I walked up to the platform between nine and ten at the Kings Cross Station looking at the brick all for a long minute before my mom reached out to put a hand on my shoulder to grab my attention. She raised a hand signaling me to breath and I tried to do the breathing exercises that she’s shown me many times while she smiled softly. After a while she hugged me, saying a few things to keep things to comfort me, then we made our way through the brick wall that is leading us to another platform. Who knew that magic is real and that walking through this wall would lead me to a new school where I learn to be a wizard that can cast spells, brew potions, and meet other kids who can do things as I can do.

My mom hugged me after I put my suitcase in the storage cart and I stepped onto the train. I’ve always been such a nervous person that it’s gotten so serious these past years that I was scared to leave home and I was scared I wouldn’t fit in well because I was born magic unlike most of the people in this type of world. I stepped aside as other students walked down trying to find a place to sit and taking a deep breath I began heading down looking for an empty cart. Once I finally found one, I sat down after closing the door and looked out the window seeing the train already leaving the platform; my mom said the train ride to Hogwarts will take a couple of hours.

I sat back as I felt a bit better now and I reached into the bookbag that I brought with me to take out my sketching material. I recently started drawing, hoping to calm my anxiety, and began to draw my view from the view of the mountains after we finally left the city. After an hour or so, I was tranced into my drawing that I barely heard the door open and I looked up seeing an older student wearing a Gryffindor attire glanced around before looking at me.

“Hi, I’m sorry, I hope you don’t mind me sitting here…” He asked. “I was sitting with some other group, but I couldn’t take their attitudes.”

I pulled my sketch up and closer to my chest to cover it, “Um, no, it’s fine.” I said as I couldn’t say that I will rather be alone instead.

“Thanks,” he said as he comes in and sits across from me.

There was a bit of silence between us as he puts on his headphones, obviously letting himself be distracted with that, and I felt like I couldn’t finish this drawing. I looked down at my sketchbook as I wasn’t too sure what to do because I’m not used to drawing around people so I just turned to a new page and just started on something basic. We must have been silent for more than an hour until the door opened again and it was a lady with a trolly selling snack items. The student sitting across from me stood up as he went over to her and I watched curiously because I wondered what type of candy they have, but I’m still not used to the money that they use.

“Do you want anything?”

I looked up and he was looking at me. “Um, no,” I answered, shyly, as I shook my head, turning away.

The door closed and he returned to his seat and once again there was another silence in the small room that we’re in. Slowly, in the corner of my eye, I saw him reaching out to leave two different types of candy on the seat beside me and I looked at them before returning to him.

“Have them,” he tells me.

“Thanks,” I said as I reached out for them setting my sketchbook down, and looked at them curiously.

“My name’s Elliot.” He said, introducing himself. “Are you a muggle-born? I saw you earlier on the platform and you seemed a bit lost.”

I looked at him, curious when I passed by him, then I nod, “Yes, I don’t know anything of this life… Um, I went to Diagon Alley and that was a…”

“An eye-opening?” He asked.

I nod, “Yeah.”

I realized that one of the candy he gave me was a gummy in the shape of a little insect, the wrapping says Jelly Slug, while the other was some type of pastry. I tried the pastry first, I never ate a lot of candy when I was young and was surprised by the taste of pumpkin. Actually, this could be the best pumpkin pastry I probably ever had before and I tried taking my time eating it.

“Like it?” He asked.

“Yeah, it’s really good,” I said, blushing a bit. Was I too obvious? I looked up at him realizing that I never introduced myself and took candy from a stranger. “Um, my name… It's Michael.”

“Nice to meet you, Michael,” he said, smiling softly. “I hope that you’ll like Hogwarts. I know it can be a bit overwhelming coming into a new school so if you need any help you can always find me.”

I looked down at the floor for a second and I somehow felt like he was trying to comfort me. “I, um, get anxious easily,” I said, feeling like I could trust in him. “I don’t know what I’m getting myself into by coming to this school so I’m just nervous.”

“Then like I said, find me.” He repeated. “If you get nervous then look for me and I’ll help you.”

“Thank you. I wasn’t too sure how I feel about coming, but it’s nice being able to know someone now.” I said, looking down at the ground. “I hope you don’t mind me.”

“You shouldn’t worry. There is a lot to learn, but I’m sure that everything will be wonderful once you get used to things, and learning magic will be the best of it all,” he tells me. “Once you're adjusted here I’m sure you won’t even think much about me I’m sure.”

“Thank you. You’re a nice person and I wouldn’t mind still being friends with you afterward.” I said glancing over at him. “You’re my first friend here.”

“Hey that’s good that I can be a friend then and since our age isn’t too far apart I’m sure we’ll run into each other a little more throughout the year.” He tells me.

I thought about this then turned to him curious, “How old are you?”

“Twelve; just a year older. So, technically I’m still new as well and I’m still learning myself,” he informs me.

“It’s just your second year? I would have thought you were in your third year.” I said as I reached for the slug gummy now that I finished the pastry and looked at it curiously before turning to him. “So, your whole family are wizards and witches then?”

“Just my mom. My step-dad and my step-brother are muggles so it was a bit of a surprise when they found out.” He answered and glanced out the window.

I watched him and wondered if I asked something too personal, “How old is your step-brother?”

“Fifteen,” he answered as he turned back to me and took a deep breath. “His name is Jason and he took some time to get adjusted with the way we live since he was confused about magic.”

“He hates it?”

“No, mainly curious. He was interested in Hogwarts and wanted to come to see the school.” He said.

I looked at him for a second before turning away. “I’m an only child so I don’t really know how it feels to have a sibling,” I commented.

“I’m sure you’ve met people who treated you like a brother or a sister. If not, then I’m sure the people you dorm with will treat you like one.” Elliot replied, giving me a reassuring smile. “I felt that after a while once I got used to coming a few weeks in.”

“You think it’ll be fine?” I asked him.

“Yeah, I’m sure it will.”

I looked out the window again and stared at the scenery thinking about what he said. “I already miss home,” I mumbled.

Elliot didn’t say anything before pulling out his wand, “Close your eyes.”

I turned back to him and cautiously looked at his wand, “What are you going to do?”

“Come on, you can trust me right?” He asked me.

Hearing him say that made me wonder, but all he’s done so far has been comforting. “Yeah,” I answered, raising my hand to cover my eyes.

“Stella Cascadia,” I hear him say. “Okay, open your eyes.”

I slowly opened my eyes and was instantly confused seeing our cart pitch black until I looked above us. It was like we were in space, surrounded by stars and I was in such awe that I wasn’t even sure how real this is. I raised a hand as if I can touch it, but realized how childish I must look because this is magic and these aren’t real stars. Elliot smiled as he grabbed my hand then with a swish of his wand a small light began to appear and he actually gave me a star. This is magic that I imagined when I was told I’m a wizard and having to hold this star in my hand had me in awe. But it didn’t take long for the stars to fade around us and slowly the room began to light up, having us return to the train cart we’re sitting in.

“That was…” I mumbled, still feeling too stunned to finish my words.

“I learned it last year while looking at astronomy books for fun,” Elliot said, smiling as he watched my reaction. “I thought you'd like that.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” I replied, turning to him knowing that he was only trying to cheer me up and I would never forget this. “Um, thank you.”

“You just haven’t been around magic enough.” He commented and sat back in his seat. “I’m sure you’ll try to draw it out.”

“I was thinking of that,” I replied, glancing at my sketchbook.

“Go ahead.” He smiled, reaching for a book from his backpack.

I reached for my notebook and we sat comfortably during the remainder of the train ride as I was drawing while he was reading. I was a bit curious about what Elliot could be reading, but I didn’t want to break the silence and the only time we talked was when we had to change into our school robes. I noticed the difference between my robes because of the color of his tie and there was a lion crest while I had none. When I asked, Elliot explained about the separate dorms and their way of dividing the students.