Fandom Evocative Magic

[Ana-Kitsune]

Spoiler

Date: July 26th 2017
Location: Aralin's house in Cattetown Plymouth, UK
Interacting with: Aralin's family
Dagfinn
"CRASH!"
Aralin stiffened her shoulders and winced. Slowly. So slowly. She turned; hoping against hope it wasn't true. Sure enough, the trophy the petite girl had accidentally jostled was laying on the ground, broken. Taking a tentative step towards it she heard a door slam open in the hallway, and a small gasp.

A black haired boy was leaning out of his bedroom door and staring at the upended heirloom. His hazel eyes raised to meet his sisters wide green eyes. "NO!" Aralin whispered fervently to the boy. It was too late. The thought had already formed and her younger brother Max was running to the staircase. Flying down it two steps at a time and shouting "Daaadd!"

Aralin grimaced and knelt to examine the damage. It was a two tier trophy that had been halved by the fall. The golden angel that sat atop was missing a wing, which could be found on the other half. Suddenly the 11 year old was thinking of every curse word she knew. Hopeless, she picked up the two pieces and held them together.

Footsteps could be heard from downstairs as Max's higher pitch voice echoed up the steps. Aralin clutched the pieces to herself and turned away from the landing. In that moment she could only think about running. Maybe she could figure something out if only she had some time.

Max would pay for this later. Her dad was climbing the staircase slowly, being led along by the eager boy.

Please. Aralin thought. Just... fix it. Fix it. Don't be broken. She thought desperately, holding the pieces together and shutting her eyes. She wasn't really hoping for anything. Wasn't expecting anything to change. At that moment she was so scared and ashamed she just wished this was a dream and the trophy had wobbled, but not fallen, like she initially thought.

There were eyes on her. "... Aralin." Her father began, gently.

"Show him what you did sis!" Max broke in, practically beaming.

"Max." Benjamin said, using a deep voice that left no room for debate. "To your room, now."

The boy shot an accusing glare at Aralin and stomped off to his room, shutting his door. Aralin knew his ear would be pressed hard against it to get every bit of enjoyment from Aralin's pain he could. She felt tears burning in her eyes. Her father sighed deeply and stepped forward to stand next to the girl. Her bright green eyes would not meet his tired hazel ones.

"Come on sweetie." He said, pushing the straight black hair away from her face "What have you got?" The eleven year old finally broke, meeting her father's gentle eyes. A stream of tears instantly fell down her hot face as she held out the trophy, trembling with guilt. She wasn't afraid of her father's anger. Her father didn't get angry. It was shame that pained her.

This was the trophy her father had won in college for writing a study that was hailed across the world. The college had awarded it to him for all the attention and funding it had earned them. It wasn't worth much, but it was one of her father's most prized possessions.

The man with gray flecks in his black hair grabbed the trophy carefully. "I'm sorry dad! It was an accident. I didn't know it would fall." Aralin said, crying uncontrollably. The man held the trophy in two hands and turned it about, examining it. One eyebrow raised quizzically as he walked over to the hallway stand it had been upon and replaced it.

"Aralin, It's okay. It didn't break sweetie." He said, eyebrow still raised. "It was an accident, just be more careful next time." The man opened his mouth as though to say something else then cleared his throat awkwardly and said. "I love you sweetie." and descended the stairs without another word.

The child was staring after him, mouth agape in astonishment. Tears still stained her face as she gazed at the man in amazement. Suddenly she was up, tripping on her excitement as she ran to the hallway stand.

There it was. The trophy stood proudly upon it's pedestal. The angel spread it's wings in a graceful display. Aralin snorted as laughter bubbled up in her. She was so confused. It had broken. Her brother had seen it to! How was it possibly standing in one piece in front of her?!

***

Later that night her mom came into her room and said that she needed to talk to her about something. Aralin was terrified she would receive "The Talk". It was something adults joked about and it sounded awkward. She would rather not.

It was A Talk turns out. Her mother told her for the first time about magic. About wizards, and how when she was Aralin's age she went to a school called Hogwarts, that taught children how to do amazing things. Aralin had never seen her mother smile and talk so happily. Aralin was astounded.

"So... what do you think about all of that?" Jenny finally said, after she had talked for a long time. Aralin sat silently for a long time, staring out her window and thinking carefully about why her mother might be telling her all of this.

"Is..." Aralin hesitated, "Is Dad going to have to go to Hogwarts now?" She asked. "Since he, you know, fixed the trophy?" Aralin said, biting her lip. She didn't like the idea of her father going away like that.

Her mother stared at her with mouth agape for a long moment before bursting into laughter. Aralin was dumbfounded by her mother's strange reaction. "You- Your father?!" She hugged Aralin to her as her body shook uncontrollably. "No! He's a muggle. He can't do magic. Sweetie, It's you! You fixed the trophy!" She pulled her back and looked her in the eyes, grinning broadly. Finally she choked out between laughs"Aralin, your a witch!"

***

That next morning an owl would arrive to deliver a letter from Hogwarts. Her mother kissed the owl, which had nipped at the air indignantly before taking off in a huff. Aralin would be going to Hogwarts this year.

 

[Dagfinn]

Date- July 27th 2017

Location- Moore's RV in Newtonmore, UK

Interacting with- Ivin's parents

Seeing an owl, normal. Seeing an owl out in the afternoon and carrying a letter? Not nearly as normal. The letter dropped by Ivin's feet the owl flew off in a rush. Naturally, as curious people tend to do he picked the envelope up. Surprised to find the letter addressed to him he just stared at it blankly a good long moment. As logical as opening it seemed, the letter is addressed to him after all, this was not a logical situation and it gave him pause. Ivin looked back up and watch as the owl already reached the edge of his sightline and disappeared past the trees. He'd heard of delivery birds before, but owls? Besides, who would want to send him a letter, let alone someone who owned an owl to do so. Flipping the envelope back and forth examining the two sides he tried to for a moment think of anyone who'd want to send him a letter. Family members mostly came to mind, none of them as far as he knew owned owls...

Clear as day Ivin J. J. Moore

As the boy began to peel away the wax seal the door to the RV opened up, his mother called out-
"You hungry for lunch yet?" she stepped down halfway out the door and looked over to him as he sat on a camping chair, "what'cha got there?"
"A letter... An owl just dropped it by my feet, and..." he trailed off as she walked over to him. As she took a seat he handed her the letter. He immediately saw the light of recognition in her eyes, her knowing what it was eased his mind while confusing him.
"I can't believe..." she glanced at Ivin a moment before looking up at the RV, "excuse me Ivin... I think your father and I ought to have a talk."
Before Ivin could get a word in her mother left, letter still in hand. He sat slouched in the chair, idling drawing in the dirt with his foot. Part of him wanted to ease drop on his parent's conversation but he didn't even attempt to get up from where he sat; instead, letting his curiosity simmer into boredom.
***By the time the door to the RV opened up Ivin practically melted into his chair. Ivin managed to snap to attention at the sound of the creaking screen, eager to find out what that had been all about.
"Ivin... Why don't you come inside?" his mother beckoning him in.
His father and mother sat down at the table while Ivin sat at the other side and his mother handed him the letter. They opened it all the way before Ivin could, but they put the papers back into the envelope for him. His father sat there a look of confusion painted on his face, while his mother... Oddly looked both eager and displeased. Ivin didn't allow himself to dwell on it long opening up the letter.

Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry​

Dear Ivin Moore, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Students shall be required to report to the Chamber of Recept--

What kind of prank is this? An elaborate one... But to what end? Ivin set down the paper, humorless about the situation. It's not a good prank if he doesn't fall for it after all.
"I don't get it," he answered with a shrug.
"Uh, sweetheart," his mother started slowly, it would be hard to convince both of them magic was real without showing them. There were ways she could show them despite being a squib, but they were complicated and she's long since thrown out any magic artifacts she might have once owned, "you know how I don't speak of my family?"
An understatement if Ivin's ever heard one. If logic didn't dictate that she had to have a family, he'd just as easily assume that she'd been independent her whole life before meeting his father.
"Well, I actually come from a line of witches and wizards..."
"Are you trying to tell me magic is real? You're a witch?" sure as a young kid he wanted magic to be real, that would be amazing, but wanting something and beleiving in something were certainly two different things.
"Hmm," she tried to gather her words together, "since you're going to find out anyway. I'll give you complete honesty."
Ivin's father sat uncharacteristically quiet as he listened to the two of them. Caught in a bad fork in the road. Either assume his wife's gone off the deep end, or come to find the foundation of their relationship is made of lies. Like Ivin the logical route for him is that magic isn't real, it couldn't be. Still, He didn't want to think his wife had gone insane...
"I am, what wizards call, a squib. It means that my parents are magical beings, while I am not... Your father would be called a muggle. A nonmagical human whose parents are also not magic. Being a squib is quite hard so a lot of us leave the wizarding world to live with muggles... Since you showed no signs of being magic I assumed you were just a muggle."
Ivin looked back down at the letter, this all seemed a bit crazy. There were some moments in his life when he thought, maybe... Seeing or doing things out of the ordinary. Those things had been so inconsequential and he'd been so young it was easy to pass off as being imagined. Perhaps not.
"So I have to go to this school?" maybe for a minute he could pretend it was real, what harm could that do?
"You don't have to, I think you'd like to," she glanced over at her husband, he wasn't convinced yet. He would be soon enough. "it's a boarding school so you'd live at the school."
"It sounds, interesting," he admitted. Hogwarts. What a weird name.

 

[Ana-Kitsune]

Date: August 29th 2017
Location: Ollivanders Wand shop in Diagon Alley
Interacting with: An Ollivander (Not THE Ollivander)
+++
The man was about midway through an enormous book when Aralin and her mother walked into Ollivander's wand shop. He looked up from behind his glasses and then lowered his gaze quickly. Feigning he did not notice them his eyes raced back and forth upon the page, never acknowledging them.

Jenny waited patiently for nearly three minutes. The silence was almost unbearable as she stared at the man, awaiting the grey eyes to look up and tend to the customer. At last the page was blank, the end of a chapter no doubt, and the man leaned back in his chair and met the green eyes of Jenny. Who simply smiled and said, "We're here to get a wand for my daughter, she's going to Hogwarts this year!" as though she had not been ignored.

The man sort of grunted in the woman's direction and stood from his chair. Without a word he grabbed several boxes from the crowded and messy shelves. He finally looked at Aralin as he dropped the several boxes in front of her on the counter. "Try this." he growled thrusting a box at her. Aralin grabbed it by the top, which was apparently a lid. The lid slipped off the box and the bottom came crashing to the ground with the wand inside.

The man simply sighed as the girl blushed and quickly gathered the items from the floor. A box and some silk were gathered in her right arm and the wand was in her left. "Well?" The clerk barked. "Give her a try." he demanded. Aralin looked to her mother, who nodded encouragement. She thrust it forward in what she assumed was the proper way to use a wand. Nothing at all happened. Her mother smiled at her kindly.

The man's short gray hair stuck out in every direction and he looked exhausted, though Aralin wondered if that was accurate. He grabbed the box and wand and said. "Watch, like this." He gave it an elegant swish and flick as example and gave it back to her. "In your dominant arm for goodness sake."

"This IS my dominant arm sir. I'm left handed." Aralin said, using the respectful label. Gray eyes stared into her bright green eyes as he nodded.

Jenny grinned in excitement and encouraged, "Go on Aralin, try again!" Aralin smiled, relaxing a little. The girls straight black hair moved with her as she gave it a swish and flick, imitating the clerk. The careless maneuver had been directed at the empty box for her wand upon the counter. A small puff of smoke rose from that direction, and suddenly a frog leapt from where the wooden wand box had been. It was still the brown of the box and appeared to be made of wood.

Aralin's eyes went wide with fear as she attempted to hand the wand back to the clerk, shoving it at him. He took it, and for the first time since they had arrived, he smiled. He retrieved his own wand from his robes and, returning to his bored, disinterested look, waved it, returning the frog to a wand box. "Well, it looks like we found your wand. Beech wood with a dragon heartstring core, 10 ¼ inch and pliant flexibility."

His mother returned the box to the counter and the man placed the wand inside of it. Aralin couldn't make sense of anything the man had said. Jenny was smiling happily though as she handed over some large coins and Aralin was handed the wand. She held it gingerly. If turning something into a frog was a good sign, what would have been a bad sign?! The thought scared her and the eleven year old girl decided, she didn't want to know.

 

[Dagfinn]

Date- August 29th 2017

Location- Ollivander's Wand shop in Diagon Alley

Interacting with- An Ollivander [not the Ollivander]

Ollivander's wand shop used to be popular according to Ivin's mother; evidently, all of her family received their wands here. Why not add Ivin to the list? Well, used to be might be more accurate than she intended. In fact, the shop didn't even look like it used to be anything. Stacks of boxes messy and unorganized, the room a sad tan and brown with sandpaper carpet and stale air. It was even mostly empty, except for one girl leaving with her new wand her mother and the man who appeared to run the place. Just about to read his book again he became disgruntled at the sight of newcomers.

As Ivin passed the girl he gave her a meek smile. About his age, she might even be going to Hogwarts. Unknowing of the scale of that school, for all he knew there were many schools for wizards in the UK, he couldn't assume for sure she'd be there. Quickly he walked up to the counter, somehow the aggravated man came across as more appealing than speaking to his potential peer.
"M-mornin' " Ivin greeted, maybe if they did this quick he wouldn't upset the man any more than he already was.
The man didn't greet him, instead of looking Ivin over as if assessing him. Figuring what wand to put in his hands. Messy as the room is he knew his way around and quickly found the wand. For Ivin he dropped only one box on the counter, assured that it would be correct first try as the girl's had been. Sleek, red, and intricately carved no one could deny the visual appeal of the wand... Yet it felt wrong to the touch, rigid, short, and surprisingly heavy. Before even trying it Ivin set it back in the box.
"Not this one," he found himself surprised at his assertiveness, that didn't last long as the man barked back and caused Ivin to jump.
"Try it," he insisted.

Ivin couldn't protest picking the wand back up and giving it a flick. Bad idea. In an explosion, half the boxes flew off the shelf scattering on the floor. He quickly set the wand back into its box, picking up some of the mess on the floor.
"S-sorry!" His mother began to help him as well.
The man just grunted, not like this doesn't happen on occasion. Gruff and a bit rude, but not explosive. Thankfully.
One of the boxes that fell at his feet remained closed and while at first he attempted to set it on the counter with a few others that made their way on the other side, to this he gave pause opening the box up. The wand long and plain in color, not intricately detailed like the other. Still, it had its charm about it. The man looked skeptical, phoenix feather perhaps a bit too picky and rarely pairs with people, but Ivin had been right about the first wand. What's the worst that could happen?
Unlike before Ivin concentrated on something as he made the hand gesture, nothing particularly special... Just something more than nothing. He focused on the box this wand came in and somewhat easily closed the lid. Of course, nothing fantastical about that on its own... He felt accomplished. Ivin realized this was the first bit of magic he's ever done purposefully, and successfully.
"Pinewood with phoenix feather a strong combination," he commented.

 

[Ana-Kitsune]

Aralin followed along behind her mother, clutching the box tightly. As they left a boy came through with his mother. The boy smiled at her and she returned it, forgetting about her unease. Suddenly she considered that she would be going to school with boys. Wizards!The school she went to back home was an all-girls school. Max was her main interaction with males, and he didn't count. She wondered if all boys were as annoying as her brother.

The girl wondered if she could get a boyfriend. The older girls at her school would always brag about their boyfriends. One time a group of them came into the bathroom while she was in there and were chatting about having sex with them. Aralin was stuck in the stall, too awkward to come out. They were in there forever and it was agonizing, Aralin wished she had just left when they came in. The eleven year old had heard more than she ever wanted to know in just those few minutes.

Lost in her thoughts a blush had crept onto her face as she remembered the things the teenagers had said. Suddenly she ran into her mother's back as Jenny stopped. The woman with eyes and hair much like her daughters gave her a strange look of amusement and pointed at a shop door. It was a book shop.

Having been not paying attention Aralin took a moment to look around the Alley. Down the way a bit she spotted a sign for a pet store. She grinned up at her mother and pointed to the sign, hanging above the crowd. Her mother shook her head and pointed at the book store again, frowning a little. Aralin was off, dragging her mother by the hand. A pet! She had always wanted a pet but her mother was severely allergic to dogs and her brother was allergic to cats. This was a magic pet shop though, surely she could find a pet here if anywhere!

As she approached the shop an owl in a cage looked up at her with huge eyes. It looked almost depressed as it grasped the wire frame in one huge claw. Its gray feathers were unkempt and it seemed thin. "Oh no! Mommy look at this owl, it looks so sick and sad!" Her mother looked at the bird with apprehension.

At that moment a shop keep appeared. He must have heard what the girl had said because he leaned over to get on her level and said "Don't let him fool you. He is not abused. Dang bird has been returned here four times because he keeps biting the hand that feeds him, literally, mind you." The man waved at the cage dismissively and told the bird "Go on you! Stop making sad eyes at my customers! Let them find a bird that won't earn them stitches!" The bird snapped it's head around and glared at the shop keep for a second, then returned to staring at Aralin.

"Hoooo." It hooted mournfully. It's eyes seem to beg her for freedom.

"Mom. I want this owl." She said, crossing her arms and putting her most serious face on.

Her mother already looked defeated as she tried to convince her otherwise. "...Aralin." She began. After a long moment she just sighed and said "It's a responsibility, not an item. If you take it from here today, It is your family. You will take care of it and you will treat it kindly for as long as it lives." Jenny stared firmly into her eyes to impress the importance of what she was saying.

"I will!" Aralin agreed quickly. She leaned in close to the cage and smiled widely at the bird. "Your going to come with me! How do you like the name Bubo?!"

The bird gave a cheerful "Hoo!" As her mother gave the shop keep some coins. The girl with short black hair picked up the birds cage and without a second thought threw open the door. Instantly Bubo sprang forward, knocking Aralin back with his humongous wings. Suddenly he was up, up, and away! Bubo soared high above Diagon Alley, free from his cage. After flying in a wide circle he descended once again to hover above the pet shop, staring down at Aralin. He met her surprised eyes for a long moment and fled, speeding away and disappearing into the sky.

Aralin felt tears well up in her eyes but quickly buried them, shaking her head. Instead she put a big grin on her face and shouted after the owl "Good luck Bubo!" as the shop-keep and her mother stood with mouths agape.

 

[Dagfinn]

Date- September 1st 2017

Location- King’s Cross, London

Interacting with- No One

At Ivin's request, the Moore family arrive early at the train station. Early morning the station bustling and revved up for the rest of the day. Platforms crowed people weaving in and out of groups as they make their way to their destination. Despite the appearance of chaos things run quickly and efficiently. Before he knew it Ivin made his way onto the train, the first of many to board the train.

Ivin found himself in an empty cart which he didn't mind. He intended to make friends, eventually. One can't come out of their shell in a snap, right? Two parts of him debated whether he wanted someone to join him, as time went by however the debate was meaningless. His cart remained empty for the longest time, it seemed like no one would join him. Ivin found himself surprised by his disappointment. The train had yet to leave but it looked like he might be traveling alone.
The thought of moving to a different cart didn't even cross his mind, and if it had he would probably be too cowardly to do so.

Forcing himself to think about other topics Ivin turned his attention to the window looking outside. Not much to see, just strangers buzzing about. Some still boarding the train, others family members of the students. This was real... He was actually doing this. It felt oddly, fuzzy? His mind was a bit numb in a comforting way.

 

[Ana-Kitsune]

Aralin groaned and felt the wall carefully. 9 and 3/4th's?! What kind of joke was that. Suddenly the little girl regretted so much letting her mother stay behind with Max. Upon arrival at the train station Max had begun throwing an enormous tantrum screaming "I'm a wizard too! I'm going to Hogwarts! Let me gooOOO!" He had been screaming so loudly that people passing by had begun to stop in their tracks and stare.

"Max!" Jenny had whispered fervently "We told you, your not old enough yet, it might happen when your older. Max!"

The boy continued to scream and thrash, saying "I want to go with my sissy! I want to do magic! It's not fair!" Aralin almost felt really bad for him. At first, her little brother had been pretty cool about it. He had taken to telling Aralin "Your not special, your just older. I think I'll probably start doing magic soon." And raising his chin high as though his older sister was beneath him. As annoying as that had been she missed it when compared to the streams of tears running down his face now.

Her father picked the boy up and placed him on his feet. The distraught child moaned "I wanna go with my sis!" as Benjamin half-carried half-dragged him away towards the car. He didn't even look back at Aralin. The black haired girl tried not to think about that. Tried not to think about how she hadn't gotten to say a proper goodbye to her dad or brother.

Jenny gave stayed behind. She gave her daughter a big hug and held her for a long time. "You remember where to go right?" the woman asked, green eyes glimmering with held back tears. "I better go talk to your brother. We'll see you soon, on holiday. Send us an owl whenever you can. We will send you letters too." Her mother took out her cellphone and looked at the time. "You'd better go, but let me take a picture real quick." After snapping her picture Jenny had rushed off, looking back over her shoulder every now and then and smiling apologetically.

Aralin steeled her shoulders and made herself feel brave. With a determined spin of her heels she walked away from her mother and down the train station to platform 9. Then walked on to platform 10, and back again. It must have been four times total that she walked from platform 9 to 10. Platform 9 and 3/4th's? She panicked, realizing that was not an actual platform. Her mother had said... something. Something about a wall you could walk through.

Aralin felt around each wall as carefully and un-obviously as she could. Nothing. It was then she caught sight of a very strange looking man. He was wearing robes and was looking back and forth, as though waiting for someone. Something made her approach him. She suddenly felt very unsure though as when the girl's green eyes met his he narrowed them suspiciously. "Um... Hello sir." the nervous girl began. "I was wondering if you knew where platform 9 and three quarters would be?" She felt ridiculous in the asking.

The man stared down at her, shrewdly assessing her. After what seemed to be an eternity he said "A first year then? Look." and pointed to a small sign that was attached to a post between two platforms. "Through there, and you had better hurry." Aralin looked at the wall and back at the man and then decided to go for it. Not giving herself a chance to back out she ran towards it with her rolling suitcase thumping along behind her.

She came through to see a train, but at an entirely different place then she had come from. A man was shouting something, and after a moment Aralin registered he was shouting the last call for the "Hogwarts Express" Aralin shuffled onto the train quickly and found what she believed to be an abandoned cart. She knew they were required to change robes and she didn't want to change in front of a bunch of people. Opening the door and shutting it behind her quickly Aralin melted with relief.

Until she went to sit down and realize there was someone there. A boy who was looking at her, and whom she had practically parked her suitcase upon the feet of. She gasped and wrenched it away quickly. "I'm sorry!"

 

[Dagfinn]

"I-it's fine!" Ivin assured, although mostly he'd been caught off guard and wasn't sure what to think. The train very nearly about to take off from the station and this random girl bursts in nearly dropping her things at his feet. Actually, she looked up what familiar. He couldn't place from where.
"No need to apologize," he assured, he didn't mind. She certainly hadn't done it on purpose.

 

[Ana-Kitsune]

Aralin decided the boy was not angry after all. She gave a little shrug as though dismissing the entire altercation and smiled at the boy. The girl pushed her hair back and reached out a hand to offer to him when suddenly the train gave a lurch and she was thrown off balance. This resulted in her gesture of peace turning into a flailing hand that nearly hit the boy in the face.

Mortified, Aralin sat herself down firmly on the bench across from him. She clenched her hands together and brought a weary smile back onto her face. She chuckled weakly and said "I'm Aralin Grace, I'm happy to meet you."

 

[Dagfinn]

"I-Ivin Moore," he gave an equally weak smile in return. He knew socializing with the kids would be difficult, but this was ridiculous! Not her fault of course and had he not been so nervous he'd probably gotten a good laugh out of it. Instead, he focused on what he should say to the girl, staring awkwardly at her for far too long as the words failed to come to him. Eventually, he just awkwardly looked down at his lap. A bit upset with himself. He should be able to say something to her! He finally glanced back at her.

"Uhm, first year?" she looked about his age but she could be older, maybe she was a second year. Though third and on was definitely pushing it.

 

[Ana-Kitsune]

Aralin grinned, eyes glimmering with excitement as she stared out of the window. The landscape sped by as the floor of the cart vibrated rhythmically. A constant Thum Thum Thum sound accompanied the scenery as the train moved along the tracks, picking up speed.

The boy was silent for a while and Aralin was too caught up in the moment to notice. As Aralin at last noticed that the silence had stretched on between them the boy caught her eyes and asked if she was a first year. Aralin nodded and said "Yeah, I just found out." Realizing a bit more of an explanation was in order she continued "I never even knew witches and wizards were real until a month ago. I guess I'm still just waiting to wake up!" She snickered and sat back in the seat.

It truly was still so amazing she could hardly believe it. The only thing that convinced the girl, was that it was all so strange she didn't even think she could imagine it all the way it had happened. The frog-box in the wand shop. Diagon Alley. The platform leading to this train. She might have imagined the trophy, but not everything that happened after.

 

[Dagfinn]

"Oh, yeah me too, apparently my mother is a squib...?" Ivin didn't entirely know what that meant, well he knew the basics of it of course. His grandparents and other extended family were magic, witches and wizards, while his mother was not. Still, he couldn't grasp what that meant for him. Regardless of his somewhat close ties to magic relatives, anyone who might think less of a squib or muggle-born would think less of him as well. Not that any of that mattered in the moment, Aralin certainly wouldn't care. And if Ivin was lucky he'd hardly met a soul that did, at least hopefully it would take some time before that happened.

He turned his attention out to the window, watching the landscape zoom by. She didn't seem too talkative and he didn't mind. He felt somewhat comforted that he spoke to someone for at least a minute and if she continued the conversation he would oblige. If not, he didn't mind the silence.

 

[Ana-Kitsune]

Aralin thought she heard the boy say his mother was a squid. She decided that probably wasn't right. Only probably because she had already seen a million impossible things. Regardless, it seemed Ivin was just as knew to this world as she was. That comforted her. She hadn't known what to expect. Surely everyone was more 'in the loop' then her. That was a feeling she was accustomed to.

It didn't really disturb her. She was usually just too lost in her own world to notice. Right now her feet dangled just off of the floor as she sat on the bench and swung them absentmindedly. Her yellow Converse shoes were loosely tied and the laces swung back and forth making a small "tick tick" as the plastic-wrapped tips slapped against the wood underneath her. Aralin suddenly found herself frowning as she stared down at her swinging feet.

After a moment of that she stopped and looked up at Ivin. "I'm sorry. I'm... a little nervous actually." She pulled her feet up to her chest and began to untie her shoes as she talked "It's all a little scary. It's like..." the eleven-year-old couldn't really find the words to say what she was trying to say. She stopped and looked up the boy frowning "It's like... magic is really powerful, and well, I'm just not sure I want it to be real" She begun re-tying the shoes, staring down at them to hide her wet eyes.

That made her upset at herself. What on earth was she crying for? The answer came to her almost immediately but it was far to embarrassing to admit to even herself. The though was loud and clear- I'm scared. I want my mom.

 

[Dagfinn]

Ivin sat paralyzed as the girl began to cry. Sure he him self endured similar doubts and worry about the whole situation, but not nearly enough to cry about it. Wonderment and fascination helped him get through most of his negative thoughts. For a moment he thought perhaps it was something else that sparked the upset, like homesickness. While that made a bit more sense he wasn't brave or socially inept enough to make that guess. He would just have to go off of what she said directly, in his attempts to comfort.

"That's... Th-that's what school is for right? So we can learn to control this power?" he paused a moment, but figured to add more, "I mean, I don't think that-uhh not going to the school makes use not magic users right?" Ivin knew he was no good at this, but he couldn't just sit there and let her cry without attempting something.

"I-I'm sure everything will be fine..." he was sure, but he certainly didn't sound confident when saying that to her. He practically felt like crying at this point. He'd never be able to make friends here if he couldn't even help this girl, at least that's what he figured.

 

[Ana-Kitsune]

Aralin hastily wiped her eyes and leapt down from the bench putting a large grin on her face and sniffling to dry herself up. Putting one hand on either side of the window seal she looked out as they passed a field of lavender. She nodded to herself and turned back to face the boy, all tears gone and a soft smile on her face. "Well Ivin, I know we will have a lot of fun no matter what. And your right. Hogwarts will teach me how to control my magic." Turning to face the window again the smile remained on her face. Somehow the boys stammering encouragements had made her feel better.

In the background Aralin could her a woman shouting "Trolley! Get your snacks from the Trolley!" it sounded as though she was a bit further down the way. Aralin remembered the coins her mother had given her, tucked away in her pocket. The girl wiped her green eyes to get rid of the last of the moisture in them. The girl wondered if there would be anything good or if it would only be peanuts and chips like on the plane when she went and visited her aunt in the states. If there was anything good she decided she would buy something for Ivin too.