The train moved steadily along the tracks, and above the clouds, where Allen and the others couldn't see, an enchanted car activated its invisibility, chasing them through the sky.
If Allen didn't know the grim fate awaiting those travelers who attempted such aerial stunts, he might have envied them. But remembering their less-than-pleasant landing, he waved off the thought. Nope, not this time.
Long trips couldn't just be spent chatting. They needed something to pass the time. After all, these weren't first-years they'd just met, they had plenty to talk about.
Unfortunately, the wizards present only knew how to play Wizard Chess. As for Gwent, that dangerously addictive card game, the magical world refused to produce such things.
Thankfully, reliable Marshall stepped in with a solution. After clearing and rearranging a section of the table, he mysteriously pulled a deck of cards from his trunk.
"I picked this up on my holiday trip," he said. "I think it's perfect for us to use while we interact, trust me, guys, it's a perfect game."
The group's response was a mixture of confusion, and Allen's look screamed: You're asking for death, you know that, right?
This card game was one Allen knew well, UNO, the notorious Friendship Terminator.
But this version wasn't simple. It had another name: Punishment Cards.
After Marshall briefly explained the rules, the group started a tentative game.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
Minutes later, a round ended, and Hermione Granger stared at her hand, deep in thought.
Her weaknesses in chess and card games were already well-known. But this deck tested calculation and luck. After Allen's strategy failed, Hermione, least experienced, became the ultimate victim.
And where there's a loser, the real fun begins.
The charm of this game wasn't just the cards, it was the punishments.
The more cards you had left, the more varied your punishment became. Each card had a punishment written on it, drawn from your remaining hand. Judging from Hermione's stack, even Allen, who prided himself on remembering card sequences to minimize punishment, couldn't guarantee picking the easiest one. Let alone Hermione, who had no clue about such tactics.
As Hermione stared blankly, Allen checked his own cards. Thankfully, Marshall hadn't included any excessively severe punishments.
Being a beginner, Hermione was granted a few minutes to study her cards.
But the moment of reckoning came. While Hermione hesitated, Ginny quickly helped her place her hand down, incidentally, Ginny, also a first-time player, turned out to be the true culprit behind Hermione's downfall.
"Go on, Hermione, pick a card."
Thirteen cards lay scattered on the table, each concealing a punishment.
After a long pause, Hermione finally tapped a card she thought had a light punishment. But it was only what she thought.
The card was revealed, and the entire compartment froze.
It read:
"Punishment: Find the nearest girl, hold her hand tightly, and loudly confess your feelings in the most crowded area."
BOOM.
Ginny, standing nearby, froze. Because she was the closest girl.
Hermione, relieved, grabbed Ginny's hand and, in front of a train full of single people, confessed in a teasing tone. The punishment turned out far lighter than she'd feared.
As they completed the punishment, the train's broadcast crackled to life. The conductor's voice, nearly unchanging over the years, reminded students to change into uniforms and prepare to disembark.
Relaxed, Hermione guided a still-confused Ginny and indifferent Allen to a compartment designated for girls to change.
But the fun wasn't over.
When Marshall turned back, Allen's fingers danced across the remaining cards. The previously messy deck split into two neat stacks, almost mechanically perfect.
Marshall, however, did not see beauty. Instead, his face turned pale upon noticing the stack on the right: special punishment cards.
Silently thinking this is bad, he tried to flee, light on his feet despite his slight frame.
But he was too slow.
"Locomotor Mortis!"
A precise spell hit his legs. The Leg-Locker Curse gripped him, and he collapsed instantly.
Allen approached Marshall, holding the small stack of specially chosen cards.
"Dear Marshall, care to explain what these cards mean?" Allen asked with a mysterious smile.
The punishments weren't harsh in the traditional sense. They included approaching the prettiest girl, asking her out, or pursuing someone under everyone's watch. Not punishments, more like a dare amplified by peer pressure to make timid actions possible.
"Allen, you know, I'm just doing this for everyone's fun. Sure, some cards are custom, but the game is fun, isn't it?" Marshall smiled innocently, seeking forgiveness.
Allen only responded with a laugh, uncontrollable, echoing through the compartment.
"Hahaha, Allen, I was wrong! Release the curse! Hahaha, I'm doing this for everyone's good, hahaha…"
Marshall's words were drowned out by his own laughter.
Allen, meanwhile, moved to a corner to change into his uniform. Let Marshall reflect a bit, he doesn't even realize what he did wrong!
Seeing Allen's actions, the others understood Marshall's mischievous intent. They approached him, voices full of mock anger:
"Scumbag."
"Pervert!"
"Next time, take me with you…"
"Agreed." One adjusted his complaint after Allen left the compartment.
"Same here," the first added.
"Hahaha, see, I'm serving everyone! Hahaha, I can't take it, help me!"
The three shook their heads and left the compartment, leaving Marshall still laughing uncontrollably.