones as well.
He tugged at Deans sleeve, 'do you need your jacket?', he whispered. His brother probably knew right away what he wanted with it and shrugged it right of. Sam took it and draped it over the cage. A gesture done countless times over the years while on the road. The skittish owl would not sleep until the safety of complete darkness inclosed her. She hooted softly and Sam taking it as a thank you, smiled to himself.
'I actually think your owl likes your brother better', Harry commented grinning. Harry himself had a beautiful Snowy owl. That Sam knew. If her empty cage by the luggage was an indicator though, he probably let her fly to the school by herself.
'He just constantly bribes her with food, he treats her like a puppy sometimes I swear', even if Dean pretended to sound exasperated, it was clearly without malice.
Sam made himself comfortable, leaning onto the cage and closed his eyes. He wanted to use the remaining time to catch up on sleep. The last couple nights were quite restless, thanks to his nerves, but now right next to his brothers, with the first hurdle of meeting his first schoolmates, he could relax enough to slowly drift of.
He vaguely heard Hermione cooing something along th lines of 'he's so precious' and Ron going: 'was I that small in first year? I'm sure I wasn't!' 'Dude you're literally Sasquatch of course you weren't!', that was Dean. His hand came to rest on Sams hair, while the rattling of the train lulled him more and more to sleep.
'What's a Sasquatch suppossed to be?'
'Bigfoot!'
'You americans are weird dude...'
The rest of the conversation was lost to him as he was fast asleep.