(Coeus Black - PoV)
I roll my eyes as Dora finally decides she is done showing off, settling down at last and taking the free seat across from us.
Ugh, she is entirely too proud of herself at times. Phoebe, if you would just-
My shoulder jerks reflexively as she bites me. Lightly, at least.
That's a no then. Damn. The expression on Dora's face will be priceless...
Settling back down into my seat I freeze.
Dora took the free seat.
Earlier, we had 5 people in the cabin. Dora came in and we were full. She left. Then Draco came in and we were full again. He did not leave.
There shouldn't be a free seat.
Did the Express really anticipate us needing another seat? Or did she sneak it in sometime when we were distracted?
Regardless, I suppose there is only one thing to do.
"Thanks, by the way," I address the cabin in general, though look sort of towards the ceiling. "It's annoying when she sits on us."
Everyone is looking at me weirdly again.
"Ok, I'll bite. Who are you talking to?" Dora asks.
I roll my eyes again.
"The Express, of course."
Dora continues to stare at me for several moments.
"Of course." She frowns, seeing Daphne and Hermione nod. "Ok, what am I missing here?"
I join her in frowning. We went over this earlier, right?
...
Or did we not? Dora wasn't here for that, was she?
I open my mouth...and the fuzzball beats me to the punch.
"Oh! You weren't here earlier when he explained that apparently the train is so magical that not only can it travel wherever in the world it wants, it is sapient" Hermione explains, barely hiding her satisfaction.
The way her eyes dart towards me and the way she is looking at Dora make her motivation quite clear.
Petty revenge.
She continues on, not letting me get in a word.
Rolling my eyes, I lean back in my seat. This is not a battle worth fighting, not when I can cuddle with Phoebe instead.
The quiet whisper of "good brother" affirms my decision.
So for now we sit back and enjoy the show. Dora does not seem to appreciate the idea of the Express having her own mind. I wonder why? Afraid of the blackmail the Express has built up perhaps?
...
Now there's a thought. I wonder if I could convince her to share...
*Poooooke*
Shoving away the offending...whatever, my eyes open up and I look around.
Still in the cabin. Draco appears to have left at some point, everyone else is either looking at us or messing with stuff. Dora, the bloody poker, is smirking at me.
"Good, you're up. Now wake up Phoebe."
It seems we fell asleep at some point, once all the excitement was over.
Turns out train rides are usually pretty boring.
"Why don't you do it?" I ask.
She holds up her finger, fake scars reverse fading into existence on it.
"I am not certain I can regrow fingers yet."
I roll my eyes once again at her over exaggeration but nudge Phoebe anyhow.
I don't think Phoebe can actually bite through the bone.
Probably.
I mean, she didn't the last couple of times.
Grumbling, she opens her eyes blearily, squinting up at me.
"Time to wake up. We...I assume we are close? I don't actually know. We are almost there, right?"
Dora laughs.
"Yes, we are almost there. You lot make sure to get everything together. You have your trunks ready?"
I nod, patting my robes. Phoebe points at me.
Dora stares at us.
"Phoebe...you still didn't even get your own trunk? For Hogwarts?"
She cocks her head to the side.
"Why would I?" she asks.
Dora rubs her head.
"I...No. Whatever, I am so not dealing with this. You two can figure it out."
She turns towards Iris, who is sitting quietly in the corner, watching everyone.
"Please tell me you have everything at least."
Iris hesitantly shakes her head.
"No. Well, I have my own trunk. But, uh, you...still have my wand?" she manages to phrase it as a question.
Dora stares at her for several seconds and the comment catches Daphne's attention as well. Hermione seems busy with her trunk, I don't think she heard.
Pulling the wand out, Dora hesitates, eyeing the wand, and Iris, carefully rather than handing it over.
"Are you going to do anything crazy if I give it back to you?" she asks.
Iris's silence is rather telling.
I am so proud.
And a bit annoyed, because she probably wants to have another go at my bloody cart, but mostly proud.
"Iris..."
She mumbles something, too quiet to make out.
"What was that?" Dora asks.
"I, uh..." Iris hesitates before sighing. "I was thinking, since Reducto didn't work...Well, fireproof charms don't really seem to live up to their name. So, you know..."
She shrugs.
"..." Dora stares at her.
"Dear, sweet Merlin," Daphne starts, staring at Iris wide-eyed. "I can't believe it. You might actually be worse than Coeus. I...I didn't think it was even possible..."
Why does everyone think I am crazy?
Dora takes a deep breath.
"Iris. You...were going to at least wait until everyone was off the train first, right?"
...
Oh. Oh wow. She really is going to get us all killed.
Phoebe, you are keeping an eye on this, right?
Phoebe?
"Maybe?" Iris eventually replies. "I don't know, I didn't really think that far ahead."
Phoebe sighs, irritated at my poking, finally lifting her head to look over at Dora.
"She waits till we are out of the compartment, but not off the train. Iris is rather impulsive."
Dora looks over at Phoebe. Looks back to Iris. And slowly puts the wand back in her robes.
Iris deflates.
"It won't work either. The "cart" is not easy to destroy. No spell we can cast will do it, no matter how overpowered."
She deflates even more.
Her piece said, Phoebe leans her head against my shoulder and closes her eyes once more.
Dora claps suddenly.
"Right. So, that was a thing."
"What was a thing?" Hermione asks, finally shutting her trunk and rejoining the conversation.
"Ir-" "Don't worry about it, it's dealt with," Dora interrupts my attempt to explain.
And...maybe? Is she going to keep making attempts to break my trolley?
I...don't think I should ask Phoebe...
Suddenly standing up and stretching, Dora looks at the rest of us.
"Well, what are you lot waiting for?" she asks.
What?
She points at the window.
"Hogsmede. We are here."
"*What!?" Hermione exclaims. "But I never felt or heard us slow down or anything!"
Dora wiggles her fingers at her.
"Magic," she starts off with a smirk before her smile fades. "I guess she likes being sneaky..." she trails off, mumbling to herself. "Can't believe I never realized the bloody train is aware...*mutter mutter*...probably smarter than most of my classmates."
Hermione huffs before gathering her things. I shake Phoebe as Daphne checks over her robes.
"Up," I tell her. "Time to go." I slowly stand up myself, barely (and hesitantly) breaking her embrace.
She gazes up at me through lidded eyes.
"Up." she copies me.
Oh no. Not now, damnit.
"Carry me," she demands.
I stare back at her for several moments, but she is insistent.
Is this really how you want to be introduced to Hogwarts?
She nods.
I choke.
"Sho-showing me my place!?" I exclaim.
I try to ignore the way most of the others burst out laughing.
Phoebe makes it much easier when she locks eyes with me.
"No adventures without me, idiot."
Grimacing, I nod, getting her full message.
Something was wrong there. Very, very wrong.
We will worry about that later. But for now, I have to do something to make it up to her anyway.
Because she is my sister, and I love her. Not because she is the boss of me.
I ignore her snort as I settle down, allowing her to climb onto my back.
Dora is leaning up against the door, watching. I don't like the smirk she is wearing.
"Alright then midgets, if everyone knows their place," "Fuck y-Ow! Damnit!"
The weak stinging hex hits me before I even see her draw her wand.
"We can head on out!" she finishes cheerfully.
I glare at her.
Iris suddenly speaks up.
"What about...it?" she asks. "You are not taking it with us?" she asks hopefully.
Ah, my Death Trolley of Candy.
I shake my head.
"I don't feel like lugging it about the place. Most people leave their luggage on the train, and the elves bring it to their rooms, I figure I can do the same with the Trolley."
Iris frowns deeply.
So does Dora.
"Iris, if you burn down the dormitories and kill half your year mates even Dumbledore will probably have to at least expel you. Don't do that."
Iris shakes her head.
"Phoebe already said that idea won't work."
"...for some reason, that statement doesn't reassure me." Dora eyes her warily.
"Throwing it out a window won't work either." Phoebe tells her. "Plus our dorms are in the dungeons, not the towers."
Damnit Iris! Leave my stuff alone!
"I am not sharing a dorm with you people," Hermione announces.
I nod in agreement.
"Of course not, you are a Muggleborn. Good money on Ravenclaw for you though, I bet Rowena would have loved the whole," I start to gesture but stop, remembering I am carrying Phoebe. "thing you have going on."
She frowns at me but Dora speaks up before we can continue.
"Right, we really need to get moving you lot," she says, ushering everyone out the door.
I note the fact the door is a very different one than we have used up until this point, easily allowing me to pass through while carrying Phoebe. But then we only get a few steps down the hall before being interrupted.
"Uh, Coeus?" Dora calls out from behind.
Oh what now?
"I didn't do it," I answer reflexively as I slowly turn around to find Dora backing into the hallway in a defensive dueling stance, wand drawn.
What?
"Are you sure?" she asks.
What is she bl-oh.
As she finally clears the doorway I look into our compartment and see my trolley slowly trundling after her.
H-uh.
Well. I had assumed that it was an entirely passive murder trap. If it starts actively chasing after people then this may actually be a problem.
Like, really really slowly chasing, but still.
Dora continues to back down the hallway in the opposite direction from us, wand aimed at the trolley as it exits the room. Rather than follow, however, it ignores her, instead making its way over to me.
"Oh, duh! I should have guessed! It's my trolley, of course it is following me!"
"Coeus..." Dora says.
Shuffling over, I pat the cart with a hand. Quickly, before having to grab back onto Phoebe.
Ugh. Carrying her is not easy with us being almost the same size but I have plenty of practice.
"Cool. Now I don't have to leave it behind, it can come along with us. We can have candy whenever we want!"
And I can threaten anyone I don't like.
Well, threaten them more I guess. It's not like I didn't do that before anyway.
Dora does not look very happy about the situation and has not lowered her wand. Daphne and Hermione are keeping very far away, and Iris...
Oh.
"Ohhhhh." I look halfway up-ish at Phoebe. "This is why Iris set the train on fire, isn't it?"
I still can't actually see her at this angle, but I can feel the nod.
"We left earlier though, so there were bystanders. She managed to get McLaggen."
...
I look back at Dora.
"Can you give her her wand back?" I ask.
The Death Trolley will apparently survive anything she throws at it. McLaggen is far less likely to be so lucky.
I feel Phoebe nod above me again.
Ohhhh. So that's why you didn't speak up in the first place. I am so sorry for poking you.
Dora rubs her head.
"I...Just...Ok. Everyone get off of the bloody train and let's go find Hagrid. Please."
I notice she doesn't actually put her wand away as she gestures for everyone to move.
Shrugging, I hike Phoebe up a bit and we make our way down the corridor, Death Trolley following behind.
So cool.