Chapter 2 – Needs No Introduction

I walked through the train, passing glances through each door to find that each compartment had already filled with the other students. A few familiar faces would wave or nod as I passed, but none of them had any room for me to join them.

"Oy, Watson, John Watson!"

I looked ahead to see Harry's friend Stamford climbing through packs of students. Upon reaching me, he shook my hand enthusiastically.

"Hi Mike, how are you?"

"I'm doing just fine, going to join my friends down at the other end in a moment. How was your summer? Congrats on being accepted by the way, I heard from Harry that you'll be an excellent addition to the Hufflepuff Team next year."

"Harry said that?"

Mike looked away and paused awkwardly.

"It was implied, he's mentioned how good you are at muggle sports before and I take it that it will translate nicely to broomwork."

I took this to mean that Harry had begrudgingly described the entire event from the summer to his friends and Mike had chosen to focus on the positive.

"Have you found a spot yet?" Mike changed the subject brightly.

"No, I'm actually beginning to think I'll end up in a car all by myself at this point," I gestured to the loud groups filling the train.

"Funny, that's the second time I've heard someone say that today."

"Oh? Who?"

"A young neighbor of mine, his mother asked me to make sure he was on the train when it left."

This should have been my first warning.

"Do you suppose people have joined him yet? I'd rather not stand in the hallway the entire trip."

Mike chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"I am very certain no one has joined him." My second warning. "I'll introduce you. Mind you, he's a little different." My third and final warning.

I followed Mike through three more cars as the train began to pull out of the station. Screams of delight came from a group with Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans we passed, already settling in for the journey. The countryside visible through the window was lush and green, making me wonder exactly where Hogwarts was located despite its hidden location. A few students ran past us, slowing our progress briefly. We passed into the last car of the train which seemed to be empty except for a slightly acrid odor emanating from the very last compartment. Mike took off down the coach and slid the final door open. As I followed, I could hear Mike questioning someone loudly.

"What are you doing?"

I was midway there when I heard a window slam open.

"Where you trying to smoke out the rest of the car? Because it certainly worked!"

I turned the corner to see Mike stepping over a vast set of beakers and vials. A plum colored one hissed and seemed to be causing the smell.

"Don't step on that!" A thin sulking boy lay across from where Mike was standing. Despite facing away from me, I realized he was warning me from stepping on a small root-like thing laying in the doorway. I gently slid the root to the side with my foot and took a seat opposite the pale young wizard to get a better look at him and avoid stepping on the various items strewn across the floor. He had his eyes closed and didn't move. If he had not just spoken to me, I'd have thought he would need medical attention.

Mike finally sat down and casually dropped a small stone into the purple mixture, which ceased its vicious bubbling at once and turned clear. This was enough to anger the curly-haired youth, however. He sat bolt upright and began scrambling through his papers and berating Mike for having interrupted his 'experiment'. The change was like night and day; I would not have thought the lazy young man capable of such a flurry of excitement. Mike gave me a knowing grin, waiting until his neighbor ran out of steam in mixing ingredients and a slew of vicious epithets. Another vial began to fizz, this one a cream color, and he leaned back to cast Mike a final dirty look before staring at me.

"John Watson, I'd like you to meet Sherlock Holmes."

I reached out to shake his hand, but he didn't move. His eyes grazed over me as if I were a book he were skimming through.

"Was it a muggle car or bus?"

I awkwardly withdrew my hand. "Pardon?"

"Was it a car or a bus that hit you?"

A/N: Please note that this world is some of my older work and I may not update soon or regularly. I may post chapters out of chronological order based on which parts of Sherlock scream to be adapted and where they fit in their story in my world. Thank you for your patience!