Clean-up crew

Chapter 7 - All Aboard

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September 1st 1991

Location: Platform 9 1/3

The Hogwarts Express was red. Really. Fucking. Red. 

So much so that I was turning green from disgust. Why couldn't they paint the damn thing black, or blue, or purple? Anything that wouldn't make my eyes feel like they're on fire!

I watched the crowds of wizards infect things with a complicated expression, my body slightly tensed. I could barely take a breath without shuddering in disgust because of the germs. As quickly as I could I got into the train praying to every deity, magical or muggle, that it would be cleaner than what was outside of it.

Obviously, they dislike me because the train was a mess! A large fucking mess! Do they ever clean the damn thing?! There were so many food stains and random crap all around the fucking place. How do people even get around in this thing?!

 I went to the back of the train and found the cleanest compartment available, casting a quick cleaning charm on the entire compartment. Merlin, I love that spell. 

I replaced my normal gloves with the newer gloves I got specifically for this trip. They were to be burned right afterward.

The train was huge, but considering that it holds more than a thousand students, many of which are seeing their friends for the first time in months, it makes a rather large amount of sense.

Quickly, I cast a weak sound charm, making it so that no sound could enter, or leave the compartment. Or, at least something like that. Since I still wasn't too good at it, I could sometimes hear the children outside the room yelling and screaming. Yay.

Aside from that the compartment was rather peaceful, and I'd put all my things away, settling to sit down and read. Over the past month I'd trained myself to the extent that I can do some basic spells, and at least understand the mechanisms behind many others. The problem was, I still couldn't really understand many spells.

What I mean by that is that I understand how the spells work using wizarding logic. But that really isn't enough. Or, at least it might not be.

Around the time I was halfway through my book the door to the compartment swung open with a bang. 

"Excuse me, do you mind? All the other compartments are full." Yelled the child, his spit flying all over the place.

"There's an empty compartment two rows down from the right," I said simply, not even looking at the boy's flushed face. "O-oh. Thanks," he said, before heading off to find the compartment, leaving only the spit that came out of his foul mouth.

"Disgusting," I whispered to myself. I quickly chanted the incantation under my breath and with a flick of my wand cleaned the room once again. But before I could close the door another child came. This kid actually knocked. Maybe he'll be better.

"Come in," I stated, my eyes not leaving my book. "Have you seen Harry Potter? Rumor has it he's on this very train. Personally, I don't care much for the kid, but I should at least check out if he's worth all the fuss you know? Hopefully, he isn't some Gryffindor puppet..." 

I was wrong. This kid talks way too much. Honestly, if this is the type of behavior I'll have to deal with all school year then maybe I should just quit while I'm ahead.

"No, I've not seen Harry Potter," I said, cutting him off. "He's most likely in a different compartment."

I closed my book and looked at the child, my cold green eyes staring right at him. His hair was a platinum blonde and his face had a haughty look on it. Probably arrogance. Maybe he's from a prestigious family?

"And you are?" I ask.

"I'm Draco Malfoy, I'm surprised you haven't heard of me. Almost everyone has heard of my family. Unless..." His eyes turned to slits and his expression turned into one of disgust. "Are you a mudblood?"

I raised my eyebrow at the derogatory term, remembering Kreacher ranting about it. 

"No, I'm not," I reply, not supplying any further information. Before the boy could question him however a bushy-haired witch stormed in. 

"Have seen a toad? Neville lost his and I'm helping him search for it," she questioned, obviously not understanding how to read the room.

"No. Leave." I state, not wanting to be near even a strand of her hair.

"How RUDE! I'll have you know I'm just trying to be helpful and kind!" 

"Well you're obviously failing, now if you'd be so kind as to leave I think you might actually make my day!" I said with fake enthusiasm causing her to yell at me even more. I lasted around 1 minute and 17 seconds before I snapped. I turned my head to look at the only child who's been tolerable this whole trip.

"I'm assuming you're Neville," I said, looking the boy dead in the eye.

"Y-yes," he said, breaking eye contact to look away.

"What is the name of your troll."

"I-It's a toad."

"Fine then, what is the name of your toad." 

"T-Trevor." he stuttered, biting his lips. You could tell he wanted to say more but luckily for me, he seemed to understand I didn't care to hear any of it.

"This should be a rather good experiment," I whispered to myself, ignoring the horrified gases from the bushy girl and Neville.

"Oh don't look at me like that. I doubt it'll kill him." I commented. Before any of them could highlight the would doubt, I took out my stick, and muttered "Accio Travor the Toad." It took a whole minute but eventually, the Toad came flying into the room.

'So it is possible to summon living things. Using Neville's emotions as a 'bait' of sorts for the thing seemed to have positive effects but of course, that hasn't been tested yet. Maybe emotions have much to do with summoning living things. It could be that the toad itself is a bit magical, or maybe my unstable magic-'

Before I could dive deeper into thought the bush-haired girl's yells brought me back to reality.

"Ah, yes you're still here." Before anyone could react, I gathered my things and left the compartment, silently mourning over the loss of a perfectly good compartment. 'Oh well, sacrifices do have to be made.'

Luckily for me, I didn't have to find a new compartment as the Hogwarts Express had made it to Hogsmeade Station.