The dark-haired boy dragged his heavy, old trunk down the narrow train corridor. Many of the compartments were full of excited first years eager to begin their magical training; other compartments had students just ready for the first term of the year to begin. The boy avoided these smiling faces, in favor of a dimly-lit, empty compartment near the back of the train. He entered and dropped his things, the musky, leather trunk thudding loudly. He flopped onto the seat and exhaled slowly.
A low, annoyed hoot demanded his attention. His eyes traveled to a rusty owl cage. "I know, I know, Bludgeon. You didn't want to leave Durmstrang." The ancient-looking creature gave another annoyed hoot (sounding strangely like some kind of growl) and carefully turned his back to the boy. "Careful. You don't want to break your hip," the boy mumbled bitterly. "Decrepit beast," he breathed quietly.
Now his eyes fixed onto the old trunk. "It is the only thing left of your father, and now it's yours." The old hag that he'd been living with his whole life never told him anything else about his father. Even when his curiosity turned to begging to know, the begging turned to shouts, which all led to his tears. The leather on the trunk was worn away at places, revealing the dark wood underneath. The boy reached out and ran his hand lovingly across the lid.
Suddenly, the door to his compartment flew open. He inhaled sharply and yanked his hand back into his lap. A pair of surprised, green eyes stared into his eyes. "Oh, wow. I'm so sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here." The girl's cheeks were wet and she quickly ran her sleeves across them, which only reddened them and made it more apparent that she'd been crying. She gestured to a dark brown bag and trunk. The boy cursed himself for not noticing them in the first place. "If you want to be alone, I'll get my things and find somewhere else." Her voice squeaked sadly.
"Of course." The boy answered. Her long, blond curls fell over her shoulder as her back slumped. "Oh, I mean, no, no! It's okay. You can stay." He cleared his throat, embarrassed.
The girl straightened quickly and smiled a dazzling smile. "Thanks." Her green eyes sparkled. She jumped onto the seat across from him. She patted her knees and clicked her tongue. A ball of purring fur seemed to apparate into her lap. She petted it cheerfully. "This is Spud."
"He's rather cute." The boy smiled as he watched the kitten bat at her fingers.
There was rustling of feathers as Bludgeon spun on his perch to glare at his owner. His glower implied, Traitor. "Aww, how adorable. Barn owl?" The girl sat the small kitten on the seat beside her so that she could lean closer to the owl's cage. She looked up at the boy expecting an answer. He nodded and gave a nervous smile; he hoped desperately that for once the senile owl would behave and wouldn't peak her finger off. His fear was smothered as she reached a finger into the cage and scratched Bludgeon's head. The owl closed his beady eyes in ecstasy. When she was done petting him, she sat back up and the owl gave the young man a smug look.
"I'm Lezlie. Lezlie Worthington. And you are?" She held her tiny hand out to shake his.
"Marlin. Marlin, uh." He never knew what to say here. "Uh, just Marlin."
Lezlie's eyes filled with curiosity. He recognized that look. Here come the questions. But she didn't ask him any.
"So, uh, why were you, well, you know…" He hated himself for never having anyone to talk to. Her face was open and waiting. "Well, um, why were you-"
"Crying?" He nodded quickly, thankful that she had finished the question for him. "Bullies. I hate them. But Hogwarts has its share of them. Urgh!" After making a goofy face, she smiled at him again, making Marlin's heart skip. Not that he had feelings for this girl, but because he was making a friend, his first friend.
"I know what you mean. It was rough at my last school, too." Oh, boy, did he know. He was the primary target for the boys back at Durmstrang. Everyday at that bloody school had been full of snide comments and getting black eyes, even a few wedgies.
"Oh, and where was that?" She asked.
"Durmstrang."
"Oh!" She looked completely shocked.
"What? What is it?"
"It's just, well, you don't sound funny. I mean, not that people from Durmstrang sound funny. It's just you don't have an accent." Her cheeks turned a deep pink.
He laughed, then felt surprised that he was so comfortable talking to her. "I'm actually from around here. I think my guardian just wanted to send me as far away from her as possible." Lezlie laughed, she thought he was joking. He laughed, too.
She continued to smile warmly at him. "I'm a fifth year student. What about you?"
It took Marlin a moment to get over how old she was. She didn't look any older than fourteen. "Sixth."
She nodded, "I hope we have some classes together. Are you any good in Transfiguration? I hope so, because I'm just terrible at it." She spoke rapidly. He almost laughed out loud.
"Yes, I'm pretty good with it." Just as he finished speaking the train lurched forward.
As the two talked, the landscape flew by the windows. Marlin loved the view and told Lezlie as much. "Yeah, it's pretty, but I don't know." He asked what she had meant by saying 'I don't know.' She answered him uncertainly, "I have just always wanted something different. A life full of something more, um, exciting." Marlin nodded like he understood exactly what she meant. He did not, of course, because he just wanted to live normally. Dare he think even without magic? He had even dreamed about being a muggle a few times. He couldn't remember ever meeting a mean muggle, but that may have been because he hadn't met many of them.
About an hour into the train ride the trolley made its round. Marlin bought a Chocolate Frog and Lezlie chose several boxes of Every Flavor Beans. "You're brave, you know. I never ate another jelly bean after my first." Lezlie tilted her head at this. "It tasted like rotten eggs," he made a disgusted face as he said this.
Lezlie giggled for about ten minutes. Finally, she managed to choke out, "I like adventure, remember?"
The train arrived near the school after dark. As he gathered his things Lezlie patted his back. "Don't worry too much. I like it here." She smiled her magnificent smile again. He smiled back at her. He thought to himself, I'm beginning to think that I will, too.
Lezlie waited patiently for Marlin to throw his robe back on and then giggled as he walked toward the compartment door, headed toward the corridor. "Huh?" He was utterly confused as to what she thought was so funny.
He followed her gaze to the rusted cage, which held a pile of ruffled feathers and glowering yellow eyes. "Oh!" He dashed to the cage and grabbed hold of the hoop at the top of the cage. Unfortunately, Bludgeon's small head could fit enough out of the bars to pinch a large portion of Marlin's hand with his beak. Marlin immediately dropped the cage with a loud clatter and rubbed his hand. "Damned monster!"
Lezlie lifted the cage (without any trouble) and sat Bludgeon on the seat where Marlin had sat before. "Actually, you don't take your owl or luggage. They'll be in your dorm after we meet in the Great Hall." She ruffled the old owl's head again and hopped up to lead the way.
Lezlie scuttled hurriedly toward a carriage. Marlin was almost sprinting to keep up. "Hey! What are you doing?" Marlin huffed out, while simultaneously trying to catch his breath. "They look kind of menacing, don't they?" She turned to Marlin and smiled in confusion with her head slightly cocked. Marlin's eyes widened as one of the white-eyed creatures stomped an impatient hoof and ducked its head under a wing to scratch.
Lezlie's right eyebrow was still arched in utter confusion. "Whatever are you talking about, Marlin?"
"The-Those, those evil-looking brutes." Marlin hung back, still staring at the strange creatures.
A deep and emotionless voice crept darkly over them. "I have told you once, Lezliane, and I hope this will be the last, they are Thestrals, and they are real." A tall, slim boy with strangely styled, black hair swept past Marlin and stepped up into the carriage.
"Hello, Vivikus." Lezlie mocked in a drone, much like the new addition's. He held a long, pale hand down to her; she took it and he pulled her effortlessly up. "Thanks," Lezlie turned back to Marlin and motioned for him to hurry. "By the way, this is my new friend, Marlin. Marlin, this is Vivikus Dumbolium." Vivikus sat without as much as a glance in Marlin's direction.
Marlin gave the nearest skeletal horse a nervous look. He then proceeded to struggle up into the carriage. Finally, he managed to haul himself up and into a seat. His slim build couldn't take too much more of this. He felt his entire face redden when he saw Lezlie struggling to hold back a giggle. The pale boy, Vivikus, watched him with what seemed like contempt. "Are you okay?" Lezlie had managed to keep down the laughter.
Marlin nodded, embarrassed.
He suddenly looked around worriedly. "Where's Spud?" Images of a poor kitten's fur being melted away by a skeletal monsters stomach acid filled his mind.
"Don't worry," Lezlie pulled an orange ball of fur from under her oversized robe. "He clings to my sweater with his claws. He is strange." She gave a soft laugh. Marlin noticed Vivikus roll his eyes and look away; he appeared embarrassed for them both.
A head of brown curls bobbed into view, directly in front of Marlin. Someone was swinging from the tree branch above. "Ugly, little fuzz ball." A young boy with a strong jaw line and hazel eyes hopped down, and landed gracefully in the carriage.
Lezlie's expression showed hurt until she realized who had said something so mean about her Spudykins. "Oh, Mark. Stop picking on Spudy." She slapped him playfully on the arm.
"I really am sorry about Bertie the Bird. I didn't mean to-." Mark started and was quickly interrupted by Lezlie, "No, no. It's alright. You've apologized a hundred times." The boy lowered his head and gave the floor of the carriage a small, crooked smile. He sat down beside Vivikus and turned to him. "Hey, Viv," he said cheerily, extending his hand.
"How many times do I have to tell you bunch of idiots that my name is Vivikus?" At this Mark's face and his hand fell. Vivikus quickly answered, "But hello." Mark began to smile again.
The line of carriages began to move toward the castle. Everyone was silent for the first few minutes of the ride. "So? What has everyone been up to?" Lezlie beamed at them all.
"Well, me and Father went to the States over the summer. We had a wonderful time." Mark flashed a smile at Lezlie before continuing. "And you, Lez? How was your summer vacation?"
Marlin watched as the familiar rose color crept up her neck and to her cheeks. "I had a boring summer actually. I had to babysit a couple of toddlers to save up for my new cauldron. You remember my last one cracked." She giggled.
"And that would have nothing to do with the fact that it bounced down three flights of stairs, would it?" Vivikus gave her a smug grimace (for it could hardly be called a smile).
Lezlie blushed a deeper color before turning to Marlin, "I'm pretty clumsy." She giggled somewhat nervously. Marlin nodded with understanding.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Mark questioned Marlin.
"His name is Marlin." Vivikus told Mark. The carriages had come to a halt in front of the castle. Vivikus and Mark were the first on the ground. They raced into the castle, pushing past the crowd of students and professors.
Lezlie laughed heartily at the boys," They really are terrible." Lezlie detected the nervous look in Marlin's eyes. "Don't worry, Marlin. They're nice. And I can tell that they like you."
Marlin just swallowed at nodded to her.