Platform 9 ¾
Pacing the length of platform 9 3/4 stood the tall curly mint haired Ravenclaw 3rd year Lirum Coldwater. Poring over the checklist in hand for the 5th time making sure everything was present and in order. Luggage skidding along behind them as they anxiously waited to board the Hogwarts express. Stopping to take a breath and calm themselves scanning the crowd looking for any familiar faces or friends, teachers or classmates they couldn’t recognize.
Searching until their eyes settled on a well known family of redheads, The Weasleys. Having been in the same year as Fred and George for the past two years never having actually spoken more than a few passing words to each other knew the pair more by reputation than anything. But even so their large and rather loud family was hard to miss. Seeing the twins teasing three boys Lirum hadn’t met before assuming the tallest must be the twins older brother and the two shorter must be first years. One in particular stuck out following the gaggle of redheads was a brunette boy looking wonderstruck “must be muggle born that’s…out of character for the twins”
Suddenly being brought back to the memory of all the pranks they’ve pulled over the last two years on people from all four houses. Seemingly ready to cause trouble as usual even from a distance Lirum began to think they could visibly see the mischievous air around the twins. Almost ready to put a stop to whatever they were planning for this poor first year right now. As they turn to see the tallest brother turn around they catch the glint of a Gryffindor prefect pin. Suddenly setting down feeling immature and downright foolish for suddenly jumping to conclusions and almost causing a scene over a situation they knew nothing about.
As their thoughts turned sour their hair turned from its vibrant mint color or a more muted woody brown as they visibly shrunk slightly. Wanting to blend in with the crowd “I am a Ravenclaw not a Gryffindor we don’t charge in. We don’t act without thinking We are Clever and Creative Curious and Cautious.. We act with logic not heart” cut off by the warning whistle of the train straighten out their robes trying to act the part of a Ravenclaw put together and confident they quietly board the train and make themselves comfortable in a far empty compartment near the back of the train to get a head start on the new years reading material. After a short while there was a knock and before lirum could even respond the compartment door being thrown by wide open. To reveal a short brunette boy who looked to be a first year. “You…you wouldn’t happen to have seen a toad in here have you I…I’ve lost my pet Trevor” he looked quite anxious, almost shaking. Lirum couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor boy
“what’s your name kid I’ll try to help you look” closing their textbook “really!? I-I mean it’s Neville…Neville Longbottom I mean” the look of shock on his face alone was enough to know he was expecting to be stuck looking for his lost friend alone.
“Yeah we don’t have much time till we arrive at Hogwarts so we better start looking” you could see the change in his demeanor
“thank you Hermione is-well was helping before…then we ran into Harry Potter! The Harry Potter! He told me not to worry Trevor would come back, but I still want to look for him” “ok Neville, I’m Lirum let’s look for Trevor alright, let’s go”
Before they had noticed the train came to a stop and Trevor was nowhere to be found. “I’m sure everything will be alright maybe he snuck into your luggage and he’ll already be at the castle waiting for you” Lirum said trying to lighten the scared boys mood “I hope so their calling for us to get load into the boats. aren’t you coming?” Neville asked
“No only first years take the boats across the lake it’s a tradition I’m a third year I’ll be riding the carriages in”
“oh ok well I’ll see you later then thank you again for trying to help me” and with that it was time to switch and ride the carriages to the castle, pulling their textbook back out they were too deeply invested in their studies to notice anything before they step off the carriage and walk straight into their head of house “ah I see you’ve started this year’s curriculum right! The study ancient runes is a fascinating class! But I firmly believe a rune dictionary will be more beneficial to you than “Ancient Runes Made Easy” you're a bright young student, Mr.Coldwater. I'm positive you can handle the more advanced reading material.” Chimed professor Flitwick
“well thank you sir. I had planned on checking it out from the library as soon as I finished the base source material. though I didn’t want to get too far ahead of my classes or worse risk falling behind in another over an elective course. After all you would be very disappointed if I started doing poorly in charms” Lirum explained
“Oh don’t be silly you are a model student, top of your class even above your fellow housemates, and that is a feat in itself. I have complete faith you can handle whatever this year brings now will you be joining the Choir again this year you know we’re counting on your impressive vocal range” he insists. Lirum knew well though they were a metamorphmagus they weren’t able to actually change their voice everyone's abilities are different and despite their best efforts their voice sat in a medium range not to high or low, feminine or masculine a smooth neutral tenor nothing spectacular
It was common for people to insist they must be able to change their voice “Maybe just for the school song but I don’t plan to perform with the choir this year as you probably known I picked up as many electives as i could. care of magical creatures, the study of ancient runes and divination with all of them and all of the core curriculum. I simply won’t have time” sighing
“oh well that’s a shame but I’m always glad to hear a student so focused on their studies. As if I would expect anything else from you Mr.Coldwater. Now let’s not dally and make it to The Great Hall late. We both need to be there for the school song and sorting ceremony!” As he turns to hurry towards the great hall Lirum follows closely as they enter The Great Hall
Once they found their spot amongst the other members off the choir they prepared themselves to sing the same song they sung at the start of every school year so far. Wanting nothing more than to go to their dormitory and have a rest. After the song they Sit at the Ravenclaw table and eat as the first years get placed one by one somewhere no surprise the new Weasley joined Gryffindor, most of the pure bloods went Slytherin their was even a kid the sorting hat it didn’t have to touch to answer, and then there was Harry Potter the brunette boy from before following the Weasleys is the boy who lived that was a surprise somewhat but made even less sense as to why he’s with the Weasleys.
“maybe I was right and they are up to something again…” Lirum said aloud to themself but no one seemed to notice anyway. Because then professor McGonagall called the name “Neville longbottom” Lirum honestly hoped the boy might be a Hufflepuff he seemed to be in need of good friends or a Ravenclaw so at least he would have Lirum but as he walked towards the sorting hat he tripped in front of everyone and the great hall bustled to life with laughter. “That poor kid” they said as the sorting hat called out Gryffindor “really? His day can’t get worse” as he ran to the tables still wearing the sorting hat and had to turn back causing more laughter from the hall.
Shortly after a girl with long curly brown hair stood before the Ravenclaw table our new Ravenclaw prefect began to introduce herself “Hello and welcome to a new year at Hogwarts I am Penny Clearwater I will be your Ravenclaw prefect this year. Now please follow me this way to our dormitories located on the west side of the castle. The entrance will be on the fifth floor. It's quite a walk up the stairs, but I assure you the view is better than anywhere else in all of Hogwarts now follow me.”
Once Lirum made it back to their dormitory they could help but feel sleepy the second they heard the wind whistling around the windows. Sitting on the edge of their bed plush beds covered in the soft sky blue blankets and sheets pulling out their night clothes looking over the view of the lake through the windows next to their bed changing and curling up to rest after their first day back at Hogwarts