The Train
Sebastian and Nadine appeared with a silent flash and stumbled slightly as they landed near King's Cross Station. The portkey, a weathered old shoe, fell discarded on the ground as Sebastian and Nadine cleaned their hands with a disgusted expression.
"Wow, those Brits can't even prepare a good portkey, can they?" Nadine snorted next to Sebastian, who just nodded silently.
After thoroughly cleaning themselves and straightening their new robes, they gave each other a silent look. "Ready?", Sebastian asked, giving Nadine a reassuring smile, to which she began smiling as well. "As ready as I'll ever be.", she replied, her voice now steady, "Let's show them that we aren't pushovers."
With their tickets in hand, they made their way towards the station, which was bustling with crowds of Muggles around. As they walked, the muggles ignored them as if they were air, paying no heed to their strange attire, as Sebastian and Nadine blended in effortlessly through the subtle use of wandless spells.
"We need to find Platform 9 ¾, or at least that's what is mentioned on the ticket.", Sebastian said, carefully acting unaware, although he exactly knew where the station was and began scanning the area. "We should look for other students. Then we just got to follow them. I won't give them the satisfaction of asking those obvious aurors in disguise. Do you see them?"
Nadine nodded; her eyes sharp as she observed the flow of people streaming past them. Soon, they spotted groups of children and teenagers, some accompanied by their parents, all carrying trunks and cages with owls, frogs, rats, cats, or even snakes as companions for their time in school.
"There.", Nadine said as she pointed discreetly towards a family with a teenage girl in Hogwarts robes. "Let's follow them."
They followed the family at a distance and watched as they made their way towards the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. The young girl seemed familiar to Sebastian with her curly brown hair and excited chatter. He squinted, 'SHIT!', he nearly yelled as he recognised Hermione Granger from the descriptions and photographs, he had seen, both from this world and his past. His eyes began darting around and within seconds, he had found at least 10 suspicious muggles, paying too much attention to Granger, all with wands and other subtle tools at the ready, and from the vibe they gave off, Sebastian was sure that all of them were at the very least trained Hit Wizards!
"Stay close!", Sebastian murmured to Nadine as they watched the family approach the seemingly solid wall. With a quick, confident stride, the family passed through the barrier and vanished from sight, as the ten suspicious muggles disappeared as well, probably through apparating.
Sebastian and Nadine exchanged glances before taking a deep breath and walking towards the barrier themselves. With confidence, they passed through and emerged on the other side, into the 'magical world' of Platform 9 ¾.
The platform was a sea of students and their families, with a liveliness seldomly seen at any place. The air was filled with excitement and many students beamed, happy to go or come back to Hogwarts. The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, stood waiting, as clouds of steam rose into the air. With the shortest glance, Sebastian saw several differences to the movies, the most obvious of which was the length of the train. 'It is way longer than in the movies, probably because of the higher birthrate and because of the student exchange.', Sebastian thought.
"Wow!", Nadine whispered with fabulous acting as she took in the scene. "This is… incredible."
Sebastian nodded, acting just as impressed, "It's like a whole new world."
They had barely taken a few steps when they were approached by a tall, dark-haired, and good-looking boy with a confident swing in his step. When he reached them, he smiled warmly, like only a Hufflepuff could, as his eyes betrayed a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"You must be the German students. Welcome to Platform 9 ¾! I'm Cedric Diggory, a senior student at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall asked me to make sure you find your way and get settled in.", the tall boy, now known as Cedric, said as he stretched out his right hand.
"Thank you, Cedric, that is very welcoming of you.", Sebastian said and shook his hand. "I'm Sebastian, and this is Nadine."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both.", Cedric replied, "This year's International Student Exchange Program is quite the event. Everyone's excited about meeting students from all over the world and so am I. Come on, I'll show you where to put your luggage."
As they followed Cedric through the crowded platform, Sebastian couldn't help but notice a few familiar faces from his studies of magical communities and popular talents. Draco Malfoy, in the movies the typical up-struck noble heir with a sugar daddy, was deeply engaged in what seemed to be a respectful conversation with Hermione Granger, a muggle-born. When Sebastian was near them, he caught snippets of their conversation, dead stopping him in his tracks.
"…and I must admit, Granger, your performance in Master Class Arithmancy last year was impressive!", Malfoy was saying, "It's a subject I find quite challenging myself even though I am also regarded as a British Champion. You are really something else."
"Thank you, Malfoy.", Hermione replied, her tone equally respectful, "It's all about understanding the patterns and theories."
Sebastian subtly raised an eyebrow at this unexpected display of civility, what the fuck had happened in this world?!? As Cedric continued walking, Sebastian stopped, acting as if he wanted to admire the scenery of this bustling train station, his eyes shimmering as if he saw magic as a muggle.
"…and this combination of Arithmancy and Celtic Runes you've developed for spell creation and warding is quite innovative.", Draco continued, his tone genuinely impressed, "I'd be interested in seeing your research notes if you don't mind."
Hermione smiled, clearly pleased, at least that was still the same. "Of course. I've been refining the integration while focusing on maximizing spell stability and ward resilience for numerical wards including those with a high MIP. I think it could have significant practical applications and bring in large profit if used by the right company."
Pretending to further admire the scenery, Sebastian absorbed every word of their discussion like a sponge. 'This is exactly what I'm here for! Unluckily, the very first sentence is above my pay grade.', Sebastian thought, as he suppressed a sad smile. Meanwhile, Cedric continued to talk in the background, explaining the logistics of the program.
"You'll find that many countries are represented here, and we've grouped students from different nations together to encourage mingling and cultural exchange!", Cedric explained like it was the most interesting topic in the world, "For example, there are students from the Mahoutokoro School of Magic in Japan, Castelobruxo in Brazil, and the Uagadou School of Magic in Uganda, and those are only some of the big schools. It's truly a global gathering."
As they approached a luggage compartment, Sebastian couldn't help but notice students from a variety of countries, each wearing robes that showed their cultural backgrounds. The French students from Beauxbatons wore elegant, intricate robes adorned with delicate patterns. The Japanese students from Mahoutokoro wore sleek, silk robes that shimmered with enchantments, and the students from Uagadou had vibrant, colourful robes that seemed to pulse with magic. 'It seems that stronger schools were allowed to send more students. Tsh, it's annoying they think we are so weak.', Sebastian thought with disgust.
"Look at those robes.", Nadine said, while trying to play an inexperienced bloke, as she pointed towards a group of students from Ilvermorny from the United States. Their robes were a mix of traditional Hogwarts styles with distinctly American touches, such as stars and stripes motifs. "They're beautiful."
"Yeah.", Sebastian agreed, "It's amazing to see so many different schools are represented here."
Cedric smiled at their awe. "It truly is a remarkable sight. Now, let's get you both onto the train and settled into your compartments. The journey to Hogwarts is about to begin."
As they approached the Hogwarts Express, Nadine couldn't help but comment, "It's so... antique. I would have expected something more... magical."
Cedric chuckled, before he answered, "It does have a certain charm, doesn't it? The train's been in service for over a century. It may look old-fashioned, but it's reliable and has a lot of history. Just wait until you see the inside."
Stepping into the train, they were greeted by the sight of polished wood panelling, plush seats, and the occasional magical adornment. The compartments were cosy and inviting, each one filled with students who seemed happy to be there.
"It's like stepping back in time.", Sebastian remarked, his voice calm but his eyes betraying his curiosity.
Cedric led them to a compartment near the middle of the train. "This will be your compartment. You'll find that students from different countries have been grouped to encourage mingling and learning from one another. I know I am repeating myself, but Headmaster Dumbledore especially emphasized it. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, learn about different magical cultures and spread peace in our world. His vision is truly big."
As they settled into their seats, Cedric pointed out some of the other students passing by. "There's Viktor Krum from Durmstrang," he said, nodding towards a tall, stern-looking boy with a beautiful girl next to him. "And the one at his side is Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons."
Sebastian and Nadine exchanged glances, both recognizing the names of the famous students. The two of them were very famous for their talent and shared research and now, they began to understand just how significant this program was for most countries. To even send those two to Hogwarts was a surprise none of them expected!
"Thank you for your help, Cedric.", Nadine said as they were settled down and made her voice sound sincere.
"It's my pleasure.", Cedric replied with a friendly smile. "If you need anything or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Welcome to Hogwarts, and I hope you have an amazing year."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
DaoistDumbles
DaoistDumbles Had some planing to do.
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