The Hogwarts Express
"Nightingale! I know you want to keep flying, but we to go now!" You pleaded for probably the hundredth time.
Said owl definitely let out another of her signature screeches (they sound like screeches up close, but like a falling bomb from afar), as she continued avoiding your attempts at catching her. For the past ten minutes now, you've been trying in vain to get Nightingale into her cage. If you knew she'd be this stubborn about it, you would have started the process much earlier. You had only left it to the last minute, as you wanted to give her as much free time as possible before she'd be stuck in her cage as you traveled.
When you first brought Nightingale back to the orphanage, you'd beem a bit anxious she wouldn't return if you let her outside. So, you decided to keep her inside at first... That quickly went downhill that first night. She was not at all content to remaining confined to flying around you room, and the constant screeching of protest kept the whole orphanage up half the night. Ms. Thornberry eventually came, and decided to let the owl free rain of the orphanage, hoping more room would help the problem. It, unfortunately, did not solve the issue, and instead Nightingale went around pecking at anyone in sight. With no other choice, you had to open your window and let her out. She was quick to flee out into the night sky, and with her gone, the other children were all to eager to get some rest. You, however, were far to anxious she'd never return to get any sleep. Ms. Thornberry was kind enough to stay up awhile with you, but the kind old lady eventually had to sleep as well. You were just about to lose hope when the morning came, but just as the sunrise broke the horizon, Nightingale returned though the window. The week following was a routine of you anxiously waiting for her return, and only sleeping once she was safely back in your room come sunrise. You've gotten more comfortable with knowledge that she would each day, at the same time no less, but still can't help feeling a bit anxious before bed each night.
The past two weeks has also taught you several other things about Nightingale. For one, she liked routine, always leaving directly at sunset, and arriving at sunrise. She would even get rather displeased with you if your own personal routine deviated too much from the norm.
Another thing you learned was that she was rather clean, even for an owl. She never went to the bathroom in her cage, and only occasionally did she ever yarp up a pellet in there. She also tended to preen herself quite often. But the occasional pellets and the feathers all over, did mean you had to clean her cage eventually. This is were you had to learn the hard way just how territorial Nightingale was. Let's just say she was definitely not a fan of seeing you go into her cage, and you have some new scars on your hands as a healthy reminder of that fact. The amount of relief when you're school supplies arrived, and you gained access to your dragon hide glovesz can not be put into words. Not thier intended purpose, but you now never handle Nightingale without them. To be on the safe side, you leave any cage maintenance for at night, when you're positive she's nowhere nearby. Other the the occasional cleaning, maintenance also include misting the cage twice a day, and making sure it's mostly covered by her blanket, as your research informed you that Greater Sooty Owls liked moist hollows hidden by lots of foliage. The fact that your National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia had a section on Greater Sooty Owls, made your love for the book grow evermore.
The book also informed you of Nightingale's natural diet, most of the animals mentioned not being available to her here. She seems to have adapted, owls being as smart as they are, and seems to be going after squirrels the most from the few times you've seen her eating. To make sure she's healthy, you've been giving her the victims/supplements the lady who sold you Nightingale recommended you buy. This has proven to be another thing Nightingale hates, as she makes the entire progress very difficult, and gives you an utterly despising look for the next hour afterwards. Again, you are so very grateful for those dragon hide gloves.
The last thing of note you've learned about Nightingale, and something you learned quite quickly, was that she hates being cooped up. She'll throw an absolute fit if her cage door is ever closed, even if she's not in it, and will peck at the window until it's open, even when she doesn't want out. The quickest solution you found, was to just always leave both open, even if that means it gets quite cold at night from the open window. The only time she's ever okay with her door closed, is when she dose it herself, normally when she sleeps or is mad at you. Since she has no problem with being in a cage itself, you figured you could just lock the door while she sleeps. It'd be a quick process as she'd already closed the door herself, and was fast asleep. It was the last thing you had to do to get ready, having packed your stuff first. What you didn't expect was her to wake up and flip out, the moment you touched the lock. Which is how you ended up in your current predicament.
"Is everything alright, dearie? Hagrid's already arrived." Came a worried voice from behind your door, as it began to open.
Your eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, no! Don't open it!" You shout in a panic.
"Oh, my!" Exclaimed Ms. Thornberry in alarm, as Nightingale swooped by her with a shirek as she stuck her head into the room.
"Quick, don't let her out!" You continued to panic.
Ms. Thornberry was quick to finish entering your room, and shut the door. Nightingale seemed to scowl, and let out a frustrated streak. Whether it was from a failed escape attempt, or another person being in the room, Nightingale was quick to retreat to her safe space, her cage. You were quick to take advantage of the situation, and close and lock her cage. Nightingale then proceeded to throw a small tantrum, beating her wings and causing the cage to rattle about. You couldn't help by sigh in relief that whole fiasco was over though.
"Well, that was quite the morning event. Are you all ready, dear?" Asked Ms. Thornberry, a hand on her chest as she recovered from her startle.
"Oh, um, yeah! I just have to put my gloves away." You informed her, quickly running over to take off your dragon hide gloves, and pack them away with the rest of your luggage.
The amount of luggage you had one again briefly surprised you. You've never owned this much of, well, anything before. Your books alone completely took up thier own trunk.
"Hmm... I don't think I can fit them all through the door. Maybe I can push and you can pull?" You ask.
Ms. Thornberry couldn't help but chuckle a bit.
"Or perhaps you can take them down in several trips, instead of just one, dearie?" She suggested.
You blinked.
"Oh. Well I suppose that works too. It will take longer though." You spoke somewhat to yourself, making her chuckle again.
The two of you then spent the next few minutes moving all your luggage downstairs, with you carrying the heavier stuff of course. Nightingale herself only weighed just under 3 pounds, but her species was considered the heaviest of the barn owls.
Once everything was placed by the front door and ready to go, you turned to Ms. Thornberry expectedly.
"So, where's Mr. Hagrid?" You asked with an excited hop.
She smiled down at you.
"He's in the dinning room, dear. I gave him the leftovers from breakfast I saved for h, to eat while he waited." She Informed you.
Without A single word, you dashed off to the dinning room. When you got there, you saw him sitting at the table. His plate was empty, and he was fiddling with his odd umbrella, as he looked around the place.
"Hello, Mr. Hagrid!" You greeted abruptly with a smile, startling the man a bit.
He looked over to you, and stopped fiddling with his odd umbrella.
"Oh. Hello there, (Y/n). And just Hagrid, if you would. It's what everybody call me. The Mr's to formal for my taste." Greeted Hagrid.
"Okay! Oh! Are we taking the carriage again?" You quickly agreedes, before your mind darted off to a different topic.
Hagrid blinked., before answering.
"That's right. I take it you're all ready to go then?"
"Yes! All ready!" You confirmed as you sped off to the cabinet.
You opened the cabinet, stuck you hand in a bag, and pulled out a handful of cubes, before stuffing them in a pocket.
"Whatcha getting there?" He asked curiously.
"Sugar cubes. For the horses!" You informed with a smile.
Hagrid returned your smile at those words, before waving you over.
"Let's be on our way then. I have to make a stop at Diagon Alley for some business, before we head to King's Cross Station." Said Hagrid.
You made you was over to him with quick steps, as he headed for the front door. Ms. Thornberry was there waiting, and held the door open for you and Hagrid as you began to move your luggage. Hagrid was able to carry most of your things to the carriage in one go, with you carrying the last bit over. As Hagrid was loading and organizing your luggage into the storage compartment of the carriage, you walked over to the two horses.
"Hey, there..." You greeted them warmly.
You took the sugur cubes from your pocket, spilt the pile so you had half in each hand, and presented the horses their treat, making sure to keep your palms flat. The first horse sniffed your hand hesitantly, before it ate it's share the the sugar cubes. The second horse clearly didn't share it's reservations, as it immediately chowed down on the sugury treat. When they finished eating, you gave them a healthy amount of pets.
"Alright, All done. Time we be on the road." Announced Hagrid.
"Okay!" You answered.
You gave the horses a final petz before moving away from them. Hagrid clambered into the carriage, and began speaking to the driver. You made your way over to Ms. Thornberry, who was standing by the gate. You stood before her a bit awkwardly.
"So, the big day's finally here. Are you excited, dearie?" Asked Ms. Thornberry with a sweet smile.
"Y-Yeah! Of course, I am..." You said, a bit off for some reason.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you, dear. Come on. Give me a hug goodbye." She said sweetly, opening her arms wide.
You stepped into her embrace, and the two of you shared a long warm hug. A hug that didn't feel long enough, once it was over.
"Well, it's time for you to get going dear. Don't want to be late, now do we?" She said, giving your shoulder a warm squeeze.
You nodded, and turned around to face the carriage. You took a one step, two steps... Your feet weren't moving anymore... Why weren't they moving? Why is your heart beating so hard, like it's in your throat? Something's wrong... Something's wrong! You breathing began to quicken, and your eyes began to burn.
"Is everything alright, dear?" Asked Ms. Thornberry concerned, as she noticed your current state.
"Y-Yeah! I... I'm f-fine... I-I'm okay!" You assured her, voice cracking, eyes glued to the ground.
"S'everything alright there, lass?" Asked Hagrid, as he became aware of the sudden situation.
"I'm o-okay. Why... W-Why do y-you both keep-!" You asked confused, only to pause in shock when you felt something warm running down you cheeks.
You didn't notice Hagrid approach you concerned, as you brought your hand to your cheek to feel something wet. You brought your hand slowly back into view, to see a shiny clear substance on your fingers. What...? Why were you crying? As if the sudden realization broke the dam, a sob harshly left your throat, and you began crying so hard it was hard to breathe. You didn't notice Hagrid's hand on your shoulder, or hear what he was saying. Didn't feel Ms. Thornberry rubbing your back.
"Oh, dearie! What's wrong? What happened?" Asked Ms. Thornberry, deeply concerned.
But, you did hear her voice. With a sudden rush of panic, you spun around and clung to her tightly, face buried in her dress. Her arms immediately went around you, one rubbing your back, the other smoothing down your hair.
"Oh, my! Dearie, please tell me what's wrong?" She asked, a sorrowful crack in her voice.
"Y-you, you... You won't-! You w-won't r-rember me!" You cried out, in between sobs.
Ms. Thornberry frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean, dear? Why would I forget you?" She asked.
"I! I'll be g-gone a-all year! I! I left b-before! But, but! N-not longer, than, than, w-with the J-J-Johnsons'! Y-Y-You'll! You'll f-forget m-me! And, And, s-someone else, w-will take my room! A-and no one! N-not one w-wants me to c-come back! Please don't -! Please d-don't forget m-me!" You sobbed out, hyperventilating due to your growing anxiety.
"Oh, no, no, no, no. Dear, look at me." She hushed you comfortingly, hands on your shoulders as she knelt to be on eye level with you.
You tried to calm down your crying as you looked at her, but you only managed somewhat to slow them down. She placed a hand gently on your face, whipping some of your tears away with her thumb.
"Oh, my sweet dearie... Now, how could I ever forget you? I may be getting old, but my memories not that bad yet. My, it seems like only yesterday that I got to meet the brightest, most curious little girl." She reassured you, a fond note in her voice.
"Y-you promise?" You asked, starting to calm down.
"I promise, my dear. Even when they find thier forever homes, and leave me for goo, I always remember my children." She promised in her sweet honeydew voice, before giving you a kiss on the forehead.
The two of you embraced again, and stayed that way until you finally calmed down. And this time you did notice Hagrid's large reassuring hand on your shoulder. When you let go of eachother, she looked down at you sweetly.
"Now, it is really time for you to get going. I going toiss you dear, but I know you'll be back before I know it. I hope you have fun dear, and I can't wait to hear all about it. Don't forget to write now." She said.
You nodded., wiping off the rest of your tears.
"I'll write, I promise. Oh, can you write to me too?" You asked hopefully.
Ms. Thornberry chuckled at that.
"Of course I will, dear." She agreed easily.
With a smile, you gave her one last quick hug.
"Okay. I have to go now. Bye Ms. Thornberry! I'll miss you!" You said bluntly, waving goodbye.
Ms. Thornberry waved goodbye as well.
"Yes. Goodbye, dear. I'll miss you too." Said Ms. Thornberry with a chuckle.
You then followed Hagrid, as the both of you took your seats in the carriage. The carriage took off, and you watched the orphanage you spent so many years in fade from view, knowing I'd be the last time you'd see it in a long time. It wasn't too long before the carriage stopped in a familiar location, a d you were once again in view of The Leaky Cauldron. It wasn't too long until you once again found yourself in Diagon Alley, the carriage parked and waiting for your return. You once again couldn't help but marvel at the magical world around you.
"(Y/n)." You heard Hagrid call to regain you attention.
Your eyes snapped from the shops around you, back to the tall man towering above.
"Yes?" You asked.
"I have some, er, business to take care of in Knockturn Alley. So I would appreciate you waiting in one of the shops up here for me." Confessed Hagrid a bit awkwardly.
You titled your head in confusion.
"But, I thought that was a bad place. Why would you go there?" You asked confused.
"Well, there's I'm, some supplies I have to get. The kind that you can't really find in a normal store, if you know what I mean." Explained Hagrid evasively.
Your head quirked back up.
"Oh! Stuff you've not supposed to have. Like the special brownie stash the older kids hide from Ms. Thornberry. But I don't know why thier so special. They smell yucky. Oh, you won't get in trouble right?" You spoke rapidly.
"Aei, that kind of stuff. But I'll be fine. I know how to handle the shady folk there, but it's not a place I'm inclined to bring you. So why not do some window shopping, or check out the sweets shop while you wait?" Suggested Hagrid.
You suppose you could do that, you did still have the leftover pouch of wizard money Hagrid left you. But a better idea popped into your head.
"Oh! Can I go see Mr. Ollivander? He said I could visit, and he'd teach me about wands!" You asked excitedly.
Hagrid smiled.
"Well, I don't see why not. I shouldn't be too long, and I'll come pick you up there after. Oh, you do know the there?" Asked Hagrid.
You nodded eagerly In confirmation. And with that he gave you a brief farewell, before you both headed off your respective ways. It didn't take you long to make your way to the wand maker's shop, the bell on the door ringing as you entered.
"Be there in a minute." Called out a familiar voice from somewhere in the back on the shop.
You smiled as you made your way over to the counter, standing on your tippy toes as you tried to spot him. It wasn't long before he popped his head from around a shelf.
"Mr. Ollivander! I came for the visit, just like I said I would!" You proclaimed proudly.
His eyes lit up as he recognized you.
"Ah! Why, if it isn't (Y/n)! Lovely to see you. I didn't doubt your word for a moment." He greeted you, as he approached the counter.
"Come now, sit, sit. I'll go get us some tea. You do like tea, don't you?" He asked, gesturing to a small table with a pair of chairs off to the side.
You skipped over to the small table, and took a seat as you were told.
"I've never had tea, but I'd like to try." You answered honestly.
He gave you a smile.
"Very well then. Give me just a moment." He said, before disappearing once again into the back of the shop. You swung you legs idly as you waited, observing the shop around you curiously. A few minutes later, your attention was diverted to the sound of a loud whistling. Shorty after the sound of footsteps could be hear, before Mr. Ollivander returned carrying a silver tray. He came over and set the tray down on the small table, before taking a seat in the chair opposite of you. On the tray was a flower print tea pot, two adorable matching tea cups, two small tea cup plates, 2 small bowls containing sugar cubes and honey respectively, 2 small sausers containing milk and cream respectively, and a set of small spoons. The soothing herbal smell of the tear immediately washed over you, as Mr. Ollivander went about pouring each of you a cup.
"This is Camomile Tea, a favoured flavor of tea by all ages. So I do hope you like it. Feel free to add whatever you like to it." He offered, gesturing for you to try it.
As he added some cream and honey to his tea, you carefully picket up your teacup. You moved your Pinkie finger awkwardly, as you tried to mimic how you've seen Ms. Thornberry drink her tea.
"Why dose everyone hold there Pinkie out? Do you have to? Dseo it change how the tea tastes?" You ask curiously.
Mr. Ollivander took a sip of his tea, before answering.
"It's more of a tradition, if anything. But it dose add to the experience I find. And do be careful, the tea is a tad hot." He advised.
You decided to follow tradition and leave your pinkie out, despite the action feeling a bit awkward. You tentatively took a sip of your tea, and immediately felt a soothing warmth travel through you. The tea's taste has gentle notes of apple, with a mellow honey-like sweetness. It had a silky feel in your mouth, and had an overall delicate floral taste. You quite liked it. You then decided on if you should add anything to your tea, and followed through on whatever choice you made.
"It's really good! Thank you, Mr. Ollivander!" You thanked him cheerfully, before drinking more of your tea.
He smiled at you.
"Thank you for the company. Your visit was a lovely surprise." He returned the thanks.
You blinked, before rubbing your neck.
"Oh. Your welcome." You said a bit shyly.
"Now, I assume unfortunately that your visit won't be long? With you having a train to catch and all?" Asked Mr. Ollivander.
You nodded.
"Yeah. I'm going to Hogwarts today! Hagrid's going to come when it's time to go." You explained, before taking another sip of your tea.
He also took a sip of his tea, before speaking again.
"Well then, we best make the most of our time. I told you I'd teach you about wand lore, do I not? I presume you're still interested in the subject?" He asked curiously.
You nodded eagerly.
"I am! Could you tell me about my wand?" You asked eagerly.
He nodded with a smile.
"Very well, then. Did you bring it with you by chance?" He asked.
You nodded, before putting your tea down. You retrieved your wand from one of your deeper pockets, and handed it to Mr. Ollivander when he reached for it.
"Hagrid said it's important to always keep it with you, so I do." You admitted bluntly.
"He's right. It's an important tool, and an extension of one's self in a way." Agreed Mr. Ollivander, as he looked over your wand.
You payed close attention as he began to discuss wand lore.
"Now, as I said before, every wand is unique. Each part of the wand, the wood, core, length, and flexibility each contribute traits to the wand. And how the parts come together as a whole truly makes the each wand one of a kind. A wand will also learn from it's wielder and grow, just as it's wielder learns from it." Mr. Ollivander began to explain.
He looked over the wand, tilting it a bit in the light.
"A wand's core is perhaps the most important part, as it is where it gets it's magic. Without it, it would just be a well crafted stick." He continued.
"Will the different cores effect my magic differently?" You piped up curiously.
His eye twinkled at your question.
"Indeed it dose. Your wand, like mine, , contains a Dragon Heartstring core. As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores I use to accidents, being somewhat temperamental." He explained, with you paying rapid attention.
A sad thought suddenly came to you.
"Do the dragons have to die to get the heart strings? I noticed a lot of dragon things in the shops, so they must get hunted a lot..." You observed sadly.
Ollivander looked up from your wand, giving you a concerned frown.
"I won't lie. The ministry dose order hunts if the population becomes a problem, and of course thier are illegal poachers, they generally are not hunted. In fact, they're illegal in Britain. They're a many dragon sanctuaries where they live safely away from the populace, with materials only being gathered after they have died of natural causes. They are quite large, so you can get a lot from just one dragon. A single heart, for example, contains hundreds of heartstrings." He explained in an attempt to reassure.
That information did help you feel better about the situation, and you gave him a small smile.
"Thanks, Mr. Ollivander." You said.
He nodded, before smoothing a thub over the wooden wand.
"The wood of a wand is also of great importance. Only certain types of trees make for quality wand wood. You wand is made from Dogwood. Dogwood is one of my own personal favourites, and I have found that matching a dogwood wand with its ideal owner is always entertaining. Dogwood wands are quirky and mischievous; they have playful natures and insist upon partners who can provide them with scope for excitement and fun. It would be quite wrong, however, to deduce from this that dogwood wands are not capable of serious magic when called upon to do so; they have been known to perform outstanding spells under difficult conditions, and when paired with a suitably clever and ingenious witch or wizard, can produce dazzling enchantments. An interesting foible of many dogwood wands is that they refuse to perform non-verbal spells and they are often rather noisy." He explained.
Your eyes sparkled at all the new information you were gaining.
"My wand did whistle really loudly when I got it." You recalled, Mr. Ollivander chuckling a bit at the memory himself.
He ran a finger down the length of your wand.
"Wand length is not a Feild of wand lore greatly studied, as oftentimes the length simply correlates to the height of it's owner. I do have my own personal notes of the subject however. Your wand is 14 inches, Placing it in the Commonly Big category of wands. Wands which length is between 12.5 and 14 inches are larger than average, yet not rare to be seen. Wizards and witches who own commonly big wands usually perform louder and brighter spells than others, for their magic style and personality is of dramatic inclination, and they are moved by emotions on most cases. These wands work well for selfless owners, whose magic is preferably directed to serving others." He explained thoughtfully.
You nodded along as you listened.
"What about the flexibly?" You asked.
He pressed his thumb into the wood of your wand briefly, as if testing that very thing.
"Wand Flexibility is another area not well understood, though intend to find it's related to the flexibly of its owner and how well the two are able to adapt to change. Your wand is Slightly Springy. A wand with this flexibility may not appear to be very loyal at all because they will initially take to new owners quite well, but the fact of the matter is that they will always have a special tie to their original owner. As time goes on, this wand will become increasingly more troublesome for any owner that isn't its original owner until finally it stops working altogether. This wand is good for crafting spells. Owners matched with this wand may be very cheerful and optimistic, but most of all, they have very big (and possibly overactive) imaginations. Their thought patterns tend to be outside of the box. Like Slightly Yielding wands, Slightly Springy wands can cast spells faster than most wands, so they pair well with wizards and witches of quick thinking." He explained his personal observations on the subject.
"It seems like a lot of the wand has to do with the owner, which is I guess how they choose thier owner right?" You asked.
He nodded, agreeing with your observation.
"Indeed. Many wands choose owners who are similar to them, but some choose those of completely opposite personality. I do hope this helped you better understand your own wandz as well as Maybe helped you lean something about yourself. Your wand will grow and change with you, as you bond over time." Said Mr. Ollivander.
For the next ten minutes that followed, the two of you enjoyed small talk, with Mr. Ollivander answering many of your curious questions. You even had a second cup of tea, after you finished your first. Soon, however, you were interrupted by a knock on the window. Looking over, you saw Hagrid wave at you through the glass, and realized you busy was now over.
"I believe that means our time is up." Observed Mr. Ollivander.
You frowned.
"Yeah... But I'll come visit again when I come back! If it's okay...?" You asked hesitantly.
He gave you a smile.
"Your visit was lovely. Please, do come visit anytime." Agreed Mr. Ollivander.
You smiled, and hopped up from your seat.
"Okay! Bye, Mr. Ollivander! Thanks for the tea!" You said with a wave.
He returned your wave, and then you made your way outside to see Hagrid.
"Enjoy yer visit?" Asked Hagrid.
"I did! Are we going to the train now?" You asked.
"That we are. Better hurry too." Said Hagrid.
You and Hagrid left Diagon Alley, and made you way back to the carriage. After another short ride, the carriage pulled to a stop infront of King's Cross Station. Hagrid helped get you a trolley, and load all your luggage into it. When you entered the station, you were hit with a heavy sense of nostalgia. You haven't been here in years. You used to used to come here all the time with... You frowned, and pushed the thought away. You became a bit confused when Hagrid came to a stop at the pillar between platforms 9 and 10.
"Here we are. Platform 9 ¾." Announced Hagrid, looking at the pillar.
You titled your head with a confused frown, looking between him and the pillar.
"But, there is no Platform 9 ¾. I've nver seen it and I've been here lots. Is it new then?" You asked.
"Oh, no. It's quite old. It's hidden from muggles, don't want them accidentally getting on a train to Hogwarts after all. Now, all you got to do is walk through that pillar there. I've heard running at it can help if your nervous." Explained Hagrid.
You looked at him dumbfounded.
"You... You want me to run into a brick pillar? But, that's gonna hurt..." You said worried.
"No, you see, er you'll go right through. Here, let's go though together. On three." Said Hagrid, placing a hand on your back.
While still nervous, you nodded along. You waited as he counted down, and when he got to 3, you both ran together at the pillar. You closed your eyes right before you hit, and when you opened them again you suddenly found yourself at a platform. There was a large red and black train with 'Hogwarts Express' printed on the side.
"It really worked..." You observed in awe, as you looked at the train, and the many students and parents around you.
"See? Not so hard, no is it? Now, let's get you on board. The train leaves at 11am sharp, and you want to be seated by then." Said Hagrid, guiding you over to the train.
"Are we sitting together?" You asked hopefully.
He shook his head, as he passed your trolley to a worker, who then began loading you luggage into the storage compartment.
"Fraid not. Teachers and Prefects sit up front. But, why not take the opportunity to get to know some of the other students? Oh, and don't forget to change into your school robes before we get there." Said Hagrid.
"Oh, um, alright." You agreed, a bit hesitant to be on your own.
"I'll see you when we arrive at the stop. Till then." Hagrid said his goodbye to you, before heading off to the front on the train.
Now on your own, you decided to enter the train from the back. Once on, you walked as far back as you could, and entered the very last compartment. You were never good with meeting new people, especially if they were your own age. So, at least back here, you could hopefully avoid the other students. At least for now...
A while went by, with you fiddling with your wand. Eventually, you heard the conductor announce over the speaker that the train would now be departing. You breathed a sigh of relief that no one else had come to your compartment, and with everyone now aboard, it looks like no one would. To your slight dismay, shortly after the train started moving, your compartment door was slide open.
"I can't believe all the other compartments are full." Said a female voice.
"I know, right? At least we'll have the last one to ourselves." Said another female voice.
To girls your age, both of average height, came through the now open door. All 3 of you froze when you say eachother. All the staring quickly made you feel awkward, and you averted your eyes back down to your want.
"Oh, um. Hello. Sorry to suddenly barge in." Said the first girl.
"We're going to have to share the cabin. All the others are already full." Remarked the second girl.
You gave a small, barley noticable nod, still keeping your eyes on your wand. The two girls looked at eachother, not sure what to do with your response. Eventually they decided to sit down across from you, closing the door behind them. The akward silence continued, making you fiddle more with your wand.
"Is that Dogwood?" The second girl asked.
"Huh?" You exclaimed a bit startled, looking up from your wand.
This was the first time you actually got a proper look at the two girls. The first girl had brown skin, green eyes, and short dark brown hair worn in a bun with a piece of wavy hair left lose on one side. The second girl also had brown skin, and had shoulder length straight black hair, dark brown eyes, wore glasses, and wore a unique smart looking scarf.
"Your wand. It's made from Dogwood, right?" The second girl repeated her question.
You look glanced back at your wand.
"Oh. Um, yeah... How did you know?" You asked curiously.
"Oh! I know lots about wand woods. My family owns a tree farm, and we actually supply a lot of wood used to make wands and brooms." Explained the second girl.
The first girl nudged the there girl playfully.
"Though you like to hide inside and read, so you don't have to go outside and help on the farm." Remarked the first girl playfully.
"That's true. It's why everyone thinks I'm weird, and why I've only managed to make friends with you, my fellow weirdo." The second girl said playfully back.
You titled your head.
"But reading's not weird? I read a lot too, but that's not why people think I'm weird..." You admitted honestly.
"People think you're weird, too? Guess we're all in the same boat. You must already know why people think I'm weird." Said the first girl.
You shook your head with a confused frown.
"Oh? You're the first person so far who hasn't recognized me from the daily prophet. It's kinda refreshing, honestly." Said the first girl with relief.
"What's the daily prophet?" You asked confused.
The two girls shared a look of confusion.
"Oh! You must be a muggle-born then! That explains it." Said the second girl in realization.
"The daily prophet is a wizarding world newspaper." Explained the first girl.
You nodded in understanding.
"Oh, I see. But why were you in it? And why would that make you weird?" You asked curiously.
The first girl looked uncomfortable answering.
"Well, my brother, Jacob William Gizmo... He got expelled from Hogwarts last year, for breaking a lot of school rules while looking for the fabled Cursed Vaults." Explained the first girl.
"It was a major story in the Daily Prophet. Everyone at school will know about it. There's already a lot of rumors going on about it." Said the second girl.
"Which is why everyone considers me weird." Said the first girl with a sigh.
"But what your brother did doesn't make you wierd? Sorry all that happened though. Are you and your brother doing okay?" You asked.
The first girl looked down at her hands with a loaned frown.
"He... He, um, he went missing shortly afterwards... We think he ran way to keep looking for the Cursed Vaults... I felt so bad for him, and I haven't stop worrying about him since he disappeared... But I'm going to find him." She explained sorrowfully, but with determination in the end.
You didn't really know how to handle this sorta situation, when someone got upset... And while curious about these Cursed Vaults, you weren't going to push for answers when she was like this.
"I hope you find him." Was the simple reply you managed awkwardly.
She seemed to realize your state, and quickly put a smile back on her face.
"Oh Merlin! I didn't mean to make things akward. So rude on me to just dump all that one you, when I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm Emma. Emma Maya Gizmo." The first girl said, perking up.
"And I'm Rowan Khanna." Introduced the second girl.
"Oh, no! It's okay. Um, I'm (Your Full Name)." You introduced yourself, stumbling a bit.
"Nice to meet you, (Y/n)." Said Emma.
"Yeah. Nice to meet a fellow weirdo." Said Rowan.
"Um thanks. I uh..."
Think of something... You're eyes landed back on her scarf.
"I like your scarf. It looks very... Smart?" You said awkwardly.
Rowan beamed.
"Thanks! That's exactly what I was going for. I wanted to make a look that made the statement, 'I'm a serious smart witch on her way to be head girl, and the future youngest professor at Hogwarts'. Emma helped pick it out. Definitely go to her for any fashion advice, and go to me if you want any Hogwarts trivia. I'm a total expert after reading the entirety of 'Hogwarts, A History'." Proclaimed Rowan both enthusiastic and proud.
"Okay, I will." You agreed with a smile.
The three of you continued to talk, and you gradually began to feel less awkward around them. When the topic circled back to Rowan's family tree farm, you decided to ask her some questions.
"So, you know a lot of wand lore, then? Mr. Ollivander was teaching me a bit earlier today." You asked curiously.
"Ollivander is teaching you wand lore? That's cool!" Commented Emma, which you nodded in agreement too.
"Well, I know a lot of wand lore pertaining to wand wood and trees, but I don't know much about the rest of wand lore. Oh, how about I tell you some trivia about Dogwood trees? Since that's your wands wood." Offered Rowan.
"Okay!" You agreed eager to learn.
The next few minutes were spent with Rowan telling you a bunch of facts about Dogwood trees, as well as wandlore related to Dogwood Wands. Most of the wandlore part you already learned from Mr. Ollivander, but Rowan did mention something new. She said that some consider them to have a violent streak. You guess Mr. Ollivander didn't share this particular belief since he didn't mention it. In fact, you remember him saying Dogwood was one of his favorite wand woods.
"Oh, by the way, what about the rest of your wand?" Asked Rowan.
You titled your head in confusion.
"She only recognized the wood your wands made from. So we're curious about the rest." Emma jumped in helpfully.
Emma herself didn't seem too interested in the wandlore discussion you and Rowan were having, but it looks like she was paying attention to it after all.
"Oh! I see. It's 14 inches and Slightly Springy, and has a Dragon Heartstring core. What about your wands?" You said.
The two girls both pulled out thier own wands.
"Mine is made from Cedar, with a Unicorn Hair core. It's 12 inches, with a Supple flexibility." Said Rowan, showing off her wand proudly.
Emma then smiled, and presented her own wand.
"Mine's a Pliable 12 inch Acacia wand, and also has a Unicorn Hair core." Emma said.
The three of you fell back into more conversation after that, ranging from small talk to more trivia, as the train brought you ever closer to Hogwarts.