“Want to see my wand?” She asked Lars, already onto the next subject; she was already pulling her wand out of her robe. The wand was big and rich chestnut brown, with a dark rainbow stripe down the middle. It had a large knot in the middle, which made the wand tilt off center.

“What an interesting color.” Lars pulled his own from his robe.

“I know! He said it was the only one he made from that strange rainbow applewood.” She placed her wand away, clapping when she saw Lars shimmer silver under his hand. “Pretty!” She turned toward Thomas. He pulled out his pale, red-streaked wood wand from its holster on his hip.

“Wow! A wand holster!” She sprung to her knees and lifted his robe for a better look. Thomas held his wand above his head. Looking to Lars for help. His shoulders were shaking in silent laughter, and that made him no help.

“Your wand has a jewel!” She turned to look up at him. Uncomfortable with the closeness, Thomas turned away before answering.

“Um, yes. I like it myself.” Thomas continued his useless plea to Lars. It only seemed to make his laughter worse. A small noise escaped Lars twisting lips.

“Something from the trolley, dears?” An older voice called out from the hall.

“Me!” She dashed out the door, her braids whipping Thomas's nose with her speed. Slumping with relief, Thomas once again learned how much he valued his personal space. Things were different with the O'Sullivans; Thomas couldn't explain it, but other people? There was no way he wanted them that close.

“Are you okay?” Lars laughed outright. “She's a whirlwind, that one.”

“Fine.” Thomas said, putting his wand away in its holster. “No, thanks to you.” Lars shrugged. Not even bothering to look at all bothered by it.

“Here.” The girl came back in and dumped her goods on the free train seat. Turning around, she placed her hands on her hips. “I can be a bit much at times; my father said I should warn the friend I make.” Waving a hand at the piles of colorful snacks, she continued. “I forgot, so I'll share these instead.”

“Thank you.” Lars smiled, standing to offer his hand. “I'm Lars O'Sullivan.”

“I'm Pipa — Pipa Jones.” Pipa shook Lars' hand before turning to Thomas.

“I'm Thomas Cloverleigh.” Thomas nodded, a move he had seen the old man pull off a few times. It seemed to save him, as she nodded back.

“You're not related?” Pipa asked.

“I'm adopted.” Thomas shook his head. Explaining his situation in the simplest fashion. Pipa nodded, not paying any further attention to it. Like it was no big deal, and really? It wasn't.

“What's your name?” Pip turned to the blond boy by the window.

“Bernard Malfoy.” He stood with adult grace and offered Pipa a small bow. Before sitting once again.

“Let's all be friends, Bernard!” Pipa smiled and tackled Bernard into a hug. Thomas approved. Better Bernard than him. The four of them sat around after that. Not speaking of anything much. When the chocolate frog was let loose, Thomas panicked and ran behind Lars. Pipa gathered and banned the frogs from the train hallway.

Making her presence around Thomas much more comfortable. If a girl could save him from a frog, Thomas didn't care if it was a candy frog. Then, in his books, she was alright. Although Bernard continued to appear to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, Lars was able to elicit a smile from him. Somehow. Thomas missed how he managed that. Pipa left the other room and went back to retrieve the bag she had left there. Then the three of them waited out the rush and left the train together.

“First Years!” A man who was twice as wide as any adult Thomas had ever seen yelled. He is dressed in an elegant robe with a short vest over it. The entire outfit was dark gray and vivid red. Wine-red hair that flies around his shoulders. Thomas had a vivid picture in his head. He could picture one of the knights from his old sonnets choosing to use a sword rather than a wand.

“Come on, Thomas.” Lars took Thomas' hand. Following the man, who was now holding a lantern. Thomas, Lars, Pipa, and surprising Thomas — Bernard—stuck together while following the man down a winding, dark path. Thomas enjoyed how brisk the night was. The entire situation seemed magical in some way. With this air of mystery surrounding them.

They crammed into the four-person boats, which were merely wooden slips. Together, they moved across the water in a gliding motion. Thomas looked into the water's depth. The seemingly endless depth doesn't bother him at all. He experienced a pull instead, as if something was beckoning him from below.

“Thomas.” Bernard dragged him back into the boat. Thomas didn't realize he was leaning against the edge of the boat. 

“Ah, thank you?” Thomas said. He was disappointed that he couldn't identify the source of the call before they left.

“No problem.” Bernard spoke while looking pale and trembling. He didn't seem to be enjoying the boat ride.

“I'm sorry.” Bernard rubbed his hands together while managing to look him in the eye while he shook.

“For what?” Thomas couldn't imagine why Bernard offered him an apology.

“For judging you.” Bernard said, looking him in the eyes for the first time. “I know what that is like, and it was wrong of me.”

“That wasn't judging.” Thomas shook his head. To him, judging meant trying to hurt someone you hated or feared. What Bernard felt, Thomas couldn't begin to guess.

“It was for him, Thomas.” Lars's voice came out as gentle as the surrounding water. “Accept the apology.”

“It's fine, Bernard.” He was hoping that was okay because no one had ever apologized to Thomas before. He wasn't sure of the proper response.

“Thank you, Thomas.” Bernard paled and then turned to look at Pipa. His eyes turned wide, and he looked surprised she was there.

“What?” Pipa said, looking at Bernard with a tilted head.

“A woman on a boat.” Bernard paled to white. "Surly, this vessel will fail.”

“You think of me as a woman?” Pipa blushed beet-red in the glow of the boat's lamp. Not at all insulated by Bernard's words. “I don't think I'm old enough.”

“I don't think this counts as a vessel.” Thomas frowned at the small boat.

“This year is going to be great.” Lars said with a laugh. Thomas watched Lars laugh, a big smile on his face. A smile formed on his own face; Lars looked like he was having fun, and that was enough to make Thomas happy.

“Bloody hell.” Thomas whispered as their “vessel” parted a green vine curtain. A great castle, stripped from the pages of Thomas's favorite books, appeared before his eyes. The tiny lights of other boats and students came around them, but their interest paled before the stones towering before them.

“Language.” Lars said, admiring the view from his seat while sounding like his father.

“This is the best year of my life!” Pipa shouted, shaking the boat when she stood up and swung her arms into the air.

“Down we go.” Bernard slid off his seat and hunched himself onto the boat's floor.

“And to think it has only just begun.” Lars said to Pipa, moving to stand up beside him. Both of them staring out at the castle. Letting her grab him into a side hug. Thomas looked down at Bernard and wondered if he was even going to make it to land, let alone the start of the school year.