The day was rather overcast, actually the clouds looked as if they were about to burst open in rain, and getting a little colder despite it only being September. The platform was crowded as people tried to get their children on a train before the rain came ruby red engine billowed brilliant white smoke. The above the platform gold lettering read clearly above the platform "nine and three quarters." The rain pattered against her trunk as she hurried along through masses of people, her white hair with green streaks framing her face. She watched the students around her say goodbye to their families, and she pushed past them without hesitation, slight envy boiling within her. Pushing the last group of younger kids out of the way, she arrived at the foot of the entrance to the train. Surprisingly, even though there was still a crowd outside, the train compartments had already begun filling up with groups of students wishing to sit together. Walking past occupied compartment after occupied compartment, she came to the last care and entered the first one she saw that wasn't filled to the brim with people. Setting her trunk above a seat, she promptly sat down, realizing she was not truly alone after all. A dog was lying on the seat across from her, "What are you doing on the train?" She asked aloud, even though it was a question directed at no one. The dog looked up and over its shoulder at her, the dog itself was a back border collie with bizarrely grey eyes. The dog padded over to the window and stood on its hind legs to look out. The collie dropped back down looking disappointed and transformed into a 15 year old boy who was already wearing most of his Ravenclaw uniform already, missing only his cloak. He was probably a head taller than herself and from his bed head like hair all the way down to his untucked shirt and untied shoes gave off the general air of not quite giving a damn about, well, anything. He looked down at her still sitting but obviously very defensive, "Oliver Knight," He introduced himself, "Ravenclaw fifth year." He slowly sat opposite her, "or say nothing that works fine too." At that moment a boy with dirty blonde hair and shockingly blue eyes stuck his head in, "sorry to interrupt, but are there any extra seats in this compartment?"
"Yes, come in," the girl said quietly as she made room on the seat next to her. The blonde boy dragged dragged behind him a trunk that had to be heavier than he was. He tugged on it putting the weight of his entire body behind it and the trunk slowly dragged along the ground into the middle of the compartment. Oliver stood and pulled his wand out of a bag that was hanging from the luggage rack. He flicked his wrist and swished upward, "Wingardium leviosa," the trunk floated shakily up into the luggage rack which creaked dangerously under the weight. the blonde boy sighed and all but collapsed into the seat. He peered back at Oliver and the girl through his sweaty bangs, "Thanks," he panted, "I'm William, just call me Will please, only my gran calls me William,"
"No problem Will, I'm Oliver," he stuck out his hand. Will looked up and shook his hand from across the compartment. Oliver looked down at his shoes and realized they were untied, he leaned down and quickly tied his shoes. He tucked in his shirt and tightened his blue and silver tie and ran a hand through his hair which made it even messier. He unhooked a shoulder bag from the luggage rack and tucked his wand and reading glasses into the outer pocket, "I'll be back save my seat," and with that he disappeared up the train towards the front.
Once he had gone, she stared at the only other person now in the compartment, William, looking him over, "You're the boy who almost failed Potions last year, aren't you?" She turned and looked at her reflection in the window, fixing up her hair, "Now how could someone manage that," She paused, making sure he was listening, "Unless they were a Hufflepuff? Or completely daft, I doubt there is much of a difference, though." She smirked to herself in the window before the streaks vanished from her hair, which curled into loose white ringlets. The boy snorted in amusement, "You try and stay on top of your classes when your big sister is paralyzed in the hospital wing." He grinned back at her, "I wouldn't get so high and mighty for the girl who couldn't take her eyes off that Lockhart fraud all year," He smirked, "Now how could someone manage that?" He said purposefully, "Unless they were a Slytherin? Or completely fame obsessed, I doubt there is much of a difference, though," he said venomously throwing her words back against her. He cocked his eyebrow as if to say, "Try me," and curled into the corner seat with his back against the glass pane in the door frame and stared out the window as sharp whistle split the air and moments later the train began to move, slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed away from the station and out of London. The door slid open as Oliver stuck his rather flushed head into the compartment, "I brought a new friend, but it seems she's packed everything for her entire house, so I'm going to need some help." He pushed the door open with his foot and backed in holding a case nearly identical in size and weight to Will's luggage. He backed into the window out of which the buildings were beginning to thin into farmland. From the other side of the case a girl's face appeared framed by golden blonde hair, she for the most part appeared to be a feminine doppelganger of Will. The latter of which groaned in frustration, "Can't I just die in peace Ruby?" Will begged. The girl's face flashed between a smirk a look of realization and finally of annoyance. "Hullo, Will, brother dear," she said without the slightest hint of sincerity. The newly named Ruby and Oliver hoisted her trunk onto the luggage opposite Will and Oliver's luggage on the same side as the Slytherin girl. Oliver slid his half in leaving it precariously balanced as he worked his way along the trunk keeping one hand on the rim until he had reached. At that exact moment two things happened: one the train shook violently as it passed over a rather old and worn piece of track and two a elderly wizard working deep within the Department of Mysteries sneezed equally as violently, neither was the consequence of the other they just simply occurred at exactly same point in time. The shaking of the train shifted the weight of the trunk enough for it to begin to tip. Oliver immediately attempted to steady it by placing both hands on it in one violent motion, Ruby covered her head with her arms expecting to be struck by a falling trunk and Will sprang from his seat and mirrored Oliver's action, the two of them holding the box steady. The boys eased the trunk onto the luggage rack as Ruby slowly peered out from under her arms. As the luggage settled in the rack the three of them had ended up in a close semicircle around the Slytherin. In near unison the three looked down at her and muttered variations of a basic apology. They backed into the opposite seat struggling to squeeze the three of them on one bench. from down the car they heard a ringing bell and a call of, "Trolley!" The three's reaction from varied from excitement on the faces of Ruby and Will to the look of sheer terror on Oliver's face, "Oh no," he muttered. Ruby and Will hurried into the hall with a handful of coins Oliver stayed behind and quickly assumed the shape of a Border Collie. The trolley pulled up and the siblings paid for their food, the short plump woman looked past their shoulders at the dog, "Oi! who's dog is that?" This got the attention of Will who turned around towards the now rather canine Oliver with a look of equal parts shock and awe as Ruby queried, "What dog miss?" the woman sighed, "Oli dear, I know thats you," the sitting dog quickly changed into a rather dejected 15 year old boy while the siblings stared in shock. "Hullo," he muttered.
"Hello Oliver, how are you?" She asked sounding somewhat annoyed.
"Fine Auntie how are you?" he replied simply playing his part.
"Are these your new friends, Oli?" she asked intrigued.
"Not really, I'm just sitting with them for the train ride."
"Shame, you share a compartment with two pretty gir-"
"Auntie!" He shouted.
"I know, I know." She handed Oliver a foil wrapped sandwich, "Your mother said you left this on the counter when you left this morning, she sent it by owl so it may smell like bird."
"Thank you Auntie, now if you don't mind I'm sure these lovely people would like to enjoy their lunches."
"See you think they're lovely too!"
"Auntie! Go! Please!"
"Alright. alright," She turned back to her cart smiling and pushed further down the train, "Trolley!"
There were a couple moments of dead silence until Will began to chuckle through his pasty. It began as a chuckle and quickly became a roar of laughter which spread to the Slytherin who had to admit that it was indeed fairly amusing. Oliver wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "Shut up," he mummered.
"I think it's cute that he has someone looking out for him," defended Ruby
"Thanks Ruby," He said still from the ground.
"No I'm kidding You're a total loser," Ruby giggled.
"Wow, thanks." He sighed. She dropped onto the floor next to him and she patted his hand.
"No it's still pretty cute." She smiled at him, he looked up in surprise and in return made face akin to that of a very confused puppy before he slid his hand under his leg..
"Oh please, not here." The Slytherin interjected from her seat as she rolled her eyes dramatically. Will Curled into a ball in the corner and made a sound similar to that of someone releasing the contents of their stomach back into the world. Oliver laughed, but did indeed put a little bit of room between himself and Ruby. Will thought for a second and pointed at the Slytherin, "What the hell is your name? I know everybody else here except you." before waiting for a response he opened the foil around his sandwich and took a bit which left him in a state of about to actually do what Will had pretended to do earlier, "Knew I left this for a reason," he said and reached over his head to pull the window down and tossed the sandwich out. The girl waited until she had everyone's full attention before speaking promptly, "I'm Maisie Spiers, fourth year Slytherin." She looked at each one as she introduced herself, "It's been a pleasure meeting you all." her voice dripped with sarcasm. Oliver gave a sarcastic smile, "please the pleasure is all mine," he leaned towards Ruby and Will, "Her dad was a Death Eater, says that he was imperiused, but we know that's not true," Oliver murmured. Will looked confused.
"a what?"
"One of You-know who's helpers," Ruby sighed, "don't you ever pay attention?"
"I try not to," Will said with a smile
"Of course," Ruby groaned. She shook her head. They ate in silence for some time with a handful of interjections here and there. At some point oliver stood and removed a pair of books from his shoulder bag along with pair of lead pencils. He sat back on the ground his back against the wall facing the door. He had one book one the ground next to him the other sat on his lap. He looked back and forth and scribbled in the book on his lap every now and then. Will had dozed off pulling his school robe over himself as a sort of improvised blanket. Ruby alternated between reading a book, reading the very old copy of the Daily Prophet from june of that year that stuck out of Oliver bag and pacing up and down the train car. Maisie seemed completely preoccupied with staring out the window and staring at some book on her lap, they knew she wasn't reading because her eyes never moved and she didn't, in the entire two hours time they stayed like this, turn a page. At some point along the line Ruby was back in the compartment, Oliver didn't see her come in but he supposed that was pretty easy since he was wrapped up in activities of his own. More specifically he was poring through a book of runes and translating a couple of older passages his dad had found for him in one of the books they owned. Whoever had inserted these runes into the book must have fancied themselves a comic for the translation as it read now said, "Your mother is a baboon and your father a," and that was as far as he had got. Intermittently throughout this period the siblings and Maisie all at some point left for the restroom and reappeared in their uniforms. at some point something knocked against the door and Oliver was all but certain that it was a cat, but for what reason he did not know. They were quite a sight an image of near perfect inter house harmony.
