A Random Compartment

Alli sat with her legs tucked under her on the seat. She both hated and loved leaving home to go back to school at the same time. She got to see her friends again, but it also meant being constantly surrounded by idiots. She hoped that this year would prove a bit more productive in terms of teaching people how to stop being stupid, but she got the feeling that she would tire of it quickly.

She looked out the window and giggled to herself as she saw a kid start to cry as her mother forced her on the train. "Hufflepuff," she deemed, laughing. She didn't hear the door slide open and someone else come in.

Danni used a lot of her effort as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at a boy was whining to her mother about not being old enough to go to Hogwarts. Personally, Danni was disgusted by the tears and blubbering face of the little boy, and she cringed away as they passed near her. That lady really needed to teach her son better etiquette, especially when out in public. She was pretty sure no one else on Platform 9 3/4 enjoyed hearing the little boys cries. Then again, there was a lot of chatter on the Platform.

Danni boarded the train with her luggage and her favorite French beret on her head. She walked along the train corridors and avoided any compartments that were either crowded or contained people that looked too giddy, idiotic, or just weird. She finally came across a compartment with only one girl in it. She looked decent enough, so she slid open the door and entered, sliding it shut behind her. The girl was laughing at something outside the window, but Danni was only slightly curious as to what it was.

"Hopefully you don't mind me sitting here," Danni said aloud, making her presence known as she then slid her luggage under one of the seats. She sat down across from the girl before speaking again. "I'm Danielle Valencia, although I'll ask you to just call me Danni," she introduced, offering the girl a small smile.

Alli looked over from the amusing scene outside the window at the girl who had just entered. First year by the looks of her. How unfortunate. She was going to have to test this girl to see if she was worth her time. "Danni, there are four houses at Hogwarts. Put them in order from most important to least," she said, watching the girl intently.

“That would be Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin and Slytherin,” Luke smirked as he shut the door to the compartment. He hadn’t bothered to knock, there was no need, he had every right to sit in here as the rest of them and this was the least empty compartment that he could find. “I don’t think there are any other houses worth mentioning, Ravenclaws are bloody know-it-alls that need to learn how to have fun; Gryffindors think that they are above everyone else with their bravery, to be honest I think it is naive stupidity; and Hufflepuffs, well what the hell is a Hufflepuff?”

He pulled his trunk in and put it on the rack above their heads, he was glad that his useless mother had at least managed to do something for a change and put a lightening charm on his case. His raven flapped its wings in frustration and pecked at its cage as he placed it on top of his trunk.

“If you are either of those houses, don’t expect me to say sorry, because I do not have the effort. My name is Luke Elwood and that is it. I don’t do nicknames,” he said as he sat down in a seat next to the door and crossed his arms.

Okay, he’d been really looking forward to this. Not necessarily going to school, but more getting to play with magic without his mum keeping an extra close eye on him making sure he wouldn’t explode himself or something. And he got to come to school with his best friend, which was even better! Speaking of, Raven had to make sure to try and find her on the train. He had the card she’d given him in the park in his back pocket. It had said it would start on the train and was eager to begin.

First he had to find a compartment though. He didn’t know it would be so hard! There sure were more people than he’d ever thought possible crowding the platform. Darting through them was rather easy since he didn’t have any parents or siblings with him. Grinning down at his puppy that was straining on his leash, Raven bent down and scratched the pup’s ears. “Ready, Gil?”

The puppy woofed, and the boy grinned. The hand not holding the leash had hold of his trolley and standing, he began to run the puppy happily running in front of him, tongue lolling. Laughing, and sticking his tongue out at the condescending and angry looks he was receiving for his impertinent behavior, Raven could care less. Reaching the conductor, he handed over his trunk and bent down to pick up the puppy. The mixed pup was still small and light enough to be picked up. Gil didn’t weigh any more than a large cat at the moment.

Petting the puppy’s head, he stepped onto the train and walked down the train, head going back and forth looking for his friend. Seeing a compartment with only two girls however, he stopped and blinked when one asked the other to list the four houses in order of importance. So either the girl was a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin. Then a boy went into the compartment shutting the door and Raven shook his head at the boy’s answers and comments. That made his blood boil. Debating if he should just continue down the train, Gil made his decision for him. The puppy gave a soft whine then peed on him! Holding the pup out while glaring at him, Raven growled, “GIL! Bad dog!”

Alli listened to the boy's answer with interest. He was a first year but there was obviously hope for him. More than hope actually, considering he clearly had his priorities straight. "Very good, Luke, is it?" she confirmed his name since it might actually be worth remembering. "And if a Hufflepuff were to come up to you and ask what homework he or she missed in class, you would say...?" she asked him, continuing her little quiz.

A scene outside the door caught her eye and she couldn't look away as a dog peed all over its owner. She was torn between laughter and disgust. Clearly he didn't know how to control his mutt, and now there was a puddle of pee outside of their compartment. She hadn't seen him before, which meant that he was probably a first year. She sincerely hoped that he would not be placed in Slytherin, otherwise she would know that there was something wrong with the Sorting Hat. She watched him with a raised eyebrow to see what his next move would be.

Now what was he supposed to do? His trunk was probably already loaded and he couldn't ask to delay the train just so he could get clothes that weren't urinated on. That begged the question though where the animals did their business while on this train. Raven wrinkled his nose at the pup and sighed. Putting Gil down he looked around hoping to find a Prefect or a Headboy or girl to use a spell to clean it up.

Relieved when he spotted a much older student reaming out a younger year, he quickly went over to her and explained his situation. The girl was more than willing to help out a first year. It might have also helped that she was a caring and unjaded Hufflepuff. Smiling and thanking her, Raven went back to the compartment. He could at least just warn them about the puppy piddle right?

Well, he could talk to them first and see if they really were as uptight as that boy was. If they were he could keep silent and woe to them if they step in it. He was sure when he found Pia and told her about it she would find it just as amusing. Knocking on the door he opened it and stuck his head in. "Erm, hi. Just out of curiosity, are you really as stuck up, narrow minded and shallow as you sound?"

Alli watched with amusement as the boy outside their compartment left. Maybe he'd found someone who would care about his unfortunate circumstances. She was still waiting for a response to her question when the boy came back and actually had the audacity to stick his head inside the room and speak to them.

"If by stuck up, narrow minded, and shallow you mean intelligent, selective, and beautiful, then yes," she replied. She was offended that he even though he deserved to speak to them. "And you might want to train your mutt," she added condescendingly, rolling her eyes.

Rolling his eyes, Raven thought, 'Yep, typical stuck up, narrow minded, shallow snobs.' Intelligent? The boy snorted at the thought. If they were intelligent they wouldn't be so selective would they? Giving the prissy girl a very Raven grin, he replied with mock thankfulness. "You're right, I really should. I'll make sure I train him to piss in your shoes."

Using his leg to block Gil from coming in the compartment, the boy didn't want them to even touch his puppy. They were snobs and there wasn't any telling what they would do to the pet of someone whom they didn't like. Looking at the others then back to the girl he had to have the last word. He wasn't going to stoop so low as to use inbreeding jokes. After all those could be used against him if they really wanted.

"Too bad beauty is only skin deep and really even beauty is a matter of opinion." Looking at the girl he sneered at her. Muttering as he shut the door and left, "Stuck up prig."

Walking down the corridor on the train, Jude walked past a boy with a dog and nearly stepped in a puddle of what he sincerely hoped was lemonade (although considering there had been a dog in the vicinity, he doubted it). Inside the compartment beyond the puddle, he could see Alli sitting with two small people who could only be first years. He slid the door open and stepped over the lemonade/pee and into the room. "Alli, small people," he greeted.

The look on Alli's face told him she was not happy. He wondered if it had to do with the mess outside of the room. "You're not quizzing them already, are you?" he asked her, chuckling at her predictability.

"What kind of a Slytherin would I be if I didn't make sure they were worthy to be here?" Alli smirked at Jude.

In a rare moment of courtesy for others, and only because one of the younger students seemed to be okay so far, Alli introduced herself and her friend. "I'm Allison Walker, and this is Jude Parker," she said. "Remember those names. You'll be hearing them a lot," she smirked again. She was enjoying having a new crop of first years so that she was no longer at the bottom of the age-chain.

Luke rolled his eyes at the boy that had come past with a dog, stupid pets, always needed to be looked after and it seemed that one still needed training. Mutts, stupid mutts, that's all they were, he glanced up at his intelligent bird, now a raven was a real pet.

Luke nodded when he was told that the older boy and girl, were people that he had to remember. He knew that Hogwarts was going to have a hierarchy and he knew that first years were going to be at the bottom of the pile, but if he learnt who to respect further up the chain then his life would be made a lot easier.

"I'll remember," he smirked, "So why will we be hearing them then?"

Alli's eyes twinkled. This boy would be fitting in nicely with them, though he would still have to earn her respect. "Well it depends who you hear it from. If you hear it from a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, they'll probably say that we're conniving, evil, and mean," she grinned. "If it's a Slytherin, they'll definitely say that we're conniving, evil and mean."

Either way, Alli viewed it as a compliment. The other houses meant it as a disrespect, but she didn't see it that way. Them thinking that meant that she was doing something right. Her own house thinking that was also a good thing, because they meant it as a form of respect.

"So Luke, what makes you good enough to be a Slytherin?" she asked with a smirk.

Danni smirked at Alli, prepared to answer the question with ease, although it did sort of sound like a trick question. After all, there was really only one important house. That was when a boy walked in and answered as she probably would have. Choosing to observe the rest. It was best not to interrupt when your not asked, especially with this Alli girl, who seemed to act as though she had the power to make or break your reputation in an instant. Which, Danni supposed, she probably could.

The whole scene with the dog made Danni seriously revolted. It's people like this, those can't train their dogs correctly, who give dogs bad names! she thought, thinking of her own dog who was off in Paris with her father, getting a professional grooming before she'd be able to bring him here to Hogwarts. She wondered if dogs were even allowed here.

Another boy came in, a second year like Alli by the looks of it, and Danni made note of both of their names. Alli asked Luke another question and she looked out the window to see where they were. This whole interrogation thing was awfully boring. Danni's own brother had been a Slytherin, and so had her father for the years he had went. So she was sure she would be a worthy Slytherin despite what the girl may say in the future. Money, Power, Witty, Clever, Sneaky. The list ran on that could describe Danni. She watched as the train started it's journey towards Hogwarts, only half listening to the still on-going conversation.

Jacob made his way through the train, looking down at the floor as older students bumped into him. He hadn't been able to find a compartment-or Pierre- since he had boarded. He had Beka squirming around in his arms, wanting the freedom of exploring the newest environment but Jacob wasn't relenting. Chasing her all over the train station taught him better.

Finally finding a compartment full of second and first years, Jake knocked on the half open door. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked quietly, Beka stilling in his arms for once.