Hogwarts here we come

Arsen pulled his trunk along the train looking for an empty compartment and finally spotted one at the back of the train. He shoved his trunk into the over head storage with a little difficulty then sat down by the window waiting to see who would join him.

Mary sighed to her self. She was bored and didn't seem to be able to find her best friend Melanie anywhere. She cursed herself silently for forgetting to tell Melanie she was coming with the train.
She sighed again, giving up on looking for Melanie and opened the nearest compartment, she blushed as she realized it wasn't empty like she thought.
"Oh ... hello, I'm sorry, I thought it was empty," she gave the boy a short awkward smile.

Arsen looked up when he heard the door open to find a young girl about his age standing there.

"It's okay why don't you join me?" He said, he was afterall alone having not met any friends yet. "So is this your first year too?" He asked she did after all look about his age.

"I'm Arsen by the way, Arsen Barela." He said giving the girl a smile.

Mary smiled back at the boy, hesitating a bit before nodding; "I'm Mary Gampbell" she introduced herself as she slowly sat down. "I like your name," she then added "It's different, unusual. 'Mary' is way to common."

"It's nice to finally meet a first year." He said giving her a smile. "Everyone else i have seen has been older." He lifted up his feet onto the seating opposite him and relaxed more.

"Thanks it's italian." He said, no one had commented on his name before. "It happens when you have an Italian father." He shrugged turning to pick up one of his chocolate frogs then looking back at her.

"No it's not, i don't know anyone by that name. Well except you of course. It's a nice name." He smiled tossing her a chocolate frog. "Here have this they're much nicer when they are fresh." He said giving her a little wink.

"So what house you wanting to be in? I'm hoping Slytherin myself. Of course the family want me to be in Gryffindor but I'm hoping to break tradition." He smiled up at her once more.

Mary took a bite from the chocolate frog he handed her, blushing a bit.
"Thanks," she smiled.

"What house you say...? Hmm..." she thinks about it for a moment "I guess ... Ravenclaw.... I would probably kill my self if I ended in Hufflepuff! Gryffindor would be too... heroic... But I don't think I'm 'Slytherin enough' for Slytherin. So Ravenclaw it is."

She laughed. "But why do you want to go to Slytherin? I can understand the wanting to break the tradition, but why Slytherin?" she took another bite from the frog and examined the boy.

"It's okay chocolate is always better when shared with someone anyway." He smiled biting the head off his frog.

"I guess it's because i'm nothing like my family. My uncle was in slytherin and my adoptive father was in slytherin and im more like them than i am my mother and father so i guess i'll fit in there." He shrugged. "Ravenclaws good i guess you'll be the brains of the year." He said eating the rest of the frog.

"You'll have to help me if i fail." He said giving her a little wink. "Not that i will, fingers crossed i don't think Hades will let me." He said giving a little laugh. "So What lesson you looking forward to the most?" He asked.

Mary blushed as he sent her another wink, she wasn't used people being that nice and forward to her.
"Of course I'll help you, but I think you'll be just fine," she laughed, finishing her chocolate.

"Anyways... I think Defense Against the Dark Arts is probably the most interesting subject, I'm bound to fail History of Magic - even though I'm a Ravenclaw but Herbology also sounds nice ... or so have I heard." She laughed again "But still, yeah DADA is the one I'm looking forward the most... What about you? I mean most people I know are looking forward to DADA the most so I guess I'm one of them..."

She smiled and continued even before he could answer her first question, her curiosity eating her up;
"I'm sorry if I'm being to forward, but I noticed you said adopted father... Does... does that mean you don't have or know your biological father?" she struggled a bit with the words and frankly isn't sure if she should've asked that question to begin with.

"Thanks I appreciate it. If you ever need any help don't hesistate to let me know. I'm amazing at dueling." He said he did afterall have a lot of training from Hades.

"Yeah i hear Professor Silver is pretty cool apparently he's apart of the order of phoenix. So DADA would be a good subject for him to teach. I'm looking forward to Dueling obviously, it's the only one i'm gonna have a head start in." He shrugged again. "Here have another, i have quite a lot to get through." He said tossing her another frog and showing her a bag full of them.

"No it's fine my parents and brother were killed by muggles a few days ago. I would of died too if it hadn't been for Hades he saved my life then decided to adopt me so i wouldn't have to be subjected to a muggle care home. I owe that man my life." He said looking across at his feet on the chair. "I guess i'm the last Barela standing." He said looking back up at her with a weak smile.

"Oh I'm so sorry ... if I knew I wouldn't have asked -" She looked down at the floor and blushed.

When she finally gathered the courage to look back up, she noticed the frog he threw over to her and took a bite "Thanks," she said again "You seem to really love those frogs."

"Anyways," she spoke again, trying to find a lighter subject. "Do you know a lot of people at Hogwarts? I mean you seem to know a lot about the school..."

"It's okay my life is so much happier without them to be honest. They caused me nothing but pain and misery." He shrugged.

"My Rolo Hades house elf brought me aload for the train bless him." He smiled. "Here take some i won't eat them all." He said passing her a load of frogs. "You can save them for later." He smiled.

"I've spoken to a few but i wouldn't say we were friends yet." He shurgged. "The headmster Hades is my new father so i guess i've learnt alot from him." He said.

"What about you? Do you know many people here?" He asked.

"Nah, I don't really know anyone, or I'll probably recognize some name or faces, but haven't really talked to anyone. I do have my best friend here somewhere though, Melanie ... but she didn't expect me to come with the train because I live in Hogsmeade, and me being the forgetful myself, may have forgotten to tell her." She laughed

"But I'll find her once we're there." She winked at him and took a bite from one of the frogs he had given her "Thank you by the way, I love chocolate."

"Oh cool i'm starting as a lone wolf i'm afraid, i suppose it would be good to have someone you know starting too." He said. Smiling at her at least he had met a few people so far so he wasn't completely alone. Plus there was always Hades should he need to talk to someone.

"Your welcome I don't think i could of eaten all them all by my self to be honest." He smiled "I don't know what Rolo was thinking." He laughed biting the head off another frog. "I think i'm gonna have to make this my last one for now, i need to leave some room for the feast later on." He smiled starting to worry a little about the sorting, he did not want to be in any house but Slyhterin he just wouldn't except it if he wasn't.

"Hogmeade eh? I guess you'll be able to go home during hogsmeade weekends which will be good." He smiled

"That wouldn't happen to be Melanie McKinnon would it?" He asked knowing exactly where she was as he met her earlier.

"Yeah... But well, I don't like spending to much time at home, having to deal with mum might be just a little too much for me.. Hogwarts will be like a vacation." She laughed "My mother is quite... Uhm, how can I put it decently? She's really bossy and everything has to be perfect or there is going to be hell to pay." She sighed, but her smile didn't leave her lips.

"But... how do you know Mel? At least, Melanie McKinnon is her name and I'm pretty sure there isn't anyone else here with the same name." she looked at him with big eyes, wondering if he could possible know where Melanie was.

"Oh right Hades isn't like that as long i treat his house with respect i can do pretty much what i want." He smiled, "I suppose you just have to get used to your parents being like that." He shrugged.

"Yeah if we are talking about the same Melanie then she is just down the corridor. She's sitting with some people i know. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you joined them." He said smiling at her glad he could help her get reunited with her friend. He knew what it was like to be alone and he didn't wish that for someone as nice as her.

"Oh, thank you," She said, but didn't stand up "I'll leave and find her - if you want to be alone... But I'm not going to leave you alone here if you want the company?" she winked at him; the boy seemed nice and she didn't feel like just leaving him left alone unless he wanted so, it wasn't like she wouldn't see Melanie again when they reached Hogwarts.

"How long do you think we have left? Until we're at Hogwarts?" She added, she had been wondering about it for a while.

He smiled at her, she really was nice most people he knew would jump at the change to leave him. "Thanks but i'll be okay. I've got some thinking to do. She's about four or five doors back." He smiled. "Enjoy the chocolate. If you need more there are more where that came from." He winked and gave her a smile before turning to looki out the window.

"I would guess we have about 15 minutes, give or take." He said looking at the surroundings and noticing it was pretty dark now.

"Are you sure?" She asked him but stood up, "Well, if you know where Melanie is then you know where to find me if you get bored." She laughed.

"It was really nice meeting you Arsen and don't forget my name, if you ever that is - need any help." She winked at him. "Though like I said before, I'm sure you wont." she laughed "And maybe I won't even end up in Ravenclaw so I wouldn't be of any help... well I guess we'll see" She smiled.

"Yeah go ahead we'll only go our seperate ways once the trains stopped you'll be heading for Ravenclaw ill be heading for Slytherin." He shrugged. "Plus it helps when sorted with your friends apparently." He smiled.

"Thanks, it means a lot, remember me too. If there is one thing im good at its practical things so if you ever need help with flying or duelling if your taking those lessons that is i'll always be here to help." He smiled and watched her turning to leave.