Uniquely normal

4

-Seamus-

Dean and Seamus trailed down the corridor peering through the glass doors of each compartment looking for some free space. Finally, at the end of the carriage, they found a miraculously empty compartment. They both scurried in closed the door and settled in for the long journey ahead.

"So, how did you find out you were a wizard?" Dean questioned, Seamus shuffled feeling slightly awkward about his unorthodox introduction to magic.
"imayhavesetthecatstailonfirewheniwastwo" when Dean gave him a questioning look he sighed before explaining more slowly "I may have set the cat's tail on fire when I was two." Dean stared for a moment wide eyed before snorting and bursting out laughing.
"how, how did you accidentally set a cat on fire?" Seamus just shrugged
"Well it certainly wasn't the end of the pyrotechnics, my parents say I have quite the flair." Dean rolled his eyes at the terrible pun his chuckles fading into a wide smile. Soon after silence had descended there was a knock at the compartment door.

"Come in" called Dean, the door slid open revealing two people
"Bore da, do you mind if we join you? Everywhere else is full." Came a soft welsh accent both Dean and Seamus nodded their welcome and both of them came and sat down. "Thanks for letting us in, I'm Hannah Abbot she/her." This was the girl with the welsh accent Both boys shook her hand in welcome.
"Hey there, I'm Ernie McMillian they/them." A soft Scottish accent accompanied his as the boys introduced themselves.
"Does anyone else feel like that was some awkward class icebreaker or was that just me." Dean quipped as everyone smiled. They all settled in.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" a wavering voice came from the corridor. Seamus sprung up and opened the door.
"I'll have three boxes of every flavour beans and four cauldron cakes please." The lady smiled and took his offered coins exchanging the food in return the others got what they wanted and they listed their orders. The sound of the trolley  rattling down the corridor formed the sound track to seamus' next words.
"So since we'll be sittin' here for the better part of the day, how 'bout we do the bots bean challenge?" Ernie and Hannah smiled slightly uncertainly while Dean looked confused. Seamus smiled "basically you grab a bean and if you can guess the flavour correctly you don't have to do a forfeit." Though still uncertain none could think of a better thing to pass the time and so the game began. Seamus grabbed a greenish colour guessing for pear popped it in his mouth and spat it out suddenly.
"Eugh, grass" he shuddered the other three quickly huddled thinking up his punishment,
"We have decided" Ernie declared "that as your punishment you must dance a jig whilst singing the Irish national anthem at the top of your lungs" Seamus rolled his eyes
"Couldn't play to stereotypes any more could ya." The other three just grinned maniacally and Seamus signed before starting to jig quite gracefully and shout singing
"Sinne Fianna Fáil,[fn 1]
atá faoi[fn 2] gheall ag Éirinn,
Buíon dár slua
thar toinn do ráinig chugainn,
Faoi mhóid bheith saor
Seantír ár sinsear feasta,
Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill.
Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil,
Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun báis nó saoil,[fn 3]
Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar,
Seo libh canaídh amhrán na bhfiann" he finished a little red faced from exertion to the quiet applause of the others in the compartment
"Let's just say, we now know you don't do things half assed. I'm very impressed" Hannah commented and they all laughed

After an hour of disgusting and delicious flavours and hilarious forfeitures the four had become firm friends. As the laughter subsided after Dean had to attempt to do an interpretative dance of the miracle of childbirth there came a timid knock at the door.
"Come in!" called Hannah, the door slid open to reveal a timid looking boy with a round face and a toad sitting in the palm of his hand.
"Er hi there, I was- I was just wondering if, if there was any room in this comp-compartment?" He stuttered
Of course there is, come in and pull up a seat mate" Dean called. The boy smiled his thanks before stepping in and sitting down near the door next to Ernie,
"I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom" he introduced the others nodded their welcome.
"Well Neville welcome to the club, would you like to join our stupid little game?" Hannah questioned Neville looked slightly nervous but agreed. As it turned out despite his nervous appearance he was the best guessed and the most creative with fortitudes he quickly became very fast friends with the others.

They'd lost track of time when Neville noticed his toad Trevor had disappeared and rushed off to find him, the others settled down in a companionable silence.
"So what's the deal with the houses?" Dean questioned Ernie immediately jumped in to explain.
"Well at Hogwarts there are four houses and we're sorted by some kind of test that no one tells us about, I mean my older sister says it hurts a lot, but anyway the houses are based on traits that are most integral to your personality. Gryffindors hold bravery and chivalry highest, Hufflepuffs hold kindness and loyalty close, Slytherin are ambitious and cunning and Ravenclaw are knowledgeable and value learning." At this point Hannah butted in,
"There's a bunch of other stuff that goes along with each house but that's kind of the basis of it." Dean smiled before thinking of the test that Ernie had mentioned and his smile turned to more of a grimace.
"Yikes I hope the test isn't anything to do with magic I don't know anything." The others exchanged worried looks.
"I wouldn't worry to much laddie none of us really know much, so don't worry we're all in the same boat." Proclaimed Ernie they went quiet before Seamus suggested they should change into their robes. Dean rejoiced about being able to wear whatever he wanted under his robes and not having to wear horrible black school shoes.

Soon after it began to get dark and Neville returned looking rather forlorn.
"I didn't find him, shit my uncle Alfie is going to kill me."
"Ah don't worry, too much he'll turn up, I'll make sure of it." Hannah proclaimed making Neville look a little less down than before.

Soon talk was back to the possibility of the house test could be and weighing the pros and cons of each house from what each of them had heard. Slowly the train came to a stop, the five saw other students collecting their things and heading for the doors. They followed suit and shuffling  towards the doors that would mark the entera ce to the next chapter of their lives.