Notes: I have no will power and if I have a chapter written, I can't just have it sitting there all polished and ready to be posted on my computer. Another reminder that I'm using these funny things (‹‹ ››) for German dialogue and (" ") for English dialogue.

Thank you to everyone that read the last chapter. I appreciate all of you. Also, big thanks to my wonderful beta Aino. This chapter would not be anywhere near where it is without her.

"Go, go, go," Newt's uncle yelled. Newt skidded around the corner, the cart pulling them more than they were pushing it. They were drawing out quite a few nasty looks. "Get to the platform. I'll join you if it doesn't close." He lowered his voice for the next part, but Newt caught the beginning before his voice was cut off before they plunged into the wall between platforms nine and ten. "Jacob will have my head if this kid misses–"

Usually their father joined them and Uncle Illia on the platform, but he was travelling, leaving the two of them in charge of a detailed list he had given them the day he left. Over a week ago. They had spent the previous day running around Diagon Alley, desperately trying to collect all of the things Newt needed for school. Then it was packing through the night with hardly enough time to eat, sleeping hadn't even crossed their mind. It was miraculous they had made it.

Still, Uncle Illia stepped onto the platform so close to the time that it made Newt wonder if people could get caught in the barrier. Certainly would be an interesting sight for the muggles going about their morning commute.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked, giving Newt a nudge towards the train. "Get on, we didn't rush here just for you to watch it leave."

"Ah yes, but we did get here. That must be worth something," Newt said, yanking their trunk off the cart.

"Maybe," he contested, "but seeing as your father told us exactly how to make it possible with plenty of time to spare, I don't know how much your 'something' is worth."

"Bye, Uncle Illia," they laughed, giving him a quick hug before hauling their trunk up onto the front of the red steam engine.

As the train lurched forward, they slowly made their way to the rear of the train, keeping an eye out for their friends or an open compartment. About halfway down, they surrendered to the weight of their trunk and pulled open a door with only one inhabitant.

"Hi," they said, slightly out of breath. The student inside was gangly and pale wearing a sweater that seemed to hang off his frame, making it hard to tell if they were thin or the fact that they were swimming in the fabric made them look that way. "Mind if I–"

"Newton Geiszler," a familiar voice called. Newt looked out of the compartment and smiled seeing Mako and Tendo walking down the aisle.

"Hang on one sec," Newt said. They abandoned their trunk in the middle of the hall, pulling the two into a hug.

"Where are you sitting? I didn't see you," they explained, stepping back to look at their closest friends.

"No where really," Mako replied with a shrug. "We left our trunks with the Beckets towards the back, but it was pretty cramped. Plus, we got worried as anyone does when they haven't heard your voice in five minutes."

"It's been four months!" Newt protested.

"And what a peaceful four months it's been," Tendo said. "Now, was that, by chance, a compartment you have?"

"Only if you help me grab my damn trunk."

"Fair enough." Tendo and Mako each grabbed an end while Newt poked their head into the compartment once more.

"Sorry about that. Let's try this again," they said, leaning against the doorframe. "Mind if I – well, now we – join you?"

They looked up from their book again to nod, watching as Newt dropped their bag on the ground and Tendo and Mako stashed the trunk under one of the benches. Newt sat, extending their arm when Tendo tried to sit next to them.

"Seat's taken," they said with a bad accent.

"What are you doing?" He didn't hesitate to sit on Newt's arm which they immediately wriggled out from under the boy.

"Forrest Gump," their compartment mate answered, not bothering to glance up from the book this time.

"You know your muggle movies, I'm impressed," Newt said, looking at them.

"My sister's a fan."

"So what's your name? What's your story? I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Hermann Gottlieb." Well, at leastthat answered one of the – Gottlieb? Newt looked at him, sliding forward slightly in their seat. They were about to ask more about his family when Tendo beat them to the next question.

"First year?" Tendo asked. Newt doubted it. They may not have ever seen him around Hogwarts, but he was far too tall and something about his demeanor just made Newt sure he was older.

"Third, actually."

"Really? What house?" Newt took back over again.

"I don't have one yet. I've just transferred from Durmstrang," he explained. He wasn't making eye contact, and Newt couldn't help but stare at him, doing all they could to take advantage of any moment his eyes flicked away from the now closed book he was turning over in his hands.

"Durmstrang? How do you know Forrest Gump? I would never–"

"Stop it you two. You're interrogating him," Mako interrupted. "My name is Mako Mori. I'm a fourth year in Gryffindor, and I do all I can to keep these two out of trouble."

"She makes herself sound modest. She is the best beater Gryffindor quidditch has seen in years, and she still manages to top all of us but Newt in classes," Tendo commented.

"Oh good, there are more of you," Hermann muttered. Newt choked out a stunned laugh. Had that really just left his mouth? Newt had been getting the impression he was shy, quiet, but apparently he had another side. They liked it. It made him significantly more interesting.

"Well, he's Tendo Choi. You'll be hearing quite a bit from him, he's taking over commentating for quidditch this year. We don't expect much."

"We're really just hoping he isn't too biased towards the Hufflepuffs," Mako chimed in.

"I'm only biased towards you," Tendo quipped, wiggling his eyebrows. She swatted him, and he put a pained look on his face even though it couldn't have hurt that badly. Mako held back around them, knowing they couldn't take it. Newt appreciated it more than they let on.

"And my name is–"

"Newton Geiszler," Hermann said. "You left the compartment door open and your voice carries. Let me guess, you're a seeker? Probably for Gryffindor. Don't have the build for much else."

"Newt. Third year. Ravenclaw. I do stats. I can't fly for the life of me, but I love the sport. I guess you were close." Hermann made a noncommittal noise as a response so Newt continued. "So you said Gottlieb? Like Lars Gottlieb?"

"He would be my father, yes."

"Dude, he is one of the greatest researchers of the decade. His work on the magical properties of dragon blood haven't been matched since Albus Dumbledore himself." Newt was practically vibrating. They wondered how much Hermann knew, how much he could teach them. It could be an incredible experience.

"I've heard," he replied flatly.

"I bet it's incredible to live with him. Have you seen dragons? Have you travelled?"

"He works with samples, not live creatures, Newton."

"Plus, no one has travelled like you have," Tendo cut in, clearly bored with their conversation. "Tell us about your adventures this summer. Some of us were stuck at home cooking their way through the recipe book all summer."

"You do make the best muffins in Britain," Mako said.

"That doesn't make them interesting."

"Cause delicious isn't enough." Newt used that to launch into a story about a strange wizard with a collection containing over one hundred pan flutes. They had played in harmony until one decided to sing it's own tune. Eventually the whole collection had rebelled and sang a hundred different melodies. That's when Newt's uncle had been called, working with the flutes and the owner to convince them to compromise on the tunes.

They passed the time quickly, regaling their adventures of the summer. Tendo was talking about spending all his free time with five younger siblings – three of whom were joining them at Hogwarts this year.

"Trouble, the lot of them," Tendo said.

"Yes, we all know you are the portrait child," Mako replied. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"I will never understand what possessed them to have triplets."

"I don't think they had a lot of choice," she answered again. The three of them always interacted like this, taking each other down when necessary. Some people found them intimidating to converse with as they all had something that could be considered intimidating – Tendo was loud and abrasive, Newt was too intelligent for their own good, and Mako was mostly just intimidating. Instead of finding this hindering, they used it to frequently take each other down a peg.

"Well, they could have stopped with me," Tendo suggested.

"What a great idea. I'm really not sure why anyone would want another child after dealing with you," Newt added.

"Hey. I–"

"am a handful now, let alone as a child?" Mako offered.

"As much as I love you two ganging up on me, I have to interrupt this session to go and change into my robes. It's getting dark, so we can't be far now."

Newt nodded, picking up the bag that had remained untouched since they found the compartment. They turned to Hermann who had been silent since the beginning of their trip. He had made quite the dent in his book, and Newt almost felt bad interrupting.

"Hey, Hermann?" He looked up. "Do you mind watching our things? We need to go change."

"If you don't mind, can I join you? I need to switch into robes as well, and I'm not sure where to do that."

"Of course, we'll just do it in shifts. Mako, Tendo, you guys head out since you have to grab your things from Raleigh and Yancy. We'll hang here." Tendo winked at Newt an action they desperately hoped Hermann didn't notice – he had a very flirtatious sense of humor to put it nicely. Newt didn't want this wait to be more uncomfortable than it was bound to be.

Newt shifted uncomfortably in their seat, picking at a loose string in the fabric covering. Part of them wanted to reopen the conversation about dragons from earlier, but Hermann really hadn't seemed interested.

"You said you went to Durmstrang? What convinced you to change?"

"My father moved us to London this summer. My siblings decided to stay, but I decided to try something new."

"Move from where?"

"Germany."

‹‹No way! I was raised in Berlin.›› Their German was rusty. Despite their best attempts to maintain fluency, it had been hard since they left Berlin. The occasional trips to Germany just weren't enough practice.

‹‹Small world,›› Hermann replied.

‹‹I mean, we left when I was five and set up shop just in Wales, but my mother still lives there. Not that I've seen her since I was two, but you win some you lose some. We travel a lot, and well, the muggle community just doesn't cross paths like the wizarding.›› They knew they were rambling, but it just sort of happened. A full life story at a simple response.

"Muggle?" Hermann asked.

"Yeah, both my parents are. My uncle's a muggleborn like myself. I never would have qualified for Durmstrang." They hesistated at the joke, a thought crossing their mind. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"Of course not."

"Okay, good. Some people can be strange about it."

"I understand taboo," Hermann said. "My mother was a pureblood, but she was born without magic."

"Like a squib?"

Hermann's eyes darkened, and Newt knew they made a mistake. A lot of social cues went over their head, but they could tell when someone was irritated.

"I'd rather you not use that term. She heard it negatively far too much. I'm sure you understand," he snapped. Newt cringed at that, but they bounced back.

"Is she," they trailed off, realizing it was far too much of an invasive question in the middle of asking.

"Gone. Three years ago."

"I guess we have that in common." Hermann nodded slowly. Newt couldn't tell if he was agreeing or not.

Mako yanked open the door, taking them both by surprise.

"Thank you, m'lady," Tendo said, bounding in. "You two should hurry, you can see the lights of Hogsmeade."

Hermann followed Newt down through the train, slipping into one of the restrooms to change. He sat on the toilet, taking a moment to press his hands into his eyes and take deep breaths. He was not going to cry. He could get through this.

At the same time, he couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that he had made a mistake. He hadn't even made it through the train ride without losing control of his powers, his eyes changing colors. It must not have been drastic as Newt didn't comment on it, but it was still too much. He couldn't mess up like that.

He tried to tell himself it was okay, he was just stressed. It was going to be okay.

It was all a lie. He hated them so much. It felt like Tendo and Newt had been mocking him – especially when Newt had slipped into his fumbling German. Mako had stood up for him, but he couldn't be around her, not with those two. He couldn't do this. He couldn't handle this.

He stood up, slipping into his robes. He took one more minute to splash water on his face and look into the mirror to get his mind under control.

"You're going to be okay," he told the mirror. "You made the right decision." The mirror looked as unconvinced as ever.

He sighed and walked out of the bathroom. Newt was either still changing or had already headed back, so Hermann decided to take matters into his own hands. It couldn't be hard to find his way back down the straight corridor.

He pulled open the door and was surprised to see Mako with a head of bright blue hair. He sat down, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Blue is definitely your color," Tendo said.

"Maybe just the ends." She relaxed and it shifted back to black, just the tips of the front remaining blue. She looked at Hermann who was still staring at her, stunned. It was so different than what he did. The relaxation verses the concentration. It seemed so natural to her.

"Never seen a metamorphmagus?" she joked, gently nudging his shoulder.

"No– it's just… I–" He was cut off by Newt entering the room, robes billowing dramatically.

"Did you leave me in the bathroom?" Hermann took the distraction to slide a little bit further from Mako on their shared seat.

"I thought you had already left," he muttered. Newt shrugged it off and plopped into the seat across from him once again.

"What if I had been stuck? What if I was stranded in the bathroom?"

"The prefects would have found you eventually," Mako answered.

"Not that we would have wanted them to," Tendo added. He leaned back in his seat and gave a dramatic sigh. "When are we going to get there? I'm famished."

Apparently Tendo announced his hunger at just the right moment as the train rolled to a stop at Hogsmeade. They quickly unloaded, and Hermann was able to slip away, hoping to get a carriage to himself on the ride up to the castle.

He would have too if it wasn't for the thestrals. He'd only ever read about them, but now one was looking right at him. He stepped towards it, holding out a hand that it leaned into.

"New friend," Tendo called from a few feet back. "We thought you'd given us the slip."

Mako had come to stand next to him without him realizing it. "They're something, aren't they?"

"Something I never wanted to see." She nodded in agreement and they walked to the carriage together.

"What were you doing up there?" Newt asked.

"Trying to figure out what was going to pull the carriages," Hermann replied smoothly.
"Magic."

"That's what I told him," Mako said. He gave her a thankful smile and she nodded. She understood. She'd lost someone too.

"You think he would have thought that immediately," Tendo commented. "I don't know what they teach at that Durmstrang, but we are clearly superior."
"After watching him, the one you declared as the best, I really have to wonder," he told Tendo.

"They, dude. I use they."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermann apologized, turning red.

"No issue. I don't expect you to read minds."

"We all have some tricks up our sleeves," he responded with a small smile.

"Care to divulge?" Newt asked.

"Not as long as you are at the top. I can't reveal my secrets until I take my rightful place." Excuses. He had spent years hiding himself, it was natural now to let these words slip out. He wasn't ready to be as carefree with what he could do. He wasn't ready to be Mako. Maybe after some time here, though, he could be. Maybe he wasn't totally wrong.

"Oh, I like you," Tendo said. "I like you quite a bit. We've all been waiting years for someone to rival him."

"We will see," Newt replied, looking at Hermann. He turned to the window, not comfortable with being their focus. "We will see."

Notes: Yay more characters! I hope to keep introducing Pacific Rim characters in the next few chapters – I'm going to avoid OCs as much as I can. Just for reference, Mako is a fourth year and Newt and Tendo are both third years. When Tendo made the comment about how Mako was topping them academically, he was referring to the fact that Newt does all they can to be placed into courses for years above where they are supposed to be. I'll get into that a bit more later.

I've never really written young teenagers like they are (let me tell you, it's hard restraining Tendo's sexual innuendos), so it's quite the experience. Let me know if you have any questions. I love talking about this universe, my headcanons, and pretty much anything. You can find me in the comments here or on a href=" .com"my tumblr/a.