Leviathan {Book #2}

Chapter 2

Cillian slept (for what seemed to him, a few seconds) until the train jerked to a sudden stop, and Phoenix kicked his leg so that he jumped awake. His saw that everyone else had left the car, but Neil stood in the doorway, hand on luggage, and Phoenix towered over him, flashing her fiery eyes at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't you notice anything about what we're wearing?" She puffed.

Cillian's eyes scanned her, and instantly saw her Gryffindor robes that covered her body.

"Oh," he whispered.

"Well, hurry up and change! I'm not waiting for you to get dressed, bucket-brain, so Neil will stay with you till you're done. Won't you Neil?"

Neil was preoccupied staring down the train at something off in the distance. Phoenix jabbed his side.

"OW! I--oh, yeah, of course, I will, mate."

"Do hurry up, though, I don't want to have to sit next to a stranger Gryffindor boy in a carriage with some weirdos just because you two were too late to get one."

"Is that your way of telling us that you love us?" Neil smirked.

"Ugh, no. I'm saying that I like you both enough for me to bless you with my company. Plus, I know that when I hang around you, Neil, that I'm the superior."

"Hey!"

Phoenix grabbed her trunk and lugged it out of the car, leaving the two boys to fumble around in Cillian's luggage to find his robes.

~ ~ ~

Phoenix paced impatiently on the platform, next to Destiny, Magnolia, and Mikayla. They all sat on the small bench next to the train, near the tower of all the students dropped off suitcases, which went so far up that it looked like it topple over with just a small puff of wind. Destiny had brought out her book once more, Magnolia looked anxiously at Phoenix, and Mia fidgeted with the collar of her robe.

"Ugh!" Phoenix grunted. "Where in the name of Merlin's Beard are they! And they're always talking about how long girls take getting dressed. . ."

"I'm sure they wouldn't miss taking off for the castle," Magnolia said.

"Oh, I know that Neil wouldn't miss the sorting if Cillian's life depended on it, Maggie. I'm just. . . anxious."

"You think you're anxious?" Destiny said from behind the cover of her book. "Your pacing is making everyone more anxious than a--"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

"Look! There they are!" Mia said when she looked up at the train.

The two boys ran from the train, stumbled onto the platform, and ran clumsily toward the girls with their bags.

"You waited for those?" Destiny asked.

Phoenix sighed, annoyed.

Neil took both bags and practically threw them on the heap of trunks next to the train, which made Maggie bite her lip at the thought of the mountain tumbling on top of them.

"What took you so long?" Phoenix asked impatiently.

"Couldn't...find...the tie..." Neil panted.

Before they could say another word, a familiar, and startling voice thundered throughout the platform, which was bustling and very crowded.

"WELCOME FIRST 'EARS!" Hagrid yelled. "AND TO ALL THE OLDIE MOLDIES, WELCOME BACK!!! IF YOU ARE A FIRST YEAR, FOLLOW ME, SINGLE FILE LINE! NO SHOVING! IF YOU AREN NOT, PLEASE FOLLOW PROFESSOR SAPHRIUS TO THE CARRIAGES!" By the end of his short speech, everyone clutched their ears, hoping if the deafening sound had stopped.