September 1, 1892 - Hogwarts Express departing Platform 9 ¾

It’s been a bad few days, weeks, months, even a year and Max wanted to catch a break already.

Every day so far brought with it a wave of new people, new homes, new rules, newness in general. None of it would bring back his mom or the warm summer afternoons sitting under the stone pines at the far edge of the Adami estate. Probably the only person and only thing he really liked about living there, as he’d spend most of the rest of his time out on the streets of the Trastevere neighborhood, kicking around a leather soccer ball with friends from infancy.

All that seemed too far away and impossible to ever see again.

Instead he got the disgusting orphanage in London, and the nasty kids there that drove him out of it because of the way he talked and dressed. After that he found Hogsmeade, and that was maybe marginally better because at least he picked going there instead of his stepdad putting him there. In a way, he also got to pick all these new people in his life. He could run away anytime, he reminded himself (often). The streets probably wouldn’t be so bad. But then the man who is supposed to be his dad introduced him to these other people, and they bought him his own clothes completely new for once, and his own books and bag and even an owl (...that he didn’t want, but still). Maybe he’ll try this school place for awhile, and rest there. Maybe he’ll get used to this newness. Maybe this man who’s supposed to be his dad is okay?

Except, the man who is supposed to be his dad wasn’t really dad-like. Not that he had much frame of reference on what that’s supposed to be anyway, but weren’t they supposed to be more serious? One of his new ‘uncles’ was dressed way better, for example (but on the other hand, he seemed kind of scared of Max, like he was worried he’d bite his head off, so he was hard to take seriously too). The other new ‘uncle’ was way more serious, but also a little scary, and not around very often (like a less mean and way poorer version of his stepdad, maybe).

"Don’t set yourself on fire!”

That’s what the supposed-to-be-dad said. Honestly the comment was still confusing. The man shouted it at him just as he was moving into the train, zero explanation for it at all. The good-dressing uncle with him looked nervous. The way he shouted it made Max think it definitely would happen, too. So the boy found himself in a line of kids getting themselves situated stealing furtive glances around on the train to see if there were going to be “magic test” flames that shoot out and he’s supposed to not get caught.

The test flames didn’t come (yet). The boy felt a little uncertain as to where to sit, since it felt like everyone already had the people they knew and the groups they were with. Further down the train he finally found an open car that wasn’t loud or full, just another boy maybe around his age reading something. Max rolled in silently and sat on the seat across from him, all the way on the end close to make a quick escape into the train corridor if it came to that. They glanced at each other, but since the other didn’t say anything, he didn’t volunteer anything either. He was sick of getting made fun of for how he talks, besides.

Soon, the train would start to chug forward, and he’d be on to the next new thing. For now this seemed stable, though. Stable enough. The unfamiliar starchy feeling of these new black school robes was getting a little more comfortable, too. Even that stupid owl he didn’t want was tucking his head in an adorable way under his wing on the top shelf across him. Slowly, without even realizing it, Max tucked his head into the corner of his seat and the wall and started to let his eyes drift closed.

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Chuntao Chang, Mirren Greyback, & Callum Finnigan in any order~

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magical set by mj <3
~ Max was raised in Italy and talks with a bit of an Italian accent / misses some English vocab/slang.

Talk to people on the train - that was part of Ida’s advice she’d written to him in the letter. Instead he’d found a train compartment to himself, sat down near the window and stared down at the loops of his sister’s cursive. It wasn’t that Chuntao didn’t want to talk to other children, it was just he wasn’t entirely sure how. In Irvingly he’d had friends for sure, but he also had a governess or someone there to do the introduction for him, but here he was on his own. It was a lot of pressure to talk to someone on the train, but Ida seemed to know that too.

She’d given him sickles to buy chocolate from the snack cart and then to share it - an easy conversation starter and what kid doesn’t like to have something sweet? The snack cart hadn't come by just yet, but he'd found a few pieces tucked into pocket courteous of... one of his siblings, and he’d kept the chocolate bars next to him for the next time he saw someone. Tao had frowned because there hadn’t been anyone to do that with until another person tumbled into the car that caused him to look up. He had a scowl on his face like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world, but maybe he was just nervous to start his first year at Hogwarts - Tao was too. Words didn’t immediately filter into his brain when he should have just said hello, and instead he smiled and glanced back toward the letter in his hands, starting from the top and rereading it again.

By the time Tao worked up the courage to say hello, the kid across from him had his head against the wall with his eyes closed. He cleared his throat to get his attention. “Uh, hi. Are you hungry? I think I bought too much-” Chocolate. His words were interrupted as the door to the cart flew open, revealing two more children. This time around Tao offered a grin and instantly slid to the end of the seat in case one of them wanted to sit. (Or both, but it would be rather squishy to have three of them to one seat, but he supposed it was worth it to hopefully make some friends before they even got to Hogwarts.)

“Hi?” It came out more as a question than a statement, but he still managed a smile. “Do you want to sit with us?” Tao tossed a look at the kid across from him and hoped it was okay with him. This is what Ida had said to do, right?

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Maxwell Beck, Mirren Greyback, & Callum Finnigan

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   Callum Finnigan, Maxwell Beck, Mirren Greyback

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The excitement that buzzed through the air of the train station loudly was almost deafening, and as the other children quickly said their goodbyes and hopped onto the train, Mimi was left clinging to her father. She’d been dreaming of the day it would finally be time to leave for Hogwarts and start the next chapter of her young life, but now that it was finally time to depart the mix of feelings was overwhelming. Pulling back from her father, Mimi looked up at him with glassy eyes as she sniffled and their goodbyes were shared. However she only made it a few steps towards the train and out of his arms before she pivoted on her heel and dashed back for one final hug. New adventure or not, she was going to miss her Pa and getting to spend time with him outside of holiday break periods.

Once Mimi finally managed her way onto the train she scooped Toast up into her arms. She’d spent so much extra time in the station that now the trains corridors and pathways were hard to navigate as her fellow students hurriedly looked for their friends and familiar faces to buddy up with. Thankfully for Mimi, Callum Finnigans towering third year height and flaming hair made him an easy one to spot in the mix of confused fellow first years, and she quickly grabbed his wrist and dragged him along behind her on the mission of finding an open car to sit down in.

As the pair made their way further down the train and past many a full car, Mimi had dropped Cal’s wrist in favor to scoop his ginger cat Fergus up with her other free arm. The boy seemed awfully forgetful as his cat weaved around ankles to keep up to their pace, and figuring he was just overwhelmed by the start of their school adventure, Mimi gladly took to duel wielding their cats, one dangling from each arm. Snuggling her cheek into Fergie’s ears and whiskers as she squeezed him tightly into a quick hug as the pair carried on.

The search for an open car proved to be difficult, and quickly the pair's chit chat dissolved into bickering back and forth over Quidditch. Swiveling in place in front of what appeared to be a car with spots finally open, Mimi tauntingly smirked at Cal. “And I’m telling you that all of the Scottish teams are way better than the Irish ones! You’re clearly just blind.” Looking away from Cal, Mimi peeked through the car's windowed door before them, and upon seeing that there was indeed space for them, Mimi planted a small foot against the door and with a swift flick sent the door flying open. “Hi!” She cheerfully and loudly responded to the boy who’d greeted them, a warm smile spreading across her face in return to his. “We’d love that!”

Without giving the option for any kind of reconsidering, Mimi trekked right into the train car and plopped down in the spot next to the window beside the sleeping boy. The train had already been moving for a few minutes so they had obviously departed from the station, but she still tossed a desperate peek out the window on the off chance she could still see the red of her fathers hair off in the distance. With no such luck to be had, the small redhead turned back to the boy that had greeted them. “Mirren Greyback by the way! But you can call me Mimi.” As she started the introduction, Mimi released her hold on the two cats she’d been caravanning around, and Toast quickly leaped across and into the greeting boy’s lap. His gremlin claws pricked into the boy’s pants as he began circling before finally curling up into comfort. “That’s Toast. This is Fergus.” She began scratching Fergus behind his ear as he’d seemingly decided to stay with her post strongarm release. “And that’s Callum Finnigan.” Turning her attention back to Cal, Mimi pointed to her fellow redhead. “Unless of course you’re talking to him about quidditch and then you can simply just call him Wrong.”

Looking between the pair of boys, the timid greeter and the clearly sleepy one, Mimi eagerly pressed forward. “Are you both first years as well?” The excitement from her question clear as day in her voice.

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The day Callum had waited patiently for the whole of his life had finally come and the red-head was entirely torn about how to feel. On the one hand, he was incredibly excited at the prospect of going off to learn new magical things and, most importantly, play proper quidditch on a proper pitch with proper refs and rules and the like. On the other hand, he’d never been so far away from home all on his own and for so long. He already dreadfully missed Charlie and his sisters, knowing it would be a long term before he would see them again, but he supposed he could write to them. (Not that his mother had elected to get him a useful pet, he thought grouchily, giving a serious side-eye to his new cat Fergus.) But… with that thought in mind, Callum also supposed he wasn’t entirely alone in this either. He already knew Professor Lissington, and after the brief history his mother had given him of their two families, and the experience he’d had at Ollivanders, Callum felt confident that he knew the man and could trust him. Also, he already knew Mirren Greyback, a girl in his year. Much like him she too was an avid quidditch fan, so even if nobody else in the whole school was keen on him, Callum figured he and Mirren could be friends. If she wanted to be.

Turning to his mother as she fussed over him one last time, he nodded gravely at her warnings and suggestions. There was a worried knot in his stomach making Callum quiet, and his mother clicked her tongue at him knowingly before pulling him into a close embrace. Callum didn’t fight it. He’d miss her too, and Papa. The feel of her dress against his cheek and the familiar scent of wood and irises was a small comfort even as he tried his best to pretend he didn’t need it. Then, strengthening his resolve, Callum pulled away and said goodbye. His Papa gave him one last pat on the back before they went about settling his trunk and things, and then, with Fergus in tow (tucked like a quaffle under his arm) Callum made his way onto the train.

The halls were crowded as the slightly towering first year looked around miserably. He didn’t know how in this mess he was supposed to find anyone he recognized, much less teeny tiny Mirren. Luckily, he didn’t have to fret long as the girl suddenly appeared by his side almost as if by magic. (Well that was certainly convenient.) As she grabbed him by the sleeve and chittered her hellos, Callum felt himself relax and follow along with purpose in life. He must have dropped Fergus at some point without realizing it because the next thing he knew the fluffy orange feline was being scooped up and held under one of Mirren’s two arms and dangling like Toast, her charred looking rat cat. Oh good. At least now he wouldn’t have to worry about loosing it for the time being. (Callum wasn’t sure he was particularly eager about having to take care of a cat all by himself; it sounded like an awful lot of responsibility.) 

As their chitchat devolved into squabbling over quidditch teams, Scottish versus Irish, Callum felt himself relax enough to follow Mirren blindly. He scoffed at her comment playfully and rolled big caramel colored eyeballs. “Right, and all of the Ballycastle Bats quidditch cup wins are simply poppycock are they?” he hummed. “You just don’t want to admit that the Irish teams simply have better players and that any decent seeker to come from Scotland wants to play for us,” he sniggered a little bit. The Ballycastle Bats new seeker was Scottish and, though Callum was always one to give credit where it was due, his team was still superior. “Besides,” he added. “The Kesterals have just as many cups as the Magpies, so they void one another,” he dismissed. So invested was Callum in his point that he was surprised when Mirren stopped in front of a somewhat occupied car and decided to burst in.

Instantly, a shyness crept back up over the tall red-head’s features and Callum ducked into the car behind her. There was only one seat available beside the friendly boy who had greeted them and Callum slid into it wordlessly. He was glad Mirren took it upon herself to introduce them and he waited quietly for whatever came next. Sometimes Callum wished he could just fade into invisibility; maybe that was something they could learn this year in school.

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Maxwell Beck, Mirren Greyback, & Chuntao Chang

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   Chuntao Chang, Maxwell Beck, Mirren Greyback

Of course he couldn’t just be left alone. No sooner had his eyes closed and mind allowed to drift did he hear some clearing of the throat and someone addressing him. So the boy kitty-corner from him decided to speak finally. Max’s eyes fluttered open as he looked back at him warily. He was asking if he was hungry – Max wasn’t, really, and was just starting to shake his head to indicate as much when the door slammed open and he very nearly jumped out of his skin in fright.

Two terrifying redheads strolled into the car, one too short and one too tall, acting like they owned the place. For a skeptical moment Max wondered if maybe they did, and he missed the traincar assignments and they thought he was someone else. But then they were greeting each other seemingly for the first time, the small girl talking to the boy who asked him if he was hungry earlier. There were cats everywhere all-a sudden too? Max squirmed further into his corner, he didn’t mind cats usually but that crinkly-looking one called “Toast” reminded him of his late grandpa. It seemed content sitting there, though he blinked at Max curiously. Max glanced up to his owl Mort, checking to make sure he was safely tucked away in his cage on the shelf above. The bird was just as wide-eyed as he was. Good, so he wasn’t crazy for being a little bewildered.

The brunette tried to follow along with the girl’s rapid pace of conversation, but her accent was thick with a type of English he struggled to understand. Warily Max’s eyes moved from her, to the boy across her with the dumb grin, to the tall one sitting across from him. The tall one, Max noted with a growing frown, was a boy he noticed earlier. The one standing a few feet away from him with normal looking parents dressed in good clothes, he could tell they were his parents because they all looked alike, and they were hugging him and quietly telling him nice things. Not that Max’s experience was really negative, but it wasn’t normal, actually it was probably the farthest thing from it. If he was glowering a little bit at Callum as he got introduced, then he didn’t mean it.

When the car fell silent for a moment after the girl– Mimi’s– bombastic greeting, Max vaguely nodded at her question. It’s not like he wanted to volunteer his name. But he lowered his gaze to his hands, fumbling in his lap, and couldn’t help a small derisive laugh. “You seem like brother and sister,” he said, eyes averted to the big kid, not believing for a second that he was actually a first year too.

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Chuntao Chang, Mirren Greyback & Callum Finnigan

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   Callum Finnigan, Mirren Greyback

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magical set by mj <3
~ Max was raised in Italy and talks with a bit of an Italian accent / misses some English vocab/slang.

Oh, this girl was very cheerful and Tao couldn’t help as his grin widened at her response; as they settled he looked out the window in hopes of being able to send one last wave to his siblings and father, as despite being away from them for less than an hour he missed them terribly. His sister would probably linger in the doorway of his room tonight before she remembered he wasn't there to help get ready for bed, and his brother would probably find the silence tomorrow morning weird. He wished Ida had been born a year later so he’d at least have her with him when he started Hogwarts, although she probably would have gently shooed him away to make him go make his own friends instead of hiding behind her robes like he wished to do. It didn’t matter though because none of the Changs were in sight, replaced by a blur of green as the trees began to rush by them.

A bundle of nerves settled in Tao’s stomach.

The girl - Mimi - dropped two cats and he let out a tiny squeak of surprise as Toast jumped into his lap and clawed at his pants to make himself comfortable. He was kind of ugly, Tao realized as he blinked down at him, but made no note of it aloud. Instead he scratched behind the Toast’s ear which caused the creature to release a soft purr. Maybe he should have gotten a cat instead of a rat; a rat, who, now that the young boy thought of it, had scampered off to who knew where on the train. Hopefully he’d find him later or he’d have to write to Ida to tell her that he’d lost Remy already. She would either be pleased that Remy wouldn't be returning home or disappointed that she's wasted all that money on something he'd lost so quicky. Probably both of those, actually.

“It’s nice to meet you both. I’m Chuntao, but Tao is fine with me.” He replied sheepishly, although he found his gaze lingering on the other kid who just seemed to be staring downward. Mimi and Callum. He could remember that. “I’m a first year, but I’m not sure about…” Tao trailed off as he looked toward the child who didn’t seem to want to give his name. Maybe he was just terribly shy and wasn’t sure how to talk to people - Tao knew all about that. Instead he blurted out something that made him glance down into his lap and smile at Toast to keep from laughing.

They did look like siblings.

Glancing at Callum from the corner of his eye before he finally looked up, Tao gave him a soft grin. “I’m nervous too.” A soft mumble meant only for him, but the nerves in his stomach hadn’t let up yet. Then he turned his attention back toward Mimi and the other kid, although he kept his eyes trained on the boy. “You didn’t get a chance to answer my question. Are you hungry?” He did have enough to share with all three of them, but he really just wanted to know his name; he couldn’t expect to make friends if he was this shy, and Tao was determined to make sure he didn’t have to be friendless!

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Maxwell Beck, Mirren Greyback, & Callum Finnigan

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Mimi’s smile widened as the boy sitting across from her began to scratch Toast behind his ears and reciprocated her introduction. “It’s nice to meet you too Tao!” So he was also a first year! What a perfect turn of events considering her and Cal basically just busted in on the first available train car they could find. Turning to the brooding silent boy now, Mimi waited eagerly for his name… only to then be told that her can Cal seemed like brother and sister! “Not all redheads are related you know!” She huffed at the curly haired boy. Surely they weren’t… were they? She didn’t actually know much about distant family branches and how it all connected together. Callum wasn’t really her long lost cousin right? “Besides, anyone from my family would know that the Magpies are better than the Bats.” She stated matter-of-factly as she shook off the notion that Cal was actually a relative of hers, and shot him a teasing smirk. Even if he was wrong, it was nice to have found someone that loved quidditch just as much as she did.

Turning back to the boy again, Mimi freed her hands from their mission of giving Fergie pets and playfully shoved the grumpy boy. “Also,” she glared slightly at him once he was giving her his attention. “Only friends are allowed to make fun of me, so you better share your name!” Her glare quickly left as her features turned upwards into a joking smile. “Unless you’re trying to pick a fight, in which case I should warn you that I am well armed and capable! Even set my sister’s flowers on fire the other day!” On accident… she’d been annoying and it was an unintended reflex from anger. But it still counted!

When Tao spoke up again with the question of food, Mimi’s face perked up with excitement. Her Papa had mentioned all the goodies the train trolley had when he’d slipped some coin into her hand back at the train station! “Oh! Did you need some food?” Leaping up, Mimi walked over to the car door’s window. As Mimi peeked outside and down the corridor, Fergie took the sudden lack of lap to sit on as a moment to blink expectantly at Cal. “Has the trolley come by yet??” Leaning forward more, Mimi pressed the side of her face against the glass, smooshing it as every extra centimeter of sight helped, her two hands gripped at the windows pane as well. “I think I see it at the end of the hallway!” She was on her tiptoes now as she spied down the trains corridor.

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As the group went around a bit, Mirren and the boy across from her - Tao? - chatting the most, Callum just watched them quietly. He wasn’t normally shy, per say, but the group setting intimidated him and Callum decided he could not stick his big foot in his mouth if he didn’t participate. As the kid across from him seemed to finally deign to pipe up, Callum felt a pointed frown cross his features at both the scowl and comment. How rude! Mimi seemed to think so as well and she quickly set the record straight before Cal could even huff. Her following quip did earn a friendly eye-roll and Callum stuck his tongue between his teeth at her and wrinkled his nose. He’d remind her later about this.

The conversation continued to roll as Mirren demanded the dark haired boy across from him give forth his name. Caramel hues turned towards the boy again wearily, expectant of a response. He certainly hoped the kid would not pick a fight with Mirren! It was much too early to be getting into tousles and Callum knew his mother would be furious if he got sent back to London for fighting on the train! That said, he also wasn’t about to let Mimi get swiped at without backup either and he shifted a little taller in his seat.

Just then, without any real warning, Mirren popped up and dislodged Fergus who hopped over to him expectantly. Callum scooped up his cat and held onto him to dear life. Fergus wasn’t a security blanket in that moment, of course not, but he also… wasn’t not? Callum buried his nose in the cat’s fur as he tugged Fergus to his chest. Maybe he’d make an ok prop after all. As Mirren pressed her face into the filthy glass of the train car window beside him, Callum wrinkled his nose at her. “Didn’t your Pa teach you not to do that?” he asked, quietly. “You’re going to get boils on your nose…”

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Maxwell Beck, Mirren Greyback, & Chuntao Chang

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Tao, Mimi, Callum. What a weird group of names, but it matched the weird group of kids he found himself surrounded by (they all had a little bit different accents too, which in a way, made Max feel better). The boy still looked a little wary as he tried to figure out how he fit into these new dynamics. Mostly because he’d never seen anyone quite like them before, each quite different in their own way.

But Tao was laughing a little at what he said, and it seemed to get a loud and adorable reaction from the girl, and both these things in turn made Max feel a little more chipper. Finally some of the tension started to ebb out from his tight shoulders. He even straightened up in his seat some, blinking his eyes alert. Tao asked him if he was hungry again, and Mimi whined something about not being related to Cal and about quidditch team names he didn’t recognize at all (his grandpa just liked Kesterals, so that’s all he knew).

Though he should know better than to let his guard down so soon, because the girl now pelted him with a thinly veiled threat while his brain was still busy trying to catch up with how fast she said stuff. But his ears perked at lighting something on fire, and his heart started to pound. Was the test of their magic skill in the form of a little girl?

“I don’t want to fight,” he replied hastily, brusquely. It was true. Besides how nervous he felt, he was sick of fighting, and a little worried about the chokey at Hogwarts being way worse than the one at the orphanage. His stomach grumbled, too, as if an on-cue reminder that he was too nervous to eat much this morning and he really needed to make sure he didn’t get in trouble and miss supper today.

“I’m Max,” he turned to say this to Tao, because the girl was already face-first against the glass clamoring for some snack cart, and Cal he decided he would rather just ignore. That boy looked more annoyed at his comment than Mimi did, and the cat he held onto gave him a mean look too.

“Um, sure I’m hungry. But I didn’t bring money so. I can wait until school.” He did have some money, actually - Tom and Becks picked through their own pockets and between them gave him a few bronze bits covered in lint. But he knew he probably wasn’t likely to get anymore soon. So he wanted to hang on to it. Eventually he’d have a voyage to pay for going to Italy, after all.

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The following 2 users Like Maxwell Beck's post:2 users Like Maxwell Beck's post
   Chuntao Chang, Mirren Greyback

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magical set by mj <3
~ Max was raised in Italy and talks with a bit of an Italian accent / misses some English vocab/slang.

Their compartment was in complete chaos; Callum didn’t seem to hear him or respond to his quip, although he’d chalk it up to shyness - maybe he’d be more willing to converse with others once they were off the train. He still smiled at Mimi at her greeting although he slightly shrunk back in his seat as she turned on the other boy and was thankful it wasn’t him. Tao didn’t want to fight anyone, ever. In fact, if he had to fight someone he was either going to do so with magic (although getting detention wasn’t on his list of things to do) or call Mimi to handle it for him.

But the moment was over quickly enough as Mimi pressed her face against the glass. Longwei and Ida had told him about the wonders of the trolley snacks and he was delighted to be able to try them first hand. “I haven’t seen it yet.” Tao confirmed as he smiled softly at the cat in his lap. Maybe he should have gotten one instead of a rat, but he was going to love Remy to pieces regardless. He continued to stroke Toast although he couldn’t help but reach over and pet the other cat on the end as it made itself comfortable in Callum’s lap. Then he turned toward the boy and grinned sheepishly at him. “Hi Max.” He said, ignoring the weird remark the redheaded boy gave Mimi about boils.

“I packed some chocolate bars before I got on -” And he finally had an excuse to pull them out, but before he did that... “Although my sister gave me sickles to buy some things from the trolley. Do you want to split something? I’ve also heard supper has really good food and not to eat our fill on the train.” Tao grinned at Max before he looked at the other two. “We could all split things, if you wanted.” Shrugging, he figured it wasn’t a bad option, but he wouldn’t be offended if the others said no - not everyone wanted to share what they bought.

The trolley finally made it to their cart and Tao scratched Toast one more time before he moved to stand up.

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Maxwell Beck, Mirren Greyback, & Callum Finnigan

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   Maxwell Beck

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