Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
── IN WHICH THE TRAIN LEAVES
. . .
It was a quite overwhelming sight, if Nancy was quite honest. Platform 9 ¾ was overflowing with students and parents, as they all said their goodbyes and got onto the Hogwarts Express, ready to head to the school of magic.
Newt stood by her, get multiple looks from parents and children alike, some who even had his very own book in their case. He was more famous for his work rather than his face, however after his multiple appearances in the Daily Prophet over the years, he was somewhat recognisable.
"Come on, Nance." Newt said, steering his granddaughter around a particularily large group of students. The girl pushed her main trunk on one of the trolleys, but on top of that, a much smaller suitcase, held together by metal clasps.
It seemed to strain slightly, and anyone watching would have seen the younger, blonde girl tap slightly on the case before it stopped moving. A first year stared, and Nancy smiled slightly, acting as if she hadn't even done anything.
Newt winked at the child, who scurried away after his mother. "Here we are." Newt smiled, stopping near the man who was loading trunks onto the train. Pulling the small suitcase off of the top of the trunk, Nancy pushed the trolley over to the man, and returned to her grandfather, watching as they loaded her trunk onto the train.
"It's been a lovely six years." Newt said, and Nancy had a sudden feeling of sentimentality. Most of her life she had spent travelling around the world with her Grandfather, rescuing, discovering and helping animals. Their work was displayed within their cases, with friendships with creatures who lived in the wild and within the suitcase.
"Thank you for everything. I'll see you in the case at some point?" Nancy asked, clutching the said suitcase so tightly her knuckles turned white. She was nervous to go to Hogwarts, afraid that her last start there would limit her social capabilities. And so, this case was her link back home.
"I hope our paths will cross at some point." The forever eloquent Newt Scamander gave his granddaughter a brief hug, before waving goodbye and disappearing into the crowd.
"You can come out now." Nancy mumbled, and out of her collar appeared a green stick, a bowtruckle. Smiling slightly, happy that she had somehow managed to smuggle the Bowtruckle with her, Nancy boarded the train, in search for a preferably empty carriage, but any with a lack of people would do.
Still on the platform, a group of four best friends, reunited after a summer of being apart. Well, mostly anyways. Sirius Black and James Potter lived together, the first having ran away from his own home. Remus Lupin, the hidden werewolf, covered in scars but with an aura of gentleness. And then Peter Pettigrew, the follower, tan from his holiday abroad.
"How.. interesting." Sirius said, his eyes following the girl's figure. The curls of his hair followed him as he turned to face a group. "She's certainly not a first year."
"So you do have eyes." James grumbled, remembering the copious amount of times that Sirius had fallen over him when he was just walking.
"Shush." Sirius rolled his eyes. "She's interesting. And looks around our age."
"She's not your next conquest, Sirius." Remus said, and Sirius rolled his eyes. "I've known you for years, I know what you're thinking."
"Apparently you don't, thank you very much." Sirius said. "I left that lifestyle in fifth year. Yes, I might have more girlfriends than most, but I don't do that thing anymore."
"So you and James matured together?" Peter asked, and him and Remus laughed at the face that the two boys gave them.
"Never mind that." Sirius said, pulling himself up into the entrance to the train. "Let's find her, I'm curious."
"About whether or not she wants to have sex with you?" James added, and Sirius rolled his eyes. "Fine, let's find her, you don't want to get with her, she's not remarkably attractive at all, sure."
"I wouldn't go that far." Sirius's memory flickered back to when he first saw the girl, initially drawn to her from her blonde hair and somehow perfect side profile. That and the little dash of bright green that had appeared just by her neck.
"Sirius finds anything with legs attractive." Remus rolled his eyes and Sirius smirked, before contuining down the aisle next to the compartments. The train had set off, and the speed made them stumble slightly.
Sirius led the group, glancing in each compartment until their reached their own, ready to continue their search further. But as they reached they usual compartment, they saw the red blinds pulled down.
"Do you think..?" James asked, as Sirius looked back at them, before he turned back around, tucking his hair behind his ears and placing his hand on the doorknob, pushing it open.
Only to find the compartment empty, a lone suitcase on the floor.
