Don't be late!

[Usiku]

Usiku pushed his trolley ahead of him, heading for the wall that led to Platform 9 & 3/4. There weren't too many Muggles on either Platform 9 or 10, since the Hogwarts Express left quite a few hours after the main traffic flow.

He glanced behind him briefly to see his ever-watchful 'friend' from the Ministry making sure he didn't get into trouble. He scoffed to himself. What'd they expect him to do? Throw potions around or something? He wouldn't be getting his wand back until he was at Hogwarts.

He paused briefly as he neared the section of wall he'd walk through and found himself taking a breath to clam himself down. It didn't matter how often he'd passed through here, it still made him feel a little awed at the charm or charms that would've been needed to make it happen. But then he shrugged. Sooner he'd go through, the sooner he'd be on the train and at Hogwarts. With that he shook himself out of his reverie and walked through the wall.

The sounds of owls screeching and excited students filled his ears as soon as he got through the wall. He very quickly moved away from the entry so he wouldn't get run down by people coming in after him and looked up and down the platform. As expected the platform was teeming with students and their respective families. It wasn't hard to tell who the new First Years; some were running around like maniacs, others looking scared and a handful looking like they were about to burst into tears at the drop of a hat. He hoped a lot of these prospective First Years he saw wouldn't end up in Slytherin.

[Iris2]

There was still some time before the Hogwarts Express was scheduled to leave and the average student was taking that opportunity to say goodbye to family members or to greet friends they hadn’t seen for several months. Serena Westfall, however, took no interest in either of these simple activities. She had traveled to King’s Cross on her own, which was not something new to her. The only person that had ever accompanied her to the train was her nanny, who had been dismissed after Serena’s thirteenth birthday. Her parents were far too busy with their own lives to worry about escorting their daughter to school. They knew she was perfectly capable of going on her own.

Her mother had been in the middle of some social get-together when Serena left home. She hadn’t bothered trying to say a goodbye; interrupting one of her mother’s parties was totally unacceptable. Serena didn’t quite know where her father was, but assumed he was off doing some kind of business with other well-to-do Wizards. She had actually only seen him twice since holidays began, one of those times being her sixteenth birthday. He’d popped in for a quick hello and was gone before the day was over. Serena had gotten used to this kind of behavior from her parents.

She passed through the barrier with no difficulty, but almost ran down a couple of First years who hadn’t bothered to get out of the way on the other side. Rolling her eyes in disgust, she moved past them as best she could. She’d already spent the morning surrounded by Muggles, the last thing she needed was more second-rate individuals near her.

The platform was filling up rapidly. The best way to avoid any unwanted attention was to get on the train as quickly as she could. Since Serena always made this trip alone, she was never sure who she’d get stuck sharing a compartment with. She always tried to steer clear of younger students and anyone not in Slytherin. This was easier said than done as she was now in her sixth year and the number of people her age and older had shrunk significantly. A Ravenclaw was tolerable, since they typically seemed to have some sense about them, but Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were entirely unacceptable. She’d rather not have a seat at all than sit with that kind of rubbish.

As Serena pushed past yet another group of chattering first years, she spotted a familiar face. Usiku was standing some feet on front of her, and she felt a bit relieved to see someone who didn’t make her want to scream. She stopped, knowing he hadn’t seen her yet. He was in her year and a Slytherin and therefore would be an suitable person to share a compartment with. She took a second to regain some poise and then strode in past him, with only a quick glance and a ‘Hello’ before boarding the train. Serena liked to think that she was showing dignity and refinement when she conducted herself with such a disregard towards other people. Really, she was trying to shield herself from the rejection she might face if she made an effort to have friends.

[Usiku]

Usiku sighed and took another look around, handing over the trolley with his trunk and guitar cases on it to a person loading the train. He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was 10 minutes before the train was scheduled to go. He wandered through the growing crowd on the platform to see fi he could spy from the platform, a compartment not overrun by Gryffindors or over-excited First Years.

He came to a stop and looked at one thoughtfully when Serena walked by him, giving him a quick glance and a 'hello'. Usiku rose an eyebrow, but responded in kind. As he did so, for some reason he stole another look up and down the platform. He frowned thoughtfully, his mind travelling back to the previous summer, the summer of the mandatory school camp. Even though the Daily Prophet had called the entire kidnapping a hoax (which he knew it very much wasn't), he could still sense the tension and fear from quite a lot of parents, not just the normal nerves a parent would have. It was unnerving. He hadn't noticed it earlier because he'd been too busy with what he'd been doing.

A hand tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped, startled. He whirled about, glaring and about to give whoever did it precisely what he thought, but the words died when he saw that it was his 'friend' from the Ministry. He glared and looked up at the clock, his mind still conflicted with going back to school. Going back to Hogwarts gave him some freedom, but it was still school.
Sighing he turned around and headed for the train.

[timmy89]

Timmy went into Kings Cross with his mother and father, Timmy was always impressed when he walked into Kings Cross Station he thought it was a wonderful piece of Muggle engineering and architecture. Unfortunately his mum and dad needed to go to work, so they said a goodbye at the entrance and quickly left. Timmy suddenly felt a great surge of Independence, he was entering his fith year at Hogwarts, it was a very important year for him, he had his OWLs coming up and wanted to get some good grades in them.

So Timmy picked up suitcase (he couldn't find a free trolley around so decided to walk it, instead of waiting around for a trolley) While walking to platforms 9 and 10, Timmy spotted a few familiar faces from around Hogwarts, but he was very careful not to interact with many of them to flare up any muggle suspicions. He finally got to the entrance to platform 9 and 3/4, he never got used to how it feels walking through that seemingly solid wall, but he knew he had to do it. He straightened himself out and walked briskly to wards the wall.

As soon as he entered the platform the noise was very different, the excited young first years saying goodbye to their parents, there were lots of tears from the girls, and even some boys. This brought a smile across Timmy's face as he remembered his first time here. He was suddenly brought out of this day dream as someone had ran into the back of him, Timmy stumbled but fortunately regained his balance before he fell over. He realised that he was still at the entrance, quickly said "Sorry, my fault..." And walked to wards the fastly filling up train.

Timmy suddenly change the direction of his walk to the opposite side of the train, he had seen a certain older sixth year slytherin that his life would be much easier if he didn't encounter on his first day. Note to self he thought, avoid Usiku he will still be a little bit sore from the ice cream incident. Its good to be back Timmy thought as he headed to wards an empty looking compartment.

[Usiku]

Usiku headed to the train. Well that was his intention anyway. He hadn't gotten even a step away before he felt that same hand take him by the shoulder and pull him roughly back. He set his jaw, staring forward, enraged at being pulled about like some rag doll on a busy platform, filled with people he'd have to spend an entire year with.

"What. Is it."

He spat the question out, his pride well and truly dented at the treatment he was receiving. The person who was escorting him to the train, making sure he got on and not somehow slip away merely smirked and pulled his charge away to a quieter part of the station. Once they were there, he pushed Usiku's right sleeve up and put a thin, plain metal cuff on his wrist. Touching a wand to the cuff, the man muttered a short incantation. The metal cuff immediately grew hot, Usiku biting back a hiss of pain, as the two ends of the cuff elongated and fused around his wrist.

Once done, Usiku took a look at it. It was tight on his wrist and he saw that he'd be unable to get it off, until he'd return to the juvie centre at least if the Headmistress at Hogwarts agreed that he could. Apparantly this was worn by everyone who were permitted out, be it for a couple of hours or like him. It tracked the target's whereabouts 24/7 and as far as he knew, unable to be disguised or the signal or whatever it used to transmit its' information blocked. It also seemed, from his observations of this pesky invention, to be impervious to harm, unfortunate for him. Meant he wouldn't be able to somehow get it off and slip off somewhere. Therefore, he was to be stuck in Hogwarts for the entire year, unable to sneak out anywhere, for he was sure the Headmistress would've been shown how to keep an eye on him. It looked like he was going to have the opportunity to visit Hogsmeade four times this year, just like everyone else...unless the Headmistress decided to put a stop to him going on those trips too. Damn.

Usiku was then released and with a sarcastically cheery smile to the man who'd been his guard, he pulled his sleeve of his uniform down so it covered the cuff nicely and headed back into the crowd. As he did he spotted Timmy as he made his way to the train and he glared in his direction. Plenty of time to get that brat back at Hogwarts. He ignored him for now and instead made sure he got onto the train. That way he wouldn't have to struggle to find a seat nor would he be stuck in a carriage of First Years. Two things that would definately make the trip to Hogwarts a miserable one.

[Scarlet]

How they managed to begin running late, Scarlet would never understand. They had risen early enough, sat down to a quick breakfast, and had then begun to make sure that all of Scarlet's belongings had been properly assembled in the entrance hall of their flat. Scarlet's father ordered the car to be brought around just as Scarlet and her mother came to wait with him. In the process of pulling on a light pair of gloves, Scarlet looked over her things, checking off a mental inventory.

"Wait," she said suddenly, "where's Athena?" Scarlet's snowy owl's cage was nowhere in sight.

"Athena's fine, Scarlet," her mother replied, adjusting her blouse. "She's been kept in the back garden. You know she cannot be let free in London."

"Well, I only assumed —"

"The car's here," her father interrupted.

Pursing her lips as the driver moved her trunk to the car, Scarlet walked forward with her parents to begin their drive to King's Cross Station. Once there, Scarlet paused to give Athena an affectionate brush with her finger and then allowed everything to be taken over by someone else. It was un-ladylike to carry her own trunk and certainly not proper to carry an owl cage. Scarlet couldn't wait to be out from under her father's watchful gaze; of course, she mostly always behaved as she should, though it was so much easier to relax without having to worry that she was going to immediately be chastised for some improper form of behaviour.

Smoothing down her charcoal-grey coloured skirt, Scarlet headed towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten; in a casual manner she leaned her way in and awaited her parents' arrival shortly after. But as soon as they had stepped in and begun toward the train, several angry blasts of steam were issued from the front car. Scarlet's father checked his timepiece — and then did a double take.

"You have two minutes," he said, seemingly puzzled by their late arrival as well. He tilted his head down toward her. Scarlet complied with a light kiss to his cheek. She hurriedly embraced her mother who was, once again, tearing up at the thought of Scarlet leaving for another year. It happened every time without fail ... why should this year have been any different?

Jumping at the sound of another blast of steam from the train, Scarlet hurried towards a car and got on. She took one last look at her parents — who had now moved to talk with another established-looking wizard pair — and lifted her hand to wave. Her mother caught the gesture and waved back, turning quickly away with another wave of teary-eyed syndrome.

Shaking her head, Scarlet made her way down the corridor, dodging a Third-Year chasing down what looked to be a sibling of a younger year. Rolling her eyes, she set to the task of finding some tolerable seat for the rest of the ride.

[butterbeerdelight]

Brankika sat in the passenger seat of the car staring out of the window as the trees whisked by. She had been in the car for an hour without saying a word to her dad. He seemed tense as he drove. The silence was deafening and so she turned the radio on. Her dad followed her arms reach to the radio dial and then back at the road. It was as if he wanted to say something and finally he did. "We're here" he murmured.

Brankika looked up and saw the train station. It seemed odd. Children and parents alike were smiling and bustling about with trolleys and some had animals in cages placed on top of the cargo. Her dad puled the car along the entrance of the station and got out. He walked to Brankika's side and opened the door then popped the trunk open. She followed him to the back and he handed her her belongings. "Well. I hope you have a good term" he finally said. "9 and three quarters. You'll see". The words weighed heavy in Brankika's stomach.

All summer she barely said two words to the man and now he wasn't going to even see her off. She nodded her head to him in acknowledgment and began to walk through the doors. "Brankika!" her dad called behind her. She turned to look at him expecting for the rest of the sentence but all he did was wave. She waved back and walked through the doors.

She glanced around at the numbers of the platforms. Ah number 9, she thought. But where the devil was the three quarters? She felt herself begin to panic. She looked at the clock above the number nine sign and saw that it read 9:30. The train left at 10. She still had plenty of time. She sat her bag down and sat ontop of it trying to deduce what to do next. Finally a small girl passed by her with an adult. "Now darling!" said the older woman as she glanced around. Brankika looked at the girl and gasped. The girl had went through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Then the lady went as well.

Brankika got up and looked around. Seeing no one was looking, she attempted what the girl had done. The sensation was weird. It felt as if she were walking through a wall of jell-o. She opened her eyes when the sensation had stopped and stared in awe at the huge scarlet train before her. People bustled throughout this hidden station, waving goodbyes and struggling to get on the train.

What in the world was going on, she thought. She picked up her bags again and made her way to the train. Somehow she managed to squeeze through the tight crowd of students. All the compartments were full it appeared. She walked a bit more and finally came to an empty compartment. She took a seat as the train began to pullout. Goodbyes could be heard being shouted out of the windows. Brankika stared out the window feeling, for the first time in a while, very very awkward.

[Iris2]

Even though many students were already settled in compartments on the train, Platform 9¾ seemed as crowded as ever while Ariel Moore tried to negotiate her trunk around the many chattering families, her own parents and younger brother in tow. They had arrived at King’s Cross Station at precisely 10:29, but practically the second after passing through the barrier her father had been pulled into conversation with several other important looking wizards. She didn’t know if it was her father’s natural charm or his position in the Dept. of Magical Games and Sports that drew so much attention. Nearly everywhere he went it could be counted on that someone would stop him for a chat.

Ariel had spent the last twenty minutes discussing Hogwarts with her brother Dennis, who was still a year away from attending, while her father chatted animatedly with the others and her mother stood quietly at his side. Judy Moore was a Muggleborn and a stay-at-home witch and Ariel felt that her mother had never truly acclimated to the Magical community. She still wore Muggle clothing and kept in close contact with her Muggle friends. Ariel didn’t know why her mother shied away from many things magical, but had always thought better of asking.

“I hope I’m not in Ravenclaw, like you.” said Dennis, looking around the station

“Well, you learn the same things no matter what house you’re in” Ariel told him, slightly put off by her brother’s comment. She was quite proud to be a Ravenclaw.

“Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have to answer a dumb riddle every time I wanted to get in my room” he replied, looking pleased with himself.

“I think you’re just scared you’d get them wrong and get stuck outside all the time.” Ariel said, knowing she’d won. Glancing down at her watch made her realize just how long they’d been standing there and a jolt of panic rushed through her. She needed to get on the train.

“Dad, the trains about to leave and I’m going to need help getting my trunk on.” she said, nudging her father in the ribs.

“Oh, yes, of course…” he sputtered, slightly surprised at the interruption. “Well, see you at the office, gentlemen. Keep an eye on those Falcons will you, Edgar? I hear they’ve got another Broadmoor on the team. Hope he’s nothing like Kevin and Karl.” and with a final wave, he had turned his attention to his daughter. “Lead the way, sweet-pea.”

After narrowly avoiding a collision with a roaming first year, Ariel had made it to the train and, with some help from her father, loaded her trunk into a compartment up front. That both hopped off the train for a quick farewell, he mother pulling her into a gentle hug, her father giving her an enthusiastic pat on the back and Dennis sticking his tongue out, only to be told off by his mother.

“Now don’t you be nervous.” said Mrs. Moore, her hand still clenched on Dennis’s arm. “I know being a prefect is a big responsibility, but you were chosen for a reason.” she beamed at her apprehensive looking daughter. This was the subject Ariel had hoped to avoid.

“Yep, you’ll be great.” her father told her as she climbed back on board. “Just take it easy on the Quidditch teams, ay? We want to see a good season!”

Her father’s words did not instill her with any sort of confidence. Sure, being named a prefect was a big honor, but that didn’t mean she was capable of enforcing the rules. Ariel squeezed past a couple of third years in the corridor and plopped onto a seat in the only unoccupied Prefect compartment. She stared down at the large ‘P’ shining on the front of her yellow shirt. Should I put my robes on? She thought, removing her eyes from the badge and letting them fall on her trunk. She had yet to see another prefect, having been to nervous to peak into the other compartments, so she couldn’t be sure of what to do. She could either put them on now and look too eager, or leave them in the trunk and appear unprepared. After playing a bit of mental ping pong, she decided it was best to wait for someone to join her. She didn’t know which of her classmates had also received a badge, but she hoped they’d know what they were doing and could help her get rid of the feeling that Flobberworms had taken up residence in her stomach.