Viola still lingering behind just to spite Louisa probably, as the fifteen years old dragged her trunk and casually rocked her body. It was boring, really, to come over here early and see all those kids saying goodbye to their parents. Heh. It was LAME. Seriously, those were going to spend a good nine months or something at school on their own! They should let it go.

Maybe she could see one of her friends in here? Vashti? Adam? Enya? Joao might come later though. He didn't like getting here early and waiting. And she wasn't even sure if Dallin would want to hang out with her after what her boyfriend did to him. Hmmm.

The girl stood there idly watching people instead.

Alec readjusted his grip on his bag and took a moment to look around the slightly packed station. Everywhere he looked, there were... people there! A lot of people! Adults rushing around everywhere to get to their train and families saying their goodbyes. Were there a lot of people who were going to go to Hogwarts?

No, he needed something else first. Alec rubbed his tummy as he took a moment to look around. This was a busy, popular train station so... food places had to be somewhere around. That's what his dad told him.

His grey-blue eyes continued to search around until they rested on a... concourse? Was that what it was called? Shrugging, Alec turned his trolley around and walked over towards the concourse and the girl standing right nearby. The girl seemed... slightly scarier older. She wouldn't mind him disturbing her would he? "Erm, excuse me?" he asked, "Are you okay?" She was just standing there looking into the distance...

The lameness continued as Louisa's cat, Viola, decided to purr and lick her paws while sitting on her own feet. The girl groaned and started pushing the cat away gently, "Get off my shoooooes." They were new and clean, she didn't want cats fur and whatnot to ruin them! Eew. "I told y-" When her ears perked toward a voice. It was after a full moment when the boy has spoken that the girl looked at him, basically because she didn't know anyone with such high-pitched voice.

He was indeed addressing her.

"Umm... I don't like my cat sitting on my new sneakers." She said innocently. WHY was an ickly boy talking to her again? With her piercing blue eyes still on him, she went on. "Are you okay, though?" He looked... too confident. The cat, at the appearance of the new person, moved away from the girl's shoes and went to make herself comfortable on HIS shoes. Hopefully this one wouldn't poke her away.

Alec blinked as he looked at the girl who was... prying a cat off of her shoes? He would have helped the girl out but there was always that chance that she thought he was trying to steal her cat. He didn't want to introduce himself to someone who thought he was a cat-thief.

And then the girl turned to look at him with eyes that suggested that he was in trouble. Deep trouble. He only asked her if she was okay! Nothing else. Or did people not liked being asked how they are? Was this some kind of new offensive greeting he wasn't aware of?

"Oh. You cat probably likes you a lot," he said, looking at the cat that had now walked over towards him, "I like your trainers, by the way." See? He was only being nice. No need for any scariness. Him? "I'm... erm, nervous?" he said, looking sheepishly up at the girl. She was pretty tall. And scary. "I'm starting a new school today," he added in.

Still looking at the boy sideways, Louisa watched her cat rub herself on his leg. "She loves you more, I see." Louisa's tone was normal. Too normal perhaps. "She never rubbed herself against me." Probably because Louisa always pushed the cat away from her newly body-lotioned skin.

And.. he was nervous? A FIRSTIE! Louisa Carter was talking to a firstie! But she was fifteeeeen and oooold and tall and everything. However, this boy wasn't like any firstie. He had a very calm and rational attitude. Most importantly he wasn't jumping up and down in excitement and racing some other ickly kids to the train or something silly like that.

"Your first year at Hogwarts, huh?" She turned slightly to face him. It meant he gained her attention now that he was a firstie AND an unsilly one. Totally a word. "I'm a fifth year over there." A VERY hesitant moment passed before she did the inevitable, "Louisa Carter." Tadaaaa! Without hand shaking. His hand could be stained with sticky candies that children kept munching around.

Alec grinned as he looked down at the cat who... was rubbing his leg. Alec bent down and picked up the cat. "I think she's a nice cat," HINT, SCARY LOUISA, HINT! "What's her name?" His grey-blue eyes tore itself away from the cat and rested on the older girl. The cat did have a name didn't it?

Alec stopped suddenly and blinked up at the girl. How did SHE know he was going to Hogwarts? He had managed to cover up his magicalness pretty well so far. His owl cage was covered, his trunk faced the other way to hide the Hogwarts crest. And yet the Louisa girl STILL knew!

"Erm, first year is right," he said. So she was a fifth year? Fifth? No wonder she looked so much older than him and the few magical friends he knew. "So you know all about Hogwarts?" Meaning... was she prepared to tell him all he wanted to know? "Nice to meet you Louisa," he said, holding out his hand, "I'm Alec, Alec Summers."

Viola purred gladly when the boy held her up. See? Now that was a way to carry a cat, not that snatching move the cat's owner used to do. Louisa's mouth twitched in one edge into a crooked small smile, "She's Viola." The girl answered him as her tabby cat eyed her meaningfully. :3

"You're not excited to go to Hogwarts?" Okay usually Louisa couldn't care less about firsties being excited about Hogwarts and all but this boy... he was intriguing. And cute. And intriguing. "And yes, of course. I've spent my previous four years in there." Was it then when she would offer her help to show him around and he'd say he'd love to and they end up friends?

Not gonna happen.

Why? Because she was a fifteeeeeeeen years old girl and he was what? Ten? Eleven? Heh. No matter how cute and unchildish he seemed. Totally a word again. But he extended his arm for her to shake. With an eye of an expert, Louisa checked the color of his palm before accepting it - she didn't want M&M's polka dots to get on HER hand. She might see Joao soon so..

"Alec." As if accepting his name. "Did you come here by yourself?" Like walked through the wall and all? She didn't see any adults around.

Alec smiled as he scratched the tabby cat's ears. "Hey Viola!" he said, grinning down at the cat. It was a good thing he was used to being around cats otherwise he would have been slightly scared about all the cuteness this cat was giving off. But... he couldn't hog the cat. No. It belonged to Miss Louisa and to Miss Louisa it'll go back to. "I think she wants her owner now..." he said, carefully holding out the cat to the Louisa girl.

Excited? "Oh, i am excited! I'm just..." He didn't know how to say what he wanted to say. He sort of, kind of, classified Louisa as a maybe friend but... he had only JUST met her. Was it really too soon to be spilling out all of this? He wasn't much of a 'admit-to-your-feelings' person either. Meh. "I'm going to miss certain people back home." Anya mainly. He was going to miss his best friend oh so much. "What about you? You excited about going back?"

"Four... years..." he repeated, "So what's your favourite thing about the castle?" He was intrigued, okay? And he only wanted to know more information about the school he was going to go to. Who better than to ask someone like Louisa, who has been there enough times to give him a proper description of Hogwarts?

Alec smiled at Louisa as she shook his hand. She was really nice. Still a bit scary from her height and her age but still pretty nice. As for coming here by himself... "Erm, my dad dropped me off but he has work so he had to go," he said, shrugging slightly. It didn't bother him that his dad needed to work. Sick animals needed treating. "Did you come on your own as well?" She was older so it was a completely different matter if she DID decide to come on her own.

Louisa took the cat from him and held on to her, just for the same of not staining her shoes again. "Thanks. You know, Viola is a hard cat, by the way. She doesn't let strangers just carry her around." So he knew what a privilege he got from the tabby thing. Heh.

The boy, then, got a biiiit excited about the school. And he thought about his answer before blurting it out. "You don't have to worry about it though." She shrugged a shoulder and continued, "You're not moving there. It's just a few months and you'll be back to your parents then." Louisa assumed those were to be missed, right?

When he asked back, though, Louisa's face brightened. "Of course I am. I'll see my friends. The ones I didn't see throughout the summer and I'll be with my boyfriend every day." Yaaay! Although she'd just gotten back from Brazil a week ago so. "When you get to the castle, you'll barely have time to be nervous. It's huge and beautiful with loads of places to discover." So she didn't have to tell him anything about it. "Personally I liked the waterfall and swimming pond that Stryker built for us last term. Not sure they'll be there this term." Basically because the groundskeeper just disappeared at the end of term.

With a chuckle, rather forced one too, she replied, "I don't have to be with adults. I'm almost sixteen." In six months. Or more. "My guardian brought me to the station though." Because she couldn't drive or apparate yet. Heh.

"Mom can you guys guard my trolly for me? and my owl". Maddy asked
"Sure" her mother replied and took the cage from Maddy. "What was wrong with her in the car earlier anyway?" There were feathers everywhere which she would have to clean up.

"I think jinx is gonna lay eggs or something, she never acts like this shes usually so well behaved!" Explained Maddy.
"Youd better hurry Maddy, the train leaves in 20 minutes" Her dad said.
"See you in a bit, Harlee's gonna meet me in the store" replied Maddy.

The small muggle convinience store wasnt too crouded, some other Hogwarts students were inside and Maddy gave them a wave. She broused the shelves for anything she might need on the way, picking up small itoms and paying at the counter being careful ot to confuse muggle money with wizarding money.

Alec grinned as Louisa took Viola back. See? The owner and the tabby cat really did have a connection. A nice one at that. But Viola didn't seem like a hard cat. She wasn't made of stone. "You're making me wonder if i've met her before," he said, "Thank you for letting me hold her." At least she hadn't cruelly snatched her cat back from his grasp.

Alec blinked. Not worry about it? Louisa didn't know about him and Anya and how close they were but... she was probably saying this from experience. Who knew. He wasn't going to ask her though. She might get a bit annoyed with him and he didn't want that at all. "You're right," he said, "It'll just be a bit weird to be away from home for so long." Home... where his dad was... and where Anya was.

Oh look! Louisa seemed to be changing the way she was talking. Or something like that. She seemed to be a lot more enthusiastic now. Maybe this was a sign that Alec could relax? He grinned. "No wonder you're excited about going back," he said, "How was your summer, by the way?" Seeing as she mentioned it and all. And then she continued her talk about how great the castle was. This was the part that Alec listened out to the most. Why? Because he was oh so curious to know as much as he could about it. "It sounds like it'll be one big adventure!" Adventure was good! Very good! But... he didn't understand who this Stryker person was. And how he managed to build and entire waterfall and swimming pond. "Oh!" So no waterfall or swimming pond for him then. "I didn't know it had enough area for a waterfall and a swimming pond. I thought it was a castle that had a bit of grass here and there..." See? This is why he needed to know as much as he could about the castle.

Almost sixteen! So she was about four years older than him? If she hadn't chuckled then, he would have been very scared of Louisa. "Happy early sixteenth birthday then," he said, just in case he didn't get a chance to say it to her on her actual birthday, "Why didn't your parents drop you off, though?" Unless she didn't have any parents... in which case he, Alec, was stupid.

Louisa blinked at the boy. Why was he thanking her? It wasn't like she'd done something nice or said anything cool at all. "No problem." She said neutrally considering that this boy fit perfectly for some cat babysitting. It should be good if Louisa had to meet Jooa pets-free for once. Yep, this boy- what was his name again? Yeah, Alec was soon to be hired.

Hogwarts an adventure? With a LOUD scoff, the girl commented, "Talk about understatement." Not that she was mocking the little boy, but she had to show her sarcasm. "It is a big adventure, my lad." Talking like aunt Brown was totally uncalled for. "I'm sure you'll love. You'll make new friends easily too. I can help you to your classes if you-" HALT! Did she just offer him her help? That was one of the moments Louisa doubted her mind working at its full function. "I mean if you want to." Trying to sound nonchalant about the whole help offer.

What was it that all people asked about her summer? It was like they knew how intense it was. Shrugging, again, she looked out at the people moving their trunks around, "It was all right. Went to Brazil and Florida with friends." Looking back at the boy, she asked back, "You?" Seriously what would a kid do in summer? Run around the house billion times a day hyper from all the sugar? Probably.

Aaand here came the main reason she didn't like younger peeps. QUESTIONS. Ahem. Anyway, Louisa's face fell slightly at his question and she looked away, "Mom isn't a witch. She can't get through the wall." And dad is a jerk wizard so.. Hopefully the boy would drop the topic now?

Alec blinked at the girl's scoff. Oh! She was only saying that his comment was an... understatement? What was an understatement? A statement that was under another one? Or... No, he wasn't going to ask her. Louisa was probably sick of him already.

"I can't wait to explore it!" he said, grinning up at the girl, "If it's as good as it sounds, i'm sure i'll love it as well." As for the whole making friends thing... he had met Adeline and Asher and now, Louisa... but none of them would be as close as Anya was. But before Alec could go off on his train of thought, Louisa said something that seemed to lighten his mood. "Really? You'd help me?" he repeated, "I'd like that!" That is, if Louisa didn't mind an eleven year old tagging along and bugging her about this that and the other.

Alec blinked, impressed with the girl's summer. "That must have been a really fun summer!" Especially seeing as she went with her friends. "Mine was pretty... normal," he started, "Apart from the visit from this weird man from the Ministry. That wasn't normal at all." Coming home to find a weird man telling you that you're magical is the kind of thing pranks were made of.

"Oh!" Alec said, feeling slightly uncomfortable for Louisa and a bit for himself. So magical people can't get through the wall. That was something new. "What if they're with someone who's magical? Then can they get through the wall?" he asked, blinking at Louisa. She was smart, she should know, shouldn't she?

Claudia couldn't help but eavesdrop when she heard the older girl describe the place she was going to be spending this year. It really sounded interesting just like Lyssie had described. She just wished she could go up to the girl and ask whether she could tag along too.



Claudia wondered about that too. She never did before because everyone in her family were either full blood or mixed blood magical. She sighed. She did miss her family a lot. She wondered whether she'd ever fit in into this new school. It sure looked like the younger boy was doing a lot better than her in making friends. Claudia smiled whimsically and then decided that had to step up and introduce herself or she'd definitely be without friends if she waited for others to do the same.

So she walked up to the older girl and the younger boy and said, "Hi there I'm really sorry for interrupting but I happened to hear you talking about showing him around the school. I'm a third year but this is the first time I'm going to Hogwarts. Would it be okay if I tagged along too when you show him around later?" Claudia asked the older girl.

Of course she had to help the kid now, her stupid tongue slipped, didn't it? Hmph. The girl gave a small smile, "I can help you the first week. Show you where your classes are. Where the lake is and how far it is safe to get near the Whomping Willow." There were a dozen other things to show the boy but Louisa didn't want him to be overwhelmed. Not before he went on the train anyway. Hehehe.

That weird visit from the man? Louisa pondered it for a moment before getting what he meant. She chuckled, "That must've been funny." Really, she was curious to be in the situation. Her envelope arrived traditionally since her father was a wizard and her mother knew of magic. Too bad the headmaster didn't know of her father's lousiness and commitment issues. Heh.

...another question. A hard one, too. Louisa looked back at the wall that was still producing people and puzzled kids. She frowned a bit before answering, "I think... they're accompanied by an adult that could apparate them directly in here. I don't really know. We should investigate this from a professor." She gave the younger boy the biggest smile she'd given so far.

Then, someone approached and went on talking without taking a breath. A girl that seemed quite nervous. Louisa eyed her and shrugged one shoulder, "It's fine." No, Louisa didn't like strangers that much. But this girl looked... so nervous and fidgety. Louisa might help her as well if she needed helping later in Hogwarts. "Where did you come from?" Louisa asked out of politeness.

And they were at a small grocery store.

Erin hid herself onto a stall of the small grocery store inside the station. She really needed to get away from that annoying Aunt of hers, why wasn't she a wizard too? Ugh! She just makes everything extra hard for Erin. She didn't want her friends seeing her with Aunt Luna, she was just so embarrassing, not that she doesn't look good but she's just extremely vain and so Muggle. Peeking to her left and to the right.

CLEAR.

Clapping her hands together, she was the best in hiding, if only she could be as a Seeker, then Quidditch is on the way. Why was she talking so much? Pffft! Oh Elise.

Strutting her way to pick up some foods since she couldn't deny, she was extremely hungry. Sandwich! Yay! And a banana shake! Oh! She was with Elise. She looked for her.

Katrina went to the Western Concourse. Yeah she had snacks but no she didn't like them. She will not be caught eating her kiddie snacks in public. Na uh. When Katrina was near her destination, she caught a figure of someone hiding behind a stall. Hehehehehe.

Katrina squinted and saw...
"Erin?!" Katrina said surprised. The blonde managed a giggle and went to Erin. She kind of looked at her with complete awkwardness. "Nice hiding place, there."

But who was Erin hiding? I don't think she'd hide from Elise. But then she forgot the fact her Aunt was with her. Muggle and quite strange. "Are you hiding from your Aunt?" Yep, Katrina may respect Muggles, but not loco ones.

Katrina looked at the Ravenclaw's food. "Nice sandwich, what kind?" Katrina picked up a can of the Muggle soda, Pepsi, and a pack of cookies. Oh how Katrina loooooooooooooooooooooves cookies!

"Oh Katrina!" she said. She should be embarrassed by her actions as of the moment, that would be if she was still the sweet Erin from before but she was not, she'll never be that sweet again. "I'm with Elise actually. I was holding her hand but then, she must have let go. I know she was talking from behind me..."Erin looked around and then added pointing towards her hiding place from earlier, "...from that."

Why was she laughing? Erin don't want anyone laugh at her. Not now. "May I ask? Why are you laughing?" If she was laughing at Erin, then it's a war.

Katrina nodded. Where did Elise go? She just suddenly...poofed. Uhh, awkward.
"Where did Elise go?" Confusion kind of occupied Katrina's mind. Of course Elise can't just disappear nor could she Apparate. Oh boy.

Then Erin seemed to have a sort of mad face. Uhmm... why was Katrin laughing? Uhhhhhhhhh...
"Sarcasm?" Katrina hoped she didn't say the wrong word. "I'm not laughing at you or anything. It's just... why are you hiding from your Aunt?"

Elise ran after Erin, trolley in tow. Ponytail whipping her face as she ran, she made sure she kept Erin in sight. She was really good at hiding. Noticing her stop at the concourse, she smiled. She really needed to hide, it seemed.

Noticing some food that she liked, she allowed herself to be a little distracted. Was that a ... a ... a ... bar of chocolate?! GETITAWAYGETITAWAY!

Pulling herself together, Elise found herself facing a refridge-something. Ooooh, what was that muggle thing? Sprite? Hmm... Picking it up, she turned and nearly tripped over when she saw Erin.

"Oh, hi!" she smiled breathily. "Who was that?" she asked. Family? Cause El didn't have any family left. Her mom died, was an only child. And her father hated her.

And there was someone else too. El might have recognized her if she was good with names. But she wasn't.

"It it safe to say hi to you?" she asked, beaming. "If it is, then HI!"

It's true. Elise Fairfield is too cheerful than any human should be.

And yet, before Miss Louisa could say anything, someone else came along. Alec grinned. It was that Cody girl he had met earlier! And it seemed as thought she wanted a tour of the castle as well. Now wasn't this nice? If Louisa accepted her offer, both of them could be on this tour together! And maybe they can compare notes. See? Everything really does work out in the end.



Alec smiled at the older girl, glad that she wanted to help him. And to think he didn't even have to ask her! She had offered to help him with his work and show him around Hogwarts. Miss Louisa was a nice girl.

Must have been funny... Right. It was kind of funny to see the weird old man standing idly in his living room. And then start to explain everything about magic. Alec couldn't help but grin at the memory. "It was a bit odd at first," he said, "As if someone was pulling a prank on me." Hs first thought was that Anya was behind it all. But back to Louisa: "How did you find out that you were magical?" he asked.

Seeing that Louisa was looking at the wall, Alec looked there as well. It was weird how people can just walk through a wall as if it was thin air... And Louisa didn't know. "Yeah, we could ask someone else," Would anyone else know though? And what was a professor? One of those old, strict men? Were those the kind of people that taught at Hogwarts? Alec wasn't going to like this one bit...

In response to Kat, oh yeah! Her Aunt Luna was just the...ugh person one could ever have as an Aunt. Pffft! "I am extremely annoyed by her. Look at my hair," she said taking some strands of it and showing it to Katrina. "I brushed these twice and then hair-blowered it." She even more pouted when she noticed that Elise was missing. "Where was that girl?!"

Her eyes wandered around Kat's hair. "Did you even shampooed?" Oh, would she be offended? It's just the truth. And then, when her eyes wandered towards the other direction...

"ELLLLLLLLLL!" Erin shouted as she saw Elise opening a bottle of Sprite! "you should pay for it first!" No, no, no stealing friends. When she finally reached her friend's position, oh! She was just holding it. Bad Erin, she even gathered other people's attention as well as the shopkeeper.

"That was my Aunt Luna. I just don't wanna be with her," Erin answered Elise. "And by the way, this is Kat. Slytherin, if you don't know."

Katrina nodded. Crazy aunts? Not that nice to have sometimes. The blonde personally agreed with this. Aunt Helga *cough*. "What did she do to it anyway?" Katrina asked. No harm done if asking.

My hair?! What's wrong with her hair?! Katrina touched her head. "Uhmm... yes, why?" Katrina turned a bit red. I mean, her mom braided it and tied it onto a ponytail. Her mom does well in those and her sister... but Dianna was too busy. Yeah.

Katrina was surprised to hear Erin scream. What the hell was that for?! The Slytherin turned around and saw Elise opening a soda without paying.
"Ouch, Erin, that hurts." Katrina rubbed her ears as if some kind of crazy hyena screamed to her ear. But Katrina paid so yeah.

Elise went towards them. Uhuh, yeah. Then Erin introduced her to Elise. Of course she knew Elise. She threw her a gumdrop last time in Flying Lessons. "Yeah, I know Elise."

"She's telling me that I've got a bad hair day." Pffft! She held strands of them once more and they even felt softer than her towels, her smooth silk towels. "Do I?" asked Erin feeling slightly convinced to her Aunt's sentiments.

Oh, she did shampooed. Now, she better be teaching her friend a lesson. "Your hair is actually wet when you braided it..." And she couldn't say no 'cause Erin's all good at this things, she learned from the best, her late mother. "That will make your hair lose some of its nutrients. And you'll be experiencing itchy somethings in your scalp and you'll suffer from dead hairs." That would be truly mournful if ever.