Hogwarts Express: Front Cars

[Wilber Winterbottom]

If you are eager to see, be seen, and get to London first, then the front passenger cars of the train are for you. Just like the other cars, a long corridor provides access to the many compartments, each labelled with a letter, available for you and your friends to hunker down in until the train has come to a complete stop. Cushioned seats and large windows, allowing perfect views of the British scenery on your journey, await.

Well, what are you waiting for? Slide open a compartment door and make yourself at home. Place any of your belongings not in the luggage car on the racks above you. Chat with your friends about what your summer plans, enjoy munching on the snacks you bought from the trolley lady, get ahead of the game by exchanging addresses, or take a long nap as the train travels over numerous hills and mountainsides. Whatever you do, exhibit your best behaviour -- the prefects will be regularly patrolling the corridors and poking their heads inside your compartment to make sure you are doing so.

[Felixir]

SEPTEMBER WAS HEEEEEEEEERE !!!

Achilles Zacharias was as excited as anyone for his first year at Hogwarts. MOrE excited even probably, or maybe it was just his general whirlwindness that made it seem that way. It had that effect. Killy couldn't really help it. Just sort of happened. Just like he just sort of happened, all the time everywhere all at once.

Okay. Yes. The Killy of these days was generally a bit more settled and less excitable than usual, but this was a Very Big Day, and Very Big Days tended to get him all kinds of worked up. In a good way! Also in less good ways, but that was a problem for not-right-now. Maybe-soon. But-not-right-now.

The goodbyes had the potential to be difficult, but as soon as Killy realised as much he'd known what to do, and that was to ride the energy train all the way onto the actual train, before he could start getting upset or think too much about how different everything was about to be. He knew what it was like to go through Big Changes, and didn't see why it would have to be so different, even if it had been a while since anything had Big Changed. But he would miss Stemp House. But this was going to be fun too. But he wasn't very good at doing what teachers asked him to do. But this place was going to be full of teachers.

Anyway. Killy had lingered on the platform for as long as possible, roaming up and down until the whistle had sounded to announce the train was leaving, and only then had he gone to say his goodbyes and get three (3) hugs before being bundled into one of the carriages. It was easier that way. And now Killy was in a compartment. And now he was sitting down. And now he was looking out the windows. And now his feet were propped up on a seat. And now he was standing on a seat. And now he was looking out the compartment door and up and down the train corridor. And now he was sitting down again. And now he was back up, wondering about going to find Jaicy Joy, whom he'd lost in the hustle and bustle.

And now he was regretting saying his goodbyes so quickly, and not getting all the hugs he could have in those last few minutes, and Killy didn't know what to do with that kind of feeling. He got up again, and went back to the door of the compartment, and thought about going to find some of the other Stemp House kids and bothering them until he started to feel better or at least until he didn't have the opportunity to think about anything properly. HmmMMmm.