Choo Choo Train
“ Capacious extremis! Capacious extremis…? Hm.”
She would have to ask a teacher for help with the advanced spell once school starts. Hopefully the teachers were nice enough - Professor McGonagall might be.
For now, she would simply have to pack fewer things in order to be able to close the overflowing periwinkle trunk she had found in the attic. An expansion charm had seemed like a brilliant idea, but the book she had read about it in her library was not very detailed.
Catallena reholstered her wand and began re-evaluating the things she had folded into her trunk. In the end, she chose a few out of the plethora of ruffled knee-length dresses to be left at home in favour of the fluffy petticoat. She folded everything neatly with her school uniforms, robes, other school supplies and heavy books.
A few more of her prized possessions made the cut as well. She had found lots of treasures hidden in the mansion’s numerous abandoned rooms: A slightly bent ornate hairbrush, a discoloured rubber duck, old jewellery and Princess Kisa - a taxidermied cat Catallena had named after the fairytale Kisa the Cat . It was one of her favourite stories due to the book’s beautiful illustrations, and much like the cat in the story, this scrunkly critter’s fur was a beautiful smokey colour too.
She then topped the trunk with an assortment of tea and a few of her porcelain tea cups - in case of an emergency tea party. A packet of biscuits and some sweets followed. The girl was tempted to add in a bottle of cream for the tea but thought better of it. Loads of sugarcubes, however, ended up filling the rest of the trunk.
It was clear she didn’t have much experience with packing or travelling, for that matter.
Satisfied with her work, Catallena hauled the trunk downstairs to the lounging room with the help of a poltergeist. The only reason he was helping her was to annoy the rest of the spirits who didn’t want her to leave. Even still, he kept dropping the trunk on Catallena’s toes every few steps.
For the last few days the ghosts had done nothing but whine and threaten the young witch. They dreaded being left alone. Catallena did feel bad. She had made sure to entertain the ghosts to the best of her abilities as an apology for going to school soon. They had played games like hide-and-seek and boardgames. (Catallena had to roll the dice, move the pawns and handle the cards in everyone else’s stead.) She had read stories, sung lullabies and brought in brittle flowers from the garden to decorate the halls with pretty arrangements in even prettier porcelain vases.
Fake tears and possessive words went unnoticed by her as she really thought that the spirits cared enough to consider her their family instead of using her as a plaything.
Even now, as she curtsied her goodbyes to each individual spirit, guilt squeezed her heart. The ghosts put on a great show of impressive screams and tears. Perhaps the young Green boy’s tantrum was the only genuine one, selfish and full of jealousy as it was.
Catallena stepped towards the tall fireplace. Professor McGonagall had sent her an owl, as promised. (As it turns out, owls are used as messengers in the wizarding world, not as friends. Catallena had admittedly been delighted to see a real bird so very up close.) The professor had sent instructions on how to get to London without the skill of apparition as well as some money and a pouch of green powder.
Trusting her guide, Catallena placed the trunk in the fireplace with a thud. It stirred up a rising cloud of ash that dulled the shine of her shoes as she then stepped in herself. With the green powder in her hand and with one last look at the spirits in the room, she said the words Diagon Alley as clearly as she could and hurled the powder at her feet.
Billowing green flames licked at her body but nothing burned. It was a fitting visual representation for the anxiety and excitement she felt over the new adventure she was going on. For days now, she had been burning like this - only inside.
Using the Floo network wasn’t as disorienting as apparating was. With a fwoomp! she was met with the familiar street of Diagon Alley. It was even busier than last time. Families ran around in a panic picking up last minute purchases for the starting school year. This time she saw some children her age in the crowd as well.
Dusting herself off, Catallena stepped into the flurry of people and followed the current to the tall brick wall that stood at the opposite end of the alley from Gringotts. It was very hard to pay much attention to anything besides getting her hefty luggage to her destination. Jewel toned coats and cloaks swished before her face and obscured her vision, anyways.
One vanishing brick wall, a dark pub, an annoyed taxi driver and a short walk later she reached King’s Cross station - a tall building with lots of long platforms in between train tracks and ticket offices. Catallena didn’t like it at all. It smelled funny. London was loud.
As she neared the pillar between platforms nine and ten, the flames within her reached new heights. She watched with widened eyes as a small family walked straight through the wall with their luggage. A moment later a couple of teenagers ran at it full-force and disappeared with a laugh. Catallena stood there for a while, making sure that the wall didn’t reject any other Hogwarts-goers. Interestingly, no one else going about their typical day seemed to notice the magic trick happening right before their eyes.
After she had deemed it safe, she too picked up her pace and headed straight at the pillar. Her shoes squeaked on the tiled floor, the breath she was holding burned in her lungs and her eyes squeezed shut at the very last moment.
And suddenly, it wasn’t the lack of air that burned her lungs, but the thick billowing smoke and hot steam of a train.
The brick wall hadn’t felt at all like passing through a ghost did. Catallena was prepared for the icy cold sensation and the feeling of dread but they never came.
It was magnificent. The Hogwarts Express was a shade of red so vibrant, Catallena couldn't think of anything that would compare. The long train looked like it was alive with how it breathed out tufts of smoke and groaned on its wheels.
Children ran around on the platform. Some were re-uniting with their friends after their summer break, others saying good-bye to their parents.
Weaving through the crowds was easy work with how much shorter than everyone else Catallena was. She was a flash of bright white, unnoticed by everyone. She slipped past carts filled with trunks and animal cages, then struggled to lift her own luggage onto the train. Once boarded, she dodged more of the rowdy teens and found herself an empty compartment to sit in.
Outside the compartment’s window the platform was getting busier by the minute. Soon, only the train’s whistle could be heard over the ruckus. Catallena watched from behind the slightly see-through curtains as the platform moved like a great sea. The waves hurried towards the shore and met each other in a hug as they overlapped.
Owls looked like they were diving into the waters for fish, only this time the birds stole candies and newspapers from shooing wizards. Some children were desperately trying to coerce the birds into their cages as the train whistled and groaned its last warning before takeoff.
The sea’s waves quelled after the tsunami of adolescents boarded the train. Bittersweet faces of family members turned to face the train’s side and their hands reached up for a new kind of wave. In response, hands reached out of the windows from inside the train and joined in on the waving and yelling farewells. It was like they could even taste the salty seawater as tears ran down countless people’s faces and into their smiling mouths.
Catallena felt strange in the middle of it all. Like she couldn’t melt into the sea and become a wave amongst others, but instead all she could do was float surrounded by the waters and observe. She didn’t taste the salt and she didn’t feel like smiling either. No one waved at her window and there was no one next to her to float with.
When the train rolled off, little children ran alongside it to see one last glimpse of their older siblings. The platform ended abruptly and sunlight coloured the teal curtains in a different shade - like the storm had passed and now allowed the clear skies and waters to call out to enthralled sailors. Catallena, for one, did feel her spirits lifted as the scenery changed into a new one, filled with summery fields and sheep.
It was a long ride. She didn’t mind. She had the compartment all to herself, as everyone that opened the door seemed to change their minds after seeing her and hesitating for a bit. Catallena wondered what that was about. Not that she had been very welcoming and friendly. She wanted to smile and offer the newcomers a seat (That would be polite, wouldn’t it?), however, every time the compartment door slid open, she was overcome by paralysing fear. Her heartbeat thrummed too loudly in her ears and her tongue was glued to the roof of her very dry mouth.
Therefore, she was left mostly unbothered. She listened as people laughed and screamed in the hallway. Instead she kept her eyes on the beautiful landscape and counted sheep. Her eyes grew heavier, and she leaned on the window and swung her legs until a voice shook her out of her daydreams.
“Anything off the trolley, dear?” the scratchy voice asked. It was paired with a somewhat warm and amused look. A short elderly witch pushed a cart filled with sweets in front of the sliding door and a curious scent filled the compartment. Catallena felt her stomach rumble as she stalked slowly like a wild animal to inspect the offerings.
Strange cartons and wrappings intrigued her greatly and her sweet tooth was begging for a treat. She had never had anything like the sort. Names like Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Frogs sounded like something she would very much enjoy having. The girl was about to reach for a Liquorice Wand, but realised halfway through the motion that she hadn’t any money. All the money Professor McGonagall had given her was used on the taxi ride to King's Cross.
“No, thank you,” she mustered -and for good measure- curtsied with her hands balled in her skirts, so as to not upset the older woman. A pitiful chuckle left the woman’s mouth and she asked if the girl was quite sure. She got a nod in response, void of eye contact and enthusiasm.
Defeatedly, Catallena walked back to her seat as the trolley continued on its way through the hallway. She would have loved to have some candy. When did she not? Thankfully, there was some in her trunk for later.
Just as she was settled down once again, the door slammed open with an unnecessary amount of force. She all but jumped up in her seat and faced her intruders with a slightly panicked look.
“Have you seen a toad? Big, murky, full of warts, name’s Trevor, goes ribbit ribbit every once in a while… Nevermind. Neville’s lost one, so if you do see it, please return it,” spat a bushy haired girl in her school uniform with urgency and authority. She looked Catallena up and down with a strange look on her tan face. Before Catallena could recover and react in any way, the girl took off and dragged behind her a teary-eyed plump boy - presumably Neville.
Left alone, her slightly shaky breath reminded her of how very far out of her comfort zone she currently was.
Catallena thought of how nice it would be to have someone like that girl in her life. She too felt like weeping and disliked talking, much like that Neville. Having someone who would drag her around and help her sounded convenient.
Once Catallena felt calm enough, she pulled out her own school robes, reminded by the girl’s attire that she too should get changed. She peeked out of her compartment and left for the restroom, where she put on the full school uniform for the first time. It fit well and wasn't as uncomfortable as she had expected, however, she struggled with tying the simple black tie properly. She had seen it neatly tucked into the mannequins’ sweaters at Madam Malkins, but had never tied one herself. The girl decided at last that she preferred bows, anyway. She tied the tie into a nice bow that paired unreasonably nicely with her uniform. It mirrored the two black ribbons she had tied to her floor length braids that morning.
Once satisfied, she bounced back into her compartment, all the while keeping her eyes peeled for something murky and warty.
…Ribbit Ribbit…
“Oh. Hello.” Most had retreated into their compartments to change and chat with friends before their approaching arrival at Hogwarts. The hall was clear save for the toad and the girl.
Catallena scooped the toad up into her arms, careful not to drop the slippery thing. It felt funny in her soft grasp as it puffed out temperamental breaths and harmonised with its croaks. This was the first time she had met an actual living toad. Fairytales had an abundance of them, of course, and the garden at home was littered with similar little statues of the creature. Catallena wondered whether a kiss would change the toad into a prince.
Tiptoeing and peeking through windows in the hallway, she searched the compartments for the girl and Neville. There were more kids in the train than she had estimated previously. Most of them were wearing their robes which were lit by the dim overhead lights as it was getting dark outside. Catallena noticed that most of the robes had colour to them. Red, yellow, blue and green ties, linings, borders and crests. Before she could fret over her own black and simplified attire, she observed some other younger children wearing clothes that matched hers.
A soft crying came from a compartment up ahead. “Honestly, Neville! I’m completely sure that an owl couldn’t have eaten him if he really is as big as you say. He must be under someone’s seat or in some safe corner. Don’t be so upset! The train is big with many hiding places, after all. Hogwarts, A History could tell you the exact number of carts and compartments, surely. Oh, it's just a book I’ve been reading in preparation. Obviously I’ve read all of the books included in this year’s curriculum already, haven’t you? Oh no, no, don’t cry! We’ll ask a teacher for help finding Trevor once we get there. We should be close by now.”
The same curly-haired girl tried -and failed- to comfort the grief-stricken boy.
It took a few tries, but Catallena eventually built up the courage to bring her knuckles to the window. A couple of knocks later the door was opened and the girl stood right in front of her. “Oh. It’s you. Can I h- You found him!”
Trevor was taken from her arms and reunited with Neville who was hiccuping in between sobs and giggles. It brought a small concerned quirk to Catallena’s lips. Not knowing what to say or do, she did what she did know and curtsied before turning on her toes and waltzing back to her own seat before either of the other kids could even notice. She had done a lot of that lately - curtsying.
Friends could wait, she reasoned. She couldn’t bring herself to do all that today.
A small town blinked from between the tall trees lining the train tracks. Torches and lit windows painted a beautiful picture of a quiet and calm countryside attraction. The train’s wheels groaned louder and a screeching brought the Hogwarts Express to a halt by a cobblestone platform. A few people were waiting under the orange lanterns and the night sky as students began to unload their luggage from overhead. Catallena waited until the hallway was almost completely clear before she too gathered her trunk and stepped into the cool and pure night air.
She was startled by a man, bigger than any she had ever seen before. Not that she had seen many living men in her lifetime. The man towered over everyone else and his lantern illuminated his hairy head and beetle-eyes in a rather haunting way. “Firs’ years, come on! Firs’ years!” he bellowed and a group gathered. Catallena stayed a little behind as the lot began to make their way down a path led by this tall man.
They were surrounded by thick trees, and the winding path they were following was hard to see. A few of the kids stumbled over tree roots and others had to be pulled back onto the path after they had accidentally wandered off. The last few children following the group who walked in front of Catallena were, however, surprised to be able to navigate without much trouble. A strange blue light was lighting the path for them.
In their search for the lightsource, they were awestruck to see the glowing girl follow a little ways behind them. Her shine was enough to reach them, and in the dark forest her form was so intensely bright that looking straight at her was painful to the eyes. Murmurs of her travelled towards the other end of the group, but before they could all turn and marvel at their peer, another magical and enticing sight took presence.
There, before them on a rocky hill on the other side of a great body of water, stood a proud castle. Even at a distance, it was bigger than any fairytale castle she had imagined. Catallena’s bright eyes tried to take in every tower and every inviting window. Instantly, she fell in love with the gardens, tall stone buildings and the bridges she could somehow make out under the weak moonlight.
The castle looked like a home. It was hard to believe that in the middle of the Scottish Highlands resided such a mystical place and it was even harder for her to believe that this place was now also hers . A warmness settled in her stomach, accompanying the pre-existing flames of anxiety and excitement. Her light pulsed brighter and startled some of the children further.