((To those who alerted, sorry for the wait. While I'm not exactly happy with it, here it is. Introducing four new people, including the Potters and Rose, this will be the final introductory chapter and the next chapter will include the Sorting where, hopefully, things will get better from. Anyway, please enjoy!))

It had been half an hour before one of Ebony's new friends, a First Year like them whose name neither of the boys seemed to catch. Up until then, it seemed like Ebony was trying to make up for all their lives without a mother.

"And remember to clean your teeth, boys!" she called as she left.

In the worst possible way. "We will," the two droned for what seemed the millionth time. To be perfectly honest, the sister to both of them was only doing it to annoy them, a fact both boys noticed shortly after she began the torturous torrent of nagging. While Ebony viewed this as justice for them arriving far too early, Nocturne thought the opposite.

"We have to get her back! I wonder if I can still sic waffle irons on people," Nocturne wondered aloud.

"No! I had to endure that torture, I will not subject my sister to the same thing!" Ethan said in a commanding tone. "Plus, where will you find a Muggle appliance at Hogwarts?" Ethan pointed out.

"True...maybe one of those suits of armour?" Nocturne suggested.

"No!" Ethan said in a tone of finality. Nocturne shrugged, either giving up or realising that such a topic won't be continued with Ethan. Nocturne moved onto a much better topic to discuss; Quidditch. Claimed to be the perfect conversation starter and changer in Europe, Quidditch is a subject which everyone can talk about. Even Ethan, a Muggleborn who only found out about his wizarding abilities via the Hogwarts letter, had quickly adapted to it and had picked up many of its rules, regulations and a great interest in the sport, despite Nocturne's obviously biased views in the international league. Coincidently, the Nordic National Quidditch team was being claimed as "the best by far" yet again by Nocturne. Ethan rolled his eyes. He knew the Nordic team hadn't won in decades.

"Yeah, the best at losing," Ethan mocked with a grin. Thus began a heated debate on the state of the teams, or "Why the Nordics were the best" versus "Why the English are the best", which lasted until there was a sudden knock on the door of the compartment, a full fifteen minutes after the debate began. Both looked at each other and raised an eyebrow, argument completely forgotten. "Umm, you can enter?" Ethan said in a questioning tone. The sight that greeted them was not what they expected.

Ethan didn't know what he expected, but this boy certainly wasn't it. The boy had black hair that, unlike Ethan and Nocturnes' unruly and untidy hair, was neat and clean. He had a haircut which, while keeping it quite long for a boy, framed his pale face to somehow give him a cool yet sophisticated look. His eyes were a steel grey, the kind that seemed rarely unfocused and when glaring looked as sharp and steel-like as a sword just before it cleaned you in half. He wore the typical Hogwarts robes, even though the train hadn't even began moving, yet even then they seemed custom-made with special fabric. He had an air of intelligence that few were capable of having.

"'Ello. What's up Mr. Monopoly Junior?" Nocturne asked with a grin. Of course, Nocturne had to say something which made Ethan laugh at the newcomer's appearance. The new boy gave a cold look at Nocturne.

"Salutations. My name is not 'Monopoly', nor do I have such a title of 'Junior'. I am Orphne Rapp," the boy said, sitting as far away from the two as he could, though on Ethan's side. The boy had a slight accent that, even to someone who was normally good at picking accents like Ethan, was difficult to determine. If Ethan was to have an educated guess, it would be a mix of noble English, German and Greek yet his face seemed entirely English. Before Ethan could ponder this further, Nocturne had made another witty comment.

"Orphne isn't a name. Orpheus-" Nocturne began, though cut off by Orphne.

"I refuse to be referred to in the same name as a fool," Orphne said sharply.

"Orphy?" Nocturne pressed with a grin, obviously annoying Orphne on purpose. Ethan knew that, while such a thing would not normally irritate Orphne, Nocturne was very good with words. He could convince you to danced naked down the hallway or phrase his words so the line between truth and lie became foggy and blurred. He could manipulate his voice so it could calm people down or to rile them up. Nocturne could even changed his voice completely and mimic someone else's speech perfectly. When Nocturne told Ethan he was practising ventriloquism, he instantly thought of how much trouble he was going to make. At the moment, however, he was using his gift to annoy his latest victim.

"No," Orphne said coldly, narrowing his eyes at the Norwegian.

"How about Princess Pretty in Pink?" Nocturne asked, grin widening. Orphne only glared at Nocturne, a steely glare that would of easily frightened Ethan. Nocturne, however, seemed completely unfazed. "Oh, come on. Pink would be your colour!" Nocturne exclaimed. Ethan stared at Orphne and barely contained his chuckle after imagining Orphne not only in pink robes, but with pink hair as well. Orphne pushed his lips together, making a very thin line, before exiting the compartment just as the Hogwarts Express blew its horn in warning, giving the amusing thought that Orphne's head had made the noise just like a cartoon character.

"Sorry!" Ethan called after Orphne, feeling slightly guilty. Nocturne only grinned and laid down on his side of the compartment.

"Anyone else imagine Orphy in pink?" Nocturne asked to Ethan, chuckling. Ethan gave Nocturne a look.

"Bestfriends or friendly rivals," Ethan repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, can't live life without enemies," Nocturne said with a shrug. "Plus, the next few seeking seats will be here soon enough," Nocturne continued. There was another knock and this time, the person -or rather people- barged right in.

"We're allowed to sit here right? Great, thanks," a girl with flaming red bushy hair said, not even really asking as she sat where Orphne had sat before. Another person, this one with black hair, barged in shortly afterwards.

"Never mind her, she's normally like that," the black haired boy said, a grin which looked scarily like Nocturne's. Ethan instantly had a feeling of dread. Whoever this guy was, having him and Nocturne in the same room seemed like giving a flamethrower to a pyromaniac. Nocturne moved himself to a sitting position and the black haired boy sat next to him. Another black haired boy, probably the other's younger brother, stood outside the compartment listening. Ethan gave a sigh.

"You might as well entered, since these two have," Ethan said, the younger black-haired boy smiling and entering. Ethan was silently glad one had manners. "I'm Ethan Gaia, and you are?" Epsilon asked.

The older black haired boy's grin grew wider. "You don't know? Well, I'm here to escort my younger bro and cousin around the train. I'm James Potter," the older black haired boy said smugly, phrasing 'escort' as if he meant 'babysitting'. Ethan gave slightly shocked expression. Nocturne, however...

"Well done, you pot plants. Anyway," Nocturne said, quite successfully wiping away James's smug look. "I'm Nocturne, nice to meet you," Nocturne continued, adding a mock bow at the end, gaining an eye roll from everyone in the compartment.

"I'm Rose Weasley, daughter to Ron and Hermione Weasley!" the girl with bushy red hair exclaimed proudly.

"Oh, look at me! My families so famous, I'm bound to get a loser boyfriend and snobbish friends!" Nocturne mocked, voice identical to Rose's, before adding a high pitch, girlish squeal that made all the boys laugh and make Rose's face match her hair. "What about you, oh quiet one?" Nocturne asked the younger Potter, voice back to normal.

"I'm Albus Severus," the younger brother replied, a smile on his face compared to James's grin and Rose's scowl.

"Albus Sever-us well," Nocturne joked. Ethan couldn't help groaning at the pun while Rose and James rolled their eyes.

"Already heard that one," Albus stated. Nocturne didn't seem deterred though, thinking up the next pun.

"Well, my job escorting my relatives is done, I'd better go with the rest of my Gryffindor before I die of puns," James said, once again suggesting babysitting. Nocturne seemed excited for some odd reason.

"You can kill people with bad puns!"

"It's called death by boredom," Rose informed.

"Ha! Told you boredom was deadly!" Nocturne mocked to Epsilon.

"Because you do the most dangerous things when bored. Like trying to find out if Exploding Snap cards explode when set on fire. I don't think the poor man will ever get his eyebrows back," Ethan scolded.

"Hey, he should of known better. See you, James," Nocturne said, giving a mock salute to the leaving Potter, who grinned and mock saluted back. "Now, who here wishes to hear a tale of the pink Ethan?" Nocturne asked the remaining two.

"Please don't," Ethan groaned.

"Good, a picture paints a thousand words anyway,"

"Hey, give those here!"

"No!"

As the two old friends struggled in front of their two new friends, the Hogwarts Express carried on, drawing closer to the legendary castle.