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Post by Fate on Sept 2, 2011 11:38:02 GMT -5
ooc: All aboard!
ic: It was that time again. The summer had come and gone, and, sure enough, young magical children had to make their yearly pilgrimage to King's Cross Station, parents and luggage in tow for a new school year. It had been an eventful summer, but things were finally winding down into a peaceful new school year for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The platform was busy, as it always was on the sunny morning of September the First, the traditional day for students to get on the train and venture back to school. Parents and younger children stood bye to with their students farewell, but there were also wholesome greetings between friends reunited after a summer of adventure.
The whistle sounded on the Hogwarts Express; it wouldn't be long now until the students had to board. The bustle of the crowds thinned slightly as students filed onto the train, but some still lingered.
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Post by Max Kameren on Sept 2, 2011 12:00:44 GMT -5
"Max, love, do you have everything? Your trunk?"
"Yeah, mum. I have it."
"Your book-bag? Don't forget your owl!"
"It's fine, mum. I have them."
Max Kameren pushed his own cart, trying to stay a certain distance ahead of his mum and Peter. His round emerald eyes searched the crowds, looking for one tall, thin form looming above the others. He hadn't seen his dad since he was rescued by him; Curse and Amelia had had a row over him, and now his mum wasn't letting Curse see him. That would change, though, when they were both at Hogwarts, right? With Curse as a professor and Max as a student, things had to change, right? His face fell when he didn't see his father anywhere on the platform. His dad hated crowds, though. He must be on the train already. Right?
The young wizard turned around, seeing his mum with a bit of forced excitement on her face. Peter looked entirely out of his element; he oggled at any strange-looking magical passersby. Obviously he didn't anticipate what kind of magic was out there, besides Max's habit of starting the curtains on fire.
"You have your wand?"
"Yes, mum. I have everything." He glowered up at his mother, though their heights were catching up and he was now barely shorter. She smiled, satisfied as she clutched her bulging pregnant belly. Apparently Aunt Ari (was he still supposed to call her that if she was marrying his dad? Or was he supposed to call her mum or something?) was bringing him home for a weekend when his new baby brother came. His father wasn't even allowed to bring him home. He had been given a list of rules, and he was sure Curse had been too. Things were tricky right now, even more so than they used to be. "Can I get on the train?"
"What about your uniform? Do you know how to do your tie?"
"Yes, mum, I know how to tie my tie. Dad taught me. That's not something you would get though, since you don't see the good things he did..." Amelia looked a bit taken aback by Max's snap for a moment, but snapped out of it quickly. Max had been like this ever since Curse had lost custody of him, Amelia had gotten used to it.
"Well... alright then." Amelia bent awkwardly, trying to maneuver around her large belly to hug Max. Max didn't hug back, just stood there. "Have a good time at school, lovie. I'll see you soon. Make sure to write."
"Whatever." Max grimaced at her, picking up his trunk with his other things balanced on top of it and headed for the train. He tried to make it look like he didn't care that his mum had tears in her eyes.
Max was quick to find an empty compartment of the train, packing up his trunk with a frustrated kick. M. K. D. the initials said. Maxime Kristopher DeVille. He planned to change it when he got to school; he wasn't a DeVille. His mum wasn't even a DeVille any longer. He took a seat, placing his owl's cage near his feet as he stared out the window.
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Post by Nuriko Elsywth on Sept 6, 2011 21:03:04 GMT -5
"Heeey, what's with the sad face?"
A familiar blue head of hair poked into the nearly empty compartment. Nuriko grinned at the young boy, crinkling a white square of gauze that was taped to her cheek. She disappeared for a moment, reappearing with her trunk and an owl. The owl swooped in to land on Max’s head, ruffling his wing feathers as his talons dug lightly into the boy’s scalp.
“Sirius!” Nuriko scolded, dropping her floating trunk with a thud and lifting the owl from Max’s head. “Starting school early, that’s lucky.” She observed, gently tucking the owl under one arm as she levitated her trunk again, bringing it to a landing on the rack above the seats. The owl cage rattled to a landing next to the trunk.
“Hey! Gonna be in my house, Max? I think you’d look great in blue and bronze!”
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Post by Max Kameren on Sept 8, 2011 11:37:04 GMT -5
"Heeey, what's with the sad face?"
"Hey Riko," Max's mood didn't lighten with his friend's presence, but he did still greet her. He flinched slightly as Sirius landed on his head, but Nuriko was quick to remove him. He still had yet to see his father on the train; where was he? Why wasn't here here, taking advantage of the opportunity to see him? He wanted to see him, right?
“Starting school early, that’s lucky.”
"They thought it was best, instead of letting me go another year accidentally setting things on fire." Max pulled out his wand: eleven inches, mahogany wood with a core of sphinx-mane. It was flexible and light, and the wand expert had told him it spoke volumes about Max's empathy. He could read people better than others, even better than adults could. Apparently he could do it well enough that it counted as some sort of power. He sighed, laying his wand on his lap and looking out the window. "Have you seen my dad? I was hoping he'd be on the train..."
“Hey! Gonna be in my house, Max? I think you’d look great in blue and bronze!”
Max shrugged. "I suppose so. Dad and Alex were both Ravenclaws, and family members tend to go into the same houses don't they? Except the MacAllister twins, I suppose. Last year one was a Slytherin and the other was a Gryffindor. And the Fletcher's." Max's emerald eyes searched the crowds outside as he thought of his friends from Godric's Hollow. If he was a Ravenclaw, he would be with Riko and Emery. He hoped Emery was doing well; his dad and Alex had found him in Knockturn Alley, the prisoner of a dark witch for weeks. Emery was always kind, though sometimes a bit stuffy. It would be hard on Eden if he changed.
Max's eyes moved back to his friend, his emerald gaze falling on the bandage on her cheek. She had been present at the battles with Mosrael. She had seen his home destroyed and had fought to save him from Mosrael. Part of him wanted to thank Nuriko for helping his family, but the greater part of him wanted to pretend the entire ordeal didn't happen. The rest of Hogwarts wouldn't comply with that request, however, so he would have to deal with it. "How's your cheek?"
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Post by Eden Fletcher on Sept 9, 2011 19:31:38 GMT -5
The summer did not turn out as Eden Fletcher had planned. It had started out quite ducky but had quickly turned into the worst vacation ever. Her best friend had been kidnapped and her sanctuary destroyed. Not to mention her older brother had also been abducted and tortured. Top that she had been sick with a silly muggle chicken scratching illness and had seen none of it coming. The most powerful child seer in a century and she had not a glimmer that it was all going to happen. That made her feel guilty. Eden should have known that something like this was going to happen, should have at least had an inkling that Godrick's Hallow would have been defiled. But she didn't, she'd been to busy trying to be normal and ignoring her gift. The healers had said she'd managed to convince herself that she had wished away her powers. The mind was a strong tool and she convinced herself that she wasn't feeling any of the affects that usually assaulted her if a vision was brewing. Of course it didn't last indefinitely and as soon as Eden became aware that an attack was happening on the Kameren household she'd lost it. Visions of what was happening overran her senses and she struggled to escape the protection spells her own family had set up. Due to her tendency to magically transport herself somewhere while in the throngs of a vision, Eden was not allowed to leave her grandparents propriety without an escort of explicit permission. Since she had neither that day, she was repelled every time she tried to leave the property. Hysterical, as images of her wounded friends assailed her, Eden was subdued and transported to the hospital where she stayed for several days until her powers were under control. So many things could have happened if Max hadn't been rescued. Things could still happen. It was a defining a event that could change the future...
All Eden could do at the moment was try to keep her breakfast down. She hadn't seen Max since before the attack. She'd learned that Curse had lost custody. that her friend would no longer be living in the wizarding world during breaks. It was sad. Max's mum was crazy if she thought the muggle world would protect her son. Wizards didn't care about muggle protect. It was a joke in the face of magic.
Shoulders squared, Eden walked beside Emery who was limping. At least he could walk. The siblings ignored the stares as they made their way onto the train. Eventually they found their friends. Emery slid the compartment door open, and waited until Eden preceded him.
"It'll be a dashing scar. A conversation starter for sure. Boys will be crazed," Eden said softly as she hovered just inside the doorway. What could she say to Max? What should she say? Oye, I', sorry I didn't see your kidnapping because I didn't want to be a seer anymore? I could have prevented your trauma like I did for your uncle, next time?
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Post by Nuriko Elsywth on Sept 11, 2011 11:29:26 GMT -5
"They thought it was best, instead of letting me go another year accidentally setting things on fire."
“Now you can set things purposely on fire!” She grinned, nudging him. She reached over to pluck the wand from his fingers, eying it with curiosity. “Ooh, mahogany. Nice.”
"Have you seen my dad? I was hoping he'd be on the train..."
She shrugged, her face falling a little. “Can’t say I have, lad. Sorry.” She leaned against the seat, feigning exhaustion comically. She flung an arm over her eyes. “Oh, I searched up, and I searched down, I searched left, and I searched all around. No sign of our pale relative!” At his glance she winked cheekily, lowering her arm. “Oh, did I not tell you? You’re my new baby brother!” She reached over to ruffle his hair.
"How's your cheek?"
“Eh--” she started to shrug.
"It'll be a dashing scar. A conversation starter for sure. Boys will be crazed,"
“Then they’ll have to join the line, won’t they?” Nuri proclaimed, jumping up to hug both her friends. “Sit! Sit! We’re about to leave and we can’t have people flying all over the cabin. Buckle up! Lets go!” The wheels of the train shifted as it prepared to move.
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Post by Theo Bowre on Sept 15, 2011 19:32:06 GMT -5
"Two by two, my darlings. Remember to stick together." Theo held on gently to the outstretched hands of two of the smallest, school-aged children of Harkness House, looking carefully over his shoulder at the train of wards following them on to the platform. There were twelve children in total and while most of the orphaned sprites had at least one year of Hogwarts behind them, there were still a few first years, who were looking upon the steaming locomotive with some trepidation.
Ever since he was a student himself, Ralph and Jean Harkness had called upon Theo to escort his multitude of adopted brothers and sisters to the train; it was not a responsibility he would give up for anything and it was a tradition that carried on in to his adulthood. Theo knew there was a definite possibility that the peace of the day's activity could be hampered by running in to bad blood, but there was no sign of such worry on his face: he smiled warmly to his young charges, trying to get them excited.
"Sparkie, did you pack Binky?" The beater looked down in to the fair face of little Stella Sparkwood, whose grip on his hand rivalled that of any professional beater. Stella had come to Harkness House with the stuffed thestral when she was but three years of age and it was a security blanket she kept in secret, even at the pre-teen age of eleven. Stella was nervous around strangers and Theo knew she'd suffer without her link to home.
"Thomas told me to leave him," she whispered, nervous eyes darting across the hundreds of foreign faces. "I wish I hadn't."
"Why would he say that?"
"He said that Hogwarts was for grown-up kids."
"Well what a downer Thomas is. I'll have to disagree with the little man, my love. I took my stuffie to Hogwarts, like, EVERY year."
"I want Binky."
Bowre's face furrowed in thought. There certainly wasn't enough time to return to the Harkness Estate, but his hand could feel her insecurity welling.
"Hey, I can bring him to you? Tonight? I'll fly Binky right to your window. He'll love it."
"But you don't know where I'll be."
"I'll find a way, lovie. Trust me. Hey, look at that cat!"
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Post by Max Kameren on Sept 16, 2011 22:57:55 GMT -5
“Can’t say I have, lad. Sorry.” Max sighed, resuming his search out the window for his parent. Curse wouldn't miss Max's first ride on the train as a Hogwarts student. Now when he knew how important it was to Max, and Max in turn knew how important seeing his son off was to Curse. “Oh, I searched up, and I searched down, I searched left, and I searched all around. No sign of our pale relative!”
Max kept his glower in place as his emerald eyes searched the crowds outside. His dad was here, somewhere. If only he could tell where. The straight face was harder to hold as Riko ruffled his hair. He swatted half-heartedly at her, fighting back a smile with all his might. He would be grumpy if it killed him.
“Oh, did I not tell you? You’re my new baby brother!”
It was when max really looked at Riko that he saw the bandage on her cheek. He had almost forgotten that she had been present at everything his family had been through that summer; she had seen Curse fight for his son and eventually fall. Max wanted to pretend it all never happened, but unfortunately the world didn't work that way. "How's your cheek?"
“Eh--”
"It'll be a dashing scar. A conversation starter for sure. Boys will be crazed."
As soon as Max caught sight of his best friend Eden, he stood upright. He hugged her tightly, the impulsive action coming before words could reach his mouth. He hadn't seen Eden since before he had been kidnapped; seeing her again brought it all back. He hadn't been able to say goodbye to his friend before he left Godric's Hollow for the muggle world, and he hadn't been able to properly write. "I'm sorry I left," He mumbled into her shoulder before the two were embraced by Riko as well. The trio was pulled apart with a slight lurch from the Hogwarts Express.
“Sit! Sit! We’re about to leave and we can’t have people flying all over the cabin. Buckle up! Lets go!”
Max sat back down by the window as the doors closed and the students sat packed in their cabins, and for a moment Max thought he saw a familiar lank form standing on the platform.
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Post by Eden Fletcher on Sept 17, 2011 2:13:00 GMT -5
'he's taller, drat, if he hadn't grown we'd been about the same...'
Eden stared at Max Kameren, her thin bony legs locked in place. She was determined to let him make the first move. In her mind, Eden had betrayed Max and he had every right to hate her. He knew what she was. Knew how she had helped his family before. Surely he had wondered why she hadn't told anyone, hadn't seen that this would happen?
All of her doubts though were dashed away when Max flew at her. Before she knew it, Eden was pressed up against boy. Her arms wrapped around Max, one hand tangling in his hair, as his head rested on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry I left,"
"I'm sorry, I didn't foresee it," She said softly, amazed that Max was sorry. She knew why he couldn't say goodbye. She'd like to think that if her mum had been alive she'd behave in a similar fashion. It showed that Amelia cared more than she usually let on.
Suddenly, Eden was crushed against a very hyper Nuri. Did someone give her candy?
“Sit! Sit! We’re about to leave and we can’t have people flying all over the cabin. Buckle up! Lets go!”
"I thought you loved flying," She teased as she took her seat next to Max. Together the children stared out the window.
"Teachers usually don't take the train...they have to get Hogwart's ready for us. We'll see your dad in classes...and at the feast. Hey, want to make him a present or something? I mean we have time..."
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