CONNER V
Conner wasn't exactly an expert on trains or anything, but certainly most train stations weren't this huge. Enormous pillars lined the walkways of King's Cross Station, dividing the numbered platforms. The lofty ceiling stretched high above the group of students, as they weaved and bobbed their way through the crowd of muggles. Conner wondered how many of the people around him were actually wizards in disguise, and knew everything he knew about the world. The rest were all muggles, and none of them knew anything.
Phillis corralled the group, doing an excellent job standing out. Trailing her was a steady line of teenagers pushing incredibly large and clunky trolleys, stacked with suitcases and bags of all their belongings. Ben had the sparkling cat he had bought in a little cage on top of his bags, and Seth had volunteered to buy an owl that everyone in the group could use to send letters, which constantly hooted and gathered a lot of attention from passersby.
After a while of walking at a decently brisk pace, Phillis eventually dipped to the left of the massive crowd, standing next to a train and between two pillars on the platform. Everyone eventually followed her, forming a little semicircle of trolleys, forcing the crowd to move around them as they faced her.
"Alright, everyone. Today's the big day." Phillis said, letting out a sigh. She had told them that it was the big day at least seven times now, it being the very thing she had shouted down the halls of the hotel to wake them all up. "Who wants to go first?" Phillis asked, opening her arms in an inviting gesture. Both Michael and Payne made moves to go, excited, but Payne backed up, gesturing for Michael to go first.
Michael gripped his trolley, and ran towards one of the pillars, breaking into a sprint, until eventually slamming into the brick pillar, sending of his belongings cascading around the platform, as he flipped over the cart, and rammed his head into the brickwork.
"Oooh! That's the wrong pillar!" Phillis exclaimed as Michael stumbled up from the pile of his scattered things. A few of the MAGES broke into laughs, as Phillis helped Michael to his feet.
"Alright, this one!" Phillis said, pointing to the other pillar. Payne gave Michael a sideways glance, then strode up the opposite pillar, and dashed through, disappearing as soon as he would have done the same as Michael. Simply, ceasing to be. It was quite like apparating, Conner noted, and was worried that it might make him sick. Each of them began running into the pillar, whooshing away, and not a single one of the muggles nearby seemed to notice. Not a one of them even looked.
A few moments later, and only Conner, Michael, and Phillis remained on the platform. Michael was just finishing hauling all of his bags onto the trolley, and held his head as he pushed around to face the correct pillar. Conner pulled up alongside him.
"We probably should have just done it together in the first place." Michael muttered, removing his hand from his curly covered head to make sure that he wasn't bleeding. Phillis came up behind the two of them, and the three entered at the same time. Conner watched as the brick wall came closer and closer as he dashed towards it. As it grew nearer, his instincts forced him to try and stop himself, but the wheels on his trolley were already moving, and as he closed his eyes, and braced for impact, nothing happened.
He slowly opened them, and was taken aback. He was standing in a station much like King's Cross, a large pillared platform, off of which stood only a single train. The engine was a brilliant scarlet, with an ornate metal plate on the front proudly reading Hogwarts Express. Michael gasped in amazement. For Conner, this was perhaps the biggest moment of realization. He had seen the floating objects, the flashing lights, the explosions, the teleporting. But for some reason, this regular looking train really sealed the deal. He was going to wizard school.
This moment did not last.
"Come on! We're already running behind!" Phillis shouted, shoving the two boys forwards, towards where the rest of the group was waiting.
"What? The train leaves in thirty minutes!" Michael exclaimed indignantly, but Phillis didn't even respond as she drove them towards the train. The entire time, it was like being in Diagon Alley. Wizards were running around, not even bothering to hide from muggles, because there weren't any around.
"How do people get here if not from King's Cross?" Seth asked, seemingly noticing this.
"Floo Powder can get people all sorts of places," Phillis began to hurriedly explain, "so can apparating, portkeys, and the station is even accessible from Diagon Alley. However, our program has very certain restrictions in place by the MACUSA, so we have to take muggle entrances."
As she said this, they walked up to a man on the train taking bags, and began handing him their luggage.
"Remember to keep your robes with you on the train! Along with any pillows, it's a long ride, you may want blankets as well, and money for the trolley, but don't eat too much, you'll have a feast as soon as you get there, along with the sorting, where you-" Phillis sighed. "I'm going to miss all of you." She said sadly.
As the members of the MAGES program began boarding the train, they were forbidden to do so before giving Phillis a hug. She had been their caretaker for about a month now, and they wouldn't get to see her again until Christmas. Michael, Conner, and Seth were the last three to board the train. As they were about to do so, Phillis grabbed Conner by the sleeve.
"Listen here, don't go wandering off." Phillis said sternly. "You need to stay with these two, I don't want you to get lost."
"He's gonna be at school, how lost can he get?" Michael asked, chuckling.
"Just, be careful. I don't want you to get hurt." Phillis said, giving Conner one last hug.
The three headed into the compartments, weaving their way past their fellow students.
"Now...do we sit with the first years? Or the sixth years?" Seth asked, confused.
"Meh, let's just sit with everybody else." Michael said, indicating a train compartment where a lone Payne sat across from Nick and Blythe. The trio took all of their belongings, and stowed them in the overhead, before sitting down on the pretentiously lush cushions of the train seats.
There was a long silence. Nobody really said anything, and no one needed to. The excitement and apprehension was palpable. Even when the train finally started moving, with a slow Ka chunk, Ka chunk, Ka chunk, no one bothered to say anything. As the train pulled out of the station, Conner shot one last glance out the window. He saw Phillis standing at the edge of the platform, waving desperately at the boys. Conner returned the wave, as the train moved ever onwards, Phillis's minty green cloak faded out of view, as the train was surrounded by English countryside.
When Payne eventually spoke, half the boys nearly jumped out of their seats.
"So...like...Conner, what the heck happened, man?" All of the boys turned to Conner as he faced away from the window.
"I, I don't know." Conner said, glumly. He reached up and touched his nose. It was still kinda gross, and he had the ever present smell of blood. Phillis was confident that magical healing might harm him, so it would be best to do things the muggle way. "I can't remember."
Everyone didn't really respond, until Michael cut in.
"He was probably mugged by goblins, guys! Has no one else noticed how freaking shady those guys are!?" He practically shouted in his booming comical voice, forcing half a chuckle from all of the boys, except Conner, who was caught up in thought. As a conversation ensued about which magical creature each of the boys was the most excited to encounter, Conner turned sadly to the window, and again let the blurring green plains fill his vision.
"Hey, um, let's go see if we can track down the trolley lady." Michael said hurriedly, wrenching his galleons from his suitcase.
"You coming, Conner?" Nick asked, curious.
"Nah, let's go, guys." Michael said, pulling Nick by the shoulder into the train's corridor.
Conner pulled out his wand. It was oddly boring compared to some of the other boys' wands. Just a piece of cherry wood, shaved of bark, whittled to a round point, with a slight dent in the shaft. He would finally, in less than a day, be able to use this stick to do whatever he wanted. He could wave his wand, and he could do anything. Anything at all. He put it back into his pocket, and leaned against the window. Everyone else besides him was out and about in the train, shouting for the lady with the candy.
So much for staying together.