The Last Car on the Hogwarts Express [Harry Potter] {Vega & Ducktard}

Vega

Vega

Junior Member
The train lurched into motion shortly after Louise heaved her trunk onto the rack in the very back car, causing her large Eagle owl Periphas to click his beak at her in irritation as his cage was jostled. Breathing slightly heavily from exertion – the trunk was almost as big as she was – Louise gave him an apologetic look and sat down, swinging her backpack off her shoulders. The car was empty, save she and her owl, and she undid the clasp on her bag to pull out Intermediate Transfiguration; then, setting Periphas’ cage on the floor and pushing her bag under the seat, she tucked her knees to her chest and curled up against the window with the book, small enough to still be comfortably in one seat.


Transfiguration was undoubtedly her best subject, the irony of which did not escape her. After all, she did a full human transfiguration three times a month, although there wasn’t a wand involved with that, or, she thought bitterly, any choice in the matter. Her eyes had only recently faded back to their black-brown color, and she was looking a little more ragged than usual, having finished her transformation cycle only a few days before. It had been happening for about a year now and it had done a number on her body, which never seemed to be free of odd bruises or scrapes. Perhaps most curiously was the fact that every time she came out of a transformation, she would have a few more grey hairs, which she diligently dyed black every month.


Regardless, transfiguration was still her favorite subject, astronomy being her least. She always had the worst marks in that class, since it only met once a week, and if she missed it because of the time of the month, there was no way for her to make it up. Shaking her head as if to clear her cluttered thoughts, she settled down to focus on the textbook, a new one for third year that she hadn’t read yet.
 
Mitchell hauled Ben's trunk on top of his, taking a breath and breathing out relieved to have that heavy lift over-with. He turned to his brother, beaming warmly at him. Ben stood rooted to the floor, staring at the ground instead of at Mitchell. He was holding his big fluffy black cat in his arms, cradling it like a baby, and burying his face in it for comfort. Mitchell could see that he was feeling guilty. But he was not going to let him. "Now let's get your gloomy face into a compartment!" He said cheerfully, intent on not seeming at all fearful of the year that was coming. He had seen the faces of some of his now ex-friends, feeling bousts of anger, dissappointment and hatred at them as they passed. He did not want to sit with them. He scanned the halls quickly, and then finding a compartment with only one person in it, a girl he thought he had seen around but he didn't know.


This seemed the best choice, as she would probably not even know about what had happened, and wouldn't shun them for existing. He quickly glanced at his pygmy-owl in his cage, just to make sure he was still sleeping. He opened the door carefully, and stuck his head in. "Hey, excuse me, but could me and my brother sit here?" He questioned, smiling kindly to the girl, hoping she wouldn't mind their presence.
 
The door to the car slid open suddenly, causing Louise to jump, startled, and press herself against the window as two boys came into view. The first thing she noticed was the taller boy's vivd blue and green hair, which, in combination with his dark skin, made him perhaps the strangest looking Hogwarts student she had seen yet. She must have seen him before, but she couldn't seem to draw up any names; he must not be in her house. The smaller boy she definitely didn't recognize. Neither of them seemed particularly hostile though, and realizing that she had been staring, nodded her head, making a small noise from the back of her throat that she had intended as a yes, but came out more like a squeak.


She didn't say anything else, but studied them covertly from over the edge of her book, eyes suspiciously settling on the large cat the younger one held before her eyes darted down to Periphas' cage, which she nudged closer to the wall with her foot. She still hadn't relaxed and her muscles were slightly tense as she waited for them to sit down.
 
The girl seemed rather startled as they entered, and Mitchell felt bad not to have been more quiet about their entry. He was always so rash, it was no wonder... "Thank you," he said as she nodded. "I'm sorry we startled you," he added, looking at his brother reassuringly, as he sat down. Ben followed and sat down next to him, still cradling the cat, who, seemed rather annoyed at the whole business of being held, but at peace with it nonetheless. Mitchell placed his owl's cage next to himself on the other side, and smiled once again to the girl.


"I'm Mitchell Wright, and this is my little brother, Ben," he said, holding his hand out for her to shake. Ben flushed slightly, much more concious about how strange it had to be for others when Mitchell introduced them as brothers. They looked nothing alike, and he unlike Mitchell, felt they should explain. Mitchell didn't seem to even notice this and Ben was too shy to say anything.
 
Louise's eyes flicked up to look at the boy as he apologized, and she nodded again before diverting her gaze to his owl, which was much smaller than hers, but, she thought, very cute. She finally shut the book, slipping a ribbon between the pages detailing lapifors, as he introduced himself. She stared at his hand for a moment before relaxing a fraction and reaching out her her own to shake it, then introducing herself. "Louise Black, Ravenclaw third year. It's nice to meet you." Her voice was quiet, and still timid, but Louise made sure to look at the younger boy as well, noticing how uncomfortable he seemed. By instinct, she seemed to relate to Ben more than his more forward, older brother.


Nervously, she fished around for the next thing that would be appropriate to say. Were either of them friends with Gypsy, Adele, or Kat? The boys couldn't possibly know, but there was no use in getting too friendly. Was there? Well, she was certainly down a few friends, so she might as well be nice, if not too open. She pressed her tongue to the back of her teeth, and fiddled with the edges of the book, the corners of the red leather cover gilded in gold.
 
"It's very nice to meet you too," Mitchell said smiling and leaned back on the seat, glancing over at Ben. "I'm a Gryffindor, and Ben is a Ravenclaw like you." He paused, realizing that she didn't seem to recognize him at all. "He is.. A little shy, so he hides behind his books often..." He said quietly, looking at his brother who was staring to the floor. Mitchell felt agony that he couldn't force Ben to not feel guilty over what had happened during the summer...


"Oh, and of course. This is my owl Ratchet," Mitchell said, turning towards the cage containing his tiny owl, still sleeping soundly. Ben seemed to suddenly straighten up, an a tiny burst of hope seemed to surge trough his eyes for a second. He seemed to have gotten an idea. He cleared his throat, speaking quietly. "A-and.. This is Bobby," he said, nodding towards the cat, who meowed at the mention of his name
 
It was Louise's turn to feel a jolt of guilt as she heard that Ben was in her house. Oops. At the mention that the Ravenclaw hid behind his books, she quickly glanced down at her textbook, but caught herself and made a move to brush her bangs out of her face. "W-What years are you?" she broached, wondering if she would end up in double classes with either of them. "My owl's name is Periphas. --Your cat is beautiful though. Have you had him for long?" she asked, a smile perking up her face as Ben spoke. "I... like cats. They don't usually care much for me though." Cats disliking her was a fairly new thing; it had come with the lycanthropy. They seemed to smell the canine on her, and they were usually the most hostile in the week immediately following her transformation, so she kept her distance.


"Does he have any powers?" she suddenly thought to ask. She'd been reading about rats recently, and how their organs varied in use for potions depending on whether or not they were magical, or what kind of powers they had. She almost immediately regretted asking though, feeling that she might come off as nosy, or presumptuous.
 
Mitchell was surprised, but pleased by Ben's sudden return to hope. He wasn't sure why, but he must have remembered something good, or decided not to let it bother him anymore because he seemed much more energetic and less frightened. Although Mitchell could still see his fear, stemming from all that time he had been bullied he was of course afraid of strangers, even strangers as gentle-seeming as Louise. "I'm third, Ben is second," Mitchell replied to her, thinking that they would be sharing classes this year.


Ben stroked Bobby gently on his head, and he meowed lazily again. "I got him as a kitten... He is five years old now," he said, keeping his eyes on the cat as he seemed to find this safer. "Bobby likes me, he seems rather.. to not care about others at all..." Mitchell agreed. "Yeah, he seems to get angry with me if I make too much noise," Mitchell said, laughing slightly. "And at Ratchet, cause he screetches quite a lot in the mornings before I feed him." Bobby yawned disinterested, purring at Ben for petting him. "We got him from a shelter, and we haven't noticed anything unusual about him," Ben explained. He remembered he had read a lot about cats and magic when he first learned that Mitchell was a wizard, and even more so when he himself was revealed to be one. He had instantly become curious as to weather animals could be magical too
 
"Oh," Louise said upon hearing Mitchell was her same year. "What electives have you signed up for then?" Electives tended to have a much wider variety of students who attended them; since they weren't required, classes contained members from all four houses, proportions varying by enrollment. Louise herself had wanted to sign up for more - maybe arithmancy - but had figured it would be easier to keep up with her work at certain times of the month if she were taking fewer classes.


Louise kept her focus on the cat as well, noting its size. "Do you think it might be part Kneazle? They're supposed to increase size when they're crossbred with cats, and they detect untrustworthy people, which is an ability that you might not have noticed," she trailed off, still studying him. There was a girl in Hufflepuff who had a cat that was part Kneazle, which attacked Louise every time it saw her. This later made more sense when she found out that its owner was terrified of dogs, but it didn't make her feel any better. "Was it a magical shelter?" she thought to ask, not knowing if there was such a thing.
 
"I've got Divination and Care of Magical Creatures," Mitchell said at her question. "Witch ones do you have?" he questioned, wondering if they would be sharing electives as well. He didn't know if he wanted to allow himself to hope this was a new friend, he had had bad luck lately but... As always, Mitchell wanted to stay positive, but he didn't want to be too forceful. He knew he could be a bit too much to people... Even when still friends with his group, they would sometimes avoid him because he came on too strong. They needed "breaks" from him sometimes, and he had told them he understood it and hid that this hurt his feelings slightly.


Ben listened interested at what Louise said. He hadn't even heard about Kneazle's before. He seemed to be filled with wonder that replaced a bit of his nerves, he had so much to learn and he couldn't wait. "Oh maybe!" he said excitedly, looking at Bobby. Mitchell tried to remember if Bobby had ever been hostile towards anyone they didn't like, but couldn't immidiatly think of anything. "It was a shelter our parents took us to," Mitchell said, remembering the day. "I actually wanted a dog, but our dad is allergic to them," Mitchell told Louise.
 
"Care of Magical Creatures and Study of Ancient Runes. I don't think there's usually more than one section, so we might be in it together," she said, nodding at him. Louise was wary as well; he was nice enough, but it could just be him being polite. They had only just met, after all, and she was being a bit more talkative than usual, perhaps giving off an impression that was not entirely truthful.


"I wanted a dog too, when they said that we could have pets here!" Louise started in, her excitement leaking into the conversation with Ben as well. "There are these dogs called crups, and they're basically terriers born with two tails, but they have to have one tail severed at birth so that muggles don't notice. They don't like muggles much, but they're wicked smart. It's too bad the school doesn't allow dogs, really. I'd love to have one when I'm older," Louise gushed, before realizing that that was the most words she'd said consecutively since the last school year ended, and quickly closed her mouth again.


The countryside had begun to blur by as the train passed out of London and headed north; it was unseasonably cool, and there were mists that hung around the bottoms of hillsides and dampened the windows. Periphas hooted softly as he drifted back to sleep, and Louise shifted the textbook on her lap, tucking her feet under her as she leaned her head against the window and felt herself sway with the train. She loved the sound of the wheels on the tracks, and they were actually beginning to make her drowsy. She hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days; she'd been up packing, preparing to go to London, revising last years material and rereading her summer assignments. Gradually, it became harder and harder for her to keep her eyes open as her eyelids seemed to become heavier with sleep on them.
 
"That's nice," Mitchell said, his hope building that it was actually going to blossom into a friendship. He was rather desperate, he was used to surround himself with people who liked him, but most of this summer he had spent at home, and it seemed to have a negative effect on his mood. He really wanted friends again, he was thiking bleakly of what it would be like to be without them and... But he really hadn't allowed himself to talk or think much about this, because he refused to let his emotions overtake him and damage Ben in any way.


"I plan on getting a dog some day when I'm finished at school," Mitchell agreed, happy that Louise seemed so enthusiastic. She seemed to quickly regret it though, and Mitchell felt a bit perplexed, but said nothing. Silence fell between them. Mitchell didn't feel it was an awkward silence, but rather just a calm one, and he noted that Louise seemed sleepy. He wasn't going to keep her awake. Ben looked up at Mitchell, and he had this smile on his face which Mitchell had trouble reading. Then, he turned away and petted his cat, and pretended as if nothing had happened
 
Louise slept through the sweet cart's arrival and departure, and she remained knocked out until shortly before the Hogwarts Express arrived, at which point she returned her transfiguration textbook to her bag and took out her Hogwarts robes to go and change into them. She disliked wearing the skirt, and always had; it showed off too much of her knobbly knees and scrawny legs; she had her socks pulled up as high as they would go to try and hide all the scrapes and bruises. She fumbled with the Ravenclaw tie for a moment, not having had to tie one since the previous school year had ended, then shrugged on the black robe and returned to the car, smiling at the brothers before seating herself once more and peering out the window to try and catch a glimpse of the castle.


Before long, its lights loomed up out of the darkness, little yellow pins agains a large, black shape silhouetted against the navy sky. From other cars on the train, she heard first years gasp, and she smiled a little to herself; it was the most relaxed she'd been in a while. She hated home; it was like she was invisible most of the time, or if she were noticed, like a garden pest. Although events the previous year might have rendered her as alone as she was at home, at least she would be treated fairly here - as long as people didn't know about her "condition." It hadn't taken her long in her first year of History of Magic to get the idea of what the wizarding world thought of werewolves, and although through her readings she'd found there was a potion that might be able to help her control it, she also knew that asking for it or too many questions about it would be a give away, and raise suspicions. She'd found the recipe in a library book, but it was far too complicated for her to think about making at her current level, although she hoped that as she advanced, she might be able to pull it off. After all, as a third year, she now had access to Hogsmeade, the small wizarding village outside the castle gates where she might be able to purchase potion ingredients.


As the train slowly ground itself to a stop, Louise gathered the rest of her things, swinging her backpack onto her shoulder again, tugging her trunk down from the rack, and picking up Periphas's cage with her remaining hand. She smiled at Mitchell and Ben, saying, "I guess I'll probably see you in class. And I'll see you at the house table for the sorting," she directed the last part at Ben, then disappeared through the car door with a wave. Outside, she left her trunk with the others to be taken up to the castle, then picked a carriage, drawn by invisible mounts, and hopped inside for the journey up to the welcome feast. With a sigh, she settled back into the seat, and contented herself to wait for the food and the new school year.
 
As the sweet cart rolled on by, Mitchell made sure to purchase some chocolate frogs for him and Ben. They sat eating and trading the few cards they had gotten, but quietly as to not wake Louise. Bobby was now curled up on the seat next to Ben instead of cradled in his arms, and he slept heavily. Mitchell kept throwing nervous glances at Ratchet's cage. He would always make the most insufferable noise whenever he woke up and was hungry, but he, too, seemed content with sleeping. After they had finished with the cards, they both decided to change so that they had that done and overwith.


Mitchell felt the familiar scent of Hogwarts on them he thought. Sometimes during the summer he had just sat and breathed it in a few times. Not that he had ever told Ben or anyone else that he did, it was sort of odd he assumed but.. It had been a comfort when he was left a little time to think over his now friendless existance... Or at least so it would seem to be then. Ben still seemed to have a glint of that strange smile over him. "What is with that face?" Mitchell asked him as he watched him fasten his robes. "I just... Think it's great that you seem to be gaining a friend," Ben said to him. Mitchell really didn't want to bring him down to earth, but he felt it be best he didn't go around with false hope. "I might be, but you know, she probably has her own friends, I wouldn't want to push myself on that," he said gently. Ben shook his head. "How come she was sitting alone then?" he asked. He seemed to have thought this trough. "There could be a number of reasons. Besides, you should be thinking about you gaining a friend, she's in your house, right?" Mitchell smiled a smile full of hidden laughter. Ben blushed. "Oh stop being so stupid," he said, trailing back to their compartment, Mitchell laughing behind him.


When they returned, they made sure to put all their things together so they could spend the rest of the trip enjoying the ride. Bobby was now set on Ben's lap, and seeemed to know what was going to happen. Lousie was awake now, and she left to change. Mitchell wouldn't lie to himself, he did really hope that he would gain new friends... Though his own house seemed to be a bad place to look. He had had so many there and they all hated him now. He sighed and hoped that Ben's innocent idea would work instead. He didn't need many, did he? He would be happy to just have one.


"See you around!" Mitchell said, his voice chipper as they parted with Louise. Ben waved at her as she left. Mitchell hoped Ben wouldn't have any troubles in Ravenclaw house... He had interrogated Ben profusely during the summer and he had assured him that none of his bullies had been in his own house, but Mitchell was worried nonetheless. He and Ben found themselves a carriage. To Mitchell's dismay, another person entered whom he recognized. In the short glance they shared Mitchell was sure to let him know he was not afraid of him or anyone else. Ben could be felt shivering next to him. He put an arm around him protectively and avoided the other boy's continued stare.
 
The carriage filled up with a gaggle of Hufflepuffs who ignored Louise for the most part, although not unkindly, and before long, they trundled off to the castle, the long line of carriages winding up the path as if of their own will. When the got to the entrance, Louise clambered out, following the other students who were milling into the Entrance Hall. The day's damp weather had left the castle's stones wet, and she inhaled deeply - water on stone was one of her favorite scents. Being back at Hogwarts was a relief. She and her mother lived on the outskirts of Liverpool, and the city had become increasingly overwhelming for her as her senses had continued to sharpen: the traffic, the pollution, the crowds all flooded her nose and ears until it felt like they were throbbing. At Hogwarts, surrounded by fields, forest, and a lake, it felt like a wave of cool water had broken over her senses with the country air. She could hear the chatter of the insects surrounding them, the crunch of the carriage wheels on gravel, noises from the beasts in the Forbidden Forest, and even, dimly, the splashes of paddles bearing the first years in boats across the lake. The smell of the feast inside was too enticing to linger outside for long though, and she allowed herself to be pulled in with the other students to the Great Hall.


Louise found her way to the Ravenclaw house table and slipped into a seat close to the front so she would have a good view for the sorting. As terrified as the first years always seemed, the looks of excitement on their faces whenever their new house cheered for them was always... warming. She wondered if there would be anyone interesting, or rather, she corrected herself, interested in talking to her. Did she want anyone to? It would probably be best if she kept to herself, honestly, to avoid having a repeat of the previous year. The thought of anyone else getting hurt was like a sharp jab to her stomach, and she wished she could bat the thoughts away; she really wanted to enjoy the feast and not worry about that for once. There had been those boys on the train... They had seemed nice, and she would probably see them again, especially the younger one. She had liked him, completely unintentionally, and she looked down the table to see if he had arrived yet, but couldn't spot him.


Autumn had begun, and the sun had already tucked itself away, leaving the sky a dusky dark blue although the stars had not yet appeared, Louise noted, looking up at the enchanted ceiling. She didn't have time to study it for too long though before she heard the telltale nervous shuffle of the line of first years who began to file in as the last students coming from the carriages hurried to seats at their house tables, and the chatter from the hall began to die down.
 
When the carriage stopped outside the castle, Mitchell was quick to drag his brother out with him. He was not having any kind of confrontation now, that was for sure. he kept Ben close to himself as they entered the castle, and he had to bring his smile back to his face as he took in the Great Hall, that he had missed so much. Ben however, seemed frightened instead. He looked around like a scared mouse, and Mitchell realized he would have to follow him to his table, as he was clinging to the arm of his sweater pretty hard.


Mitchell walked him over to the table and told him it would be fine. "Sorry, I don't..." Ben began, worried about being troublesome. "Don't be silly. Now sit down and enjoy yourself, everything will be fine." Mitchell smiled at his brother and waved. Then he headed for his own table, sitting at the end, far away from his previous friends.


Ben looked up and down the table for seats, and spotted Louise, he was too worried about other people to worry about intruding on her and jogged towards her, sitting down next to her. "Is.. Is it okay if I sit here? Is it taken?" He asked. He really hoped it wasn't taken, he would feel much safer around Louisa. He wasn't sure why, he didn't really know her that well and she didn't seem like she was strong enough to fend off any people who may want to hurt him, but... He supposed it was because he liked her, she seemed similar to him.
 
Ben's small voice at her shoulder made her turn around, just as the headmistress was clearing her throat to speak. "Yeah, sure! It's free," she replied, scooching over a bit to give him more room. "What happened to Bobby?" she whispered, having heard the welcome speech before and not overly concerned. She discovered that she was happy to see Ben, and wondered if he would talk more once he had separated from his brother. A smile touched her face again, and though it was a little wan and dark circles shadowed her eyes, her demeanor seemed to have lightened a little more after entering the castle.


Professor Holliburst had been headmistress since before Louise had arrived at the university, but the current seventh years still remembered her predecessor and taking astronomy classes from her. She was tall and willowy, with startlingly blue eyes and silver glasses that seemed to glint, no matter which way she turned her head. Her hair was a blueish sort of silver, as though it had originally been black but had faded; half of it hung free several inches past her shoulder, the remainder pulled into a twist behind her head, and it was partially hidden by the sharp, black pointed hat perched at an angle on her head, a silver feather jutting out from the brim. The robes she wore were a dark blue, highlighting her curves and sporting silver trimmings and astronomically themed details along the sides and hems; the loose sleeves of her cloak almost seemed like long shadows cast from her narrow figure, and her pale, angular face, high cheekbones, and rigidly upright posture impressed her authority, even before she spoke. Her voice held a note of sternness and hinted that she would brook no room for contradiction, although she smiled pleasantly at them and her tone was warm. "Welcome back for another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin the Sorting, I'd like to make a few announcements. As I'm sure most of you are aware, the giant squid in the lake took ill last year, and we would like to remind you all that, as much as it may enjoy sweets from Honeydukes, these will only hinder its recovery. Please refrain from feeding it. Furthermore, the Forbidden Forest is still off limits, and due to the Ministry's concerns about the beasts within, detentions will not be held there until the area is surveyed." There were a few cheers at this, but she raised an eyebrow, and most people quieted down quickly. "Finally, we would like to welcome our new transfiguration teacher, Hexa Sparrowsdale."


At this, a straight-figured woman stood up from the faculty table; she was at least a head shorter than the headmistress and had white, shining hair that stood up straight and made her already-light skin look borderline translucent. Her eyes were large and a light brown, framed by arched eyebrows and a thin nose, and her robes were black with dark mauve interiors. She wore a great deal of silver jewelry, including several bracelets and one or two necklaces around her long, slender neck, which did not help her ghostlike complexion. After a brief round of polite applause, she sat down again, and Professor Hollibrust nodded at another professor holding the sorting hat, who moved forward with a stool, as she began to run over the details of the sorting for the first years, who were all fidgeting nervously as they realized that the attention was shifting to them.
 
Ben felt relieved and settled in next to her. He barely heard her question, but after a couple of second he decyphered what she had said. "I was told to put him down with the luggage, and they'd get him to the dorms..." He said. He wasn't too sure how that would work out, Bobby was a very stubborn cat and he might not want to go there. He was certain Bobby could take care of himelf though, he was a city-cat and he knew his way around the world.


Ben looked at the principal, repeating her speech like the previous year. He enjoyed the familiarity. He had liked her since his last year, she seemed fair, though a little intimidating because of her authority. But it made him feel safer and trust in that if she ever caught anyone in trouble, she would be on the problem faster than anyone. Ben applauded with the others when the new teacher was introduced, and watched as the sorting began to take place.


Mitchell ended up sitting with a bunch of Gryffindors he didn't know that well, but was only relieved he didn't have to sit next to his former friends. He watched the principal's speech, and realized he had been so pre-occupied before that he couldn't remember ever having heard her speech properly. He probably had during his first year though, but he still didn't remember it. The headmaster was a good, firm woman who Mitchell trusted to keep the school safe. A new transfiguration teacher was introduced, and Mitchell also clapped politely, thinking that she looked an awful lot like a ghost. Mitchell watched the sorting with new zeal and cheered just as loud as all the other Gryffindors every time someone was sent into their ranks. It sure was good to be back, after all.
 
Louise didn't let out the whooping cries that some of her fellow housemates did as around thirty of the new first years were sorted into Ravenclaw, but she clapped until her hands were numb and seemed to vibrate, and whistled loudly. As the line of first years gradually dwindled and the crowd's cheers became hoarser, she found herself becoming more eager for the food; having slept through the lunch trolley on the train, she was famished. Finally, the Hat gave a last bellowing "GRYFFINDOR!" and the parchment of names was rolled up just as the feast finally materialized on the tables in front of them. Louise certainly looked like she hadn't eaten properly since she'd left, but she supposed it was just in her nature to look a bit malnourished; she of course had eaten, but nothing as delicious as the meals that came out of the Hogwarts kitchen. She grabbed a few great, steaming rolls that she tossed around anxiously before dropping them on her plate - they were hot! - and ladled herself a generous portion of vegetable stew before tucking in.


It was several minutes before she began to slow down, taking a large draught of pumpkin juice from her goblet and sitting up a little straighter. Now that her stomach didn't feel like it was trying to claw its way out of her body, she looked down the table curiously, trying to get a glimpse of the new Ravenclaws and see what they were like - being so close to the front of the table, there hadn't been much room for any to squeeze in, and most were crowded at the opposite end. Unfortunately, as she stared down between heaping platters of chicken and dumplings, she caught someone's eye: It was Kat, her friend that had followed her into the Forest late last term. There was a disgusted look in her eye that let Louise know that the summer had not softened her attitude, and the other girl still reviled her for what she was. She was a beast. Not suitable for an education, much less for company. Several others around Kat noticed her staring and followed her gaze to Louise; the other girl was, of course, sitting with the rest of her friends, Gypsy and Adele. Their expressions upon seeing Louise, looked as though they had both just swallowed a rotten bit of food; they obviously shared Kat's opinion, but with the added hurt that they looked apprehensive, as though Louise might spring from across the hall and attack them any minute. They were protective of the other girl.


Louise, who had been in the middle of taking another spoonful of soup, broke the tense exchange when she could no longer stand the resentment radiating from across the table, quickly averting her eyes to stare intently at her soup. It felt like she had swallowed a rock, forming a scratchy lump in her throat that was quickly sinking down to her stomach, and lessening her appetite. Not looking back down the table, she took another drink, tucked her hair behind her ear, and turned to Ben. "So, you're still just taking the required subjects this year, right? What's your favorite class?" she asked, tucking a leg underneath her as she angled her body towards him.
 
Mitchell gave a loud cheer when the last one was appointed to his house. He felt a tiny claw squeezing his innards. He had always used to have bets with his friends on who would get the last one, and Mitchell had always bet on Gryffindor. He just now realized the reason he had cheered so loudly was because he for a second thought he had won a bet that they haven't made this year.


Mitchell stared at the food that appeared, momentarely not hungry any longer. He normally wasn't discouraged like this, but then again he wasn't used to the big let downs. He had had it pretty easy in life, but losing all of his friends had to be the biggest downer he had had so far. He took a few pieces of food onto his plate and began eating, suddenly wondering where that anticipation he had still had and the appitite he usually bore had went in those few seconds. He ate slowly, thinking that the feast couldn't fix this... But was partially proved wrong when his appitite at least returned to him now that he had tasted some. He brought more onto his plate, focusing his attention on eating.


Ben had been staring into his plate for the past minutes, while eating maticulously. He had strange habits when it came to food and always checked his food carefully for things he didn't like. It wasn't that the food was bad, it was just about people putting things in food that he didn't want to eat. Onions for example. Ben cringed whenever he accidentally ate onion fastened on a piece of meat or baked into other kinds of food. Halfway trough he thought he could feel this strange tension, making him afraid to look up from his plate. Was someone staring at him? Was it Greg?


Ben jumped and dropped his fork when he was spoken to by Louise and immidiatly bent down to get it, and thereafter bumped his head on the table. "Owh!" he exclaimed, sitting back up and looking at Louise. He blushed and laughed nervously. "I'm such a dork.. What did you say..?" he asked tentatively, hoping she wouldn't resent him for being so clumsy and weird.
 
"Oh, are you okay?" Louise asked Ben, leaning over as her hands hovered uncertainly over his back, unsure what to do. "Don't even worry about it," she laughed after a moment though, brushing away his self-deprecating remark. "You should see me on the stairs," she muttered darkly, half joking. "I just asked what you favorite class was, since you're still only taking the required subjects this year, right?"


The more she thought about it, the better she was feeling about Ben and Mitchell. After all, her first day had gone miles better than she had hoped! Over the summer, picturing her return to Hogwarts, she had always imagined herself returning to the castle alone and spending the year mostly by herself - not that she had had any doubts about whether she had wanted to return; even on her worst days, Hogwarts was always the place she wanted to be. Today, however, she'd run into the two brothers, who had been perfectly friendly, and even seemed to want to maybe hang around later. Ben was even in her house, she thought, almost cheerfully.


As hopeful as she was though, she steely reminded herself that she would have to be extra cautious during the full moons each month after what happened last term. In better news though, she could reuse excuses she had from years past, since they wouldn't have heard any of them before. Her mother could get sick, she could have the cramps, her grandmother could die, and she could get the flu all over again, and they wouldn't be any the wiser! The teachers were a different story, however. Some of them had begun to get exceedingly cross that she missed at least one lesson a month, and the number of detentions she had gotten last year had started to grow. In any case, she was too filled with food and the feeling of being back at home to be too much troubled by this; she'd worry about it later.
 
"Oh I'm fine," Ben said, rubbing the back of his head slightly. He laughed at Louisa's comment and was immidiatly calmed that she didn't seem resigned at his clumsyness. This time he actually managed to catch her question, thinking it over, but not for too long. "I really love History of Magic, it's just so interesting to hear all the things in history we used to learn in muggle school, but from a whole different perspective, it's just amazing," he said, remembering how he was very excited for that subject this year.


Ben felt almost like he had caught some of Mitchell's natural optimism. Louisa seemed so nice, and he was hoping she would become Mitchell's friend so he wouldn't feel so bad about ruining all his friendship during the summer. But now he also had a hope that he would maybe gain her as a friend as well. It was true that no one in Ravenclaw seemed to dislike him, but no one seemed to like him in particular either. He knew it was partially his own fault, for hiding behind his books, but he was just... Worried to get picked on he supposed. He felt sad thinking that Mitchell, who loved being around lots of friends who laughed with him had had to give up all of his friends for his sake... But Mitchell had also made it very clear that he didn't want to be friends with someone who bullied others, especially not his own little brother.


"So what subjects are you looking forward to this year?" Ben asked Louisa, putting his fork back on his plate, noticing now that he had stopped eating he was actually full and would need no more food. He took a swig of his Pumpin Juice though, deciding that he still had a bit of room for that
 
"Hn," Louise paused for a moment before replying. "I guess I definitely like the history of magic, but I've never much cared for the class," she said thoughtfully. "I don't much care for Professor Binns' lecture style. I love reading about it though! Especially about the Ministry of Magic. It's so much bigger than muggle government, and does so many more things! I don't know if I'd ever like to work there, but I'd certainly like to see it some day." Louise blushed a bit; that sounded a lot more foolish out loud that it had in her head.


"Um, I'm starting my electives, so I added Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy to my schedule. I'm really excited to start Ancient Runes - there's an entire section of the library that I haven't been able to touch because I couldn't read it before, and I've read that Rune magic can be really powerful - it's supposed to be a lot different than wand-based magic. Apparently, there were some wizards a long time ago who never even made wands; they only used rune magic. They left behind monuments all carved with them, and some muggles still go to the locations to see them. Of course," she paused, taking another drink, "Wizards have quite the task keeping them away from some of the rune circles. Apparently, if you enter at the right time and season, you can get whisked off, or strange creatures will appear. Once, I read that a muggle wandered into a rune circle late one night during the summer and tripped over a stone, and a dragon appeared. I'd imagine that was a nasty bit of cover up." Louise stopped, realizing that she'd been talking a lot. Ben was easy to talked to; she'd hardly ever talked this much around her other friends, mostly because they would do the talking for her. He, however, seemed interested in what she had to say. In any case, she thought, she still shouldn't push it.
 
Ben smiled when he heard what Louisa said. "I'd also love going to the ministry of magic, I read up on it after-" Ben stopped himself realizing he had almost said 'After Mitchell got their letter of warning'. He camouflaged the pause with a cough. "-After I heard they do so much in the Wizarding world." He had always wanted to see how it looked in there. He thought he may like to work there some day, but he still wasn't aware what other careers he still could persue.


Ben's eyes widened in wonder as Louisa told him about Runes. He hadn't even heard if this before. It sounded so interesting and then and there he decided this was something he'd love to learn about in the future. "That sounds amazing!" he said excitedly, pushing his large glasses up as they were slipping. "Imagine that, accidentally finding a dragon... I mean dragons are cool, but I don't think I'd like to meet one up close and personal." Ben shuddered slightly over this thought. Sometimes he had dreams that dragons attacked their house at home.


"There's so much fantastic stuff to learn here..." Ben said, his voice filled with awe and wonder. "I was so jealous when Mitchell got his letter," he confessed absently. "I thought for sure that I couldn't be magical, cause that would be the coincidence of the century..."
 
[[My character's name is Louise, not Louisa btw. ^^]]


"Do you think you'll want to take Care of Magical Creatures next year then?" Louise asked curiously after hearing about his interest in dragons. "You know, I've seen a few interesting books in the library on them, if you wanted me to recommend any," she said brightly, almost as an afterthought. Conversations with Ben always seemed to be nice, because they always seemed to land back on the subject of books, which were such a safe, uncomplicated topic that she happened to be very interested in.


"Why would both of you be getting letters be such a coincidence?" Her question was meant innocently, although perhaps someone older would have realized that it was not entirely appropriate to ask someone, still virtually a stranger, such a personal question about his family life. Louise, however, was unaware of this, and looked curiously at the second year.
 
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