A Ride with the Dead

[Jason Vaiken]

-Rémond Manor-

"I know Minister, I. KNOW!" I must stress with the utmost conviction that my subordinates and myself have been working tirelessly these past few months. The simple fact of the matter is that we do not have the men. We are overextended countering rogue wizards and witches in Continental Europe in a shadow war and dealing with internal issues. The Giants are stirring as are the Trolls, the Goblins sense weakness and have begun to demand wands once more and the property we commissioned from them. Don't get me started on the Dragons and that minor inferius problem. If I divert men to defend Hogwarts, then they will have to be pulled from one of these fronts. Things stand now I regret to inform you that we simply do not have the resources to deal with this problem! It is a travesty, the past administrations and your own have cut funding so we have been dealing with a barebones force and our enemies have noticed!"

A knock interrupts him and he ceases his talk as a sheepish Minister of Magic stands aside as he goes to open the door.

Outside stands his daughter Catherine.

"Father, mother said that she has news for you and the Prime Minister in regards to the Confederation."

Her face betrays nothing and Edwyn Rémond, Order of Merlin First Class, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Ex Head Auror surveys her resolving to interrogate her later.

"I will see you later after you arrive at Hogwarts my dear, now if you excuse us?" Catherine nods her head and steps aside as the two men leave.

The Minister of Magic Archer Evermonde raises an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Suffice to say Archer, she heard everything. Now let's see what my Victoire has to say..."

-A Few Hours Later-

Catherine and her younger brothers are preparing to enter platform 9 3/4 in order to attend Hogwarts. For her youngest brother this is their first time attending so she has been acting like a mother hen. Victor looks anxious as she gestures for him to push his cart through the platform. “Go on Victor, take a running start, I promise you’ll be fine.” With a darting glance at his older brother he takes a running start and pushes the cart through and with a grin her Gryffindor brother Henry takes off after him quickly followed by Catherine herself. As she stares at the Hogwarts express she can’t help but smile, until she realizes she can’t seem to find her brothers anywhere and with a sigh goes to track them down and make sure that little Victor has his belongings stored away properly, she can trust that Henry won’t do anything too stupid, but if she does have to jinx him, she wouldn’t exactly protest. Yet, she was horribly distracted as she finally found her brother and got his stuff stored properly. She led him to a cart and escorted him into a compartment and planted a kiss on his forehead. “You’ll be fine Victor.”

Victor puts on a brave smile, but she can see a slight trepidation on his features. “I’m just a little nervous… I mean, I know you and Henry are fine, but…”

Catherine ruffles his hair a bit, “You must be true to yourself, don’t be copies of me, father, mother, or even our dear brother Henry. Be Victor and you will be much happier and have a better experience. Now I must go to the Prefect cart and assign responsibilities. Father will be attending the feast to announce something remember? I’m sure that he’ll be so proud to see his beloved boy join his siblings eh?”

With that she turned and walked into the prefect cabin, people moving out of her way and she smiled at a few of her acquaintances trading the normal platitudes as she takes her seat awaiting people to file in.

Oh boy she thought, another year of terrifying poor people. She's grateful for Dumbledore offering some sage guidance over the summer during his tea with her family and for his assistance with her magic. She learned a lot and vowed to strive to be a better person.

@Cainhurst Crow, @Proleptic, @Tristar, @Kuroshi, @Cameron Foster, @Vosrik, @Shalken, @Caleb Richardson, and @Talon maara

 

[Vosrik]

"...Guide to Advanced Transfiguration, my extra robes, why do I always think I'm missing something?"

The Ravenclaw 7th year rummaged through his trunk for the umpteenth time this week. This was his final year at school, and Adam wanted it to be his best. Having already said farewell to his parents, he stood directly in the middle of Platform 9 ¾ that was steadily filling up with more and more students. Several classmates Adam recognized, which he acknowledged with a nod and a quick smile. Cyra hooted in her usual annoyed manner when being cooped up in public like this.

"Yes, I know Cyra. I'll let you out on the train though, how does that sound, hm?"

With his free hand, he stuck a couple fingers through the bars of the fickle owl's cage. Eyeing Adam's digits as though contemplating whether they'd make a good snack, she instead hopped closer and rubbed her head against them. He smiled and chuckled, turning his attention back to his remarkably organized trunk. Suddenly it dawned on him - he was indeed missing something, something very important.

Standing up, Adam slammed shut the lid to his belongings. "Colloportus," he intoned under his breath, waving the tip of his wand perfectly to magically lock the trunk. Running back through the entryway, the Ravenclaw pushed his way through Muggles and Magical folk alike until his eyes rested upon a couple about to leave the station.

"Ma, Dad!" he called out, turning their attention back to their son. "I think...I think you've got my badge," he huffed, breathing heavily after running so quickly. Though Adam still had at least another twenty minutes until the Hogwarts Express departed, he much preferred being early.

"Oh goodness, I still have it in my pocket from looking at it earlier!" his father replied, hastily protruding the shining badge from his pocket. Grabbing the badge and pinning to his chest, Adam gave his parents one final hug before rushing back to his trunk. Thankfully nothing had changed in the couple minutes he was gone, though Cyra still looked at him with dull expression. Now he was ready.

Of course, having been chosen as Head Boy for his final year meant that Adam had a bucketload of responsibilities this year. While certainly feeling up for the task, Adam wasn't particularly confident in his ability to lead people, and he didn't feel as though others actually took him seriously enough. He sighed, putting these thoughts aside as he dropped off his trunk at the storage carriage and made his way towards the prefect cabin. One...interesting side effect to being promoted to Head Boy was the extraordinary attention he was suddenly getting. And not just from fellow Ravenclaws and friends congratulating him, but from plenty of girls too. He saw and heard them peeking into the hallway, making eyes and giggling quietly in their cabins. Adam felt his cheeks flush, but stared adamantly at the floor in front of him and continued to his destination. This was going to be harder than he thought.

There was another girl standing just outside the Prefects cabin. By the look of her age and the large H badge she wore, this was clearly the Head Girl for the year. Though Adam couldn't quite make out who it was from a distance, his heart began picking up speed when he saw who it was. Catherine, the one who he'd accidentally set...

How hadn't he heard it was Catherine? Maybe he skipped over that part in the forms he got from Hogwarts. Either way, she seemed to be muttering something to the door. One thing the Ravenclaw did read was the password to the exclusive cabin, one that the Slytherin had clearly forgotten at this point. Resolving himself to whatever was going to happen next, he strode the rest of the way to the door and stood next to it. Taking a slight glance down at Catherine, as she must have noticed him at this point, Adam spoke up.

"It....it's Honeytruffles." The lock suddenly clicked cheerily, allowing them to slide it open. Adam deliberately avoided eye contact, but gestured for the Head Girl to proceed into the cabin ahead of him. From the looks of it, most of the Prefects were there already, preparing to be assigned their duties by Head Boy and Girl.

 

[Kuroshi]

Bags packed, bat resting in her hood, and anxiety swelling Erin left the house to get to the train station. "Goodbye mother, I'll write you!", was shouted through the window before she dashed off.

"I really hope i'm not late!", was said quickly as she ran towards the train station. The station was a decent distance away, and she needed to get there as fast as possible.

Erin left the house late, oversleeping and not having all of her things packed when she woke up. Why did she have to oversleep on this day of all days? It was time for school once more, and the Hufflepuff was excited.. and somewhat stressed. Her bags held in a tight grip she arrived at the train, and noticed many other students were already at Platform 9 3/4. Her pet bat, Azrael, peered up onto her shoulder as she looked at her surroundings. She saw familiar faces, and a few unfamiliar ones as well.

It seemed as though she arrived on time, which was a relief for her. She wasn't sure about missing the train and needing to find another way to school.. that would be dreadful. She was glad that didn't happen, and a soft smile was present on her face. Another year at school of showing new students around, helping people with studies, etc. It was fun,

A hand was placed atop Azrael's head, gently petting him. "Let's go have another fun year together.", she stepped onto the train just as people were arriving in the perfect cabin. She entered slowly, hesitant, but entered nonetheless. The cabin must have only recently been opened, since the door closed as she made her way to it. She hoped she wasn't too late or that she didn't stand out, and simply took a seat where she could. A silent wave was made to both the Head Girl and Head Boy to make her arrival known.

She wasn't entirely sure what to do but open a book. She hadn't known if everyone had arrived so she didn't want to wait for people to show up before the head boy and girl would speak, and she hadn't eaten yet so there was also that. The book she had opened was a small journal. Said journal was kind of a personal diary she would keep every year at hogwarts, this was her sixth one made and she just looked at the blank pages. She thought of what they could be filled with, sifting through them for a moment before putting it away.

Her hand reached for something that was taken out from her bag, with that something being a small bag of pumpkin scones. She was kind of embarrassed she had to wait until now to eat, but there wasn't much she could do since she thought she was going to be late.

She shyly started eating, hoping to not draw too much attention to herself. She really didn't like drawing attention, especially in front of too many people. The pouch laid in her lap as she would pick up one of the scones and eat bit by bit. She didn't look ready like the other perfects, being one to arrive last, but she did try to rectify this by getting ready as quickly as she could while also eating breakfast.

 

[Cheshire]

Brodie just feel eyes burning on the back of his head as he walked through the platform, aware of all the noticeable glares and death signs from his fellow Slytherin's after the stunt he played last year which had resulted in giving the lead and the cup over to the Gryffindor's by a measly two points. Apparently the pureblood's had called for his expulsion and the oif any wizard was up for a teensie bit of murder, they would settle with his too. Pureblood families were like that, just wanted to always win, plus he majority of them probably knew his full origin story considering Catherin had managed to find him at his house and threaten him with the one thing Brodie held dear. His duelling club title as the Vice President. She had the power to take it away at the flick of a wrist, and that worried him, so he had sworn that he would not lose a point the full year, despite his reputation's.

He walked along the platform, cases and bags on his cart along with a cute little puppy balancing carefully on his way to the train, occasionally barking at the occasional cat on the way to the train. He quickly put his trunk's on the train before grabbing Pancake the puppy and starting the long walk over to the Slytherin compartments. He quickly walked along the rows with the Slytherin kids seething at him. It wouldn't be long until on kid tripped him and started to kick at him, with more kids joining in on the fun. He clutched pancake and covered him with his arms incase he got hit. HE attempted to communicate to Catherin through the use of a magical mirror, cursing silently as he let the beating continue, not fighting back infear of losing points. He would just give them hell at duelling club!

 

[Eccles]

Becoming a prefect had been something Alden had not been very keen on. Not this year. Not when he’d be so preoccupied with other things that made patrolling the halls of Hogwarts Castle after dark seem painfully tedious, as it truly was, and the badge on itself was too much of an eye-catcher for him to stay inconspicuous. Alden didn’t like the attention, unlike other Slytherin prefects, and despised the boring classes of Nigellus Black. Head of Slytherin he might be, but he was nothing compared to the founder of the House, Salazar Slytherin, or even more impressive, the great Merlin. This attitude of staying out of the limelight and not pretending to be enthused by Nigellus, made Alden even in his own house somewhat of an outsider. His classmates admired him for his skill in quidditch, yet only few counted him amongst his friends.

He had been in the prefect cabin for some time, reading a pocket edition of an advanced potions book, for which he suffered multiple jests from his fellow Sixth year prefects that knew his poor achievements in that course the semester before summer. Potions had been his worsed subject, for sure, but over the summer a strange obsession had presented itself that required him to improve. While his father had meetings in Belgium and Germany for the International Council of Warlocks, Alden had been brewing potions non-stop from their temporary lodgings. So focused on his book, Alden paid little attention to the antics of the sixth year prefects that were mocking him, and likewise did not look up from his book when Catherine, Adam and then Erin joined the now crowded cabin.

 

[Tristar]

The train belched out thick, black smoke, choking the air as his ears were assaulted by the stationmaster's shrieking whistle. Oliver sniffed and fiddled with the hem of his sleeve, distracting himself from the arguing voices behind him. "-ove to the-" "-on't happen, not whe-" He watched as other students wheeled into the pillar leading to Platform 9 3/4, owls squawking and cats mewing indignantly at the shame of being caged in their wicker baskets and iron cages. The teenager standing with shabby robes and a single suitcase had no companion, not that he could afford one if he wanted to. It was also less hassle when he needed to leave the house.

His parents bickering had reached its tempo as his mother started raising her voice, drawing the eyes of the passer bys and random strangers; a man being kowtowed by his wife in public? The nerve! But nonetheless they shuffled on, a curious eye glued to the scene they left behind. Surely, it'd be something to be remembered later on over a nice soup and a cup of hot tea. The young man however, had different intentions.

"I'll no-" "Mum!" he cried out, almost desperately. "I'm leaving." he said, matter-of-fact-like as he gestured to the entrance to a world full of magic and temporary domestic-issues-relief. The signs of the argument didn't melt immediately; it wasn't their first argument that Oliver had witnessed, but at least they still had shame in them. "Of course dear," said the inestimable Lady Wickerbough, wringing her hands with worriment. "Y-you be safe and write home, all right dear? If anything happens we'll come straight away for y-"

"Don't be silly Marie," interjected his father, his mustache twitching energetically as he spoke. "Nothing's going to happen to Oliver, he's in the safest place on Earth!" He raised his hands for a grandiose effect, but at that moment the train's horn blew, startling the portly man. "Gah!" he yelped, turning around with a hand to his chest, his skin sweating profusely in shock. Unlike his son, Alden Craigh had still many, many more years before he could get used to the Muggle way of life. Marie simply gave her husband a withering glare before turning to Olive with a sweet smile, even as her son waspoised to walk through the gateway. "We'll miss you! And do try to come home for Christmas, won't you? We haven't had a proper Christmas party like we used to, and I'm sure your friends must be-"

"Sorry Mum!" Oliver spoke over his mother's shrill voice, waving with manic energy at his parents. "My train's going to go soon!" A lie- he easily had at least 8 more minutes according to the station's clock, but he really didn't want to have to hear her go on about dinner parties and other niceties that came about with being filthy rich. Not that she was willing to help her husband pay off his family's debts anyhow. He always held a little bit of a grudge against her, but not enough to at least write once a month (in great detail, to assuage her worries). He couldn't hear their voices, though saw them waving before turning on each other as he walked through the pillar.

And just like that, away from troubles of life and into a new world, though the scene hadn't changed by that much. More people wore robes, and the presence of animals really set the theme for the Magical world, but only just: the smoke, the whistles and the deafening chatter was still there. Taking a deep breath, Oliver simply gazed fondly at the sleek, black body of the train.

It was good to be home.

He stepped unto the carriage, noting with a dull heart that almost everyone of them was full save for a few, but had been reserved by its previous occupants. Never mind that most of the people he passed by offered him their seat, Oliver simply wanted his own seat and a place to stretch out his legs.

After nearly stepping on a good number of toes, apologizing profusely to their owners and sidestepping as second years (He could tell, because they weren't so tiny, but had a lot more energy and less shyness than the first years.) rushed past him trying to get to their friends. A moment later and Oliver stumbled upon an empty segment of the train, nearly desolate save for a few students who had only claimed certain rooms for themselves. He found his seat, the closest one before the prefect's carriage and opened the door with a swoosh of his robe's sleeves. The seat was soft, the space for his leg was ample and there was no one to bother him.

Oh of course, not long after a few of his friends hopped along into the carriage, exchanging words and sharing news that Oliver would have missed in his time with his parents- he hadn't the necessary dosh for the paper's subscription. Grim news, as he expected. The future was very dark, and worst of all prospects for this year's potential sales would barely meet the costs of production: he had to think of something to boost revenue, and soon if he were to keep up the cash flow. The train seemed to buck forward as last calls for students to board were shouted out. Byes were had as his friends returned to their carriage, apologizing the smiling teen who had no one to keep him company. "No matter," he told them, "'s no' a matter, really. Go on, your missus's be callin'." And then they'd leave, bringing the noise of conversation along with them.

And then he was alone.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

Iskandera wasn't one for long goodbyes or heartfelt farewells like most people were. She had never really been one for that kind of emotional outburst, nor was she one for close contact with others, feeling rather claustrophobic when it came to hugs or things of a similar nature. Still, she bade farewell to her parents before stepping over to the fireplace within her parents home, clutching the powder as she closed her eyes, focused on the familiar area she wanted to go to, and threw down the dust with a shout of its name.

Just like that, she was all the way across the world, stepping out of green fire and walking with a few others out of the fireplace arrivals for out of town wizards and witches. She adjusted the black robes, making sure her clothing was just perfect and moving a strand of hair out from her forehead with a quick glance of a mirror. Iskandera didn't like the change in climate, it felt much colder in the north then it did her native home, and the robes which were a bit swealtery at her homeland became just what she needed to feel a bit warmer as she made her way to the trains. This was how it normally went, she walked with her head down, a purpose to her steps and a book in her hands as she ignored the odd looks and craned necks of those she passed.

She stood for a moment, waiting to enter the train station as she heard someone from behind, "Oiy!" She heard called out as she glanced back behind her shoulders to look and see a rather portly man walking towards her, finger and thumb on his chin in a pondering looking as he pointed to her and said, "...Half-Indian, and Half French, right?"

Iskandera's eyes narrowed and she shook her head, "Not even close." She said, turning around as the man looked back to his friends and gave a shrug, waddling back over to his group as she went on her way. This was a more common occurrence then she would have liked to admit, but it was amusing to see what people thought she was, and occasionally informative. She'd have never heard of the name Cheyenne if not for such an inquiry in the past, or began looking into the native indians of the americas, nor expanding into reading up on the more native and shamanistic magic practitioners in 5th year without the thought put in her head. So credit where it was do, it wasn't all bad a distraction.

And just like that, she was in the station, and onto the train to Hogwarts itself. Little else of interest to her occurring as she made her way to one of the empty cars, looking for one that corresponded to what she wanted. Finally she found it near the front of the train, car number 7, which happened to be one away from the private car of the others. She walked in, and found it vacant for the moment. She took a seat, pulled out a worn looking book, and began to simply read in silence. Her feet kicked a bit as they dangled slightly over the ground, lazily moving as she became more absorbed in her reading. Her black cat shadow climbed up onto her shoulder and laid itself around her neck, and she didn't even bat an eye as she turned the page and read more, muttering occasionally as she did so.

 

[Jason Vaiken]

Catherine just finished giving out the assignments to the prefects assigning four of them to a cart as she heard the sounds of physical contact and drawing her wand she moved towards it and saw Brodie getting pummeled and not resisting. Well, not knowing if Adam followed or heard the sounds she strides to the appropriate cart and assessing the situation quickly fires non-verbal body-binds and goes to Brodie as their bodies hit the ground.

"You alright Brodie? Where does it hurt?"

While Brodie isn't her favorite person, she does feel guilty because he couldn't defend himself because of her orders. This is showcased by a slight frown as she inspects her housemate and sees that Adam did indeed follow her.

"Adam, go and take their names down please. We'll refer them to punishment once we arrive at Hogwarts. It seems that they ambushed and attacked a fellow student? Did I get that right Adam?"

Her voice had a chilling edge to it as she shakes her head.

"30 Points From Slytherin for the physical assault of a classmate and 5 weeks of detention and I'll be sure to inform Professor Black about this. We value fraternity in this house, while some of our members make mistakes, we are a family and believe that they deserve a chance to atone. I believe that Brodie here does want to atone correct?"

She looks him in the eyes, and what they can't see is that she has her wand pressed into his gut, masked as her preparing to cast a healing charm.

 

[Cheshire]

After a few minutes of kicking and punching and giving into the slytherin's sick fun as he felt the pain reaching new heights, attempting to scream however his concern was on the puppy that he was protecting with his arms, making sure Pancake didn't get hit by the kicks flying Brodie's way. Then it stopped and Brodie dared to lift his head to see if the beating was over and seeing the stunned kids on the floor he let pancake out.

"You alright Brodie? Where does it hurt?"

"All over... Check Pancake first" Brodie stammered as he attempted to breathe normally, making sure Pancake was okay before he got up again.

"30 Points From Slytherin for the physical assault of a classmate and 5 weeks of detention and I'll be sure to inform Professor Black about this. We value fraternity in this house, while some of our members make mistakes, we are a family and believe that they deserve a chance to atone. I believe that Brodie here does want to atone correct?"

Brodie's eyes narrowed and he glared into Catherin's eyes before facing Adam offering a grin "Congrats on head boy!" He stood up, picking up Pancake carefully and making his way to one of the empty compartments, refusing Catherin's help in defiance however he did whisper a small thank you to Cat, knowing that she would hear it all too well

 

[Proleptic]

Felix Jasper Edmunds shot through the platforms of Kings Cross Station. He sprinted about with a smile on his face and an upright zeal, despite any and all odds that seemed hopelessly pitted against him. His morning had started off rather in a calamitous fashion. To ensure that his morning was stress free, his brain apparently decided he didn't need to remember to set his alarm, nor did he need to wake up at a reasonable hour of the day. Instead of waking up at nine o'clock sharp as was his routine, he rolled out of bed at a ripe ten twenty-three, just thirty-seven minutes before the train to his new school would depart.

He had shot about his small hotel, gathering up his trunk and bag and dropping them ready by the door, before scooping up some random clothes and hopping to a quick shower. He realized quickly that he had forgotten to complain about the hot water, and the icing on his terrible morning cake was extra sweet when he was greeted by an icy cold shower of suffering. He let out a loud yelp and straightened up, knocking his hairline on the shower head, and quite hard at that. He felt warm bloody begin slowly oozing from the crescent-shaped cut where he had imprinted the shower head's rim into his flesh, and let out a hiss and resisted the urge to swear.

He shut off the water, hopping out of the shower and running naked into the bedroom. He grabbed his wand, directing it towards his forehead and muttering episkey quietly. He felt the pain abate, and he moved his fingers blindly over the spot where the cut had been, smiling in relief when he felt the once again smooth skin. He kept his wand in hand, trudging back to the shower and directing his wand at the metal shower head. He turned the water on, before carefully casting a heating charm on the head until the water coming through it was steaming, but not scalding. He set his wand down on the counter and stepped in, getting to work on cleaning up.

Climbing out of the shower a few minutes later, his bad mood had entirely cleared up with the shower. He hummed quietly as he dried himself off and dressed, choosing to adorn a pair of tweed pants, a matching vest with a white shirt beneath, and a casual trenchcoat to tie it all together. He checked himself in the mirror, while he pulled on a tie, opting to go for the looser fit and a single hitch, rather than a more dressy and sophisticated knot. He turned every which way, checking himself from various angles before giving his best version of a dashing, friendly smile. "It's gonna be a good day," he said to himself as he grabbed his wand off the counter and stowed it in his coat pocket.

He dashed out of the bathroom, strolling quickly over to the door with his luggage, grabbing his watch off his bedside table on the way and fastening it to his wrist. Felix stopped by his trunk, pulling his wand out and throwing his backpack over his shoulder before setting his hand on the trunk. He lifted it, with difficulty, and stepped forward into a turn. He felt a familiar tug in his gut, and heard a distinctive rush of wind in his ears. His vision distorted and devolved into a confusing assortment of colors and shapes, all of them blurred, and he suddenly felt his feet hit solid ground again, one foot in a mop bucket and the other in a trashcan.

Felix shook himself slightly and grimaced at his entrance. He was about to step out of the bucket when the door opened suddenly. Felix widened his eyes at the sudden action, and mentally prepared an explanation for what he was doing in a janitor's closet. Before he could even begin speaking, a man in a grubby navy blue jumpsuit tossed a wet mop into the room, smacking Felix in the face with the soaking tendrils before he crashed to the floor, smearing all over his clothes in the process. Felix stood with a stunned expression as the door was slammed in his face, the man never having even looked into the room. "Who just tosses a mop in the janitor's closet like that?" Felix remarked with bewilderment and mild irritation at his predicament.

He became quite aware a moment later of the water seeping into his boots, and he stepped out of the bucket and trashcan, checking his watch. His eyes widened when he realized he had just three minutes to board the train, and he threw the door open, accidentally slamming it into the janitor who stood just outside still. "Sorry!" he called out behind him while he ran awkwardly with his luggage. He hobbled along, wand in hand and trunk clutched tightly to his chest, looking at the platform numbers as he went along. When he hit platform nine and ten, he ran without pause at the daunting brick barrier that would supposedly take him to the Hogwarts express, platform nine and three-quarters, as it was called.

He slammed smoothly into the barrier, not colliding as would be expected, but instead sinking into the stone and emerging into a bright, smokey area beyond the pillar. A scarlet train bearing the Hogwarts crest sat proudly on the tracks. The majesty of the moment was slightly ruined by the fact that the train was pulling away, and anyone not on it was about to be left behind. Felix broke into a sprint as the train picked up speed, and he threw himself at one of the doors, wand pointed at the closed door and desperately calling on some magic to open it. The doors flung themselves open just before he was set to collide with them, and he tumbled to the floor with the doors slamming shut behind him as the train was engulfed by the concrete tunnel.

Felix laid on the floor, breathing heavily and letting his body cool down. A slight sheen of sweat was broken across his face, and streaks of murky brown dirt were smeared from the mop. Felix craned his head up to look at his clothes, and found them in a similar state to his face. Felix closed his eyes and let his head fall to the floor of the car, letting out one final sigh as his breathing returned to normal. "Just made it," he said with relief. He let himself lay for a few minutes while his thinking returned to a stress-free and normal jumble. He idly wondered why none of the no-majs had even noticed him sinking into a brick barrier, but dismissed it as a charm to make them not notice it.

Felix decided it was about time to find a seat, and pushed himself to his feet, dragging his trunk along with him and opening random compartment doors to check their occupancy. All of them seemed to be full, so he just kept walking until he came to a particularly lively area. One boy, approximately his own age, was making his way through a compartment of several other boys with jeering expressions plastered over their faces. The kicked and punched him, beating on him as he walked through the area to the locked door at the end of the hall. The door snapped suddenly open with a severe looking girl in the opening.

Her eyes shot daggers at the crowd, and with a flourish of her wand there were four neatly done incarcerous charms on the students responsible for the beating. Felix stood with a surprised expression on his face while she assigned the students to detention, before term even began, mind you. Felix was slightly surprised at just how hard she was coming down on them, as he had always heard that discipline at Hogwarts was incredibly lax, even more so than at Ilvermorny. He assumed she was the equivalent of Ilvermorny's house presidents, though he hadn't the slightest idea what she would be called here. Her demeanor while she was dishing out the punishments was scarily reminiscent of Headmistress Prichett when she was angry.

He chose the moment when she concerned herself with the beaten student to interject and make his presence known. He walked through the compartment of bound bullies with a bright smile, throwing about apologies as he inevitably stepped on a few toes, and was about to reach the door of the compartment with the severe girl in it when he was suddenly tripped. He went flying quickly for the floor, but a human mass intercepted him as he crashed hard into the girl in charge. He continued to go crashing into the floor, landing on his trunk in the doorway between the two compartments. He shook himself after falling, slightly discombobulated from the sudden fall.

He scrambled to his feet, letting the trunk remain on the ground, and looked to the girl before him, offering an outstretched hand with a kind and apologetic smile. "Hi, I'm Felix. Sorry about that, by the way. I tripped," he said with a giggle. He was hopelessly clumsy, and had a knack for crashing into people. He wasn't expecting a very warm and welcoming response from the girl, but he'd be nice anyway. He had conveniently forgotten about the fact that his entire outfit and face were smeared in dirty mop water, and his curly hair was careening about every which way from the events of the morning. Such was the life of Felix Jasper Edmunds.

 

[Jason Vaiken]

She paused to let Brodie pass by her as she realized that a new kid was walking by, her eyes made cursory glances at him. He's wearing a pair of tweed pants, a matching vest with a white shirt beneath, and a casual trench-coat to tie it all together, the tie is more casual, but still, he's looking... well from what she knows from her short journey's through the muggle world that the cut of the coat and vest are a little dated, not by much but still, it's his face that provokes the more immediate reaction. Oh, that's right, he is the transfer student from America. Great, so she doesn't have to track him down- then the guy tripped and to Catherine's horror he somehow managed to propel himself into her.

"Oomf," Catherine by nature is graceful, yet even she has trouble getting tackled gracefully. As her derriere hit the floor she flushed a bit at the situation, here she was acting all tough and imperious and this newcomer came and knocked her on her... bum. She couldn't help but smile a bit as he races to his feet and offers to help her. "Hi, I'm Felix. Sorry about that, by the way. I tripped," he said with a giggle. She's unsure if the giggle is mocking or not, or just out of nerves, but she decides to give him the benefit of the doubt.

She reached out to take his hand and then was hauled to her feet.

Something felt wrong though as she touched her robes to straighten them, they appeared a bit... wet. Her smile faded for a second before she let out her normal fetching laugh.

"Adam, dear, it appears that you are now the second boy to drench me." She smiles at him, a real smile and looks over the boy who helped her to her feet.

"Nice to meet you Felix, I have the pleasure of being Catherine Marie-Josephine Rémond, Head Girl, Prefect of Hogwarts, and a member of House Slytherin. I'm to upon arrival at Hogwarts, show you around the school and acquaint you with the people that make up this great sanctuary of the magical arts. Now, walk with me a bit, I'll introduce you to some important people, namely the prefects, club heads, and if you are willing, the Quidditch Captains."

At the end of this, she raises an eyebrow and tilts her head inquisitively a small friendly smile on her face.

After all, the ball is now on his court. Accidents happen and she knows he didn't mean to bump into her. But she must remember to send him the bill for her laundry. For her robes are certainly not cheap and the laundry expense is exorbitant.

Also, she must pay a visit to some of her friends(?) later and then rush off to go and reserve the pitch for Slytherin. She then needs to go and create flyers for the dueling and charms club and quite simply do a thousand and one things. So if he doesn't take her up on her offer, perhaps it would be for the best.

 

[Talon maara]

The morning had come and well Chris had become quit nervous once again. His heart raced as he stood amidst the trains cars, swiftly searching for his own space upon one of its seats. Chris didnt seem to like the presence of others for personal reasons.

His heart fell of beat once he spotted an opening and took it. Closing the door behind him just as fast as he had opened it he sat placing his quit large owl Samsyn beside him.

Rummaging through his belongings he pulled out his ravenclaw clothing identifiers and emplaced them on his person. He had been in a rush all morning getting his luggage ready and somehow managed to forget to actually prepare for school.

He never brung much personal items with him, and what he did bring was just a large assortment of various books on spells, potions and well charms but little on the typical young students side of sweets or even extra and "unnecessary clothing" as the young man seen it.

Even though he didnt like to be bothered or even be in the presence of others he did infact miss his interactions with other beings that could truly reply. He even sometimes missed being made fun of at times, just so he could feel seen and like he existed. But when those feeling arose they would rapidly fade away after remember how hurtful others could be.

Alone he sat glancing at the empty surrounding seat then out the window, pondering if this year would be any different than the last few years. Either way he was unsure.

 

[Shalken]

Whitney Cottrell splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up more fully. Today was the day - the day she'd been waiting for the entire summer. No longer would she have to work her dull summer job as a nanny. Now she could return to Hogwarts and the magical world. As excited as she was to go back to school, however, Whit couldn't help having mixed feelings about leaving her mum behind. Her dad had been enlisted into the military, and now Whit was going away for an extended period of time as well.

Finishing her light makeup, she packed up the last of her toiletries, returning to her trunk to stuff them in. Triple-checking all of her belongings, she pulled out a small box that contained her beloved ring. After debating a few moments in her mind, Whit took it out and placed it onto her finger. Today was a special day, right? Grasping the cage that held her beloved bat, Ziggy, she secured it to the top of her cart. Squeaking in protest at his confinement, she smirked in amusement. "I know, Ziggs, it gets cramped in there. Don't worry, it's only 'til we get to Hogwarts." Though still not entirely happy with his condition, he quieted down somewhat as the girl headed down the hall towards the fireplace. From somewhere else in the house, a voice echoed, "Sneaking off already?" "Of course not, mum!" When her mother made her way to the living room, Whitney rushed into her embrace. "You know I'd never leave without saying goodbye." Stepping back, Whit added, "I'll have an owl stop by every morning to pick up the papers. I'll make sure to write you often! I'll add some of those moving pictures you're so fond of, too." Smiling, Mrs. Cottrell replied, "That would be lovely, dear. Now go, before you're late!"

Stepping back and grasping the cart tightly, Whit gave her mother one last smile as she grasped a handful of floo powder from a small pouch in her luggage. Even though she had earned her Apparition license, she did not feel comfortable enough to Apparate such a long distance. Stepping onto the ashes and grasping her cart tightly, she threw down the powder and articulated, "The Leaky Cauldron!"

Her mother and cozy living room vanished before her in a burst of green flames. The quiet of her home was quickly replaced with the hustle and bustle of the famous pub. Stepping out of the fireplace, she gulped and shut her eyes tight, a bead of sweat appearing on her forhead. Okay, here goes. Focusing with all her might on a small alleyway beside King's Cross Station, Whit's body lurched suddenly as she struggled to keep a tight grasp on her cart. Moments later, she exhaled sharply, having landed exactly where she wanted to go. Happy to realize nothing had been left behind, she then addressed Ziggy who was squeaking incessantly. "I'm sorry, I know you hate it when I do that!" Wasting no time, Whitney pushed her cart inside, winding her way about the bustling crowds and offering plenty of apologies along the way. "Pardon! 'Scuse me! Sorry!"

Finally making her way to platform 9, she charged at the usual wall separating it from platform 10. As the world suddenly changed from muggle to magical, she realized with a twinge that this would be the last time she'd cross through that barrier as a student. Not pausing to reminisce long, Whitney continued on, stopping by the porters to drop off her luggage. Poking a strand of grapes through Ziggy's cage, she stepped onto the train to find a cabin.

After several minutes of wandering down the long corridors, the train had already lurched into motion and she still had yet to find a cabin with empty space. Almost giving up at this point, she noticed a commotion a bit further ahead. Slowly approaching the gathering, she noticed a rather beat-up boy pushing his way out of the crowd. After a closer look, she recognized it as Brodie, the boy that was single-handedly responsible for Gryffindor's victory the previous year. Amidst the crowd, she though she spotted a few other familiar faces, but until people started to move away, she decided to stay put.

 

[Vosrik]

Catherine entered the Prefect cabin first, with Adam following behind. He gently placed Cyra and her cage up in the compartment above his seat, feeling slightly out of place as he was still in his casual muggle garb, although with the Head Boy badge pinned hastily to his chest.

Clearly, Catherine was going to be the one in control of the two Heads. Swiftly and confidently assigning Prefects their cabins and duties, there was nothing much left for Adam to do than sit and twiddle his thumbs in silent agreement. He paused her just before their briefing concluded, hushing them all as he listened. Something had caught the Ravenclaw's attention, and clearly a scene was occurring in another nearby cabin.

"We should go check--" he began, but Catherine was already on the scene, busting out of the Prefect cabin and rushing towards the noises of dull thumping. Pursing his lips, Adam followed suit and drew his wand in anticipation. Cyra cooed with interest from her perch as he exited, and he round the corner swiftly enough to witness the horrible beating being laid into Brodie.

Bah, typical Slytherin students, Adam thought as the Head Girl smoothly incapacitated the offenders. Pulling out a small notepad from the inside pocket of his pea coat to transcribe their names, he replied "...well, I mean, appearances alone it might..." Adam then clamped his mouth shut as Blair, Connell, Amos, and Herny all had their punishments dished out on the spot. Their eyes widened and a spew of complaints poured forth from the four boys. Adam shook his head and raised a hand to silence them, waving his wand and releasing them from the Incarcerous spell placed on them.

"Just...head on back to your cabins. No more fooling about today."

Sighing, Adam returned the notepad and wand to his pocket just as Felix made his rather dynamic entry into Catherine. He would have offered to help up the Head Girl if the exchange student hadn't already. The Chadwick looked upon the American boy with a newfound appreciation. Clearly they taught some sort of chivalry across the sea. Catherine's next offhanded comment, clearly referring to the dreadfully embarrassing date the two had gone on years before, caused Adam to grimace and turn an exceptionally putrid shade of red. As the four Slytherin boys had only just left, but were most likely in earshot of the comment, the Ravenclaw didn't wait to be further reminded of the experience with anyone's questions. Turning in place, he abruptly exited the cabin and nearly bumped right into Whitney.

"S-sorry," Adam gasped, his heart skipping a beat at the sudden sight of yet another pretty girl on the train. Scooting around the Gryffindor, he returned to the relative safety of the private Prefect cabin. Cyra flapped happily at his return, and Adam noticed that the Hogwarts Express had started moving some time ago. Reaching up to the cage, he unlocked it and the Barn Owl hopped onto the Head Boy's shoulder as he sat in his seat. Protruding Astralaria from its comfortable place in his pocket, Adam took a moment to calm his mind and gazed into the beautiful case of the pocket watch. Today, it displayed the sun in perfect clarity. He smiled, tilting the cherished heirloom to see the rest of the blue sky and some puffy clouds in the distance. For a moment, he was at peace again.

 

[Jason Vaiken]

Theme

Flashes of light, thunder, cracks like lightning and the whoosh of flames fill the air as the Aurors of The Department of Magical Law Enforcement engage a horde of Inferi, Giants and Dark Wizards in a flurry of vicious magic. Due to the sheer amount of enemies facing this group of 20 Aurors, the Aurors no longer are going for detaining, they just want to survive at this stage. Giants roar and Inferi shamble on silently as this clump of 12 Aurors fight side by side, providing a unified wall of magic and supporting one another against a group of 24 Dark Wizards, 4 Giants, and 5 dozen Inferi.

One by one, the Aurors have begun to take down the Dark Wizards 12 of whom were incapacitated and 6 from the looks of it dead, due to how the Inferi are shambling towards them. Many of his fellow Aurors are wounded in some manner and of the 12 on the ground 2 went down with grunts and screams as spells hit them, but from the way they are still breathing it seems that they are-

"BONES AND YOU LOT! GET DOWN!"

Without further ado, Frederick Bones dropped to the ground as he heard Edward Lionheart and his compatriots on brooms roar, "CONFRIGO!" and a ball of flame exploded burning a clump of Inferi and they then zoomed off for another pass. Quickly rising to his feet he stunned and bound his shell-shocked opponent and moved to quickly support his comrades, well that was the plan until his eye caught a rock hurling at him and he and his compatriot to the left of him roared, "ARRESTO MOMENTUM!" and stopped the rock and then threw it back at the giant at twice its original speed and both watched with a grim satisfaction as it caved in its head.

Soon this vicious battle was winding to a close as the last of the inferi were destroyed by the flying Aurors, the Dark Wizards overwhelmed by the sheer volume of spells being cast against them, and the Giants brought down by a concentrated barrage of lethal magic.

Taking a moment to collect themselves the Aurors still on their feet go and collect their prisoners, all of them seeming to be from Central Europe and with nothing ore than a cursory glance their boss Edward Lionheart glances at them and orders a detail to escort them back to the Ministry for interrogation. By the end of it the 12 Aurors on the ground are reduced to 8, all of whom are wounded in some fashion. The senior Auror of the operation Edward Lionheart dismounted his broom and immediately began to bark orders.

"Bones, go and check on the wounded and make sure they're still breathing, you lot on brooms, go back and escort the train in, and finally the rest of you- make sure the Inferi are all gone and decapitate those giants, we don't want them to pose a further threat to us is that not so!"

"Yes sir!" Came the response of the aurors as they went off to do their tasks and Frederick checked the wounded, he glances over casting healing charms and stabilizing them for St. Mungos.

Frederick glanced over at Lionheart, "Boss, they are good, stable and ready for transport."

"I'll take care of it Bones, I'll need to see the chief, anyway, 'ow's the shoulder?"

"It's fine sir, I can mange."

"Right then, You go on and catch up to the others and go in and make sure those kids make it to school in one piece."

"It's going to be a lot worse is it boss?"

"Aye, Bones, it's only the beginning."

-A Few Moments Later-
​

Frederick Bones can't help but grin at the sight of the Hogwarts express chugging its way along to Hogwarts as he tracks it in the air, his cut shoulder wrapped up as happier memories came flowing back.

The sight of the Great Hall when Ravenclaw won the House Cup.

Playing Quidditch with Friends

Kissing a certain someone at Yule and then something more...

And many many more of these wonderful memories came and went as he took a break from the last few months of stress and fear. These series of skirmishes have been happening more and more lately, the Dark Creatures and Dark Wizards have begun to slip slowly into Britain and have caused much grief. Seeing that he's been in a state of near constant combat since his completion of the training programme, his boss Edward Lionheart decided to give him the more peaceful task of guarding his old school, yet the problem was that she's still here. And the way things ended, he might just end up having to fight for his life again. For, the last time they spoke, she was furious... It wasn't his fault, it was a terrible misunderstanding, and this time, he has a way to prove it...

He can't help but grin as he knows the train is getting nearer and nearer to Hogwarts. Then his grin fades knowing that he is totally, totally going to possibly get hexed.

Spoiler

//OOC Frederick Bones Faceclaim: Henrik Lundqvist the New York Rangers' Goalie.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

Iskandera had a slight blush on her face, and her eyes were scanning intently on the words of the book as she looked at them more and more. Finally a growl from her own stomach got her attention as she looked down to herself, putting a hand to it as she closed her book and set it beside herself. She looked around the cart she was in, seeing it filled with people and went to stand, stopping as her cat stretched and jumped off of her shoulders, shadow taking her seat as she gave a grumble.

Iskandera walked over towards the entrance of the cart as the train began to go forward, opening it up as she wondered when the food trolley would arrive. As if on time, she saw it round the corner and walked over to it. She saw a new item that made her raise her brow, "Chocolate frogs?" She asked curiously, the vendor looking at her with a smile as he spoke.

"They're all the rage right now. Just got a shipment of them yesterday. They're a good hit with the younger ones, and you get a card with every frog you buy." The man said as he opened one of the packages, a small frog of brown color looking around as he quickly grabbed it. He took a bite of its head as it twitched in its death throttles, a chocolate filling pouring from the harder chocolate center. "It's just animated chocolate, completely safe to eat."

She looked to the frog with disgust, shaking her head as she turned around. It was time for her to have to do her duties anyway, 'Just as it was getting to the good part.' she thought as she went to the first car away from the prefects section, giving a knock on the door before opening it to look inside, looking in to see if the people inside were behaving themselves.

 

[Eccles]

After regretfully putting away his book and changing into his Slytherin robes, Alden started his dreadful journey patrolling towards the back of the train. Conventiently skipping the commotion just outside the prefect's cabin, Catherine had that...well, handled. He wasn't sure what he thought about the head girl dishing out punishments and charms like that when the train had barely left London station, but then again, it wasn't for him to argue the matter. He had the worst punishment of all this summer, prefect, a cruel joke by Scrigemeour for sure, yet no doubt meant in an effort to have him evolve as a more socially responsible wizard. Turning away from the commotion, Alden almost bumped into a Gryffindor girl "Sorry," he recognized her, "W-Whit." Alden couldn't help but smile apologetically, something he rarely did, if only because a Pureblood in his family wasn't supposed to be so kind towards a muggle. He and Whitney were somewhat alike, both being introverted and with Alden's sudden interest in potions and Whit being the president of the Potions Club also shared an interest, yet Alden had never been able to built up the courage to talk to her.

Brushing passed her without another word, he began to stroll down the cabins until he spotted a cabin with first years that were making a mess, throwing candy wrappers on the ground and besmudging the seats with chocolate. Sighing for the fact he now had a responsibility to act, Alden got his wand from his pocket and as he entered said "Scourgify" in a loud threatening way. The first years, all muggles by the look of their clothing, gasped in shock when they saw him pointing his wand in their direction. It may have been a shock at first, much Alden's desired effect, but once they noticed the squeeky clean cabin they cheered in awe and started asking him all kinds of questions. "Can you teach me that spell?" a boy asked as he pulled on Alden's sleeve, "No. Now change into your robes."

"Oh look at that!" another cried of joy as they spotted a man flying a broomstick. The attention suddenly shifted away from Alden, who felt strangely insulted, as the group pressed their noses against the window to watch the auror fly alongside the train. "I want to fly, too." Alden took this opportunity to back away and leave the cabin unnoticed. Almost, he thought. It wouldn't be long now before he was back in the Slytherin Common Room reading his book in front of the fireplace, wholly content to be skipping any additional prefect duties.

 

[Tristar]

Oliver could hardly be blamed for taking the inconspicuous route in life; there was no good in being caught in everybody's trouble unless you could milk favours from the person. Do that though, and he would bet a galleon someone was going to talk behind your back. Reputation, reputation, reputation; it could make or break a person and for the child of Liverpool? Reputation was how he went about in life. The train bustled with activity as his carriage slowly filled up with students, each greeted by their friends with news of home and of trips they had been on. Quite frankly, he should be there, greeting and mingling with the students. It was a good way to sow seeds in their minds, slowly blooming to flowers of admiration and belief in him.

It had worked with the faculty, he didn't see why it wouldn't work on mere children too. Sighing to himself, the young man stood up from his seat, dusting the knees of his robes. A sudden shift in as the train started to move unbalanced him, and with little grace he fell to the ground of his compartment grunting in pain as he knocked his head against the window. Oliver grumbled about moving trains and warnings, pulling out a long thin stick from under his robes and pointed at the back of his head, muttering 'Episkey' as he stood back up.

Slowly, the throbbing dulled to a distant memory. What a way to start the day of his last journey to Hogwarts; his last year, last opportunity to tie up loose ends, strengthen future bonds and most importantly? Actually find out what he wanted to do after leaving the life of a student. He couldn't always stay a potions dealer sealing love and luck on the side street to anyone who'd look his way; profits were almost always too small to make a difference.

Sniffing the air, he turned his head over as someone knocked on the door before immediately swinging it open. His first impressions of the tanned woman before him was that she was indian, like some of the photographs his mother had from her trip to India with her father many years ago. But the facial structure didn't match anything he had seen of the Eastern Asian exotics, so he was forced to reevaluate his position. "'llo." he greeted nonchalantly, ignoring the fact that his hair was a right mess from the fall.

"Na' loo'in fer any'n are youz? 's joost me 'n 'ere. 'er welcomed to join if y'need a seat 'n dat." Oliver's scouse accent was a horrid thing to hear firsthand, not that he personally had anything against it. It only added to the charm of his persona. Frankly, everyone else was over exaggerating. "D'ye know if tha' *cehrts com'n 'round? Cauld use a **Butty, bluddy starvin'."

*Cart.
**Sandwich.

 

[Talon maara]

In deep thought as he read each word conteplating its meaning, his attention was soon drawn to loud cracks and pops from outside the already moving locomotive known as Hogwarts Express. Hit bookmarks were emplaced as he jumped to his feet and began to scan the sky.

'Thunder?'

The question ran through his mind, as he realized there wasnt many darker clouds to be seen. His ears tentatively listened as more could be heard off in the distance. This sound was very familiar to the student, his ears slowly reared back realizing he had heard them resinate from his own wand once or twice.

'What in the...'

He muttered only to jump back a step as he vividly seen a broom stick flash by the train itself.

"Merlins beard?!"

He yelped only to jump in fear as the carts door rapidly and loudly opened causing the boy to swiftly turn around. Only to see the trolly cart aproach he again looked out the window only this time to see or hear nothing.

"Did you see th....."

He stopped in his tracks realizing it could of been his fearful emotions and imagination causing these illusions on his eyes. Slowly turning he over looked the carts sweets with a smile he looked it deeply up and down. Choosing a few snacks for the ride he paid a good amount enough for him and another but only to sit once again by himself eating alone.

 

[Phantom]

Sara had gotten to the platform well before ost people. She couldn't wait to get back to school. Wierd thing to hear a teenager say, huh? She had gotten her stuff into the luggage cart, and sat near the entrance until it was time to board. Not just 10 minutes into the ride, commotion had already started with a young slitherin boy getting beat up by his fellow housemates.

She preferred to stay away from violence, so here she was. Sara sat in the hallway of a cart, so far no prefects had bothered her. She usually wouldn't break rules like this, but she just wanted to be alone on this train ride. She had her flute in her hand, twirling it lightly. The car she was in was quite rowdy. She had the feeling that one of the head students would be walking around, trying to calm the students. So, she started to play something her mother had taught her. As the song ensued, the students began to calm down, works every time,she thought.