First.

Prefect Bronwyn was here first, and although he had planned on getting here last...he now thought that this was a better thing. He could choose the comfiest seating and make sure he looked confident enough that he belonged in this compartment. Which he did. The badge he wore on his robes meant that he belonged here. Staff thought he belonged here. Miss Sophie Brown assured him he belonged here. Now...to convince the other student leaders that he belonged among them and was good enough.

Snug against the window, Rooney let Pomegranate wander over the other chairs and waited to be joined.

In the prefect compartment.

Where he belonged.

Penelope confidently strode into the prefects compartment, Head Girl badge prominently displayed on her cardigan where everyone would be able to see it. Looked like she was the second one here. Rooney Bronwyn? What had happened to Thornton? It was obvious that Rooney wasn’t just looking for Sophie Brown this year; there was a prefect badge pinned to Rooney’s robes. He was finally a prefect! Penelope had always been sure that Rooney would become a prefect one day, but she hadn’t been expecting it so soon. Usually prefect badges were only given to students in fifth year or above, but Rooney was a prefect as a fourth year. ”Rooney! Congratulations! I’ve always known you would be a prefect.” Maybe he could even be Head Boy one day.

After setting her purple cat carrier down on a seat and putting her butterfly backpack down, Penelope took a seat and let Orion out of the cat carrier. Orion walked over her lap and went to meet Rooney’s cat. Where were all the other prefects? Had there been any other changes in prefects? Who was Head Boy? No, they probably weren’t late. She must have been early. While waiting for the other prefects to arrive, Penelope took some time to think about how she felt about being Head Girl. Penelope had been somewhat surprised by the Head Girl badge. There were at least two other girls in her year who were prefects. The headmistress must have seen something in Penelope that Penelope didn’t always see in herself. It was amazing how she had grown so much in confidence and leadership ability during the previous six years. Now she was Head Girl and a seventh year. She was actually going to be graduating not that long from now. For the first time that day, Penelope thought about how she was a seventh year and this was her last train ride to Hogwarts ever. Hello, seventh year feels. She would have to think more about that later though, because now she needed to do important Head Girl things like making sure prefects patrolled the train.

Kaycee made her way slowly to the Prefect's compartment. She didn't want to seem overeager. Mostly because that way she wouldn't have to seem overeager the entire term.

It was important to pace excitement.

... probably.

She greeted the two Ravenclaws that were already there with a nod and an easy "Hey." She paused for half a second before continuing, "I didn't see anyone fighting on my way in." She did check, obviously. Mostly because the two rules she was familiar with was no making out and no fighting.

FINALLY. Someone here!

Roo had just started to get out his pack of cards and shuffle them whilst Pomegranate was doing the exploring thing. But Penelope was here! Closely followed by a Gryffindor. "I've been here for a while on my own." He commented freely, tucking his cards back into his satchel. He gave the other Ravenclaw a smile, and pointed towards the new badge on her robes. "I think bigger congratulations are in order for you, Miss Penelope. I bet Miss Sophie Brown is so proud of you. Does she know?" She knew about Rooney. Miss Sophie Brown, Queen of Ravenclaw had been the first to know about the badge on his robes.

The badge he was struggling to make MORE on show. He was probably about to pop with how much he had adjusted to make sure it was completely in view for everyone. Everyone. He wasn't here illegally this year!

With a nod towards Miss Kaycee, Rooney also smiled. "Congratulations to you, too."

Her comment about not seeing anyone fighting on the way in struck him strangely and he sat up a little straighter. "Are we supposed to have checked the train first? I thought we came here first...?" Oh no. He'd already messed up and they hadn't even left London yet.

Dot wasn't at all bitter that Penelope got the big badge, since she had big plans for NEWT prep and getting into WADA all built into her year. She didn't have time for big badging. Only... it would have been nice to have been asked, right? Still, as she slipped into the Prefect Compartment and squished in beside Kaycee (KAYCEE YAY!), she gave her fellow seventh year a smile.

"Nice look for you, Wright. Don't let it go to your head or you'll have trouble getting off the train. They make the doors real small, I hear." Just gentle ribbing for her Head Girl. Rooney got a little finger wave and Kaycee got a second squish.

"I found a troublemaker along the way, but it was accidental. You did the perfect thing coming right here, Roo."

After staying a while in one of the front compartments with Blaise, Hugo decided it was time to go to the prefects' compartment and see the new Head Girl and Head Boy. He wondered who had gotten those badges.

The Slytherin opened the door and slipped into the compartment. First thing he noticed was that Kaycee was in here. In the prefect compartment. And she was a prefect. Or has she stolen the badge? 'Cause he remembered Candice was the Gryffindor Prefect. "What's up everyone?" greeted the sixth year. So, not only there were new Head Boy and Head Girl but also new prefects. Penelope was Head Girl, Rooney the Ravenclaw Prefect which was weird considering he was a fourth year and that Thornton was the Prefect last year and of course, there was his co-prefect as well.

"Congrats Penelope and Rooney" said with a smile. And of course Kaycee, he walked towards her "Congrats to you too" it was a surprise to see her with the badge.

MISS DOT! Rooney grinned when she came through the door all red-haired and what not. The fourth year gave her a wave and wished that she had sat next to him. So he could snuggle next to her like he had a whole year ago between her and Miss Norah. Speaking of...where was Miss Norah? She gave good hugs and her shoulder was particularly comfortable. AND her boyfriend was no longer at school. Scooooooooore. "Perfect and Prefect have the same letters." He noted out loud, in response to Dot's comment about him coming here.

It made him feel a little better that he hadn't messed up at the first hurdle.

Hugo got a wave too and a thumbs up in thanks for the congratulations. Finally their numbers were increasing and they could be told whatever needed to be said. That was what happened here, yes? Miss Penelope would tell them things and they'd be off on their way and he could track down Liv or Char.

The rest of the train was Entirely Too Loud; there were no longer any empty compartments left (though he did not regret abandoning his own), and there was nowhere quiet left to go. Even the luggage compartment attracted far too many people for Daxton's liking. So he was here, at the Prefects' Compartment, and for a whole host of reasons. Mostly boredom, the desire for a less busy environment, but also another, much more private and Daxton-esque motivation.

Sliding open the door, Daxton glanced around the compartment, taking note of exactly who was here, and seeking out the badges that granted them the privilege of this space - as well as 'instant enemy' status. It was almost a shame Dot had one; Daxton had not thought her quite so terrible.

With a casual, impassive expression and a cavalier attitude, Daxton entered the compartment, slid the door shut behind him again, and took a seat away from anyone else. Propping up his feet so he could stretch out his long legs, Daxton glanced around the compartment once again, then at the view outside of the window, pulling his wand out from up his sleeve and fiddling with it.

It was not so special in here. Quieter, yes, but otherwise no different from anywhere else, other than the significant downside that it was full of prefects. But, seeing as that was his whole reason for being here, in this context he could not consider it a downside. Now, by all appearances ignoring the prefects, he stared up at a point near the ceiling of the compartment, twirling his wand around his fingers.

Oh dragons! Was he late?! He stepped into the compartment and looked around. Almost everyone was here! Blimey, he should check his watch the next time they held a prefect meeting. He was busy helping a few first years finding their compartment seats and ...sneaking a few kisses or two with the girlfriend. Ehem. Right! Wearing his Headboy badge on his uniform, he waved to them all with a smile. "Hello guys, great to see you all here..." he stopped in front of the new Headgirl/partner! "Penelope! Sorry I'm a little late! The meeting hasn't started yet, right?" He turned his head to the side. "Oh hello!" Wait why was Rooney and Kaycee here again? He blinked at their shining new badges. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor houses were adding new prefects now? No...wait ...wait...it couldn't be.... "Does this mean that Candice Messer ....is no more a PREFECT?!" Had his prayers been answered?! He couldn't help but grin widely at this wonderful news. He was going to miss his /favourite/ prefect. But what about Thornton? Did he miss a memo or something? He wondered what happened to him. But first...congratulations were in order for the new prefects. "Congratulations Rooney and Kaycee, welcome!" He beamed. The sound of the prefect's compartment door opened again, Henric turned his head around. Daxton? Was he a prefect too? So many younger years were turning prefect in this school huh? But he didn't spot any badges on his clothes. "Hello Daxton, do you have a reason to be here? Are you perhaps lost?" he asked, trying to be polite. He knew the strange kid hated his guts but meh...he was Headboy now, and this was supposed to be a private meeting.

-SLAM-

Bec threw the compartment door open and looked inside at the students already present. So THIS was the Prefect’s compartment huh? The first year looked around for a moment , wondering why it looked like this compartment was bigger than the others. Or was that just her imagination?

“Sorry to intrude!” she said as she turned her bag towards the front and opened it up. Rummaging through it, she suddenly pulled out a package of Jelly Slugs and started handing out one candy for each person. Everybody present in the compartment got one~ “I’m Bec and I know I’m not supposed to be in here but I wanted to say hi to my school leaders when they’re all in the same compartment much easier like that wasn't it? "Nice to meet you all, i'm leaving again" she announced when she got back to the entrance after and left.

Yay. Dot hugs. Kaycee grinned. She, of course, was excited. She was even more excited about how Dot looked now. It wasn't but a few months ago where Kaycee was the one giving the hugs and not receiving them.

Who said parties didn't do the soul good? They obviously worked in the red head's favor.

And there was Henric. He got a wave.

AND HUGO! She grinned in the snake's direction. "Hey Hugo." They needed to catch up later. She missed Hugo time. She also needed to get Hugo time out of the way before she went to go find Dante.

... ... She tilted her head when Daxton walked in. Okay then. Was that normal...? Eh. Whatever. There was also a small child handing out boxes. She waited until the girl left before looking around. "Stuff like that always happen?"

So, Nicolei was Head Boy, and the Head Girl was Wright, from Daxton's own house. He was more focused on Nicolei for now, though, even moreso than the fact that Rooney Bronwyn had also been chosen as prefect. It had not escaped Daxton's memory that he had once, in first year, given the current Head Boy a hearty punch. Even less likely to be forgotten that the reason for this was Henric Nicolei's tendency to grab people without warning. The fact that one of their leaders was practically a Grindylow in disguise did not help to bolster Daxton's (non-existent) respect for any of the students in this compartment.

Without so much as turning to look at the Head Boy, though keeping him very much in sight in his peripheral vision, Daxton gave a simple shrug of the shoulders, and put his feet up on the empty seat across from him, idly rubbing at one of his painful knees with his free hand. Not lost, no, but certainly he had a reason to be here, otherwise he would not have shown up in the first place.

SLAM.

Admittedly, though Daxton was always on the alert for unexpected things, he still had not been expecting the compartment door to be flung open so violently behind him. His first thoughts went - perhaps not quite so irrationally - to the possibility that someone had followed him here, most likely to attack him. He flinched violently, and whipped his head around to see who it was so quickly that he cricked his neck. Already starting to stand up and make a run for it, Daxton looked to the door but saw only... a kid. A really little kid, one he had not seen before. A first year?

At least, that was what she wanted them to think. Daxton eyed her suspiciously, his stare quickly turning into a glare, and then a scowl when the girl went ahead and left anyway. Either she really was just a first year, or perhaps she had realised that attacking in a compartment full of prefects might be unwise, that just maybe there might be one that sided with Daxton. Stranger things had happened. One thing was for certain, and that was that he was not touching the Almost-Definitely-Poisoned Jelly Slugs.

Rubbing at his neck instead of his knee now, Daxton settled back into his seat, not even close to feeling relaxed. He frowned and looked at each of the assembled prefects again, eyes lingering on the Gryffindor girl - he thought her name might be Richards - who had spoken up yet not attempted to order him to leave. And Daxton indeed made no move to exit the compartment. Maybe he would stick around until the train reached its destination. That seemed the safest option. He would be glad to get to school and away from the confinement of this train, this glorified prison-on-tracks.