"There's a lot of bad blood after how things ended last year. If you stick to people who were on the right side of the war, you should be fine, but it could be dangerous to be too open with the wrong people."

"Oh, don't worry, I have a Plan about that. I'm gonna make all Slytherins like muggles and muggleborns."

"How are you going to do that? Slytherins may be opportunistic, but they aren't going to compromise on something that was part of their house for so long..."

"By being the awesomest muggleborn Slytherin ever, drawing a lot of fire, and creating a conspiracy amongst the younger years."

"That's adorable," says the boy his age. 

"Thank you, I try."

"I hope you've thought about the other houses, though. You'll need allies there." 

The train begins its trek across the countryside, and Alistair adjusts his things so Sadde has plenty of room.

Sadde beams at the window as the view starts moving, then looks at Alistair again.

"Yeah. I met a boy who I'm sure is going to Hufflepuff. Where do you think you're going?"

"Gryffindor. Think we can get the full set?" 

"Bet we can! I can find a cool Ravenclaw and be their friend."

"Maybe I'll get there first."

"Sure, nothing says we can't both be friends with a cool Ravenclaw."

"What are you looking forward to? I can't wait to see the astronomy tower...the view must be amazing."

"The library! I heard it's huge. And also classes!"

"I guess classes could be fun," he says dubiously.

He feeds his owl a treat; the more expensive variety, by the packaging. It's not clear that the owl can discern any added benefit.

"I think I'll be best at Charms and Defense."

"Charms and Transfig, I think. And, I mean, muggleborn, all magic's gonna be fun for me."

"That's true. It must be really exciting. I don't know what to be excited about that Muggles can do, and I'm not going to be going to a Muggle school, anyway. I think I'm probably less excited about magic than you, though. The view from the tower, the centaur herd, those are things I want to see." 

A woman interrupts their conversation with a cart piled with unfamiliar sweets; some of them fizzle and crackle, others quiver and shake, and some glow.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?"

"Spaceships, I think. You should be excited about those." Then, to the lady: "What do you have?"

She names a lot of candy. 

Chocolate frogs and jelly slugs are the most exotic, but he can also try cauldron cakes or pumpkin pasties.

...he kinda wants one of each but doesn't really have money for all of them. He'll get a chocolate frog.

Luckily, Alistair buys pasties and cauldron cakes for them both. 

Sadde will have to live without jelly slugs.

What has his life come to. A complete lack of jelly slugs.

"Did you get something good? Chocolate frogs have collectible cards with them."

"Haven't checked yet!"

He opens the package.

The frog jumps. He catches it midair, and giggles.