“Are you going to start wailing about there not being an actual school building?” Thomas says as he looks at the team in front of him.

“No sir, unlike the Brits we can actually read reports.” A man snorts. “We're heading to a former milltown that vanished when the mill shut down that's being used now for temporary housing of their magical school Hogwarts. The school itself is on a series of train cars for classrooms and trucks are being used to house the students, school employees, and a group of Ministry employees who are in charge of the train itself.

“We're going out to make sure the wards are enough to protect the school since they're so far away from anybody.” Another man says.

“Exactly. They're looking at another large incoming first year class next year and needing more trucks and train cars to handle all the new students and new employees. Next year will be the first year that they won't be part of the train so they can't easily get away if something happens. Before when they were in the castle there was Hogsmeade nearby. It would take five hours for the train to get back to the school and another five to return to London. That's not counting unlinking the trucks and getting the students settled in the Great Hall to wait for the train to arrive. They're looking at days for that even under the best of circumstances.”

“Why don't . . .sorry sir, I forgot. Most of the students aren't old enough to be able to drive the trucks.”

“And there's no road for them to be on anyway.” Thomas sighs. “At least now they do have floo's to send students off to safety and we're working on emergency portkeys to send them various places in case they have to leave before school breaks.”

“Can we keep the train there?”

“The Ministry really doesn't want it out from under their control. When the train was running constantly they had nine crews working 24/7 in shifts, two months on, one month off in rotation. Now It's one three man shift out there for two months.”

“Gods, that must be boring as hell.” One of the men mutters as they get ready to grab the portkey.

“They have satellite television and internet just like the kids do in their own trucks. But yes, I imagine they do want to be home instead of stuck in the middle of nowhere for days on end doing nothing.”

More than one person shudders as they look around them at the snow falling as a door in one of the train cars opens and they quickly hurry inside.

“I wasn't expecting to be dropped outside.” More than one of them complains.

“What the hell did you think would happen if somebody tried arriving unexpectedly? Twit.” One of the others says as they brush themselves off and a house elf arrives with warm drinks.

“Sorry to drop in like that but it was a good test of the wards.” Thomas sighs. “We'll have to make sure unauthorized portkeys are sent somewhere else.”

“Yes. Somebody can easily get in the cars or trucks.” Filius sighs. “Something else we have to think about in the future as our location becomes more known.” Thomas nods. “Right now your wards cover the entire area, I'd think about setting up a building outside the area where portkeys could deliver people and be screened before arriving at their final destination.”

“A thought. Now, to answer your unspoken question. Both Amelia and Diana are doing as well as expected, they will be receiving their grades from the non-magical classes next week unless things are delayed with so many new students this year. If not, they'll be available by the time we return from Christmas break.” Thomas chuckles then his face grows hard. “Have you figured out yet how long it will take to shrink all the trucks for Christmas break?”

“We are looking at at least one full day, possibly two. And at least three to relink and enlarge the trucks when we return. And that is only because the links exist. I have no doubt it will take an entire week next year, we're already buying more sleeping bags and foam mattresses for students and employees to sleep on, those not sleeping in the train compartments with their pets. And when it is time to start shrinking the trucks, those students with pets will have to be the last ones done unless the train arrives the day before we are set to leave.”

Thomas sighs and nods. “But that also means they'd be in their trucks while the rest of the students are sleeping on the floor in the great hall. But if the train arrives the night before, those students with pets can sleep in the train while the others bed down in the great hall.” A rapping on the door has him calling enter.

“Just who I was thinking of, Septima Vector this is Thomas Kincaid our unofficial representative from the ICW. Mr. Kincaid was just asking about how long it would take to shrink and enlarge the trucks.”

“Which is why I'm here.” Septima chuckles. “Bless scientific calculators and pencils so I can erase mistakes, it makes things a lot easier. I ran the numbers for our normal number of house elves, ten extra house elves, and twenty-five extra house elves. A good part of the problem is not only can we not link the trucks after dark, the house elves have to stop and fix meals for us and the students.” Filius sighs and nods. “Creating the links is the longest part of the process.” Filius nods again. “Arriving at our usual time of four pm it will take. . .” The numbers are laid out, the time to create the links for next year's students and new employees an estimation that has the newcomers but Thomas whimpering. He just sighs. “Larry and Andrew's daughters slept in compartments on the train since it took four days for everybody's trucks to be put in position. I had no doubt it would be longer next year.”

“Why can't you continue to link the trucks after dark?” One of the others asks with a yelp.

“Because the house elves can't see outside where to place them?” Filius says scathingly. “We were able to last year when we first arrived after Christmas because we were so excited at the train not running constantly but I'd rather not cause any accidents. As it was, the next day the house elves had to move a few of the trucks that were too close together while the students were in class. The snow on the ground just makes it more dangerous.”

The newcomers sigh but nod.

“Attention students.” Filius says a couple of nights later. “We have the final details for how long it will take to unlink the trucks for Christmas vacation. We will be arriving in London Friday afternoon. . .”

“How was it dear?” Lisa asks when she comes off the train. Amelia is looking around. “Your parents got a call dear, your brothers are with your grandparents but you'll be spending the night with us.”

“Barbie?” she asks as they walk to the floo.

“No dear, taking over the Ministry. Now, how are you?”

“Tired, we were out of our trucks two days. We knew we would be so we stocked up on cat food and other supplies and plenty of things for us to do while we waited. I swear they timed it down to the second.” Amelia says. Diana nods.

“They probably did because they know they'll have to do it two more times, Easter and summer break.” Lisa chuckles. “Grades?”

“Not yet, we were expecting it as many students were taking tests. They'll be there when we come back and after Christmas will be two testing sessions.”

“Homework?”

“Assigned early and finished early. The teachers did it this way to make sure we had the time free while our trucks were being shrunk and unlinked from the houses. That and we had access to our computers and printers to do it. Though they can print in the library. I'm sure some of the others were doing that while they weren't taking meals or sleeping. The problem with that is unless they put it in the teacher's trays in the classrooms or their offices, they have to have them with them the whole break.”

Lisa nods.

“Thank you Lisa.” Andrew sighs as he floos to his coworker's house to find his daughter finishing eating breakfast. “Things are hectic at the ICW with the Ministry being investigated six ways to Sunday. Now girls, I am telling you this in complete secrecy because the announcement won't be made until you return to the train. The Wizengamot is being forced to stay at the school to see just how much work is involved in getting student trucks linked to their houses. Not just returning from Christmas break but next year when all the new students and employees trucks will have to have links created.”

“Fuck” Diana sighs. “I'd better stock up on paracetamol to have in my bag for the screeching.”

Amelia nods. “Same here.”

“Trucks?”

“We just came back from dropping them off since both girls are having items added beyond the supplies. Let me know if you need us to grab Amelia to pick hers up when I take Diana?”

“Thank you Lisa, that will be a big help. I know you know how hectic it is with the ICW having to take over the Ministry.”

Diana grabs Amelia's shoulder. “If you can, stock up on the packets that are single use. That way we can pass them along to the others. And check the phone list to see if you can contact any of the older students to warn them. Paracetamol. . .and earplugs.”

Amelia and her father snicker but nod. “And make sure the soundproofing is up on the compartments from the way the fools were wailing this year when we arrived.”

Diana looks at her 'sister' and uncle, then her mother and her own father. “Do you see the train detaching from the school cars next year?”

“No, I feel it was a pipedream. The only way they can truly be separate is when a new school is built and there's multiple ways for the students to leave in case of an emergency.” Amelia's father sighs while Larry nods in agreement. “I can see the train crew heading home once the school has arrived and settled into place but actually unhooking from the compartments? No, especially as class sizes continue to rise and the need the room for students to sleep with their pets while their trucks are being linked or unlinked, shrunken or enlarged.”

“Do we see a school being built?”

“I can see the train compartments being the basis for a school but. . .and this is a big but, we need to have dorms on hand for the students.”

“Yes, Amelia and I were talking about this. I can see eight dorms, two for each house for boys and girls. Each with multiple rooms for every year to handle as many students as can be placed in the house. But the problem there is unless it's a separate school from the train, there's always going to be an us vs them with some students in a building and some student living in trucks.”

Larry sighs but nods. “Unless we made an arbitrary decision say, in five years all new students will be moved to dorms when they start school so people know it's coming.”

“And the same problem with the school compartments as with a new school, it's not been steeped in magic for generations and magical enough to add more rooms.”

“The only thing I can see happening is something like hotels for dorms.”

“Way too big but yes.” Larry sighs.

The next two weeks pass both quickly and slowly everybody thinks and everybody is loaded down with bags of things to do while they're waiting for their trucks and belongings to be moved.

“Ummm, anybody know what's going on?”

“Remember how long it takes to create the links because the Wizengamot isn't allowing us extra house elves to create the links? Or even just link the trucks in a timely manner?” Diana drawls The others in her compartment nod. Diana jabs her finger at the door and the people wailing outside multiple times.

“No!”

“Yep. So expect days of wailing and screaming. That's why the phone trees strongly suggested stocking up on paracetamol for the trip.”

“Christ.” One of the older students moan as the news makes it's way through the compartments. “I hope the compartments soundproofing is good.”

“Earplugs. Or somebody gags the fools. Because I don't doubt they're running up and down the school halls trying to find the dorms because we have to be lying about not having them already.”

“But they can't have been telling the truth about there's no dorms and everybody lives in the trucks.” More than one of them screeches as they continue to run up and down the length of the train, both the school compartments and the train itself. They try kicking in compartments and getting hexed or struck with objects and dragged away to be lectured to within an inch of their lives. Older students conjure seats and settle in train cars to protect younger ones with conjured clubs. Which are used a few times.

Amelia laughs and opens her door when she sees a familiar figure being carried down the train aisle, pointing at a door across the way. The man nods and places a bound and muttering oath words through a gag Diana in her compartment.

“Her father?” One of Amelia's compartment mates asks, knowing the girl has a father who works at the ICW.

“Mine, actually. Lemme guess, you drug her off kicking and cursing.” She asks when he leans in the compartment doorway.

“Yes, and she connected with a few of the old fools knees and if she could have found their inbred family jewels, them too.” Andrew sighs. “Your uncle Larry is sighing and Thomas is trying very hard not to laugh at him.”

“Insulted her by calling her a filthy muggle-born or called Aunt Lisa a muggle-born whore when he found out she's a half-blood?”

“Both, which is why they're currently stiff as a board as everybody curses them out. They might be released from their bindings, eventually. If only so we don't have to smell them relieve themselves.” Diana is released from her bindings and mutters more rude words.

“But why are you allowing students to return to the train and not us?” one of the ones who hasn't been silenced screeches as students who don't want to leave their pets head back to the train after dinner after grabbing sleeping bags from by the door. The tables vanish and foam mattresses and sleeping bags are brought out.

“Because their trucks haven't been enlarged and linked back up to their houses and don't wish to leave their pets alone for however long it takes the house elves to finish the job.”

“But if they're there, we can't.”

“What the hell makes you think we'd allow you to sleep in the train cars anyway? You're the damn fools who have been denying us a school for decades. You're the reason why the students have to sleep on the floor in here or in their train compartments instead of their own beds. Fool.” Filius continues to rail on the man but the area is silenced so as not to disturb the students. They end up sleeping in the hallways with only the sleeping bags for comfort since they had refused those awful foam mattresses as unnatural. They're moving slowly and complaining the next morning at breakfast but the looks the students give them make them shut up before they're hexed.

“But why is it taking so long?” One of them wails when they still see students settling down that night either on the floor of the Great Halls or in the train.

“Because not all of the trucks have been linked back to the cars? Dear god man, did you think we were joking when we said we needed to either come back a week earlier or have more house elves on hand to move the trucks? Fool. The days aren't long anymore, I don't doubt it will take two more days to get all the students back in their trucks. And every day that takes is a day the students aren't in class.”

“But why not?” He wails.

“Do you really want to sit in a classroom wearing the same clothes and sleeping on the floor or the train instead of waiting to be able to get a hot shower, wear clean clothes, and be able to concentrate on your schoolwork? They're not enjoying themselves, as a student's truck is attached they run to them so they can be comfortable. Those who didn't finish their homework before the break is printing it out in the library and putting on their teacher's desks in classrooms so it's handed in. Those with everything done are concentrating on their nonmagical classes or watching television in their Houses while they wait for their trucks to be linked and enlarged. Gods, we're still looking at another day at the very least since the days are so much shorter in the winter.”

The man sobs himself to sleep in the hallway again. The others aren't much better and in some cases worse as they stare into space. It's two more days but the last of the students run into their trucks and thank you god hot baths or showers and clean clothes that haven't been slept in for days.

“You know the drill students. Your regular Wednesday classes tomorrow. Thankfully we aren't too far behind since we knew we'd be taking days to get everything set back up. All your Christmas homework should be on your teacher's desks your first class for those of you who had everything done and printed out before we left but couldn't access it until now”

Diana drops her homework off on various desks over the next couple of days, she's not the only one and the teachers chuckle. Saturday the envelope of non-magical assignments is dropped into the basket in the mail car and Diana slumps onto her bed in the truck. Looking up at the new floors she sighs and heads upstairs to check on the progress of the 3D printer models, knitting machines, and the new additions to her truck. Checking the list of requests/orders, she starts to work.

“Need a hand?” Amelia asks, coming up their stairs. She'd been added to the allowed wards on the truck along with her parents and uncle Thomas earlier so she doesn't have to go down numerous flights of stairs to let her in. Briefly she's reminded of Professor Longbottom's tales of the castle her first night and she sighs. “Yeah, can you grab a box of the small candle glasses and wicks? I'll grab the wax flakes and color.”

“Are those molds for dipped candles?” Amelia asks as the wax starts melting on the burner and Diana starts clipping the wicks in place.

“Yeah, for when you want a more polished appearance and not the rustic look you get from hand dipping the candles.” Diana sighs. “I don't have any orders but I want to get ahead on this stuff so I have a good selection to have on hand.” Amelia sighs but nods.

“Your parents got a list of what they want you to be doing?”

“Yes.” Amelia sighs. “They'll be added this summer when we're interning. I think your work is about done?”

“Unless the parents or Uncle Thomas decide to add more things to protect us. If we did have to go to Hogwarts, I prefer the train now that it's not moving instead of the castle. Yes, you have to live out of the truck but you have room for a lot more things than you would have with just the trunk.”

“Yep, not just the tv, computer, printer, and radio. Having a good supply of over the counter stuff for headaches and whatnot. Snacks.”

“No snooping roommates or tattling kids trying to cause trouble because you have something they think you shouldn't have or are doing something they don't approve of. Like the Weasley family's Percy by the comments.”

“Complaints.”

“Those too.” Amelia chuckles.

“Are you as far ahead in your nonmagical homework as I am?”

“Be done by the end of February, if not Valentines Day? Yes.” Diana sighs. “If this year is anything like last year the signup sheets will be going up in Headmaster Flitwick's office the end of February with the fifth and seventh year students getting first spots because of their tests at the end of the year. When I was finished I signed up for a spot and they were already on the third sheet of students.”

“Damn, and it's going to be worse this year with so many first year students taking non-magical classes. Not to mention leaving a couple weeks early.”

“Yeah, I fully expect it to be three weeks of testing revolving through the years. And those students who couldn't get in before Easter break taking tests after we get back. Which sucks for the people monitoring our testing then grading everything but it can't be helped. Just like they have to deal with envelopes of assignments instead of actually teaching students in regular classes. The Wizengamot's heads would have exploded at the thought of non-magical classes actually being taught here. Allowing students to work on non-magical assignments when they're not in class is bad enough. Oh Lawd.” Diana mock-wails. “I'm sure they were frantically going through the grades trying to find an excuse to get rid of the non-magical assignments being available and screeching when they found out that the only people failing classes are those purebloods being home-schooled.”

“Well of course they are, they ignore the fact that the ICW has had magical and nonmagical classes in the same school for decades.” Amelia snorts. “I don't know why the hell you weren't in school with me. You wouldn't have been the only one attending by portkey thanks to their parents having important jobs.”

“I was always supposed to attend a different magic school. They didn't wike that. It was either their way or the highway.”

“Idiots.” Amelia's phone rings and her face grows hard as she answers it when she realizes it's her parents. Diana pulls her onto the bed as she listens to the phone and starts swearing when she ends the call.

“Do I want to know?”

“Brain Dead Barbie tried claiming I just tried to kill her. This of course would get me expelled from my new school, my magic bound, and she'd beg for me not to be thrown in prison.”

“Oh Jesus, how stupid is your sister?”

“Very. The authorities don't believe her blubbering bullshit and are tossing her in a hospital room for the rest of her life since. . .well, she's a quadriplegic now. Dumbass didn't realize she was being taped and the boys she paid to attack her are facing life in a home for the criminally insane now.”

“Why?”

“Because she's a miserable bitch who hates the idea I'm going to a magical school and she's not. Mom and Dad have had enough of her bullshit. . .finally. She's blubbering because now she's going to be seeing the same walls for the rest of her life, Mom and Dad refused to forgive her this time. She's finally found out she crossed the line. Trying to claim your sister tried killing you because you're a jealous bitch? Yeah, we washed our hands of you.”

“She thought they'd come running to her, kissing her nose and wiping her ass?”

“Yeah, and with me out of the way she'd go after the boys next. And they know it.”

“Shut up you stupid brat. Trying to claim your eleven year old sister tried to kill you because you're jealous she got something you didn't. After your lies already made her get expelled from your school. Enjoy the hell you're living now.” The sound of a fist meeting flesh. “Don't try biting me again you stupid brat and you won't get hit. Ain't nobody here gonna put up with your BS. “

If Amelia is quiet the next few days it's understandable when the teachers are told the complete story. “I understand.” Harry pats her on the shoulder. “My aunt was very jealous of my mother because Mum's magical and she's not.”

“Does it ever get easier?”

“No, no matter what my mother and their parents did my aunt was a jealous bitch. Her jealousy turned to hatred, just like your sister's. But in her case magic was freakish and she was normal. She never forgave my mother for being magical or my grandparents for accepting her magic.”

“If. . . she never liked the fact that she wasn't an only child.”

“No, this way she couldn't have all your parents attention. You were another girl. And you were magical. In her sick head, she had to destroy you.”

“I never thought of it that way. Thank you. I always wondered why I was always her special target. My parents did their best to protect me.”

“Which was more horrific in her eyes. You were only protected because you were magical. She wasn't, so she was punished. Not because she was actually guilty.”

“Attention students who are taking nonmagical classes. A show of hands for those of you who will be finished by the end of February?” Nobody is surprised when most of them have their hands up, including all of the seventh and fifth year students. “Sign up sheet will be in my office for early testing before we return to London for Easter holiday. With Easter early this year we will be returning early as well so sign up early if you can otherwise you'll be taking them when we return. First years, the fifth and seventh year students get the first slots, their tests at the end of the year take up the entire two weeks. The other tests only take a week leaving the second week free for non-magical tests.” The students who'd been about to say something nod slowly. “Those students not at a place to finish their assignments early will take their tests that second week.”

“Heard from your parents?”

“Yes, brain-dead Barbie is still wailing about being stuck in a bed or a wheelchair for the rest of her life and she's got a new therapist who is telling her the facts of life. It's her own damn fault she's in the spot she's in and she needs to take responsibility for her own actions. She's gonna get one of those boards where you can blink, blow air, or talk to select functions and trained to work communications to give her some independence after rehabilitation.. Right now she's in a hospital room with no television, radio, or other fun stuff. I hate to say it, but this might be the wakeup call she needed.”

“She could be in prison for killing you or the boys.”

“True, which my parents told those stupid women wailing that she was hurt. The dumb broads tried suing the institution, of course her being a squib is why she was targeted. I really hurt her, didn't I? They watched the video and were stunned that she would actually lie. My parents asked them what the fuck they thought she'd been doing before, up to and including yelling at me for supposedly attacking her in her classroom when I wasn't even in school that day. They're blubbering that they just wanted to protect her because nobody protected them. In their families or at school.”

“Oh puh-leeze.”

“Yes, their boss asked them to point to one instance where they were targeted for being a squib at school. And no, other teachers and students calling them out on their bullshit didn't count. That made them break down sobbing. The school is not happy with them sticking their noses in our private matters. . . again. Neither is the judge overseeing our lawsuit against them. . .again.”

“Fucking morons.”

“Oh yes, because he knows their families. They were never victimized by being squibs. They're just like Barbie and Professor Potter's aunt, miserable because somebody else got something they wanted. Their families are dead, otherwise they'd be calling them lying fools too.”

“Miserable old bats.”

“Yes, needless to say they no longer have jobs at the school involving the students. They have no weight to push around anymore and if they start their shit they are shut down. . .immediately.”

“They must be heartbroken.”

“Yep, spend their days wailing in small offices until they'd told to shut the fuck up, it's their own damn fault they're there. They had no damn business getting involved in the situation. And no, she wasn't a poor squib being abused by her family, she was a nasty piece of shit who upped her game when I got my letter saying I was going to be starting magical classes. Until I got the letter she could ignore the magic in our house as oh, it's mom and dad doing it. It was only the last year that things got rough as she was looking at finishing schooling and I was looking at starting my magical classes. That and finding enablers made it . . .rough at school for me.”

“Did they ever apologize?”

“Those two old bats? Hell no. The school, yes. When they went through all the records and found out I was the victim of those fools and Barbie they overturned their expulsion and were stunned when my parents chose not to re-enroll me. The board of the school was very irate, they're in charge of expulsions and they weren't brought into the matter.”

“Those two again?”

“Probably. There's a new superintendent, principal, and other higherups at the school. They're the ones holding those old fools noses to the grindstone, not the former administration.”

“Of course not.”

“Professor Potter, do we have the final total for the new students next year?” Diana asks as they walk past him to drop off non-magical assignments in the basket where he's talking to one of the house elves.

“Yes, we're looking at eighty-five first year students total. And forty new employees counting the house parents. Also, word of warning. The old fools from the wizengamot will be joining us next year to add all the new links.”

“Stock up on pain relievers and earplugs then.” Diana sighs. “And make sure to work ahead when we can. Didn't they whine last year because we weren't in classes?”

“Yes, but they had to admit being in the same clothes for days on end and getting quick washups in sinks was hard. Especially when not everybody had access to their books and other supplies for classes. But this gives us a week to arrange classes and those new and returning students used to the new classrooms.”

“No, because most people put their books in their trucks that are shrunk before they get on the train so they're not carrying multiple bags, their pets, pet supplies, human food and supplies, and their trucks.” Diana snorts. Harry looks at her and she rattles off the classes she plans on signing up for once she gets her final grades in. Both magical and nonmagical.

“Have you figure out what you want to do when you're older yet?”

“Not yet, I know I have brochures from the ICW to look over during Easter break.” Amelia sighs but nods. “It's going to be quiet at home not having to deal with Barbie's nonsense. Some damn fool wailed because Mom and Dad didn't bring her home after the attack but grudgingly agreed she might need more help than they could manage being a quadriplegic now. And she was receiving intensive therapy to knock the stupidity out of her. If she starts behaving and keeps up with her counseling sessions and is truly sorry for what she did, she might be allowed weekend visits home after rehab. But since she was in a group home and under their control when the attack happened, its their decision. And truthfully, I'm nowhere near ready to see her again. I don't know if I ever will be after what she put me through. No matter how many times her former counselors tried telling me to be the bigger person, she didn't know what she was doing.”

“Bullshit.”

“Yeah, they were stunned that tough love didn't work on her. Telling her she was wrong to act this way didn't work on her either. Continually lying about me was wrong but nothing bad ever happened to her. Now it has and she has to live with it for the rest of her life. However long that is. Because paralyzed people don't live as long as people who can get up and move around. Not to mention mouthing off to the wrong person.”

Diana and Amelia look at each other and sigh as they drop the last of their nonmagical assignments in the basket in the mail car in the middle of February. Detouring to Headmaster Flitwick's office they put their names on the signup sheets and go back to their trucks. Amelia starts a load of laundry in hers while Diana brings out the vacuum and starts cleaning.

Amelia is quiet the next couple of days and Diana realizes she must have got a bad call from her parents. “Barbara?”

“Refusing to take responsibility for her own actions. . .as usual. She only blubbers enough to get what she wants and it's right back to her usual nonsense that I'm evil for actually being magical and treating her so horribly by merely existing. Dumb bitch. Mom and Dad have washed their hands of her. The group home has permanent custody of her and is shipping her off to a. . .facility where she'll be taken care of for however long she lives because they don't have the resources. Not even rehab or a job in communications now. Straight institutionalization.”

“I'd wondered how long they'd be able to handle her needs.”

“Yes, it took this long to find her a facility that could handle her needs. Poor baby is going to be locked in a room for the rest of her life where she won't have to worry about how everybody is so mean to her because she's not magical. She's already been magicked so she can't talk about magic, her backstory is a variation of the truth, she was always targeting me and tried claiming I attacked her but the guys she hired to beat her went too far and broke her neck. Unfortunately for her the attack was filmed and this was the final straw against her trying to blame me for everything she did. The facility knows her family wants nothing to do with her now and accepted her as a charity case.”

“Oh, did the others figure out what they wanted to add to your truck?”

“Soap and a few other things. There's some niche markets that will handle the sales.” Amelia yawns. “Sorry, I'm tired.”

“It's the weather, it looks like we've got one last storm coming through the area. And?” She knows it's more than just the weather making her glum.

“Mum asked what I wanted for my birthday, what kind of cake and dinner since we'll be back for my birthday this year. I think I broke her when I said, what did it matter? We'd never celebrated my birthday before because of Barbie. And I can't remember ever getting a birthday present from anybody in the family thanks to Barbie's nonsense.”

“Dear gods, did nobody ever wish Amelia a happy birthday just once?” Her mother asks in dismay when she's gone through her journals to find any records of a birthday party for her second daughter or what gift she got her. “Add in Barbara's nonsense at school and sending her away, no wonder she doesn't think we'd do anything to celebrate her special day.”

“Because we never did before. How many times did we take Barbie's side over hers? Just to keep the peace. Hell, how many times did you call her at Hogwarts that didn't involve Barbie?” Her husband says sadly. “Hell, how many times could we even just gave her a hug after Barbie's nonsense at school? No, we kept pushing her away to concentrate on Barbie's needs until it was too late. We have one daughter who will be in a bed the rest of her life from her own actions and the other is like 'whatever, you never gave me any attention before, why start now? Hell, we don't know what she likes to read, what tv shows she likes, what movies she likes. We believed Barbie's lies about her cheating on her tests by copying her and nobody thought, 'how the hell can she be copying her tests when they're in two different grades'? Dear god, she nearly got suspended until somebody with some goddamn sense realized they weren't in the same class, let alone the same damn year.”

“No wonder Amelia hates Barbie. . .and us.” Her mother says sadly.

“And you two.” He rounds on his parents. “I know it was more convenient for Lisa to pick up Amelia because she was there for Diana anyway, but dear gods have you ever done anything for her but give her the back of your hand? She was never allowed to go on trips to the farm.”

“Bar. . .Barbie kept telling us how nice it was not to be around her freakish magic. How she did things that she was blamed for. It . .it wasn't until she was so happy to get her expelled that we realized she was the problem. Now it's like seeing a stranger instead of our grandchild.”

“And that is why Amelia thinks everybody in the family hates her, because of Barbara's nonsense.” He says sadly. “She never got a birthday present from any of us, she never got a birthday card from any of us. She never got a . . .Christ, tell me you two at least got her a goddamn Christmas present. If not just a damn card.” His parents shake their heads sadly. “Barbara was our miracle child.”

“Barbara was a lying sack of shit and you know it.” He rounds on them. “She would lie to you right to your face and you let her get away with it. Then blubber we were being mean for making her see a counselor about her problems.” Andrew stares at them, a sad thought crossing his face. “That's it, isn't it? You don't like Amelia because she's magical and Barbara isn't.”

“It's . . .it's not that.” his mother screams frantically. “It's just that she does things with her magic Freakish things.”

“Really, name one thing she did with her magic. That you saw, not one of Barbie's lies. You actually saw with your own eyes.” They stare at each other, trying to make excuses. “That's right, you can't. Because she never used it, we blocked her magic in an attempt to calm Barbie down. It just made Amelia a target. It got worse when she got her letter. Don't worry, you won't ever have to be around your 'freakish',” he sneers the words, “Granddaughter or your grandsons again. That's right, the boys are magical too.” His parents wail.

“We can't make this up to her, can we?” His wife asks later that night after the boys are back from school and his parents have gone home.

“I wouldn't even know where the hell to start. I think as sad as it is to say, getting her away from us for ten months at a time is a good start. She can stand up on her own two feet. I could kill Barbie for this though, if she hadn't been such a spoiled brat when it came to not having magic this never would have happened. Though now I wonder how much of her problems was caused by my parents problems with magic.”

“Not caused but acerbated.” His wife sighs. “I never would have thought they'd have a problem.”

“Neither did I.” He says. “The boys will have to know, I don't want them to be upset by this.”

“Yes, and we'll tell Amelia face to face when she comes home. She deserves to know the truth. Boys, can you come in here a minute. We need to tell you something.”

Michael and Edward sigh and look like they want to swear at the news. “I knew Grams and Gramps had a problem with magic, but not that they considered Amelia a freak for it.” Edward says. “I wonder how much of this is them and Barbie's hatred feeding on each other.”

Their parents nod. “Well, I won't feel sorry about not wanting to visit the farm during the summer anymore.” Michael says. “No great loss there, the only person they cared about was Barbie.”

Amelia slumps onto her bed a few weeks later. “No Mom, I won't get my grades back until after we're back from Easter break since it's only a couple days until we leave now. Tomorrow we'll be getting the call to grab pets and the bags that we were told to fill for break and put them in our seats on the train after breakfast.” She sighs. “Yes, I know it's the middle of the week and we won't be arriving back in London until Friday, it will take that long to get all the trucks unlinked and shrunk, it did Christmas. Those of us with pets sleep in the train compartments, those who don't bed down in the great halls with mattress pads and sleeping bags. The only problem with this is we'll be living in our clothes for a couple days. But it's longer when we come back, unlinking and shrinking the trucks takes less time than linking them back up and enlarging them again. That will be four days then and we're figuring on a full five next fall with the new students and new employees.”

“I know your father said it took that long after Christmas dear but. . .”

“Yeah, it's still a pain to live through. I know there's talk of a gymnasium car for showers at least but that still leaves people wearing the same clothes multiple days.”

“Now I hate to be nosy, but anything in your refrigerators that would go bad the two weeks they were shrunk?”

“We're warned the week before break to start cleaning out anything that would go bad, reminders go out every other day. Most of us know what to expect and we take the time to clean our refrigerators. Though with all the stasis charms on the trucks when they're shrunk it's not really a problem. There's a few people with coolers on the train, mostly it's stuff for sandwiches and those medications that need to stay refrigerated.”

Diana slumps into her mother's arms and Lisa worries because Maxie isn't complaining about being in the carrier. “Bad weather.” Amelia says, coming down behind her. “Gusty winds, heavy rain. . .mixed with snow. It stopped as quickly as it started but for a while there, it was bad.”

Two weeks later Amelia slumps into her seat on the train.

“How was it?”

“Surreal. Mom and Dad tried but it's going to be a long, long, long time before I can trust them. It's like she never existed except for pictures everywhere of her and the boys. Mom looked at them, looked at me, and spent a day putting them away. She was frantically looking for pictures of me with the family and couldn't find any. It's like I never existed.”

“Jeez.”

“Oh yes, anyway I got a cooler full of food to eat when we're waiting for the trucks.”

“Same here.”

Amelia looks up from the first book in a new to her mystery series as students start getting on the train, putting the bags and trucks away and those with pets putting down food, water, and relief areas for them. Everybody is looking out the windows to gauge the weather.

“That didn't feel like a normal storm.”

“No, it felt targeted for a better word. And abruptly cut off as if they were mistaken.”

Because they were. In a room far far away a man is staring at what the muggles would call a crystal ball and he and those in the know refer to as a scrying glass as he stares at the train that he had thought was full of well, somebody other than boys and girls, teens to pre-teens. Why would so many children be appearing out of nowhere? Now that he knows what he's looking for, he can feel the wards on the train and the area they had appeared from. But why are they there? This bears further investigation.

“Welcome back to Hogwarts school of wizardry and witchcraft. I hope everybody had a nice Easter with their family, either biological or host family. How many students still need to finish their nonmagical tests?” A double handful of students raise their hands. “I do hate to do this while you are still out of your trucks but with the holiday being two weeks early this year some of you will have to be taking your tests while we are enlarging and linking the trucks.”

“Gives us something to do besides sit around.”

A school? This is a school? And they live in trucks? Where are the actual buildings. This bears further investigation. And why is the area they are in so barren?

“So that's it Mom, my grades are good, even better than they were last year with Barbie pulling her shit. There's a note in my letter that they were shared with my old school and the teachers who actually had me in classes agree with my grades while those miserable bitches are wailing they didn't know I was actually a good student. Which puts to rest their bs I was cheating by copying Barbie's work.”

“BS, your sister could never be bothered to get anything higher than a D to save her life. And her teachers know it. Now that she's out of the house I'm beginning to wonder why we never put a stop to her manipulations before now.”

“Mom, could she be a projecting empath?”

The sound of absolute silence on the other end of the phone, then a burst of swearing that has Amelia biting her lip to keep from laughing. Diana leans in the doorway after the call is abruptly ended. “Wanna know?”

“Mom was wondering why they never put a stop to Brain-dead Barbie's BS before now, now that she's out of the house everything is so much clearer.”

“Projecting.Empath.” Diana says slowly. “Well, that and a hateful bitch.”

“That was my thought. I never thought Mom would ever admit to knowing some of the words she said.” Amelia giggles. “Anyway, my grades were passed along to my old school, the old fools are still wailing that I have to be cheating by copying off of Barbie.”

“Oh BS, you got straight As and she couldn't scrape up a D+ if her life depended on it according to her records.” Diana snorts. “Another goddamn lie by those stupid bitches who have to protect your poor innocent squib sister from the evil magical one tormenting her. Because a) nobody protected them even though they can't prove anything and b) it can't possibly be her fault.”

“Yep. Oh, I found out why I was never allowed to visit my grandparents. More of her BS. They were convinced I was doing freakish things with my magic. Well, no, they couldn't point to an instance when they saw me doing something wrong with it. But I had to be tormenting Barbie with it. Because I'm magical and she's not. She said so. She's their miracle child.” Amelia drawls as she pulls down the seat and lays out her sleeping bag. “Mum and Dad told them that that never happened because they blocked my magic to make it easier for Barbie. And we all know how that ended.”

“Jesus.” Hermione moans as she walks over to them to tell them to get ready for bed. “Yeah, they didn't realize blocking it would make me sick as a dog for two weeks when the healers finally removed them. The blocks should have been removed years ago according to them.”

“Yes, blocked magic turns inward in time. And not pleasantly.” Hermione shudders. “Now, off with you. Time for a quick washup and bed, even if you can't get to sleep right away.”

“You pass along your grades to your parents?”

“Yeah, they're not impressed that some of the students are still taking their tests while they're waiting for their trucks but with Easter coming early this year it couldn't be helped.” Diana sighs. “And it's just going to get worse when next year's students are added to the mix. I can see having special weeks for students in specific grades. No sign-up sheet needed, you know what week you're going to be taking tests. Both before and after Christmas.” Professor Granger shudders but nods. Filius is coming down the train corridor to make sure the lights are off in the aisles and sighs, but nods in agreement.

The next morning students quickly wash up after breakfast and head off to their tests while others either settle in the library to work on assignments or return to the train compartments to do. . ..whatever

They truly live in the trucks and take classes in the train cars? What happened? The watcher asks, disturbed. A wave of his hand has the scene reversing and continuing to reverse until he sees the teachers, now much younger in a building. He shakes his head when he sees the incident that caused the loss of the building and the train becoming the school. He shakes his head when he realizes how much time has been spent on that train and how recently they settled into that desolate area. The wave of pure magic is what had first caught his attention and he had set the storm on the train until he realized children were aboard.

The students finishing their tests returning and the last of the trucks being enlarged happens almost simultaneously. They run to their trucks for hot showers and to change out of their clothes as the teachers chuckle but nod.

“Attention students, you know the drill. The normal Wednesday classes start tomorrow. Anything that is due that you couldn't turn in because it was in your truck is due on teacher's desks your next class session.”

“Would teaching the students to link, unlink, enlarge, and shrink their own trucks help?”

“No, because with the house elves doing it everything is placed safely. If the students do it, they can put them anywhere.” Filius sighs. “The students shrinking and unlinking their own trucks might seem like a timesaver but the it's not because the trucks can be delivered to the train compartments much quicker than they can be carried by a human, as seen by the overloaded students trying to get down the stairs when we return to Kings Cross.” The others snigger but nod in agreement.

The next weekend finds Amelia and Diana splitting their time between their trucks working on projects. Soap is mixed up and put in molds, melt and pour for now though Amelia would be interning with an ICW employee who makes it from scratch to sell in the shops and farmers markets in the area. Candles are poured and molds filled, they're boxed up or put aside when hard. Resin molds are poured and she'd been making 3D printer models every morning and night since she was back in the truck.

“Are you having more work done on you truck this summer?”

Diana sighs and nods. “Uncle Thomas is still concerned about the old fools in the wizengamot causing trouble. They still have to pay out so much money for the trucks and train compartments, employees, etc and getting punished for never having got off their asses to even find a location to build us a new school. That's not settling in well with them and sooner or later they're going to go on the attack. Part of my internship this summer is martial arts and weapons training.”

Amelia sighs. “Yeah, I've been getting the same hints too. Any idea when they will build us a school?”

“Half past never. I can see more us finding a better location and putting up a building here and there with the dorms the last thing to go up. Unless somebody somewhere is sitting on an empty city that they're willing to hand over to us.” Amelia sniggers. “The problem here is while there's the room, nothing grows here. Yes, a hundred wizards can vanish the dead soil until the cows come home but we're talking tons of dirt to get rid of. And tons of soil that needs to be brought in to replace it. Now, I know Dad has been looking at land so the house elves can grow our food again instead of buying it since we're seeing such large class sizes but there's just not enough magic for them to grow food and take care of the trains and trucks. Something has to give.”

“Are the experts seeing magic soaking into the school cars?”

“Not yet, yes it's been nearly 30 years but a lot of that time the train was moving constantly and it took all that energy to keep everything up in the air. Now that things are settled in one place they expect to see it starting to pool.”

In an office in the Ministry a man rushes into an area he never bothered to visit before.

“Cresswell, I heard some rumors. Tell me they're not true.” He demands. “Tell me the Quidditch League isn't looking at having to shut down in a few years.” Please don't be because of Hogwarts. Please don't let it be because of Hogwarts. He chants silently and not so silently.

“Yes, sir. Hogwarts. We're not getting the recruits from the players that we used to with the school being on the move for so many years. The last recruits we got were Ron and Ginny Weasley. With having to travel for flying class, training sessions, and games there's nobody playing pickup games for more experience and while scouts go to the games looking for talent, the drive isn't there anymore.”

“But they're not moving now, why don't they have one?” He screeches.

“Because that's not their permanent home, it's only tem por ary. Just like the train was only supposed to be tem por ary. And we know how long that lasted. Once they have a permanent location they can start building. But a pitch and bleachers is pretty much low man on the totem pole for decades. Dorms so they can stop housing students in trucks is the top priority. Hell, I doubt many students even have their own brooms.”

He runs off sobbing. “Fucking moron. You're finally being called out on your shit and you hate it.” Dirk Cresswell says, looking back down at the papers in front of him. He'd called for a meeting for the owners and managers of the quidditch teams and they start walking into a meeting room a few minutes later.

“Gentlemen, we all know why we're here.”

“We're losing older players and we can't replace them with younger players from Hogwarts because Quidditch isn't played as much as it used to be with the train being in constant motion for so long. I had a thought. . .open tryouts and expanding that to other countries. So many good players didn't get the chance to play on their teams.”

The others nod. “Is there any way we can force Hogwarts to start concentrating on Quidditch?”

“No, and the fact that you're asking that shows you're as stupid as the old fools in the Wizengamot. They have portkeys to take students to the stadiums for practices and games. What more do you want them to do?”

“What happened to the castle's pitch.” One of the older owners who's been wailing the loudest demands.

“The school hasn't been at the castle for nearly thirty years now.”

“I. . .I thought that was just a story going around. You mean the castle really isn't there anymore?”

“Yes, the castle is really gone. That's why Hogsmeade is slowly dying, half the homes are empty and stores only open weekends when the students arrive in their trucks. The only store that stays open year-round is Honeydukes and that's because they sell most of their candy by owl order.”

“Trucks?”

The whole story is told. “So Gentlemen the only thing we can suggest is opening your tryouts to everybody including those from other countries. Otherwise, I don't see quidditch lasting as a professional sport for more than another ten years.”

“No, our youngest players are all in their forties.”

Diana shakes her head in disgust as she reads that week's Daily Prophets with the headline 'We're Losing Quidditch because Hogwarts won't make their students play' getting disgusted comments from the Great Hall. A paper a couple days later has a blubbering announcement/apology that the previous article had been a mistake, nobody would ever blame Hogwarts students for concentrating on their classes and their futures. It had been a letter from a 'concerned' party that had been published by accident.

“Oh BS.” Diana snorts. Everybody in earshot nod or look at her. “Do we know what caused this?”

“According to mine and Amelia's fathers there's rumors going around the ministry that the pro Quidditch teams are losing players at an alarming rate due to age or injury and while scouts do come to the games, they're not seeing the level of players they used to when the castle was the school and we had a quidditch pitch. The times for practice are laid out, there's no pickup games held where kids can get more experience and scouts aren't given names of other players from the house teams.” the teachers nod at the front table as nobody even pretends not to be listening. “And even now that we've stopped, there's more important things that need to be built before a pitch and bleacher seats.”

“Not to mention this is just supposed to be temporary and there's no use even thinking of anything that can't be moved within days.”

“Is it snowing again?” A student complains.

“Yes, but it won't last. . . again.” Filius sighs. He sees a mix of winterweight and summerweight uniforms in front of him.

The rest of the term passes quickly and Diana sighs as she drops her last test on the teacher's desk, swallowing two tylenol with the bottle of water in her bag after she walks out of the room. Back in her truck she brings out her summer homework list and starts to look it over, booting up her computer and starting to write.

“Do we need to make a special trip into Diagon for your robes and uniforms?” Lisa asks when her daughter comes downstairs after they've arrived back home. She can see her clothes aren't fitting right.

“Yeeeesssss,” she says in disgust. “Even with resizing charms everything's getting tight.”

Amelia is hugged by her brothers when she returns to their home. “Let me let George out and then you can tell me your news.”

“It won't take but a second. You were right, she's a projecting empath. She was blocked and is absolutely miserable now because she can't make anybody do what she wants anymore. Having screaming fits in her room miserable.”

“Poor baby.” Amelia drawls. “Karma's a bitch and all that, she's finally being held responsible for her own shit.”

“Okay, homework?”

“Two days then I can go intern at the ICW.”

“Truck?”

“Dad and Uncle Larry took mine and Diana's off to have the work Uncle Thomas wants done on them and get a headstart on the supplies for next year.” She says.

In an institution the sound of fists hitting flesh. “Fuck you little bitch, ain't nobody going to force your twelve year old sister to leave school to work to take care of your miserable ass.” A man says in disgust. “Grow the fuck up and leave your sister the hell alone. She's worth a thousand of you, and I've never met her.”

“More like a million of her.” Another man snorts in disgust.

“Is there anything we can do for Barbie?” A woman blubbers in a bedroom.

“No, and just being away from her lying ass makes me more determined to never have anything to do with her.” A man snorts. “I don't know why the hell we ever cosseted that stupid little bitch in the first place. The others are right, the little bitch would lie right in our face and we let her get away with it. You claim Amelia is a stranger to us, well whose fucking fault is that? Hmmm? We never paid her the least bit of attention, did we?”

His wife continues to blubber as he walks off. He turns to look at her. “Andrew has told me he doesn't expect her to live the rest of the year in that facility because of her bad behavior, I'll say good riddance to bad rubbish when that happens.”

“Can't we bring her home?” She wails.

“Hell no, she's a quadriplegic woman, she needs round the clock medical care. We don't have the room for it or the money for it. She's a charity case there because they know she's a miserable bitch who attacked her sister constantly and the fact that she orchestrated the attack on herself trying to blame her sister just proves the point.”

“But she didn't mean anything by it.”

“Are you fucking stupid? Of course she meant to destroy her sister's life.”

“But she's going to be in that horrible place for the rest of her life.”

“Good, maybe if she hadn't had those boys attack her she wouldn't be in this damn mess. But she was actually being punished for being a brat for once in her life and she couldn't have that.”

“But hasn't she been punished enough?” His wife wails.

“Fuck no, she's reaping what she sowed. It was her decision to try to claim her sister attacked her. Hers. Nobody else's. Hers.”

The girls make a date to go to Diagon Alley for books when the new lists arrive.

“Uniforms?”

“Mum took me already to get new uniforms and robes. And regular clothes since I was outgrowing everything.” Amelia snickers but nods. “I'm not looking forward to that next year. Mom's wondering if some of the shit that Barbie left behind would fit me but I don't want it. No matter how many times she tried claiming I stole her clothes. That's why she broke into my room that one day, she claimed I had her clothes but nothing left behind fit me, let alone her.”

“Your sister was a lying twit.”

“I know.”

“Only one new book. Yes.” Amelia chuckles as Diana selects hers and they head off.

“You'll be doing this soon enough.”

“Oh I know, Dad and Uncle Thomas are already going over the list of books for the other magical classes they want me to start taking.”

Diana sighs and nods. “Time dilation chambers at the ICW and Gringotts. I already spent a year or so there taking classes that the school doesn't offer.”

“Already?” Amelia sighs, stopping to look at her best friend/cousin/chosen sister.

“This way I have a well rounded education beyond what Hogwarts offers and I was able to take both my OWLs and NEWTs early.”

“Jesus. Are you still taking nonmagical classes?”

“Yes, they couldn't figure out a way to add those too without the nonmagical schools wondering how the fuck I got so many years in in one day.” She snorts. “Now, how is your internship going?”

“Good, like you I was running errands, I was also working at the sales center boxing up stuff and learning how to make soap from scratch. I. . .well I can't say met my grandfather there, reacquainted myself with him. Like Mom and Dad, he's becoming used to the idea that Barbie was a lying bitch. Grams well, Grams and those two bitches at school still have their heads firmly up Barbie's ass and probably always will.” She sighs. “Mom and Dad have told me they don't expect her to live through the rest of this year in there since she's not settling down at all. Someone's gonna end up killing her.”

“Christ.” Diana moans. “If she hadn't been such a stupid brat.”

“Oh I know, it seems like a bad dream. If. . . If.. .If. . .” Amelia shakes her head. “Needless to say, we were both stunned to find out we'd be working with each other making soap. He sells it to a number of places both online and on commission. Money has been tight the last few years. . .” Amelia snorts suddenly. “I wonder why? Brain-dead Barbie no doubt. Anyway, he and Grams are working and getting their pensions to make ends meet.”

“Christ.” Diana prays again.

“Oh yes, it's been a hot mess at home. I'm almost happy to be going back to school. Now, did you get all that waste plastic packed up to be melted and remade?”

“Yep and got in tons of supplies beyond what I had to begin with since like you some of this stuff is going to be sold at the market.”

Diana yawns as she settles in her usual seat in the compartment, nodding at Amelia as she settles into her own seat across the aisle. “Did your dad talk to you about doing what I did this summer?”

“Yes, I have to be finished with my second year classes so next year.” Professor Potter had been walking down the aisle and looks at them. Amelia smirks and points a thumb at Diana's compartment. “Somebody used a time dilation chamber at the ICW and got her OWLs and NEWTs.”

“Not.My.Idea.” Diana says firmly at his look. “I'm still going to be taking my OWLs and NEWTs here and I'm still taking nonmagical classes since they couldn't explain how I got five years worth of work done in one day. Let alone my A-Levels.” Amelia sighs but nods. “She's looking at doing the same thing next summer.”

“Oh Professor, my parents don't expect. . .well, I'll probably be called away before Christmas break for Barbie's funeral.”

“She's that badly hurt?”

“No, her attitude still hasn't improved. Something's going to happen.” He shakes his head but remembers people he's met before that had met bad ends thanks to thinking they were better than everybody else. “And my grandmother is not dealing with Barbie's accident well. We may be losing her too.”

“What does your grandmother do, you said both of them had to go back to work.”

“Lunch lady at a school during the day and weekends or when school's not in session she works in a pub. Gramps is an electrician by trade and makes soap nights and weekends, selling it at the market operated by the ICW.”

“Did the twins survive their wives pregnancies?” Harry asks Arthur, his lips twitching.

“Yes, only because the girls thought killing them would be over too quickly. They wanted them to suffer.”

“Are the grandkids still joking about all of them turning out like Percy?”

“Yes, the boys laughed while the girls shuddered.” He sighs. “Then the girls laughed while the boys shuddered”

The screeching and wailing starts as the train fills with more students. New first years look at the older students. “The Wizengamot, basically the British Wizarding world's equivalent of Parliament. They didn't like how the school is run. I know you were warned you'd probably not be getting in your trucks tonight.” They nod. “They didn't want to have to spend the money to hire House elves to link the trucks to the school compartments. That takes days even when they days are longer. Especially the new school years when we're sorting the first year students. Most of us will be sleeping on the floor in the great hall after dinner or in these compartments if you have pets. Especially this year when we have 85 incoming students and over 40 new employees who all need to have links created.”

“All of us?”

“Yep, all of us.. Something they,” more than one finger is pointed at the screaming men running up and down the aisles because they still haven't found the dorms the teachers have to be lying about. “Won't get off their asses and allow the teachers to hire more house elves for the jobs. It's not just today, we'll be sleeping in the great halls or here in the compartments again when we're getting ready to leave for Christmas break, when we come back from Christmas break, when we're leaving for Easter break, when we're coming back from Easter break, and when we're coming home.”

“Is there anything that can be done to fix it?”

“Hiring enough elves to link and enlarge the trucks in a few hours? Same with unlinking and shrinking them when it's time to go. Or getting off their asses and building us a permanent school instead of leaving generations of students being schooled on what was until two years ago January a moving train?”

“The train was moving?”

“Oh yes.” Diana says. “I'm starting my third year at Hogwarts and my first semester the train was moving. It was only the actions of the new Ravenclaw house parents of screaming at the top of her lungs when she realized the train was still moving that got us to stop moving. And we had to stop moving.” She rummages through her bag and passes around the pictures of the train cars with the trucks hovering overhead that has more than one person whimpering. “the train wasn't going to be able to generate enough power to keep everything going. Now, I'm sure there's some older students who might complain that we didn't have to sleep on floors when the train was moving, but that was because as soon as we started the house elves were taking the trucks and linking them to the houses.”

“Oh hell no, I am not complaining. Not when you could look out the window and see the ground moving underneath your truck and you kept going higher and higher and higher every year as the new students trucks were placed under yours.” One of the older students calls from their compartment down the aisle.

“How do they do them now?”

“Rings around the the train cars with the school employees trucks the outermost ring, then the seventh year, sixth year, and so on with the youngest kids next to the train cars.”

“Am I insan. . .wood?”

“Yes, we have wood stoves in the trucks as an additional form of heat, and trust me they have been used. We are going to a big bare area that used to be an old mill town that vanished when the mill left. Nothing grows there because the ground is contaminated by everything they did, back then they didn't have the protections they do now. Since it's a big, barren area with nothing to stop it, the wind blows through the area. You will want the added heat even with the heating systems in your trucks coming on. They were originally added as an extra source of heat for emergencies when the train lost power and the trucks uncoupled from the train to keep from falling.”

“Winter uniforms? Is there a date that we are told to switch to them?”

“Nope, when you're cold wear them. Some students wear the lighter uniforms year round, it all depends on your tolerance to cold.”

“Now, we really work on non-magical assignments at our own pace?”

“Yes, in the mail car there's a basket that's meant just for that work. You'll have your name, school, and grade number on the outside and the house elves take them in weekly to the testing area where your assignments will be graded and added to your non-magical records. This serves two purposes, it allows you to continue your non-magical assignments and it gives a record of you in the non-magical world. This way you don't just vanish.” The students nod in understanding. “In December before we break for Christmas, you'll be going back to the testing center to take the tests that you'd be doing in a normal classroom. Usually you have your grades back before Christmas break, but with so many new and old students, you won't get them until we return in January.”

“Mail?”

“Again, the mail car. House elves will take it to the owlery in Diagon Alley. Mail to non-magical addresses will be taken to the post office to be sent out while mail to magical addresses will be sent out via post owl. Mail is picked up and delivered twice a week.”

“Trucks? We really live in them?”

“Oh yes, because the train compartments aren't big enough to have dorms, just the house common rooms with doors in the walls that are links to a year's common room and then doors that are links to our trucks. It means no dealing with roommates but it also means that students are on their own for hours at a time. In the castle the fifth, sixth, and seventh years had prefects whose job it was to patrol the school and make sure the younger kids were taken care of in their dorms, here you have to get permission from the student to enter their truck. Which keeps boys and girls from getting in each other's dorms but leaves them without supervision. That's why this year we have house parents in each house whose job it is to keep an eye on the students.

“There's no other supervision?”

“Nope, the library and hospital wing was the only things open after dinner. Unless you had astronomy class you were supposed to be in your houses by nine and in your trucks by eleven. Truthfully, most everybody just went to their trucks after dinner to either read, work on homework, or watch tv.”

“Are there books about what happened?”

“Yes, my year they were handed out after dinner because it was an eight hour train trip to where the school used to be and they were able to get all the trucks linked back up by then and link ours during the welcoming feast. Now it's a five hour train trip to the area we were given to settle down while the ICW and other concerned parties are looking for a permanent home for us. It's not just a place to stay, we need enough room to be able to build not just classrooms but dorms and other necessary items. Yo, Amelia?”

“Yeah?”

“When did your year get the books about what happened with Hogwarts, Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and the Australian school?”

“At our lunch meeting at one. New students, heads up. Yes it's only a couple hours after the train ride starts but at one you'll be asked to go to the lunch car for a first year meeting that will last at least an hour. If you brought food with you, eat it then otherwise order something there.”

“You'll get the books then, with being out of your trucks for a few days that will give you time to read them.”

“So it's not just us?” One of the new first years ask.

“Nope, the initial incident took place some of the teachers last year at school. There was a tournament between three schools and all three schools were lost. Durmstrang refuses to tell anybody where they're located but they have spent the last nearly 30 years on a series of cruise ship sized ships that are their houses, their classrooms, their supply areas, and their growing areas. Beauxbatons is a school in France, like us they were constantly moving but in large barges that needed the energy to stay up in the air. After we finally had to settle in one place somebody asked, if there's large enough areas for them to land and let off students and get in supplies, why don't they just stay there.”

Blinking and facepalming.

“Yahhh, I agree with Professor Granger that common sense is lost to magic.”

“And the Australian school?”

“Targeted by somebody who claims they thought it was a terrorist encampment. They they didn't know it was a school. By the time they were done the buildings were destroyed. Like us, they use the trucks for everything, they park out in the Outback. But the government doesn't like being reminded they went after a school. Including kids if it hadn't been a break.”

“Christ.”

“How the fuck has nobody in the nonmagical world twigged to the idea that the school doesn't have a permanent address? The police should have been involved years ago. Somebody would say this isn't really a school and the students are being rounded up for immoral purposes? Yes, the fact we come home multiple times . . .” One of the newcomers asks.

“There's an advanced charm called the fidelus that is placed on the students letters. For those true muggle-born students, it means you cannot tell your parents that the school is a train. For others, you can only talk about it if you've graduated from Hogwarts or if you're with a school employee. Now that the ICW has taken over the Ministry, they're actively looking for locations to build a school and plans for what we need.”

“Not where we are located now?”

“Not unless a lot of work is done, the ground is contaminated so nothing grows there. We're looking at tons of soil having to be removed and tons of soil replacing it. That type of work takes years.” The other muggle-born and muggleraised students nod. “We've probably all heard about those clean up sites that take millions of pounds and years to work on? That's what we're looking at here. Which is why it was meant to be a temporary site, just a place to park everything,”

“Indeed, the ICW has taken over the job of looking for a new location for not only our school but Beauxbatons and Durmstrang as well.”

“Australia's school?”

“The ICW is hinting heavily that the school be rebuilt, either where it was before or where they're parked now. They're wailing about the cost but by keeping their heads in the sand they're losing money anyway.” Professor Potter says as he walks down the hall with an older man and woman.

“So if it was a bid to get the land, it never amounted to anything?” Diana asks. Then grins. “Uncle JimJam, Aunt Lily.”

“Uncle JimJam?” Harry asks in amusement as first Diana and then Amelia hug the couple.

“We were bored and bypassed the Ministry to work directly with the ICW. We're part of the group the girls fathers work with but we're researchers.” James Potter tells his son.

Amelia looks at Diana. “You know, it won't be an us vs. them if some of the students are in dorms and the rest in trucks if a school is ever built. It's gonna be an us vs. them because not only are they going to be sharing rooms with however many other students if you go five or eight beds in a dorm room while we have our own trucks, it's going to be an us vs them because we have all this room in the trucks and they'll be living out of a trunk.” Professor Potter sighs but nods as Headmaster Flitwick says something that's probably rather rude in another language. “Not to mention needing room for your school supplies and books.”

“Hotels as dorms with linking the trucks to rooms so students don't know if you have a truck or not.” Diana says flippantly. “And I'm sure Professor Granger could tell you girls want privacy as they get older.”

“Boys do too, that's why the old sock on the door is a warning sign. And with the old dorms, it was basically a place to sleep. Not like your trucks where you did everything there.”

“And with dorms, you've got to keep the boys out of the girls dorms and vice versa. At the castle the girls could go in the boys dorms.”

“At the castle there was always at least one quickie marriage because a girl ended up pregnant since there was no supervision except for the prefects and head boy and girl.” Hermione snorts as she walks over to the group. “I don't miss it. I'm surprised Lav Lav and Won Won didn't end up with as many kids as his parents the way they were going at it.”

“There nearly was, I think Molly permanently hexed him sterile.” Arthur chuckles as he walks up to the group. “That's why he never married, he thought, sweet, I can fool around as much as I want and not have to worry about a kid.”

Harry snorts as the train whistle sounds and they start moving. “I'd be more worried about whatever diseases Quidditch groupies had if this was a nonmagical sport. But Ron's fanbase never materialized.”

“Well maybe if he didn't play for the perennial losers the Chudley Cannons.” Hermione says, rolling her eyes. “Only professional team where everybody works at least another job, if not two.”

“Be fair 'Mione, he thought he was going to do something his brothers never did and lead a professional Quidditch team to victory.” Harry chuckles. “He never thought of anything else or a future beyond Quidditch so now he's playing catch up, both with his schoolwork, and with other jobs.” Harry says when they settle in their compartment.

“This is where the school is now?” Molly moans. “It's so lonely. And barren. I know it was only meant to be temporary but. . .”

“After the first snow things will be different.” Harry says, coming into the compartment and shutting the door firmly to keep the sound of screaming Wizengamot members from bothering them. “I don't know why they're still screaming, they've been out here four times now and things haven't changed yet.”

“This time will have to be different.” Arthur sighs. “They'll find the door that's been hidden by you and the others and prove they're right about everything. They can take the school over and go back to the way things used to be. Hidebound idiots.” Harry looks at him. “I'm retired from the Ministry but when the ICW took over I went back to work as one of the few former department heads they could trust not to cause problems.”

“At least thank god the ICW and King Charles are working on trying to find us a location. But even then, building the new school will take years.”

“Finding a location will take just as long.”

“Did the others add to your truck?” Diana asks as she leans in the doorway of Amelia's compartment as the others head to the great hall for dinner.

“Yeah, now I've got silkscreening equipment and a number of patterns for t-shirts and bags. I'll make them up and ship them off to sell, if there's a demand they'll send out more patterns.” She checks the food, water, and litter for George and the new kittens before shutting the door and heading to the great hall after stopping to the bathroom.

“So, did you hear how the American schools are doing with losing so many students?”

“Oh, it'd be funny if it wasn't so damn sad. They lost about half their student number my first year here.” Diana's voice can be heard saying as she walks into the Great Hall and takes a place at the Ravenclaw tables with Amelia. “Yeah, I heard Uncle Thomas chuckling about that over Christmas. Because it was more than half my first year. And it's just getting worse now that the Wizengamot fucked up and demanded all British Witches and Wizards attend Hogwarts.”

Diana nods. “I want to say the class sizes are about 35 percent what they had been this year. But this way they can give the kids one on one attention.”

“And while we have had a larger than usual two years, it's only noticeable because we have the trucks for housing.”

“Indeed.” Filius says. “The first year that the school was the train we had a year that was twice this years and last's of first year students. But then we had three years of first year students, both the ones who had been attending Hogwarts and those who would have been new students if the castle hadn't been lost.”

“Did that fool who'd been whining she didn't know that the schools got most of their funding from foreign students get removed from her position?”

“That first year because she wasn't supposed to be getting into that information in the first place.”

“Sounds about right for people who think they're so much better than everybody else.” Hermione sighs then winces at the screaming from outside the door. Standing up she walks to the doorway and starts saying words that she never heard from her parents. The Wizengamot members stare at her in stunned disbelief while the ICW observers clap. In the great hall the students laugh while Harry looks at his parents. James is shaking his head while Lily is laughing. “You just had to take her to visit your Aunt Agnes, didn't you?” James sighs.

“Aunt Agatha, actually.”

“That's even worse, Agnes swears first and then hexes. Agatha just hexes and leaves you shuddering on the ground as she walks over you. Or on you depending on her mood.”

“It could have been my grandfather Arthur. Or Aunt Endora.”

“Please don't, I have nightmares about the Weasley Twins being introduced to your grandfather Arthur.” Filius sighs. “And those poor pureblood boys who had to deal with girls looking up to your Aunt Endora.”

Lily chuckles quietly, her eyes glowing with mischief. “James, and yes, I'm changing the subject. What happens to the Malfoy estate?”

“There's not much left, the house was part of the Black dowry and went back to them when the marriage was dissolved even with Narcissa being at fault. What's left is basically what the Malfoys brought into the marriage and that wasn't much. I believe there's some distant cousins in France who might inherit. . .if there's anything left. Which doesn't look to be much. Lucius's living in a flat and working two jobs to keep his head above water.”

“I should feel sorry for him, he never had to learn a trade.”

“No, he and his father expected to live off the Black money and influence.” James sighs. “Which is why my father insisted on me having a trade to fall back on in case something happened..”

“Welcome everyone to another year at Hogwart's school of witchcraft and wizardry. Yes, for those of you actually paying attention I am switching up the name every now and then in these feasts.” Filius chuckles. “Yes, as all of you know by now, we are once again burdened with the members of the Wizengamot who cannot believe we do not have dorms and need either more House Elves or to be allowed to return to school a week early so all the trucks can be hooked up to the school cars and we're not sleeping on floors for several nights.”

Wailing from the door that's cracked open to allow the new students to enter to be sorted as the ICW observers and Wizengamot employees settle in the other room to eat their own dinner.

“Idiots.” More than one person mutters.. “To our new third year students, please hand in your permission slips once you can get to them. Remember, the trucks with the new non-magical entertainment will be outside of Hogsmeade those weekends.”

“Soooo, Hogsmeade weekends?” Amelia asks when they head back to their thank you gods and goddesses quiet train compartments to get away from the screaming of the wizengamot members wailing because not all the trucks had been linked to the compartments and enlarged. “Jesus, they do this every time we come back, when the hell will they realize that no matter how loud they scream nobody's gonna say just fooling, we're not really sleeping on the floors while the trucks are being linked and enlarged.”

“They tried saying that, throwing open the great hall doors multiple nights and getting hexed by the teachers and observers.” One of the older students says as they walk down the aisle to their own compartment. “That's why even with their trucks already linked, you see the adults taking turns being on guard at night when we're not alone. Even with the observers from the ICW here.” She looks at Diana. “Last time, the ICW is laying the hammer down on the Wizengamot for refusing to allow more house elves to be hired to link the trucks. As in facing prison time for this and ignoring the fact Hogwarts needed a permanent school for decades.”

“Because until they're knocked upside the head with the facts, people can ignore it or saying you're blowing things out of proportion.”

“Well look at how many people it took showing up where the castle used to be and not finding it that made them realize the castle really is gone.” Another student says as Mrs. Weasley comes bustling down the hallway reminding students to quickly wash up and get ready to lay down even if they don't get to sleep right away.

“Going you mean? I dunno, I prefer being able to pause a movie or tv show if I have to pee or want something to eat more than I do enjoying movies in theaters. Though I have the feeling that's going to be the next thing added to the truck.” she mutters. Amelia sniggers, nodding. “I'm not really that big a fan of video games, and you can't really store fast food. I know they're doing it to save Hogsmeade, but I can see the trucks getting more business if they were here. Or if the school was somewhere else.”

“Restaurants?” One of the others asks.

Diana rattles them off. “Though restaurant is stretching it.”

“Movies?”

“Probably what's currently playing right now though with the movies digital they should have a good selection if the get interest in theme events. Right now they're working the bugs out of the system.”

“Just like they're having to iron things out both now that the train's not moving and we're having to add so many trucks.”

Molly shoos everybody to their compartments and the overhead light in the aisle goes out when she enters her own compartment. Arthur was heading to 'their' truck for a few hours sleep to take the second shift. He'd tried getting her to go to bed but she had felt that the students might need a mother's comfort during the night, even if it was not their own.

The train compartment is quiet she thinks, it's not what she had expected. She'd expected restless children but they seem to be taking this all in stride. Before she knows it, it's morning and she looks out to see the students stretching and yawning before they walk to the bathrooms for a quick washup and teeth brushed before breakfast.

“So they have to stop working as soon as it gets too dark to see to place the trucks?” Arthur asks at breakfast.

“Yes, add in having to fix meals as well it makes for long days. We should have sixth years trucks and part of the fifth years finished today.” Filius says. “Hopefully. If we've not got all the trucks enlarged and in position by Friday, it should only be part of the day. It will be just as long when we come back after Christmas and Easter breaks, if not longer because the days will be shorter then. Our first time out here we did have the house elves moving trucks after dark because we had no idea how long it would take and wanted everybody in their trucks as soon as possible and they had to move them again the following day because they were too close together.”

Arthur shakes his head. “So we'd rather take it slow and be safe.”

“I understand completely.”

Amelia's phone rings and she excuses herself to take the call out in the hallway. Diana follows her with her eyes, relaxing when Amelia starts braying with laughter.

“Get this, Brain-dead Barbie tried claiming I wasn't her sister, I was actually her daughter and our parents stole her from her to raise.” She tells Diana when she returns to the table.

“Oh bullshit, your sister is only four years older than you are. If she was pregnant, there'd be medical records, it would be all over the news, and it would have human interest groups up in arms demanding DNA tests. And Uncle Andrew would be arrested until they realized he wasn't a child molester.”

“Oh yes, those same human interest groups were stunned to find the truth. Of course this was another attempt to get out of that facility. How the fuck this was supposed to get her out I have no idea.”

“No doubt try to claim she's not really a quadriplegic, she's being drugged and held captive against her will by your parents so they can raise you as their daughter.” Harry sighs. “From that kind of personality, it doesn't matter how unbelievable the story is as long as it gets them what they want. She was able to harass you in school until the truth came out and now she's miserable.”

“She was already miserable.” Diana snorts. Amelia nods.

After breakfast the students start heading various directions.

“Aren't you starting classes?” Molly asks, stunned.

“With the students unable to access their books or supplies? Do you want to be in classes wearing the same clothes for days on end while sleeping on the floor or in a train car? With no books, no pencils or ink pens, no paper to take notes?”

Molly sighs. “I never thought about that.”

“No, we knew that this week would be lost to us, along with the weeks before and after breaks thanks to the wizengamot refusing to allow us to hire more house elves to link trucks and enlarge them in a timely manner.” Wailing from the other room followed by nasty laughter. “Oh shut up you damn fools, it's the bloody truth. The students are the ones being punished for your incompetency by not being able to start their classes in a timely manner.” Hermione bellows.

“What's a quar. . .quad. . . .”

“Quadriplegic.” Lily says. “Amelia's older sister was involved in an attack that she instigated trying to frame her sister for it. She received a broken neck in the attack and is paralyzed from the neck down. She's currently living in a non-magical facility as a charity case because they know she's a miserable brat and has pushed her family away continually trying to target her sister.”

“Not St. Mungo's?”

“She's a squib. And she loathed Amelia for both being another daughter taking attention away from her and the fact she was magical.” Lily says, shaking her head. “It's a repeat of myself and Tuney I'm afraid. Except Tuney was never so hateful mean.”

Thursday night dinner is delayed but the news that the last of the trucks was being put in place doesn't have anybody complaining.

“Okay everybody, your class schedules were handed out along with the maps. You were told to familiarize yourself with the school compartments. Your regular classes start Monday morning. Anybody with homework to hand in, it's due Monday at the latest.”

“Homework?” One of the new first years asks quietly.

“The older students are all assigned homework over the summer.” An older student murmurs. “Except for your charms book and whatever elective classes you pick up third year and after your OWLs the books are meant to be used all seven years of classes.”

More than one student runs to their trucks after dinner and the teachers laugh but nod. Over the next fee days trays on teacher's desks are filled with the summer homework that had been assigned and bags of books and supplies for their classes are filled and made ready to grab.

“Why are the trucks not left in place?”

“Two reasons, over breaks and the summer holidays students are allowed to have work done on their trucks. In late November you'll be receiving brochures with options of that to add to your trucks and being able to stock up on more supplies.” Hermione says. “That's why you will be told a few days before the break to gather up your pets and everything going home with you and head to the trains again. It's faster to unlink and shrink the trucks so it should take less time to have everybody in the compartments for the train to leave. If you have a magical family, your parents will be taking the shrunken truck to the facility to have whatever work done you requested if it can be completed in two weeks and the new supplies plus whatever else you are bringing back to school put in place. The truck will then be shrunk again and you go home. Those with non-magical parents will have their trucks delivered by school employee.” The purely muggle-born students sigh in relief.

“And the second reason is every year your trucks move positions when the new students arrive and you pass your finals to move to the next year. Or graduate and leave school. The only trucks that stay in the same position in the rings are the employees trucks. The house elves have a gift for being able to tell how much room each new ring of trucks needs.”

The student nods in understanding. “Umm, who pays for all this?” Another student asks.

“The Wizengamot will pay for anything added in the brochures.” Filius says with a smile. “But do not go hogwild over adding things you do not need. In the case of Miss Adams and Miss Banks, their fathers work at the ICW and have been adding more items to their trucks beyond what is available in the brochures because they both want them protected and to have extra money in case something happens.”

Amelia's phone rings. “Hello? Oh Jesus Mum, what happened?” She quickly runs out of the Great Hall to her truck, Diana following her a few steps behind along with James and Lily Potter. And Arthur and Molly Weasley. Bringing up the rear is Hermione Granger.

“What's the matter?” Diana opens the door for the others, like Amelia and her truck she'd been added to hers. She finds her flipping channels on the tv with her phone by her ear until she finds the footage.

“That's a plane that just crashed shortly after takeoff though some are saying they were trying to return to the airport. And somewhere in that,” Amelia points to the fires raging all over. “Is the facility where Barbara was held. I don't think they're going to find any survivors, of the patients or the employees.”

“No, not with there's no place for the patients to be evacuated. Their only hope is to hunker down in place and pray their fire suppression units save them until the fire units can get them to safety.” Hermione sighs. She hugs Amelia and summons a house elf to bring their meals to her truck and keep the food coming until they were no longer hungry.

Filius is looking at her when she returns. “Attention students, there was a plane that crashed shortly after takeoff and affected a populated area. Miss Banks older sister was involved in an incident back in January that left her a quadriplegic and she was living in an institution. The area where her institution is located is in the area affected by the crash. We are looking at multiple fatalities, not just Miss Banks sister. Fire units are trying to evacuate the area but. . .” Hermione shakes her head sadly. “The plane was no doubt loaded with jetfuel and that is causing the fires to burn much hotter than normal.”

That's what they find out over the next few days, it had been an international flight that had developed engine problems and tried to turn back around for an emergency landing. Thousands of people had died in the crash, both on the plane and on the ground and they were still finding bodies that could be identified only with DNA samples before they were cremated.

“Dumbass bitches, I hope this time they end up in a padded room hugging themselves for the rest of their lives thanks to the nice jackets.” Amelia snorts.

“Those two who thought Brain-dead Barbie could do no wrong?” Diana asks.

“Oh yes, they sidled up to the authorities trying to claim that of 'course' I had murdered my sister. There. . .there wasn't real proof I hadn't attacked her, right? Just like they claimed they had found a hit list in my locker at school. They screeched like sirens when their own boss called them lying fools and said my family hadn't re-enrolled me at the school after their nonsense.”

“Oh Christ.”

“Oh yes, and the cameras in their office saw them writing the list themselves. They got in actual trouble that time, as in a few weeks in a jail cell and having to wear monitors when they were on work-release. They were still on it when they made these new accusations and not even the fool that had kept them from losing their job last time wanted anything to do with them now. Because everybody is giving him looks too now. And not favorable ones. At least in his mind.”

“Old fool.”

“Yep.”

“At least this way you don't have to leave school for a funeral.”

“Nope, we'll have a memorial service probably this summer or whenever her body is identified. If it's located. The papers have been notified of her death. The damn ambulance chasers are already showing up with their hands out trying to get Mom and Dad to sue the airline and got their asses kicked to the curb. They can't understand why they don't want to sue for the loss of their precious angel.”

“Save any money for the real victims, not your sister. If she hadn't been a miserable lying bitch she wouldn't have been in that facility. The pilot and copilot did their best to try to get the plane safely back to the airport. They and everybody else on the ground are the real victims.”

“They ever find out what happened?”

“Nope, the last mayday before the crash said they were losing power and returning to the airport for an emergency landing. They weren't even able to jettison fuel, that's why the fire burned so long and so hot.” Amelia nods, it had taken days for the fire to burn itself out with multiple companies from other areas taking turns working the fire. Including units from the airport that had foam specializing in smothering jet fuel fires.

“All I can say is thank god there was enough units nobody was hurt trying to fight the fire and that other fires didn't happen with everybody was busy.” Hermione sighs at a teacher meeting a few nights later.

“Do they have a final total of deaths yet?” Filius asks.

“No, and they probably never will unless they know for certain somebody was supposed to be there. With as hot as the fire was, there's probably not many more bodies left to find. Remember 9/11 and how many bodies were never found?”

The others shake their heads or sigh. “Okay, first Hogsmeade weekend?”

“Weekend after next, we have nearly seventy students in years three through seven signed up for it. We'll send the trucks off to the gates of Hogwarts after classes Friday and pick them up before dinner Sunday.”

“Filius Flitwick, emergency message.” A patronus message bursts into the room. “Do not send any students to Hogsmeade. There is a fire endangering the area, everybody is being evacuated.” Filius recognizes the voice as Diana's uncle Thomas. “Floo me.”

“Thomas Kincaid.” Harry tosses a pinch of powder in the floo.

“Oh good, I was afraid I hadn't stopped you in time.”

“We were just talking about how many students were signed up to go in two weekends.” Filius's voice says in the background.

“Wildfire created by a lightning strike, we've shielded the entire area since it's supposedly uninhabited but the shields used won't come down until the fire is contained. And since they don't know the area is inhabited, they're just letting it burn itself out.”

Filius sighs. “At least the trucks were not affected.”

“No, and some of the older people are trying to claim that they're being punished this way because of the entertainment area. They don't want it going in.”

“Well then, I guess they don't need the students money going to the businesses there then.” Filius sighs. “Bring the trucks out here those weekends, that will give the students a treat.”

“Attention students, I have an announcement. Unfortunately thanks to a wildfire in the area that is being left to burn itself out, Hogsmeade has been evacuated. And I am sorry to say some of the older citizens are claiming the fire is punishment for the non-magical entertainment area being proposed.”

“Well then, guess it sucks when their town doesn't have any students spending money.” An older student says in disgust. “The business owners won't be happy about it. The trucks haven't even gone out there yet, have they?”

“No, so it's sour grapes on old fools parts. They, like the wizengamot, would have loved to seen the school returned to the castle and the way it's always been. But I have good news, the trucks will be coming out here what would have been Hogsmeade weekends.”

The sound of excitement. “There are some rules. Students are on their best behavior. A list of movies showing and times will be available next weekend. The regular times apply, after classes Friday through before dinner Sunday. You must still be in your Houses by nine and in your trucks by eleven. Only third year students and older will be allowed on the trucks.”

“Professor, are we still looking into a room set aside for Madam Malkin's workers to come and adjust robes and uniforms?”

“Perhaps in the future. Right now we're looking at a room with a selection of girls and boys uniforms in various sizes for when a larger size of clothes is needed.” Hermione says. The others nod.

“Do we need to have guest quarters?” Harry asks after dinner.

“That's something that will have to wait until we have a permanent school, I'm afraid. There's so much more that is needed first. I do like your idea of a room of uniforms Hermione. Especially if we get somewhere where we can't have them readily altered.”

A list of other items is called out and Filius nods as he starts writing everything down. “Especially if we do settle somewhere and the students are sharing rooms and living out of trunks. They will not have the room for supplies our current students do now.”

“We have to think of dorm rooms not just large enough for beds but room for desks for work and study. Or have separate study areas for them off their dorm rooms. With room for their computers, printers, and other supplies.”

“And making sure one House can't check out all the books needed for an assignment leaving the other students with nothing.”

“If we were still in trucks, I'd have a list of research books as part of their supplies that the wizengamot pays for every year. No hoarding the library's copies.”

“The Library's copies cannot be checked out and you can only use one at a time, if another student needs it you have to share.”

“With the copiers, unless you've got a list of items you need to look up, you should be able to find what you need, copy it for your own information and put the book up or pass it over to another student.” Hermione says. “And yes, this coming from me is saying something.” She says sourly at Harry sniggering. Neville is looking 'innocently' up at the ceiling firmly not saying a word.

“I agree, if not an individual research area a common one for that dorm room.” Filius makes a note of that on the paper in front of him.

Amelia is yawning the next morning. Since everybody else is and the sky looks like it's going to pour any second she's not the only one. The teachers are looking at the sky in dismay and checking the weather forecasts, both locally and nationally.

“Are we in any danger?”

“Not unless the rain is worse than expected and we start flooding. If that starts happening we'll trigger the emergency portkeys on the trucks to send them somewhere safe.” Lily says at the front table. “While the train and school compartments have their own emergency portkeys to send them elsewhere if the tracks aren't safe to use.”

“I wasn't aware all the trucks, school compartments, and the train itself had emergency portkeys”. Filius says slowly.

“Yes, they were added in the last batch of work this summer for everything that hadn't had them added in the beginning. The ICW insisted. We are rather isolated out here after all. I'll show you the controls after breakfast.” James says quietly.

“Bless the ICW in general and Miss Adams and Miss Banks godfather in particular for thinking of emergency situations before they're needed.”

The curtains are all pulled since it's turning darker out as the day progresses and the emergency weather forecast is broadcast at lunch before they eat.

“I'd hate to see this happening anywhere more populated.”

“Yeah, the rain would cause massive traffic accidents. And possible flooding depending on how long it lasts. At least with everything being so remote here it just soaks into the ground instead of gathering and causing problems.”

“That's why you see all those facebook and youtube videos of people going out and clearing storm drains because they're clogged with dirt and debris.”

“Where they actually exist.” another student says, rolling their eyes. “Then the city council is upset with all the flooding.”

“Because if you take that land for necessary infrastructure, you can't sell it for oodles and gobs of money.” Another student drawls from the next table. The others laugh and nod.

Filius looks at James. “Something Thomas is thinking about for future needs if we ever get settled in a more populated area and need to divert or save rainwater.”

Diana brings in pizzas from the truck and Amelia grabs a slice of one. “Ohhh, I miss having a hot pizza and pop.” She sighs. “Is it just us?”

“Nope, the school is setting up areas for the younger students in the houses.” Diana says. “I have the feeling those old fools complaining are going to be getting their asses beaten by the business owners in Hogsmeade for their stupidity. Because without the trucks? I don't see anybody going, especially in the middle of winter which is when the next trip was scheduled. Especially when nobody comes back when the weather is nicer in May.” Amelia nods. “Serves the miserable old fools right if they do.”

“I don't know why they go now.” Diana sighs. “It's different when the school was there, they'd be back in the castle with everybody in a few minutes. It's got to be lonely after dark. Of course, the same thing can be said about the school here.” Amelia snickers but nods.

“They say your house is your family but living in separate trucks, there's no chance to bond with the others like you would if you lived in a dorm room.”

“No, everybody's going their own ways. The only time you really see each other is classes, in the Great Hall during meals, or on the train. I know the teachers are worried, I think the house parents was the first step in trying to get the students some supervision and start interacting with each other.”

“And with the class sizes getting so big, there's no room for everybody to get together to talk or watch tv or movies. That's why each year has their own private common room.”

“Hello?” Diana answers Amelia's phone. “Oh hi, Aunt Rita. No, we're relaxing in Amelia's truck eating pizza from the trucks that would normally be outside Hogsmeade. Amelia's in the bathroom right now.”

“It's your Mum.” Amelia is handed the phone when she comes back. “Mum?” She asks quietly. “Uh huh, we'd been expecting that as hot as the fires burned, that there wouldn't be any bodies left. Yes, I'm keeping up with my classes and my grades are good. No, they haven't announced when we'll be having our non-magical tests yet, we're looking at the middle of November into just before we leave for Christmas break, we'll have set weeks we can go and take our tests. Headmaster Flitwick announced it earlier since the class sizes have been so large the last couple of years.”

“Weren't able to identify your sister's remains?”

“Nothing left to identify. But no, people are trying to claim their missing loved ones were in the fire for one reason or another. Even if they had no reason to be there.”

“Money, or to hide something sinister might have happened to them.” Diana says. Amelia nods. “It's happened before in major disasters. And why there's still so many missing people after 9/11 in the United States.”

“And some truthfully might think that their loved ones were actually there, even if there was no reason to be there. They're hoping that this is why they never returned home. Instead of thinking that they upped and left them, especially those who walked away with nothing.”

“Those are the ones who are usually eventually found dead.” Diana sighs. “That's why so many vehicles are found in water with the driver and anybody else who was with them still in their seats. At least any family they had left can get closure, even decades later.”

“How was it?” The ICW representatives ask when the trucks are brought back to the staging area.

“Very well, the students were eating in the trucks or ordering pizzas to take back The school ordered pizzas for the younger students. There was a good number of students in the theaters and more playing video games.”

“Do you see any problems doing this again in a couple months?”

They tip their heads sideways in thought. “It all depends on the weather.”

“I was thinking temporary links in a hallway so neither you or them had to go outside.”

“Then we're agreeable to it sir. The fast food places will have to get in more supplies.” The head of the movie theater snickers. The man overseeing the food truck sighs but nods. “I had to have the house elves bring out supplies three times the first day and twice the second. The truck will have to be enlarged with that in mind. And a larger seating area for those eating at the buffets.”

“Thank you everybody for being on your best behavior while the trucks were here.” Headmaster Flitwick says when they've left. “I know it was a special treat for all of us.”

“Sir, when do the testing weeks for the nonmagical classes start?”

“Middle of November until we leave for break. We will have the days listed for each year on the bulletin boards in your room once they're finalized. If you don't have your tests finished before your days are up, there is the open week after we return from break since there's no classes until the trucks are linked again. Yes, I'm sorry it means you will be wearing the same clothes and sleeping on the floors unless your truck has been linked and enlarged and taking tests at the same time. I strongly suggest you finish your tests in the time allotted. For the new students, there will be another testing session in early March for those students who have already finished their year's non-magical homework assignments. As well as the usual testing session for those students not fifth or seventh years the last week of school. Fifth and seventh year students are given the first spots the March session because their OWL and NEWT tests take the entire two weeks.” He says at an opening mouth. The first year student shudders.

November dawns dark and gloomy and soon students are lining up to take the portkeys to the testing center to sign in and be given envelopes with their names and school on them, then settling in cubicles to start to work.

“Not yet mum, they're going by year starting with the oldest students since we got so many first and second year students taking classes.” Diana says as she stretches and yawns. “Monday was the seventh and sixth year students. Remaining sixth and fifth and possibly fourth year students next year. Probably the first week of December for me. Maybe Amelia will get in that week too but I doubt it.”

The first week of December Diana grabs the portkey with the others, arriving at the testing center and signing in. Being handed her envelope she settles in to work.

Three very long days later Amelia and Diana get off the train. “Three days to shrink and unlink the trucks.” Amelia moans. “And that's only because they were able to work on it at night too.” Thomas Kincaid sighs. “We knew it was going to happen so the teachers were doubling up on assignments to be ahead for when we return.”

“Nonmagical tests?”

“Finished them but a good half of my year and most of the first years are going to have to finish them when we return to school.” Amelia stretches and yawns. “Damn it, I slept on the train but with everybody packed up and ready to go it's different than being able to stretch out to sleep.” Diana nods.

“Then I guess this is the time to tell you we have hired 25 house elves to link and unlink, shrink and enlarge your trucks when you return from Christmas break. With working with your current elves they should have everything done in one day, including cooking.” Thomas says briskly. The sound of cheering from everybody in earshot.