After a very long time with writer's block, I have returned with something that has been on my mind for a while now! A comprehensive HP and SNK crossover. Hopefully this first chapter of exposition doesn't bore everyone away, but it was necessary in my opinion. Plus, I am an author very fond of over-detailing and if that displeases anyone, it's their problem. ;)

Chapter 1

He was dreaming. It was neither a pleasant dream nor a nightmare, but rather something grasping at both ends of the spectrum. For a long while it seemed to be something of an everyday situation at home for them, his family perhaps? It was fuzzy. Sea-green eyes were moving rapidly against his closed pupils, seeing into the recesses of this mixed up memory (or had this even happened before? He wasn't sure); it was uncomfortable, this was not deja vu, he wanted out. Wake up. Blurred figures arguing, a loud smack, flesh hitting flesh, a horrible stream of insults ('muggle whore, muddy blood muddy blood') and then a sickening crunch. A scream, he recognized that voice, suddenly a flash of green light...
He was awake, thrashing at his blankets until he got too tangled up in them and landed with a thunk onto the wood floor of his room. His sister Mikasa was already there, watching.

"You had a nightmare again." A statement, not a question. She was only ten years old, but acted twice her age. Eren glared at her and pulled himself upright.

"I don't know what it was. Nothing, I guess. Just let up, alright?" he mumbled. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You were crying. It can't be nothing."

"Leave it alone, Mikasa! What time is it? We have to go eat with dad before he leaves for his trip!" Eren hadn't realized he had been crying, but he aggressively rubbed away any trace of tears as he hopped out of bed to pull some clean clothes out of the large pile that had accumulated on the floor. Remembering his mother had asked him to clean his room yesterday (and the day before that) at the last second, he shoved everything under the bed and pulled the sheets up to make it look tidier. Mikasa watched him with eyebrows raised from the doorway.

"I'll see you at breakfast, Eren," she smiled, turning to go downstairs and leave him some privacy to change.

The dream was already fading away from his mind, and was all but gone by the time he reached the table in the kitchen. His mother was almost done putting the food on the table; his father's coffee was stirring itself, a spoon of sugar floating towards the cup and depositing its contents deftly before hurling itself into the sink. The Daily Prophet was open to the side of his father's plate, a briefcase sitting under it.

"You ready for your trip dad?" Eren asked, accepting the plate his mother had prepared and digging in to the fresh eggs and toast with the proper vigor of a ten year old boy. Grisha Jaeger was the owner of Slug and Jiggers Apothecary on Diagon Alley (which is precisely where the Jaegers lived; in a comfortable flat above the shop) and he was attending a business conference with other potions masters in order to see just what supplies and ingredients would be in demand for the season. Despite this, Dr. Jaeger was also an accomplished Medi-Wizard, and often was called in to St. Mungo's to assist when staff was short. He had been called in a lot over this past month, and Eren was seeing much less of his father because of it. Precious times like this breakfast were important to him, even though he tried to not show his eagerness.

"When Eren gets older and becomes an Auror like he wants to, he can oversee your trips father," Mikasa spoke quietly, but not with malicious intent. Eren whipped around to glare at her, but their mother beat him to it.

"Aurors are very dangerous jobs, aren't they dear? Why would you want to risk your life at something like that? Eren, you know how this sort of thing upsets me!" she spoke quickly and sternly, eyes flashing from her son to her husband.

"Mikasa, why'd you have to say that?!" Eren yelled, feeling only slightly bad as his adoptive sister shrank a little in her chair.

"Enough, Eren. We can discuss this when the time comes for it. I'm all set to go. I'll miss you all, but your mother knows how to contact me in case something happens. Mr. Flourish is right next door, you know he has a magical fireplace that should be able to reach me in conference if needed. Speaking of which, I'm actually just about done here, I should be going..." he took a large gulp of his coffee and stood, gathering the newspaper along with his briefcase. Eren felt his heart sink; he had just gotten to the breakfast table and his father was already leaving...

Karla Jaeger smiled weakly at her husband and turned around from the sink where she was washing the dishes; Eren's mother was a Muggle, so she couldn't do any magic. Yet she took everything in the Wizarding world with a smile on her face despite not quite fitting in; when Eren had shown his first trace of magic at age 5, she had let out a squeal of delight and encouraged him to do his best. Eren was a stubborn child, and thus her stern manner was needed to keep him in line; yet she cared deeply for both her children and had their best interests at heart, that's just the type of mother she was.
They all rose from the table to give Dr. Jaeger hugs goodbye; Eren felt something simmering inside of him, a powerful sense of urgency as he embraced his father. Before he could explain it to himself, the words were out of his mouth.

"Dad, will you teach me more about magic when you get back?" His father turned, halfway from putting his hat on after fastening his cloak. His eyes seemed to spark a bit behind his round spectacles.

"I will, son. When I return. You'll be going to Hogwarts next year along with your sister, but when I get back from this trip... I'll show you my workshop." He pulled a golden key out from under his cloak where it was fastened around his neck, before tucking it back into place and turning to leave with a wave of his hand. As the door closed, there was a loud pop signaling he had disapparated. Eren let out a breath he hadn't known to be holding, and turned back around to see his mother's scrutinous gaze.

"Eren, you are very young. You can't be expecting to be as good a wizard as some of those Aurors until you are much older," she began, but Eren simply huffed and headed for the door.

"I won't listen to what you say because you're just a muggle, you don't understand anything!" he yelled before racing down the stairs and away from his mother's cries of his name. She would undoubtedly send Mikasa after him, but Eren would try his best to get as far away as he could before she found him and tried to drag him home to apologize.

._._._._._._._.

In a street not too far off, just where Diagon meets Knockturn, a young blonde boy was being pushed around by a group of three large brutes. He let out a whimper but kept his eyes strong, as the rest of him wasn't.

"Take back what you said, you blood-traitor!" one of the two large boys bellowed. "We catch you saying stuff like that again and we'll beat your pretty girly face in, awright?" Their leader, a boy with slick, pale and pointed features let out a snicker and made his way over to the smaller blonde.

"You're Armin Arlert aren't you? What's a Pure-Blood like you doing sympathizing with Muggles?" he asked snottily.

"Because they're people too! Just like you, just like me. We all exist together on the same planet, breathe the same air, eat and drink to survive. You can't deny that, so you can't tell me I'm wrong. Why does that make us any better than them? We all live and die together!" Armin replied, his logic running circles around the goons and seeming to upset their leader even more.

"Crabbe, Goyle! Hit him some more, maybe his large brain will go down a few sizes if you knock it around some," he ordered, but before the larger boys could follow up, a rageful scream was heard from down the alley as Eren came barreling through.

"Oh look, it's little Half-Blood scum himself! Did we say something to offend your Muggle mummy? Let's have him too!" the boys cackled, readying their fists for another warm body to hit. Their expressions changed drastically as a second person appeared following swiftly behind Eren; Mikasa's eyes were vicious and trained sharply on the lot of them, ready to strike. "Bollocks, we need to get out of here! She's here too, she'll kill us!" they whimpered, dropping Armin and running. Their leader seemed torn, but with his protection gone he too turned and ran.

"My father will hear about this!" he screeched as his legs carried him as fast as they could away from the situation. Eren made it over to Armin and immediately helped his best friend up, Mikasa following him and keeping her eyes on the fleeing bullies.

"Should I go after them?" she spoke softly to Armin, watching at the care that Eren took in dusting his friend off.

"N-no, it's not worth it. Draco Malfoy and his goons should never be worth your time," he replied with a small smile. "Plus I upset them enough for them to try to fight with me, that counts for something right?" he said lightly. Eren's eyes narrowed.

"If they try to hurt you again I swear I'm gonna..."

"You, against all three of them? More like two since Draco's a wimp, but either way... I don't think so," Mikasa retorted with a glimmer of teasing in her eyes.

"You need to come home. Mama wants to speak with you," she added softly.

"Hmmph. I'll go home when I'm good and ready. I want to hang out with Armin for a bit," Eren replied, turning with large eyes to face his first and oldest friend.

"Did you get any new books? Anything else about magical creatures?" he asked, curiosity lighting up his young face. Armin nodded vehemently, grabbing Eren's hand and dragging him across the street into the direction of Flourish and Blott's.

"Come on, I'll show you! Grandpa hasn't opened up yet but we can go in as long as we're quiet. You too Mikasa!" he said eagerly, noticing how Mikasa seemed hesitant to join them, as if fearful of intruding. As she was included, however, her eyes lit up and she followed along with a small smile that she hid behind the large red scarf that she always wore.

Armin Arlert was the grandson of Mr. Flourish, the last living owner of the prestigious Flourish and Blott's bookshop on Diagon Alley. Mr Flourish's daughter married Armin's father after they both finished Hogwarts, and Armin was born during the First War. However, his parents vanished sometime after his birth and were never heard from again; Armin's grandfather raised him well, although Armin had always hoped his parents would return to him someday. They too lived above the bookshop much like Eren and his family lived above the apothecary; the two boys had been close from a young age, inseparable almost. The addition of Mikasa was not an unwelcome one, although Mikasa herself often felt that there was something between the two friends that she could never be a part of. It didn't make her unhappy, however, as she knew the two of them didn't do this on purpose.

It was still quite early and not many shoppers would be out until later (which is why it was easy for Malfoy and his goons to pick on Armin; no eyewitnesses) but Armin's grandfather was already stocking the displays with a swish of his wand, sending books to and fro throughout the shop. He gave the children a small nod as they came through the back entrance; when his back was turned, Armin swiped one of the newest editions of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by Newt Scamander out of the large box it had come in. Hiding it behind his back as best he could, he scurried with his friends upstairs to the apartment where they could properly look at the book in his bedroom. Once they were there, he shut his door and they spread out on his floor with the book in hand.

"Grandpa doesn't like it when you take books without telling him right?" Eren asked, awed by Armin's audacity. Armin blushed a bit but shook his head.

"He likes that I read, says that when I go to Hogwarts it'll be good for me because I'll love to study. I've already read all of my age appropriate books in the store, and some of the First Year stuff too when he's not paying attention. This book is probably the one we'll get to use next year... I'm hoping to get in Ravenclaw," he admitted, blush growing a bit darker as he stared at his friends. "That's what both my parents were, Grandpa says."

"I think Eren will be in Hufflepuff," Mikasa deadpanned; Armin couldn't restrain a giggle at Eren's shocked expression.

"No way! I'm gonna be in Gryffindor! I've got to be! All the important Aurors like Keith Shadis and Mad-Eye Moody were! No way will I be in Hufflepuff..." Eren spoke adamantly, despite knowing that Mikasa was teasing. "If I get into Hufflepuff then you're getting Slytherin," he added. Mikasa shrugged.

"I think you might make it to Ravenclaw, Mikasa," Armin spoke thoughtfully, finger on his chin as he pondered it. "Ravenclaws are supposed to be innovative, intelligent, and strong-minded. I think you fit those pretty well." Mikasa flushed slightly at the compliment Armin had just given her, and nodded gracefully.

"What's in the book, though? Open it up and read it to us!" Eren drew their attention back to the reason they were there; Armin grabbed the book and flipped it open to a chapter about merpeople. As he began to read, he took notice of how intently Eren would be listening, staring at him as he spoke, as if nothing else mattered save the words coming from his throat to fill the room with stories of things they would perhaps see in the coming years of their lives.

By the time he had finished reading 5 chapters, the sun had risen fully into the sky and the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley could be heard from outside. Armin paused in his reading, throat a bit sore from talking so much. Mikasa suggested that they stop by Fortescue's for some ice cream and they all stood up eagerly for this. Armin carefully tucked the book back into the box it had come from, just in time as his grandfather arrived from the cash register to hand them each a handful of knuts and two sickles each; with a wink he walked back over to help a customer who was panicking over not being able to find the newest Gilderoy Lockhart installment. The three friends rushed out onto the cobbled street, heading for the ice cream parlor a little down the way.

After purchasing their current favorites (Mikasa was partial to the earl grey & lavender, Armin to the apple crumble, and Eren to the strawberry & creme) they wandered outside to a table, fingers already sticky and covered with the melting ice cream. As they made to sit down, however, a familiar (drunken) voice greeted them.

"Ello there kiddos! A bit early to be eating ice cream, innit?" Hannes, one of Dr. Jaeger's colleagues when he worked for the Ministry back in the day, was also indulging in his own cone of sweet treat (probably Firewhisky flavored). Eren glared at him while indignantly taking another mouthful of dessert.

"You're eating some too! You have no excuse mister." Hannes let out a bark of laughter at this, and raised his hands in defeat before taking another messy bite out of his own cone.

"I haven't, I guess not. I'm on me break, I gotta get a little sumfink in me, right?" he muttered with a chuckle. "'Ow's your mum, she doin' good yeah?" he asked with a not-subtle-at-all manner about him. Mikasa and Armin narrowed their eyes at each other but it seemed to go right over Eren's head. His brow furrowed as he licked stubbornly at his ice cream, turning around to face the direction of the apothecary where his mom would be most likely doing laundry inside with her muggle methods.

"She's doing fi..." Eren stopped halfway through speaking. A flash of red light, barely visible due to the bright daylight unless you were looking properly, illuminated the window of the top floor of their flat. Mikasa's breath hitched, she had seen it too. Their mother couldn't use magic... With a messy splosh, the two's ice cream cones landed on the ground as they darted off towards their home, Armin and Hannes calling out for them futilely.

It was odd that the shop was closed still; Dr. Jaeger had two assistants who ran the shop for him while he was away. Eren raced up the stairs through the shop front, tripping over something warm lying in his path and sprawling across the wooden floor, knocking a bottle of bat spleens off the shelf. Mikasa was swift and caught the bottle before it crashed into the ground; a scream caught in her throat as she realized that Eren was sprawled on top of the perhaps lifeless body of one of the assistants. She shakily set the bottle down, and reached over to help him up.

"It's happening again," she whispered, frightened but eyes steely. Eren shook his head vehemently, eyes trained on the stairs leading to their apartment.

"I won't let it!" he hissed, fierce. They made their way quietly towards the stairs and opened the door to the stairwell which would lead further up. As soon as they did, they could hear the screams and wails of a woman; their mother. Eren released a growl and began bounding up the stairs with Mikasa close on his heels; he nearly choked as the words from his terrible dream came back to him, eerie and echoing down the stairs like voices of ghouls.

"Filthy muggle whore! Dirty blood, dirty blood." They kept going. "You ready to die like the pig you are?" A loud crunch, the sound of bone breaking. His mother screamed louder. Eren made it to the door leading into their home, which was ajar; two men wearing black robes and white masks towered over his mother's broken form, wands trained on her.

"Crucio! Scream, no one can hear you through our silencing charms!" the men cackled as they watched her writhe in pain on the floor. As they ended the curse and she rolled over to her belly, arm outstretched, her bloodshot eyes met Eren and Mikasa's as they watched, horrified, from the door. Her initial terror turned into a soft smile, weakly mouthing "survive" at them before the two children felt their speech taken from them and strong arms around them; Hannes had scooped them up and began dragging them away from the danger. No matter how much Eren flailed and kicked, not a sound escaped him; he managed to crawl over Hannes' shoulders to face the door once more, only to see his mother get sliced in half by a slicing spell one of the men cast. Eren's silent scream rang through his entire system, his young heart filling and breaking all at once.

1 Year Later

"Come on Eren, we get to shop for school supplies today," Mikasa's soft voice still managed to wake Eren in that moment, and he sat up roughly in the bed that he shared with Armin. It was a bunk bed that Armin's grandfather had transfigured, and Eren was on the top bunk. He had the presence of mind after that night's sleep to not just roll out of bed like he usually did, despite the dream that had plagued him again. He pulled the key necklace out from under his nightshirt, staring at it groggily. For the life of him, he couldn't remember how it got there...

"Eren! Grandpa's already got our books set aside for us, we just need to pay for them..." Armin came rushing in, looking flushed and starry eyed at the prospect of leaving for Hogwarts in two days time. Eren brightened up at the sight of Armin's positivity, and clambered down from the bunk bed in order to get dressed. Once this task was accomplished, he joined everyone else in the kitchen where a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and some hash browns awaited him. Gobbling it up gratefully, he shot a questioning look at Armin who was helping his grandfather with the dishes.

"Grandpa and I wanted to make something special for today since we'll be getting our wands and everything. It's no trouble!" he added hastily at the end, seeing Mikasa and Eren exchange a look. The two siblings had been living with Armin and his grandfather ever since Karla Jaeger was killed by Death Eater fanatics and Dr. Jaeger disappeared immediately after. Eren and Mikasa had been talking often together about somehow repaying Armin's grandfather for his kindness (more than just helping out around the bookstore, which is what the elderly wizard had required of them upon their staying with him) but until they could access their family Gringotts vault, they were unable to. The day had finally come, however, for them to be able to use the vault as stated in their father's will as they were to start school soon.

Upon finishing breakfast, they all proceeded down into the bookshop where already a large mass of anxious shoppers awaited outside. Mr. Flourish chuckled and sent the kids to the bank out the back door, telling them to come back with their money and they could take care of their books in a flash as they had already been set aside upstairs for them. Eren clutched the key around his neck tightly; he remembered that his Gringotts key was in his pocket, so he took it out and fastened it to the same cord that held his father's study's key. He still was uncertain as to how it got there...

As they set off down the street (Armin accompanying them to withdraw a little from his parents' vault) towards Gringotts, they noticed that oddly enough they were the only group of kids without a parent to help them through it. Mikasa had her Hogwarts shopping list folded neatly in her pocket, Eren had the key to their vault, and Armin had already gotten their books for the year squared away. They were already quite independent, and it gave all three of them a mixed feeling of pride and delusion. Gringotts loomed ahead of them, crooked and bustling with activity as always. They pushed through past the lines of people awaiting to see a private banker, and walked straight up to a desk goblin who peered over at them with beady eyes scrutinizing.

"How may I help you?" his gravelly voice was unpleasant to say the least.

"I'm Eren Jaeger, here with my sister Mikasa Ackerman, and we're here to access our vault." The goblin stared at them, eyes sharpening even further as he seemed to recognize the two of them from the papers. The incident with the freak Death Eater supporters rising to kill a muggle woman in the heart of Diagon Alley, and the year before Harry Potter was supposed to enter school no less, was not something of light.

"Do you have your key, Mister Jaeger?" the goblin replied. Eren pulled out the cord from around his neck and held it up for the goblin to see, defiant. The goblin seemed to start at the sight of not one, but two keys being thrust in its face; it pushed its spectacles higher up on its nose and suddenly made to snatch for the keys. Mikasa was too quick for it, however, and she pulled them back into Eren's grasp.

"Give him the vault key, Eren," she muttered calmly. Eren sputtered a bit, but did not protest.

"You can give me both keys, young man. That other key is something... Very interesting. I believe I know to where it goes." Mikasa's hands tightened around Eren's, which still held the keys.

"Eren." Her voice held a warning; she did not believe the goblin. Armin was nervously twisting the hem of his shirt between his hands, observing the scene with a keen eye but saying nothing.

"I'll just give you this key for now. I have no interest in knowing where this goes yet," Eren replied smoothly. Mikasa let out a small breath and relaxed her grip on his hands. He released the Gringotts key into the goblin's hands, ignoring the nasty look he was receiving from the latter.

"Everything seems to be in order. Miss Ackerman is not cleared to enter the vault, but she may accompany you to it," the goblin spoke meanly, and Armin's eyes narrowed. He was withholding information, but now was certainly not going to elaborate. He waved them off with another goblin who was to take them underground into the tunnels, and then turned to Armin himself.

"Um, Armin Arlert sir. Here to withdraw from my parents vault for school things, sir."

"Present your key."

Armin did, and he too was sent along his way. Before reaching the doorway to the vault carriages, however, the blonde turned to rush back over to the goblin's desk.

"Sir, what did you mean Mikasa isn't allowed into the vault?" he asked rather directly. The goblin glared at him.

"She is not authorized. The Jaeger vault is off-limits to a non family member."

"But Mikasa was adopted officially into the Jaeger family, magical bonding and everything. That should clear her," Armin countered, watching the goblin's face closely. It contorted into a look of disgruntlement, as if caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Miss Ackerman will have access to a vault in good time, young man. Now run along before the cart leaves without you."

Armin's eyebrows shot up as he turned around to head back into the depths of Gringotts, puzzling over the words of the goblin who seemed like he had much to hide for no good reason at all.

._._._._._._.

"Did you see how much gold was in there?" Eren repeated once more as they exited the bank. Mikasa rolled her eyes and Armin gave a nervous laugh.

"Yes, Eren. That still doesn't mean we can squander it all," Mikasa replied sternly, staring down at the large coinpurse Eren had filled up while in the vault (and which Mikasa had promptly snatched from him once he set foot outside of it; she knew he would just run off and try to buy a fast broom before getting all their school supplies).

"Madam Malkin's is right over here, we should get our robe orders placed first!" Armin interrupted before Eren could snap back at her; the blonde grabbed Eren's hand and dragged him over to the robe shop with Mikasa close on their heels. They entered the shop and were surprised to find it rather calm; Armin supposed it was due to most savvy witches and wizards having already placed their orders weeks ago.

"First years darlings? Come on up, let me measure you all so I can send you on your way," Madam Malkin's arrival made all three of them jump a little as she appeared from behind a rack of robes as if from nowhere; Mikasa was dragged up first, followed by Armin and then Eren. After their orders were placed with a reminder to pick them up later that evening, the three friends exited the shop and headed straight for Magical Menagerie and Eyelops Owl Emporium in order to pick out their pets. Armin's grandpa had allowed it so long as they promised to keep them out of the shop during non-school months, which was eagerly agreed upon.

"I definitely want an owl, they're so wise and useful," Armin exclaimed softly as they entered the shop together and set their eyes upon the many different creatures that were available. Armin went straight for the owls, staring at them all until he came across a beautiful Tawny Owl with shockingly sea-green eyes. He shot a quick glance over at Eren, who himself sported a similar eye color; Armin blushed, but decided that this owl would be his. He timidly called over an attendant and made his purchase, along with a few boxes of owl treats. "I think I'll name you Oceanus, after the god of the sea from those lovely Muggle stories," he whispered softly to his new pet. Oceanus squawked happily, feathers ruffling and settling again.

Eren and Mikasa had strayed over to the cats section of Magical Menagerie while Armin was over at Eyelops; Mikasa seemed unusually drawn to a slender black cat, while Eren was focusing on a handsome Tabby. Mikasa silently pulled on the attendant's robes and pointed at the black cat, unable to take her eyes off of it.

"Ah, that's a Bombay Black Cat, the only one we got in the store! She's never been this calm with a customer before, she must like you. You want 'er?"
Mikasa nodded fervently, and without further ado the cat was hers. Armin had joined them at this point, holding his owl perched in his cage. They both looked over at Eren who was still transfixed by the Tabby cat. He seemed to be hissing a bit at the other cats in the cage with him, but every once in a while he would look over at Eren and meow loudly, as if saying 'get me out of here!'

"I think that one likes you, Eren," Armin giggled.

"I like him. How much?" Eren replied suddenly, whirling around to face the attendant. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"We call that one Ares. He's a wild one, always fighting with the other animals. We never expected anyone to want him, he's so vicious... You sure, kid?" she seemed honestly surprised. Eren nodded his head vigorously, stubborn. The attendant shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, he's yours. That'll be 9 Galleons."

They emerged from the shops with their new pets and everything they needed to care for them with in tow, rushing back across the street to Flourish and Blotts in order to deposit them before continuing their shopping. Armin's grandpa waved them over with a smile as they clomped down the stairs again, getting them all fixed up for their books and taking Armin aside to whisper to him about something. Armin's eyes widened and his brow furrowed, but he didn't seem upset. Eren wondered what his grandfather could be telling him, but no sooner had the thought crossed his mind did Armin return to them and clasp his hand once more.

"Grandpa says for us to go get our wands now," he spoke excitedly, pulling Eren outside and past the swarms of shoppers. Ollivanders was past Gringotts and to the North side of Diagon Alley, so they walked a ways before arriving. The shop was dusty and not too many shoppers were in the vicinity; it seemed like the bookshops and supply shops were busiest this day. The three friends entered the ages old wand store, the tinkle of the bell resonating oddly against the muffled shelving.

"Ah, welcome. You must be Armin Arlert, I presume. I've been expecting you," a soft voice caught them off guard once again; Ollivander emerged from behind a large shelf filled to bursting with wand boxes. His eyes were firstly trained on Armin, but he took in the other two quickly and appraised them on the spot. "I see. I have quite a few wands for the lot of you. Armin, this wand is something I worked with your grandfather specially for you. I am expecting it to be a perfect fit, but give it a wave to try it out..." he presented the blonde with a long box where inside lay nestled a beautifully ornate wand. The softly dark wood was carved with swirls resembling ocean waves cresting on the shore, and the handle was a bit lighter in color with more intricate carvings crossing over one another.

Armin took the wand gently in his hand, and timidly flicked it in the direction of the old wandmaker, attempting to imitate something his grandfather would do while casting spells. A simple jet of water emerged from the tip, swirling in an arc and splashing onto the desk. Armin jumped back and nearly dropped the wand in shock; had he just done that? Ollivander chuckled and waved his own wand to clean up the mess.

"Just as I thought, it likes you. Reed, fairly bendy, 12", unicorn tail hair. A wand made from reed is best suited to those who were bold and were eloquent speakers, and prove themselves to be very protective friends, which you seem to be, Mister Arlert. I never work with reed, personally, but I made an exception for you since it was simply the only fit and your grandfather and I have been friends for a long time. Take care of this wand, young man..." Ollivander's speech ended with an eerie look from those pale eyes of his, and Armin nodded vigorously as a deep red blush coated his cheeks. He paid for his wand and stood to the side, waiting for his friends next. Ollivander motioned Mikasa forward, softly asking her name.

"Mikasa Ackerman, sir," she replied politely. Ollivander arched an eyebrow, muttering her last name to himself under his breath a few times as he turned to search his large collection of wands. He brought forth quite a few boxes, but oddly enough removed many of them before even allowing Mikasa to try them. He pulled one out of its box, and let out a small puff of air as he stared at it.

"This, it must be," he murmured, placing the wand delicately in her hands. He motioned for her to wave it. She did, and it seemed that nothing happened at all. Armin looked over at Eren, who shrugged at him noticeably, until suddenly his fingers hit an invisible wall. Eren tried reaching out around himself, frantic, as no matter where he touched, there seemed to be some kind of protective barrier around him. Ollivander chuckled, an odd sound, and waved his wand over the boy until the barrier vanished.

"What was that?" Mikasa asked, incredulously staring at the wand in her hand. It was a lovely rich dark brown color, with a swirling handle of lighter wood at the end.

"Your wand, Miss Ackerman, is of rowan, rigid, 13", phoenix tail feather core. Rowan wood has always been much-favoured for wands, because it is reputed to be more protective than any other, and in my experience renders all manner of defensive charms especially strong and difficult to break. It is commonly stated that no Dark witch or wizard ever owned a rowan wand, and I cannot recall a single instance where one of my own rowan wands has gone on to do evil in the world. Rowan is most happily placed with the clear-headed and the pure-hearted, but this reputation for virtue ought not to fool anyone - these wands are the equal of any, often the better, and frequently out-perform others in duels."

"Sounds like Mikasa," Eren huffed, crossing his arms across his chest and eliciting a giggle from Armin.

"You next, Mister Jaeger," Ollivander was quick, handing Eren a wand before he could even register what was happening. He flicked it confidently, and managed to send an entire shelf of wand boxes flying off their shelves. Ollivander snatched the wand back from him, clicking his tongue. Another was placed in his hand, and this time he sent a jet of steam out that nearly singed off his eyebrows. Next, a wand that flew right out of his hand and embedded itself into the wooden boards beneath him. Eren was getting rather frustrated; why could Armin and Mikasa get their wands so easily while he couldn't?

Finally, Ollivander seemed to still as he placed his hands upon the next box. Scrutinizing Eren, he pulled the wand from its cushioning and gingerly handed it to the young boy. Eren waved this wand and a pleasant feeling seemed to spread through him, a warm light glow alighted his form, until he ceased his movements and it vanished. Eren smiled up at Ollivander, a genuine smile then.

"This feels... Right. What is it?"

"That, dear boy, is a wand made of alder. Unyielding, 15", dragon heartstring core. Alder is an unyielding wood, yet I have discovered that its ideal owner is not stubborn or obstinate, but often helpful, considerate and most likeable. Whereas most wand woods seek similarity in the characters of those they will best serve, alder is unusual in that it seems to desire a nature that is, if not precisely opposite to its own, then certainly of a markedly different type. When an alder wand is happily placed, it becomes a magnificent, loyal helpmate. Of all wand types, alder is best suited to non-verbal spell work, whence comes its reputation for being suitable only for the most advanced witches and wizards. With the combination of dragon heartstring, this wand has never been able to find a true master until you. Use it wisely..."

They paid for their purchases and exited the shop, feeling much more accomplished and powerful than before. Eren pulled his new wand out from its case, looking at it once more in the light of day outside the shop. It was a soft mellow brown color, similar to his own hair, and it was not smooth but rugged, almost as if filled with veins and pulsing with a life of its own. The handle curved slightly at the end, with a strange carving at the point within the wood that looked oddly like a spark of some kind.

Blissful and happy, they proceeded throughout Diagon in order to buy their Potions ingredients from the apothecary (Eren's father had willed him to still maintain ownership of the shop, but until he came of age it was to be run by a trusted friend of his named Rico Brzenka) and their new cauldrons from Potage's. Eren looked more than once wistfully at the nice new series of brooms at the Quidditch supplies store; the Nimbus 2000 was something else, that's for sure. First years could not try out for Quidditch, however, so Mikasa dragged him away from the shop forcefully each time they passed it.

Upon completion of their shopping trip, the three friends returned to Flourish and Blotts and hastened up the stairs to the apartment to pack their trunks. Armin went straight for the books, staring at the many texts he would eventually pore over for hours on end without a doubt. Eren and Mikasa were still transfixed with their new wands, but Mikasa set hers back in its box before starting to pack her trunk skillfully and neatly. Their new pets seemed to be at home in the little flat, Ares running to and fro inspecting everything curiously, Oceanus hooting softly from his perch on the rafters, and Athena (as Mikasa had asked Armin for help in naming her cat) curled up on the large wingback armchair by the fireplace. After some finagling with the trunk packing, they managed to get everything squared away without having too much trouble closing the large lid over their items.

After dinner, Armin snuck back over to his trunk and popped it open in order to remove a book that he had purposefully left on the top: Hogwarts, A History. It was not on the required reading list, but Armin's grandfather had given it to his grandson as a gift, stating that it was one of his mother's favorite books. Her delicate scrawl could be found in some places of the worn pages, and Armin nearly choked up at this revelation. He clutched the book to his chest, and smiled. Eren clambered down from the top bunk in order to sit next to Armin, while Mikasa had snuck into the boys' room to listen to Armin read softly from its pages before they slept.

"We'll be at Hogwarts tomorrow night," Eren murmured suddenly, sea-green eyes flashing in the dark. Mikasa and Armin stared at him, eyes shining as though they could already see the floating candles of the Great Hall...