So...we lied!
Well, unintentionally. I was feeling guilty because I was the main person that was too busy to update this story so I suggested to Erin that we do a double post for you guys.
I was all for it, and really it was both of us that go really busy, Ro, not just you.
Yeah, yeah. I got it. I still feel bad though so this update is coming today instead of next week, and it's significantly longer than the other one.
Yeah for long chapters! But seriously though, this chapter's got a ton of stuff in it. We're still editing the next chapter though.
Yeah, it's going to take a while, that's for sure...
Yeah, but let's focus on this chapter for now! We get some more interactions between our four main characters and get to see them tackle the first major conflict they've had as a group of friends.
We hope you enjoy! See you at the end of the chapter! Please comment, favorite, or follow!
Yes please! Seriously, please comment! We'd love to hear your feedback!
Anyways, onwards!
To the story!
Chapter 7: All Aboard the Hogwarts Express!
Kylie keeps a death grip on the metal handle of the cage that contains her incredibly curious Niffler, Newt as she walks through the massive arched doorway to King's Cross Station, her family flanking her on either side. She had named the creature after Newt Scamander, the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, her second favorite Hogwarts book rivaled only by Goshawk's Guide to Herbology. She smiles a little as she remembers her new friend Finn's delighted reaction to her actually knowing who Newt Scamander was.
"You'd be surprised at how many people don't!" He had excitedly informed her while perusing the selection of owls at Magical Menagerie. His Irish accent was stronger than usual as he was obviously really excited about the topic. "Though I really don't understand why not because he was only the most famous magizoologist ever! He almost single handedly showed everyone that the creatures they thought were dangerous were only misunderstood. They just had to be treated with kindness and respect like anyone would want." Finn had said as he stroked the silky feathers of a shy-looking spectacled owl at an overlooked corner of the store. He had ended up purchasing that animal while Kylie had opted for a mischievous-looking Niffler with beady marble-black eyes. It probably wasn't the wisest decision she had ever made, but it's a decision she would never regret. Before she, Sterling, Finn, and Anne had left Diagon Alley, Newt had stolen Anne's shiny hair clip, a few silver Sickles straight out of Finn's hand, and then had proceeded to burrow deeply into Sterling's pocket and retrieve a gold-plated watch and a pair of reading glasses. He would have taken more had Sterling not let out a scream that rivaled that of her mother's when she sees a spider in the kitchen.
"Get it… away from me!" He had yelped, clawing desperately at his pocket. And after the Niffler had let out a small yelp of its own, it leaped into Kylie's arms, burying his head in her jacket. "Aww, you scared him." Kylie had said in an overly sappy voice, while Finn and Anne had just doubled over with laughter.
"Guess that's what you get for being from a rich family!" Finn had choked out between laughing fits. Sterling either didn't hear or didn't care what was said as he was too busy checking meticulously over his clothes for any evidence of damage.
"Oy, watch it!" Kylie jolts back to reality as she realizes she has just walked straight into an impatient-looking man in a business suit.
"I'm so sorry, sir…" She sputters, while desperately trying to keep a hold of Newt's cage. He seems to be greedily eying the shining silver ring on the man's clenched fingers. It doesn't go unnoticed by the businessman.
"What is that.."
"I have to go!" Kylie pushes forward into the stifling crowd, edging and bumping her way through the throngs of people until she finds her family waiting for her a few feet ahead.
Her father smiles down at her endearingly. "Lost in thought again, were you Ky?"
Kylie nods and grabs his hand, shaking her head at the congested crowds. She gazes to and fro around the station, feeling a bit panicky. "This is crazy! We'll never get to Platform 9 at this rate." She tries to keep up with her dad's quick pace while Newt nearly yanks her arm off trying to grab money from the guitar case of a street performer.
"Be patient. We always make it on time." He says back which would have been reassuring had he not been glancing at his watch while he was saying it.
"I have to meet my friends though!" she protests as she looks up towards the ceiling in an attempt to see the higher platforms, but the sun is streaming through the numerous skylights, blocking her view. Kylie's brother Ian lets out a laugh from where he strides a few paces ahead of Kylie and her parents, carrying his own caged snowy owl. "Friends already?!" He cranes his neck back towards Kylie with a teasing expression. "That just isn't fair. Most First Years have to wait until at least the Hogwarts Express to meet anybody. I didn't even talk until the Great Feast! Who are these friends you speak of? I must meet them. Unless maybe…"
"They exist!" Kylie abruptly finishes Ian's sentence, dodging pairs of feet left and right, her face feeling hot. "Just because you're Mr. Popular doesn't mean that I can't have some friends of my own."
Ian's face twists in a mixture of surprise and annoyance. He was obviously not expecting her retort.
"All right, all right, that's enough." Kylie's mum enters the conversation, knowing the impending argumentative storm that would ensue if she didn't intervene. "Do I have to get out some of my calming herbs?" She starts to rustle in the black leather bag draped over her shoulder.
"No!" Kylie and Ian answer at the same time, knowing that their mother is actually talking about a rather unpleasant concoction that is supposed to calm nerves, not the one they gave her friend Anne. Kylie coils automatically, thinking of the sickly sweet taste. What Ian said did end up quieting her though, and as Kylie climbs flight after flight of stairs, she wonders if her friends would actually be there waiting for her at the platform.
Anne holds tightly to Yixing and Mei's hands as she waits for her friends under the wooden sign announcing "Platform 9" in giant black block letters. "Careful, Sapling." Her grandfather says, stroking her back in small, relaxing circles with the hand that Anne is not strangling. "Grip even tighter, and I won't have a hand to garden with."
"This is where we were supposed to meet." Anne says rather breathlessly, easing up on her grip a little. Color starts to slowly make its return to her knuckles. "Why aren't they here?"
"We're a bit early still. I am sure your friends will arrive." Mei says briskly, giving Anne's other hand a gentle squeeze.
"I would say early is a bit of an understatement." Anne's older brother Landon announces, taking a long sip from the large thermos of tea he had brought with him. A shock of stubborn black hair sticks up on the back of his head. He hadn't had much time to get ready this morning because he overslept. "I'm not at all sure I'll be awake for work today." Anne scrunches her eyebrows together in concern. Was Landon mad at her for having to come? "But," Landon lets the word hang in the air for a moment as he takes another sip of tea. "Sending my little sister off to a magical school. Totally worthwhile." He winks playfully at Anne, who tries to remember to smile but the crowded station is making it difficult. The loud shrill voices of impatient travelers with their hurried clunking footsteps mingling with the jarring noises of metal trains screeching their way across the tracks and the eerie blaring of horns creates a terrible cacophony that presses against Anne's eardrums, making it nearly impossible for her to concentrate.
She casts her gaze over to her parents who are standing beside Yixing. Their expressions convey a little bit of discomfort themselves, and Anne knows that they're still not completely on board with the idea of sending Anne off to her mystery magical boarding school. They catch Anne starting and smile reassuringly at her. Anne puts on the bravest face she can muster. She glances down at the cart of supplies she had brought with her and starts checking them off in her head to calm herself down. Wand, check. Cauldron, check. School books, parchment, broom witches hat and cloak, all check. She smiles as her eyes alight on the brown leather-bound book Kylie had bought for her in Flourish and Blotts: Hundreds of Helpful Herbology Hacks for Your Inner Gardener. The book was already dogeared in several places, and even her Druid grandfather was impressed by how much Anne had improved with her gardening. She would have to thank Kylie when she arrived. If she arrived, that is.
When she finally looks up from her supplies cart, she catches sight of a young wizard. It is not of Kylie, however, but of a young dark-haired boy already decked out in his freshly pressed black cloak complete with black trousers, black button-down shirt and otherwise dark-looking apparel. He is flanked on either side by a well-dressed woman wearing a confident, almost cocky expression, and a tall, regal-looking man. Sterling was here.
Anne watches in bewilderment as the Kingsburys seem to pass almost unhindered by the pressing crowds, as if even Muggles could sense wizard nobility when they saw it.
"Am I on time?" Sterling asks casually as he strides over to where Anne is still hiding between her grandparents. He seems to notice her family's presence all at once.
"Forgive me. I don't believe we've met. My name is Sterling Kingsbury, and these are my parents, Reginald and Katherine. Anne and I met in Diagon Alley last month. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"It is an honor." Yixing says warmly taking each of the Kingsbury's hands while the rest of Anne's family follows suit, her parents looking a bit stiff. Landon has a hint of amusement in his face, and Anne imagines it's because her friend is a boy. She hadn't mentioned the gender of all her new friends to him, knowing it would provoke a stream of teasing. Anne tenses up a little when Katherine goes to take her hand, remembering her snide "Mudblood" comment back at Ollivander's. She had since learned the meaning of the word, and she was none too happy about it. And if she looked closely at Katherine now, she could just see a hint of disdain hiding behind her polite and put-together expression. She's just glad that Sterling's overprotective little sister not present. She doesn't think that she could handle a fussy girl adding to the cacophany that's already surrounding her.
Before they had even finished shaking hands, Anne could see another family making its way toward their little gathering. She grins when she sees Kylie clumsily jostling her way through the people, the light beaming from the skylight illuminating the bright expression on her face.
"Anne! You're here! I thought I would be too late! I…" Anne's grin fades faster from her face then the flame from a blown-out candle. Kylie has run headlong into Sterling's parents, nearly knocking a flustered Katherine off of her feet. Kylie anxiously clambers back up from where she had fallen, hurriedly gathering the cage containing her miffed-looking Niffler back into her hands before he tries to snatch some of Mrs. Kingsbury's expensive jewelry.
"I am so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Kingsbury. I must not have been watching where I was going. Please forgive me." She gazes up at Katherine and Reginald as Katherine adjusts her slightly wrinkled velvety green dress.
"All is forgiven, child." Reginald says with a smile, while Katherine reciprocates his expression but remains silent. Anne starts to bite her nails, the awkwardness of the situation palpable in the air.
"Thank you for being patient with my daughter. She sometimes forgets where she is." Dr. Bennett strides up to the Kingsburys with his wife and young son following close behind.
"Ah, Healer Bennett." A light of recognition dawns in Reginald's dark eyes as he holds out his hand. "I do believe you helped me out with a nasty Splinching episode I had a couple of years back."
"Ah, yes." Kylie's father grins as he returns Reginald's polite gesture. "A severed hand may not be the easiest to repair, but it seems to have turned out rather nicely."
"My hand is no longer drained of blood if that is what you are referring to."
Kylie, Anne and Sterling share disgusted glances.
Reginald's tone has no detectable differences from that of someone discussing the weather, but Anne can see the twinkle in his eyes.
"And I hope you are doing well, Katherine." He addresses Reginald's wife and gives her a warm handshake, and the rest of Kylie's family rattles off their friendly greetings. Maybe Anne was mistaken, but Katherine seemed a bit friendlier in the presence of a pureblood family. So lost is Anne in watching the interaction unfold before her that she doesn't even notice Kylie's older brother striding toward the brick wall that opens into Platform 9 ¾.
"I hate to interrupt, but I think we might be late!" Ian says loudly over the rumble of trains, casting a furtive glance at his watch.
And just like that, Anne's whole body freezes in fear. This is the part she was dreading. Running through a brick wall that supposedly turned into a magical entrance to another crowded station was not her idea of fun in the least.
Kylie seems to notice her tension. "I'll run with you Anne. It's a piece of cake, isn't it, Ian?"
"Sure is." Kylie's older brother grins reassuringly at Anne. "Soon enough it will become second nature for you. Watch."
Anne can't help but emit an awestruck gasp as Ian whips around to face the wall, takes a deep breath, and sprints forward towards the bricks without the slightest hesitation, his cart of school supplies rattling noisily. And just as she is about to squeeze her eyes shut to avoid seeing the monumental crash, something incredibly strange happens.
Instead of hitting the solid barrier, the cart vanishes through the wall without a sound, Ian disappearing right behind it. It appears as if the wall has swallowed him whole though there is no visible change in the brick structure.
"Um, I suppose I'll go next." Sterling shrugs, glancing awkwardly at Anne and Kylie's tightly interlocked hands.
A thought scratches at the back of Anne's brain, desperate to be paid attention to. Something wasn't right, something was missing. Kylie speaks it instead.
"Wait, we really should wait for Finn! He'll be looking for us!" she says glancing behind her with a nervous expression, searching for any signs of the cheerful blonde-haired boy.
Sterling looks quite uncomfortable as he glances at his watch. "It's 10:50 all ready. The Hogwarts Express leaves in 10 minutes! If he hasn't come by now, he never will."
Kylie's expression now turns panicky. "Just a few more minutes!" She pleads, looking at all the adults in turn for permission. Reginald Kingsbury is about to say something but is cut off by a familiar-sounding voice that makes Anne and Kylie loosen their death grip on each other's hands.
"Wait for me!" Finn calls out as he darts awkwardly through the ever growing maze of people, pushing his out-of control cart in front of him. The wheels protest loudly as they skitter suddenly to a halt, the overstuffed contents threatening to spill over the sides.
"Miss me?" A relieved grin lights up the Irish boy's face. His cheeks are pink from running and his dirty blonde hair looks like Kylie's Niffler had gotten a hold of it. Anne frowns as she watches him slow to a walk, catching up with the trio, seeing something she hadn't noticed before.
Kylie once again speaks Anne's thoughts. "Finn, you're limping! Did your cart fall on top of you or something?"
Finn stops abruptly in his tracks, his cheeks flushing even redder. "No, I'm fine!" He says with a strangled-sounding laugh. Kylie appears not to notice his mood change. "Well, whatever happened, it's better than what I did." She glances sheepishly up at the Kingsburys.
"As I said, all is forgiven." Reginald says with a laugh while Finn looks on with a confused expression.
"Where's your dad and Caden?" Anne asks, glancing around Finn for any signs of the tired man with the hyperactive little boy.
"He had to go get my brother Oscar out of trouble. Who knows what he did this time?" Finn replies running an exasperated hand through his hair. "Anyway, we said our goodbyes on the fifth platform, and I've been tryin' to get up here ever since then."
"Well, thankfully you're just in time." Kylie's dad smiles down at Finn who is still trying to catch his breath. The boy moves to introduce himself but Kylie's father shakes his head.
"No, no time for introductions. You'll be late! Suffice it to say, anyone who runs up 9 flights of stairs in order to not be late to a prearranged meeting has my respect."
Finn grins widely, looking a bit star-struck from the praise he had received. "Thank you, sir!"
Anne momentarily turns her attention away from Finn and Kylie as they converse with Healer Bennett, slipping her hand out of Kylie's and gazing up at her grandparents. "You will write to me, won't you?" She asks, stubborn tears filling her eyes. Yixing gathers Anne up into his arms and even Mei joins in the hug. This makes Anne want to cry even more, considering how her grandmother doesn't like hugs.
"Of course we will, Sapling." Yixing coos as Anne buries her face into his cotton shirt, which smells all at once of and fresh earth and warm sun and and lush green gardens. It makes Anne long for home so much that it her heart hurts, and if she were offered the chance, she may have marched right back down out of the terribly noisy King's Cross Station and back to her little home in Durham, back to the garden and family meals accompanied by jovial laughter and Tai Chi and even Erhu lessons. But her grandfather doesn't offer any such thing. Instead, he just says, "You'll have more letters than the owls will know what to do with."
Anne wipes a stubborn tear from her eyes and turns to hug each of her parents in turn. "We love you so much, Anne." Tiffany says gently, her soothing voice drowning out the irritating sounds of the station. She strokes Anne's black hair gently. "You've grown up so much."
"You've made all of us so proud already," Richard adds, kissing her lightly on the cheek. This means more to Anne than she could say since she knows her father is still very much uncomfortable with sending her off to Hogwarts. "Stay safe, Love, and work hard to always keep that smile on your face. That's all we ask." The tears keep coming as she hugs Landon goodbye, where he retorts that she must tell him the names of all the boys that she beats in her classes when she gets home for Christmas, and finally turns back to Kylie, who is holding out her hand to her nervously. Anne hastily wipes her tears from her eyes. "I'm ready. Let's go."
The two girls lock hands and sprint forward to the barrier, Anne's heart pounding like a sledgehammer in her chest. She winces, preparing to crash into the bricks, but instead she continues running, straight through the bricks and onto Platform 9 ¾.
Sterling gazes out the plaid curtain-clad window of the cramped compartment on the Hogwarts Express, watching the outdoor surroundings skirt past him in a blur as the train takes him farther and farther from King's Cross. He feels relaxed for the most part, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't extinguish the worry in the back of his head about what House he would be sorted into. If it was Slytherin, perhaps he was more like his mother than he thought. Maybe it shouldn't be as big of a surprise as it is. After all, even with his new friends, Sterling still wondered if purebloods really were superior to other wizards. To disagree would be to go against everything she had taught him despite his father's efforts to keep the slate on the issue clean for him to decide.
His father was a different story, though. Sorted into Gryffindor, his dad was a man of great bravery but also kindness, and he always let Sterling know that he saw those traits in him as well. Would he be wrong about that if Sterling ended up in Slytherin? Was he wrong for being kind in the first place? Maybe it was best to act superior to other wizards. After all, most important wizards seemed to value cunning and skill over just kindness. But something about that just didn't ring true. He just didn't know. It was like he was a rope being yanked in two different directions. Gryffindor, Slytherin. Gryffindor, Slytherin. If the force became too great he might just split in half, like his father's Splinching accident but worse.
"Looks like someone needs some cheering up!" A happy, lilting voice jolts Sterling out of his rather gloomy thoughts. Finn is sitting across from Sterling and holding out a bright purple box containing a chocolate frog.
"Oh, um, thanks." Sterling takes the box from the overexcited boy and gently tears it open, wondering what famous witch or wizard was printed on the collectors card.
A dark, stern looking man with greasy hair stares up at him.
Severus Snape.
A Slytherin.
Sterling pops the frog into his mouth, wishing his worries could melt away like the sweet milky chocolate.
"Hey, Kingsbury, I bet you two Sickles I can fit more jelly slugs in my mouth than you can! " Finn claps his hands excitedly, carelessly shoving away empty boxes of fizzing whizbees and peppermints.
"Hey, careful!" Kylie squeals, rubbing an eye. "That box just hit me in the face!" Finn's face lights up red, and he hastily apologizes, but Kylie is laughing too hard to actually be mad.
"So, Kingsbury. What do you say?" Finn dangles a blue candy slug in front of his mouth.
"I'm not much for..."
"Do it! Do it! Do it!" Finn starts to chant in a maniacal voice that makes Sterling genuinely concerned about how much sugar he's consumed.
"Fine, Fine. Two Sickles!" Sterling resigns himself to the task at hand and shoves a bright pink slug into his mouth. It tastes like lemonade. Next, a black licorice one. Sterling cringes at the flavor combination in his mouth and notices that Finn is way ahead, cramming in slug after slug.
"This is stupid!" Sterling tries to say as he crams two red cherry slugs into his mouth, but it instead comes out as, "Thith ith sthupid." It doesn't help that a small crowd of other first-years has formed around them, cheering like they were at a Quidditch match.
Finn shouts something that sounded a little bit like "I'm gonna beat you!" as Sterling grabs a tenth slug and puts it in his already overstuffed mouth. Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen… this is so stupid. On the fifteenth jelly slug, Sterling feels himself begin to choke and quickly ducks his head into a nearby trash can, spitting out a multicolored mess.
Finn pumps his fists up in the air and lets out a muffled shout of victory before moving to spit out his slugs. The crowd of over-excited first years erupts in cheers, high-fiving Finn before going back to sit down in their own compartments, and Sterling feels instant regret pool in his stomach. What would his parents think of him? He was trying to be more mature, he really was. There just wasn't time for these silly games. He had to concentrate.
"Pay up, Kingsbury! I got twenty slugs!" Laughter dances in Finn's eyes as he holds out his palm, awaiting the cash.
"Ok, ok, you win." Sterling says in a decidedly less enthusiastic tone and extracts the appropriate payment.
"Hey, nice game you had going there. Had me on the edge of my seat." Sterling turns, confused at the sound of the voice with the mocking tone. A rather pale boy with slicked back platinum blond hair and neatly pressed black robes leans lazily against the door of their compartment.
"Um, sure." Sterling replies, squinting up at the boy. He recognizes him from somewhere, but where.
"Oh, sorry. I'm being rude. My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. You must be Sterling Kingsbury."
"How did you..?"
"Oh, everybody knows about the Kingsburys." The boy scoffs. "Nobility, Auror Office, Wizengamot, all that jazz. Though I have to say, you're not nearly as popular this year as Potter over there. Nobody can stop talking about him"
He jerks his head over to where a dark-haired boy with glasses sits in a compartment towards the front of the train, talking to another boy with fiery red hair. Sterling remembered his dad telling him that Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts this year, and he could hardly believe it. The boy that had survived You-Know-Who's Killing Curse? Now that was somebody to be friends with.
"But he's not a pureblood like you and I are." Malfoy adds, smiling. "And we purebloods have got to stick together, don't we?"
What was he getting at?
"Sure, I guess." Sterling adds, and he can't help but notice the slightly hurt expression on Anne's face. He hoped she didn't think he didn't want to be friends anymore. He needed all the friends he could get.
"Go on, introduce me to your friends! I've never seen them before! Are they members of the nobility too?" Malfoy said, rudely pushing Finn over so he could sit across from Sterling in the overstuffed compartment.
"Um, well I'm Kylie Bennett. My dad works as a Healer at St. Mungo's." Kylie speaks up quickly, probably trying to keep Anne from answering.
"My Mum was a journalist for The Daily Prophet." Finn says, looking down at his feet.
"Hmm," Malfoy says with a smirk. "Not too bad. Maybe I'll stay. My dad's been telling me about the brilliant doctor that's been rising in the ranks at the hospital, Bennett. And it doesn't hurt to have friends in the media." Draco adds, making Finn's fists clench because Draco's treating his mom like some tool. Kylie frowns and is clearly repulsed by the clear pureblood superiority that she sees rolling off of Draco, turning to Anne in concern. Sterling catches Finn mouthing "Please go" at Draco, making nothing more than to summon Rory to drag the boy away and through some mud. None of this happens sadly, and Draco nods towards Anne. "What about you? Your parents Aurors or something?"
Anne looks warily at the boy, her eyes darkening. "They're Muggles." She says smoothly, waiting for his response. Her eyes are hard and her teeth are clenched. While the large crowd from earlier nearly sent her into cardiac arrest, this is just one boy, one snobbish boy that dares trample on the people she loves. No, not today, nor any day if Anne has any say in it.
Draco raises his eyebrows, his smirk disappearing. "Oh, so you're a Mudblood, are you then?" His words drip with disgust. "Have to say, I expected more from you, Kingsbury. One can never be too careful about the company he keeps."
Sterling feels rage boiling up inside of him, and he stands to his feet, opening his mouth to say something, but Anne beats him to it.
"Don't… you...DARE speak about my family like that!" Anne retorts, her voice rising in pitch. "I don't know who your parents are, but they must be simply dreadful people to have raised their son to talk like that! Oh, and I may not know much about magic, but I do know that all the magic in the world can't teach someone to be a kind and decent person because if it did, you would be one by now!" Anne has taken several steps toward Draco now, and he's slowly starting to back away, obviously not expecting Anne to fire back.
"If I were you, I would trade every bit of my pure bloodedness to have just an ounce of the decency my Muggle family has!" Anne finishes, walking ever closer towards to the pale blond boy, who appears a shade paler now, if it was possible.
He seems to snap out of his thoughts and looks with disgust at Sterling. "And here I thought you'd be in Slytherin with me, but it looks like your friend here has a better chance of that. Have fun in Hufflepuff, loser."
Sterling just stares after Malfoy, not saying a word as he strides away from the compartment, fists clenched. Anne huffs and slams the glass door to the compartment closed, landing with a thud on her cushioned seat. Nobody speaks for a while, and the tension in the compartment is so thick, Sterling thinks of cracking open the window to see if it would help
" I bet you anything he will be sorted into Slytherin. Slytherins are just awful, aren't they?" Kylie offers, shuddering slightly.
"Not all of them." Sterling says in a low tone, suddenly afraid of what he could become.
"Well, why don't you go join Malfoy then." Anne growls, still not calmed down after her fight with Draco.
"Woah, wait, that isn't fair." Finn speaks up, trying to diffuse the increasingly tense situation. "Sterling's right, not all Slytherins are like that."
"Ian says.." Kylie begins.
"Your brother doesn't know everything, Kylie." Finn shoots back sternly. "My mum was good friends with a Slytherin, and she always told me that a witch or a wizard was so much more than the house they happened to be sorted into. I thought you guys knew that."
The compartment goes quiet at Finn's mention of his mum, the anger deflating from the room like a balloon. But Sterling still wondered if what Finn said was actually true. Because if it wasn't, he might lose his friends.
Finn sighs, looking out at the sun setting outside the windowed compartment as it bathes the outdoor scenery in a soft pink glow. He turns to Anne, Sterling, and Kylie, all who are looking rather gloomy. Kylie is picking at a loose thread in a cushion, Anne is reading one of her books from Flourish and Blotts, and Sterling is just staring at his shoes.
Finn clears his throat. "Well… I'm gonna go see if any snacks are left on the trolley cart. You guys want anything?" Finn wasn't actually hungry, he just had to try.
"No, no, I'm fine." Kylie mumbles.
"Me too." says Sterling, and Anne just shakes her head.
"Well, we have to do something." Finn throws his hands up, not knowing what will help in a situation like this. He just knows he has to be the peacemaker. He refuses to let his friends stay mad at each other, no matter what it took.
Anne lets out a heavy sigh and puts her book down on the cushion beside her "Look, Finn, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have even got involved with that Draco kid."
"You're right." Sterling lifts his head, a guilty-looking expression etched on his face. "He was talking to me, anyway. I should have stood up for you. You shouldn't have had to say any of that... He just wanted to have a friend that was like him. I guess he decided that I'm not what he was looking for." Sterling traces a pattern in the fraying rug on the compartment floor with his shoe.
"Well, he was right." Anne says, her voice firm. "You're nothing like him, Sterling. I'm so sorry for what I said. I didn't mean.."
"But what if I'm in Slytherin?" Sterling asks, desperation in his voice. "What then?"
"That won't change a thing." Anne says, decidedly, turning to face Sterling.
"She's right." Kylie adds. "Who am I to be talking about how bad Slytherins are when I've never even been to Hogwarts? Anyway, Ian lies about a ton of stuff anyways. He told me that the Whomping Willow on the school grounds is actually a transfigured version of Headmaster Dumbledore. Guess what? It isn't."
This elicits the smallest of smiles from the Anne and Sterling.
"I mean, if you're sure…" Sterling still sounds uncertain.
"Of course we are." Finn adds, feeling more hopeful. "The Platinum Quartet has to stick together!"
"Platinum Quartet?" Kylie raises an eyebrow.
Finn shrugs. "I thinks it sounds good."
"I just have one thing to add." Anne adds, a small smile crossing her face. "Sterling?"
"Yeah?"
"If you do get sorted into Slytherin, punch Malfoy's guts for me, will you?"
Sterling actually laughs, the loudest since he's met his new group of friends. "Will do."
"Hey, Finn. Wake up." Finn slowly emerges from a fitful sleep
"Go away, Caden..." Finn mumbles, swatting blindly at the air above him.
"I'm not Caden, I'm Sterling." The voice says, rather offended but amused. "And we're here."
"Here where?" Finn groans, still completely disoriented and blinking slowly up at a bleary version of Sterling.
"ALL FIRS' YEARS, COME WITH ME! ALL FIRS' YEARS, TO THE BOATS!" A booming voice jolts Finn out of whatever sleepiness remained in him, and he jerks his head up to see a crowd of young witches and wizards gathering behind a gigantic man with a furry-looking beard. Hagrid. Oscar had talked about him before. The half-giant who lived on the grounds. But Finn didn't remember anything about boats… Panic starts to rise inside his chest as he watches Anne and Kylie gathering their things, eager to join Hagrid at the door.
"We're here!" Kylie squeals. "I can't wait to see the Great Hall! And Dumbledore! And.."
Anne laughs as she follows her friend to the compartment entrance. " Um, Muggle-born here? I still don't know what any of this stuff means!" she chuckles, hiding her anxiety about going on boats to the school.
Kylie giggles and says something back, but Finn can't focus over his racing heart. Sterling starts to move toward the aisle with them, but not before Finn grabs his arm, nearly missing because of his sweaty palms . Sterling glances down at Finn, looking slightly annoyed. "Come on, Finn. Get up. We don't want to miss the boat."
"What do you mean, boat? I thought we were taking a carriage." he says, trying to hide the desperation in his voice.
"That's for second years and up." Sterling states matter-of-factly. "We get to see Hogwarts for the first without any carriages blocking our view."
"FIRS' YEARS, COME WITH ME!"
A sense of impending doom grips Finn's heart and his mind helplessly flashes back to the awful day.
His mum getting hit by a blinding white light and splashing into the cold river.
Finn diving after her, not knowing how to swim.
Ramming into their little boat repeatedly, gasping for air.
"You don't look so good." Sterling says as he turns back from the doorway to look at Finn, his eyebrows coming together in concern. His voice seems far away.
"I can't go."
"Sure you can, come on." Sterling says, motioning for Finn to get up. Finn stays cemented to his seat, unable to move.
"No, I can't."
Anne pushes past Sterling and a crowd of jittery first years to come sit next to Finn.
"It's okay. I'll help you. I'm don't really care for water either."
"It's not that!" Finn cries desperately, tears starting to stream down his face. He can't help it. "I can't go, I really can't. Just take me on a carriage, please!"
"LAST CALL FOR FIRS' YEARS!" Hagrid's voice booms through the compartments, and Anne glances worriedly at the last of the stragglers clamoring for the door. She nods to Sterling to go ahead and save a boat for the four of them before turning back to Finn.
"Finn, we really have to go." Anne urges, grabbing Finn's hand.
"No! I won't go! I told you!" Finn wrenches his shaking hand out of Anne's grip as Hagrid clambers noisily over to their compartment. "SOMETHIN' WRONG?"
"I'm not going on a boat. Take me on the carriage." Finn doesn't turn around to look at the half-giant standing over him. He's much too busy trying to get his heart rate back to a somewhat normal pace.
"COURSE YEH'RE NOT. HERE, HAVE SOME OF THIS. IT'LL HELP CALM YEH DOWN A BIT."
Finn finally turns around to see Hagrid holding a steaming mug of something caramel colored in front of him. He eyes Hagrid warily but takes the drink. It's thick and tastes sweet and buttery, and an instantly impossible calm floods his body. How did that happen? He slowly stands to his feet, confused at why he's suddenly decided to go along with this.
Hagrid grins down at him. "Always keep a supply of that on hand for the nervous ones. Come on now, we don' wan' ter be late!"
And with that, he turns on his heels and starts lumbering towards the door, his footsteps shaking the whole train.
Finn stares confusedly after him, wiping tears from his face. "Anne, what just..."
"He's right." Anne smiles weakly and takes Finn's hand again. "We don't want to be late."
Yeah! We're done! Sorry for any mistakes that you guys find. This chapter wasn't as thoroughly checked as the others.
We check chapters thoroughly? I was just spot-checking stuff...
Well, I was trying to make it sound better than it actually was but... you're pretty much right. We just reread each other's parts and spot check.
So yeah...sorry for any errors! We did work hard on the chapter though so we'd appreciate the comments, even if it's just to clarify or point out mistakes.
Yeah, we're really starved for comments.
Lol! We sound desperate now. Should we lay off the begging?
Aren't we desperate though?
Yes, but do they need to know that?
Eh, too late now. :p
True. True. Anyways, the next chapter is the Sorting chapter! Which houses do you think our main characters are going to join?
Come back next week to find out!
We mean it this time. :p See ya then!
