Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
King's Cross Station
>
Platform 9¾
date
newest »
newest »
[Enter Kat Åkerstedt-Swanstrom.]As her parents' car pulled up to the train station, Kat adjusted the white leather kid gloves that encased her delicate hands before reaching for her purse by her side. The driver would get the rest of her luggage from the trunk as well as her snake, Hel, sitting in her glass tank by Kat's booted feet. She glanced out of the tinted window and was glad to see that there was still no rain. She'd hate to have her hair ruined for her first night back at Hogwarts. Not to mention her new suede coat would become an utter mess.
When the driver opened her door, Kat took his proffered hand and stood up, smoothing down her skirt with a slight brush of her hands. She nodded her thanks and waited for her parents to exit the car as well, her father helping her mother on the other side. Narrowing her eyelids just barely over her ice blue eyes, Kat surveyed the area for any signs of other schoolmates--some she would be happy to greet and others... not so much.
[Enter Casey Diamant.]"You sure you got everything, darling?" Rob Diamant asked his daughter, glancing at her as she rummaged through the things in the back seat of their car, her back turned towards him.
"Yes, Daddy, just gimme a moment to look for my..." Casey mumbled, trying to concentrate on--there it was! Her new hair curling iron from her mom. "I was so scared I left this at home!" she admitted to her father, hugging it close to her chest.
Rob gave his daughter a warm grin and said to her, "I would have sent it to you right away."
Casey rolled her eyes even though she appreciated the thought--for it was the thought that counted when it came to her sometimes absent minded father. "Help me with my luggage?"
"You bet, slugger," Rob nodded as he unlocked the driver's side and stepped outside, grateful for the moment to hide his sadness. September 1st was always the hardest day of the year for him. One last year, he told himself happily. Then she'd be home for good. Or so he hoped.
[Enter Alexa Wong.]As their family car pulled up to the station, Alexa rocked back and forth in her seat, her body already anticipating her father parking so that she could jump out of the car. The ride was always so long and she was practically bursting at the seams with unspent energy. When Douglas finally turned off the engine, Alexa let out a small squeal of excitement, unclipping her seatbelt simultaneously.
"Alexa, calm down," her mother chided, even though she knew it would go unheeded.
"Okay, Ma," she replied automatically, already halfway out of the car. "Pop the trunk, please!" she yelled back, scrambling to the back of the hatchback, waiting for the door to open. Rocking back and forth on her Conversed feet, Alexa glanced around with an excited smile plastered to her face for familiar schoolmates.
She was so excited!
[Enter Augustine Xardel and Bradley Xardel.]The Xardel siblings emerged through the barrier onto the platform one right after the other, Augustine and then Bradley. The raven-haired girl had a pinched look on her face, cringing as she emerged from the other side of the metal ticket box. Still, she maintained the presence of mind to move out of the way before her brother came barreling through behind her.
"What's the sour face for?" the boy demanded, lightly punching his sister in the arm as he came to a stop beside her. "What, do you have something against running through walls?"
The pale girl stuck her tongue out at her brother, and started moving towards the fifth carriage of the train, to see that her luggage was properly stored on the train. Bradley, the boy, simply shook his head and laughed before following after his sister.
As they supervised the loading of their luggage aboard the train, August couldn't help but to notice the tall, blonde Slytherin her brother was ogling.
"Still?" she demanded, resisting the urge to smack Bradley for acting the idiot. "You know she'll never give you the time of day."
"Hm?" Bradley suddenly realized someone was talking to him. He looked around in confusion for a moment, then down at his sister. "What?"
August put her face in her hands, shaking her head. "Oh, never mind."
[Enter Ayden August, Evander August, and Jinx August.]"Come on!" a pair of young twins shouted, pulling at their parents sleeves, in the direction of the barrier. They had watched Evander roll away on the train for the past two years, and finally it was their turn to climb aboard the train too. And they couldn't wait. "You're so slow!"
Their parents, one a red headed witch and the other a brunet wizard, laughed, picking up their pace slightly, though not enough for the impatient munchkins hanging off the carts of luggage. Kerra gave a soft, reprimanding hoot from her cage atop the luggage.
Jeremey, Evander's cat, was held wisely in the thirteen-year-old Ravenclaw's arms, out of the way of the twins pinwheeling arms and legs as they ran in the direction of the barrier. The boy sniffed, his nose held precociously high in the air. The twins disappeared through the ticket box, and Evander waltzed after them, the line of his mouth clearly displaying his disapproval of their antics. He was followed by their parents, and they were all on the platform, looking at the gleaming red train with the words 'Hogwarts Express' spelled out along the side in big, white letters.
"Now you two little rascals," their father began, letting go of a cart of luggage to sweep the two, strawberry-blonde twins up in his arms, "behave at school, all right?"
The twins, Ayden and Jinx, both rolled their eyes, before immediately starting to pester with questions about Hogwarts; what was it like when he went there? What were the Houses called again? Was the Forbidden Forest really forbidden? How would they know what House they going to get sorted into? Was the school as big as Evander said? At their jumble of words and questions, their father just laughed, while their mother looked on with a smile. She hugged them both as they sat down, straightening their collars and reminding them to be good before they both bounded off in the direction of the train. Evander stiffly accepted a hug from each of his parents before they sent him off after the twins, promising that they would make sure all his and his siblings' luggage made it onto the train.
[Exit Ayden August, Evander August, and Jinx August to Carriage 3 Corridor.]
Unaware that she was being watched (well, she was always aware on some level that she drew attention), Kat checked her ash blonde hair in her small compact to make sure she had no flyaways after the ordeal of "running" through a fake wall. Satisfied, she waited calmly with her mother while her father helped to load her trunks. With her luggage carefully stored in the first compartment of the first carriage, Kat gave her driver a nod of thanks and when asked where she would like Hel, the Slytherin Prefect replied, "In the actual carriage, please." Turning then to her parents, Kat kissed each one dutifully and hugged them both as well, saying her goodbyes, promising to write. She placed one elegant hand on the rail to then lift her booted foot and climb up the steps. With one last wave, she disappeared inside the train and proceeded towards her carriage, hoping that she would share the car this year with some of the Prefects she actually did not mind being around. [Exit Kat Åkerstedt-Swanstrom to Carriage 1: Corridor.]
As Casey stumbled through the wall and onto the platform of Hogwarts Express, she tried her best to regain her balance before she embarrassed herself by tripping or something equally as bad. Her father followed after her with the cart of luggage that included Beowulf's cage, the red shouldered hawk looking on imperiously at the commotion. "Which carriage, darling?" Rob asked. "Uh... I don't know--oh!" she ejaculated, seeing her best friend standing a few feet away staring off into space, or possibly at the retreating figure of his sister. "Brad!" she called out happily, trying to catch his attention. It had taken her a second to realize it was him--blimey, had he grown! But she could pick our her best friend from a lineup if he became eight feet tall. "This way, Daddy," she said as she began to move towards her Quidditch teammate and House mate. "Bradley!" she called again excitedly as she tried to reach him, wondering if he would notice her new hair.
She was too late though--he darted off before she could reach him. Sighing, Casey's shoulders slumped slightly as she tried to hide her disappointment from her father. Rob, sensing his daughter's turmoil, gave her a rough squeeze around her shoulders, comfortingly but not embarrassingly. Pretending like he hadn't seen what just happened, he said to her cheerfully, "Come along, slugger, or you'll miss the train."
Nodding wordlessly, Casey followed her father to one of the carriages to load her luggage.
Alexa practically pirouetted from the car to the wall and with a laugh, she did a flying jump, her skinny legs held out in the perfect splits position as she landed surprisingly gracefully on the other side, much to the horror of Ada and the silent laughing of Douglas. "C'mon!" she called to her parents as she began to sprint down the platform of the giant train, trying her best not to run into people. Seeing two of the Gryffindor Quidditch players, Alexa waved excitedly at them as she sped past. "Hi, Bradley! Hi Casey! Happy New Year!" she called out, laughing as she realized that she had used the wrong term. "I mean school year!" she continued to shout, already way too far down for them to hear her or for her to hear their reply.
[Enter Sage Roberts]
Sage smiled as she climbed out of the car, and onto the ground. Her father and mother both climbed out and helped her with her bags. Her father took her suitcase and her mother took the small leather pouch containing her money.
They approached the train station together quietly, knowing that they would soon be parted. Her parents gave her the bags and hugged her goodbye. "Ill see you soon, dont worry." said Sage as she said every time.
Her father smiled and gave her a kiss on top of her head. "Im not worried."
"Did you remember your books? and your quills, and ink? do you have enough money?" chimed in her mother always worrying.
"Yes mother, everything is fine. Can i go now? I think i see one of my friends." said Sage looking around the station.
"Yes of course." said her father stepping away and taking his wife's hand.
"We'll write to you soon!" they called to her as she made her way to Platform 9 and 3/4.
Sage smiled as she climbed out of the car, and onto the ground. Her father and mother both climbed out and helped her with her bags. Her father took her suitcase and her mother took the small leather pouch containing her money.
They approached the train station together quietly, knowing that they would soon be parted. Her parents gave her the bags and hugged her goodbye. "Ill see you soon, dont worry." said Sage as she said every time.
Her father smiled and gave her a kiss on top of her head. "Im not worried."
"Did you remember your books? and your quills, and ink? do you have enough money?" chimed in her mother always worrying.
"Yes mother, everything is fine. Can i go now? I think i see one of my friends." said Sage looking around the station.
"Yes of course." said her father stepping away and taking his wife's hand.
"We'll write to you soon!" they called to her as she made her way to Platform 9 and 3/4.
"Alexa, calm down," Ada called to her daughter again, sighing in exasperation. "Let her run," Douglas chided, giving his wife's shoulders a squeeze.
Alexa finally stopped running, once she realized that she had passed the first carriage where the Prefects where supposed to ride. Grinning, she waved her parents over and then not wanting to stand still, she walked back over to them, picking up luggage to help load into the train. Once everything was set, she turned to her parents and gave them each a fierce hug. "I promise to write. If Hoot would just deliver my letters!" she added with a chuckle.
"Goodbye, honey," her parents replied back to her as they backed away and watched their daughter climb the train.
"See you at Christmas!" Alexa said, smiling again at the thought of the holiday. With a cheerful wave, she hopped onto the train with her owl's cage in her hand and proceeded down the corridor in search for some empty space.
[Exit Alexa Wong to Carriage 1: Compartment C.]
Sage walked down the station trying not to draw attention to herself. Once or twice she caught an attractive muggle boy staring at her, she would would simply smile and toss her hair over a shoulder, as she always did.
she took a breath and held it as she ran through the wall of Platform 9 and 3/4.
She let out her breath once she saw the bright red steam engine. smoke was pouring out of the train and Sage smiled at the sound of all the buzzing of activity. Sage pushed her trolley down to board the train.
[Exit Sage to Carriage 1 Compartment C]
she took a breath and held it as she ran through the wall of Platform 9 and 3/4.
She let out her breath once she saw the bright red steam engine. smoke was pouring out of the train and Sage smiled at the sound of all the buzzing of activity. Sage pushed her trolley down to board the train.
[Exit Sage to Carriage 1 Compartment C]
[Enter Lisbet Pedersen]Having successfully located the train in her usual flurry and anxiety, Lisbet slowed her brisk pace down. Taking deep, calming breaths as she nearly keeled over in her exhaustion, Lisbet's eyes watered painfully as her frail frame bent with every wheeze she emitted. Thinking ruefully that she was out of shape, Lisbet parked her trolley on the side, and unloaded all her worldly possessions. Her parents, wanting nothing to do with their delicate child, were most likely at home. She had come by Portkey, alone.
Putting her brooding thoughts out of her head, Lisbet grinned radiantly, and hauled her trunks onto the waiting train, Carmen on her shoulder, peeping happily.
[Exit Lisbet to Carriage 2 Corridor]
[Enter Jude and Lori Lazar]Jude and Lori walked together through the platform, their parents having dropped them off and left, trusting the two siblings to successfully navigate through King's Cross and then over to platform Nine and Three Quarters. Lori was having trouble with a few of her suitcases, she had a total of three along with the cage for her hedgehog Nutella. Sighing, Jude took one of her suitcases so that he was now carrying three along with his kitten, and Lori was carrying two. "Ready for our last year?" Jude asked his sister, who nodded absentmindedly, already thinking about the year ahead.
[Exit Lori and Jude to Carriage 2 Corridor]
[Enter Eve Bajenaru]Eve was carrying too many things, and she didn't have a cart. Therefore, she was trying to walk with two suitcases in each hand, the cage for her owl and her broom. Her parents had said goodbye earlier, and she had taken a bus to King's Cross, with no shortage of confused looks. Now she was walking along platform 9¾ trying to figure out which compartment she wanted to enter on the train. She made her way to the third one, having entered the station at the complete opposite end of where she wanted to be. She smiled and swung her bags up onto the train.
[Exit Eve Bajenaru to Carriage 3 Corridor]
[Enter Aura Takata]Aura walked along the side of the train, avoiding walking into people and wondering where she would sit. She wasn't struggling with her bags, but she knew she was carrying a lot less than some other girls, only two suitcases along with her purse and cat. She wasn't looking her best, having had to sleep in a hotel with jetlag the night before, she didn't live in London like most students. Because of that she wasn't wearing any makeup at all, and her hated freckles were showing all over her face along with her hair pulled up into a messy bun. She hoped she could be in a train compartment mostly alone and away from the younger kids so that she could make herself look like a decent person and get some sleep.
Mittens gave a loud meow as they Aura lifted her bags onto the train. "I know, I know." She muttered. "Just hang in that carrier a little longer, okay?" She said quietly to her cat.
[Exit Aura Takata to Carriage 4: Compartment D]
[Enter Nathan St. John and Jason St. John.]Having told his parents that he could manage to bring his younger brother and himself to the train station alone was a task easily handled with the use of the St. John driver and a new member of the help whose name Nathan could not recall at the moment. "Come on, then," he said to Jason as the two made their way from the car towards the wall, having to say goodbye to the household staff before entering the station. Nathan pushed his cart through and once they were on Platform 9 3/4, he made his way towards one of the carriages to begin unloading his bags. "Help me," he instructed Jason who obeyed halfheartedly. Once everything was packed up, Nathan boarded the train with Jason and his owl, Icarus, still in his cage of course, as the two looked for a compartment to situate themselves in for the duration of the ride.
[Exit Nathan St. John and Jason St. John to Carriage 2: Compartment A.]
"Do you want me to sit with you?" Bradley asked of his sister once they were certain their luggage would arrive safely at Hogwarts with them. Kat had since left, and he was anxious to go join the other prefects and catch up with whatever news he might have missed over the summer. "Or do you care if I go join the other prefects?"His sister shook her head, sending dark strands of hair flying into her face. She waved a hand, saying, "Go on, I'll be fine on my own." Obediently, Bradley bounded off, though he couldn't help but to feel slightly guilty at leaving his sister on her own. Similarly, August felt herself cringe inwardly as she watched her brother leave, feeling all the confidence she'd had around him suddenly vanish into thin air. At least she'd brought a book, so the train ride wouldn't be too lonely.
[Exit Bradley Xardel to Carriage 1 Corridor.]
[Exit August Xardel to Carriage 2 Corridor.]
[Enter Brendan O'Brien.]The flight from Dublin to London had not taken long--certainly not as long as the flight from Boston to Dublin--that had been excruciating for a young boy, but now, having done this particular transit in question quite a few times now, Brendan had grown accustomed to it. He had arrived around 9:00am at the train station and so he'd killed some time at a restaurant to fill that bottomless pit of his and now that it was around 10:30, he figured it would be time to board the train.
He had just a large duffel bag on him full of clothes and whatnot as well as Chase's cage, and as he strode purposefully through the wall, he found himself safely on the other end of it, a small smirk forming on his lips at the sight of Hogwarts Express and the still teeming throng of people loading luggage and fighting to get on. He was walking down the platform when he picked out a face that he almost didn't recognize because of her change in hair color. His grin widened as he quickened his pace and stopping in front of his Captain, he gave a small whistle and said teasingly, "Jesus, Joseph and Mary, is that you, Case? Woulda never guessed you could look like a lady."
At the sound of her friend's voice, Casey rolled her eyes and scowled at him. "Fuck off, Brendan. I mean, hello."
Laughing, Brendan reached out and shoved her a bit with his hand on her shoulder. "Wow. Rough day?" he prodded.
She rolled her eyes again and said, "Only when you're around." Glancing at his bag then, she arched an eyebrow and asked, "How do you always manage to pack to light?"
Brendan shrugged. "Oh the account of having nothing, I suppose it's easy to."
Casey grimaced inwardly and then said, "Come on, let's get on board so she doesn't leave without us." She had already said goodbye to her father and he had left--he hated seeing her board for some reason and she could never figure out why he didn't just say goodbye at the car--but she had promised him she would write a lot, which she always did.
"Ladies first," Brendan teased with a gallant wave of his arm as he bowed for her.
Laughing, Casey climbed aboard first but not before she gave Brendan a rapid punch in the shoulder.
[Exit Brendan O'Brien and Casey Diamant to Carriage 4: Compartment D.]
[Enter Endymius Stavanger]Muggles really were deplorably idiotic creatures. Ender tried not to allow his frustration show upon his cultured features, as he swung himself out of the capacious interior of the sleek black Mercedes he had travelled alone in to King's Cross station. Alone was how he preferred it to be done, though, he was not entirely unattended. 'Nyfk, to me.' he said imperiously, as the little kestrel alighted onto his gloved arm. If the muggles were going to stare at a bird of prey perched in a cage dangling from the gloved hand of a darkly handsome young man dragging a wheeled suitcase along behind him, then the right of said bird perched upon said boy;s shoulder was not about to alter their curiosity. 'Thank you, you may go now.' he said, carelessly dismissing the silent man in the dark suit, who did not give any indication that he had heard the son of his employer speak. Ender's lip curled in a smile, nothing but the best trained personal security personnel, how very like his father.
Knowing the security detail that would inevitably be following at a discreet distance, he extended the handle, tipped the deceptively small and light bag ointo its edge and headed off towards the interior of the station.
As ever, he never bothered to increase or decrease his pace, running headlong into the barrier was for first years and idiots; doing so made unnecessary noise and drew unnecessary attention, and seeing a stupid youth pelting aimlessly towards a very solid-looking ticket office, might give even the most apathetic muggle cause enough to voice a warning. Not breaking stride, he stepped casually into the metal embrace, and came out utterly unmolested on platform 9 and 3/4s, as he had done with boring predictability for the past 6 years. 'Ahh there you are, head girl by all accounts, can't say I'm surprised' he said to himself, as he saw a familiar white blonde head ahead of him, heading towards the front of the trainl if she did not seek him out, he would see her later, there was no hurry. Not deigning to look around, he hoisted his luggage onto the trained before proceeding it, placing it with the rest, and heading off to acquire a berth.
[Exit Endymius Stavanger to Carriage 2: Compartment A]
[Enter Trix Torraine]Trix was decidedly carrying too many things, and she had no one to help her. She didn't know where either Loki or Will was, not that she would be welcomed anywhere near them while their father was still around anyways. She sighed heavily, her hand had started to ache from her heavy bags. She didn't want to start running or anything, but she needed to put her things down. As soon as she could make it onto the train it would be better. She could let Moody out of his cage and he would stop hissing at her. She could socialize with people, too. Fun things, she reminded herself, trying to ward off her irritable mood. She finally made it to one of the entrances to the train and lifted her things onto the train, feeling her arm muscles relax almost immediately.
[Exit Trix Torraine to Carriage 2: Compartment A]
[Enter Sam Sporander]*Books, check, potion making kit, check, spae robes, check, Nym...'Nym whre are you?'Sam had a fleeting frisson of fear slither down her spine when a familiar warmth adhered itself purring to her left leg. 'Oh! There you are!' she scolded looking down into the pair of wide grey eyes that looked up at her. 'Don' play innocent with me mister, remember our deal; you stay close and you get your choice of nibbles, otherwise-' 'Me-yoww!' 'Well see that you remember then!' Crouching down she collected the marshmallow of a cat into her arms. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, c'mon, let's find us a compartment.' In the hustle of the busy platform, Sam stepped onto the closest carriage, and, Nym held patiently in her right hand, she took one last look around before darting into the sunlit corridor, seeking a familiar face, or failing that an empty carriage.
[Exit Sam Sporander to Carriage 3: Compartment C.]
[Enter Robin Dove]Robin emerged onto Platform 9 and 3/4, an over-sized trunk held in her right hand while her left was busy clutching Mouse's cage. Trying to steer a clear path through the chaos of the busy platform, she began to make her way to a random carriage.
Robin watched some other girls around her age struggling to balance with four to fives bags bigger than hers in their hands or on their backs while on her way past. Bless her mother for passing down the ability to pack strategically and use up little space; some of them looked as if they might lose an arm or two before too long.
Robin had come to Kings Cross Station without her parents, this year, as they were both away at different conferences for their jobs. She was perfectly fine on her own, but that didn't prevent a small part of her from wishing they were here with her, if only just to wave goodbye...
Before she could dwell on this for very long, Robin found herself lifting her luggage onto the train, and she walked inside without even glancing back behind her.
[Exit Robin Dove to Carriage 3 Corridor]
It is 11:01am on September 1st, and the train has left the station.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
King's Cross Station
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
History
Harry Potter Wiki | King's Cross Station