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Part 1 of Weighing of the Wands
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2025-08-03
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Weighing of the Wands: The Stone Beyond Desire

Summary:

Theodore Reid never considered himself 'special'. Not by any means.

Why would he, either? Just your average kid taking one day at a time like anybody else. What was strange is that as mild tempered as the boy was, trouble always seemed to draw near.

Alex Carter on the other hand knew exactly why. He just didn't know Theo well enough yet. Not that living amongst a magical family didn't help.

When two unlikely schoolmates join forces as friends, they quickly discover that being a wizard wasn't easy, like Alex had thought, nor as grand and special as Theo had.

Something dark lurks within this world of theirs, and with Voldemort defeated, who is to blame? Professor Snape, the teacher from hell? The Malfoys, a revered family with a reputation? Or perhaps Dumbledore himself, in his infinite wisdom and seemingly limitless power?

Join Alex & Theo as they join forces with familiar faces to discover what it means to be a wizard in your own right.

(I have six years ready of a planned eight! Sit back and enjoy the ride! Please, no soliciting or advertising on my work!)

Notes:

Chapter Schedule: Every other week on Sundays.

Neville and Luna are both major characters in this series, but they do not show up until Chapter Five.

I've grown up with these guys. I've watched my characters scream, laugh, cry, and I've done the same alongside them. They've grown to be a part of me. I hope in some way my writing conveys the care I've put into crafting these characters in an alternate timeline, and pushing Luna and Neville to be the very best witch and wizard they could possibly be, all while dealing with altered scenarios that the golden trio went through and more.

I truly hope you enjoy reading even half as much as I did writing, and thanks for having a look.

~Scyld

Chapter 1: How Not to Start a Summer

Chapter Text

It's been many years since the dark wizard known as 'Voldemort' was defeated. Though peace had reigned since Voldemort's fall, few knew how close the world hovered to darkness once again.

It was only a matter of time.

The Weighing of the Wands

Theodore awoke as he would any other day and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before sliding out of bed. He yawned, running a hand through his thick, black hair; a half-hearted attempt to tame the mess it was.

Rather unenthusiastically, he got himself dressed and proceeded out of his room to his kitchen, where he placed two slices of bread into his toaster. Whilst waiting for his breakfast, he turned on the radio that sat on the counter to listen to the local news, something he did every day. In a way, it made him feel closer to his mother.

As he stood in the kitchen waiting for his breakfast, he hadn't even realized that he'd zoned out until the unmistakable scent of burning toast wafted up into his nose. Eyes widened, he frantically popped the blackened bread out of the toaster and frowned as he set them on the plate, buttering them anyway. This had been the third time this last week it had happened, and despite not being particularly happy about it, burnt toast truly wasn't all that bad.

After finishing his breakfast, he quickly brushed his teeth and turned off the radio before heading out the door.

It was no more than a fifteen minute walk to the school from his house, and with the sun shining that morning, it was a pleasant walk, to say the least.

*****

"Gwen! Get out of the bathroom already!"

Silence.

Alex huffed. He'd already spent fifteen minutes outside the bathroom door, waiting on his younger sister. Was she really going to make him late on his last day of school? Normally, he wouldn't have cared at all, and would have even been grateful for the excuse of tardiness. But this was an opportune day for him.

He soon heard footsteps march up the stairs. Rounding the corner was his mother, Tara.

"Are you almost done yelling at your sister so I can get you two to school? I'm running late for work."

"But Mum I—" Alex protested, but she wasn't having it.

"Uhp uhp, no buts. Downstairs. Now." Tara gave her son a look of warning before she spun around, heading back downstairs.

Alex threw up his arms in indignation the moment his mother's gaze left him. He went to follow her downstairs when he heard what suspiciously sounded like a giggle come from the bathroom door. He stopped, but decided against action and continued downstairs, where he found his mother putting in her second earring.

"Got your rucksack?" Tara asked.

Alex nodded, and turned to show her.

"Gwendolyn hurry up and get down here!" She shouted up the steps. And sure enough, mere seconds later, down came Gwendolyn, skipping down the steps.

"Oh now you come out," said Alex irritably.

Gwen frowned. "I thought my hair looked funny."

Alex usually got along with Gwen, but today it seemed she felt like testing his patience.

"Alright you two, let's go, get in the car," said their mother, out of breath.

"Aw mum, it would be so cool if I showed up on my broom on the last day, can I do that pleaaaase?" Alex asked.

Tara turned and raised an eyebrow.

Alex knew the answer now. And with that, he solemnly left, and got in the car with his mother and sister.

Since they lived in seclusion, they did have to drive to school. Though, Alex knew that once they were out of the car, his mother would get to the Ministry by her own magical means.

*****

Outside Cranbrook Primary, students gathered in tightly knit packs, all of whom seemed to be excitedly discussing their plans for the summer.

Theo didn't have any particular plans, and figured his summer would be spent reading, or some such thing. Eventually, he reached the doors to the school, and sighed lightly, passing by the other students, as they entered the building.

A car door slammed nearby. Alex hopped out, slinging his rucksack over his shoulder. Gwen raced to his side as their mum offered a hasty wave before speeding off to her own busy day. The pair of them joined the throng and headed inside.

Alex and Theo, in their own separate little worlds, both found themselves funneling down the noisy school corridors, each lost in their own thoughts of summer and blissfully unaware of the day's impending trouble.

As Theo went to enter the classroom, he was shoved aside by a larger boy, with dirty blonde hair, named Vincent. Vincent had taken it into his hands to harass Theo at any opportune moment throughout all the years they've known each other. Having not expected to get shoved, Theo fell back onto the floor, sending his books clattering to the ground around him. The light above them flickered briefly.

He shot a glare at Vincent, who simply laughed and walked into the classroom, leaving Theo to pick himself, and his things up off the floor.

Alex, nearby, had just as much disdain for Vincent as anyone with half a brain. Of course, the incident was hard to miss. When no one came to help, Alex waved goodbye to his sister to go help the boy. He approached with an outstretched arm. "Hey, you alright?"

Theo was in the middle of collecting his books off the ground when he noticed the unfamiliar boy standing before him. Theo blinked at him, having not expected anyone to notice, much less step in. That wasn't how it worked in Cranbrook Primary.

Glancing up, he gave the boy a brief look of hesitation before accepting the helping hand. "I'm fine.... Thanks," he said in a low tone, once he was back to his feet.

Alex smiled and began helping him with his books. "You know, you shouldn't let someone like that get to you. One day we'll be gone, and he'll still be here scrubbing the floors like a loser."

Theo couldn't help but to crack a small smile at that. "Maybe you're right," he said, nodding lightly. "Anyway, thanks again... um...." he stammered, not sure exactly who this kid was.

"Alex. And you're Theodore, right? Reid? Well, anyways, we better get to class. It might be the last day but old Mr. Crawford is just as nasty as ever."

"Oh, um, yeah, that's me." Theo nodded, now recalling seeing Alex in class, but not having actually spoken to him until now. He glanced back toward the classroom at the mention of Mr. Crawford, and furrowed his brow, once again nodding. "Probably should," he agreed. With that, he followed Alex into the classroom.

*****

Mr. Crawford was, generally speaking, a wanker; A popular name Alex had heard his older brother, Wyatt, use quite often (Especially when he told Alex about Mr. Crawford).

It was horrible the minute class started. The door slammed shut as the old man made his way in.

"Alright you horrible little children. Get out your books. Now," He said.

For a moment, no one did anything, bristling slightly under the clear hatred they'd grown used to. Until Alex spoke up.

"But, sir, it's our last day, what could we possibly—" he began as Mr. Crawford was writing something on the board.

But Mr. Crawford shut him down.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I will not tolerate back-talk in this classroom Mr. Carter? Hm? I said... get out your books," he growled.

Reluctantly, everyone did as he asked and awaited the final lesson of the year to begin.

*****

Theo sat silently at the back of the classroom listening to Mr. Crawford drone on and on as the hours slowly trickled by like the sand in an hourglass. Upon hearing the bell ring, he almost immediately shot up out of his seat, eager to get out of the classroom and away from the miserable old man. Seeing the other students standing up, he proceeded to the cafeteria feeling pretty hungry after having only had burnt toast for breakfast.

Upon entering the cafeteria, Alex saw Gwen in the corner of the room with her head down. Since different years had their lunches separately, this was of immediate concern to him. He went to the table and sat down.

"Hey... what's up?" he said calmly.

Gwen slowly raised her head. It was clear she had been crying.

Alex felt a great anger rise up in his chest. He already had a feeling what this was about; One of Vincent's lackeys came over at that moment, suppressing the urge to laugh.

"Alright there, airhead? Hurt your feelings, did I? Didn't realize stupid people even had feelings," he teased.

Alex was not going to have it.

Shooting up, Alex got right in the boys face and grabbed him by the collar. This, in hindsight, was probably not a good idea, regarding the boy's sheer size.

"Leave. Now," he growled before shoving him.

The boy frowned, his lip curling to a sneer.

"You'll pay for that," was all he said before walking away, leaving the two siblings.

Alex sat down next to Gwen, encouraging her to stay for his lunch as well. "We'll make an excuse later, yeah?" He asked.

Gwen nodded, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Thank you, Alex," she said.

Alex nodded and gave her a half-smile. After this, Alex went and retrieved his lunch, which to his dismay happened to be chunks of chicken and peas in a thick, gluey white sauce served over a thin slice of limp bread. In other words, slop.

Theo was usually one to sit by himself, or with one or two of the classmates he was still friendly with, after distancing himself from the other students. After retrieving the rather sad looking tray of food, from the lunch line, he glanced around for somewhere to sit and noted Alex, who appeared to be sitting with a girl whom seemed to be at least a year younger than them. Whilst he was distracted, the brutish clod, known as Vincent, decided that this was an opportune time to harass Theo, yet again.

"How's it going, Theo?" Vincent questioned in a mocking tone, coming up from behind Theo, with a tray of food in his hands. "I'm surprised you even showed up today. I mean, why bother, right? It's not like anyone here actually cares. But you're used to that, right?" he spoke, with a smug expression, burned into his piggish face.

Theo frowned, but stood his ground "Why don't you just give it a rest, Vincent? It's the last day of school. Don't you have anything better to do?" he questioned, having heard all of this before.

"Hmm... lemme think about that.... No!" Vincent then slapped Theo's tray from his hands, causing it to clatter to the floor, at their feet. "Oh no, you dropped your lunch!" he feigned ignorance of his actions. "You're always making a mess of everything. Maybe you really should've stayed home, or whatever it is you do, eh, Theo?" he said, his smirk turning into a grin, as he looked Theo right in the face.

Theo had had enough of this. He couldn't go one day without something like this happening, not one. He had hoped things would at least be different on the last day. His frown turned into a deep scowl and his fists clenched, but before he could even flinch, the tray on the floor clattered and was sent flying straight into Vincent's nose like a rocket.

This caused the boy to recoil and grip his nose in pain as it started to bleed.

"You... you freak! You broke my nose!" he exclaimed dramatically, tears welling up in his eyes as he backed away.

Theo's eyes went wide. He quickly shook his head, entirely shocked.

"I didn't... it wasn't me... I..."

He had said these words before when similar occurrences had happened, but never had it been as bold as this.

Alex's head snapped to the sound of all the commotion. It was no surprise that this would happen based on what happened earlier. Anything involving Vincent was just another bomb waiting to pop. But even from across the cafeteria, Alex could see Vincent's nose bleeding.

Had Theo actually done something about it this time? He motioned for Gwen to stay put and made his way over, just as many of the other students had. Most of which were egging on the potential fight.

Theo's eyes darted around to the gathering crowd, as the situation spiraled out of control. It was all so overwhelming. There was no way out of this though, and all he could do was insist upon his innocence.

"Really, I didn't do it..." he continued to say, even as teachers began to funnel in to diffuse whatever was going on.

It seemed Vincent was about to retaliate when Alex felt the need to intervene. He came up and threw an arm out in front of Theo.

"You heard him. He didn't do anything, so just leave it, yeah?" he said, falsely calm.

But before anything else could be said a punch was thrown into the side of Alex's face by the boy from before — the one who had harassed Gwen. Alex stumbled to the side, and held his face with a hand.

"Told you you'd pay," the boy said.

Alex was just about to lunge at the child when a hand grabbed the back of his collar.

It was Mr. Crawford.

"Classroom. Now," he uttered nastily. He grabbed Theo by the collar as well. "You too," he sneered, escorting them out of the cafeteria and back to class.

As Crawford dragged Theo and Alex out of the cafeteria, Theo glared daggers at Vincent and his dense pal. Things had escalated quickly, and Theo already knew that the school would most likely inform his mother of this, which he didn't want. Not because he was afraid of getting in trouble, but because he knew his mother had better things to be worrying about.

Despite it all, he had been shocked to see Alex step in the middle of the fight even though it had nothing to do with him. Yet, even though Theo was grateful for it, now they were both in hot water.

After practically being thrown into the classroom, Crawford ordered the boys to sit. He then sat down at his desk, facing the two boys.

"Now, do you know why you two are in here?" He asked.

"No, actually, I don't." Alex started, feeling angry. "What the bloody hell was that?! You might as well have given Vincent a thumbs up and a smile!"

Crawford stood up at once, grabbing his ruler and striding over to Alex.

Alex gripped the desk as Mr. Crawford pointed the ruler directly at his face.

"You know, Mr. Carter, if you keep acting like an insolent little shit, you're going to end up like your good-for-nothing brother in St. Brutus'," he spat nastily. "Not that I don't think you'd end up there anyway," he added coldly with a curling sneer. He then turned to walk away.

"Wanker..." Alex muttered behind his back.

But Crawford wouldn't have it.

Right away, he spun around and struck Alex across the face with the ruler with a sound that seemed to echo after it left. It seemed as though Crawford wanted to say something else, but the moment he struck Alex, there was a loud crack followed by a webbing fracture in the window.

Alex gritted his teeth and clenched the desk so hard his fingers began to hurt.

"Damn kids..." muttered Crawford as he went to go see what had caused the window to crack. Concluding that it must have been a stray football, he shot Alex a nasty look and sat back down.

Theo remained silent, watching this play out. He wanted to say something in Alex's defense, but the moment he was going to speak up, the sound of the window cracking distracted him. Turning to see what had caused the sound, he spotted the fracture in the window and he furrowed his brow, wondering what might've caused it. He wasn't dumb enough to believe it was just a stray football. There were clearly no other children outside.

As Mr. Crawford went to sit back down, Theo stood up from his seat, not being able to just let Alex take the fall for this whole thing. "It wasn't Alex's fault, Mr. Crawford. It was me Vincent had a problem with. Alex was just trying to help," he insisted.

Crawford snorted. "No matter. You children are all the same. You'll both get what's coming to you when I give you both extra summer work, or perhaps — better yet — summer detention? Hmm?"

He awaited a response.

Theo simply scowled at the teacher. There was no winning with people like this. Without making a rebuttal, he sat back down in his seat and turned his gaze toward the cracked window, wishing he was outside and away from all this. He supposed he should have known better than to believe in 'different' days. They always ended the same anyhow.

Oh no, now I've done it.... Alex thought to himself. He felt that he may have just ruined the poor boy's summer, whether it was even his fault or not. He put his head down and waited for class to continue and the day to end.

And so it did. For the last couple of hours, the class continued with its revision, topped with a pop quiz for the final hour. When the final bell of the year rang, most everyone cheered and celebrated; all but the two boys who had an awful last day.

On his way out with Gwen, Alex caught Theo's eye and gave him a small, sad wave of goodbye. He then got in his mum's car and headed home to begin his summer.

Theo watched the car drive off before turning and proceeding down the sidewalk, wondering just what he had gotten himself into and what awaited him when he got home. He figured his mother wouldn't be around when he got to the house, as was the case any other day.

Chapter 2: The Man from the Ministry

Summary:

Arthur Weasley arrives on Claudia Reid's doorstep with proof that her son isn't just "acting out". Elsewhere, a pretentious owl and persistent Niffler turns Alex's bad day into a good one.

Notes:

Hello everyone! I've been excitedly waiting to post today! I figured that as this chapter and the next are very short, I would treat you all to a DOUBLE drop today, meaning Chapter 3 will shortly follow after I review tags and think of a summary. Both chapters are around 2K words today so expect a lighter read! I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Text

Arthur Weasley had been filling out an incident report in his office regarding a particularly nasty raid, when Myra Curio, head of Muggle Liaison, walked in. 

 

Today had already been a bit busy in the Muggle Liaison Department. However, Arthur looked up and gave a smile. "Ah, Myra, what can I do for you?"

 

Myra leaned on his desk. "Well, we've got another Muggle-born, and you're next on the list to go out and meet with the family," she explained.

 

Arthur wiped the sweat off his brow, which he furrowed. "Hold on... the Muggle school year's barely ended, are you sure I should go out this early?" Arthur inquired. "You know I've been trying to move to Improper Use of—"

 

Myra put up her hands. "I've got my orders, Arthur, and so have you." She leaned in, and whispered, "I'd get there before the boy gets home, meet his mum."

 

Arthur sighed. "Right, on it."

 

With that, he got up and headed for the door. 

 

"Forgetting something?" Myra said behind him, holding out a dossier and an invitation letter to Hogwarts.

 

"Wha— oh, right," Arthur said sheepishly, spotting the contents in Myra's hand as his face went red. "Thanks." 

 

And then, with profile and letter in hand, Arthur departed.

 

*****

 

CRACK

 

Perhaps too late, Arthur Weasley wondered if it had been such a good idea to Apparate directly into a Muggle village. Although, no one seemed to notice. Indeed, it was a quiet little side road. Arthur drew from his jacket the boy's profile.

 

"Theodore Bennett Reid" it read, with an address to follow. Luckily, it was just around the corner, and so, Arthur hastily made his way over. Moments later, he arrived and knocked on the door, awaiting a response.

 

Meanwhile, Claudia, who had just walked in through the front door herself, set her handbag down on the kitchen counter and turned her head upon hearing the knock at the door. Raising her brow, she walked over, wondering who might be making a house call. 

 

"Yes?" she inquired, answering the door and seeing the ginger-haired man standing on the doorstep.

 

Arthur gave a weak smile. He knew this didn't always go so well. 

 

"Miss Reid, is it? Arthur Weasley. I'm here regarding your son, Theodore," he said, hoping not to sound too strange.

 

Claudia's expression immediately dropped, as if this sort of thing had already happened once before. "Oh... well, please, come in...."

Claudia gave a clearly forced smile. She motioned for the man to enter her home.

 

"Would you like anything to drink? Tea, perhaps?" she asked, obviously set on edge by the presumed teacher from Theo's school as she made her way over to the kitchen.

 

Arthur made his way in and looked around, casting his eyes this way and that, eyes wide in astonishment. Ever since he was a child, he had always been fascinated with just about every aspect of the Muggle world, though he knew that he had to keep his cool for now. 

 

"Oh yes, uhm, tea would be great. Er... no sugar, please."

 

"Yes, of course." Claudia gave a light nod, taking a box of Earl Grey from the cupboard, and proceeding to fill the teapot with water, before setting it on the stove. 

 

"Have a seat wherever you would like," she said, making a motion toward the sofa. She began to wonder why it was that this man hadn't informed her as to what it was her son had done to make this visit necessary. "It is the end of the school year, is it not? Is this visit truly necessary?"

 

Arthur took the invitation to sit down, and did so at the end of the sofa. He thought for a moment. 

 

"Well... you see... I'm with the Ministry... the Ministry of Magic..." he let the words hang for a brief moment before continuing, "...and, well, frankly, I think your son would make a fine addition to a school we have for people like him."

 

Arthur finished, and bit his lip, expecting disbelief from the poor woman.

 

With that, there was a shattering sound as Claudia was startled, dropping a teacup onto the kitchen floor. 

 

"W-what did you say?" she asked, utterly confused by Arthur's sudden statement. "Is this some kind of joke? What do you mean by people like him?" she questioned, taking offense to this. It was as if Arthur was insinuating her son needed some form of special treatment, or some such thing.

 

Arthur sighed and stood up, pulling out a long stick from his pocket. He pointed it at the now broken teacup. 

 

"Reparo." 

 

The shattered cup gracefully floated through the air, its jagged pieces stitching back together in puzzle-like fashion, landing on the counter in perfect condition as if it had just been bought. Arthur pondered his next move. 

 

"Have you noticed anything... unexplainable, happen in his presence when his emotions may be running high?" 

 

Claudia's eyes went as wide as saucers as the teacup levitated and sealed itself back into place.

 

"I-I... I... well...." she stammered, trying but failing to compose herself through her obvious shock. "There have been... incidents... lately. At his school. The teachers told me he was just acting out, but Theo is a good boy. My son isn't a troublemaker," she said, slowly but surely regaining her composure, still cautiously eyeing the teacup that sat innocently on the countertop.

 

"Oh I'm sure he's a good egg. These things tend to happen in wizard children. Especially Muggle‐born children," reassured Arthur.

 

"M-muggle-born...?" Claudia was still trying to arrange this entire thing in her mind. Just then, the teapot on the stove went off, making a high-pitched whistling sound.

 

At that same moment, Theo walked in through the front door. However, he immediately came to a halt upon seeing that his mother was home. Not only that, but some strange man was in his house. 

 

Theo's first thought was that this man had something to do with what had happened at school earlier. "Wait, mum, I can explain..." he started, his heart pounding in his chest as he stepped forward.

 

Arthur got up and gave a warm smile. "Ah, there he is! Arthur Weasley, Ministry of Magic," he said, extending his arm for a handshake. He had momentarily forgotten that the boy would have no idea what he was talking about.

 

"Ah... right...." He retracted his hand and adjusted his glasses nervously. "I know this is a bit unusual, but I believe we have something important to discuss with your mother here, Theodore. It might be best if you have a seat."

 

Theo's mouth hung open slightly as he looked at the man, confusion etched onto his face. Glancing to his mother, he saw her slowly nod. Without a word, he made his way over to the armchair across from the sofa and took a seat.

 

Meanwhile, Claudia proceeded to get the pot off the stove and set to pouring the tea into three cups before setting them and the kettle on a tray, and brought it over to the living room. She set a cup in front of Arthur and took one for herself before taking a seat on the sofa, still registering this all in her head.

 

Arthur took the time to take a sip of tea before continuing. He then took a letter from his jacket and handed it to Theo.

 

"I think you'll want to read that before we continue here," he said, inclining his head.

 

Theo curiously took the letter and inspected the envelope, noting the strange looking crest on the front. Carefully, he opened the letter and took out the piece of parchment from inside. 

 

Dear Mr. Reid, 

 

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

 

Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

 

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

 

Theo finished reading before returning his gaze to Arthur, looking even more puzzled than before. 

 

"I've been... accepted? Why?" Theo once again glanced to his mother for any sign of understanding as to what was going on.

 

"Well, Mr. Reid. Might I ask you what happened today at lunch? I presume you might remember something like that," said Arthur, giving Theo a knowing look. He continued. "Well, this school would not only educate you, but also provide a safe place for you to harness the magic you have within, allowing you to control it. With me so far?"

 

Theo's eyes widened upon hearing Arthur mention the incident at lunch. How could he possibly know about that if the school hadn't sent him? However, hearing all of this now, as strange as it sounded, made something click in his head. Everything slowly started to make sense. He nodded slowly, searching for something to say. 

 

"So... I'm a... wizard? All those things that happened really were because of me? Because of... because of magic...? That can't be. There's no such thing...." He shook his head, his more logical side trying to convince him this was some sort of mistake, or joke.

 

Arthur pulled out his magical stick once more, giving Theo a challenging look. "Oh?"

 

Arthur pointed the wand at Theo, and with a neat flourish, ripped the letter from his hands, folded it up, put it back in the envelope, and sealed it shut before placing it back on his lap. 

 

Arthur put his wand away and leaned back in his seat, taking another sip of tea.

 

Much like his mother's own reaction to seeing magic for the first time, Theo's jaw dropped. All he could do was stare in astonishment.

 

Seeing her son's expression, Claudia decided to speak up. "Theo, dear... I... I think Mr. Weasley is telling the truth. You should hear him out." She gave a small nod towards her son. If this was truly real, beyond a shadow of a doubt, and her son could benefit from this, then she would try her best to understand it.

 

"Well, son, all I can say is this," began Arthur. "Should you decide you are interested, all you must do is simply place this letter on your doorstep by the end of July, and an owl will find its way to Hogwarts." 

 

Arthur offered a smile and got up, ready to leave. 

 

"Thank you for the tea, Miss Reid," he said kindly. He then headed towards the door. "Oh! Yes, also...." He pulled out his wand once more, and tapped the door a few times. "Since I've been assigned to you, should you ever need any help at all regarding Hogwarts, or else navigating our world otherwise, simply step out the door, close it, turn around and knock three times. I'll be there to help." He smiled and nodded once. "Have a pleasant summer, Theodore." 

 

With that, the ginger man left the Reid household. The last sound from him was a loud CRACK just beyond the door.

 

Theo, still unsure about all of this but understandably intrigued, watched as the ginger-haired man left. Theo turned to his mother, expecting her to say something.

 

"What do you think I should do, mum?" he asked.

 

Claudia simply stood up, gathered the teacups, and took the tray back over to the kitchen before speaking. 

 

"This is... a lot to consider. I want what's best for you, Theo, and if what that man said really is true, as hard as it is to believe, then perhaps that *is* what's best for you. But, I can understand if you want to continue attending Cranbrook, and if that's what you want, I will support you. Perhaps we both need time to think this over, yeah?" Of course, she had said this taking numerous things into consideration as she answered her son's question. Surprisingly, she was taking this all quite well, considering the implications.

 

*****

 

After about fifteen minutes of scolding from his mother, Alex was about ready to get in his room and lie down. 

 

That's what I get for sticking up for someone I guess...

 

Once inside, he kicked off his shoes and headed upstairs to his room. The moment he closed his door, a big, hairy something latched on to his shoulder and began licking his face furiously. Grabbing it by the scruff of its neck, he found that it was Bandit, his young Niffler. He smiled weakly. 

 

"Not now, boy," he huffed, tossing the Niffler onto the end of his bed. A few Sickles popped out of his pouch and the little creature began frantically trying to stuff them back in.

 

Slumped, Alex crashed on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

 

At least that's the last I'm going to see of that god-awful place.

 

He reached over and pushed open the window while Bandit came up and nestled onto his chest, biting at one of the Sickles. Alex was just about to rest his eyes when something flew through the window, and smacked him square in the face. 

 

"Ach!" He exclaimed. "What the—" he began, reaching for what hit him. It was an envelope. 

 

Then it really hit him. His eyes lit up as realization flooded him. He tore open the letter and scoured the paper twice over, the Hogwarts crest at the bottom filling his heart with joy.

 

He immediately scrawled a letter back and gave it to the owl that had been sitting there, probably expecting a reward. When it didn't get one, it hooted irritably and flew off. 

 

All of the day's gloom melted away. All he had to look forward to now was his first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Chapter 3: Breakfast at the Burrow

Summary:

Theo answers Arthur's three-knock offer and steps into another world.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The summer had gone by in the blink of an eye. After a few weeks of consideration and conversation between himself and his mother, Theo was pulled from Cranbrook Primary. Following Arthur Weasley's instructions, Theo had left the letter of recommendation on his front porch. Theo was then able to spend the rest of his summer enjoying his time as anticipation boiled up inside him.

 

More than once, Theo had snuck into the backyard with a stick he'd found under a tree. Mimicking Arthur's swish-and-flick motion from before, he'd point at various pebbles, twigs, and blades of grass and whisper words he thought might be spells.

 

Abracadabra!” he barked at a spider in the garden, attempting to make it disappear.

 

Alakazam!” He said sharply, attempting to blast Vincent off his feet from behind at the park. 

 

Open sesame,” he whispered at his mother's car door on their way to the Co-Op. 

 

Of course, none of these attempts had succeeded, and he eventually supposed he ought to actually learn something before he killed someone by mistake.

 

Persistent spiders, unbothered bullies, and unopened doors weren't the only events of his summer, however. Indeed, he had spent much of it reading through any book in his collection that involved magic in any way. From Lord of the Rings to The Chronicles of Narnia, he even went so far as to pick up an old magician’s manual and fumbled through an incomplete stack of cards. For the first time ever, he looked forward to summer being over.

 

That morning on the first of September, Theo rolled onto his side, his eyes slowly opening as he awoke. Sluggishly, he got up with a stretch and a yawn, going through the motions of his daily routine. That is, until he realized what day it was. His heart skipped a beat before he quickly threw on some jeans, a t-shirt and a sweater, before running out of his room.

 

Suddenly, he halted, finding himself standing in his living room when he realized something else. 

 

What exactly was he supposed to do?

 

His mother had left him some money on the kitchen counter for his school supplies, but now that he thought about it... where was he supposed to go to find all these things?

 

After pocketing the money his mother left for him, he meandered around his house trying to come up with an idea. It was then that a lightbulb went off in his head, and he remembered what Mr. Weasley had told him.

As ridiculous as it sounded, he slipped on his shoes and walked out to the front porch. As instructed, he closed the door behind him, turned around, and knocked three times.

 

To Theo's surprise, his own door swung open to reveal none other than Arthur Weasley.

 

"Ah, Theodore! Come, come. I thought you might need help today." Arthur gestured for him to come inside.

 

Theo had half expected nothing to happen, but when it did, his eyes lit up once again, astonished by the show of magic. Hesitantly, he stepped in through the door and looked around the house curiously, hints of baking bread and wood smoke filling his nostrils. This was not his home any longer.

 

Instead of the contemporary, empty feeling of his own home, a cozy kitchen stretched out before him, sunlit and chaotic in the best possible way. The dining area was lined with mismatched chairs with red-haired children filling most of them. A table that sat in the center of it all looked as if it had been expanded at least twice too many times, bowing under its own weight.

 

Theo approached the ginger-haired man. 

"Um... hello again.... I was wondering about the list of school supplies. Where do I... you know... get them?"

 

Arthur chuckled. "Everything will be explained soon. You'll be coming with us. I've got a son who'll be joining you this year, so maybe you have a friendly face on your first day, eh? Have you had breakfast? We were just about to eat before heading out."

 

Theo shook his head. "Oh, um, no sir, I haven't." In his haste to get ready, he'd completely forgotten to eat breakfast.

 

"Well that's alright then, we've always got an extra seat at the Weasleys. Welcome to the Burrow," said Arthur with a warm smile, gesturing Theo further into the kitchen.

 

As Theo followed Arthur, he took a good look around. Every surface seemed to have a story: a whistling teapot leaping off the stove and pouring cups of tea all on its own, a clock on the wall with far too many hands and no numbers at all, and a pile of well-worn shoes littering the bottom of the stairs, as if the entire family had dropped them there mid-chase. The scent of something baking lingered in the air, warm and inviting, mixing with the faintest hint of smoke from a long-suffering fireplace.

 

"You can sit next to Ron, the youngest boy," said Arthur, pointing to a space between a befreckled boy no older than Theo laughing at a pair of stocky twins, and a quiet-seeming girl whose hair covered most of her face. Next to the twins sat an older, curly-haired boy, who had his face buried in a newspaper.

 

Arthur then took his seat at the end of the table. He gestured to Theo. "Everyone, this is Theodore Reid. He will be joining us today for his first day at Hogwarts. He comes from a Muggle family," he explained, looking quite excited to hear more.

 

Theo studied the family for a brief moment, noting that they all shared very distinguishing features. "Thank you," he said, nodding lightly to Mr. Weasley before proceeding over to the empty seat. The boy, Ron, was busy stuffing his face full of food.

 

"Oh, well, this really must be a big day for you, eh, dear?" said the short, plump, kindly-looking woman bustling around the kitchen, presumably Arthur's wife. She smiled toward Theo. "Don't be shy. There's plenty to eat," she said, making a motion to the spread of delicious home-cooked food on the table. "Arthur, haven't you introduced everyone yet?"

 

"Oh! Blimey, yes, sorry Theo," said Mr. Weasley, dabbing yolk from the corners of his mouth with a napkin. "Well, this is my wife of course, Molly. The mother of my children and the love of my life—"

 

"That's enough, Arthur," said Molly sternly, before giving Theo a warm smile.

 

Arthur gestured to the boy behind the newspaper. "This here is Percy, then the twins, Fred and George—"

 

"Ah, but which one is which?" said the twin on the left with a raised brow and half-cocked smile.

 

"Careful. Get it wrong, and we'll hate you forever," said the other one in mock seriousness.

 

Arthur rolled his eyes and waved the two boys off before continuing with the boy next to Theo. "Of course, that's Ronald, and on your other side there is our youngest, Ginny."

 

"Are you the boy who hit the other boy with a lunch tray?" asked Ginny quietly, looking up at Theo, apparently not able to help but be nosey.

 

Fred laughed. "That was brilliant, that was."

 

"Wait, I didn't—!" Theo exclaimed, before trailing off and sighing lightly. "Yeah, that was me...." He nodded gently, looking down in shame.

 

"Nothing to be ashamed of. Kid probably deserved it," chimed George, nodding his head in agreement with his twin.

 

"Now, now, we mustn't pester the poor boy," scolded Molly lightly, shaking her head.

 

"Yes, yes," agreed Arthur. "Enough with the silly questions. Now... Theo... what is the exact function of a rubber duck?"

 

Theo gave Arthur a quizzical look. "I... don't think they really have a function, sir..." he responded, not entirely sure what that question had to do with anything.

 

"Oh, you..." chided Molly, waving her husband off. "You're no better than your children, Arthur," she said, smiling lightly nonetheless.

 

Just then, a clock in the living room chimed, signifying that it had just turned seven. "It's about that time, Arthur. We have a lot to do today," said Molly, suddenly standing up from the table. "Up you get now, everybody," she said, motioning for everyone to stand.

 

"Right, you heard the boss! Everyone, get your things. Molly dear, make sure they're ready and I'll get the Floo Powder sorted," said Arthur, folding his own newspaper and getting up.

 

"Of course, of course," nodded Molly as the children dispersed to gather their things. All but Theo, who stood there not knowing what to do with himself.

 

Seeing this, Molly walked over, and put her arm around the boy's shoulder. "You can wait right over here, Theo." Molly escorted him to the fireplace and gave his shoulder a gentle pat. "The others will be down shortly." She offered a light smile before walking off to make sure the kids had everything they needed.

 

"What's... Floo Powder, Mr. Weasley?" Theo asked, looking over to the man as he stood by the fireplace.

 

"Oh, of course. Well, basically, it's a form of transportation used by us wizarding folk. It's best if we show you how it works first, yeah?" suggested Arthur.

 

Theo nodded softly, yet again intrigued by all the new things he was learning. 

 

As he waited, his eyes bounced from place to place. Knitting needles worked through a sweater with no hands to guide them. He could have sworn small eyes had just been peering at him through the garden window, and he was convinced he had heard a painting giggle at him as he passed. There was a significant clutter to the place, but not one that made him uncomfortable. Rather, it felt lived-in, almost alive, as if the house itself was as much a member of the Weasley family as any one of the red-headed children running around the place.

 

He tried to imagine what his mother would think of all this. Would she be horrified at the lack of order? Or would she be charmed by the organized chaos, the century-old curtains, and the chipped plates stacked in the sink, cleaning themselves?

 

It didn't take long before Molly returned to the living room, followed by the others. "I'd say we're all set to go," she said, walking over to join her husband by the fireplace.

 

"Alright everyone, line up. Percy, you first," directed Arthur.

 

The tall boy with curly hair wordlessly made his way to the fireplace. Before stepping in, he grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and shouted, "Leaky Cauldron!" He then dropped the Floo Powder, and, going up in flames, disappeared entirely.

 

The same went for Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and finally Molly, leaving Theo and Arthur. "Right, so do you kind of understand now? You go first, and I'll be right behind to make sure you've gotten there alright. Molly and the kids will be right there on the other side waiting for you, okay?" He said reassuringly, holding out the pot of Floo Powder.

 

Theo's eyes went wide as the green flames engulfed each and every one of the Weasleys, all of them vanishing before his eyes. He gave a light nod towards Arthur before stepping forward and taking a handful of the powder.

 

"I think I got it," he said, stepping into the fireplace. He took a breath, before extending his hand. "Leaky Cauldron!" he exclaimed, throwing the powder down as he spoke.

 

Suddenly, Theo found himself hurtling away from the Burrow at impossible speeds. It felt as if the world had turned upside down. He was almost certain his stomach had been left behind as he was swallowed by warm, green flames. Then, just as abruptly, his feet found solid ground and he found himself standing, dazed but unharmed, in a dingy pub alongside the other Weasleys.

 

"Blimey, you actually did it on your first try!" exclaimed Ron, astonished.

 

"Guess I did, huh?" replied Theo with a light chuckle. He was just surprised that he hadn't screwed something up... or accidentally set himself on fire.

 

Notes:

Chapter 4 is going to be longer! I hope you all enjoyed the double drop, and stay tuned for Theo's discovery of the world that has remained hidden to him until now! Expect descriptors and scenes to flow from a Muggle‐born's perspective :)

Chapter 4: The Hidden Market

Summary:

Diagon Alley awaits, but the magic of discovery comes with naivety of its own. Toppled chairs, cracked windows, and nippy owls are only the beginning for Alex and Theo.

Chapter Text

Theo's summer was not the only one that was short. 

 

After Alex's older brother and sister, Wyatt and Makayla, came home from Hogwarts, it became very easy to pass the time. Alex was able to achieve this mostly by flying around on his Cleansweep and playing catch with Wyatt, punting gnomes over the bushes with Gwen, or listening to music with Makayla as she let him look in on her summer work every now and then. 

 

All in all, it was a great summer. But Alex was more than ready to get the ball rolling. By the time he bounded down the stairs that day, the family was preparing the fireplace, luggage in hand. 

 

"All ready there, Alex?" asked his dad, Anthony, buttoning up his blazer. 

 

Alex nodded happily. "Yes, sir!"

 

His father nodded back, a smile playing on his own lips. "Alright, well, if we're all ready then, let's get going. We've got shopping to do, eh?" 

 

Anthony pulled out his wand and casually waved it at the fireplace. "Engorgio," he muttered. The fireplace then grew to a size that could fit an adult. "Tara, you know the drill." Anthony stooped and kissed her on the cheek. He then took a fistful of Floo Powder from the pot and stepped into the fireplace before shouting, "Leaky Cauldron!" 

 

Anthony dropped the Floo Powder. Going up in green flames, he disappeared. The same went for Wyatt, then Makayla. 

 

Then, it was Alex's turn. He grabbed some Floo Powder and stepped into the fireplace with his things. 

 

"Leaky Cauldr-ach!" Inadvertently inhaling plume of ash, Alex dropped the Floo Powder, and he was ripped from his home in a whirlpool of green fire. 

 

The world around him spun, and for just a moment, he lost all sense of direction. That was, until his back hit the floor and he shot out of the fireplace inside the Leaky Cauldron at high speed — straight into a pyramid of stacked chairs. The mountain of seating collapsed on top of him in a heap.

 

After Wyatt was done laughing hysterically, he helped Alex up. The barkeep mumbled something irritable and righted the stack with a flick of his wand.

 

"What in the bloody hell happened to you, mate?" Wyatt laughed.  

 

"Oh, leave it alone..." muttered Alex, brushing himself off in a huff.

 

Upon looking around, he took notice of another family entering the building. However, disbelief washed over him when a familiar face came through the Floo Network. 

 

"No way...."

 

He walked up to the boy who had his back turned, facing towards another boy of similar age. "Theo...?" called Alex hesitantly.

 

The boy, having heard a strangely familiar voice say his name, turned to see who it was. Theo's eyes widened yet again, having not expected to see Alex of all people. 

 

"Alex? What... what are you doing here?" he questioned, shocked to see someone from his old school. But, he had to admit — he was glad it turned out to be him, and not someone else.

 

Alex punched Theo lightly on the arm. "Aw, mate you have no idea! I thought I had you put on Crawford's bad list for good!"

 

Just then, Alex's father came over. "You know this boy, Alex?"

 

"Oh yeah, he's from my old school," explained Alex, unable to wipe the grin off his face. "That's the boy I helped! And to think, you grounded me for a week!"

 

There was a roar of flames nearby, and Arthur finally stepped through the fire. Seeing Anthony first, he seemed to have immediately recognized him. 

 

"Ah, hello Anthony! First day for your son, too?"

 

 "Yep." Anthony patted Alex's shoulder and nodded towards Theo. "I see you're in charge of a Muggle-born this time around, Arthur? Maybe you three would like to accompany Alex and I in getting their wands?"

 

Arthur smiled. "That'd be splendid." He turned to his wife. "Molly, are you going to be okay with the others? Perhaps you can stick around Tara and her children as well, yeah? We can meet up at Flourish and Blotts." 

 

"That'd be lovely," nodded Molly, smiling towards the Carter family. "Come along, children!" She motioned for the group to follow along.

 

Theo couldn't believe it. All that time, someone like him had been right under his nose — without him even realizing it. Then again, he never even knew that there were people like him to begin with. 

 

"I certainly didn't expect to see you here, Alex. But then again, I'd rather it be you than Vincent," he remarked with a light smile toward the boy. He glanced up toward Mr. Weasley and Alex's father, pondering this speak of wands, and 'Muggle-borns'. "What exactly is a Muggle? I keep hearing that word, but no one's told me what that means to be Muggle-born." He looked to Alex, hoping for an answer to his question.

 

"It's a word we use to call non-magic folk," explained Alex, happy to be the helpful and knowledgeable one. "A Muggle-born is a witch or wizard who has non-magic parents." 

 

"Hm, suppose that makes sense." Theo nodded in understanding, instantly thinking of all the people he'd met in his life. He wondered just how many were magic folk, like Alex and his family, or the Weasleys.

 

"Alright boys, let's get a move on, then. Lots to buy!" Anthony led everyone to a storage closet, which was mostly empty. He pulled out his wand and tapped some of the bricks on the far wall. There was some rumbling before the bricks started to shift and move, creating a passageway to a large market, closed off from the outside world. 

 

Alex looked to Theo and smiled. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."  

 

As they stepped through the passageway into the market district, Theo looked around in amazement. His eyes traveled from the plethora of shops to the hustle and bustle of all the people milling around. It was unlike any shopping center he'd ever been to. 

 

The cobbled streets glimmered in the sun like spilled starlight. Shopfronts leaned at such impossible angles, Theo was amazed they didn't fall over right then and there. The windows he passed were more bizarre than the structural integrity. Some of them rattled with caged owls or screeching cats. Others featured mysterious devices, cauldrons, or phials of liquid. 

 

Every other storefront appeared to be advertising contents within. A self-writing chalkboard outside Scribulus Writing Instruments read 'Buy One Get One Free Self-Writing Quill!' before erasing itself and replacing that with 'Disappearing Ink — When Privacy Matters Most — Try Today!'

 

"Where do we start?" Theo asked, nearly overwhelmed by all of it.

 

"Ooh, dad, let's get our wands, yeah?" Alex suggested, bouncing in excitement. 

 

Arthur chimed in. "Well, actually, as I understand, Theodore doesn't have any wizarding money yet. Have you got any money on you now, son?"

 

"Oh, um, here...." Theo reached in, taking the money from his pocket and showing it to Arthur. It was a reasonable amount in Muggle money, but it evidently wasn't wizarding money. "Will this not do?" he asked, furrowing his brow slightly.

 

Arthur chuckled lightly. "No, no.... In the wizarding world, we have our own currency — all goblin made, too, so you can't have counterfeit." He gave Theo a wink. "We'll head over to Gringotts bank and get your money exchanged. Should you ever decide you want a safe place to store anything — there's no place safer than Gringotts. Well, except maybe Hogwarts."

 

"Alright..." Theo slowly gave a nod to Arthur, glad to hear he could at least exchange his money. Though, as he followed, he turned to Alex, once again. "Goblins...?"

 

"Uhh... it's best if you see for yourself," said Alex simply. 

 

On their way to Gringotts, they passed by many other different stores than had been seen when Theo first walked in. A black and brass storefront labeled Florean Fortescue's appeared to be belching curls of cinnamon-smelling vapor into the air surrounding it. Nearby, across the street from that, stood a brick and mortar storefront promising Bernie Ball's Fireworks, where the window displays safely exploded in brilliant colors and ultra-realistic, animated shapes for all that passed by. Once or twice Theo caught himself looking at a store named Gambol and Jape's Wizarding Joke Shop. He could only imagine what kind of hijinks wizards got up to when magic was involved.

 

"...so basically, in Muggle terms, Quidditch is basically flying football, but... better," finished Alex after having passed Quality Quidditch Supplies. He then gestured to the massive, precarious-looking building at the end of the main street. It seemed as though the thick marble pillars were just barely holding the rest of it up. "And this is Gringotts Bank. Now, my dad is going to take me to our vault so I can get some money, but we'll meet back out here, yeah?" 

 

"See you then," smiled Theo, nodding to Alex. 

 

Alex returned the smile with a grin of his own and went on ahead with his father, leaving Theo with Arthur, who turned to him.

 

"Ready then?" asked Arthur.

 

Theo nodded happily. "Ready." 

 

He was already learning so much about this wizarding world — more than he could've ever imagined. Little did he know, he hadn't even begun to scratch the surface.

 

"Right, follow me then." Arthur spun around and strode ahead of Theo, leading him inside.

 

It was magnificent, if not overwhelmingly so. The moment Theo crossed the threshold, the world shrank into polished marble and hushed business. Torch brackets climbed the walls like creeping vines, their blue-white flames throwing quivering reflections across a floor so glossy Theo could see himself double. Each chandelier that hung from the cavernous ceiling shed cones of light over rows of high, narrow counters. 

 

Behind these counters perched some of the most odd-looking people Theo had ever encountered. Some lean, some stout, they were all short, pointy-eared, long-fingered fellows. Each of them were impeccably suited, dressed in slick black pants, shiny brown shoes and charcoal waistcoats. Theo supposed these must be the Goblins.

 

The lot of them were entirely unbothered by the two's presence. They were all busy; some were, of course, assisting other customers in low, serious tones, making it impossible to hear from where Theo was standing. Others were balancing coins in enormous, brass scales, or else scribbling away on important paperwork with their long white quills.

 

Beside him, Arthur cleared his throat, breaking the spell. "Nearest counter should do."

 

He quickly found the nearest goblin and approached with Theo. The goblin did not look up from whatever he was doing, which was impossible to see from their angle. 

 

Arthur coughed. The goblin looked up slowly, disapprovingly. "May I help you?"

 

"Hi, yes, this boy here needs to exchange some Muggle money. Could you help us?" 

 

The goblin gave a deliberate blink, then sat forward, leaning over the counter to peer down at Theo. "Your name?" asked the goblin, seemingly with disdain.

 

Theo gave the goblin a curious look, but upon hearing the tone in the strange creature's voice, he gulped lightly before speaking up. "Theodore Reid," he spoke, offering his money to the goblin, as he wasn't entirely sure what else to do with it.

 

The goblin raised an eyebrow, as if he thought it was clear that he hadn't asked to see the money yet. Nonetheless, he sighed and began to count it. Soon after, the goblin took various coins, put them in a rough, brown sack and dropped it on the counter. 

 

The goblin turned away, coldly waving them off. "Now if that'll be all, I'm busy."

 

Although put off, Arthur didn't argue and instead took the bag, handing it to Theo. "Alright, well that's all. Let's wait outside for Anthony and his son, then."

 

Theo accepted the pouch of coins, and nodded to Arthur, feeling eager to see what else this place had in store now that he actually had some tangible money. 

 

As he followed Arthur out of Gringotts, he began to wonder why the goblin seemed so cold, but decided not to ask as he figured people might get annoyed by all the constant questions.

 

*****

 

Meanwhile, hundreds of feet below, Alex had gotten to ride the Gringotts trolley for the very first time, all the way down to the Carter vault, and he hadn't been more terrified in his life. But, for him at least, it was cool to see what it was really like down there. He supposed it must be similar to what a Muggle rollercoaster might be like. 

 

Shortly after, Alex and his father had both returned to the surface and walked out, now stocked with the money they needed. Alex quickly spotted Arthur and Theo. 

 

"Hey! Everything turn out alright? We should go get our wands now!" Alex was bouncing on his heels, clearly feeling rather giddy.

 

Theo nodded, holding the pouch up in his hand for Alex to see with a grin to match. "Where *do* we go to get our wands?" asked Theo curiously.

 

"Ah," Alex pointed over to a black and gold storefront labeled Ollivander's

"Just over there. Come on!" Alex urged Theo on, his very legs itching to run over to the shop.

 

Theo followed Alex, excitement bubbling up inside him as they approached. He had seen what Mr. Weasley could do with his wand, and wondered if he would be able to do things like that as well.

 

Leading the way and entering the building, Alex made his way in and looked around while the two fathers waited outside and chatted. This had been Alex's first time in the shop as well, as he never previously had any reason to be there. He cautiously made his way to the counter, where no one made an appearance. 

 

Looking around though, he wasn't sure anyone was here, or even had been for years. It was mildly underwhelming, if not eerie. Narrow shelves shot from floor to ceiling, and stretched, imperceptibly curving this way and that into the far end of the shop. Each of them sagged under the weight of thousands of slim, dust-ridden boxes. 

 

Clearly containing wands, Theo squinted at each box, and found they all bore a faded label — Rowan, 10½", griffin feather or Hawthorn, 12", salamander ash — and the farther up it was, the older the handwriting appeared. Of course, Theo had no conceivable idea what half of these things meant. 

 

Even Alex, a pureblood, could hardly fathom the effort it took to acquire some of the listed ingredients. How on earth were you supposed to get dementor thread, anyway? Every now and then one of them could catch a box shiver, or knock into its neighbor, as if eager to be chosen.

 

The only light in the entire place either came from the windows, or one of the many lit candles bleeding wax onto various surfaces from the counters to the tops of bookshelves. All they really managed to do however, was illuminate the many cobwebs and dusty knickknacks that lurked around the place.

 

Alex peered around nervously. "Uhm... hello?"

 

Just then, a figure hanging from a ladder attached to brass rails slid out from behind the shelves. His hair was the color of fresh cotton, and his skin like parchment pulled taut over sharp cheekbones. 

 

"Ah! Sorry...." His big round eyes peered down at the boys, scrutinizing them as he would any wand. "I hadn't heard anyone come in...." 

 

The old man, presumably Ollivander, stepped down from the ladder and came to the counter. He smiled kindly down at them.

 

"And how may I help you boys today?"

 

"Oh, well, sir, it's our first time...." Alex trailed off, all of a sudden rather apprehensive. 

 

Ollivander nodded. "Ah, I see. Of course, I understand." He studied the two boys for a moment. "Let me see what I can do."

 

Ollivander disappeared for a minute or two. All that could be heard was his rummaging and muttered curses as he attempted to find the boys a suitable wand before coming back with two boxes. He unboxed them, revealing two wands and handed the boys one each.

Alex, an ash, 11¾", runespoor fang and Theo, an elm, 10½", basilisk scale. 

 

"Give those a try..." Ollivander said, awaiting a reaction. 

 

Alex looked at his uncertainly, and gave his wand a little wave. 

 

CRACK

 

A gust of magic surged from the wand and into the window, creating a large, webbing fracture in the storefront. Startled, Alex quickly set the wand back on the counter.

 

Theo raised a brow as Ollivander handed him his wand. Not exactly knowing what to do, he studied it a moment before looking to Alex and watching what he did. He too was startled as the window cracked, and he saw the way Alex quickly put his wand down.

 

Suddenly feeling a little nervous, Theo readied himself before giving his wand a similar wave. His eyes went wide as a bunch of books were violently thrown from a nearby shelf, the literary projectiles slamming into anything nearby. Theo looked to Ollivander with a bewildered face before he quickly did as Alex had done, and set the wand on the table.

 

Ollivander sighed deeply. "It's never the first one...." he said, disappointed. He put the two wands away, and went off to retrieve another two. In this instance, it only took him half the time to find them. Holly, 9¾", kelpie mane for Alex, and yew, 12", thunderbird feather for Theo.

 

"Try these," said Ollivander, placing the two faded boxes on the counter.

 

Alex, more confidently this time, grabbed the wand and gave it another sharp flourish. This time, the wand forced him back, throwing him off his feet and into a stack of books, knocking them all over. He slowly got up and put the wand back on the counter. 

 

Alex huffed dejectedly. "Maybe give us a wand that won't kill us before we get to Hogwarts?"

 

Theo's eyes went wide having seen Alex go flying. "Are you alright?"

 

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine...." muttered Alex, rubbing the small of his back.

 

It seemed there was more to this than Theo had originally imagined. Shaking his head, he gave the wand he was holding an awkward wave, not entirely sure what to expect. As he did so, the wand erupted, and a golf-ball-size hole was blasted into the ceiling. 

 

Theo's jaw dropped, thankful he hadn't pointed it at Alex, or Mr. Ollivander. 

 

"I'm sorry..." murmured Theo, slowly setting the wand on the table.

 

"Right... of course not... what was I thinking...." said Ollivander to himself, walking away. It took an even longer time for him to come back than the first, but he eventually did so with two more wands. 

 

Larch, 12¼", phoenix feather for Alex, and blackthorn, 11½" dragon heartstring for Theo. Alex gingerly picked up this wand, and gave it a small whirl through the air. There was an immediate inexplicable feeling inside of him. A light, warm breeze filled his aura, encircling him, before it faded. Alex grinned — this had to be the one.

 

Upon making contact with his own wand, Theo had felt that same warm, unexplainable sensation. It just felt... right somehow.

 

"Woah...." he murmured, looking down at the wand in his hand. "Did you feel that too?" He looked to Alex curiously as he saw the grin on the boy's face.

 

Alex nodded silently, too shocked to answer; he finally had his own wand. He turned to the old man, and smiled. "Thank you Mr. Ollivander." He pulled out some money, enough for a wand, and dropped it on the counter.

 

Theo turned his attention from Alex back to Ollivander and nodded in agreement. He took a moment to see how much money Alex put on the counter before doing the same, hoping that would be enough. He too was happy to have actually found a wand that didn't break something the moment he touched it.

 

Ollivander smiled. He clearly enjoyed seeing the children get their first wands. 

 

"Don't mention it," he said with a wink. "Alright boys, off ya get then." With a wave of his wand, everything that went wrong was fixed; the hole repaired itself, books flew back into place, and the cracked window resealed itself, making the shop look just as it had before they walked in. 

 

Alex watched the whole thing happen, but when he turned to tell Ollivander how cool that was, he had mysteriously disappeared. Turning to Theo, he shrugged and headed out the store.

 

Not sure where to put his wand, Theo simply tucked it into his sweater pocket as he followed Alex back outside. That was one item checked off the list, but there was still plenty else to get before they would be ready.

 

As they stepped back out into the alley, the warm din of Diagon Alley returned in full. Anthony was leaning against a lamppost nearby, puffing gently on a short pipe as he waited.

 

"Yeah, well, if he interferes again, I'll show Malfoy where he can put his wa— oh! Hello boys! Make out alright? Destroy the place?" Anthony said, putting out his pipe and vanishing it into thin air.

 

The boys nodded sheepishly. Anthony nodded back with a wink, as if he knew all too well the mishaps that came with a wand's choosing. 

 

"Right, Arthur, where next?"

 

Arthur cleared his throat. "Well, if I'm correct, we've got to go get clothes, a cauldron, a telescope, brass scales, and glass phials." Arthur listed. 

 

Anthony clapped his hands together. "Right then, let's get a move on."

 

And so they did. Their first stop was Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Two slightly older boys were being tended to before Alex and Theo. They must have been students as well, for afterwards they bore identical cloaks with the Hogwarts crest. One boy had red accents, while the other had blue. 

 

Theo ducked as a dress soared overhead. "What, so I can choose whatever color I want?"

 

Alex shook his head. "Nah, mate. We'll be getting sorted once we get there. I think the teachers there explain that a bit better, though." 

 

After a moment or two of getting poked and prodded by floating measuring tape, cloth pins, and sewing needles, the boys walked away with fitted, charcoal robes with no additional color. 

 

The second stop was Potage's Cauldron Shop. Arthur explained this would be best, so that the boys could carry their wares within their new cauldrons. 

 

It was rather stuffy, but the most memorable sight for Theo was the differently massive cauldrons on display. Each of them were made of a different metal, empty, save for harmless, enchanted whisps of multicolored steam curling from nothing. Not knowing any better, they both opted for the standard pewter two-inch bottoms. 

 

Theo inspected his cauldron. "So you're telling me there's potions as well?" He rapped the side and heard it hum with the anticipation of its next brew. "What's next, elves?"

 

Alex didn't have the heart to belay Theo's humor with the truth.

 

Next up was Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment. Gleaming telescopes teetered on the displays, the legs of them dancing around to show off the whole product. Curious, Theo put his eye up to one. The moment he did, the ceiling disappeared and the sun went out, revealing the current star pattern of a darkened sky. Sold, the boys purchased them and were able to collapse them small enough to place in their cauldrons.

 

Unfortunately, Wiseacre's was sold out of glass phials, and the clerk had painstakingly recounted how their stock of scales had been seized by Gringotts on account of forfeit goblin forgery. Because of this, they had to rush over across the alley to Humboldt and Sons' Brass Scales.

 

Without much of an option, the pair of them had been talked into a couple sets of decent scales. Quivering slightly, as though eager for weight, the dragon-etched arms stretched out on either side, hoisting two plates of beautifully engraved brass.

 

A few doors down, they finally arrived at their last stop: Abernathy's Glassware Emporium. Alex and Theo, with their new wands and penchant for breaking things were asked to stay outside. Pressed against the window, the boys could see shelves upon shelves of tinkling goblets, bowls, and phials. Every time one caught the light, it would scatter a hundred times over in a brilliant display of color, making it impossible to see further in. 

 

After a few minutes, Anthony and Arthur came out with the boys' necessary equipment. 

 

"—and that was the last time I let someone stick me on graveyard at St. Mungo's," said Anthony, holding the door for Arthur, who was roaring with laughter. 

 

"And that is why I work in Muggle Relations! For now anyway," Arthur responded, chuckling. "Alright, boys? How are we looking?"

 

"We've almost got everything on the list," remarked Theo, taking a moment to glance down at the parchment as he checked to make sure. "Except our books, of course."

 

Anthony clicked his tongue. "Ah, of course. We're meant to be meeting everyone there...." 

 

He checked his watch and froze as his eyes went wide. 

 

"Bloody he— Would you look at the time! Best we get on boys. Tara will have my hide if I'm responsible for you lot missing the train! Come on!"

 

The group hurried down the alley to a storefront titled proudly as Flourish and Blotts.

 

From the outside, it seemed quaint; its tall windows packed tightly with stacks of leather-bound tomes that threatened to spill into the cobbled street. A swinging sign above them creaked in the breeze, displaying the shop's name in glimmering, golden letters. 

 

Theo, having passed this one earlier, had been most intrigued by this one of them all.

 

Upon entering the book store, Theo was immediately struck by the comforting scent of parchment and aged ink. It was the same feeling that hit him then that he felt when reading a new book for the very first time. The interior however, was deceptively expansive despite its narrow storefront. Rows upon rows of towering shelves supported on two levels stored a vast amalgamation of books traveling higgledy-piggledy up to the very ceiling. 

 

There must have been one of every size, color, and age, likely sorted into different subjects entirely. Some on display at the bottom hovered slightly off of their pedestals or glowed faintly, emphasizing their presence above others. Others seemed to jostle every now and then, almost as if knocking other, inanimate competitors out of the way to be purchased first. The rest of them appeared to be pulling themselves off the shelves, gently floating down to awaiting customers. 

 

Scattered across the available floor space were plush armchairs and wooden stools, inviting shoppers to stop and read for a while, most of whom bustled around the place efficiently. Theo watched in awe as a man carried a stack of twenty of these books to the counter, more still flying over to add to the pile.

 

It wasn't long before they spotted the large conglomerate of families talking amongst each other at the heart of the crowd. 

 

When Tara spotted Alex, she lit up. "Oh there you are!" She rushed over to coddle him.

 

"Mum — no— come on — not now!" Alex held his arm out to stop his mother. 

 

Tara pouted. "Well fine, but I've already gotten your books. Here, darling." She set the books in Alex's cauldron and ruffled his hair. 

 

Theo smiled lightly, seeing Alex's mother's behavior, and finding it rather amusing. He almost wished his own mother could be here.

 

Arthur turned to Theo. "Alright son, I can help you get your books, but we must hurry, not too much time before you children need to catch the train."

 

Theo nodded. "I think I can find them easy enough," he said, holding up the list in his hand.

 

With that, he walked off further into the bookstore to seek out all the books he needed, splitting up with Arthur, his family, and the Carters. 

 

Navigating through the towering shelves of Flourish and Blotts, Theo carefully checked his list again. He soon found a copy of The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk, its gold-embossed lettering shimmering invitingly under the store's warm lights. He tucked it under his arm and moved on.

 

Next was Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling, a heavy volume bound in wine-red leather, its cover decorated with intricate runes. Theo paused briefly before grabbing A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch, a slim, sleek volume with shifting illustrations that morphed between animal and object. 

 

Nearby, a stack of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore awaited him. Theo took a book from the precarious pile, and was startled when the illustrations within began rustling and emitting faint herbal fragrances. Smiling in wonder, he continued along the aisle, also picking up Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, its worn cover bearing faint claw marks and the occasional cry of unseen animals within.

 

Finally, he grabbed Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, an unassuming yet hefty tome that subtly rattled with the sounds of bubbling cauldrons and tinkling glassware as he lifted it from the shelf.

 

It didn't take long before he'd gathered everything he needed, purchased them, and headed back to the group. As they left, Alex stopped and turned to Theo.

 

"Hey, don't you want a pet to bring along? You're allowed one, you know." 

 

"A pet?" Theo glanced at the parchment, and noticing that at the bottom of the list, it said that students could bring one of three different animals. "Well, I think I might have just enough money left. Where would I go to get one?"

 

Alex looked around at the various storefronts featuring pets. "Well, it depends. What are you looking for?"

 

Theo tapped his chin, taking a moment to think. Having an owl seemed much more interesting than some boring old cat or a toad. "Definitely an owl." 

 

"Oh, well...." Alex pointed just across the street at a store called Eeylops Owl Emporium. "Just in there, they have a bunch of owls. That's where we got ours, Apollo." 

 

Theo turned his gaze toward the store, before looking back over to Alex. 

 

"If you wouldn't mind watching my things, I could go have a quick look." Theo knew they were short on time and that he'd bothered Mr. Weasley enough already.

 

"Oh, yeah, sure. That's fine," said Alex, watching as their group got farther and farther away. "We still have a bit of time anyway."

 

"Thanks." Theo gave him a wave and headed across the street to the owl shop. 

 

As Theo stepped into Eeylops Owl Emporium, his senses were immediately overtaken by the unmistakable earthy scent of feathers, straw, and something faintly musky. Dimly lit by softly glowing lanterns suspended from the low ceiling, the atmosphere was both warm and shadowy, punctuated by occasional hoots and the flutter of restless wings.

 

Rows upon rows of cages filled nearly every available space, stacked from floor to ceiling in organized chaos. Each cage held owls of various shapes, colors, and sizes from snowy white owls with watchful amber eyes, to small, jittery screech owls that peered curiously from their perches. A majestic tawny owl turned its head completely upside-down, examining Theo with blatant disinterest, while nearby, a large eagle owl puffed out its chest proudly as if awaiting royal inspection.

 

A little further into the shop, Theo spotted a gentle old witch carefully feeding treats to a row of particularly spirited barn owls, their heart-shaped faces eagerly reaching out to accept the morsels. Soft feathers drifted lazily through the air, catching beams of dusty sunlight that filtered through the partially-covered windows, creating a quietly magical scene.

 

After a brief exploration and cautiously avoiding the sharp beak of a particularly feisty long-eared owl, Theo finally locked eyes with a beautifully spotted owl perched calmly in a corner cage. The owl regarded him quietly, tipping her head slightly as though assessing his worthiness. Theo smiled back, and the owl relaxed, nipping Theo's finger affectionately as he reached in. 

 

Perfect,” Theo whispered softly, deciding at once.

 

One avian purchase later, he carefully picked up the cage and made his way back to Alex, his heart warmed by the knowledge he had just found his first magical companion.

By the time Theo got back, the adults had arranged for carts to transport the luggage. Alex had been sitting on his trunk when he saw Theo walking out of the store, bird in hand. 

 

Theo grinned. "You were right. There sure were a lot of owls in there. One of them even tried to bite me. Not this one, though." Theo motioned to his new pet. "Her name's Ygritte."

 

By the time Theo got back, the adults had arranged for carts to transport the luggage. Alex had been sitting on his trunk when he saw Theo walking out of the store, bird in hand. 

 

Alex grinned. "Oh, wow, she's beautiful! We gotta move though. Not much time now, let's go!" 

 

And so they all headed to the end of Diagon Alley to a back entrance that led to King's Cross Station. 

 

Arthur pulled something out from his coat pocket and handed it to Theo as they walked. 

 

The ticket, oddly enough, read Platform 9¾.

 

"You're going to want that, you will," said Arthur, inclining his head towards it.

 

Theo glanced down at the ticket. "Platform 9¾? That can't be right. There's no such thing." He furrowed his brow, thinking that it must be some kind of misprint. 

 

Then again, unlike some spectacle-wearing clown, Theo actually had some common sense. He realized that the wizarding world had more than met the eye. Arthur, however, chuckled, not realizing that Theo was serious and continued walking. 

 

Eventually, they made it between platforms 9 and 10. 

 

Arthur gestured to the column of solid brick. "Well, here we are."

 

Theo looked around, as if he thought maybe he'd missed something. "Wait, that?" he questioned, pointing at the column of brick. "What, do you expect me to run through it, or something?"

 

Just as Theo said so, Percy sprinted through the wall, trolley in tow, followed by Wyatt, Fred and George, Makayla, Ron, Gwen and Tara, and Ginny and Molly. 

 

Alex turned to Theo and smiled happily. "Well, see you on the other side, mate." He then bolted through the wall, disappearing. Anthony followed suit.

 

Speechless yet again, all Theo could do was stare in astonishment.

 

With a shake of his head, he gripped the handle of his cart and ran straight at the wall, just as the others had done.

 

 

Chapter 5: The Hogwarts Express

Summary:

Alex and Theo struggle to find a free compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Who would be kind enough to allow them a seat on their first journey?

Chapter Text

Upon breaching the magic barrier, Theo came to a quick halt as he nearly ran his trolley into Alex, not having expected to soar straight through a brick wall with such ease.

 

Even if Theo had run into Alex, he wouldn't have seen it coming for he had stopped to take in the sight of the Hogwarts Express — a sight he'd seen on numerous occasions. But this time, it was there for him

 

Excited, Alex took his rucksack and trunk, wheeling it over to his family and giving Theo a moment to himself. He kissed his mum and dad goodbye, and gave Gwen a big hug. 

 

Alex turned to Gwen, giving her a worried look. "Be careful this semester. I won't be around this time. And please just remember to feed Bandit and play with him regularly?"

 

Gwen nodded happily; she was always excited to watch over Bandit, as she was the only one Bandit trusted just as much as Alex.

 

*****

 

After saying goodbye to his children, Arthur walked back to Theo and put a hand on his shoulder. 

 

"Well, son, this is it. I'm glad I got to help you out and get you where you needed to be. You seem like a smart kid. I wish you the best of luck in your first year at Hogwarts. Welcome to the wizarding world." He reached a hand out to shake Theo's.

 

Theo smiled warmly, shaking Arthur's hand. He was truly grateful for all the man had done to help him. He'd likely have gotten lost or nowhere at all had he gone without. "Thanks again, Mr. Weasley."

 

With that, Theo proceeded to take his trolley over to the loading man. That was when he finally realized that he'd forgotten something — his clothes. It was too late now, though. There was nothing he could do as the man loaded up what luggage he did have onto the train.

 

Suddenly feeling like an idiot for forgetting something like that, he turned, and made his way over to where he'd seen Alex board the train.

 

*****

 

By now, Alex found that most of the areas were packed with nowhere to sit. That was until the last compartment, where he would find Ron, the Weasley boy from the Leaky Cauldron. Alex opened the door, hope filling him. 

 

"Hey, you mind if we sit here? Everywhere's pretty full," said Alex, relieved to see a familiar face.

 

Ron, who at that time had been sitting in the compartment by himself, turned to face Alex, giving him a dirty look. 

 

"Yeah, I do mind, actually," he replied rudely. Seeing Theo come up behind Alex, Ron rolled his eyes and added, "I think me and my family have done enough for you. Go find your own seats." Ron then gave a small huff through his nose before turning his head to look out the window.

 

Alex was taken aback. "What have we done? We just want somewhere to sit."

 

"And I'm tellin' ya to find someplace else," said Ron, not turning to face them again.

 

Feeling bad, Theo knew this was somehow his fault having spent the day with Ron's father. He tugged lightly at Alex's shoulder, not wanting to press the situation any further. "Let's just find somewhere else to sit. There must be at least one other free compartment." 

 

Alex sighed. "Right then...." He pressed on begrudgingly, trudging further ahead. 

 

A few cabins down, they came across a seemingly empty compartment. After all, the striped cushion seats with the threading coming out were barren of life.

 

"I could've sworn there were others in this one before...." pondered Alex, looking around and catching a glimpse of families going this way and that through the window. "Oh well, there's nowhere else anyway." Alex slid the door open and walked in. Seeing a luggage rack above, he reached up and stowed his things before taking a seat.

 

With a light huff, Theo sat down in the seat across from Alex and frowned. "You know something? I completely forgot to bring any of my clothes. I had them packed and everything!" He sighed, shaking his head. Things had been going well all day. He supposed it was just the ways things were meant to be to balance things out.

 

"Oh, well, uh, I suppose you could borrow some of mine until your mum can send you—"

Alex was cut off when he glanced up above Theo and spotted other people's luggage. He began to get up. "Maybe we should—" but he was cut off yet again. This time, it came in the form of a massive toad leaping up onto his lap and looking at him. "What the—?!"

 

"Trevor! Trevor, where are you?!" yelled a boy, just out of sight. But just then, he flitted by the window and burst into the compartment. It was a black-haired boy with a round face. He didn't look any older than them, but was ever so slightly pudgier. Not like Vincent; Neville seemed warmer and easier to approach. 

 

The boy looked around, and his eyes lit up when he spotted the toad. "Trevor!" He exclaimed, picking the toad up in delight. "How did you find him?!"

 

"Oh, well, I didn't— uh..." Alex sputtered, but the boy didn't let him finish anyway. 

 

"My name's Neville, by the way," the boy said, sitting down next to Theo. He seemed not to have cared whether or not the two wanted him to sit. "Neville Longbottom."

 

Theo had been about to respond to Alex regarding the other people of their compartment before the toad, whose name was apparently Trevor, showed up out of nowhere, much like his owner, Neville Longbottom. 

 

He raised his brow at the strange boy, but was glad to see that he seemed the nice enough sort. At least, enough not to kick them out of his compartment. "Well, Neville, I'm Theodore Reid, but please, just call me Theo. And the one who saved your toad is Alex Carter," he said, opting to be friendly back. Alex gave a small, friendly wave to the boy.

 

"There was someone else in here," said Neville, "but I'm not sure where she's gone. I was out looking for Trevor, see, but... oh well." The boy looked around at the two boys with uncontainable excitement. "Are you guys excited? I wonder what house I'll be put in..." 

 

"Yeah, but just between us, I hope it's not Slytherin. Bad people, them," said Alex.

 

Neville nodded in agreement, but his face twitched as if something about that bothered him.

 

Theo tilted his head slightly, this being the first time he'd heard of such a thing. "Which house?"

 

Neville turned to Theo. "Oh, well, basically, there's four groups, and you'll be sorted into one of them," he poorly explained. 

 

But Alex continued. "Yeah, remember those colored robes? Well, there's four 'houses'. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw... and Slytherin. I'm not all too sure how it works, but you'll be doing most everything with the house you're sorted in, including classes, or even a Quidditch team."

 

Theo nodded in understanding. That all made sense enough to him. Though, he did have one other query. "What makes Slytherin so bad?"

 

"Well, it's said — with enough evidence, mind you — that throughout history, many many Slytherins turn out to be bad wizards." He then leaned in and looked around, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Like... Voldemort."

 

Neville immediately freaked out, clapping his hands to his ears as if he feared for his own life. "Are you mad?! Don't say his name like that!" 

 

But Alex waved him off and shrugged. "Well, it's true."

 

Theo was only more curious. There were bad wizards? It made sense, as there were bad people no matter where you went, but it was nonetheless a little startling to hear. But, what caught his attention the most, was Neville's reaction to the name that Alex spoke. "Who is...Voldemort...?" he asked, keeping his tone low.

 

"The name!!" Neville shouted, his eyes bulging in fear. "He's a baddie, that one, that's all you need to know!"

 

Alex rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. 'You-Know-Who'. He was a wizard who killed lots of men, women, and children without remorse. He prioritized Muggles, and Muggleborns mostly, but he struck down any that got in his way. That is, until he was defeated." 

 

Neville looked as if he was in major discomfort, but in Alex's ignorance, he continued. "A group banded together and took him down once and for all." Alex propped himself up a bit, looking smug. "The members of which happened to include my parents."

 

Neville's face went red. Not out of anger, but something else.

 

Theo shook his head. "Oh, wow. That's awful...." That was a lot to take in, all at once. It seemed that there was certainly more to all of this than just simply going to school. "At least he's gone for good, right?" Theo looked at the two boys, taking note of the look on Neville's face.

 

But, before anything else could be said, the door to the compartment slid open, and a pallid girl stepped in. She had long, straggling, dirty blonde hair with pale eyebrows and wide silvery, eyes that made her look as if she was constantly gazing around in wonder.

 

She had appeared, holding a small stack of magazines. "Oh... hello..." she spoke, her voice lilting and dreamy as she looked at the three boys. She offered the three boys her stack. "Quibbler?"

 

Alex blinked, hearing the foreign word 'Quibbler' enter his ears. Curious, he took one, taking note of the odd, yet interesting things on the front. "Thanks... What's this all about?" 

 

The title was splashed across the top in crooked, glittering letters. Beneath it was a crudely drawn depiction of an animal Alex hadn't seen before. It was a purple, spiral-horned, pig-nosed beast of a creature that seemed to be mid-charge, its horn glowing like a lantern. Bright red ink circled headlines screaming:

 

"MINISTRY HIDES TRUTH ABOUT INVISIBLE DEMONS!!!"

 

and

 

"EVIDENCE MOUNTS THAT YOU-KNOW-WHO WAS ACTUALLY THREE GOBLINS IN A ROBE!!!"

 

There were hand-drawn stars, symbols, something that looked suspiciously like a goat, and even a scratch-and-sniff corner labeled: "Smells Like Truth!"

 

The girl seemed to crack a small smile, seeing someone take an interest. "It's my father's magazine. He gave me a few to hand out and attract new readers," she explained in that same tone of voice. "I didn't realize others were occupying this compartment. I hope you don't mind if I take my seat back." Not waiting for an answer, she sat down beside Alex.

 

"Oh, well, that's cool then..." said Alex, totally bewildered by the encounter. Before he could respond — even though it would have been a yes — she had sat down. He began flicking through the pages of the Quibbler.

 

The girl simply sat there, staring around with a pleasant, but neutral expression on her face.

 

Theo furrowed his brow slightly, taking notice that this girl was a little odd. Though of course he wouldn't just say that.

 

There was a loud hiss, then the train shifted as it began to take off. Alex looked around excitedly. "Well, here we go!" 

 

Neville seemed more relaxed now, appearing eager as well. Alex closed the magazine and set it aside for now. He turned to the girl. "So, what's your name?"

 

"Hm? Oh, you can call me Luna. Luna Lovegood," replied the girl, glancing to Alex. She seemed as if he'd interrupted some complex train of thought going on inside her head.

 

"Oh, well, I'm Alex. Alex Carter, and this is Theo, and Neville." He then pointed to them respectively.

 

"Charmed." Luna gave a genuine smile towards the three boys. She was a sweet girl, if not a bit peculiar.

 

Theo gave a nod of acknowledgement toward the girl. It had been awhile since he'd had actual friends to talk to, but perhaps things would finally change.

 

*****

 

As the train left King's Cross Station, Alex thought to himself how nice it was to meet such people he could get along with. Thirty minutes of irrelevant, uninterrupted chatter went by before a sweet old lady with a trolley full of various goods pulled up to the compartment. 

 

"Anything from the trolley, dears?"

 

Sweets? Of course Alex would be interested. He got up, and spent more than he should on various sweets, taking into consideration Theo, who most likely hadn't had any of this before. He'd bought more than enough to share, keeping in mind that Neville had said he hadn't any money, and he wasn't sure about Luna, who appeared to be off in la-la-land. With a sudden idea, he pulled down his trunk and set it in the middle, making a makeshift table. He then dumped the sweets on it in a display of color and variety. 

 

"My treat," said Alex with a big, almost frightening grin as he viciously attacked a rich, crème-filled chocolate cake, molded to look like a bubbling cauldron, complete with sugary green 'steam' wafting from the top.

 

Theo looked wide eyed at the spread of sweets on Alex's makeshift table. "Whoah...." he had never seen any sweets like *this* before. 

 

A bag labeled Ice Mice contained shiny, pale blue candies shaped like little mice. All of which were scurrying around inside their packaging, promising a chilly, minty sweetness. Small, pentagon-shaped boxes nearby seemed to contain thick blocks of enchanted milk chocolate in the shape of frogs, each one jostling every so often. There was a bigger box labeled Peppermint Toads. The illustration showed rows of small toads made of cool, creamy peppermint with a chocolate shell; Theo could hear them hopping and croaking from within.

 

He took a moment to look them over, trying to decide which one to try first. He settled on what looked to be the safest thing and took a long, glossy black stick from the pile. It turned out to be a lot better tasting than any regular licorice he'd ever had. It was sugar-dusted, with crystals that sparked lightly on his tongue, leaving a warm vanilla aftertaste behind the licorice. "This is really good! Thanks, Alex!" Without hesitation, Theo took another bite from the licorice wand.

 

Luna's attention too was drawn toward the pile of sweets. "May I have one?" She could be seen eyeing up a bottle of tiny golden spheres labeled 'Fizzing Whizbees'.

 

"Yeah, 'course," said Alex, mouth full and wiping chocolate from the corners.

 

Luna took the bottle of Fizzing Whizbees and opened it, taking out a few and popping them into her mouth. As she chewed them, the sound of crackling and sizzling could be heard inside her mouth, which she appeared to be enjoying. She felt lifted, like a hover charm inside her very head.

 

Neville had reached for a Chocolate Frog, but then eyeballed Trevor. Deciding against it, he instead reached for the jelly slugs — stretchy, jelly-like treats that came in wildly clashing flavours like 'burnt banana' or 'acid apple'. It wriggled as he picked up a blue one. 

 

Having finished his licorice wand, Theo once again inspected the pile of sweets, and picked up a box of what was labeled as 'Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans'

 

Theo looked to Alex curiously. "Ever had these before?"

 

Alex stared Theo dead in the face. "Yeah, they're amazing."

 

Without question and a small shrug to match, Theo opened the box and reached in, taking out a bright red bean. Assuming it was cherry, or some such thing, he popped it into his mouth to discover that it tasted exactly like.... His face contorted into a look of confusion. 

 

"What... what the...?" he murmured, looking to Alex for answers. "That wasn't sweet at all. That... that tasted like bacon!"

 

Luna giggled lightly, seeing the look on Theo's face. "Well, they don't call them every-flavour beans for nothing, you know?"

 

Disappointed with the result, Alex instead went to reach for the Chocolate Frog. 

 

Theo was about to try another jelly bean, when the trunk suddenly rumbled, startling the group and causing some of the sweets to slide into the seat or down onto the floor

 

"What was that?" he asked, wondering just what Alex was keeping in his suitcase.

 

Alex shook his head nervously, not knowing either. He cautiously reached towards the first latch, undoing it with a snap.

 

Alex gulped. He slowly reached for the second latch. His fingers touching the metal.

 

The trunk flung open the moment Alex nudged the latch, sending sweets and clothing everywhere. Even Neville had thrown up his hands in an attempt to shield himself. Lastly, from within the clothing, burst none other than Bandit, the Niffler. He could be seen rapidly stuffing spare change into his little pouch.

 

Alex watched in horror as the little Niffler pounced onto the seat, and onto his lap, expecting coddles, or some sort of reward. "What... the bloody hell... are you doing here," he said, almost having to force it out.

 

"What... what is that thing?" Theo's eyes widened, seeing the bizarre creature emerge from the pile of clothes. Furry and duck-billed, it looked like a raccoon had given birth to a platypus. Or perhaps the other way around.

 

Luna, who had ended up with a pair of Alex's boxers on her head due to the eruption of clothes, slowly removed them and handed them over to him. "Lavender is a very nice scent..." she remarked, making reference to the soap that had apparently been used to wash them. 

 

Turning red, Alex snatched the boxers and hastily stuffed all the clothes the trunk before slamming it shut and latching it back shut.

 

Luna's eyes fell upon Bandit and she smiled, attempting to reach out and touch the creature. "Oh, a Niffler! He's lovely. What's his name?" 

 

"His... his name is Bandit. And it seems he has some separation anxiety...." Alex, still in disbelief, watched as the Niffler cautiously sniffed Luna's arm before allowing her to pet him. Bandit pulled out a Galleon from his tiny pouch and began nibbling on it as if he were teething. 

 

Luna looked quite happy, stroking her pale hand over Bandit's soft, dark fur. She remained silent, seeming content.

 

Alex held his forehead. "What the hell am I gonna do...?" He did love having him around. But, they wouldn't let him stay... would they? He shook the thought for now. 

 

"I guess I'll have to wait to get there before I can think what to do about this...."

 

Neville chimed in. "Ah, well, that's unfortunate you can't keep him, he's really cool."

 

Theo watched Bandit curiously, finding the little creature quite interesting, much like everything else of the magical world that he'd seen thus far. "Why wouldn't they let you keep him? What harm could he possibly do?"

 

"Well, I mean, you saw the list. Besides... if you haven't noticed already, he has a particular eye for shiny objects...." Alex reached down to scratch Bandit's neck, who happened to be loving the attention.

 

"Hm...." Theo furrowed his brow lightly, looking at the Galleon in Bandit's hands, nodding lightly. "Suppose you're right."

 

"Perhaps if you ask nicely, they might just let him stay," commented Luna, still seeming quite preoccupied, giving the little Niffler all the attention he could want.

 

Alex shoved his hands in his pockets dejectedly. "We'll just have to see, I guess..."

 

*****

 

For a while, they continued to talk amongst each other, and Alex had decided to let Bandit fool around in the cabin for the remainder of the journey. The little Niffler ended up having taken a particular interest in trying to catch a Chocolate Frog. 

 

"So, how'd you guys first figure out you had magic in you?" Alex casually asked, funneling a handful of sorted jelly beans into his mouth.

 

Theo thought for a moment, as he munched on a cluster of candied cockroaches that he'd dared to try, finding that the little buggers were actually made of chocolate and filling. "You remember the last day of school? When that tray hit Vincent?" he asked, looking to Alex. "That was me. Didn't do it on purpose of course, but it was me. Somehow Mr. Weasley knew about it, and showed up at my house. That's when I got the recommendation letter."

 

Alex was floored. "No way! I hadn't seen it... I thought you threw it at him!"

 

Theo shook his head. "Nope. Complete accident."

 

Neville piped up. "Mine took a while. My Uncle Algie thought I might not be magic and kept trying to force it out of me. It finally came when he accidentally dropped me out of a window and I bounced down the road."

 

Theo's eyes widened in horror at Neville's story.

 

"That's terrible," remarked Luna, chewing on an iced mouse. "My parents found out I was a witch when I was really young. I don't remember it, but apparently I used to make my baby toys float around from time to time."

 

"Oh really? Same here," said Alex, thinking back. "Except they found out that when I cried, all the lights would start flickering." 

 

With all the talk of magic, Theo decided to take out his wand, just to look at it. Blackthorn, he remembered. A sleek, eleven and a half inches of it. Its grain was rough like weathered bark, but cool to the touch. It seemed to pulse with a subtle tension, as if the dragon heartstring within it was waiting for permission to release its first spell. 

 

He wondered why exactly it was that this particular wand had reacted the way it did when he touched it, versus what happened with the ones before it.

 

Noticing Theo's wand, Luna's attention shifted towards him. "Oh, do you know any spells?"

 

Looking up from his wand, Theo shook his head. "No, afraid not. Do any of you?"

 

"Well, I mean, I've heard of a couple," said Alex. He pulled out his own wand and pointed it at Bandit. He cleared his throat. "Engorgio."

 

As the spell was meant for, Bandit grew. Slowly, imperceptibly at first, gradually until he was nearly double the size. Soon enough, he was the size of a watermelon.

 

Theo had only seen a few wordless spells up until this point, but that seemed simple enough. He looked from the enlarged Bandit to Alex. "How do you get him back to his normal size?" 

 

Alex thought for a moment, reveling in his accomplishment. However, it didn't end there.

 

Bandit continued to grow.... and grow... until he was about the size of a human... or two, but he didn't stop, growing uncontrollably still. 

 

"Alex! Quick! Turn him back!" Neville yelled in fear as the poor animal grew and grew. 

 

"Shhh I'm thinking!" shouted Alex back. "Uh... ru... ru.... Reducto!" A red-hot spell shot from Alex's wand and went ricocheting around the cabin before hitting the window and cracking it. 

 

Theo watched on in panicked horror, feeling helpless as Bandit grew larger and larger. He ducked his head low, just in time to avoid the ricocheting spell, and watched as it cracked the window. 

 

Panicking, Alex thought hard. What was that spell again? 

 

And it was then, just when Bandit was almost too big to bear, that he suddenly got it.

 

"Reducio!!

 

And just like that, Bandit started deflating, flying around the room like a popped balloon and landing in the center on the trunk. He proceeded to grab his little feet and roll around like a ball. 

 

Alex sighed quietly. "Right... maybe we should wait 'till we start class...." 

 

Seeing Bandit reducing in size, Theo was able to sigh in relief. With that, he quietly tucked his wand back in his pocket; that was a close enough call. "Yeah, let's not do that again...." 

 

Luna of all them seemed the least bit shaken by the display of haywire magic. "He was rather cute when he was all big, don't you think?"

 

Alex laughed nervously, shakily reaching for more chocolate. He reopened the Quibbler and promptly hid behind it in embarrassment. And so, he quietly read for most of the way. 

 

Neville fell asleep shortly after, and Theo was left to look out the window with Luna, who didn't seem bothered at all by the silence.

 

Soon enough, they were approaching the station, and the four children had put on or otherwise adjusted their robes.

 

"I feel like I'm a part of some cult," said Alex, looking down at his drooping sleeves as the train came to a halt. "Oh well, let's go then." 

 

As they were stepping out, he saw that red-haired boy from before — Ron. This time, he was with two others: a bushy, brown haired girl with buck teeth, and a black haired boy with glasses. Alex felt the urge to say something but decided against it. He had made good acquaintances all because they were refused a seat. That was enough for him.

 

As they stood on the platform looking about, there was a very very large and bearded man yelling. "Firs' years, this way!" he repeated every few seconds. Alex took a moment to take it all in. Always hearing about it but never seeing it, now come to pass for the very first time. He turned around to Theo and gestured to the impressive castle above. 

 

"Well, what do you think, Theo? This... is Hogwarts."

 

 

 

Chapter 6: The Sorting Ceremony

Summary:

The four friends get their first glimpse of Hogwarts from the inside. Will the group stay together, or will different classmates split them apart?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

As Theo stepped off the train, his gaze was immediately drawn to the breathtaking view of the castle. Or, at least, what could be seen of it in the dim light of the night. Perched high on a distant cliff overlooking a rippling black lake, the towering castle loomed overhead like something out of a dream. Its silhouette was jagged with towers and turrets, each one spilling golden torchlight from their arched windows, cutting through the velvet curtain of darkness with a whimsical subtlety. Theo had heard his friends' descriptions of the school on the way here, but it had little prepared him for the spellbinding sight before him. 

 

 "It's... it's amazing...." he murmured softly. He certainly never expected to be attending a school for wizards, much less one held within a towering castle. He was brought out of his captivation by the sound of the large man's voice, beckoning the students over to him.

"Guess we ought to go," he said breathlessly, his anticipation at an all time high as he wondered what it looked like inside Hogwarts.

 

Alex nodded, and the four of them joined the throng, funneling in with all the other first years. 

 

*****

 

After a few minutes of walking a torchlit path straight to the water, the big man eventually led them to a dock, where many of the first years began getting into little wooden boats with lanterns affixed to the front. Alex stepped in one and sat down alongside Neville at the front.

 

Theo sat down on the boat behind them, followed by Luna. He took a moment to look around, seeing all the other first years and their uncontainable enthusiasm. The closer they got to the castle, the more he began to think about which house he would be sorted into.

 

Alex held Bandit out in front of him, giving him a stern look. "Stay. Put." He then stuffed the little Niffler in his hood. Alex had made sure to give him some coins to play with to keep him preoccupied. 

 

The boat ride was a bit chilly, but otherwise rather pleasant. The real highlight of this came when, as the boats cut through the inky blackness of the lake, Neville spun around, too eager to contain his excitement, and promptly fell into the lake. Almost immediately, he had been pushed straight back into the boat by what looked suspiciously like a tentacle.

 

At last, they reached a long dock that sat outside a sort of vestibule, leading through to a kind of viaduct where they were directed by an elderly man with long, greasy, unkempt gray hair to climb the steps and wait at the door.

 

"Uhh, so... what was that thing in the lake?" questioned Theo, looking to Alex as they all stepped off the boats and made their way up the steps as the scraggly old man had directed them. Whatever that thing had been, it couldn't have been all that bad considering it saved Neville from drowning. It was certainly strange, nonetheless.

 

Alex shrugged; he was just glad it wasn't him plunging into the lake. "Could be anything, around here. Looked like an octopus, maybe? I don't know.... What do you suppose which house you guys will be in?" Alex asked the group.

 

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. I guess as long as it's not Slytherin, like you said," replied Theo with a light shrug of his shoulders.

 

"Perhaps Hufflepuff might be nice, or maybe Ravenclaw," chimed Luna, already having decided which of the four sounded best to her.

 

Neville did not answer. He appeared too nervous to do so. Alex thought for a moment, not wanting to answer. He just hoped that they would get to be together, already being friendly and all. Before he could answer however, the big doors before them creaked open, and an elderly woman in emerald green robes and glasses stepped out. The chatter filling the room before fell silent. 

 

"My name is Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. The sorting ceremony will begin shortly. I will be calling each of you up one by one alphabetically to put on the sorting hat. Once sorted, you will proceed to the table of your house. I expect you all to be on your best behavior." She said, looking over all the students with a stern gaze. "Now, if you will, follow me please."

 

The halls themselves were dimly lit with quietly burning torches spitting up low flames. The ancient flagstone was lined here and there with suits of armor, standing like silent sentinels. One or two twitched faintly, as if itching to move from its post. The ceilings above were arched high, draped with centuries of dusty cobwebs and worn tapestries, swinging gently overhead. Some of them depicted dragons, or battles and magical duels, others seemed to hold half-forgotten historical figures.

 

Brimming with excitement, Alex and his newfound friends made their way through the shadowy castle corridors. As they did so, Alex could hear the bushy-haired girl behind him spouting off facts she'd read in her book, some of which were mildly interesting. 

 

“…Hogwarts was hidden from Muggles centuries before the Statute of Secrecy. If a Muggle stumbles upon it, they’ll just see a pile of ruins with a warning sign that says ‘Danger: Do Not Enter.’ Brilliant, really.”

 

In time, as they rounded the final corner, they were greeted by an imposing set of towering oak doors. They were so close now. The enchantment of what lay ahead buzzed throughout the group of youngsters, a subtle chatter through the otherwise silent halls. Opening the massive doors, McGonagall led them through. 

  

It was an otherworldly sight. Alex looked around, taking it all in. Four long tables stretched ahead of them. All polished and wooden, they took up most of the floor from entrance to end, one for each House. The sturdy tables and accompanying benches held the student body, and all the gleaming silverware needed to feed a mob. Taking note of the enchanted ceiling, the group would see bright, spectacular stars, mirroring the night sky. Hovering around just out of reach were hundreds of candles, casting a soft, golden glow and flickering subtle shadows across the hall.

 

Alex quickly spotted his siblings, Makayla, who waved at him; and Wyatt, who gave him a cheeky grin and thumbs-up. Alex smiled back but continued on, eager to get sorted. At the far end of the room, Alex spotted the teachers and staff — an assortment of mysterious figures that were smiling, intimidating, or otherwise unreadable — all sitting at the long, raised table at the head of the room. 

 

Theo's eyes were drawn to the old man in the very center of the raised table. He looked ancient, with long, silvery hair and a beard to match. His robes shimmered faintly in the candlelight, dotted with what seemed to be tiny stars. His glasses, half-moon spectacles, balanced on a crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken more than once. It wasn't any of that that held Theo's gaze. It was the man's eyes. Sharp and blue, they pierced through Theo like a searchlight. Theo didn't know who he was, but one thing was for certain. That man was important. 

 

McGonagall had conjured a beaten-up three-legged stool that wobbled when she sat it down. Then, she placed an old, weathered, pointed hat upon it. Warm and weathered, the brim seemed to twitch, as if awaiting a student's brain to pick through. The body of it, however, had unmistakably folded into a face, peering around eyelessly at all the first years. 

 

McGonagall cleared her throat and pulled a thick scroll from her robes. She then began calling up students one by one in a firm, clear voice. 

 

"Hannah Abbot!" she began. 

 

A fair-haired girl with pink cheeks and trembling hands stumbled forward, nearly tripping over her own robes. She cast a nervous glance toward the other first years before sitting on the stool. The Sorting Hat had barely grazed her head when it bellowed, “HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

The respective table of yellow-accented students erupted in cheer. Hannah let out a squeak of surprise, then hurried to join her new housemates, face flushed but smiling.

 

Several more students had been called up, and it wasn't long before "Alex Carter!" was announced. His palms sweaty with anticipation, Alex made his way up to the hat and sat down in the chair. 

 

McGonagall placed the hat on his head, and there was an immediate, pervasive sensation that surged through his head. Then, surprisingly, something in there spoke to him.

 

"Hmm, let's see here...." it said in a low voice. It was as if his past, present, and even his future was being purged by something he could not see. "Plenty of courage, I see... cleverness, too. Well, I think it's pretty clear..." the voice said. And then, abruptly, the voice shouted out loud, "GRYFFINDOR!"

 

Alex saw Wyatt spring up and pump a fist in the air before clapping along with the rest of the House. As relief washed over him, Alex gave a double thumbs-up to the other three for good luck, and went to sit down at the Gryffindor table next to Makayla, right where he had planned to be from the beginning. 

 

"Welcome to Gryffindor little brother," she said, ruffling his hair.

 

It was a little while before the next familiar face was called up.

 

"Neville Longbottom!"

 

The poor boy looked as if he was about to faint. Trembling head to foot, he slowly stepped up to the stool. McGonagall inclined her head toward the stool as he stood there, unsure. Gingerly, he sat upon it. 

 

McGonagall lowered the hat onto Neville's head, and the very moment the hat touched him, the hat shouted — "GRYFFINDOR!!"

 

Alex was mildly surprised, he almost would have guessed him to be a Hufflepuff from his kind nature. Nevertheless, he clapped; he was just happy one of his friends was able to join him. 

 

When Neville sat down across from him, Alex shook his hand. "Nice to see ya, Neville," he grinned.

 

Neville gave a small laugh. "Yeah... I thought I was going to die up there in front of everyone...." 

 

Alex turned his attention back to the ceremony, eager to see if both Luna and Theo would be able to join them at the Gryffindor table.

 

Theo stood in the line, marveling at the Great Hall as he awaited his turn to be sorted. First, hearing Alex's name get called, he turned his attention toward the front of the large room, watching as the strange looking hat was placed atop his head. It had shocked him when the hat began shouting House names, but at this point, Theo had been getting used to being constantly surprised by everything around him. Hearing Neville be called for Gryffindor as well had settled it. He definitely hoped to be sorted into Gryffindor, not wanting to be separated from his newfound friends. 

 

Moments later, as the line dwindled down, "Luna Lovegood!" could be heard next. Theo watched as the blonde haired girl skipped along, all the way up to the front of the room without any shame whatsoever. She sat down in the seat and glanced up as the hat was placed on her head. There was a short moment of silence, before the hat exclaimed—

 

"RAVENCLAW!!!"

 

This gained a mixture of surprised looks and cheers from the Ravenclaw table. With a dreamy smile, she drifted her way over to the house table, looking as though she had known the outcome all along.

 

Theo too was surprised, to say the least. Seeing Luna get sorted into a house other than Gryffindor, made him a bit worried that something similar could happen to him. 

 

A twinge of sadness crossed over Alex when Luna was called to Ravenclaw. His previous envisionings of the group all hanging out together had been wounded. Though she seemed happy, and perhaps they could still be friends and hang out anyway, he thought. 

 

Soon after that, the name, "Draco Malfoy!" would be called, and a boy with slicked back, platinum blonde hair stepped up to the front. The sorting hat had barely touched said blonde hair before it spat out "SLYTHERIN!!!"

 

Theo could tell from the look on the boy's smug face, that that was exactly what he'd expected, and wanted to hear. 

 

Another short period of time passed before Theo finally heard, "Theodore Reid!" get called. With a deep breath, he walked over, and sat down. A similar, strange sensation was all Theo could feel. As if something was rooting around inside his mind, hungry for his very personality. Yet he stood silent, awaiting the hat's decision. 

 

"Hmm..." the hat murmured lowly, as if it were contemplating. "I'll have to say.... GRYFFINDOR!!!"

 

Hearing that, Theo's face lit up with a mixture of happiness and relief. The Gryffindor table erupted once more, welcoming Theo over with cheers as he made his way over, looking for a place to sit.

 

Hearing Theo's name get called to Gryffindor, Alex's spirits rose considerably. He quickly made space as Theo came over. "Alright! Welcome to Gryffindor!" Alex said, patting him on the back.

 

Taking his seat on the bench, Theo nodded toward Alex, smiling lightly. "For a bit there, I wasn't sure what that manky old hat was going to say." He glanced over to the front of the room, for a moment. "It's a shame about Luna, though..." he said, turning back to Alex.

 

Alex shrugged. "Yeah... but I'm sure we'll be seeing her again," he said, unsure as he spotted Luna at the Ravenclaw table, talking amongst her new classmates. 

 

After "Blaise Zabini!" was sorted into Slytherin, the Sorting Ceremony had ended, and all the first years were in their respective houses. 

 

The old man in the center stood up, and made his way to the owl-crested podium at the front. "The very best of evenings to all of you! My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. But, you can just call me 'Professor'. Now… to our new students, welcome! And to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you. Additionally, I'd like to give a warm welcome, to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: Professor Quirrel." He gestured to a man in purple robes and turban.

 

"Th-th-thank you. D-d-d-Dumbledore. P-p-p-pleased to b-b-b-be here," the timid-seeming man said. 

 

Dumbledore smiled, and nodded to him before continuing. "Now, there are a few things before supper I'd like to mention. First, for you first years, you should know that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students without proper supervision. Secondly, Mr. Filch," said Dumbledore, gesturing to the unkempt man from before, "our caretaker, has asked me to remind you that no magic is to be used between classes in the corridors. And lastly, I must tell you, that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to all that do not wish to die a most horrible death. And with that... enjoy the feast!"

 

As soon as the speech ended, a massive buffet instantly appeared across the tables. The impressive spread included glittering, golden trays, stacked high with heaping mounds of steaming, buttery mashed potatoes dripping with thick, savory gravy. Nestled by them were gleaming silver trays stacked haphazardly with perfectly cooked, juicy sausages, still sizzling right out of the pan. 

 

Honey glazed ham, carved in thick, glistening slices. Trays of shepherd's pie, bubbling at the edges. Charred roast beef with a juicy pink center, precut in ready slices. All of it for the enjoyment of the entire castle. 

 

Alex had never seen anything like it. He had momentarily forgotten the ominous warning about a horrible death and dug right in, starving, even after all the candy he ate.

 

Of course, Alex wasn't the only one surprised by the sudden appearance of the massive feast that seemed to stretch on forever down the long table. Theo was once again left with wide eyes as he tried to decide what exactly it was that he wanted to try first. He was so distracted, he hadn't even had time to give the concerning warning any thought. After a while, he settled on a little bit of everything, feeling quite hungry after the long day he'd had. "This is so, so much better than anything Cranbrook ever tried to give us." he commented to Alex as they both thoroughly enjoyed the feast.

 

Alex smiled and nodded, mouth stuffed with roast chicken. But Makayla nudged him. "Don't get too comfortable just because old man Crawford's not here." She pointed to a hook-nosed teacher with greasy black hair. He appeared to have a resting face that said he resented everything. "That's Snape, the Potions teacher. You'll want to watch out for him, he always favors the Slytherins."

 

Alex thought for a moment. There's no way he could be as bad as Crawford. No way... right? 

 

*****

 

Before long, the students had eaten themselves full to the brim. It was then that Dumbledore stood once more, effortlessly commanding the attention of the entire room. "I hope you all had a wonderful supper. But now, as it is at the end of any other night, it is time for bed. But remember, you have a big day ahead tomorrow! Prefects, if you could lead the first years to their dormitories.... Chop chop!"  

 

Alex liked Dumbledore. Better than the old headmaster at Cranbrook, at least. A tall boy with curly red hair stood up and said loud and clear. Theo recognized him, as it was none other than Percy, Ron's older brother.

 

He waved his presence and shouted, "Gryffindor first-years, follow me!"

 

The moment Alex got up, it felt like he was being weighed down from all the food. Suddenly, he felt immensely tired and could really use a bed, it had been a very long, eventful day. 

 

After the more than filling meal, Theo also felt rather exhausted, and could feel his eyelids growing heavy as they rose from the table, full to bursting. With a yawn, he stood up to follow Percy and the other students out of the Great Hall. 

 

They all followed Percy through the hall and up the stairs. As they were climbing, the staircase began shifting. Alex immediately launched himself at the nearest banister, fearing for his life. Looking at Theo, it seemed as if he had thought the same thing. Theo had momentarily been brought out of his tiredness by the shifting beneath his feet, which understandably alarmed him. 

 

"Oh, don't mind the stairs, they like to change," said Percy calmly. His casual explanation seemed to quell most of the students freaking out, except for Neville, who still looked as though his stomach contents were filing for a divorce.

 

Before long, they reached a large, ornate painting mounted on the stone wall. The lady in the painting was a stately woman, depicted in rich, burgundy robes. In her frame, she was seated on a tufted velvet armchair, looking down at all the students, and Percy.

 

"Password?" she asked simply. 

 

"Caput Draconis," recited Percy. The painting slowly swung open, revealing a passageway. 

 

Theo gaped. Though, he thought that the moving painting ought not to surprise him as he'd seen one of those wizard cards that came with the chocolate frogs that they'd gotten back on the train, and it made sense that other pictures might move as well. 

 

The students followed Percy inside, finding a very cozy round room, filled with squashy arm chairs, a sofa, and a nice fireplace. The wind was more prominent all the way up here, gently rattling the windows as if it was calmly asking for attention. Alex would've been more interested in the intensely red-themed room if he hadn't felt as though he could have lain down on the steps outside and fallen asleep right there. 

 

Percy directed the students to their respective dormitories, and Alex, Theo, and Neville would find themselves in a circular room, clearly in one of the towers, with a handful of inviting four-post beds. Overhearing the others, the students in the room mentioned their names as Dean Thomas, a dark-skinned boy with a kind face; Seamus Finnegan, a sandy-haired boy with freckles; Harry Potter, a wild-haired kid with crooked glasses; and Ron, the boy from before. 

 

Once they'd entered the common room and all had been split up into their respective dorms, it didn't take long for Theo to settle into his surroundings, despite being initially put off by Ron Weasley's presence, who pointedly ignored him and Alex altogether. 

 

Alex laid down in his bed, and turned to ask Theo what he thought about his first day, but almost immediately fell into a deep slumber. Bandit slowly crawled out from his hood, and nestled in next to him with a piece of chicken, and one of the shiny spoons from the Great Hall.

 

After noticing that Alex had already fallen asleep, Theo too quickly followed suit in peaceful slumber, his wand resting reassuringly beside his pillow.

Notes:

Leave a comment and let me know how the journey to Hogwarts made you feel! See you guys next time!

~Scyld

P.S. Changing the schedule to every two weeks starting here! Chapter 7 took way too long to edit. Please forgive me! When I'm done editing the full year I'll shorten the window again!

Chapter 7: The First Day

Summary:

The first day at Hogwarts tests the group as each class puts them through their paces.

Chapter Text

Alex had a seemingly dreamless sleep. A nice one, at that. He opened his eyes peacefully, unable to recall falling asleep at all. He saw a clock on the wall reading twenty-three past seven. He then rose slowly and stretched, looking around. 

 

Almost everyone had left already, except Theo, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. So, naturally, Alex grabbed one of Bandit's coins and threw it at Theo’s head. 

 

"Oi, breakfast," he said, yawning. He got up slowly and pulled on his newly red-accented robes.

 

Feeling the coin hit his cheek, Theo was jolted out of his restful sleep. "It's morning already?" He slowly sat up, unable to open his eyes. After a moment, he rubbed the sleep from them and looked around, noting the time and seeing that everyone else was already gone. He ran a hand through his hair before deciding to stand up with a stretch. "What's the first class today?" 

 

Alex was attempting to fix his hair in a mirror as Theo began changing into his robes. He grabbed a slip of paper off his bedside table, taking a moment to read it. "It says here we've got Potions. In the dungeons." He folded the paper and put it in his robes, along with his wand.

 

Alex glanced towards Bandit, who continued to snooze squarely in the middle of the bed, paws up. Alex shook his head and pulled a blanket over him. Surely, he thought, he'd be safe in here while the students were out. After all, Bandit was a surprisingly good hider.

 

"You almost ready? I'm starving," called Alex. 

 

"Right behind you," said Theo, coming from around his bed. He quickly grabbed his wand from beside his pillow and made his way to the door. He was quite eager to start the day, unlike how he'd felt at his old school.

 

Alex nodded and headed into the common room with Theo, where they found a couple of older students reading. Alex led the way out, down the Grand Staircase and into the Great Hall, where crowds of students chatted amongst themselves, enjoying breakfast. 

 

Alex nudged Theo. "Let's find somewhere to sit."

 

Theo spotted some space near Neville and motioned to the boy. "Doesn't look like Neville's sitting with anyone," he said, already making his way over to sit down. Alex went around the other side to sit across from him. 

 

Neville was midway through a tower of pancakes by the time the boys made it over to him. 

 

"All right, Neville? Good sleep?" asked Alex, sitting down and piling his plate.

 

"Yeah, mostly," he responded between bites, frowning at his plate. "A few weird dreams here and there."

 

"I heard weird dreams are normal for people who are sleeping in unfamiliar places," came a dreamy voice. "It shouldn't be anything to worry about." The voice came from none other than Luna Lovegood, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Despite being in a different House, she had apparently decided to join the boys for breakfast.

 

Theo was in the middle of eating a piece of bacon, giving her a curious look. He was surprised to see her sitting with them, figuring she would rather be with the other Ravenclaw students.

 

Alex smiled lightly, having expected the same. "So, how are you settling in, then? Being in Ravenclaw and all."

 

"Oh, well, the other girls are... nice enough." Luna offered a light smile, though there was a small hint of sadness in her eyes. Whatever it was, she did a good job masking it. 

 

The slight pause in her sentence told Alex that there was more to say, but he didn't dwell too much on it as Luna continued.

 

"And you three? You seemed quite happy when you were sorted into Gryffindor." 

 

"Yeah!" said Alex, nodding happily. "Though to be honest, it would have been nice if we were all together. Besides, my siblings are in Gryffindor, too, so that checked out."

 

"Well, at least we have quite a few classes together. That, and there aren't any rules about who we can spend our time with outside of classes," stated Luna rather bluntly in her usual wispy tone.

 

"I'm just happy I don't have to sit around those creeps at the Slytherin table," said Neville, nodding towards them.

 

Theo shook his head with a chuckle. "You really aren't fond of those Slytherins, eh, Neville? Alex too. One day, one of 'em is gonna hear you." 

 

"Hey, I didn't say anything," said Alex in defence as he finished the last scraps of food on his plate. He made to grab his bag, but instead looked around in panic. "Aw, bloody hell. I forgot my books in the dormitory. I've got to get them before we head to Potions. Makayla said we should really try to stay on Professor Snape's good side."

 

"Actually, you're not the only one," said Theo gravely. He suddenly felt like an idiot for forgetting to bring his books for his first class. After the mishap of forgetting his day clothes, he began to think that this was going to be a theme for him. Then again, Alex was from a wizarding family, with even less of an excuse to forget. This made him feel better. He nodded, already getting up. "I think if we hurry, we can make it."

 

"See you, Neville," said Alex with a quick wave. "See you in Transfiguration, Luna!" He and Theo took off at high speed back to the Gryffindor common room.

 

Through the halls and up the stairs they ran, skipping every other step. Out of breath, they made it. Alex grabbed his books as Theo grabbed his. 

 

"I'm just glad we caught that before it was too late," remarked Alex breathlessly.

 

Theo nodded, quickly stuffing the books in his bag before looking at the clock. "Uh-oh, we should hurry before we're late." Indeed, they had about five minutes to get to the dungeons before class started.

 

Alex nodded. "Right." 

 

He and Theo legged it all the way down the steps and back to the viaduct entrance, continuing into the dungeon corridor. "I think this is it right here," he said, pointing to the door as they approached.

 

"Looks about what you'd expect," said Theo with an appraising look, nodding slowly. It was hard to imagine the dungeons as a place to learn rather than to house prisoners or torture misbehaved students.

 

Unfortunately for Theo and Alex, they had been a total of thirty seconds late, and Professor Snape had already begun class.

 

A tall, thin man in flowing black robes paced quickly between the seats. His presence was sharp and severe, with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and shoulder-length hair hanging like curtains around his pale face. He barely spared the tardy boys a glance as they tiptoed in.

 

"You may refer to me as Professor Snape," he said, his eyes flashing through the students. "Not Snape, not Professor 'S', nor any other such diminutive." 

 

Alex shivered. Theo gulped. Professor Snape stopped at the head of the class and looked over the room at large. Alex and Theo crept along at the back through the shadows.

 

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science that is potion-making," he spoke, peering down at them all appraisingly. "However, for those of you who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses; I can tell you how to brew fame, bottle glory, and even put a stopper in death."

 

He paused amidst his speech, watching as Theo and Alex shuffled through the back of the classroom. "Then again, some of you may have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel comfortable enough to attend class whenever you so wish." He directed his dark, unamused gaze towards the two boys who were late by only half a minute. 

 

"Oh, uh, sorry, I — I mean we — we uh —" Alex sputtered, searching for an excuse. He could feel the cold stare of the professor as he tried so desperately not to shrivel before the man.

 

Theo froze like a deer caught in headlights beneath Professor Snape's contemptuous gaze. "We... we were just getting our books. From the common room." 

 

"Hm... I see. Well, perhaps you both would benefit from an evening in detention if you happen to interrupt my class again," stated Snape with a flat but sharp tone. "Take. Your seats. Now."

 

Feeling rather embarrassed, Alex and Theo quickly took their seats, only having been a metre away from getting away with it.

 

"That was close," Alex whispered to Theo, pulling out a textbook titled Magical Drafts and Potions. "Could've been worse though, eh?"

 

"Yeah, it was," whispered Theo back, nodding in agreement as he took out his textbook. 

 

As the two boys took their seats, they heard the snickering of a few Slytherins sitting behind them. One of them was that greasy kid, Malfoy, alongside a plump buzz-cut boy who looked as if eating was his favourite pastime. On the other side was a taller, dark-haired boy who also seemed not to miss many meals. If Theo remembered correctly, the other two had been sorted yesterday as Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The last thing the boys needed was another Vincent of all people.

 

"Turn to page ten, where we will be discussing the differences between Wormwood and Wolfsbane," Snape told the students, clearly overlooking the snickering in the back to proceed with conducting his class.

 

*****

 

As the class went along, Snape went over the variations of the two plants he'd mentioned, covering their differences and, of course, their respective uses. The class seemed to drone on for a while, much like one of old Mr. Crawford's classes. Eventually, however, the class ended with Snape assigning them to read several chapters on the infusion of Wormwood.

 

As the students packed their things, Alex shook his head. "Blimey... homework on the first day? Can you believe that?" 

 

"If it were any other professor, maybe not." Theo shook his head, gathering his things and standing up from the desk. "Anyway, what's the next class?"

 

"Transfiguration, with Ravenclaw," said Alex. He looked towards Neville, who had taken the brunt of Snape's questions; once he had missed the first, he missed the lot of them. "Hey, Neville, you all right?"

 

"Yeah, I'm all right. I just don't understand why he has to be so nasty," Neville said, as they made their way up the steps out of the dungeons. 

 

Alex shrugged. "At least we get to do some magic soon, but we should hurry. The Transfiguration courtyard is still a bit of a walk."

 

Theo shook his head as they proceeded down the corridor towards the staircase. "You're right. We should definitely hurry. I really don't feel like being late to two classes in a row." 

 

Making haste, the three boys reached the Transfiguration courtyard, with just minutes to spare. Entering the classroom, they found most students had already taken their seats. All save for Luna, who sat alone. Alex made his way over with the other two and chose the seat right next to her. "All right? How was your first class?" Alex asked her.

 

"Oh, hello, you three." Luna smiled lightly, seeming pleased to have some company. "It went well enough. Professor Flitwick taught us how to cast the Wingardium Leviosa charm on a feather. Most of the students were able to cast it on the first try. But that's Ravenclaw, I suppose." Luna gave a small shrug. "And you? How was Potions class?"

 

Alex scratched his head. "Oh, you know... it was..."

 

"Awful," said Neville flatly. "And these two showed up late." 

 

"Yeah..." said Alex, rubbing the back of his neck. "It wasn't great."

 

"Oh dear, you ought to be more careful." Luna shook her head slightly. "Wouldn't want to get into too much trouble on your first day." 

 

"I think that professor just has it out for everyone," commented Theo, slinking back into his seat.

 

Just then, from behind the professor's desk, a calico cat with sharp green eyes and an air of authority leapt onto it, startling the class into silence. 

 

It then jumped, twisting midair, bones rapidly reshaping with unnerving fluidity until a stern-looking Professor McGonagall was standing before them. This startled Alex, mostly because they had just been bad-mouthing a teacher in front of one this whole time. Theo's mouth simply hung open.

 

"Good morning, students. This, is Transfiguration," began Professor McGonagall, waving her wand at the chalkboard nearby so that the chalk began writing upon it. "Transfiguration is one of the finer arts of magic, as it requires you to be thoughtful and precise in your work. Through time and enough practice, you could go from turning a needle into a match to turning an elephant into a teapot." Her eyes suddenly flashed around the room with subtle fierceness, not unlike a cat. "But be warned. I will not tolerate any foolishness in my class, and failure to comply will result in consequences. Do I make myself clear?" 

 

There was a dull, collective 'Yes, Professor' across the classroom. Alex leaned forwards, ecstatic to be learning some magic like Luna had. 

 

Theo nodded in appreciation. The class did seem quite interesting. At least, more so than Potions had been.

 

McGonagall gave a light smile. "Now then, if you please, get out your course book and turn to page twelve. Then, we can begin going over the transformation formula."

 

Alex's jaw dropped. Seriously? Were all the teachers going to make them read? If he wanted to do that, he could've just stayed in the dormitory. He was itching to do some magic. "Excuse me, but when are we going to actually learn some magic here?"

 

McGonagall's face changed to what could be described as mild surprise. "Oh? Mr. Carter, is it? Come up here, if you please."

 

Feeling immense regret in his outburst, Alex shamefully went to the front of the class.

 

McGonagall stood next to him, waiting quite patiently. "So, we'll go outside the curriculum and I'll give you something easy. All you need to do is make bubbles come from your wand. The spell is Ebublio. I'm sure that's fairly simple, yes?" 

 

Alex nodded. It was just bubbles, right? Piece of cake. Alex gripped his wand and held it up, giving it a forceful flick. "Ebublio!"

 

A bubble, although small, sprouted from his wand. With a burst of concentration just to produce something, the bubble exploded in size before promptly bursting, sending the liquid straight into Alex's eyes. 

 

"Agh! What the—?" He dropped his wand and rubbed them. 

 

"I think I've made my point rather clear," said McGonagall simply. "Please return to your seat, Mr. Carter, and do take your wand." 

 

Alex snatched the wand off the ground and grumpily made his way back to his seat without a word. 

 

"Now, like I was saying, please turn to page twelve," said McGonagall, her nostrils flaring.

 

Theo snickered as Alex returned, amused by the display and holding back a smirk. "Nice bubble."

 

Though he did have to agree with Alex's reasoning in that he wanted to actually perform some sort of spell. Of course, he'd seen what happened when someone questions a teacher, and opted to do himself a favour by listening and turning to the assigned page.

 

Alex rolled his eyes and opened his book. Deep down, he thought that maybe it would be a good idea to learn his stuff if he didn't want to come off like a total knob. 

 

*****

 

After an hour of mind-boggling equations, Alex was about ready to gouge his eyes out. To top it all off, McGonagall still gave them homework to do based on the equations. Alex began his grumbling as they packed their things. "Can someone please tell me why there's maths involved with magic?" He hadn't found it difficult, just mundane. He had thought that he'd got away from boring old Crawford's classes.

 

"I don't know," said Neville, worried how he'd finish his homework at this rate. "I didn't understand a lick of that." 

 

"I didn't find it all too troubling," remarked Luna as she gathered her things. "Cheer up. I'm sure you'll get to perform some practical magic soon enough. Anyway, I'm off to Potions now. I'll see you at lunch." She waved before skipping on her way.

 

"She's an odd one, don't ya think?" commented Theo after she left. "Must be smart though if she didn't have any trouble with those awful equations."

 

"Yeah..." said Alex distractedly, glancing at their schedule. He nearly hurled when he noticed they had History of Magic next with Professor Binns. "What is this, and why is that class necessary?" Alex pointed an angry finger at the subject. 

 

Neville waved him off. "Oh, come on. Can't be as bad as Snape." 

 

"Neville's right," said Theo in an attempt to be optimistic. "It can't be that bad, can it?" Though he supposed he had more to learn about the magical world than either Alex or Neville, so perhaps that's why he didn't mind it so much. "Either way, it's not like we can just skip it. It's only the first day."

 

"Yeah... right." Though privately, Alex wondered how true the statement was. 

 

When they arrived, neither Neville nor Theo could have been more wrong. 

 

As it happened, Professor Binns was a ghost. This was only interesting until class began, quickly becoming tiresome when one was forced to sit through an hour's droning on the subject of 'The Gargoyle Strike of 1911'. 

 

Why is this moment in wizarding history so important, you may ask? Well, if anyone could tell you, it certainly wasn't Alex. By the end of the hour, he was mere seconds away from bashing his head on the desk.

 

He wasn't the only one, as Neville had actually fallen asleep. Thankfully, they did not have homework for this class, but this was only due to the fact that they hadn't covered the entire subject, even during all that time.

 

Theo's eye twitched. "You... were right." He shook his head, glancing to see if Alex was still awake, or if he'd passed out like Neville. While some of the magical facts had been interesting, the way it had been presented could not have been more boring.

 

Alex nodded slowly. "That was... awful." He smacked Neville's stomach. "Oi, wake up."

 

Neville jumped a foot the moment Alex touched him. 

 

"1911!" 

 

This caused some of the other students still left to look over in judgement. 

 

Alex's stomach growled; it was time for lunch. "Come on, let's eat. According to Luna, we get to actually do some spells in Charms, anyway."

 

"It's about time. I don't want my only lesson in magic being what happened back on the train," replied Theo, giving Alex a knowing glance. He gathered his things and stood up from his desk to leave the classroom.

 

"Toss it." Alex didn't particularly want to remember that. 

 

Moving on, the three boys made their way back to the Great Hall for lunch, where Alex would find Wyatt and Makayla again, sitting across from each other. Alex took a seat next to Wyatt and sighed. 

 

"What's the matter, little brother?" asked Wyatt in a way that said he already knew. Neville took a seat next to Alex. 

 

"You would think," started Alex, buzzing with irritation, "for a magic school, one of the first things we'd be learning is magic."

 

Wyatt chuckled. "What's the matter? You don't like Binns? He's a little... well, he's not that bad."

 

Alex didn't appreciate this kind of humor at the moment. He shot Wyatt a look and began loading his plate.

 

"Don't worry, it'll be a matter of time before you get to the cool stuff," chimed Makayla, throwing up finger quotes. "Just wait till you start submitting two-foot essays on potion accidents and their consequences for the Wizarding economy." She leaned in closer. "Also, you know you could try practising some of the spells in the books they give you, right?" She gave Alex a knowing glance before returning to her food. 

 

Alex thought back to the traumatic bubble mishap in Transfiguration. He sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, I suppose."

 

Theo could understand Alex's frustration. It had been a rather discouraging day, to say the least. But he had faith that the whole day wouldn't just be one disappointment after the other for no good reason. "Cheer up, Alex. Your sister's right. No one said we can't practise magic on our own time." As he made his plate of food, he noticed Luna and the other Ravenclaws enter the Great Hall, returning from the dungeons.

 

Alex's eyes flitted towards Luna, whom he spotted from the corner of his eye. He wondered if Snape gave her as hard a time as he'd given them. He finally decided to actually eat some of his food, thinking about what he could do to practise some magic and get a bit of a head start.

 

It didn't take long before Luna spotted her friends. As she'd done before, she broke away from the other Ravenclaws to sit at the Gryffindor table, taking a spot next to Neville. She offered a faint smile to the other three. "Hello again." 

 

"At this rate, all your housemates are gonna think you're some kind of turncoat or something," remarked Theo jokingly, looking towards Luna as she sat down.

 

Alex managed only a half-smile, not wanting to pry into why she hadn't been around the Ravenclaws. "How was Potions? Did Snape give you a hard time?"

 

Luna made herself a plate of food, frowning slightly in thought. "Not any more than one might expect from the head of Slytherin House." It didn't seem like she was easily shaken by much of anything.

 

"You think he has something against Gryffindor for some reason?" asked Theo.

 

Alex shrugged. It was possible, but was that really a good enough reason?

 

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum, turn this water into rum."

 

The sudden rhyming came from Seamus Finnigan, the sandy-haired boy, a handful of students down. He was brandishing his wand at a goblet on the table, yet nothing seemed to happen. Further down, Alex could see the Weasley twins trying very hard to suppress laughter. 

 

Alex knit his brows. "What do you suppose he's doing?"

 

"Turn water into rum, I guess," replied Neville with a sceptical look.

 

They could hear Wyatt suppressing his own laughter behind him. Alex turned to him.

 

 "What's so funny?"

 

But before Wyatt could answer—

 

 BOOM

 

 The tip of Seamus' wand exploded, getting soot all over his face. Most of the Gryffindor table erupted with laughter. 

 

Wyatt wiped tears from his eyes, still laughing. "I got one of the twins with that in their first year! I can see it's been passed on properly!" 

 

Alex laughed too. It was a nice ease of tension from his own recent shortcomings.

 

Seeing yet another spell go awry, Theo shook his head. "That doesn't even sound like a real spell. Even I can see that," he remarked, wanting to see more displays of true magic. 

 

"You can't fault him for trying. Even if he is an idiot," replied Luna, her sweet tone and blunt speech a strange, yet perfect mix.

 

That made Alex laugh too, though he couldn't tell if she was serious. 

 

*****

 

Soon, they had finished lunch and they were let out for a break. 

 

Alex questioned the group as they made to leave. "Well, where do you guys want to hang out?" 

 

"The Transfiguration courtyard might be nice," suggested Luna. "Might as well enjoy the outdoors while the weather's still nice."

 

Theo nodded in agreement, thinking it might be nice to go outside. "Well, it's not like we can sneak Luna into the common room, so I don't see why not."

 

"Yeah, why not?" echoed Neville. 

 

Alex nodded and got up. "Agreed, let's go then."

 

Luckily, there weren't very many people in the courtyard when they got there. There happened to be some free benches along the walls. 

 

Alex spotted the sunniest one and took a seat, stretching his legs. He took out his wand and surveyed it. What was it about this silly wooden stick that he just didn't get? Was it the core? The type of wood? Was it himself? Alex sighed, finding no such answer.

 

Taking a seat, Theo rummaged through his bag for his Charms textbook. He cracked it open and began flipping through it, expecting it to be a massive list of spells. Frowning, he found it was nothing more than a guided textbook. It had spells, sure, but the chapters were so in depth on practical usage, Theo guessed there could only maybe be four or five spells in this particular volume. He shook his head. It was a start, after all. "What spell was it you said you learned in Charms earlier, Luna?"

 

"Oh, it's called Wingardium Leviosa." Luna took a bite out of an apple she'd brought from the Great Hall. "I can show you, if you'd like."

 

Alex perked up a bit, ready to finally see something worthwhile. "Yeah, go on." Alex was curious to see what she could do; after all his failed magic, he wanted to see something good.

 

Luna set her apple down on the bench and took out her wand. She stood still, aiming it at the apple. 

 

"Wingardium Leviosa," she spoke clearly, giving her wand a swish and a flick. The apple began to slowly levitate into the air, as she gradually raised her wand.

 

"Brilliant," said Alex in wonder as the apple rose. He was truly impressed with Luna's finesse. She really had caught on fast.

 

Luna lowered her wand and caught the apple, putting her wand away with a little flourish. "As long as you get the pronunciation right, you shouldn't have any trouble," she said with a light smile.

 

"Really, that was great, Luna." Theo nodded, equally as impressed by the show of magic.

 

Alex slumped back in his seat, wondering what it was he was doing wrong with his spells. Unbeknownst to him, however, it was simply a lack of understanding. He stuck his wand out unenthusiastically.

 

 "Ebublio."

 

A bunch of tiny bubbles bloomed from the end and spilled down his wand. 

 

"Eugh." He whipped his wand to get the bubbles off.

 

"What do you think that spell is actually supposed to do?" asked Theo, glancing up from his book towards Alex's wand.

 

"Well, you heard McGonagall," said Alex, looking at his wand disconsolately. "She wanted me to cast bubbles from my wand. But, I don't think this is what she pictured. I can't imagine it being used for anything but blowing a few bubbles."

 

Theo frowned lightly. "That seems awfully useless if you ask me." He turned to Luna. "Hey, could I see that apple core for a moment?"

 

Luna nodded. "Very well." She handed Theo her apple core after taking the last bite.

 

Theo took it and set the apple core on the ground, standing it up. He pulled out his wand, taking a few steps back and aiming at the core. 

 

"Flipendo!

 

A small blue bolt of energy flew from his wand, hit the apple core and flipped it about a foot into the air before it tumbled back down. Theo's eyes widened, hardly expecting the spell to work at all. "I did it!" he cheered excitedly.

 

Alex's eye twitched. Of course he gets his spell right the first time. Alex sighed, but didn't say anything. Although, he had to admit that even he was impressed with Theo.

 

"Wow! That was dead-on, Theo!" exclaimed Neville, grinning.

 

Theo returned the smile. At least there would be one win today.

 

*****

 

After practising a little more with the magic they had learned, Theo and the others spent the rest of the break period talking about various things. It felt good to just relax and chat with his friends. Something he had never really experienced before coming to Hogwarts. Despite the few boring classes, making the decision to pursue his wizarding heritage was truly the best decision he could have made. 

 

Eventually, the break period was over, and it was time to head off to Charms while Luna left for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

 

As the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students filed into the classroom, an extremely short man with dark hair and a full moustache could be seen standing behind a podium. He was short indeed, for a goblin — of all things — was the closest comparison Theo could think of.

 

"Welcome, welcome, first-years, to your first Charms class of the term," the little man said in a high-pitched, kind voice. He beamed at the rows of new faces before him. "My name is Professor Flitwick. Today we will be talking about the Levitation Charm by means of the incantation Wingardium Leviosa. Can anyone tell me what this could be used for?"

 

Several hands shot up, but the bushy-haired girl from before was the fastest of all of them. Professor Flitwick caught it with razor-sharp acuity. He nodded to her, smiling politely. "Yes, Miss—?"

 

"Hermione Granger, sir," she responded, rapt with attention. "The Levitation Charm is a spell used to make objects fly, or levitate."

 

"Straight from the book!" praised Flitwick, giving her a polite nod. "Five points to Gryffindor."

 

 

There was a murmur of appreciation for Gryffindor's first House points. 

 

"Yes, yes," spoke Flitwick again. "But let's try to think a little outside the box. How about practical uses? Things you might use this spell for in your daily routine?"

 

Some more hands came up. 

 

Flitwick gestured to a reddish-blonde girl with a round, pleasant face. 

 

"Susan Bones, sir," she spoke, thinking hard. "I'd use the Levitation Charm to move my cat out of my chair in the mornings at home. She never budges."

 

A few students chuckled, as did Professor Flitwick. "Very good, very good. I know a few pesky felines myself, but don't tell Professor McGonagall!" After the wave of chuckles subsided, Flitwick fielded the class once more. "Five points to Hufflepuff. Anyone else?" The next group of people raised their hands, more this time. Flitwick pointed to the girl next to Susan — Hannah Abbott, the first to be called to the Sorting Hat the evening before.

 

"Maybe to get your wand if you drop it in class?"

 

A taller, blond boy in Hufflepuff scoffed. "How exactly do you expect to levitate your wand without your wand?"

 

"Well, actually," began Hermione, "a wand is merely a conduit through which to cast magic. There's actually a school in Africa that specialises in wandless—"

 

Professor Flitwick rapped his wand on his podium. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, children!"

 

The room settled down and all eyes returned to the professor. 

 

"Indeed," he went on, "you can use the Levitation Charm for all of these things, including heavy lifting, construction projects, and even search and rescue. That's simply to scratch the surface. Now, at your desks, each of you will find a feather to practise with for the duration of the class. Let us begin with the motion of the wand. Extend your wand outward and give it a swish and flick!" He made the motion with his own wand. "With me now, everyone: swish and flick!"

 

"Swish and flick," repeated the class. Alex leaned forwards, intent on getting it right just this once. Watching the professor's movements, Theo did his best to mimic the gentle motion, finding it slightly difficult to get just right. Neville gulped.

 

"All right," continued Flitwick, pointing his wand directly at his own feather. "Now, add the incantation. Enunciate it clearly and fluently, now. Wingardium Leviosa." His feather lifted off the desk, and in a controlled manner, levitated all the way up to the ceiling and back down again. "Now you try."

 

Wingardium Leviosa was the only thing that could be heard as a general mutter around the room. However, not much progress seemed to occur. 

 

"Wingardium Leviosa," spoke Alex determinedly, whisking his wand at the feather. 

 

The feather rose immediately, gracefully lifting to the ceiling. Not Alex's feather, though. It was Hermione's. She could now be heard arguing vehemently with Ron about the correct pronunciation. 

 

Why did she have to be good at seemingly everything? Alex's feather, by contrast, had done a cartwheel and landed on the floor.

 

 No. He had to get it, just this once.

 

"Wingardium Leviosa," he said, enunciating clearly. Coupled with the correct wand movement, the feather rose just like Hermione's. With that, Alex's heart immediately lifted as well. He was very happy to get something right. Though, looking around, he could really feel for the others.

 

Neville, on the other hand, would blow the feather clear off the desk every time he cast, making it so that he had to keep getting up to retrieve it. Some other students eventually got the hang of it as well, until — BOOM

 

Seamus, the boy from earlier, was covered in soot again, having botched the spell completely and causing scattered laughter throughout the class.

 

Seeing Hermione's excellent execution of the spell, Theo only became even more frustrated as his third attempt at the spell had no effect on the feather. As he glanced over to see Alex successfully cast the spell, he immediately frowned, not understanding what he was doing wrong. 

 

The moment after the big combustion caused by Seamus, Theo made his fourth attempt, albeit a bit more forcefully than he should have. "Wingardium Leviosa!

 

He watched as the feather lifted into the air, only to disintegrate into ash on his desk in utter failure.

 

Watching the varied results of the students, Professor Flitwick cleared his throat before speaking again. "Well, I congratulate those of you who were able to perform the spell properly, ten points for each success. As for those of you who have not — well, practice makes perfect."

 

Professor Flitwick motioned to the pile of feathers in front of him. "For those of you who need new feathers, you may retrieve them from my desk. Other students, you may open your textbooks and read the first chapter on practical usage of the Wingardium Leviosa charm."

 

Theo couldn't believe what he'd just done to his feather. Somehow it felt even worse than Seamus' explosion. With a huff, he got up to get a new feather, and for the remaining duration of the class he continued to practise the spell, with little improvement.

 

Alex, now that he had actually done something right, didn't mind reading about its practical usage. He could already think of loads more uses for this. Did Mum put the biscuits above the fridge again? Is Bandit up somewhere he shouldn't be? Problems, no more. 

 

Maybe, he thought, he'd been too harsh on Transfiguration, and he should've taken it more seriously. Especially with Luna right next to him getting everything right. 

 

 

*****

 

Eventually, the class had ended, and Neville had gone through almost all of the feathers anyway. 

 

Alex began packing his things, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Well, that was fun."

 

Theo was not exactly in a good mood by the time class had come to a close. "Yeah, real fun." He snatched up his things as all the other students left the classroom. He let out a small huff. He now understood Alex's frustration with Ebublio. "Let's just get to the next class." 

 

Neville wiped sweat off his brow, essentially having done a full cardio workout for the duration of the class. "Yeah, well, at least none of you are... out of breath." He bent over double, hands on his knees. "Bloody hell, I hope this next class involves some sort of extended sitting."

 

And so, after Neville regained some energy, the three boys made their way to the last class of the day: Defence Against the Dark Arts. 

 

Alex figured that would be the class he looked forward to the most, but as it turned out, like most of these classes, this one seemed to be a letdown. 

 

Once they got there in a timely fashion along with their classmates and the Slytherins, Professor Quirrell went on to explain the class. What was disappointing about this was that Professor Quirrell believed in a more theoretical approach. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't taken Quirrell about half a century just to get one sentence out. 

 

Alex couldn't tell if he was timid or just had a stuttering issue. Either way, it was off-putting and Alex didn't think they would be getting far. 

 

In fact, the only thing they talked about was going in depth on why magical theory is misunderstood and underrated. Alex wasn't convinced. The only good thing about it was that there was a book of spells to match. But after an hour of torturous stuttering, the class abruptly ended. 

 

"Can someone tell me why he's teaching this class?" whispered Alex to both Neville and Theo. "I mean, come on. How useful could he possibly be? 'F-f-f-flipendo!' And next thing you know, someone's lost an eye," said Alex, causing Neville to chuckle nervously, looking around as though he hoped that a teacher didn't hear that.

 

Theo was left almost as unimpressed by this class. Again, whilst some of the source material was interesting enough, it wasn't exactly presented very well. However, he did have one question: "What exactly is it that we'd need to protect ourselves from? That... You-Know-Who guy is gone, so what's the point?"

 

Neville piped up this time. "Well, he does have followers, but most of them were rounded up a while ago." He paused. "That's what my Nan says anyway."

 

"Y-you mustn't worry ab-b-b-out such things, you th-th-three," came Quirrell's voice, appearing just behind them. 

 

The group was startled. Just how long had he been listening? 

 

"No threat like th-th-that has been rep-p-p-ported in years. That's why I t-t-teach theory. Now off you g-g-go," said the timid-as-always professor. 

 

The three boys hurried out, heading towards the Great Hall for supper. 

 

"I'm sure there's still some baddies out there. That's just how it is, right?" said Alex.

 

 "Maybe he just doesn't want to believe it," said Neville. "A lot of people are still shaken up by the mere thought of You-Know-Who."

 

Theo shrugged as they walked along. "Well, I don't suppose there's anything we can do about that. Let's just get to the Great Hall. I'm starving."

 

Perhaps it was just that he was still fresh to the Wizarding World, and didn't yet realise that it was just as rife with dark and dangerous things as the Muggle World — if not more so. There would be a time when he would come to realise how wrong he was about all of this.

 

*****

 

Finally, they reached the Great Hall for supper. It was a nicely rewarding spread after the day they'd had, complete with rows of steaming, flaky steak-and-ale pies. Alex took a seat next to Lavender Brown, a fair, curly-haired girl in the same year. He smiled politely before filling his plate with mash and minted peas. 

 

Neville sat across, next to a tall, broad-shouldered boy at least a couple of years above. The boy gave Neville a sidelong glance of annoyance, but Neville didn't catch it, shrugging and digging in as well.

 

Theo sat down next to Neville and helped himself to a plate as well. He looked around, expecting Luna to appear out of thin air, as had become usual for her. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged it off, figuring she was probably just eating with her own House for once.

 

Just as supper was coming to an end, Dumbledore got up and asked for everyone's attention. "Good evening, my pupils. May I just say, what a wonderful first day it's been, and I hope you all learned something new. If not, keep trying! We'll make a splendid wizard out of each and every one of you yet. And with that, I'd like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Now, good night!" And with that, supper ended. 

 

Thankfully, there was still some time before bed. So, the three headed up to the Gryffindor common room and found a few cosy armchairs around a table in the corner of the room after being turfed off the sofa by a couple of seventh-years.

 

Taking his seat, Theo took out his Potions textbook, wanting to get his homework done and out of the way before he went to bed.

 

Alex took out his wand and held it up.

 

"Ebublio." 

 

A few small bubbles did come out before the tip of the wand sputtered, making a rather rude noise. 

 

"Ugh." He whisked his wand clean and put it back. "I just don't get it. What's so hard about that? It's just stupid bubbles."

 

"You'll get it eventually," remarked Theo, not looking up from his textbook. "It is just stupid bubbles, after all." He continued to read through the chapters that Snape had directed them to.

 

"I'm looking forward to Herbology on Wednesday," said Neville casually. "Should be interesting." 

 

Alex gawked at Neville incredulously. "Plants? What's so great about gardening?" 

 

"Well, there's more than meets the eye in the Herbology world," said Neville, lighting up. "In fact, blah blah blah blah blahblahblah." Well, that's what Alex heard anyway. Why would he want to listen to Neville drone on about flowers?

 

Theo shook his head, hearing Neville go on and on about Herbology. After a while, he tuned it out, continuing to focus on his homework. Eventually, he closed his book with a yawn and stood up from the armchair.

 

"Well, I think I'll head off to bed now. Good night." He waved to his friends before proceeding up to the dorm and off to sleep, wondering just how much he had to learn about his new world.

 

Alex had gone on to continue Ebublio for a little while as the other students slowly trickled out, Neville among them. Soon enough, he was the last one there. He sort of just sat there, dejectedly. Shortly into his lonesome dejection, however, Wyatt came in with a Gryffindor girl, Sally Birchgrove, who was giggling. Wyatt had talked about her a bit over the summer. Something about a 'chick' he was 'sending letters to.' 

 

Alex didn't want to know what they'd been up to. Wyatt spotted him and came over. 

 

"You all right? Why do you look so depressed?"

 

Alex sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong with these spells. I've got one right today, and all I did was lift a bloody feather." 

 

Wyatt laughed. "You're kidding, right? It's your first day. Of course you're going to be rubbish." 

 

"But this girl, Hermione—" started Alex, but Wyatt waved his hand, interrupting him.

 

 "Forget anybody else and how they're doing. Just worry about you. You'll get there eventually. We all have our strengths. Take me, for example. I'm better at Quidditch than most of these ruddy classes. Just make sure you focus, and work hard. Don't make me your role model. That's a bad idea. Now, get to bed. I have to help Miss Birchgrove here uh... study." Wyatt finished with a wink. 

 

Alex made a face. "Eugh, gross. With pleasure." He then dumped all his things in his bag and began heading up to bed. 

 

It seemed everyone else was asleep by the time he got there. 

 

Bandit was alone, nestled in between his pillows. Alex knew better, though. Picking Bandit up, he turned the little Niffler upside down and shook him. A bunch of loose items fell out of his pouch and onto the bed. Everything from loose change to a whole pocket watch, Alex sorted through any belongings that weren't his and put the lot of it in the centre of the room. He then crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling. 

 

Wyatt's words had truly comforted him; it was just a matter of time. And soon, he himself drifted off into a nice sleep.

Chapter 8: Midnight Mystery

Summary:

When Luna loses her shoes, the boys tag along to help out a friend.

Chapter Text

It had been two and a half days since the start of the school year at Hogwarts, and Theo and his friends had seemingly begun to adjust to life in the castle. On the positive side, they managed not to come in late to Professor Snape's class again, and perhaps even started to appreciate the other classes. Even if it was by just a little bit. 

 

Today was the first day for Herbology, which Neville was clearly rather excited about, as it had come up numerous times in conversation unprompted. Hopefully, to Neville at least, the rain today wouldn't prevent them from getting a glimpse of the inside of Greenhouse One.

 

At the end of Transfiguration that day, Theo stood up from his seat, closed his Transfiguration book and put it in his bag with a huff.

 

Alex, a tad more heated, threw his books in his own bag. "I thought I might understand by now, but I don't. I want to like it, but why is it so hard?"

 

"I don't mind it so much. At least Herbology is next," said Neville, but not without Alex shooting him a look of disdain.

 

Theo shook his head as they made their way out. "You've been practicing that Ebublio spell for ages and you still haven't managed to produce anything that I couldn't do by squeezing a bottle of washing-up liquid." He huffed lightly. "But hey, it could be worse. At least you can properly cast Wingardium Leviosa. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong with it."

 

"Well, I don't know, maybe you should try whatever you did with *Flipendo*. That one seemed to work," suggested Alex. "But still, something needs to change in that class or I'm going to lose it."

 

"I could help you if you wish, Alex," said Luna in her soft voice as she came up and walked next to him.

 

Alex was a bit surprised. "Really? You'd do that?" This was an exciting prospect indeed as Luna was rather good with her work. "Er, we can meet up after lunch then. At break, yeah?"

 

"That sounds lovely. I'll see you later, then." With that, she skipped along down the hall, her bare feet padding along the stone floor.

 

"Wait, where are Luna's shoes?" questioned Theo, spotting Luna's bare feet as she went down the corridor.

 

Alex blinked, thinking that was rather odd. He shrugged. "No idea. Maybe it's comfortable?"

 

Neville began walking slightly faster than the other two. "We should go, guys. We'll be late for Herbology!"

 

Alex rolled his eyes. "Right then, come on."

 

After making their way to the Herbology greenhouses, they found that it was quite the sight. 

 

They were greeted by an old, kind, plump witch: Professor Sprout, head of Hufflepuff House. Conveniently, there was a classroom just before the greenhouses where the three friends took their seats. 

 

After Professor Sprout's initial welcome to the class, they were given a tour of Greenhouse One, where Sprout went over the various flora that surrounded Hogwarts, which was interesting enough. Professor Sprout had bustled them through rows of garden beds, each square given its own spotlight. 

 

Theo had thought that these plants were simply plants, but no; they ended up spotting things even Alex hadn't seen before. Some seemed to move, or even look at you. Although the smell was not exactly pleasant, it was certainly a sight to behold.

 

Sprout reached into the first dull grey pot by the entrance, pulling out a large, pearly seed that faintly glowed in the light. She showed it to the class, a light smile playing on her lips. "Puffapods," she said simply. Then, she tossed it up in the air over the dirt bed. The moment it touched the soil, it instantly burst into a full flowerbed of vivid blooms, earning a gasp or two from the students.

 

Sickly, smelly cacti covered in pale, warty protuberances sat on the far side as the class looped around. As they passed, Sprout warned the students not to prod them lest they fancy a dose of Stinksap to the face.

 

Near the end, in glass cases, grew a mix of multicoloured plants with dark-green leaves and arching, pink-purple flowers with overlapping bracts. Professor Sprout tapped the glass fondly, pointing to the respective plants and identifying them as hellebores and dittany. "For medicinal purposes," she said. "Professor Snape will be pleased when you arrive with well-kept ingredients."

 

After the tour, Alex was just happy it wasn't History of Magic. Neville seemed to be enjoying himself, poring over his textbook as Sprout directed the rest of the class through it. But eventually, it had come to an end. As Alex began packing his things, he noticed Neville still reading. "Oi, lunchtime."

 

"All right, all right," said Neville, tearing his gaze away and packing up.

 

Theo let out a soft chuckle as he packed up his own things. Herbology hadn't been as absolutely dreadful as Alex had suggested it might be. Though of course, it wasn't exactly thrilling either. "Everyone likes different things, I guess," he remarked dully. He was feeling particularly hungry, mostly because he hadn't eaten much at breakfast that morning.

 

Making their way to the Great Hall, Alex found himself sitting next to Oliver Wood, a burly fifth-year who happened to be Keeper and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Neville sat across. Before Alex could load his plate, Oliver turned to him. "Hey, Carter," he said seriously. "Alex, right?"

 

Alex blinked, not having expected to be talked to by a fifth-year other than his brother. "Uh, yeah, what's up?"

 

"Is Wyatt going to tryouts?" Oliver looked at him with a certain fire in his eyes. "I keep trying to speak with him, but him and that Birch-wood girl or whatever are stuck on each other like glue. We could really use him to crush Slytherin this year."

 

"Erm... yeah, probably," hedged Alex awkwardly. "He's always talking about it at home."

 

"Good.... You know, Wyatt talks about you," said Oliver, giving Alex an appraising look. "Says you're a fair flier, especially for your age. You should try out next year." He gave Alex a wink. 

 

Alex went red, his self-esteem now boosted. "Oh uh, yeah, definitely, thank you."

 

Theo sat down next to Neville and was joined by Luna moments later. Overhearing Alex talking to Oliver, Theo was reminded that their first Flying class was on Friday, and from what Alex had told him about Quidditch and flying on a broom, he was more than a bit curious to actually see what it was like.

 

"How was Herbology? Have any trouble?" inquired Luna, helping herself to a plate of food.

 

"Oh, yeah, not bad," said Alex. "What about you? You had it too, right?"

 

Luna gave a light nod. "I did, in fact. Though I must say... plants are rather... boring." In truth, Luna much preferred the magical creatures of the wizarding world.

 

"What?!" exclaimed Neville incredulously, looking hurt. "That's not true!"

 

Theo snickered at his outburst, but said nothing as he continued to eat his lunch. Alex waved Neville off, not wanting him to go on another one of his tangents. Besides, Alex had something else on his mind. He looked to Luna hopefully. "So, are you ready to help me with some Transfiguration work soon?"

 

"Yes, of course," replied Luna with a small, charming smile. "I did tell you I would. Though, I can't be too certain I can help you cast the Ebublio charm, but I can try my best."

 

"Wicked," said Alex gratefully. Hopefully soon, he thought, he'd be able to put his bubbles behind him. 

 

*****

 

Not long after, the lunch period came to an end. Theo stood up from the bench, ready to leave for the Transfiguration courtyard. "I think the rain has calmed down for now. We should be fine going out into the courtyard."

 

"Even if it hasn't, there's nothing wrong with a little rain, is there?" asked Luna as she stood up to leave.

 

Although Alex didn't mind the rain — more often enjoying it than not — he was glad it had let up, so it might be easier to practice his spell outside. The last thing he needed was Malfoy watching him blow bubbles. Alex finished, getting up to leave as well. "You coming, Neville?"

 

"No, I think I'm going to get a head start on the Herbology homework," replied Neville. "Good luck though." 

 

Alex nodded, not thinking much of it. "Okay, well, come on, guys."

 

Luna led the way to the Transfiguration courtyard and made her way over to where they'd sat the past two times they'd been on their break. Theo sat down and set to studying his book, wanting to practice Wingardium Leviosa on some blades of grass — something that wouldn't matter if they accidentally disintegrated.

 

As Luna sat down, she wiggled her toes in the wet grass, rather enjoying the cool sensation on her feet. "All right, Alex, are you ready?"

 

"Yeah... I'm ready... aren't your feet cold?" said Alex, nodding toward them whilst he pulled out his wand.

 

Luna shook her head. "It's quite refreshing." She took out her textbook to help him with what they'd been covering for the past few classes. She had a certain serenity about her at all times, which allowed her to concentrate during her studies and spellwork without distraction. Unfortunately for Alex, this had little to do with wand work, or the actual casting of Ebublio.

 

Meanwhile, Theo sat there, attempting to levitate blades of grass, which mostly just ended up getting blown around, or disintegrated by his botched spell.

 

*****

 

After a few moments of trying, failing, and following Luna's words, Alex huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "I think I understand. But now that I do, I still have to put two and two together... Maybe if I..." Alex held his wand up. He was just about sick and tired of failing to blow bubbles. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

 

"Ebublio," he said in a measured voice. 

 

At first, the wand sputtered, shooting out spurts of foamy bubbles. Then, three perfectly round, fist-sized bubbles came out and floated off, popping in the sky. He looked at his wand in disbelief. "No way." He turned and beamed at Luna. "You are actually brilliant, Luna." He had never been more ecstatic to blow a few bubbles. Although, it was clear it still needed work.

 

Luna smiled, seeing the bubbles float up into the air. "See? I knew you could do it. You just need to keep your concentration, and all will go well."

 

"Oh, well I'm glad you two are having fun..." grumbled Theo, staring blankly at the crumbled remains of the blades of grass that he'd cast Wingardium Leviosa at.

 

Alex frowned, feeling as though he'd accidentally left Theo out. "Well, let me see what you're doing. I can't imagine you having this much trouble."

 

Theo frowned at his wand. "I don't get it either. I can cast Flipendo easily enough, but this... this just doesn't work." He gave a huff. He picked another blade of grass and set it down on the bench. "Wingardium Leviosa." His wand motions seemed a pinch more aggressive than they should be for such a subtle spell. However, he didn't seem aware of it.

 

Alex furrowed his brow. "I don't know... It just seems like you're angry at it. Your wand, I mean. Like you're talking at it, not to it. I'm not sure why it's giving you so much trouble though."

 

"Angry? Why would I be angry? I... I mean... aside from the obvious reasons...." Theo furrowed his brow, watching as the blade of grass lifted slightly before yet again crumbling into scraps. He shrugged. "I guess all I can do is keep trying."

 

"Well, I bet you'll get it eventually," said Alex positively, smiling faintly.

 

"Eventually," echoed Theo under his breath, putting away his wand. He stood up from the bench with a stretch. "Well, I think it's about time for Charms anyway, so we ought to get going."

 

Looking around, they noticed that Luna was already gone, having forgotten to say goodbye.

 

Alex blinked, not having realized she had up and left. He shook his head, putting his wand away. "Right, come on then."

 

Theo and Neville followed, and the three boys headed to Charms. It didn't take long to get to the classroom, and upon arrival, the class began shortly thereafter. Professor Flitwick touched more on the Wingardium Leviosa charm and handed out small rocks for the more advanced students to practice on. Stragglers such as Theo, Neville, and Seamus continued with their feathers. 

 

*****

 

Eventually, the hour-long class came to an end and Theo began to put his things away. He had managed to control the levitation of his feather a bit more than usual, but things still ended the same. The rock levitation, on the other hand, was a bit harder than Alex had expected. He was only able to make the rock rattle and shake. Though, he supposed, a rock is, in comparison, much heavier. So, he didn't let it get to him too much. Neville didn't have any luck with the feather at all, having totally missed at one point, throwing some of his books off the desk. He didn't have much to say after that. 

 

Up next was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Thankfully, today was different. They discussed what a werewolf was and how to deal with it if bitten. It was mildly interesting, but it could have been more engaging if Professor Quirrell hadn't delivered it so poorly. Eventually, that was the end of that class as well, and they were able to move on to supper. Something Alex in particular was ready for. Not that Theo had eaten the past day himself.

 

Theo shook his head, packing up his things as they prepared to leave the classroom for supper. "I thought werewolves were a myth. Now you're telling me they're real." Class had certainly been quite informative, though Theo agreed that Professor Quirrell's presentation left an awful lot to be desired.

 

"I've heard stories, but I thought it was all bollocks," said Alex as they made their way to supper. 

 

"Oh, they're real all right," said Neville seriously. "My Nan says my Great Uncle Arnie was bitten by one, and has the scars to prove it. Never seen him turn though... don't want to neither."

 

"Let's just hope we never have to see one of them up close," replied Theo as they entered the Great Hall. After sitting down, he helped himself to a plate of food and glanced around, noticing that Luna hadn't made an appearance yet. Although he found this peculiar, he opted not to say anything.

 

"Oh, that's right..." said Alex, looking down at the schedule. "We've got Astronomy at midnight. I mean, I guess that makes sense, but really? We're going to be exhausted tomorrow. Professor Sinistra must be barking." 

 

"So, what, are we just supposed to stay up until then?" asked Theo, taking a bite of his food. He continued talking with his mouth full. "Or d'you suppose we ought to try napping?"

 

 

"Well, yeah, we should get some sleep first probably," said Alex. Just then, Luna could be seen entering the Great Hall by herself. She'd only been a few minutes late, after all. Alex noticed her and gave her a small wave.

 

Theo nodded to Alex's suggestion and gave a friendly wave to Luna as she came over and sat down. "At least it's only once a week. I don't think it should be too much trouble."

 

"What shouldn't be too much trouble?" inquired Luna curiously as she helped herself to her own plate of food.

 

"Hey, Luna," said Alex, looking at her curiously. "We were just talking about Astronomy. Have you had it yet?"

 

Luna nodded. "Actually, Ravenclaw had Astronomy last night. It is rather inconvenient that the class is held so late. Though the class itself is quite interesting."

 

Alex held back telling her that the stars had trouble conforming to students' scheduling preferences. "What do you think, Neville?"

 

Neville started, as though surprised that someone was talking to him. "Oh, well, I guess we'll just have to see how it goes."

 

Alex frowned, feeling that Neville's response was a bit short. It was clear something was distracting him, but Alex didn't want to pressure him. Theo raised an eyebrow at Neville's answer but, like Alex, opted not to press it. 

 

*****

 

The rest of supper carried on with casual conversation concerning classes and even plans for the upcoming weekend.

 

"Well, I'm off to the common room," said Luna after finishing her meal. She stood up to leave alongside some other students who also seemed to be heading off. "Good night."

 

Alex waved goodbye to Luna, unable to answer with all the food in his mouth. He swallowed hard. "Well, I'm full. I think I'm going to head up as well. Turn in early." He gave a long stretch. "Any of you lot coming?"

 

"Me." Theo raised his hand, getting up from the table. The day was starting to catch up with him, and he really didn't want to be completely exhausted in the middle of class. He yawned. "Lead the way."

 

"You coming, Neville?" asked Alex, stopping to look at him as he got up. 

 

Neville picked at his food, not making eye contact. "No, no. You guys go on ahead. I'll see you in Astronomy."

 

Alex exchanged glances with Theo. "Right, okay. Suit yourself then. See ya later, yeah?"

 

No answer.

 

Alex started backing away. "Er... all right. Come on, Theo."

 

"What do you think's the matter with him?" asked Theo as they left the Great Hall and made their way to the Gryffindor common room. It definitely seemed like Neville was distracted by something.

 

Alex shrugged. "Dunno. Don't think it has to do with any of us though. I just hope he sorts it out soon. I'd rather him go on about Herbology than this." He huffed as they climbed the many steps leading to the common room.

 

Theo shrugged. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Maybe he's just depressed about Charms class." Theo could certainly relate if this was the case.

 

Not long after, they reached the common room. Theo decided to study on his bed for a little while before he eventually drifted off.

 

As for Alex, after doing his evening ritual of privately shaking out Bandit and returning the items to the centre, he couldn't help but stay up for a bit. Something was keeping his mind busy. However, before he could put a finger on what it was, he eventually gave in and passed out.

 

*****

 

Some four and a half hours later, Theo found himself waking back up to the sound of their other dormmates chatting. He figured it was time for class soon. He slowly sat up and opened his eyes, looking around. He spotted Alex snoring away in his four-poster. Theo crumpled a bit of parchment and tossed it at the back of Alex's head. 

 

"Hey, Alex, wake up!" he hissed.

 

Alex's eyes slowly blinked open, fighting to stay shut and keep sleeping. "What? Already? Eugh..." He continued grumbling as he got up. Already having passed out in most of his uniform, he simply slipped on his robes.

 

"Neville, you up?" he asked. No answer. "Neville...?" Alex turned to Neville's bed to find it absent. He yawned, furrowing his brow before turning back to Theo. "You think he went ahead already?"

 

Running a hand through his hair, Theo gave a shrug. "I dunno. I just woke up a minute ago. I'm sure he just went on ahead." He got up out of bed himself and put his robes on. "Where else would he be?" he questioned, grabbing his things for Astronomy class.

 

"Good point," said Alex, dead tired. "Come on."

 

As the boys exited the common room, they found a small group of other students huddled just outside, all giggling. 

 

"What's going on?" asked Alex, looking at the backs of them all. When he didn't receive an answer, he pushed through to see Neville, fast asleep and curled up into a ball. "Oh, mate... Theo, help me get him up." Alex stopped and supported Neville's left side. "Come on, you."

 

Theo rolled his eyes. "Oh, you have got to be joking." He went over to help Alex in lifting their slumbering friend. He gritted his teeth slightly as he struggled to hold up Neville's dead weight, even with Alex's aid. "How did he even manage this?"

 

Neville opened his eyes groggily. "Eh? What's going on...?"

 

"You were sleeping on the floor out here... what's that about?" inquired Alex, wearily letting Neville stand for himself. 

 

Neville rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Password.... I... I forgot the password...."

 

Alex sighed, not knowing what to say to the poor boy.

 

Theo shook his head. "You're lucky it's Astronomy tonight, or you might've gotten left out here. You ought to be more careful, Neville. Anyway, come on, class should be starting soon." He motioned for everyone to get going.

 

"Right..." said Neville absently. 

 

*****

 

The three made their way to the Astronomy tower with a group of other Gryffindor first-years. Once they were there, both Alex and Neville were immediately scolded for not bringing their books. Throughout the class, the two found it difficult to pay attention as they were just so tired. 

 

On they learned as the seconds dragged on for minutes, staring up into the night sky. Professor Sinistra began pointing to various constellations and explaining how Astronomy worked and why it was important. Alex and Neville at least didn't catch much of it.

 

"How does Theo do it?" asked Alex at one point, taking note of his friend's ability to at least pay attention at this hour.

 

Neville responded by snoring himself back awake.

 

"Who? What?"

 

They were quickly shut down yet again by Professor Sinistra, asking them to stay after class. At the end, Alex caught Theo as he was packing up. "Hey, wait outside for us? Shouldn't be long."

 

"Er... yeah, all right." Theo nodded and stifled a yawn as he turned and walked out of the class. He leaned against the stone wall, glancing around casually as he waited for his friends to come out of the classroom. He wondered what it was that Professor Sinistra wanted to talk to them about. After all, it wasn't as if she could really fault her students for being tired and incompetent at this hour of the night.

 

Several minutes later, after a mild lecture on the importance of responsibility and attentiveness, they were let off on account of it being their first class with her. Although Alex wasn't really sure he could get used to that. From Neville's expression, it was clear his hopes weren't high either. Spotting Theo, Alex and Neville made their way over to him, not quite as tired as they were before, but nonetheless ready to get into bed for the rest of the night they had left. 

 

"Ready?" asked Alex.

 

"Ready," replied Theo, taking the lead as they proceeded down the dimly lit corridor. He glanced at his friends. "You know, the castle's a little creepy at night, wouldn't you say?"

 

Just then, the rumbling of thunder could be heard outside as the rain from earlier had decided to return, having only managed to let up until Astronomy was over — to the misfortune of all the sleep-deprived students. The loud thunder had definitely woken them up a tad, but it didn't help that all their classmates had gone on ahead without them. Both Alex and Neville nodded in agreement.

 

Suddenly, Theo came to a halt and raised his hand. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

 

A soft humming could be heard coming from the left-hand corridor up ahead. 

 

"It sounds like a girl," he remarked, feeling a chill go up his spine, yet growing somewhat curious. He'd been told by now about the ghosts in the castle, but he had yet to see one for himself. He wondered if that was what he'd heard humming.

 

"Yeah... I think you're right..." said Alex before shoving Theo ahead. "Well, after you then!"

 

Theo silently narrowed his gaze at Alex, but continued along nonetheless.

 

"I don't think that's a good idea..." said Neville, following along. However, neither of the boys acknowledged him.

 

Reaching the end of the corridor, he peeked around the wall only to be greeted not by a ghost, but by Luna. She was skipping along down the hall in her nightdress, humming softly as she went. She still had no shoes.

 

Theo was almost disappointed. "What? That's no ghost." He stepped out from behind the wall. "Luna, what on earth are you doing? It's past midnight! You're not supposed to be out of bed." He raised his brow, expecting an answer.

 

Luna's tune halted as she spotted Theo. She smiled faintly, her nearly white hair shimmering slightly in the torchlight. "Oh, hello, Theo. I was just looking for my shoes. Besides, the night air is rather lovely, isn't it?" 

 

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't particularly like ghosts. He came around the corner, followed by Neville, who gave a small wave. "Hey, Luna. Would you like some help? You did help me with my problem after all." It couldn't hurt to help look for a little while, could it?

 

Luna offered a small smile in return. "That is kind. I suspect Nargles. They like to cause mischief like that. I won't keep you up for too long." Then, she started down the corridor once more.

 

"What's a Nargle...?" whispered Theo to Alex as they followed Luna. He hadn't heard anything about any Nargles being in the school, and if they were so mischievous, he figured someone might've warned them.

 

Alex shrugged, but continued to follow Luna, expecting to possibly see a Nargle, if that's what she thought was causing the problem. Besides, it seemed like she knew what she was doing, at the very least.

 

"So, do you have any idea where these Nargles might've hidden your shoes?" asked Theo, still keeping his voice low as the group strolled through the corridors.

 

"Haven't a clue," said Luna, looking around high and low as they walked.

 

"Well... that's helpful, Luna..." grumbled Theo sarcastically under his breath.

 

*****

 

Alex, Theo, and Neville continued to follow Luna through different corridors, so many that none of them could keep track. It was a bit eerie, what with the snoring portraits, corner-of-the-eye lightning-etched shadows, and occasional scrape of stone from an unseen corridor.

 

Alex jabbed a thumb back from whence they came. "Hey, Luna, maybe we should—" 

 

meow

 

Alex stopped. Was that... a cat? Alex turned around. Neville gulped. 

 

"What is it, Neville?"

 

"Th-that's... that's... Filch's cat... Mrs. Norris." 

 

Filch was well known for being incredibly harsh on students caught out of bed or otherwise, and Mrs. Norris was always to be found lurking nearby. The cat's meow was almost certainly some sort of alert to her location.

 

"Guys... we need to go... now," said Alex flatly. He'd heard horror stories from Wyatt.

 

Theo turned. Upon seeing the cat and hearing what Alex and Neville had said, his heart jumped to his throat. They couldn't afford to get into this kind of trouble on their first week of school. Nodding in agreement with Alex, Theo turned to get Luna's attention, but she was already motioning for the boys to follow her.

 

"This way! Quickly!" Luna urged, as she proceeded down another corridor to the right.

 

The boys exchanged glances, taken aback by Luna's sudden initiative. They followed along, twisting through various corridors, a number of lefts and rights, and a hall or two that they could've sworn they had passed before. 

 

To Alex, at least, it began to feel as though Hogwarts itself was punishing them for breaking the rules, for they simply couldn't get far enough away from Mrs. Norris, whose yowls could still be heard close by. He desperately looked around for an out as they ran; they couldn't do that forever. It was then that he spotted one particular corridor that ended in what looked like a broom cupboard. Alex skidded to a halt, pointing frantically down the hall. "Guys, quick! Maybe we can hide!"

 

They all barreled down the corridor, Theo pulling ahead. He bounced off the door and stared up at it in horror. 

 

"It's locked!" he shouted, looking back. "We're trapped!"

 

"Excuse me!" said Luna, her voice raised as she pushed past Alex and Theo. Mid-run, she pointed her wand at the door. "Alohomora!"

 

There was a subtle click, and without waiting for permission, Theo threw the door open before bolting inside, the others following suit. 

 

Luna looked up and blinked, stunned by the sight before them. "Oh... oh my...."

 

Standing not ten feet away was a massive, black-furred four-legged beast with three heads, all resembling dogs. The thing seemed to take up just about the entire room. The trio of hulking skulls turned their sleepy gaze upon the group of children, and in unison began to snarl forbiddingly, their lips peeling back to reveal six rows of yellowing canines the size of pizza slices as a hot wave of meat-sour breath rolled over them. 

 

Neville immediately stumbled back at the sight, scrambling towards the door as fast as his body would let him. Alex's jaw dropped, his hand shakily reaching for his wand. But what on earth could he do? He didn't have the first clue on how to fight this monstrosity. 

 

This was how Alex Rodolphius Carter was going to die: mauled to death by a three-headed dog.

 

He gawked in fear as all three heads growled and bared their teeth, ready to lunge, each of them buffeting one another. That was when just one last thought passed through his head.

 

"RUN!!!"

 

Alex gripped Luna's arm with all his might, turned around, and dove into the door, flinging it open and causing Neville to stumble through and land on his rear.

 

Theo couldn't believe his eyes, and for a moment, just like Alex, thought that he was actually going to die as he stared up at the beast, frozen in fear. Somehow though, Alex's voice had managed to cut through the air, snapping Theo out of his momentary haze and allowing him to make a break for it, just as the giant dog lunged forward, all three heads barking and snapping their jaws furiously. Bolting out the door as Alex slammed it shut, Theo threw his back against the door in a split-second yet ultimately futile decision to try to barricade the too-small door. The ear-splitting sound of the dog's barking and snarling could be heard, muffled, just behind the door.

 

Although Mrs. Norris's meows could no longer be heard, Alex felt that he could not care less about that. He took a moment to compose himself. 

 

"Is... is everyone okay?"

 

Neville looked up and nodded wordlessly, his mouth still wide open and breathing heavily. 

 

Theo slumped to the floor to take a moment and catch his breath. "I'm... I'm fine..." he huffed, slowly getting back to his feet, his face set in anger. "But I just have one question: Why the bloody hell is that thing in the school?!"

 

"It looked to be guarding something," piped Luna, seeming strangely calm and collected. "Didn't you see? There was a trapdoor underneath it." For only being in that room for a brief moment, this was quite the observation.

 

Alex chuckled sarcastically. "Oh, of course, yes, I did. Right after I stared at it thinking: 'how many ways can it kill me in one second?'" He took a deep breath to calm down. "What could be so important that it needs to be guarded by that?"

 

Theo shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Is that really something we should be discussing right now? Whatever reason that thing is in there, I doubt we were supposed to happen across it." He frowned, glancing at the heavy wooden door. "Some broom cupboard...."

 

Luna nodded. "Theo might be right. We're already in hot water if Filch catches us, let alone if we're found standing around their guard dog." She was curious, but not careless.

 

Alex rubbed his face. "Right. Well, I don't know about you guys, but... I don't even know what to think right now. Let's just go before Filch comes around." Alex began to walk off before he stopped and turned to Luna. "I'm sorry we didn't find your shoes."

 

Neville scrambled up to follow Alex. "See ya, Luna..."

 

Theo offered an awkward half-smile and followed after Neville.

 

Luna waved to them. "No trouble. Good night again, you three." Then, she skipped along the length of the corridor on her way back to the Ravenclaw common room.

 

*****

 

Once the three boys had made it back to the Gryffindor common room, Theo let out an exasperated sigh. He shook his head at Alex.

 

"Never sign us up to go hunting for Luna's shoes ever again..."

 

"I was just trying to help..." muttered Alex irritably under his breath.

 

"You reckon we should say something?" suggested Neville nervously. 

 

Alex winced. "Oh, well, sorry, Neville. I really don't feel like getting expelled just yet. Look, let's just sleep on it. We'll be able to think more clearly tomorrow." 

 

Alex huffed and threw himself back into bed.

 

Unfortunately for Alex, however, instead of sleeping, he stared at the ceiling, reliving his near-final moments all the way until morning. 

Chapter 9: The Flight of Neville Longbottom

Summary:

A broom is not the only thing Neville flies off of on the last day of their first week of magical education.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

After the harrowing midnight adventure that the four friends had experienced, the next day went by rather quickly. Before they knew it, Friday was upon them, and the end of the first week of school had finally arrived. All they had to do was make it one more day.

 

Theo, with his bag slung over his shoulder, had woken about ten minutes prior, and was now making his way to the Great Hall for breakfast. 

 

Alex rose slowly, having just got up. He groaned, a splitting headache forming behind his eyes. He rubbed them tiredly. Ever since that... encounter... he'd hardly got any sleep. He was just glad he had nothing to worry about except making it to the weekend. Their first week had been an absolute nightmare, but he was confident it could only get better. 

 

How wrong he was. 

 

Looking around, Alex noticed his friends had already got out of bed. He slowly got ready, taking care to remember his things and making sure Bandit was hidden away safely. Eventually, he made his way down to the Great Hall where he found his friends. He dropped into a seat next to Theo, groaning. "Morning..."

 

"Still not sleeping well? You look like the dead." Theo shook his head as he bit into a piece of toast.

 

"Considering what we encountered the other night, I can't say I blame him for not being able to sleep," said Luna, despite the fact that she'd been the least affected by the entire incident.

 

Alex shook his head, sipping pumpkin juice from a goblet. "I feel awful." Unable to say much more, he attempted to eat some eggs.

 

Just then, a loud screeching rose as a flurry of owls of all sizes and colours burst through the windows, flying in every which direction like an avian storm. It seemed that today was the first morning of owl post, and the owls had arrived from home bearing gifts. 

 

Firstly, an owl swooped over the group and deployed a thick roll of parchment in front of Alex. Unrolling it, he found it was a copy of the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper. He rolled his eyes and put it aside, continuing his meal. Who cared what the news had to say at this hour?

 

Theo extended his arms to catch a medium-sized box, dropped by Ygritte. "Must be the clothes I asked my mum to send." He set the package in his lap.

 

Meanwhile, Luna merely got a letter, presumably from her father. After tucking it into her bag, she glanced over to the Daily Prophet. Feeling rather curious, she decided to give it a look.

 

Neville received a small package too. Inside was some sort of glass orb. Alex turned his attention to the object in Neville's hand. 

 

"What's that, Neville?"

 

"It's... a Remembrall... from my Nan." Neville turned it over, looking at it curiously. "It's supposed to turn red when you've forgotten something...." As soon as he had said that, the inside of the orb had begun to fill with scarlet smoke. Neville's face went white and solemn. "Only problem is... I can't remember what I've forgotten." 

 

Normally, Alex would have chuckled at poor Neville's antics, but today Alex just wasn't particularly in the mood. Theo simply offered a small nod.

 

"Sounds… useful."

 

"Something's happened," said Luna casually. "Look here." She set the paper down for the others to see. "It appears someone tried to break in and steal something from Gringotts. Strangely though, the vault that they attempted to steal from had already been emptied of its only contents."

 

"I'm sure that sort of thing happens a lot," said Alex dismissively, homing in on a sausage instead. Through swallows he shook his head, continuing. "No one ever succeeds. It's Gringotts."

 

"It also says here," continued Luna, seeming intrigued by the news, "that officials stated the item in question was somehow affiliated with Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

 

"What do you suppose it was?" Theo inquired, peeking over to look at the article.

 

Alex gave Theo a raised eyebrow. "What do you think? First we find a three-headed dog guarding a trapdoor in a room in the middle of an abandoned corridor."

 

"Okay, but—"

 

"Then we come to find something of Dumbledore's was nearly stolen from Gringotts. If you ask me, Dumbledore's putting us all in danger. Keeping a bloody thing like that in the castle...." Alex ripped into his toast.

 

Theo frowned, putting two and two together. He nodded slowly. "Seems like something you might want to inform the students about...." 

 

Luna folded the paper back up. "Perhaps there's more to this than we realise."

 

"Well... what could we do about it?" said Neville, putting the Remembrall in his pocket. He had clearly not remembered what he'd forgotten. "We're just children. What are we going to do? Write home? I'm sure Dumbledore can handle whatever is going on."

 

Theo traded glances with his friends for a moment. Perhaps Neville was right, and it truly was best to leave well enough alone. For now, at least.

 

*****

 

Soon after, breakfast came to an end and all the students left for their morning classes.

 

Potions was relatively average, aside from Professor Snape berating poor Neville for having forgotten his books. Transfiguration came and went. What most of the students were anticipating today, to the disgruntlement of all the other teachers, was their first Flying lessons. 

 

As class ended, Theo stood up from his desk, gathered his things and turned to Alex. "Is it me, or does it feel like someone is speeding up our days for some unknown reason?"

 

Alex shrugged, packing up as well. "Maybe you're used to it by now. At least we've got Flying lessons. I'm looking forward to that," said Alex positively. Although he still felt irritable from his restless night.

 

Theo nodded lightly. "Maybe you're right. Anyway, yeah. After all you've told me, I'm actually really looking forward to it too."

 

"Good luck, you three." Luna waved to them as she was turning to leave the Transfiguration classroom.

 

Waving her off, the three headed to the training grounds: a large, well-kept pitch tucked between the castle and the outer wall. Upon arriving, they found that the Slytherins were already there, along with twenty or so broomsticks lined up neatly in two rows. The class was greeted by the Flying instructor and Quidditch referee, Madam Hooch, a short witch with spiky grey hair and hawk-yellow eyes that flashed in the sunlight.

 

"Hello, everyone. Welcome to your first Flying lesson. Let's jump right into it, shall we?" She spoke loudly and with authority, making it clear she was to be paid in everybody's attention. "Everyone, please stand next to a broom."

 

Theo stepped forward, looking curiously down at the broom beside his feet. It certainly wasn't the kind of broom anyone would want to clean with. Alex chose one next to him, Neville on the other side. 

 

Directly across from the Gryffindors stood the Slytherins, with Malfoy standing across from Neville. With his ever-present smug expression, he gave the Gryffindors a quick raise of his brows as he stepped beside his own broom. He seemed to be in a good mood, having been amused by Neville's earlier scolding from Professor Snape.

 

Madam Hooch went on to explain the type of broom they would be using. Alex looked his broom over and made a face. Indeed, it was an old Shooting Star. Its handle was splintered, its bristles were frayed, and it rustled irritably every now and then. All of them were the same with the Hogwarts crest branded on the end. 

 

After Alex was done surveying the poorly maintained brooms, Hooch went on to explain when using a broomstick would be practical, such as Quidditch, flying competitions and travel. When she was done pacing through her explanations and safety precautions, she stopped at the head of the class where her own broom waited — a highly polished and well-kept Silver Arrow.

 

"Now, if you are all ready, raise your dominant hand over your broom, and — with feeling — say: 'Up!'" Immediately, her broom shot straight into her hand. She gestured to the class at large. "Now you try."

 

Alex reached out his hand excitedly. 

 

"Up!" 

 

The broom soared straight to his hand. Even though this happened many times at home, it felt nice to be the first to do it. Especially in front of the Slytherins. A few brooms down, Harry was the second to do so. He had been talking day and night to anyone who would listen (seemingly just Ron and Hermione) that his father had been a Seeker in Quidditch, and that he was born to fly. Alex couldn't agree more. 

 

Malfoy scowled at Alex when he saw that he was the first one to get his broom into his hand. With a sneer, he whipped his hand out and said, "Up!"

 

Malfoy's broom reacted so fast that, although he caught it, it made him stumble. Forgetting Alex's success, he smiled to himself.

 

"Up!" said Neville nervously. The stick end of the broom then rocketed up and smacked him square in the face. Malfoy and his goons could be heard laughing hysterically at this, but Neville was determined to stare directly at his broom and nothing else. However, after many tries and a forceful "Up!", he managed to get it in his hand.

 

 

"Up! Up!" Theo furrowed his brow at his broom, not having any luck as it only twitched restlessly on the ground. He let out a breath of annoyance through his nose. Determined, he shuffled his stance. He held out his hand. 

"I said... up!" Just like that, the broom shot up. Excited, he caught it and staggered, having not quite expected that to work.

 

 

Eventually, all the students had a broom in their hands. Madam Hooch commanded their attention again, this time by blowing her whistle.

 

"All right now, everyone," continued Madam Hooch. "If you will, we will now be mounting our brooms. Once you have done that, we will practise kicking off from the ground, rising a metre or two in the air, and coming back down."

 

As Madam Hooch said that, most everyone had mounted their brooms. Instead of simply rising into the air, Ron Weasley thought he could get a little more height than the rest and almost immediately lost control as his broom soared off into the air at high speed. 

 

Ron flailed around in a panic. 

 

"Wait, stop, stop!"

 

But the more he jerked around, the worse it got. 

 

He went higher and higher, zigzagging all over the place and flying dangerously close to the surrounding castle exterior. It all came to an end when his robe was snagged by the sword of one of the decorative knights on the wall above the pitch. For a moment, Ron hung there helplessly, before the fabric tore and he fell to the ground with a thud and yelp of pain, having landed on his wrist.

 

Theo had been about to attempt to mount his own broom when he saw what had happened to Ron. He stopped to watch, shock evident on his face. Alex had been mid-air as this happened. He landed and rushed over with everyone else. As they made their way over, they saw Ron curled into a ball, groaning and holding his arm. 

 

Madam Hooch ran over, clicking her tongue. She examined his wrist. "That's no good... Get back, all of you! I must take this boy to the hospital wing. In the meantime, head back over to your brooms and practise kicking off and coming back down. But if I catch one student up in the sky, they'll be out of Hogwarts before they can say 'Quidditch'."

 

"That's rough. First time flying, too," said Alex to his friends as they walked back. He mounted his broom once more.

 

"Serves Weasel right. Ginger idiot should've stayed in bed," remarked Draco Malfoy with a laugh, as he and the other Slytherins ceased their gawking and returned to their broomsticks.

 

Theo furrowed his brow, overhearing Malfoy. He didn't much like Ron himself after the way he'd treated him and Alex. Still, he didn't want to see the poor boy get flung off his broom like that. Nonetheless, he didn't butt in and simply decided to try to mount his broom, once more.

 

Alex hadn't appreciated Malfoy's comment either. In fact, he already had a particular disdain for the Malfoy name; Alex's parents had to deal with Draco's father, Lucius, on a regular basis at work. Though Ron had been rather rude to Alex and his friends, so he let this comment pass. He figured that, just this once, it was bad karma for the way he acted. He continued to practise his kick-off and landing, putting the thought behind him. 

 

Neville, however, kicked off, but did not come down. Unlike Ron, Neville's broom hadn't flown around violently. Instead, the broom steadily rose about three metres in the air, higher than anyone could reach. 

 

Alex cast Neville a worried look, gawking up at him. "What the... Neville, get down! Do you want to get in trouble?"

 

"I can't stop it!" yelled Neville fearfully. "Down! Down!

 

Then, the broom began jerking back and forth, bucking itself like a mechanical bull. It did this once, twice, several more times until Neville's arms finally gave out, sending him somersaulting through the air and landing on his back. Upon impact, his Remembrall was flung out of his pocket. 

 

Alex hopped off his broom and knelt down, wincing through a smile. "Nice tricks, mate. You all right?"

 

"Yeah, yeah...."

 

Malfoy too had witnessed Neville getting flung about. Spotting the little glass orb that had fallen from his pocket, he promptly went over and grabbed it.

 

Theo stopped his own practising to go check on Neville as well, but halted when he took notice of Malfoy approaching. "Hey, what's that you got there?"

 

"What? This?" questioned Malfoy, raising the Remembrall in his hand. "It's not like he needs it. Didn't help him to remember his books, and it surely didn't help him to remember not to fall on his fat ass." He laughed, tossing the Remembrall into the air and catching it.

 

Alex turned, hearing this. He got up next to Theo. "What's your problem? Haven't you got a letter to write to daddy? Give up the Remembrall and get lost," said Alex coldly, not in the mood for any of these games.

 

Malfoy's eyes narrowed at Alex. "What'd you say? I'll teach you to talk like that to your betters, Carter." Then, without further warning, he plunged his hand into his robes.

 

However, before Malfoy could fumble his wand out of them, "Flipendo!" rang across the courtyard as Theo drew his own wand and sent a blue spark flying straight at Malfoy. The spell hit him in the chest, causing the blond boy to fall straight to his rear and sending the Remembrall soaring into the air, landing at Neville's feet unharmed.

 

Alex jumped, not exactly having expected to have a wand pulled on him. Not only that, but he certainly hadn't expected Theo to be so quick with his. Alex drew his as well, but quickly stuffed it away as he saw past Malfoy that Madam Hooch was returning. He motioned for Theo to do so as well.

 

Crabbe and Goyle had rushed to Malfoy's side, but he brushed them off when they tried to help him up, instead glaring daggers at Theo and Alex. Though as Madam Hooch returned, they went back to their brooms, Malfoy giving them one final glance of irritation. 

 

"You'll regret that," he hissed.

 

Alex waved Malfoy off. Theo quickly put his wand away. He looked at Alex and heaved a sigh of relief. His heart was thumping in his chest as he himself had reacted to the situation, without even realising the implications.

 

Alex huffed, going over to help hoist Neville to his feet. "You all right, mate?"

 

"Yeah, yeah...." said Neville to the both of them. He gave a small, embarrassed smile and pocketed his Remembrall once more. "Thanks, guys."

 

Alex patted him on the shoulder. "'Course."

 

Theo shook his head, narrowing his gaze at Malfoy and the other Slytherins, before returning to his broom practice. This class had been far more eventful than he'd expected.

 

*****

 

Eventually, Flying class resumed. The students were instructed on basic flight and proper broom handling. Thankfully, Neville managed to keep his seat for the remainder of class. Not long after it all came to an end, and the students dispersed for lunch.

 

"Well that was... eventful," said Alex to the two boys on their way to the Great Hall. "Dunno what his problem is. It's not our fault he keeps his wand where the sun don't shine."

 

Theo chuckled lightly. "Guess you might've been right about Slytherin." 

 

"Hello, you three." Luna had come up from behind, looking cheerful. "How was Flying class? Was it as great as you expected?"

 

Alex's eyes widened upon Luna's arrival. "Oh, you will not believe how that went..." Alex then went on an animated retelling, explaining Neville's surprise take-off, the altercation, and Theo's quick reflexes.

 

Luna blinked, surprised by Alex's tale. "You're lucky you didn't get into some kind of trouble." She looked at Theo. "I am impressed though. Who knows what Malfoy might've tried, if he'd actually managed to draw his wand."

 

Theo bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. He gave a small, awkward smile. "I didn't really do anything. My body kind of just... moved on its own."

 

Alex waved his hand irritably. "Honestly, what could he do anyway? He only knows about as much as we do. Even then, all he does is hide behind those thugs of his who probably can't even spell 'magic'."

 

"Who's to say. He didn't get the chance, after all," stated Luna. 

 

Theo exhaled a laugh as they neared the Great Hall, amused by what Alex had to say about Malfoy and his goons. He took a seat. "Let's just forget them and try to have a decent lunch."

 

Alex nodded. After sitting down, he spotted Draco walking in, clearly pissed off. He decided to ignore it and continued on to load his plate.

 

*****

 

Lunch went as it usually did, with casual conversation about classes and other such things. Soon enough, lunch led straight into the break period. Theo stood up from the table, ready to leave for the Transfiguration courtyard. It had quickly become their daily hangout spot.

 

Luna stood up as well. "Did you need any more help with Transfiguration, Alex?"

 

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose in iritation. "Yeah... can you help me learn how to turn Malfoy into the worm he is?" Apparently, he was still not over what happened. He got up and angrily snatched up his things.

 

Luna chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I'm not that good."

 

Theo raised his brow at Alex. "You still on about that? You shouldn't give him the satisfaction. Besides, Luna's right. He never even got the chance to really do anything about it."

 

Alex sighed, silently wishing it was him who had thought to blast Malfoy to his ass. "Yeah... I suppose... but I better not catch him talking like that again."

 

Once they'd reached the courtyard, Theo sat down in his usual spot, deciding to read up on some more spells; he wanted to see what else he might want to try learning in the near future. Especially now that he knew someone might try to attack them over a little squabbling — something he likely could have got expelled for if caught at the wrong time. Theo gripped the book a little tighter, thinking back to all those moments with Vincent. You escape one, and another Vincent appears somewhere else. What was it that made these people so cruel? Not having an answer, he stared into his book without a word.

 

Luna set to work on some homework from Defence Against the Dark Arts. Simple reading, nothing too complicated. Alex, however, figured he'd practise his Transfiguration work. He continued practising Ebublio. Every so often, a small stream of bubbles would eject themselves from the end of his wand. He couldn't help but feel that this spell could be a far grander display than some simple stream of bubbles.

 

Meanwhile, Neville had taken to walking up and down the courtyard wall, reading from his book of Herbology and identifying the vegetation in the beds planted around.

 

Their peace ended abruptly when none other than Draco Malfoy yet again decided to grace the group with his presence. 

 

"Oh, look who it is..." he spoke in his usual condescending tone as he approached. He was alone for once, which was certainly odd. He cast a thoroughly judgemental look at Alex's display of bubbles. "Practising for the talent show, are we, Carter?"

 

Alex did his very best to ignore him. It was a silly sight to behold, he could not lie. But as his ears and cheeks grew hot, he was determined to stand there and blow those stupid bubbles. Luna, though, looked up from her book, watching Malfoy with a blank expression.

 

"What're you looking at?" questioned Malfoy sharply when he didn't receive a response. "I know what they call you, Looney Lovegood. Laughing stock of the school, from how I hear it. Sounds about right, too, considering that tosspot of a father you have, and his stupid magazine. What's it called again? The Quiddler? Well, I'm sure that's successful. Maybe he can afford you new shoes, if you're lucky."

 

As Malfoy continued to run his mouth, Luna's expression gradually became more and more set in anger. And suddenly, she snapped.

 

 

"Shut your mouth, Draco Malfoy!"

 

 

Theo's eyes widened. Alex started. What the hell was happening?

 

As opposed to her dreamlike demeanour, it seemed instead that Luna might just jump Malfoy and cut his throat. Alex gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey... Luna... don't listen to him, yeah?" He glared at Malfoy. "Why don't you go find your lackeys? Might give yourself something better to do." Why, today of all days, did he have to act like this? After all, what had they done to anyone?

 

Draco scoffed, a smirk playing on his face, all the more satisfied that he was getting under Luna's skin. "Or else what? Are you going to stop me, bubble boy?" He turned his gaze to Neville, who stood there clenching his book. "How about you, Longbottom? Or are you too busy picking flowers for mummy and daddy?" And finally, he turned to Theo. "I told you I was going to make you pay for casting that spell at me. You better be ready." Then, he let his wand drop into his hand, having had it hidden in his robe sleeve.

 

Theo narrowed his gaze at Malfoy as he spoke, and upon seeing his wand, Theo went for his in defence of his friends.

 

Luna was on the verge of just getting up and decking Draco in the face, but seeing his wand, she hesitated. Things had escalated quickly.

 

Alex went for his wand as well, hearing this. He was almost excited, ready to give Malfoy a taste of... well, he'd figure it out, he thought. "You really want to try that? You greasy little ferret…" 

 

He was going to cast one of the few spells he knew when—

 

THUD

 

Neville had completely unhinged and socked Malfoy squarely in the jaw. 

 

 

"NO ONE BRINGS UP MY PARENTS!"

 

Malfoy toppled backwards, Neville on top of him. From one moment to another, the two were on the ground, grappling across the grass. The rest of them were almost too shocked to do anything, until they heard a familiar voice. 

 

"What's going on out here?" came McGonagall's stern voice.

 

Alex was the first to snap out of it. He dropped his wand and rushed to the two boys, trying to pry them apart. "Hey! Quit it!"

 

He continued trying until Neville accidentally clocked him around the side of the head and he, Malfoy, and Neville were all thrown back on their rears by an invisible force. Alex looked around only to find Professor McGonagall had caught them, her wand out and striding over. 

 

"That. Is. Enough!" She looked around at everyone, including Theo, who had his wand out, and Luna, who had a look of murder about her. "All of you. Come with me. Now."

 

Alex got up, rubbing his head before he wiped the dirt off his robes and picked up his wand. He walked in shame as he followed behind McGonagall next to Neville. 

 

"You okay, mate?" 

 

But Neville stared at the ground, shaking with adrenaline. Neville did have a long day — week, even — and Alex had been too self absorbed to realise that until now.

 

Theo followed along, his mouth still open in shock. This time around, he hadn't even been given a chance to react. As he replayed the moment in his head, it all seemed to speed up as the situation came to a head right before his very eyes. His heart sank and his shoulders dropped. He knew there was no way out of this. Hanging his head low, he continued along with the others.

 

Luna brought up the rear, having snapped out of her anger. Her teeth remained clenched, feeling guilty for having let her temper get the better of her. She gritted them as she walked alongside the others.

 

Rubbing his jaw, Malfoy looked at McGonagall, and then to the other four. Despite looking as if he wanted to cry from the pain, he forced a smirk onto his face; he had it in his mind that he would get away scot-free. 

 

"Professor, they attacked me. I had to defend myself," he lied pathetically.

 

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, perhaps if you didn't egg on Mr. Longbottom and his friends, you wouldn't need to defend yourself," said McGonagall coldly, not stopping to look back. 

 

"I'll attack him if he doesn't shut the hell up..." muttered Alex under his breath, unbeknownst to McGonagall.

 

Eventually, they reached her classroom, where McGonagall finally turned around to look at them, her eyes piercing through their souls. "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"

 

"Professor, Malfoy—" started Alex.

 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carter, but I don't want to hear it unless it's an apology and an acknowledgement of poor conduct. As I recall, I witnessed you joining Mr. Longbottom here in assaulting another student."

 

"But I was just—" protested Alex.

 

"No buts. Buts are for sitting in detention, Mr. Carter."

 

Alex shut his mouth; what good would it do, anyway? It seemed Neville didn't have much to say either. She looked at them all, expecting someone to say something else.

 

But neither Theo, nor Luna, could really think of anything that they could possibly say to get them out of this situation. They were sunk, once and for all. All Malfoy could do was stare at McGonagall with contempt.

 

"That's what I thought," she continued. "Well, as it is, I cannot hold you for detention today as I am conducting some personal business. So, tomorrow evening after supper, you will report back here; I'll give you more then. Do I make myself clear?"

 

They all nodded.

 

"Good, now, I believe you have class soon, no? Off you go." With that, the students were dismissed.

 

"My father will hear about this," snapped Draco after they'd all left McGonagall's sight. He gave the group of four a glare of utmost hatred before storming off.

 

Once Malfoy was gone, Theo sighed heavily, frowning and shaking his head in shame. "I feel like this is all my fault...."

 

"How could it be your fault?" asked Luna, her soft, calm tone having returned.

 

Alex looked at Theo incredulously. "She's right, mate. Are you kidding me? That circus clown is the one who started all this. Acting all high and mighty... don't beat yourself up, mate. You did what anyone else should do. Besides, we're friends. We're in it together. But we've got Charms, so we should go. See you later, Luna."

 

Theo nodded lightly, but still felt guilty nonetheless. 

 

"Let's go," he agreed, waving to Luna as the three boys went on their way.

 

"See you." Luna waved back and went off, presumably to join her fellow Ravenclaws at their next class.

 

The three boys hadn't much to say over the next couple of hours. Even at supper, they hardly talked — even when Luna joined. Soon, supper was over, and their first educational week had come to an end. Heading upstairs, no one had anything to say. 

 

Once they got to the common room, Alex stopped. "Well... goodnight." Then, he trudged up the dormitory steps. After he performed his nightly ritual with Bandit, he climbed into bed early, staring up at the ceiling all through the night as he had done the past two. This week hadn't gone exactly as planned.

 

"Night..." replied Theo. Then, he made his way over and slipped into his own bed. He lay there for a while as well, his eyes closed as the past week's events replayed themselves in his head. There had been ups, and there had been downs. But for certain, things hadn't gone exactly as Theo had expected either.

 

The wizarding world was so much more than he had bargained for, but he was a part of it now and he had made good friends because of it. With his mind swirling with numerous thoughts, he eventually managed to drift off.

 

But then there was Neville. He hadn't so much as uttered a peep since the event, but his hands still shook, aching and bruised as though it had happened just minutes ago. He knew that not many people were privy to his parents' condition, but that didn't soften the blow every time it was brought up. As he too lay awake that night, tears in his eyes, he cursed himself. After all, it was he who embarrassed himself, and he alone who jumped Malfoy and landed the lot of them in trouble. 

 

The only thing that comforted him was something Alex had said. 

 

'We're in it together.'

 

He truly hoped that was true, for he vowed that night to step up for once. Some way, somehow. He clenched his sheets and stared hard at the top of his four-poster.

 

"No buts," he whispered into the dark before his eyes eventually gave up trying to stay open. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

Events are diverging more and more! Questions? Comments? Drop one below and I'll be sure to get back to you!

Series this work belongs to: