Richie was dismayed as students poured onto the train. His mother was still trying to take a picture despite his dramatic insistence that the train would leave without him if they took any longer. His father stood next to Richie with his arm around the boy’s shoulders. They sported a pair of painfully forced smiles as she took one, two, three pictures before she was satisfied. Was Richie actually worried that the train would leave without him? Of course not, but he was desperate to find a compartment before they were all full.

Mrs. Corbeaux put her camera away and gave Richie a quick peck on the cheek. The whistle howled once and the boy’s anxiety started to build again. He still had plenty of time; there was no reason to panic. He owed his parents at least this much. “Look, I’m proud of you sweetheart, and I know you’re going to be great.” Richie smiled at her. It was the kind of thing only mother could say convincingly and in that moment, Richard believed his.

“Thanks Mum.”

He turned to look at his dad. The late-thirties DMLE agent was tall and stoic, but not unkind. He was everything Richie aspired to be (though he would never admit it), and for a brief moment, Richie thought he saw a chink in the man’s armor. “I’d wish you luck Son,” he said, “but I think you’ll be fine without it.” He ruffled Richie’s hair. The train whistle screeched again. “Better hurry,” Mr. Corbeaux chuckled.

Richie dashed through the crowd with his trunk bouncing around, off-kilter in his wake. A couple of older students and parents glowered as he passed.

He made it onto the train with more than enough time and briefly looked around before being stopped by a pretty blonde girl blocking his path. She appeared to be inquiring about the compartment she was standing in the doorway of.

[b]"...a pure-blood? Half-blood?" the girl asked, "Or... maybe you're a Mud-blood?"[/b]

Richie cringed and bit his lip before he interrupted her with a nasty remark. He lost his nervousness for a brief second as he tapped on the girl's shoulder. "You don't think that's kind of a rude question?"