Chapter 3: The Train Ride
I pressed my forehead against the window of the scarlet train peering outside and observing the different students saying their farewells to their families. Fathers stood by as mothers gave their children mushy kisses goodbye and little children either looked up at their older siblings in awe or in jealousy. My heart panged thinking that the only people alive to see me off on my crusade are at home oblivious to the situation or on urgent business. Clementine had left with something to take care of and had told me not to worry but to have fun. Students already began boarding the train and I caught pieces of conversations as they walked past my compartment. I slid the door closed and opened up a text book and aimless flit through it. Right when a passage caught my eye a familiar voice called my name. From behind the glass of the door Levy smiled at me and waved. I opened the door and the muffled noise from outside became clear again.
"Hey Lucy! Long time no see!" she stood outside the door with her trunk sitting behind her.
"I'm so glad I found you! Can I stay here? I don't really know anyone else…" She trailed off.
"Yes, of course!" I replied quickly feeling happy to have someone to talk to during the course of the trip. I got up and helped her lift her trunk up onto the shelves. Afterwards we both sat on opposite sides of the window. Levy's petite form seemed to have trouble containing the excitement and nerves that she appeared to be feeling but her eyes betrayed her by glowing brightly. She smiled and looked out the window looking for I guess her parents. Successful she waved at her parents from our train compartment, curious I peeked out the window. They were standing just on the other side of the window. Both very different; Levy had her father's eyes and shared her other traits with her mother. They looked at me and smiled; unconsciously I smiled back and blushed. Levy opened the window and her mother said in a soft voice not unlike Levy's "I see you've made a friend already!" She looked at me as she said it.
"This is Lucy, we met a while ago in Diagon Alley in the bookstore!"
"Oh! Is this that girl? It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Levy was really hoping she'd be able to find you again during the train ride to Hogwarts!" Levy's father popped in and said "yes, you have no idea how ecstatic she was to find one of her own people…" He looked at Levy mischievously and said "It is o so difficult for a teenage bookworm to find someone who feels the euphoria and agony that one feels while reading. And to top it off their own parents just don't understand." With that last part he began cracking up. I looked over at Levy who was blushing and trying not to smile.
After some banter between father and daughter the departing bell of the train rang and we were about to depart. Levy's father reached up and ruffled her hair a bit and her mother's eyes began watering up.
"Goodbye…I love you mom, love you dad."
"Have fun at your new school but stay on top of your homework!" Her mom said.
"We are going to miss you…And we love you too."
They stepped back from the window as the train began sliding slowly forward and Levy began waving goodbye to her parents from the window. The train picked up speed and I looked back at the station, her parents' small figures started getting smaller and smaller till I saw nothing more of Platform 9¾. Levy stared a bit more out the window then she glanced at me and asked "where were your parents Lucy?"
"Err…My father had something to do…" I said quietly.
"I see…" She looked away for a second and changed the subject "What class are you most looking forward to Lucy?"
"To be honest I'm looking forward to all of them!"
"So am I but I think I am really excited to learn about charms." How Levy said charms left a mystical presence suspended in the air. She leaned forward from her seat as if she were going to share a secret and said "I've been practicing how to do some of the spells but despite my efforts…I wasn't very successful. But while I'm at school I'm going to pester the teachers so much about different spells they'll turn me into a ferret!" Her eyes revealed a mischievous part of Levy not unlike her fathers' look and she cracked a smile. I smiled back and I can only imagine what Levy had been up to during the summer. As the ruby train chugged along it quieted down a bit as compartment doors slid shut. Levy shut our compartment door and did a little hop back to her seat.
"Why do you want to learn charms Levy?"
"Well, my mother is a muggle but my father specializes in charms and I want to be as good as he is. Plus you can do so much cool stuff! Oh my gosh, you can lift something in the air-I think the spell for that is Leviosa!" She flourished her hands and continued with, "and you can make light come from your wand or you can bewitch a bunch of snowballs to cascade on your enemy during snowball fights!"
"Whoa! Promise me we won't be on opposite sides of the battled field!" I said.
"Of course not Lucy! Unless I've been abducted by aliens and they replaced me with one of their own would you ever have to fight me…Also you would totally KO my alien clone because I doubt they would know any magic!" and we both started laughing.
"Poor alien clone me… " Levy shook her head imagining the whole scenario.
Around 20 minutes into the ride my stomach decided to share the song of its people because I hadn't eaten very much before I boarded the train due to nerves. Levy brought out a brown crumpled lunch bag.
"Are you hungry? Would you like half of my sandwich?"
"Yes, please. Thank you Levy!" I eagerly nodded my head.
She got out a little blue box and inside a neat sandwich with fluffy bread sat delicately in the box. She took out one half and used the lid of the box as a sort of plate and extended it towards me. I thanked her once more and she said it was fine. We ate quietly staring out the window while flashes of small ranches and emerald forests passed us by. A little bell tingled from outside the door interrupted our silence.
A stout lady with a candy wrapper apron stood out from behind the window with a little cart of colorful candies. Levy jumped up from her seat and went over to the cart; she studied the candies and beckoned for me to go over. I approached the cart and looked up at the lady who smiled patiently at the two of us. Levy asked me "which candies do you want Lucy? I'll get you some if want!" I looked down at the candies and recognized none of them and I said "I've never really had any wizard candy like these…"
"Oh! Then I'll have to get a lot of the good ones to share with you!" She bounced a little on her feet.
She grabbed at least ten different types of candies and before she could fully pay the women the amount that they cost I intervened and gave her my share of money. We thanked the women and ran jumped into our seats and dumped the candy onto Levy's side. She handed me different candies one after another stating on a level of one to ten how much she liked it and she even had to warn me about some of them such as the chocolate frogs. She opened up a box candies and put some of them on her palm and asked me in a serious tone: "Lucy, what do these look like to you?"
"Jelly beans?"
"Yes and no. These aren't any ole jelly beans…these are Bertie and Botts Every Flavored Beans, these beans contain at least every flavor imaginable…And I mean every flavor!" She said mysteriously.
"Here, you see this one here?" she picked one up that had a nasty green tone to it, "don't eat it, for all we know it could be broccoli or even boogers!" She stuck out her tongue and tossed it. "If I end up never giving you wise advice during the whole duration of our friendship remember this: never trust Bertie and Botts Jelly Beans if you see a bean that gives you a double take you must toss it, like this-"she tossed a black bean to the side. I started giggling as she studied bean after bean and gave her approval to the ones I chose. I ended up having beans that tasted of cotton candy, sand, salt water, an apple, chocolate and one that deceived Levy and was not caramel but wood. After a couple minutes passed during our endeavor of eating the good beans and avoiding the evil ones someone knocked at our compartment door. Three people stood behind the door. A girl with startling braided red hair stood tall with her chin up high and two moody boys glared at each other behind her back. One of them had raven black hair while the other was wearing a scarf and had…pink hair? Strangely enough the pink hair suited him. They were both staring daggers at each other and if those daggers were real…Cheese-it's…I don't even want to think of it. Levy glanced at me quickly with one eyebrow raised and we got up to slide the door open.
"Good evening, my name is Erza Scarlet and my friends here are Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster" she pointed at each one "and we would like to know if we could stay in your compartment for the rest of the trip?"
"Sure, I don't mind! What about you Lucy?" Levy piped up.
"I don't mind either…" I smiled bashfully since I wasn't expecting to meet new people.
"Great! Thank you very much." Erza smiled at us then she looked behind her and said "come on let's go grab our stuff."
"We wouldn't have had to leave our compartment if snow fairy here didn't have to exhibit himself..." Natsu muttered.
"What did you say ash brain?! And this is coming from the dude who accidently set ablaze a box of fire crackers! We are so lucky that they were really cheap ones."
"At least that was an accident it's not like I did it on purpose…I can't even wrap my mind around your claim that you strip because it's a habit! What the heck kind of excuse is that? It's like saying I like to sacrifice stuffed animals to the gods because it's a habit!"
"Hey you kn-STOP IT." Erza cut into whatever Gray was going to say and went full out avenging angel mode "we just found a good place to stay for the rest of the trip, don't mess it up." She then dragged them by the ears down the corridor of the train with yelps of pain following her. I glanced at Levy who had the words: da heck written all over her face. We stood there for a minute and silently picked up the candy we had thrown onto the seats and put them into Levy's brown lunch bag. A moment later the three of them returned with one more addition…a blue cat. Let me say that again, a blue cat.
The three of them entered and set their luggage onto the shelves above the seats. I sat down between the window and Levy while the other three sat across from us with Erza in between Natsu and Gray. An awkward silence hung over us and Levy broke it by asking "what is your cat's name?"
"His name is Happy" Natsu answered.
"That cat has a bottomless pit for a stomach when it comes to fish." Gray added and Happy's ears perked up with the word fish.
"Speaking of food would you guys like some candy?" I asked.
They all eagerly accepted the offer of candy and then within a couple minutes we were all showing off the cards we got from the chocolate frog packages and laughing at the faces some of us made while eating the jelly beans. Overdosing on candy left all of us parched and hyper.
"So, which house would you like to be in: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin?" Erza asked us never breaking her straight posture while the rest of us slouched on the seats because of our bloated stomachs. Oh, yes these are the houses that Clementine mentioned to me.
Levy answered first and said "I would love to be in Ravenclaw but I don't think I would be sorted into that house to be honest. How about you Erza?"
"I'm setting my sights on Gryffindor as the house of my choice." Erza stated "I know that these two want to be in that house too."
"Of course! It's for the brave hearted and courageous!" Natsu said proudly.
"Well, I might be sorted there but pinky here will most likely be sorted into Hufflepuff." Gray said.
"No way, that house is for wimps and twinkle toes!"
"Exactly." Gray made a pointed look while saying that.
"The Hufflepuff House is NOT for wimps and twinkle toes; in fact it is the house for the patient, hardworking and loyal also their emblematic animal is the badger." Erza stated in a matter of fact way.
"Okay, but why did you mention the badger?" Gray asked.
"Because badgers are amazing and they simply don't care about anything."
"What?"
"Never mind" Erza sighed and shook her head and then asked me what house I wanted to be in.
"I think it would be great to be sorted into Ravenclaw because I heard the house itself is practically a library!"
"Oh, so you like to read?"
"Yes, very much so." And Levy happily agreed with me.
The sun had already gone down and a blanket of stars littered the night sky. After the energy we had all accumulated because of the candy all of us were on the verge of sleep. At least half an hour after pointless chatting Erza pointed out that we were arriving in around twenty more minutes and that we should put our school robes on. When we all had our robes on did a little bit of energy return to us. "I read in one of the textbooks that ghosts roam around the school, do you know if it is true?" I asked.
"Yes, it is true and there is even a ghost who is called Nearly Headless Nick," Natsu said darkly "they say that when he was killed that the axe wasn't able to behead him fully…" He traced his finger along his scarf covered neck.
"My mother said that he was a very nice ghost but she said we have to watch out for Peeves the poltergeist." Levy added.
"Why?" I asked.
"We'll find out soon enough…" Levy said solemnly.
"About how much longer till we arrive at the school Erza?" I asked, impatient to get there. The patience that I abandoned long ago would probably eliminate me from being in Hufflepuff. Fireworks of excitement exploded in my chest and my foot wouldn't stop bouncing.
"I would guess ten more minutes."
"Well, we better get there soon…because I think… the motion sickness potion… my father gave me is wearing thin…" Natsu groaned and held his stomach.
"Damn, it always comes back at the worst of times and we still need to cross the lake to get to the school" Gray said.
Not wanting to see what happens when Natsus' motion sickness goes full out I silently willed the train to move faster.
We finally stood outside of the train swallowing the fresh air and trying to stay close to each other as students shoved past us. Apparently we had to leave our luggage in the train since they would be magically teleported to their respectful places. Natsu didn't seem too happy to leave his cat behind and looked gloomy. We followed a very tall man who said "firs'- years here" while he raised a lantern over his head.
"C'mon, follow me!" He started walking down the narrow damp platform leading the sea of students and he turned around and asked "any more firs'-years? No?" He paused scanning the area, "Alright then, mind yer step, now!" We slipped and tripped following him through a dark narrow path. The five of us all tried staying together, brushing arms as if to make sure the other was still there. A placid silence took over all of us and we all only listened to the sounds of our own feet and a boy sniffing about someone called Trevor…I don't know anymore…We walked through the thick air of electric excitement and anxiety when the man said: "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," he walked some more, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a collective "Ooooh!"
Our sore feet and heavy breathing was forgotten when the trail revealed a vast black lake. Perched atop of a great mountain illuminating the night sky a massive castle with many turrets and towers
"No more'n four to a boat!" The man called out while pointing to a fleet of small boats floating tranquilly in the water by the shore. The five of us ended up being the four of us as Natsu's motion sickness got worse and we passive- aggressively led him onto another boat.
"Everyone in?" yelled the man, who was so tall and big that he needed a boat for himself,
"Ok, then—FORWARD!"
And the little battalion of boats moved off from the shore and slid through the mirror like lake. To be honest the whole time leading up to us entering the school passed me by like some sort of insomniacs dream. I just remember the looks of wonder on everyone's faces as we stared up in awe at the school with the moon like an artist gently painted everyone in a coat of silver. Not everyone had the chance to really enjoy the ride; Natsu was still suffering from his motion sickness and freaking out the poor students who got on the row boat with him. My row boat passed many others and I got to see many of the students including one who had striking green eyes and curious looking round glasses. The castle seemed to stretch longer and longer as we neared the cliff edge of where the castle stood.
"Heads down!" the man yelled and we all ducked our heads as we went through a curtain of ivy which hid an opening in the cliff face. The boats slid to a stop on the small harbor in the cliff face and we all clambered onto the smooth wet pebbles trying to balance ourselves. The man started checking the boats as we got out of them and suddenly yelled, "Oy, You there! Is this your toad?"
"Trevor!" A boy blissfully cried, extending out his hands; which caused several students to snicker. Then we all clambered up a passage way in the rock following the man to at last smooth solid ground with damp grass twinkling in the dark from the lights of the castle. The man looked behind him once more scanning the crowd and then turned around and knocked three times on the castle door.
That was fun to write! I hope you enjoyed it and I'm sorry I took a while to update…But I'm already writing the next chapter so it should be out soon! Thank you to the readers who have taken the time to read this newbies story…I really appreciate it!