Captain Revealed

Chapter One: The Beginning

"Slip my heart in your back pocket..."
-Mandy Moore

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Just as the Hogwarts Express whistle blew, two young girls fought the crowd and boarded the scarlet train. The whistle sounded again, a shrill piercing sound. The taller brunette started to run faster towards the train, practically dragging her friend behind her. The train started moving, just as the girls lifted their trunks and assorted items up onto the steps. Quickly they ran into an empty compartment, put their things away and raced to the window. Sticking their arms out, the two waved to their parents who were standing out in the rain. When they could no longer see them, the pre-teens sat down on the cloth seats, closed the window and began talking excitedly about the year ahead.

"Can you believe it Velma? Who ever thought we would be going to a magical school?" Luella Nickson sighed, flicking her long, wet, brown hair behind her shoulder. Her blue eyes seemed to flicker as she turned towards her friend. "I mean, magic? In us?"

"What are you complaining about? I remember you had been boasting about being able to see the future!" Velma Bergh smiled, her short hair dripping with rain. She took off her light blue jacket, placing it inside of her trunk. Luella followed suit, only placing her black and white jacket under her seat.

"Boasting? Ha! I was merely informing you of my special gift." Luella laughed, and then became serious. "I was just joking! I had no idea it was real."

Velma smirked. "What is going to happen to us?"

Slowly the compartment door opened. In the hall, a tall handsome boy stood, shuffling his feet and blushing. His hair was tousled, falling down his forehead in a tangle, dripping.

"Um, may I sit with you ladies? Everywhere else is full..." His thick accent made Luella giggle and smile. Suddenly she stopped as she thought of...

"Sure you may! Come in and sit!" Velma snorted. She raised an eyebrow and made introductions. "I am Velma Bergh and this is my friend Luella Nickson. What's your name?" She continued, covering up for Luella who seemed to have lost the power of speech.

"My name is Oliver Wood." His brilliant brown eyes sparkled as the train went around a bend. The rain seemed to be letting up, and the sun shone through the clouds.

"Oh! Pleased to meet you." Velma smiled. Luella squirmed, gripping the cloth seats with her fingertips. The memories of...him...were assaulting her. This guy, Oliver, was a major reminder of... his face, and his eyes... Luella shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts. Oliver sat down next to Velma and tried to look her straight into her face, but all he got was a mouthful of hair. He sputtered, and Luella murmured a quick apology. He turned up a side of his lip in a smile.

"Do I know you?" Oliver gazed into her eyes as if searching for something. Luella tried to look away, but found she stared right back. There were dark circles under his eyes, as if he didn't get much sleep.

"Erm... no I don't think so." Velma giggled at her friend, and Luella closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was surprised to see that Oliver was smiling. His teeth were perfect, and she melted.

"So Oliver, are you an only child?" Luella asked, her courage mounting.

"Yeah, I am. How about you two?"

"Oh, I have a half brother and a half sister." Velma tried smiling, but all that she succeeded in doing was a twitch in her left eye. Her shorter, darker hair clung to the side of her face, framing it.

"I have a brother, but my mom is remarrying so I'll have a step-brother and a step-sister." Oliver took off his dripping leather coat, placing it under the seat as well. He sat back, relaxed, leaned his head against the side of the compartment and eventually fell asleep.

"Isn't he just so adorable?" Luella sighed, her eyes fogging. "I hope we become friends."
Taking out her wand and a book, Velma flipped through the pages. Luella turned to see the title, and it read Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed. Curious, Luella whispered her question.

"What are you doing with that book? It wasn't on the list!" Velma just snickered.

"Well actually I was going to use this to find something to put on you," Luella glared. "But I think this is the time to use on him!" Velma started smiling in a very evil way. She giggled again and held out her wand.

"Wait!" Luella whispered excitedly. "What if something goes wrong? What if you end up hurting him?"

Velma paled significantly. "Maybe you're right. I should wait until we have some experience..." She put her wand and book back into her blue trunk, and closed it.

Suddenly the compartment door opened, and a plump witch pushing a trolley came in. Oliver woke up immediately, looking excited. Luella looked pointedly at Velma as if to say, "what would have happened here?"

"Anything from the trolley dears?" She asked, wiping a strand of hair from her face. The two girls glanced at each other, looking uncertain; they still hadn't figured out the wizard money that they had received in exchange for their Muggle money.

Oliver, however, had other plans. He leapt up and started shoving candies and other sweets into a plastic bag. He handed the woman change and sat back down.

Luella and Velma, still unsure, said no thanks. They held up homemade lunches and opened the bags. The woman smiled, closed the compartment door and left.

As Luella dug into a peanut butter and mayo sandwich, Velma shook her head, and began on her turkey, pickle and cheese sandwich.

"Um...what is that?" Oliver frowned, not realizing why Velma looked so disgusted. Luella smiled, swallowed and held the sandwich out to him.

"Its good! Try it! My aunt Jen and I love them!" Velma rolled her eyes, chewing her food. Oliver reached out for the sandwich, spilling some of his candy onto the floor. He ignored it and grabbed the sandwich.

As he took a bite, Luella swooped down and picked up the candy. There was a box labeled "Chocolate Frogs", and another labeled "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans".

"Oh you can try em," Oliver sputtered as he chewed the sandwich. Velma looked at him in wonder as he took bite after bite, until finally there was no more sandwich left. Licking his fingers free of peanut butter, Oliver grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Ella, I kinda ate all of your sandwich..."

Smiling, Luella told him it was no problem. She opened the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and took out a pink one.

"You'll want to be careful with those, Bertie had to go and make every flavor. I mean there are ones like peppermint and peanut butter-" Oliver wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "And then there are ones like pepper and leather and..." he shivered. "Vomit..."

Velma burst out laughing. "You had a vomit flavored one??" She squealed. "This is too rich!" Luella stopped mid chew of the pink one, and spat it into her hand.

"What was it?" Oliver asked. Luella frowned and shook her head.
"Raw meat." They all squirmed, disgusted. Velma opened her bag and told Luella to throw her candy in it. Oliver grabbed the box of beans and took out a white one. As he popped it into his mouth, he smiled and swallowed.

"Potatoes! Mashed potatoes!" He grinned, and picked out another white one. Before he could drop it his mouth, the compartment door slid open yet again. A red haired boy with too many freckles, glasses, and moth-eaten clothes looked in the compartment. His eyes lingered on Velma, who began to blush.

"Hello, my name is Percy Weasley." He held his hand out for Luella to shake, and she took it.
"Hello, I'm Luella Nickson, this is-"

"Velma Bergh, nice to meet you." As Luella let go of Percy's hand, Velma grabbed it and shook.
Oliver smiled a cocked grin and introduced himself as Oliver Wood. Percy refused an invitation to sit, standing in the doorway.

"I came in here to tell you that we're almost there, I was just up to ask the conductor." Percy folded his hands and looked at Velma. "I would change into your robes." Luella noticed that he was in his already. Finished with his business, Percy left.

"Erm, Oliver, not to be mean or anything but, we need to change." Velma laughed. She made a sweeping motion with her arms and opened her blue trunk again. As Oliver nodded and left, Velma pulled out her black Hogwarts robes. Luella in turn opened her moon and star trunk to find hers.