(Coeus Black - PoV)
"This...I remember this!" Dora exclaims.
Everyone looks at Dora as we slowly pass through the oddly designed room. The Express appears determined to make our way off the train as interesting as our way on.
I am not a fan of the room. It is, artistic, I suppose, but rather shabby and with poor lighting. My attention has been focused on the posters along the walls but Dora seems focused on the stage.
"This is a muggle music venue!" she explains. "It's where I attended my first concert. The bar was right over there..." she points to a...bar. One that appears still fully stocked.
"Holy shit..." she mutters. "I never told anyone about this place."
We make our way through with a few more muttered comments. The next couple of carriages prove more mundane, but the one after that...
"Great, looks like we walked into someone's house," Dora complains. "Any idea who..."
She trails off, seeing Hermione go shock still on entering the "carriage".
Well, that is one question answered.
The bushy-haired girl's eyes are the only thing unfrozen, darting around rapidly, taking everything in. Before anyone can speak the rest of her catches up with her eyes and she darts around the room. She throws open drawers, opens closets and doors, and eventually takes off up the stairs. All without a word.
I eye Dora's wand carefully.
"You didn't cast a haste charm or something on her, did you?" I ask.
I don't think that's a thing but feel compelled to ask.
Dora shakes her head at me before following Hermione up the stairs.
"So, this is a Muggle house then?" Daphne asks, looking around.
Iris shrugs. "It looks nicer than the Dursley's at least..." she mutters.
I look around a bit as well. It seems normal enough, only a few differences. And unlike most Purebloods, I can probably at least recognize them, thanks to Ted.
Daphne goes to poke at things while I try to look over my shoulder at Phoebe.
Should we go after Hermione or stay with Daphne?
She shrugs.
Huh, Dora is really on top of things today.
Walking over to Daphne, I find her fiddling with an electrical...hole thing.
"You should probably leave that alone," I tell her.
"Huh?" she asks, turning around. "Why? What is it?"
I instead point at the TV.
"That is a TV. Muggles watch, stuff, on it. Like plays. It doesn't work without electricity. Which I think is in those holes? It has cords in the back that they put into the holes to make it work."
I shrug as best I can with Phoebe on my back.
"But apparently that stuff can be really dangerous? If you actually manage to put your finger in a hole it can hurt or kill you."
Rapidly backing away from the wall, she eyes the rest of the room warily.
"Why?" she asks. "That just seems..."
We are distracted by heavy footfalls on the stairs and turn to find Dora returning, pulling Hermione behind her.
Our brown-haired...acquaintance, seems rather out of it, expression completely blank, staring straight ahead as she is pulled along.
The four of us gather around them but Dora shakes her head. We move on in silence.
Thankfully, the Express seems to have decided to go for quality rather than quantity this time around and we only have to make our way through a couple more mundane carriages before exiting the train.
"Oh thank Merlin!" Dora exclaims as everyone finally groups up on the crowded platform.
Freezing in place, she slowly turns around.
"Not that we didn't appreciate the ride," she says, talking to the Express. "Really, you do an amazing job every year getting everyone here. But dear Merlin I am exhausted watching after this lot..."
Everyone else is looking around, taking in the crowded platform. Students rush this way and that, carrying trunks and cages and bags and pouches.
Hmm. Almost everyone.
Hermione looks at least a *little* better but still seems rather out of it.
Carefully balancing Phoebe, I manage to grab a bit of chocolate from the trolley and shove it at her.
She blinks at me, slowly taking it.
Slowly, but thankfully quick enough that I can regain my grip on Phoebe.
Hermione stares at me. Then the trolley. Then back at me.
"It's just chocolate," I tell her. "Eat it. It might help."
At least it won't hurt.
I feel Phoebe's approval, so I am quite confident in this.
Smiling, I look over the rest of the group again.
Iris is eyeing the Death Cart. Unfortunately, I don't think she wants any chocolate, given her expression and the way she is fingering her trunk. I didn't get her anything dangerous, did I?
Dora's expression of relief seems to have vanished. Daphne appears resigned.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" a familiar booming voice calls out, attracting everyone's attention.
Carrying a lamp post and towering over everyone else on the platform, Hagrid can be easily seen off to the side, away from the main direction of the crowd of students.
"Well, that makes sense at least," I say. "He certainly stands out in a crowd."
Dora nods. "He has been doing it since I started."
I decide not to question it when Dora continues to follow us as we make our way toward Hagrid. Or the fact she still hasn't put her wand away.
Someone is being really paranoid.
Ok, a little paranoid.
Anyhow, the cart actually serves as a nice buffer against the crowd, so making our way across the platform isn't as hard as it could be. Hagrid recognizes us instantly, of course.
"Oy, Iris! Innie Twins!" He seems a bit chagrinned when he sees us, oddly? Rubbing the back of his head. But he quickly regains focus.
"Good ta see ya, good ta see ya. Av' a good trip?"
"...It was very, uh, memorable?" Iris hedges.
Dora snorts.
"Memorable, yeah. That's for damn sure..."
Hagrid tilts his head.
"Dora?" he asks. "Is good ta see yea, but wha you doing? Shouldn you be gettin on tha carriges wit tha rest?"
She shakes her head.
"Really memorable. I'm coming with. I am not leaving these crazy little shits alone until they are in the school. I don't trust them not to pull something."
Hagrid frowns.
"I...suppose? I dun know any actual rule agains' it. Yer haff to answer to the Professor once wer over though, jus so you know."
Dora grimaces but nods her acceptance anyway.
Nodding himself, Hagrid looks around the platform.
"Alrigh then, tha looks liek everyone?"
He appears to do a quick count before nodding again.
"Aye." He raises his voice. "Aight then, this way firs' years, this way!" he calls loudly. "Follow me!"
"They really should put in some stairs here," Phoebe complains as I almost fall for the fifth time, once more requiring Dora to catch me.
Because of course, even while trying to make our way down a steep, muddy, treacherous hill, she refuses to let me put her down.
My eye twitches.
"They should," I agree. "Though you could get down and try walking yourself."
She shakes her head.
"Nuh-uh. Then my shoes would get all muddy!"
I twitch again, requiring another Dora save.
"You know, if I fall down you do as well. And then a whole lot more than your shoes will be getting muddy..."
"Won't happen," she states with the utter confidence of a seer.
I have never in my life been more tempted to drop her.
She leans in close and whispers into my ear.
"You won't, brother."
...
Hagrid is rambling, something about the boats, but I can barely hear him. My attention is focused on more important matters.
Namely, how the hell did my trolley beat us down the bloody hill?!
I look back up the steep embankment and see no signs of its passage. The Death Cart itself appears pristine, resting lightly at the edge of the water, with no deep tracks near it or mud encrusting its wheels.
A glance down at my own shoes shows a completely different story.
"You cheated!" I accuse, pointing a finger at it. Momentarily, before grabbing Phoebe again. Because I still can't put her down.
The cart doesn't respond.
Covering her face, Daphne shifts away from me.
"Everythin alrigh over here?" Hagrid asks, the big man making his way over through the crowd of students.
I spare him a glance before returning my attention to my cart with a sigh.
"Yes, it's fine. Just annoyed because...for a silly reason, honestly."
I shake my head.
"We are taking the boats, then?"
Hagrid looks at us rather awkwardly.
"Err, yeah. No more n' four to a boat. An' err..." He rubs the back of his head while looking at the trolley. "Sorry, but I dunno if yer luggage can ride? The boats really weren made wit that in mind..."
I wave him off.
"I'm sure it will find a way across."
Or more likely around. Let's see you beat me this time!
We make our way over to the boats and Phoebe finally lets me put her down. Looking them over, I pick the least worn-looking one (really, why are they all in such terrible condition?) and climb inside.
Phoebe follows me in, while the others look at each other awkwardly for some reason?
"What are you waiting on?" I ask.
"Weren't you listening?" Daphne asks.
Not really.
"It's four to a boat. We have six..."
I start to shrug, who cares about little rules like that, only to have the seat under me creak ominously.
...Ok, this rule may have a point.
Dora sighs.
"Sorry Blondie, Minester, but can you two catch a ride somewhere else? It's these three that I really need to keep an eye on."
Daphne huffs and does the hair flip thing.
She remains silent for a moment before answering.
"Ok, fine. You have a point. It is probably safer in a different boat anyway. Let's go!"
I can tell by the way she flounces off that she is not nearly as ok with it as she pretends.
...
I also feel rather insulted by her comment about the other boats being safer. I feel a strong need to disprove this.
The rest of the First years have slowly split apart into small groups during our own discussion, filling up the various other boats. A few stragglers are still debating, so I take the time to examine ours in more detail.
Forget old, this thing looks positively anci...ent...wait, are these the original boats? Like, were these something the Founders enchanted?
Looking over it more carefully? I think so. I suspect these were literally random boats the Founders grabbed and enchanted. They most likely intended for them to be temporary, but, well, Founder enchanted objects. Hundreds of years later and even physically falling apart no one is willing to give them up.
The fact that not only did random junk boats last so long but that the enchantments are still going strong after hundreds of years really says everything you need to know about why the Founders are as famous as they are. I mean, wow.
...
You know, Hagrid doesn't seem to be the most observant person in the world. I wonder if he would notice if I loitered in the back for a bit and stuffed one of these in my trunk once we arrive.
Phoebe pokes me and shakes her head.
Aww, McGonagall checks in on them after the trip?
Yeah, I suppose it would make sense that people try to steal them all the time if they are real founders' relics.
...
Would it help if I stuffed her in the trunk too?
"Ow!" I complain as she hits me upside the head.
"Erryone inna boat?" Hagrid asks loudly, filling up an entire boat himself.
...Now that I think about it, the fact these boats can carry him at all means they must be in much better condition than they look.
Glancing up and down the shore and seeing no complaints or errant students, Hagrid nods once more.
"Right then, FORWARD!" he bellows.
At his command, the unassuming little fleet takes off across the dark waters, into the night.