Re: Harry Potter Without Harry Potter (Role Playing Thread)

[Cerani]

"Mm?" Alessia turned about to see the boy from earlier addressing her. She hadn't even seen any owls yet . . . but he'd know more about them, probably. "Oh, hi. I kinda have a question."

She looked in the direction she heard low hoots from, and glanced back at Quinn. "Do you know which kind of owl would be best?"

[Xenosaga]

"Umm. . . . . ." Rosa shuffled forward now that Jared was done, hands clasped behind her back. Nervously, she glanced over at the boxes before quickly looking back at Ollivander. "I hope I don't break anything?" At this, the old wand maker laughed.

"Oh, not to worry. Happens all the time," he said amiably and was off. "Here. Let's try this one. Cherry and Unicorn hair. Ten inches." Rosa nodded, hesitantly taking hold of the wand. As if gathering up her courage, she took a moment before waving it.

Instantly, the window shattered.

"Well, at least no one's hurt," Ollivander said, taking the wand out of a frozen Rosa's hand before sticking in a different one. "Yew and Dragon heartstring. Eight and a half inches." Twitching slightly, the young girl gave it a stiff wave. The sound of something in the back crashing to the floor could be heard. "No, I suppose not." He swiped the wand and stuck in another one. "Rosewood and Dragon heartstring. Nine inches."

Squeezing her eyes shut, she didn't want to see what sort of mess she would make this time, Rosa waved it. Hearing nothing, she timidly opened one eye. And promptly dropped the wand in shock. She had just turned Ollivander's white hair blue.

"Interesting. I think we're getting close," the old man didn't seem fazed by this outcome and instead thrust into her arms another wand. "Rosewood and Unicorn hair. Ten and a quarter inches." Rosa tightened her lips and breathing out slowly, grasped hold of the wand. Suddenly, a calming feeling filled her and she blinked. Feeling confident, she gently raised it and gave it a wave. Instantly, a trail of white light fell from the tip, reminding Rosa of an aurora.

". . . . . Cool," was all she could say, at a loss for words.

"A very nice wand indeed. It's made of Rio rosewood, a very rare type. Took me quite a bit to get my hands on it," Ollivander said, smiling. "Rosewood is known for its density and overall hardness. Put together with Unicorn hair, your wand will be quite hard to break. I'll be shocked if you ever have to come for a new one because this one broke."

"I'll try to be careful with it," Rosa promised. "Thank you very much. Oh, um, it's 7 galleons right?" Digging into her robe, she was only able to hold four and hand it off before having to dig back in and bring out the last three.

"Thank you for your patronage," the old man said. "And do tell your brother to take good care of his wand. Yew and Dragon string at 11 inches, if I remember correctly."

"Yes sir," Rosa nodded. "Have a good day sir." Bowing, Rosa turned and walked over to Jared. "Um. . . . . . Shall we go outside?"

[Greycat]

I nodded and, taking her hand, headed out. Rosa certainly had a special way with wands. The window, the stock and Mr Ollivander's hair. I idly wondered it I could have had Mom change my hair that easily and avoid the concoction incident. Not that it mattered. I liked the results. I spotted Mom (her muffler was hard to miss) getting my robes, so I struck that from my list.

I fingered the wand in my pocket. I loved everything about it. The wood even had a greenish brown color, and contrasting light brown swirling grains. It definitely lived up to Mr Ollivander's reputation. I was desperate to try a spell, but with the trace, i good only sneak off one when Mom was around... or wait till school. I trembled slight and pulled my hand from my pocket, with some effort, to reduce the temptation.

"Hey, Rosa," I asked her as the door swung shut behind us. "What do you have left to buy? I can follow you around."

[Xenosaga]

Being dragged out of the shop, Rosa nearly dropped her new wand and blinked rapidly. Regaining her bearings, she quickly pulled her hand from the boy's grasp, staring. For a moment, she looked lost. Then, she blinked again.

"Sorry," she said curtly, raising a hand. "My mom probably already brought everything for me while I was getting my new wand." As if expecting her mother to pop up out of nowhere, Rosa went on the tips of her toes and began attempting to look over the heads of the other shoppers. Seeing as she was probably half the size of most of them, her attempts ended in failure. Frowning slightly, she stopped. It was hurting her toes. "She's pretty efficient like that."

Rosa paused. That made her mother sound like a machine or a servant. She tapped her chin. She would need to use a new word. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. Nothing came. Deciding to leave it alone for the day, she could try again some other time, Rosa carefully tucked her wand into her robe pocket.

"Do you want to go check out the joke shops?" she inquired, looking back up. "Gambol and Japes have been around for a while but I heard the Weasley's have much more interesting items." She tapped her chin in thought. "Or, we could go to Florean's. There's been an ice cream topping I've been wanting to try. I should have maybe some Sickles somewhere. . . . ."

[Greycat]

"Florean's is cool," I said. I really wanted to check out the Weasley's place. A cousin of mine and a few of his friends went there last year and they were still raving about it. But Rosa's mother sounder very... strict. Not the type to let her daughter explore a prank and job shop. Besides, my cousin also raved about Florean's too. According the her, the double fudge cone was to die for. True, rumor said it was never as great as it used to be since Mr Florean was killed, it was still great.

I glanced around and spotted Mom heading into the depths of the robe shops. Most likely to follow up on he fashion deviations. I wouldn't be seeing her for another half hour or so. Leaving me free to hang out with my new friend. I let her lead to way to Florean's though, considering her apparent lack of balance.

[Silver]

"I believe they all are good at their job. But I think which one you get is preference. A Pygmy Owl is always cool, my cousin had one. Of course you decide. The Owls are over there."

Without giving the girl much time to respond, Quinn moved them both over to the Owls. Though it was no Owl Emporium, the Magical Menagrie had almost every type and color of owl you could want. I smiled down at Gale, who was busy grooming herself.

But his attention snapped back into place as he heard the other owls who and move around somewhat uncomfortably. Among the ones available, Quinn saw three pygmies that he had mentioned earlier. There were always plenty of snowy owls. Then there were barn and barred and some were even charmed with different colors beyond normal standard. Pointing at one, he turned to Alessia.

"This one looks good. What do you think?"

[Cerani]

Alessia followed Quinn quietly, wondering at all the creatures she saw. When he pointed one out in particular, she smiled. It was a beautiful tawny owl, with dark golden feathers and honey-colored eyes. "He's perfect." Someone behind her snickered. Alessia turned to see a snivelly looking boy, the one who was making the snickers.

"That's a girl!" he said and guffawed. Alessia turned a slight of pink and frowned at him. "Well, either way, she is still perfect! So-so shutup!" Shutup? Well, it wasn't the best of comebacks, but it seemed to work as the boy slinked away at her sudden anger. Alessia still had no idea how he knew it was a girl, but she find out sooner or later, maybe a little research when she got home.

Alessia picked up its cage and cheerily bounced up to the cashier (did they still call them cashiers?) and set the wire cage on the counter. "I want this one."

"That one? Six Galleons and thirteen Sickles." He waited expectantly as Alessia fumbled about, trying to figure out which of the coins were Sickles. She grabbed six of the gold ones and an indeterminate amount of the others, hoping it would be enough. He took the Galleons and a handful of the silver ones, and smiled at her. "Have a good day miss."

Alessia put the coins back in the bag and grinned back. "You too." As Alessia turned, she was truck by the sight of at least three dozen cats and kittens. "Wow!" Alessia suddenly flashed a cute grin and played with a couple of the kittens in their cage.

[Silver]

"I figured you would like her."

Quinn spoke a little more carefully this time. He didn't expect another kid to come up to him as the brat had to Alessia. But he had to be careful, anything he said or did could be put in the daily prophet if it caused a scene. And he didn't really feel like causing a scene, not before he had his powers.

As Alessia moved over to the Cats he smiled. He too had wanted a cat, but his mom prefered an Owl for him. The family already had several cats, but their owl for mail had become too old to deliver any packages. So, Gale would take his position.

"Liking any of them?"

[Xenosaga]

"Hey, I got ten Sickles!" Rosa exclaimed, pulling out said coins. ". . . . I think." Pausing for a moment, she stared at the pile of coins, mentally counting them. After recounting them in her head at least three times, she frowned. "Why do I keep counting ten, then nine, then eleven, then ten again . . . . .? Oh, I doubled counted one. Oh, this one's hidden under this one. . . . ." Suddenly realizing what she was doing, Rosa snapped back into attention. "Waaahh, sorry! I get easily distracted!" Stuffing the coins back into her robe pocket, she flashed Jared a grin. "Alright then, off we go!"

Punching a fist in the air, she began walking through the streets with confidence. It was only seconds later that she deflated and completely stopped. Turning to her companion, she clasped her hands behind her back and shuffled her feet. Her eyes were lowered to the ground and her lips were pursed strangely.

". . . . . I don't know where it is," she admitted, still looking down. The stone pavement actually looked kind of interesting. It was a nice shiny grayish sort of color. She poked it with her toe.

[Greycat]

I watched Rosa's antics with varying emotions. First, with friendly interest. People miscount money. Then, with a slight grin. When she started walking, fists pumping and all, I could only stare in disbelief. In the end, I had face palmed and my shoulders heaved with suppressed snickers. Moments like these were priceless. It took my a few moments to regain my composer, but when I did, I kept a straight face and grasped her hand.

"It's this way," I said calmly. "I pasted it on the way to Gringotts." I made sure he hand was tightly gripped in mine. I couldn't be sure that she wouldn't get lost or something. After that performance, I couldn't put anything past her. But, see did manage to look cute through the whole thing. But, I still thought she was a strange girl.

[Xenosaga]

"Oh, right, sorry," Rosa apologized, allowing herself to be led away. As they walked, she kept turning her head from side to side in an attempt to memorize the route. Her mother was always scolding her for her bad memory. Or maybe it was because she just didn't pay enough attention. One of the two.

As she looked around, she suddenly caught a glimpse of her mother in the crowd. As if sensing her gaze, her mother turned and caught sight of her. Instantly, the woman began making her way toward them and Rosa brightened, waving at her.

"Hi, Mama!" she called, voice echoing through the crowd. Forcing Jared to stop, she pointed at her mother. "That's my Mama. You still that basket hanging off her arm? That's my kitty. I haven't named him yet but it's going to be a name that fits him. What sort of pet do you have? Or did you not get one? If we get into the same House, will you help take care of him with me?"

[Greycat]

"Your mom?" I squeaked. She looked like a rather severe lady. I hastily but some order to my hair. My hair was always messy. Not that I cared... but my mom always threaten to chance it for it's current nice green color to a dull brown or black if I didn't try to keep it in order at times.

"I have a cat too," I said, answering Rosa's question. "Her name's Gabby. A tabby. She is supposed to be two, but I don't think she ages as fast as other cats." I smiled as I thought of Gabby. Sure, she could be a pain at times, but she was generally lovable, even if she held grudges. Mom often mused that their might be some Kneazle in her blood. But Rosa's cat did look cute. Like a ball of black fur with large yellow eyes. It made me feel a bit nostalgic.

"Good Afternoon, Ma'am," I said with my best smile. I even gave her my most polite look, glassy green eyes closed just enough that it doesn't resemble a wide eyed gaze, but open enough that it didn't look suspicious, shifty or sneaky.

[Xenosaga]

"I see you made a new friend," her mother commented, staring down at the boy. However, with the way she stood, it seemed more like she was towering over the male, giving off a rather dark sort of aura. Rosa, oblivious to it all, smiled and nodded her head.

"His name's Jared!" she introduced, tugging the basket with her kitty away from her mother. "Jared. . . . . Jared. . . . . something." Too distracted was she by her little napping kitten that she forgot her friend's last name. "We were just about to go to Florean's for ice cream. Did you buy all my stuffs?"

"I still have one more stop to go," her mother answered. "And you'll be coming with me this time. Also, put the bag with your robes in here." She held open a small bag. Rosa complied, dropping the bag into the smaller bag. It seemed to disappear into its depths but Rosa wasn't paying too much attention to it. She was too busy watching her kitten nap.

"Can we get ice cream first?" the child asked, still staring at her pet. Her mother looked at her and then seemed to stare down at Jared out of the corner of her eye.

". . . . . . A small break wouldn't hurt," her mother finally agreed. She then turned to her daughter's companion. "Come. I shall pay your share as well." About to walk off, the woman paused and turned back. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot. Thank you for looking after my daughter. She is quite troublesome, is she not?"

Rosa stiffened but said nothing, her back toward the two as she stuck out her tongue a little.

[Cerani]

"Yes, quite." Alessia giggled when one of the kittens suddenly pounced on the other after it had pushed the others out of its way to Alessia's hand. She was considering buying one when she looked at the price: 20 Galleons. Looking in her bag, it didn't seem like there were that many gold coins in it. Ah well, she shouldn't spend too much anyways. Her mother would get on to her for wasting money.

Alessia was about to leave when the cashier called her. "Uh, miss? Don't you want to buy any food for your owl?" Alessia shook her head at him and waved at Quinn. Her father would know what to feed the owl and how to take care of it, he was a veterinarian.

"No thanks, and I'll see you later Quinn." With that, she exited the shop and wandered about until she made herself check her list once more. She'd bought some potions supplies while at Potage's, but there were some things she was missing. After that, the only thing left was her wand. 'A wand? I suppose I'll be casting spells and things with it, what other use would it have?'

It didn't take long to find the Apothecary, as it had one of the most distinct smells out of all the other shops. And it wasn't a nice smell either. Alessia spent a good bit of time looking through all the possible ingredients, but was mostly distracted by the thought of a wand. What did one look like exactly? If the man from the Ministry had been carrying one, she didn't see it, nor on anyone else she'd passed. But what really distracted her was the thought of casting real magic, not tricks like the funny man who worked in the mall did.

She remembered hearing the man from the ministry saying that sometimes things would happen around a young witch or wizard, just odd or extraordinary things. The only thing she actually remembered doing was wanting candy and the toaster oven poofed into a bag of sweets. Okay, so that was odd, but that was it. Her parents never told her about anything she might've done or caused in that area.

Alessia realized she was just standing in the middle of the store with her brows furrowed. She shook her head and gathered the rest of things she would need from the Apothecary, paid for them and left. Once in the street again, she checked her scrawled map for the only wand-maker in Diagon Alley -- Ollivander's. 'All these people have such odd names . . . ' She shrugged and continued onwards.

The crowd was getting thinner now, so Alessia didn't have to push as much to get through. She stopped just outside of Ollivander's door and glanced at the sign. Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Wow. The had certainly been in business a while. Alessia reached for the door, it creaked open, and shut it behind her. It didn't appear that anyone was in the shop at the moment. The only sign of life was a single chair amidst the thousands of boxes that lined all the walls and covered almost every space available. It seemed like even the dust had aged in this place.

Alessia made herself take a few nervous steps up to the old, wooden counter and ring the little brass bell. When no one answered, she rung a couple more times with still no answer. 'Maybe he's out on break?' she wondered. Little Alessia wandered the tiny shop, looking at all the boxes with tiny, tiny lettering on them. She was about to pick up a box out of curiosity when an aged voice behind her made her jump. Alessia looked back and saw a little, old man smiling apologetically at her. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked after she'd regained her composure.

"Rosewood and phoenix feather, nine and a half inches." He was holding up a stick. No, that was a wand. It was too . . . refined to be just a stick. "Go ahead, try it."

"Um, okay." Alessia paced forward and lightly took the wand from his outstretched hand. She stood there a moment, just looking at it, when she thought about how most wands were waved in stories she'd heard. She moved her hand awkwardly and something over to her right fell over on the floor.

"Nope, no no." He snatched it from her before she could apologize and was back with three more before she blinked. "Here, oak and dragon heartstring, seven and a quarter inches."

Alessia waved this one and about a dozen boxes fell off the shelf. "No, certainly not. It went on like this for about another ten minutes, and Alessia heard all kinds of wood names and lengths, one was even a foot and a half. She almost felt like she was holding a club with that one. It was when the little man stood, appearing to think, that Alessia noticed the small pile of wands she'd accumulated while trying them out. "Aha!" the man called out, making her jump again. He disappeared for a split second behind the shelves and reappeared holding a lighter colored wand. "Try this."

Alessia was almost afraid to swish this one around, considering the damage she'd caused so far. Boxes were strewn across the floor, and she was sure she'd heard a few things crash in the back. However, the old man was gazing at her expectantly, so she might as well. She moved her arm almost like she was already apologizing for what might happen, but nothing happened. Nothing bad at all.

A sudden rush that took her breath away and made her light-headed and giddy swept through the tiny room. All the boxes that had been on the floor were now miraculous back where they had been. Alessia felt elated and full of energy, unable to stop the wide grin that spread across her face.

"Perfect. Elder and unicorn hair, eight inches exactly. Swishy, very good for charms and transfiguration, yet sturdy enough for a good duel." He seemed just as happy about Alessia's discovery as she was, though she couldn't imagine why. "Thirteen Galleons and about five Knuts." Now which ones were Knuts? "The little copper ones, dear."

Alessia glanced at him, a little perplexed. How did he know she barely knew which ones were which? He merely smiled as she counted out the coins and put the money bag away. "Thankyou, Mr. Ollivander."

"No no, thankyou!" He called as she left the little store, a bit bemused but happy. She now had a wand of her own. She had no idea what it meant, but the thought made her even happier. Instead of putting it in the bag, Alessia decided to stick it in her belt and through a pocket, so that it was safely in reach. She didn't quite know why she was doing that, but it made her feel better about it.

'Now, where else?' It seemed like there was nothing left to buy, so she could wander around until it was time to go home. Her mother was expecting her in an hour or so, so Alessia could probably buy some ice cream at this Florean's place. It sounded like an excellent idea, so she started heading that way.

[Greycat]

Ok, I passed Rosa's mom's examination. That was good. She really did seem severe, and she had all but oozed a dark aura as she loomed above me. I had tried hard to resisted the urge to tremble. But, she sorta seemed to be just an over-protect mom. But, she did offer free ice cream. And I was not about to turn down that offer.

"Thank you ma'am," I said pleasantly. "But I don't think Rosa is a hassle. But my mother does say I'm a handful, so I might not be in a position to judge others."

[Xenosaga]

"Then my assumption that you are only pretending to be nice in order to not incur my wrath is correct?" her mother inquired, almost slyly. She turned away, however, and began walking off. "I was only joking, of course."

"Mama's a little weird," Rosa whispered to her new friend in explanation, having quickly stepped to his side when her mother turned away. "But I don't think she'll try to hurt you." Patting Jared on the shoulder, she hurriedly followed after her mother, motioning for the boy to hurry up. She grasped hold of her mother's hand for her free one, careful to keep the basket out of harm's way.

[Greycat]

I stood rooted to the spot as Rosa and her mom walked off. Wow. She was sharp. Not entirely right, but sharp all the same. No wonder I felt so cautious around her. I manged to uproot my feet when they were about ten feet away and joked to catch up.

"I not exactly pretending ma'am," I said as I caught up. "But I try to be as polite as possible with adults I'm not familiar with. Mom says I have a nack for giving respect where it was due." Flattery generally went a long way.

[Xenosaga]

"It's a pity you don't know me well enough," her mother replied coolly, giving the boy an unreadable look. Rosa blinked, looking between the two. She wasn't naive. She could sense and see the hostility her mother still held. Rosa pursed her lips. This was why she never brought her friends over. Ever.

"Oh, look, Mama! I think that's the shop!" she quickly shouted, pointing with false excitement at their destination. Rosa didn't like the atmosphere and decided this was the best way to combat it. "I want chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate!"

"You're getting no more than two scoops," her mother stated. A smile seemed to flicker across her face. "Do you remember the time you almost made yourself sick?" Rosa clamped her mouth shut and avert her eyes. That hadn't been a very pleasant experience. Her mother hadn't allowed the use of potions or anything to alleviate her either. She had been sick for almost three days.

"Two scoops then," Rosa agreed, not wanting to feel like that again. She glanced over at Jared, hoping her mother hadn't frightened the boy in any way. "What are you getting, Jared?"

[Greycat]

OK, maybe I hadn't quite gained approval in Rosa's mothers eyes. She really did seem to be a nice person. Deep, deep down inside. Deeper than I would be able to reach on a good day. At least he was partially on her good side.

"I like pistachio myself," I smiled. "And two scoops would be good." No need to go to extremes now. It was them that Mom walked up from behind us.

"Jared!" she scolded shrilly. "I have been looking all over for you." I turned, and sighed. He deviation had grown. When I left her, she was in a gray rode. Now, she was dressed in a loud purple and pink striped one. He plain muffle had been exchanged for a checkered one in more subdued variations of the the robes colors and she transfigured her glasses frames to a vivid pink.

"Mom... what are you wearing?" I changed my mind, not willing to get into that discussion. "Never-mind that Mom. This is Rosa and her mother. She is also going to Hogwarts this year."

"Really?" Mom smiled. "It's nice to meet you. I am Jared's mother, Gloria Lennings-Lawson. I am please to meet you."

[Silver]

Quinn smiled as his friend left. It was time he get back to his mothher anyway. They were going to be going to the train any hour now, and he wasn't going to miss it. Quickly leaving the shop, the young wizard made his way to his waiting mother. She smiled as she saw him.

"Let's head to the train."

[Zerifachias]

As everyone slowly obtained all their needs for their first year at the famous school Hogwarts, hardly any of them could help but notice that time was running short, so, one by one, they left Diagon Alley and headed home in their wait for September 1st, when they would all take the Hogwarts Express to their new school. In the meantime, they would spend time with their families, enjoying each other before they had to part.

The time soon came for them to leave, the man from the Ministry, Jake Stonewell, came for Hannah. It was his job to make sure she reached the train safely and without interference. Platform 9 3/4 was but a breeze, a simple obstacle that Hannah had to simply rid herself of all scientific logic to accept.

"You're saying I have to run through the pillar?" Hannah asked, doubtful that an entire train station could be behind that pillar in front of her. Hannah's trolley was already positioned facing the pillar, and she was holding onto it tightly. Her silver owl, Gretel, gave a small hoot, annoyed with her cage being covered up.

"You might want to start with a run," Stonewell suggested, "At least until you're confident with yourself."

Hannah grimaced, looking up at the pillar with obvious doubts. Nevertheless, she trusted Stonewell and began to push her trolley towards the pillar as fast as her legs could take her. Just before she hit the stone, Hannah closed her eyes and waited for the impact. None came.

Hannah stopped her trolley and looked around, the confused expression on her face changing rapidly to one of surprise and awe. The bright red engine of the Hogwarts Express shone right in front of her, steam everywhere around the station. Hannah paused there for what seemed like ages before she realized she needed to get onto the train. There were many other witches and wizards there, some of them were like her, first years, and others were still older than her. She saw wizards and witches of all ages, and they all seemed to be happy about the trip to Hogwarts.

Hannah soon had all of her things packed away into the train. All that was left was to find a place to sit down and enjoy the rest of the ride. She looked around, wondering if the girl she had met in Diagon Alley was there yet. She didn't see the girl at all, so Hannah sneaked aboard the train and started looking for an empty compartment. She didn't want to intrude on anyone else without permission. This was one of the few times Hannah wouldn't meet new people.

Finding an empty compartment, Hannah slid through the door and took a seat, letting out a large sigh. She left the door open, which would let others know she didn't mind company.

[Silver]

The time flew by. Platform 9 3/4 was waiting. Waiting for the students and parents that would enter through it and continue to Hogwarts. Quinn was no exception to any of the others. He held in hand, his Magic Bag, Gale's Cage, and a simple leather bound book with perforated paper. The young wizard looked at the pillar, unsure of how to go about doing this. He looked to his mother, for advice or something.

"Go on. Run through. I'll be in after."

She offered little, but her knew why. Her only son off to Hogwarts leaving her with the old owl Fiddlesticks and the cats, and Day, the Transforming Rabbit. Taking a slight breath, Quinn looked at the pillar and closed his eyes. He ran smack at it, but no slam or bump or bruise came. Only the sweet relief of seeing the Hogwarts Express.

"I did it!"

A silent cheer ran up his body. He had made it to the train. He didn't run into the wrong pillar like his brother, or did he drop his cat as he passed through like the other. Wanting to rush, the young wizard began to rush to the train, but not before his mother's voice broke the air stopped him in his tracks. Quietly, Quinn turned around, only to be gathered in a large hug.

"I'm so proud of you. I know you'll do well in Hogwarts. Now go, don't want to be late for the train."

The boy dashed into the train, setting his bag in a section unoccupied by anyone. He set Gale down on a seat next to him, and looked out the window. He saw his mom, waving at him as she readied to return home. She smiled and spoke her final goodbye to him before leaving.

"Be careful, Write when you can. I love you"

[Greycat]

"Are you sure about this?" My dad asked. "I admit that you have done some wonderful things with your magic, but walking through walls? Isn't that a bit... extreme?" My dad still hadn't warmed up to the idea of platform 9 3/4. Not that I blamed him. For all his acceptance of magic, he was still a Muggle and hadn't been exposed to the full extent of magic. Worse, Mom couldn't make it. But that didn't mean I was about to let him make me late either.

"Dad, just go!" I gave him a firm shove and watched as he stumbled and fell through the pillar. I grinned, gave him a moment, then followed. I flinched reflexively as I hurdled through the wall. They was a brief flash of darkness before I emerged on the other side. The Hogwarts Express sitting by the platform in all it's steaming red glory. I grinned happily. Dad, on the other hand, looked a bit queasy.

"Well, this is it Son," he said, a bit green. "Make sure you do your best."

"I will, dad," I said happily.

"And don't give too much trouble," he warned. "We will be writing every week."

"Ok Dad," I said, with a tad less enthusiasm. What did he think I would do? Blow up a toilet. Never! At least... not in the first year. He grunted with a bit of disbelief but ceased that line of instructions and helped me pack my trunk. Gabby's cage I kept with me.

"I would stay till the train leaves," Dad began after we loaded everything.

"Just go. I know you have that meeting," I encouraged. He smiled and gave me a hug. A lot harder than usual too. It left my sides sore. His eyes were watery when he let go. And I new mine were too. True, it was exciting, but I wouldn't be seeing my folks till Christmas break. About four months from then.

"Bye Son," he huffed, and I huffed a goodbye in return. He took a deep breath and stepped through the wall, and was gone. I stared at the wall for a while before heading to the train, wiping beads of tears from my eyes. I wandered, looking for a empty compartment. I spotted the boy I meet in Diagon Alley through the window, so I knocked and pocked my head it.

"Hello," I smiled. "You're... Quinn, right?"

[Zerifachias]

"Um...excuse me," a voice drew Hannah's attention away from the window. The train wouldn't leave for a bit, but people were already starting to come aboard. Hannah saw a girl hanging around the door to her compartment, a smile on her face. "Would you mind if I sit with you?" the girl asked kindly, pointing to the seat directly in front of Hannah.

"Not at all!" Hannah said with a smile, gesturing towards the seat, "It's all yours."

The girl sat down in front of Hannah, the smile on her face growing bigger. She was a brown-haired girl, wearing a pair of headphones on her head. The headphones were just above her ears, and the strap that connected the two had fallen down towards the girl's neck. She was wearing casual clothing at the moment, although she did have her school robes in her bag.

"Thanks. It's hard to get a seat in any of the compartments, and I don't like taking an empty one." The girl explained, looking the other way out of embarrassment, "It's childish, I know."

"Don't worry about it! I was just waiting for someone to come in," Hannah replied, giving the girl a reassuring smile.

"Oh where are my manners?" The girl smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. Hannah couldn't help but notice the girl's forehead was larger than she had ever seen before, although it wasn't noticeable very much, thanks to her hair. "My name's Kelly Fennings, I'm a second-year at Hogwarts. Ravenclaw. What about you?" Kelly had held up her two fingers in a peace sign when she mentioned she was from Ravenclaw.

"I'm Hannah Rose, this is my first year at Hogwarts." Hannah brought her hands together, twiddling her thumbs. "So I dunno what Ravenclaw is..."

"Didn't your parents teach you about Hogwarts?" Kelly asked, tilting her head to the side. Hannah shook her head. "Well, why not? Didn't they go to Hogwarts? Your parents are magical, right?"

"No," Hannah replied, "I'm the only in my family to go to Hogwarts."

"Oh, I see!" A large smile broke out across Kelly's face, "You're Muggle-born! That's why you don't know anything."

"That made me feel loads better..."

"Oh, sorry. Here, let me explain..." So Kelly went on to explain the four Houses, Griffindow, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, and then continued to tell Hannah what the separation of students meant. It was all for competition to make the students preform to the best of their abilities, although there was more to it than that. Fights would sometimes break out between two or more of the Houses, usually against Slytherin. Kelly also explained all of the history surrounding Slytherin and how it managed to turn out the most Dark Wizards in the world, including, but not limited to, Voldemort and Grindelwald.

"So, what you're saying, is that Slytherin is the House that holds the most evil?" Hannah asked.

"Well...I wouldn't put it that way," Kelly answered, looking away for a bit, "More like it has a bloody past ever since Slytherin's fight against Griffindor."

"What? They were actual people?" Hannah looked astounded by this, her mouth hanging open in surprise.

"Yeah. Godric Griffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff were the four founders of Hogwarts. Each one had their own set of ideals for their students. Griffindor valued bravery, Slytherin valued pure-blood, Ravenclaw valued brains and wit, and Hufflepuff desired loyalty. Make sense?"

"I guess. Gosh, I didn't know any of that." Hannah seemed to be off in her own world now, thinking about all she had just heard from Kelly.

"Well, now you know." Kelly said with a laugh.

[Silver]

"Yeah. You're Jare-"

"Well if it isn't the third and final Hart boy!"

Quinn was interupted by a girl much like jared, with glassy green eyes and hair to match. She wasn't dressed like him though. She wore pure green silk, it was dazzling. But the person wearing the glitter didn't quite have the personality. Well a good one any way.

Stella assumed to shoving Jared aside, scooting down right next to Quinn. If the space between the two pure bloods got any closer, there would be no air left. It was very strange to say the least.

"Can I... help you?"

He chose his words carefully, not wanting to offend the girl, even though she had already comitted some offense herself. Trying desperately to scoot away from whoever she was, he reached for his wand. But what good would that do him? He didn't know any spells.

"Why you've already helped me sugar. All I need you to do is get rid of that filthy little half blood right there."

She pointed at Jared with disgust. She whiped out her wand. Yew, except it was colored more greenish than anything else. This girl seemed to have a lot more to her than met the eyes.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid you're the one who needs to be gotten rid of."

"WHY I NEVER! YOU IGNORANT LITTLE HART BOY! NO ONE TURNS DOWN STELLA TRUEHEART!"

She looked ready to spit venom, but then simply slapped Quinn, hit Gale's cage and left in a huff. It was amusing, but not very comfortable. As Quinn rubbed his head he looked up at Jared.

"I'm sorry. I have no clue who she is... Jared right? You can sit here if you want."

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