Choo Choo Time (4th Years and anyone else)

It was that time of year again. The last vestiges of summer were slipping away, the long heady days of camp a mere memory. No more walking along the sun drenched banks of the lake. No now it was dragging large trunks and unruly pets across a dirty crowded London Street and into an even more depressingly chaotic Kings Cross Station.

It was always the same, an absolute bloody knightmare. Papa had as usual ignored everything and gone off to work. Mater had miraculously gotten over her headache, and had spent all morning lamenting about how her girls were growing up and leaving her once again, how she would miss them, how they never had enough time. A row had started shortly after this when Rose had pointed out that if she was worried about them she wouldn't have shipped them off to camp. Mater had stormed off shortly after allowing the grisl to eat breakfast in peace. Rose could be an absolute bitch but it really was highly effective in keeping the younger girls out of the worst of their mothers behaviour.

Of course that sisterly camaraderie was gone the minute they boarded the train, Rose had made it very clear that she was disowning the three of them, and vanished down the carriage. Tulip almost smiled she expected nothing less, this was standard Rose she'd done this every year for the last 4 years. Tulip looked out of the window seeing Mater limply waving a hankie, she looked at her remaining sisters wondering who was going to end up with Poppy, but Poppy had already vanished into one of the other Carriages. "Oh Bugger, if Mater finds out we've lost her... I'm sure she'll be fine." she said to her sister Briar, who just shrugged.

Tulip had decided there and then it was all Rose's fault she was after all the eldest. She shook her head, and headed off towards the 4th Years carriage, back to her friends. as she reached the door she relaised Brair was still following her, "What? why are you following me, shoo! go find your creepy little Ravenclaw friends and torture spiders or whatever you freaks do." she said shooing her sister back down the carriage.

Tulip flung herself down in the nearest seat, "Hello my dears, back off to our place of incarceration" she joked, "so I heard a rumour that they are swapping half our classes this year for things they teach in muggle schools!"

Percy had just shoved his crate of sweets under the seat, grabbing a small bag of jelly slugs from inside, when the compartment door burst open and a girl he only half-recognized swept in. He blinked as she threw herself onto the bench with a dramatic sigh.

“Incar… in-incarceration?” he repeated, stumbling a little over the word before giving a nervous grin. “Er—right. Better Hogwarts than Azkaban though, yeah?” He gave a quick laugh, not sure if she’d meant it as a joke or not.

She mentioned classes, and Percy rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh—you’re… Tulip, right? I heard someone say that—Tulip As.. something?” He winced, as if he might’ve just gotten it wrong. “Sorry if not. I’m Percy. Hufflepuff. Fourth year too.”

He leaned forward, curious despite himself. “Did you say they’re swapping in Muggle classes? Like… maths? English essays?” His nose wrinkled. “I can barely keep my Astronomy charts straight. If I’ve gotta start doing fractions, I’m doomed. I barely understand it in Potions...”

He stuck another jelly slug in his mouth, speaking as it halfway hung out one side. “Anyway,” he added, shifting the subject fast, “you reckon that rumour’s true? Or just one of those things people make up to scare first-years? Want some sluigs?” he offered the bag to the girl.

Hobbled is really the only way to describe the method in which Matilda got onto the train. Right leg hovering off the ground while the crutches and left leg did all the work. Her face was pale, hair had lost some of its usual luster while at St Mungos. Piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Style be-damned. It just needed to stay out of her freaking face.

They had been running late, which made the process of getting through the barrier and onto the train that much more frustrating. Such a small amount of walking shouldn’t wipe her out, but she was thoroughly exhausted. Ren, Benji and Rae were waiting for her in a compartment closer to the front of the train, but the minute she saw Tulip and Percy she flopped down in an empty seat.

“Sorry,” she managed to huff out in between breaths. “Mind if I just” more huffing, “sit here for a minute?”

Matilda sat there, eyes closed, face flushed with excursion, panting for air. She set her crutches up against the window and set her leg up on the empty seat next to her. The action made the fold of her skirt push up, exposing the bright scar on her leg.

Over the summer, in what should have been a fun adventure, Matilda was attacked in the jungles of Brazil. Not by an animal or serial killer, but a carnivorous plant. Talk about insulting, since Matilda spent hours every day tending to the plants at Hogwarts and Home. The plant attached itself to her lower right leg, leaving behind a nasty scar that snacked around her leg in a frilly, leafy pattern. The skin around the scar was raised and red, but the scar shined green. A reminder of her brush with death and 5 week stay at St Mungos.

She was on the mend, but still became weak easily. Finally catching her breath, her ears opened up to the conversation around her. “I don’t think they're teaching muggle classes. Didn’t you hear, they fired half the staff INCLUDING the Head Master. It was this huge scandal. He wanted to let muggles in. He messed with the magic all over the castle too. I know of at least ten people that aren't coming back this term because of it. The common room will be light for sure, hopefully people will come back later, but who knows.”

Tulip noticed a Hufflepuff lad come in after her, she'd seen him around, probabily had classes with him, there were so many peoples names to learn and unless he was a detention regular she probabiy didn't speak to him on a regular enough basis.

Uh—you’re… Tulip, right? I heard someone say that—Tulip As.. something?

Now Tulip didn't feel quite so bad for not knowing his name, clearly when you spent a lot of time in detention you didn't get to mix with the rest of your year. "Asquith, if you had any of my sisters in your house you'd regcognise an Asquith girl." she grinned, "And yes incarceration, stuck in a drafty old building with obsolete and insane rules. At least in Azkaban the company is interesting." she said only half joking.

Not long after Percy the door opened and someone she did know came in the carriage, a fellow Lion, although Tilly wasn't looking her usual bubbly self.

Sorry,” she managed to huff out in between breaths. “Mind if I just” more huffing, “sit here for a minute?”

"Ahoy Tilly" Tulip welcomed, making space for the other girl. "You looking like you've been in the wars? Sit down you look done in." she said, "Didn't see you at camp this summer." clearly her friend had been off her feet. "Feel free to sit here as long as you want tis the 4th year carriage after all. Unless you've been promoted to the prefects carriage?"

Did you say they’re swapping in Muggle classes? Like… maths? English essays?” His nose wrinkled. “I can barely keep my Astronomy charts straight. If I’ve gotta start doing fractions, I’m doomed. I barely understand it in Potions...”

Tulip nodded, that's what one of Rose's friends at camp had said, "That's what I heard, like maths, and science instead of potions." she listened as Percy complained of the workload, "Oh you actually do your homework, I don't tend to worry too much about that sort of thing. And between you and mean and the gate post I won't be worrying about muggle homework either."

don’t think they're teaching muggle classes. Didn’t you hear, they fired half the staff INCLUDING the Head Master. It was this huge scandal. He wanted to let muggles in. He messed with the magic all over the castle too. I know of at least ten people that aren't coming back this term because of it. The common room will be light for sure, hopefully people will come back later, but who knows.”

Tulip's eyebrows shot up "No way!" she exclaimed, "That's the last time I trust one of Rose's bimbo Slytherin friends, she clearly got the wrong end of the stick." She was practically beaming, "The "M" word has been rather banned in the Asquith house this summer, but that's a story for another day." Any time the Daily Prohpet had had the word Muggle in one of the house elves had quickly disposed of it before Mater saw it and had an absolute fit.

"But hearing Proff Halloway has gotten the boot is the best news!" she exclaimed clapping her hands "That old Bluenose Halloway had it in for me from day one, he was always writing me up for detentions. I wonder which of the others have gone with him?" she mused she could think of a few she would have loved to have seen gone.

She thought about the other thing Tilly said, "You know it was a lot less hectic than normal on the train, thought they'd finally gotten organised it turns out there are just less of us returning this year."