Chapter Text
The rolling hills of the countryside slowly passed by, fading into nothing as more appeared in their place. Watching the window nearly gave Krystall a headache, all that constant changing and spinning.
It was a lot like her own life, she thought grimly.
Just a few months prior, Krystall Trombonist, a Latina girl who had been living in London, had been pulled from her old school, with the information that she’d be attending Hogwarts for what was supposed to be her sixth year at Chasity Primary. A huge amount of information had been dropped on her at once, and she could barely begin to understand it all.
First of all, she was adopted. Her real parents had died when she was little, she now knew.
Second, Krystall was a witch. She had inherited magic from her parents, who were also magical, and had died to the hands of a wizard.
And, third, which was somehow the worst for her, she’d be leaving all her friends to attend a school for magic.
It wasn’t fair. Krystall knew this, believed it deep in her soul, but what could she do now? All she had left to do was sulk, which she did just fine. She let out a deep sigh, resting her face in her hands. She just wanted to go home.
She’d never been one for change. Krystall liked things the way she had always liked them. Unchanging, doing the same things over and over and building comfort in the ease of a routine.
She wasn’t really like other girls in that regard. Others seemed to enjoy the buzz of going out and catching a good thrill, something different night after night, but that just sounded like a terror to Krystall.
Quiet was what she tended to prefer, and quiet came to her in the form of a schedule. She planned out what she’d do each day, and each day she would do that.
Now this whole school thing had thrown her completely off kilter.
Suddenly, Krystall heard a knock on the train car’s door. She turned to look, just in time to catch a ginger boy, about her age, gingerly pushing open the door.
“Hey, sorry to bother you, could I sit with you?” He asked kindly. The boy was hauling a suitcase with him, presumably full of his things for the school year. “All the other cars seem to be full.”
“Oh, um, sure.” Krystall stammered shyly, wringing her hands. Damn it, she probably looked like a nerd, all nervous and shy. What was wrong with her?
The boy nodded to her, muttering his thanks a thousand times over, and took a seat across from her. He set his suitcase down on the floor in front of him, and just when Krystall thought she was safe from interacting with strangers, he held out a hand. She awkwardly extended one back, so as not to be rude.
“My name’s Chuuya. Chuuya Nakahara.” The boy, Chuuya, gave her a firm handshake, one an old white man would probably compliment. Chuuya seemed nice— he had the kind of demeanor Krystall could get used to. He talked like he knew exactly what he wanted, yet he wasn’t unkind in that regard.
“I’m Krystall Trombonist. I like your name.” Krystall commented, an easy smile forming on her face. She brushed her black curls out of her eyes to get a better look at him. “Is it Japanese?”
Chuuya nodded, leaning back onto the train’s seat. He kicked his suitcase over on its side, resting his feet on it. He must be quite short, if he could do that, Krystall mused.
“Pretty sharp, aren’t’cha?” Chuuya grinned. “Though, that’s to be expected, considering you’re enrolled here.”
“Yeah, haha.” Krystall manages, glancing down at her hands. She furrowed her brows, a bead of sweat forming on the back of her neck. Her head, she just now realized, was throbbing with a dull pain.
She had migraines frequently. It was just her luck, though, that she had developed one on the day of her journey to Hogwarts. Running her hand over her forehead, she tipped her hair back just enough to reveal her lightning shaped scar.
Krystall, to her embarrassment, heard the boy across from her gasp.
“Oh my gosh.” He said, gaping at her. “I am the biggest idiot. Krystall Tr— yes, you’re the one who survived an attack from… from him!”
“Yes, that’s me…” Krystall, out of habit, began to braid a stray strand of her hair. Anything but making eye contact, which felt almost mortifying in a situation like this. “The girl who lived.” She joked. God, her head hurt.
Chuuya, who Krystall just realized was wearing gloves, bit the fabric of his glove to suppress his fangirling. He cleared his throat, folding his hands neatly in his lap. “Sorry— sorry, where are my manners? Why are you just now transferring?”
“Well, I actually didn’t know I was a witch until just recently.” She explained. Her migraine was beginning to fade, but it was still very irritating. Could she not catch a break? “I was raised by muggle parents.”
“To think the girl who lived was raised being hidden from her magic!” He shook his head disapprovingly. “From what I’ve heard,” he smiled, “you’ve got a real gift, Miss Krystall. Don’t let it go to waste.”
Krystall was taken aback.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to think. No one she had ever known, or started to know, had ever been so nice to her— so hopeful that she would do something great.
Throughout her life, she’d always been overlooked. Whether it be by her cruel and vindictive adoptive mother, or her well-meaning yet absent father, or her nightmare of a sister. No one had been in her corner, really rooting for her.
And this boy, who had only known legends of something she hadn’t even meant to do from 16 years ago, had looked her in her eyes and told her he believed in her.
“Thank you.” Krystall said, genuinely, as she grasped both of her hands in his. “That… you have no idea how much that means to me.”
He nodded, kindly, as he had been this whole time, and opened his mouth to speak when the train suddenly lurched to a stop. She let go of his hands, glancing towards the door. Krystall could hear teachers, perhaps just train staff, walking cabin to cabin and letting people know they arrived.
She helped Chuuya with his luggage, stepping out of their cabin and walking single file behind the other students. They all chatted excitedly as they stepped off the train, but for Krystall, the churning in her stomach had only returned. The cold air of the sea hit her, then, as she looked over the vast water and out at the castle on the hill.
They had arrived at Hogwarts, and in turn, this new chapter of Krystall’s life was about to begin.