Hello again! We are up to 29 reviews, which puts us at 91st on the list of HP/Hetalia crossovers if you sort by number of reviews. Let's get to at least 50th eventually~ Anyway, I found a cover picture - Eesti in Ravenclaw! Of course, I don't own this picture and didn't actually ask to use it, so... thanks, random person on dA that I stole that from! Also thanks to all our magnificent reviewers, who this chapter included Iricelli, Zantetsuken Reverse, Cookie05, MechaBunny, and forever-sweet! I still don't own Harry Potter or Hetalia. If I did, Dobby wouldn't have died, at least not before he could kill Bellatrix.

Chapter 7

"So I guess Lukas should go first; I'll stay back here and direct. You must be careful. Run if you have to, but you need to believe you can get through. Now, Lukas, if you will…"

After two weeks of practice at the Burrow, the nations are all acquainted with the basic spells and potions that they will need in everyday life at Hogwarts. Earlier today they left the Weasley residence for King's Cross and are lining up in front of the Platform 9 ¾ barrier with many goodbyes. Liechtenstein had become very attached to Mrs. Weasley, and China and Mr. Weasley had spent hours discussing Muggle products (that is, until Hungary interrupted them, at which point Mr. Weasley quickly excused himself). Remarkably, no one had really gotten hurt during their weeks of practice, though Estonia did end up with a few burns from Russia's "practice," and Egypt hadn't been able to participate much because of the turmoil in his country making him ill. Still, they managed to get the necessary lessons and arrive at King's Cross Station on time by using Mr. Weasley's magically expanding flying limousine.

Norway nods and pushes his luggage into the barrier, disappearing after it. Many nations gasp, but Britain just smiles and nudges Liechtenstein forward before Switzerland can complain that she's running at a brick wall. She squeezes her eyes shut and runs as fast as she can toward the barrier while pushing her trunk. For a second something feeling like water is around her, but then Norway is taking her hand and pulling her out of the way of whoever's next and she must be through. She opens her eyes.

Platform 9 ¾ is even more full of people than the rest of King's Cross had been. All of the students milling around lug trunks behind them. The mothers of the younger ones fuss over them and cannot seem to stop hugging them goodbye. A gleaming black-and-red steam locomotive sits on the tracks, a long line of passenger cars behind it; each reads "Hogwarts Express." Iceland joins Liechtenstein in her observation when he gets through the barrier right after her.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks, turning to look at her.

"No," Liechtenstein admits, shaking her head. "But we don't have much choice, do we?"

"I hope we're in the same house," Iceland says, then blushes and tries to recover his usual demeanor. "I-It would be nice to know someone in our classes, you know?"

"Yeah…. Well, there's Latvia – um, Raivis, sorry – in our year too, if all else fails."

"I guess…." It gets pretty awkward pretty fast then, so both are glad when Norway finishes helping the others through and orders them to begin boarding the train.

Having already taken care of his own luggage, Switzerland finds Liechtenstein and helps her bring her trunk to the compartment he had laid claim to. Austria and Hungary are already there. While Austria busies himself reading a copy of the Daily Prophet he had obtained in Diagon Alley, purposefully ignoring Switzerland, Hungary greets them and helps Liechtenstein put her owl's cage up on the high luggage rack. Closing the compartment door, the girls make pleasant conversation, trying and mostly failing to pull the boys into it, and soon the train begins to move.

-/|\-

"…And I was like, 'Well, I'm using Poland Rule,' so I like totally won that, right, Liet?"

"Sure, Feliks, of course." Lithuania had been trying to get Poland to use the nations' human names all day, making very little progress. Poland just didn't seem to understand how necessary it is. So far, he was calling Liechtenstein Lili and no longer used "Lithy" as a secondary nickname for Lithuania, which is something, albeit not enough. The last thing any of them needs, in Lithuania's mind, is to have to explain away being a nation.

Across the compartment from them, Estonia looks up from his laptop and sighs. "You know you're going to have to start using our human names eventually, don't you, Feliks?"

"Aw, but I don't want to! I, like, don't like them."

"I don't want to give up my laptop, but I will, because it's what I'll have to do. There will be too much magical interference at Hogwarts for this. I just need to send one last email, and then I'm off for the school year. You can do the same, can't you? Just with names."

"Fine."

"Fine who?"

"Fine, Eduard."

"There you go!" Lithuania encourages, looking at Estonia thankfully. As they lock eyes, a full conversation passes between them, a skill perfected by all three Baltics during the long Soviet years when communication could be difficult. Thanks.

You're welcome. I just hope he remembers.

He will when it counts. What are we doing about Latvia? Lithuania flicks his gaze over to the first year concernedly.

He should be fine if he's not in Russia's house. I won't be calling for him every time he makes a mistake this year, though; that's for sure.

Mm-hm. Remember last time you made that resolution? In response, Estonia just rolls his eyes.

Latvia, oblivious to all this, looks up from his novel to ask, "Won't we have to change into our robes or something before we get there?"

"Aw, I don't look-" Poland cuts himself off when Lithuania gives him a look.

"Feliks, we have magical powers! How can you complain?"

"I guess I can't…"

"Right. Now let's play some cards and I promise I'll buy you some chocolate later," Lithuania swears, and judging by his squeal of delight, Poland seems to quite approve of this plan.

-/|\-

The train had just started moving when Sweden hears a knock on the compartment door. He opens it to see Germany with a bouncy Italy behind him. "Do you mind if we sit here? All the other compartments are either full or utterly insane. Or both," Germany pleads. Not seeing any problem with this, Sweden opens the door all the way and steps aside to let them in. Finland looks up from the book he is reading when he hears them enter.

"Oh, hey, Ludwig! Hi, Feliciano! We don't have any problem with you guys being here, right, Sve?" Sweden grunts in the negative, so Finland continues. "I was just reading about Hogwarts. It seems there was a big battle there in 1998 when they killed a bunch of Dark wizards."

"Ve… that's scary!"

"Come to think of it, Arthur hadn't been to many meetings that year," Germany observes.

Finland smiles. "And no wonder. But don't worry, Feli, they're long gone. Some of the people who were students then are teachers now. No, I think the biggest threat now is inter-house rivalry, which, if anything, grew bigger since the Battle of Hogwarts, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin. But that mostly stays in the Quidditch arena."

"W't's Qudditch?" Sweden inquires.

"A wizarding sport, sort of like basketball and football mixed together and played while flying on brooms. Hey, maybe some of us will get on the teams!"

"I'm not going to try out," Germany shrugs. "Schoolwork first. RIGHT, Feliciano?"

"Right, Ludwig!"

"Good. What else does it say in that book, Tino? Research is an excellent idea."

"Well, the castle…"

-/|\-

"Alright, Icy, you record bets for me. Denmark, you take the left side of the car with America. I'll get the right. Make sure you watch out for any unawesome people who'll report us. And here we go!"

Prussia, Denmark, America, and Iceland had been stuck in the same compartment and Prussia had decided to take bets on house placements to earn a few more Galleons – more butterbeer for him! Naturally, Denmark and America were automatically in, and Iceland joined because he had nothing better to do. Now they convoy down the aisle of the nations' car, checking who is in each compartment through the blinds so that they could avoid anyone likely to give them grief about it.

"No, wait, Russia's in there!" Prussia pulls Iceland back. "Let's skip it please… oh, hey, Mattie."

"What are you doing?" Canada whispers, a sound just above a snake's hiss. "Arthur's going to catch you, or Lukas will."

"Nah, we're being careful. Who are you sitting with?"

"…Francis and Antonio and Lovino…"

"Yes! They'll participate for sure. Lead the way, Mattie."

"This is stupid of me, but… over here."

-/|\-

Unfortunately for him, Japan somehow ended up sitting with Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. With one blessed pause thanks to Denmark and some odd gambling he and Prussia had set up, the arguments continue for hours before Greece finally falls asleep in the middle of one of Turkey's angry rants. Only then – three hours into the ride – does Japan actually get some peace. That is, until the treat cart arrives.

It is a little-known fact among the Western nations that Japan has a magic school and, even more so, that he knows about it. But he does, and so remains unsurprised when the cart comes by with plenty of bizarre snacks that baffle the others. He himself only buys some Chocolate Frogs and a small bag of jelly beans, which he methodically picks through to find his favorites.

"Hey, can I try some?" Turkey asks. Japan silently hands over the bag after picking out all the salmon-flavored ones.

Turkey, not knowing about the odd flavors, grabs a bean at random. It is a dull golden yellow. It is only in his mouth a moment before he spits it out, swearing in Turkish. "WHAT THE F*** WAS THAT?!"

"I'm sorry, Sadiq-kun, but I thought you were aware of the strange flavors in that bag. I think that was an earwax-flavored one," Japan explains.

"WHO WOULD MAKE AN EARWAX FLAVORED JELLY BEAN?!"

"I'm really sorry, Sadiq-kun. Perhaps you would prefer this one?" He takes the bag back and fishes out a dark red bean, which Turkey hesitantly eats before smiling broadly.

"Paprika! Yes! That's better! What other decent flavors are in there?"

"Heracles, would you like to try one? Gupta?"

Greece, for some reason, looks hesitant. "Jelly beans? I'm not sure…"

"There's a lamb-flavored one," Turkey points out, having found the tag with the list of flavors. Greece perks up.

"I suppose I'll try one…" he agrees. Luckily for Japan, Turkey and Greece stop arguing for the rest of the ride in favor of splitting the jelly beans amongst themselves and Egypt. Japan smiles. Perhaps they all can get along after all.

It's another bouncy PoV chapter, I know. But stuff happens! And they'll be at Hogwarts next chapter getting sorted! And then I can rant about it! Because it's a lot harder than it looks... I know I sort of cut out like two weeks of the Burrow, but the important stuff was said last chapter and it was pretty much just Norway and Britain teaching 1st-year-leavel spells. We'll see many more lessons later.

The next chapter might be a while; it's going to be super long compared to these.

Greece is hesitant about trying the jelly beans for a reason. A long time ago, a certain famous Greek mathematician was completely phobic of beans. Pop quiz: who was it?

Please review and/or pass this story along to your friends and followers! It would really mean a lot to me.

Takk! Se deg senere!

Translations:
Um, not a translation exactly, but when Finland says football he means actual football/soccer, not American football.
Takk! Se deg senere! - Thank you! See you later! Norwegian