Chapter 5: On the way…
"They're nuts."
Julia came along with Gabriel and his mother so see him off when he boarded the Hogwarts Express. However, when she read which platform they needed to go too, she readjusted her view of wizards. She now thought that they were all mostly insane.
"Nine," she said, pointing to platform 9. "Ten," pointing to the other. "There's absolutely no platform 9 ¾. What do they expect us to do now?"
"I think I heard someone say something about walking through a brick wall," said Gabriel.
"Eh? You mean those solid lumps of brick that were specifically made to support tons of concrete so we don't all die a horrible, squishy death while boarding trains?"
"I'm wondering about that as well. Mom, help us out here."
Rachel was smiling. She suddenly remembered that in all the times that she talked about Hogwarts, she never mentioned anything about walking through the brick pillar to reach platform 9 ¾. It was funny to see how the two kids would solve this one, but then she thought that it would probably take too long.
"Okay, okay. Let's just walk over to that brick pillar," she said.
Rachel walked to the pillar where she would be able to reach the Hogwarts Express, with Julia and Gabriel following her. It wasn't very busy at the station right now, so Gabriel's old-fashioned trunk didn't draw too much attention.
When the kids were almost at the pillar, they stopped and waited to see what they were supposed to do here. Rachel, however, made no indication of stopping and just continued walking. Julia and Gabriel looked rather surprised when the pillar Rachel walked through then wasn't as massive as they thought.
"Well, if she can do that," Gabriel said.
"So can we." Julia finished.
The two walked resolutely up to the pillar and continued walking, just like they saw Rachel do just then. Walking through the bricks was a strange sensation for both. It was like almost all their senses had just shut down. You couldn't hear, see or feel anything while in the massive stone. All you could do was to keep on walking, so you wouldn't get stuck in it. Then, they both noticed they could hear again.
"Well, that wasn't that hard, was it?" Rachel asked the two.
Platform 9 ¾ also was quite something. All kinds of wizards walked around with their children, loading stuff up on the Hogwarts Express. The train looked like it came directly from one of those model train-stores and had been enlarged. It was gleaming and didn't at all feel like it should be old, even though it was obviously a very old steam engine.
The people on the platform were mostly hugging their children and kissing them goodbye. There was a group of redheads walking towards the entrance again and Gabriel thought that they looked a lot like the two kids whose kittens had attacked his face. He assumed that they had already let their kids enter the train and were on their way home.
"Gabi, the train is leaving soon, so you'll need to get on." Rachel told him. "Care to give your mother a goodbye hug?"
"Of course," Gabriel replied, giving his mother a big hug.
"It'll be quiet around the house without you around."
"Don't worry, I'll be back for Christmas. And you will still have your sappy romance novels."
Gabriel then felt a prod in his side. Obviously, Julia was getting impatient about the lack of attention her best friend was giving her. Especially, since he was about to leave for a long while. Gabriel gave her a happy grin and hugged her as well.
"Bye Jules. I'll be sure to write, even though your parents might think the sudden increase of owls around the house will be odd."
"That doesn't matter. I'll just haunt the poor beasts until they learn they have to wait patiently for me at my room."
"Poor owls. But that will teach them not to not like me."
"Only dogs like you, wolf-boy." Julia said, feeling sad that her best friend was leaving. "Make sure you come back for Christmas. It's going to be hell to not have my cute Gabi to bully around."
"I will."
Gabriel pulled away from her and gave her a kiss on her nose. He did that on occasion and it was his fondest way of showing his affection to her. Something to do with the fact that in his other form, licking her nose is one of the easiest ways to do the same.
Julia blushed a little and kissed Gabriel back on his cheek. They separated and Gabriel grabbed his trunk. He made is seem remarkably easy, even though the trunk wasn't shrunk by magic and was actually rather heavy. But Gabriel's martial arts training seemed to pay off whenever he needed to do heavy lifting, even though he only practiced it as a hobby.
Gabriel heaved his trunk in the train and gave one last goodbye to Rachel and Julia, before disappearing completely in the train. Rachel gave Julia's shoulder a slight touch and they both walked towards the entrance of Platform 9 ¾ again.
"It'll be lonely without him." Rachel commented, noticing that Julia was being uncharacteristically quiet. "But Christmas isn't that far away. And for now, we can have fun. I'll buy you some ice-cream on our way back."
"Thanks, Rachel," said Julia, a slight tremble noticeable in her voice. But that was soon replaced by her usual cheerfulness. "Can I have two scoops? I'd like banana and cinnamon."
Julia and Rachel continued talking about all kinds things and how Gabriel would like it in Hogwarts, as they disappeared through the wall into plain Muggle-London again.
Meanwhile, Gabriel had the luck of finding an empty compartment, where he had all the space he needed to lurch his trunk on the overhead boards.
Gabriel was glad he found an empty compartment. While he was thrilled to go to Hogwarts and meet more people, he wanted a little time to think. Before the compartment were to fill up with more people, he'd have some peace and quiet.
I wonder how it'll be without Jules. Quiet for one, but I won't have my best friend to tell my problems too either. Ah, crap. I'm not even gone ten minutes and I'm missing them immensely already. I'll send them a letter later to tell them how my Sorting went.
Meanwhile, the train had started moving. Soon they were out of the station and city and were rolling across the countryside. The scenery passed by quickly, making it seem that the train was going a little too fast for an ordinary steam engine.
Gabriel took a moment to contemplate the Sorting that he would have to go through. He knew that normally it was an occasion for just the first-years. He'd be the only one from a fourth year that would be attending it. That will be sure to attract some attention.
Still, it's a good way to gauge the reactions of my schoolmates. I wonder what house I'll be put in…Not that it matters really. The whole house system seems kinda off. What's the point in knowingly creating rivalry? Still, Gryffindor sounds interesting, with Gloria being in it. She seems nice enough.
His musings were interrupted by the compartment door sliding open. In the doorway stood a brown-haired girl. She was still mostly concealed behind the door and she peeked inside. She noticed Gabriel and her face fell.
"I'm sorry," she said in a soft tone. "I didn't know anyone was in here. I'll be on my way now."
The hell? She looking for an empty compartment? We're already moving, she won't find one anywhere.
"Hey, wait up." Gabriel called out. "You can sit here, you won't disturb me. Besides, boring train trips are better when you have company, aren't they?"
The girl blinked a few times. She looked up at Gabriel and even though her hair fell over her face, her blue eyes were apparent. Still, she stood by the compartment entrance and made no move to enter. After a few seconds, Gabriel got slightly impatient.
"Come on. You won't be able to find an empty compartment anywhere anymore, since we're already moving. Besides, I don't bite…" Gabriel stopped to ponder this. "I think. Well, I won't."
He stood up and walked to the door and looked around the corner. The girl's luggage lay just a bit in the hallway. Tired of waiting for the girl to just enter, he grabbed her trunk and hauled into the compartment. After that, he sat down again and looked at her expectantly. The girl was looking a bit bewildered, but then she stepped inside and sat down.
Gabriel looked at her for awhile and decided she was incredibly shy. He sighed and continued to look out of the window. After a few minutes of watching the landscape he suddenly heard the girl's soft voice again.
"Thank you."
"Eh," Gabriel said, a bit startled at the sudden sound. "What'd you say?"
"Thanks… for inviting me in and carrying my trunk." Her soft tone didn't change and she was still looking at the floor.
"Least I could do. I could hardly sit here by myself the whole trip, that would be boring. I mean, my first day at Hogwarts and I didn't meet anyone on the train. What kind of tale would that be?"
This made the girl look up.
"Your first day? You're a first year?"
"Heck no," Gabriel laughed. "I'm transferring from being home-schooled to Hogwarts. I'll be a fourth-year. I'm Gabriel, by the way."
"I'm Helena, it's a pleasure to meet you."
So polite. I wonder why she's so shy. She smells nice though, her shampoo flowery..
"So, what year are you in, Helena?" Gabriel asked.
"I'm a fourth-year Hufflepuf." Helena said, a little more relaxed now that they were on first-name basis.
"Hufflepuf? I heard of the houses, but only what their mayor personalities are. How is it there?"
Helena looked a bit down at that question.
"I suppose it's nice enough," she said. "The students in Hufflepuf are house mostly kind and they work hard."
Only mostly?
"Sounds like fun. I wonder what house I'll be put into."
Helena and Gabriel talked about Hogwarts for most of the next hour, when Gabriel stifled a yawn.
"Sorry, about that. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night. Do you mind if I just doze off for awhile?"
She shook her head and diverted her attention to a book she had been carrying. Gabriel leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. The steady rocking of the train and the presence of Helena relaxed him enough to doze off.
Gabriel awoke again by the sound of some loud voices in the hallway. Thoroughly annoyed, he just feigned sleep, knowing it was the best way to fall asleep again. Besides, it may even be interesting if people thought he was sleeping. He was surprised though, when the loud group opened his compartment door.
"Well, well. If it isn't the loathsome Helena." A really annoying and high-pitched voice said. "It's a good thing you picked such a far off compartment, since you'd only horrify all the others students."
Gabriel didn't like this guy already. But he didn't stir, hoping that Helena would stand up to them at least a bit. But he didn't hear her, only the taunting laughs of the group of boys that stood in the doorway.
"But what's this?" Another voice, equally annoying but with a lower tone. "You're not alone. Quite the heavy sleeper, your companion is. Or maybe you just snuck in while she was asleep, so she wouldn't notice you. Scared she'll throw you out when she sees you?"
I'm a girl now, huh? I wonder what they'll want written on their tombstones.
It was only then that Gabriel heard a sniffle from Helena and that was the final drop for him. He turned to the door and stood up. He noticed that he was larger than the other kids, even if it were just by a little bit. There were three guys and all three he didn't like. They weren't dressed in the school uniforms yet, but they all wore robes of an rather poisonous green. Anyway, Gabriel didn't take in all too much of their details, he still didn't like them.
"So, anything you want to say to this 'girl'," Gabriel put heavy, cynical emphasis on that word. "before I decide what to carve into your tombstones?"
To add to his threat, Gabriel put his hands together and cracked his knuckles. Though only few knew it, Gabriel had purposely perfected cracking his knuckles to an art, if only for the effect it caused.
And the effect was good. The boys stood there, looking very, very bewildered and nervous, before one of them regained the sense to say something.
"Oh yeah? And who are you to threaten us? If you didn't realize it by now, we outnumber you."
Gabriel's eyes glinted maliciously and his grin then had an incredibly feral look. He could already see the two other guys slowly edge away from the door and nearly taking off.
"Really? I guess you have to join your friends then, since you can hardly outnumber me if you're on your own. I think they're a bit further down the hall now."
The boy looked around and noticed his friends were missing from his sides and trying to edge away quickly. It didn't really take long for him to realize that it would be best for him to join them, very quickly.
When they had gone, Gabriel let out a sigh. He closed the compartment door and sat down again. He looked at Helena, who was looking back at him. She had her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs, and was looking at Gabriel with an emotion that resembled awe. Gabriel didn't really feel comfortable being looked at like that.
"Come on, there's nothing to be worried about now." Gabriel said, trying to relax the girl again. "They're gone and I doubt that any of them will be back for now. They looked pretty cowardly anyway."
Cowardly is an understatement though. They looked like they were about to mess up their robes right then and there.
Helena nodded and wiped her tears with her sleeves. She took a breath and looked down at the ground again.
"Sorry," she said, softly.
"What are you sorry about?" Gabriel asked, curious at what she could've done to him.
"It's my fault that they bothered you. I should've just left you alone."
Gabriel blinked.
"Wait, they bothered me? Didn't see that happen," he reassured Helena. "I saw them bothering you to tears and I thought I'd teach them a lesson. Besides, they called me a girl, I hate it when people do that."
Gabriel made a slight growling noise to emphasize his contempt for what just happened. Helena, despite being sad, still had to chuckle a bit, causing Gabriel to rise an eyebrow at her.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"You do look a bit like a girl," she said, smiling slightly.
"What? Now you think I look like a girl too?" Gabriel sputtered before regaining his composure and being a little more serious. "Is it that bad?"
"Yes. I think it's your hair."
"Ah yes, that's what Jules keeps saying as well. But I'm not getting rid of it. I rather like my hair."
"Jules?" Helena asked curiously.
Gabriel, glad he could talk to his new friend again, proceeded to tell her more about his life. They chatted for about another half hour, before Hogwarts came into sight through the windows.
They put on their school robes over their own clothes and sat down again, waiting for the train to arrive at the station. When Gabriel stepped out of the train, after it had arrived, he marveled at the size of the castle he was looking at. He couldn't help but wondering how his life would be now.