Until the Train Leaves

Arrival

James sighs as he watches his mother's car leave the King Cross station after dropping him off. She has an appointment soon and couldn't walk him to the train but James doesn't mind. People are busy sometimes, no one can change that. Actually, James wouldn't mind if he didn't have to be dropped off at all. He would have loved to stay home this school year, maybe learn how to video edit, make movies, or even record something. But, no. James is stuck going on the stupid Hogwarts Express to the stupid Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Again. For the fifth year in a row.

The curly haired boy walked into the station slowly. Maybe if he walked slow enough, the train would leave him. When he enters that station he sees a large family taking turns running into the pillar between platform 9 and 8. James never liked going through the pillar. It made him nervous that suddenly the pillar would become solid and he would fall right onto the tracks due to the impact.

James contemplated whether or not to wait until the family finished going through the pillar or just hopping onto another train until he hears someone calling his name.

"James! James Wilson! Hey!" James flinched at the loud, enthusiastic yelling of his friend Joe. A Hufflepuff who is also a fifth year student.

Joe is happily pushing his luggage cart along with his annoying pet chicken in his cage. Jamesy, Joe named it, just to fuck with the older.

Joe and James were friends way before either knew they were wizards. They both got their letters on the same day but one was much more excited than the other.

"Hello Joseph." James greeted, nowhere near the same level of enthusiasm as his shorter friend.

Joe's chicken clucks delightfully. James still doesn't know how Joe was allowed a chicken into the school. However, there's a possibility his cheerfulness and optimism always made Professor Sprout swoon.

"Aren't you excited James? This year is going to be incredible! We're finally going to take our O.W.L.s," Joe bounces on the balls of his feet, "This is one of our most important years yet."

"I guess," James shrugs, "But I'm not really going to have a career in the Wizarding World so it doesn't really matter what I get on the O.W.L.s."

Joe gasps at the same time his chicken clucks, "But James, we're supposed to be aurors together and fight crime." Joe briefly steps away from his luggage cart and starts to make auror-like movements, waving his arms as if he was shooting a wand.

James rolls his eyes, "I don't think I want to be an Auror, sorry Joe."

Joe pouts, crossing his arm mid charade, "Fine, I'll ask Jordan to be my auror partner."

"Fine by me." James glares at his friend's chicken, the chicken staring right back.

"Don't give Jamesy such a dirty look James! You might scare him!" Joe waves his hand in front of James's face, breaking the eye contact.

"I still will not acknowledge that his name is Jamesy. There was no need to name it after me." James crosses his arms and reverts his eyes back to the pillar, platform 9 and ¾.

"She's not named after you, her name has a 'y' at the end." Joe laughs.

"Hey! James! Joe!" Another enthusiastic voices calls out.

"Hello Jordan." James and Joe say in unision. Jordan is also a Hufflepuff fifth year. Joe befriended him as first years and introduced him to James. The three then became friends, squishing James into an optimistic, enthusiastic sandwich.

"How was your guys' Summers?" Jordan asks casually as his cat, Shepard, walks up and rubs against James's leg. James reaches down and pets the cat, blocking out Joe's rapid talk about skiing in the mountains of Colorado or surfing the waves of California. James heard these stories before, Joe never failing to write to James throughout the whole Summer.