Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or Magi: Labyrinth of Magic. They belong to their respective authors, J.K Rowling and Shinobu Ohtaka. I'm just an obsessed fan of the said series.
Warning: Characters may or not be OOC.
3rd Night:
Encounter at the Hogwarts Express
Harry had a troubled night's sleep. His dreams are becoming more and more unpleasant, His parents wove in and out his dreams, never speaking; Mrs. Weasley sobbed over the corpses of her family, watched by Ron and Hermione who were wearing strange-looking crowns, Harry found himself walking down a corridor ending in a locked door, and saw a stranger surrounded by what appears of black butterflies while grinning evilly at him.
"Hmm, you're not special at all. Why Voldemort is even scared of such a brat like you. But then you possess two 'Rukh'; I wonder why Harry Potter,"
He awoke abruptly with his scar prickling to find Ron already dressed and talking to him.
"… better hurry up, Mum's going ballistic, she says we're going to miss the train."
Harry gathered his bearings then stood to dress himself up.
"What am I dreaming… black butterflies… and that person… never appeared there before… what does that person even mean about it that Rukh… What is even the Rukh?" he silently pondered, he considered of telling it to Hermione and Ron but eventually decided against it.
"It was just a dream Harry, no need to freak out," he convinced himself.
But it was not just a dream and the young wizard would realize it soon.
When Harry learned that a guard– guards rather since they were many of them, were going to escort them to King's Cross Station, he began to feel irritable. From what he knew Voldemort was lying low, so it's obvious that there will be no need for guards since it's not like he's suddenly apparate in front of him and kidnap him.
Hermione absently pointed out that it was Mad- Eye's idea. Harry decided to back down, knowing even if he protested nothing would change, and he is still to be escorted towards the train station.
It took them twenty minutes to reach King's Cross on foot and nothing more eventful happened during their journey other than Sirius (currently disguising as a dog) scaring a couple of cats for Harry's entertainment. When they entered the Platform Nine and Three Quarters where the Hogwarts Express waits to depart over a platform packed with departing students and their families, Harry felt his spirits soar.
He was really going back to Hogwarts… Home…
"Well, look after yourselves," said Lupin, shaking hands all round. He reached Harry last and gave him a tap on the shoulder. "You too Harry. Be careful."
He nodded.
"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," said Moody, shaking Harry's hand too.
"And don't forget, all of you– careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."
"It's been great meeting all of you," said Tonks, hugging Hermione and Ginny "We'll see you soon, I expect."
A warning whistle sounded, indicating the train was about to depart, the students still on the platform started hurrying on to the train.
"Quick, quick," said Mrs. Weasley distractedly, hugging them at random and catching Harry twice. "Right… be good… if you've forgotten anything we'll send it on… on to the train, now, hurry…"
For one brief moment, the black dog reared on to its hind legs and placed its front paws on Harry's shoulders, but Mrs. Weasley shoved Harry away towards the train door, hissing. "For heaven's sake, act more like a dog, Sirius!"
"See you!" Harry happily called out of the open window as the train began to move, while Ron, Hermione and Ginny waved beside him. The figures of Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Mr. and and the black dog, Sirius rapidly disappeared from his view.
"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked his friends.
Ron and Hermione exchanged knowing glances with each other, which Harry noticed but was too puzzled to ask them and continued to stare at them, waiting for their answers.
"Er," Ron started.
"We're– well Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriages, Harry," Hermione said awkwardly.
"Oh. Right."
"Oh," said Harry. "Right. Fine."
"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," said Hermione quickly. "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."
"Fine," Harry said. "Well, I– I might see you later, then."
"Yeah, definitely," Ron said, casting an anxious look at Harry. "It's a pain having to go down there, I'd rather– but we have to– I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy," he finished defiantly.
"I know you're not," Harry said and grinned.
He then watched as Ron and Hermione dragged their trunks away from him, disappearing in his sight.
He suddenly felt odd. He felt he was suddenly alone, well technically he is. Harry shook his head, picked up Hedwig's cage and pulled his trunk to find a compartment. As the Boy Who Lived struggled pulling up his belongings and peered through the glass-paneled doors of the compartments, which were apparently full already, he couldn't help but notice the strange look the students were giving him.
Harry then remembered that over the course of his stay at the Dursely's and at Grimmauld Place during summer, the Daily Prophet has been busy reporting to its readers that he was a liar. He sadly wonders if how many people actually believed those stories.
In the last carriage Harry met Neville Longbottom, a fellow fifth-year Gryffindor like him.
"Hi Harry," he greeted him. "Everywhere's full… I can't find a seat…"
"There's still room over this one Neville," Harry pointed out.
"But there's already someone sitting over there–" he mumbled.
"I'm sure that it's alright Neville," Harry convinced him. "Hopefully,"
Harry then slid the door open and pulled his trunk; Neville hesitated but followed him nevertheless.
"Uhmm… hi is it alright if me and Neville to take a seat here?" he asked.
The girl sitting by the window looked up. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. She had an air of… weirdness around her. Perhaps it was because of her strange antics, like reading a magazine upside-down. She nodded.
Harry and Neville then put away their trunks and Hedwig's cage in the luggage rack and sat down.
Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine, which was called The Quibbler. She stared and stared at Harry, who had taken the seat opposite her and now wished he hadn't.
"You're Harry Potter," Luna said dreamily.
"I know I am," said Harry.
Neville chuckled. Luna turned her pale eyes on him instead.
"And I don't know who you are."
"I'm nobody," said Neville hurriedly.
"No, you're not," he suddenly said. "He's Neville Longbottom and I'm Harry Potter,"
"Ah, I'm Luna Lovegood from Ravenclaw," she introduced herself. Luna then raised her magazine upside-down high enough to hide her face and fell silent. Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised.
Suddenly, the door to their compartment slid open.
Sphintus Carmen, a Magician of Magnostadt, was walking on the corridor of Hogwarts Express as he tries to search for an empty compartment, along with Marga, who was more cheerful than usual.
"It's her first time out of Magnostadt, after all..." he thought as he stared with amusement at the little girl, who was curiously eyeing her surroundings.
He had been actually pleased with the proposition that the Chancellor made with Dumbledore, like she said it would be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the "Magic" that Wizards uses, that while technically same it also greatly differs the "Magic" Magicians uses. Bringing Marga along was also a plus, after all she and Titus were like a family to him now.
There was no way they're going to left her alone back at Magnostadt.
"Hey, Sphintus look there's still room at that compartment!" Marga pointed out.
"You're right Marga! But we must ask permission 'kay?" he replied with a smile.
"Okay!" she answered and rushed towards the compartment and happily opened the door.
He followed Marga with a smile.
"Hello Mister and Miss! Can I and my friend have a seat here?"
Harry spun his head and was a bit surprised to see a small petite girl standing on the opened door of the compartment. She has a brownish-orange shoulder length hair tied into two ponytails, with large blue eyes, which sparkled as she happily grinned at them and wears white robes with long sleeves with a pink ribbon tied around her waist.
"What is a little girl doing here… surely she's not eleven yet…?"
"Sure," Neville answered rather quickly, suddenly looking towards him, as if asking for approval and Luna surprisingly smiled and nodded with agreement before going back to read her magazine.
"Wah! Thanks Misters!" the little girl happily answered back. "Sphintus! Over here! Misters agreed to let us sit with them!" she called to her friend.
"Okay Marga,"
A short young man with white messy hair, striking green eyes and a tan complexion appeared besides the young girl and was also wearing strange black robes with a stick– a staff rather behind his back. The younger man together with the little girl named Marga entered and seated with them in their compartment.
Harry stared at them with interest. As he recalled there was no Wizard that uses a staff nowadays, wearing strange robes that weren't even Hogwarts uniform and accompanied by a little girl, who was obviously too young to attend Hogwarts. It just made him curious.
Neville also looked at them and Luna turned down her magazine and proceeded to stare without blinking her eyes at them.
The white-haired man noticed this and smiled nervously.
"Ah, is there something wrong?" he asked, breaking the deafening silence.
"No, nothing at all. Sorry, you just look strange to me…" Harry replied.
"Eh!? Mister thinks of as a stranger?" Marga reacted.
"Oh, come on Marga, I'm sure Mister didn't mean it all," the man reassured Marga.
"Anyway I'm Sphintus Carmen," the white-haired man introduced himself and then pointed at the girl accompanying him and said. "And she's Marga,"
"I'm Harry Potter, nice to meet you too," the young Gryffindor answered politely.
He saw Sphintus nodded in return but was a little puzzled with the lack of reaction from him, not that Harry wanted the white-haired man to shower him with praises and admiration due to his past with Voldemort; it was also rather refreshing to be treated normally and not some kind of celebrity.
"Ah… I'm Neville Longbottom," Neville replied rather shyly.
"I'm Luna Lovegood from Ravenclaw," Luna replied dreamily, her eyes still gazing both Sphintus and Marga intensely. "Hm… There are Nargles around you… you know…" she commented.
"Nargles…?" Sphintus asked looking puzzled towards the blond girl.
"Yeah… you know the golden– butterflies around you?" Luna absently replied, still not breaking her gaze at him and Marga.
"Hah? Golden butterflies?" Neville asked rather loudly.
"You– can see the Rukh?" Sphintus asked looking rather surprised, from what he knew from the Chancellor, Wizards aren't capable of seeing the Rukh despite being users of Magic.
Harry's eyes suddenly widened at the mention of that word being mentioned to him in his nightmares. He felt his curiosity towards Sphintus grow even more.
"Oh… so they are called Rukh? Yeah, I can see them, ever since I was young," she replied with a smile.
"That's strange–"Sphintus replied, recovering from his initial reaction. "For a Wizard like you to see them,"
"Uh… are you even a Wizard, Sphintus?" asked Neville, who was confused by the white-haired conversation with Luna.
"No, Mister Neville! Sphintus is a Magician!" Marga replied even before Sphintus could answer the question.
"A Magician– you mean both of you are from Magnostadt!?" Neville said, looking shocked at the piece of information he learned of.
"You're both from the Magician's Country… I never thought I could see a Magician, daddy tells me that they're rather secluded but powerful," Luna commented once again.
"Yeah, I'm a Magician–" Sphintus answered, a grin appearing in his face.
"Sphintus, what is a Magician like you going to do at Hogwarts?" Neville questioned him, apparently curious.
"To study Magic as one of Hogwarts students, nothing more, nothing less,"
"Oh but weren't Magicians already know Magic?"
"It never hurts to study again. It's quite interesting to learn about Wizard's Magic, as it's kinda different from the Magic we wield," Sphintus flashed a grin at him.
"Yeah, sorry for asking though," Neville said and then fell silent.
"It's alright," Sphintus replied absently and then proceeded to observe his charge.
Luna then once again raised her Magazine and proceeds to read it. Marga then eyes her and asked about the magazine, the Ravenclaw looked at her and smiled. She told Marga that it was called the Quibbler and it was book of some sorts containing information. Marga's eyes widened and cheerfully asked if she could that a look with it. Luna handed it, happy to learn the little girl was willing to read the magazine.
Sphintus smiled as gazed at Marga and Luna.
"Rukh… Magicians…. Magnostadt?" Harry suddenly mumbles under his breath.
Interacting with the students of Hogwarts made Sphintus reminiscence the old days, where he, Titus and Aladdin were still attending the Academy. Memories flashed back to him, of how together they used to explore the city, of how they study Magic together, of how they became friends and met Marga.
Neville appears to be a good guy but also to be shy and timid. Luna was odd but in a pleasant way; the Rukh also seemed attracted to her in a certain degree despite not being a Magician perhaps that was because of her peculiar ability. Harry however, was something Sphintus couldn't comprehend.
Sure, he was just a normal Wizard, the Rukh around him was normal too. It's just that Sphintus was so sure that he suddenly felt an ominous presence around the young Wizard, which disappeared almost instantly. Perhaps he should ask Titus to learn more. He was deep in his thoughts when once again the door of the compartment slid open.
"Harry, there you are!" Hermione greeted him. "Sorry we took so long though, the Head Prefects drilled our heads with the rules and duties of a Prefect!"
"Yeah, mate we are really sorry," Ron apologized.
"It's alright, Hermione, Ron. It's not like I'm alone, I'm with Neville and the others," Harry answered.
"Others?" Hermione glanced towards Luna, Sphintus and Marga.
Harry proceeded to introduced Sphintus and Marga to both of them, as well as Luna, who was still immersed in reading her magazine. After exchanging pleasantries with one another, an awkward silence fell once again on the compartment; Hermione was eyeing them until Ron spoke up bombarding the white-haired Magician with questions.
"Ah, Sphintus why is your hair white? And what house you from? Is the little girl– Marga even eleven?"
Hermione suddenly snapped out of her trance and went to shush Ron. As much as she wanted to get her answers from the white-haired Magician, she refrained from doing it right away. She can later satisfy her hunger for information from this strange duo sometime.
"Ron! That's rude. You shouldn't ask those questions right away, I mean we just met them!"
"Wow, these Wizards lot are sure nosy, but then there's no need to hide anything, hell Titus is even going to them Magic!" Sphintus thought.
"Sorry," Ron muttered.
"About my hair, it's natural. About the house, well it's my first time at Hogwarts, so I don't know what house are you talking about and for Marga, she's not yet eleven. Is there something wrong about that?"
"You see, Wizards usually got their acceptance letter from Hogwarts once they reach the age of eleven," Hermione answered.
"I see," Sphintus started. "But Marga is not a Wizard, so that's why–"
"She's not a Wizard? So she's a Muggle?" Hermione asked rather incredulously.
"Wha? Muggle?" Sphintus looked confused.
For the third time around the door of the compartment slid open. Harry spun his head around only to see Malfoy smirking at him along with his cronies Crabbe and Goyle.
"What?" he said aggressively, before Malfoy could open his mouth.
"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Malfoy. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."
"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone." Ron, Hermione and Neville laughed. Sphintus frowned at the boy that was called Malfoy, even though he hasn't know him for a very long time, he could tell that the boy was arrogant. Marga suddenly hold his palm, appearing to be uneasy with rising tension around them.
"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione sharply.
"I seem to have touched a nerve," said Malfoy, smirking. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."
He then raised his guard when Malfoy averted his gaze to both of them.
"I see you've got new friends, Potter," he said. "You're new here right? Haven't seen you before," he asked Sphintus.
"Yeah, I'm a transferee," Sphintus answered monotonously.
"If you're smart, you shouldn't be friends with this kind of people, anyway I'm Malfoy– Draco Malfoy," he introduced himself.
"I'm Sphintus Carmen and thank you for your concern,"
"And that girl is…?" He eyed Marga with disgust. "You shouldn't really associate with these people Sphintus, that girl… I bet she's a mudblood," Malfoy said the last word with disgust.
"Get out!" said Hermione, standing up.
Sphintus felt his temper rise out, despite not knowing what the word meant he was not a fool to not know that it was an insult, he knew it was an insult the moment the word was spoken. He could probably stomach if he's the one to be mocked, but if it's Marga, he wouldn't back down.
"Malfoy, I'd be glad if you will apologize to Marga," he said in a cold voice.
"And why should I do that?" Malfoy asked.
"Because you insulted her,"
"It's only right, if she's really a mudblood," Malfoy answered.
Sphintus clenched his fist. He was about to strike the guy when he suddenly saw Kukulcan, his pet cobra appear out of nowhere and was hissing towards Malfoy. The said boy yelped when he saw the snake hissing to him.
"Oh, there you are Kukulcan. Fancy seeing you here, bet you want to take a bite on them huh," Sphintus smirked.
"You– you wouldn't dare!" Malfoy raised his voiced and suddenly pointed his wand at Sphintus. He wasn't fazed by the open threat the Wizard giving him. Malfoy furious that Sphintus wasn't showing any kind fear towards him proceeded to curse him.
"Sphintus!" Marga shouted nervously.
"Relashio!" he shouted.
A bright jet of light erupted from Malfoy wand that was aimed at Sphintus, when suddenly a sphere of some kind appeared around the white-haired boy and blocked off the curse as if it was nothing. Malfoy was shocked at the sudden turn of events.
"How could the boy even create a barrier to block without using his wand? Wandless Magic?"
"You– you…." Malfoy tried to speak but his tongue was all tied up, while Kukulcan was still hissing at him and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville was surprised with his sudden display of power. "You will regret messing with me! My Father will hear of this!"
"And you will regret messing with a Magician! Now will you please get out!" Sphintus retorted, he knew he was being harsh but deep inside he knew that he can get egoistical and cocky if he wanted to.
Malfoy tried to retort back but he suddenly turned back, leaving the compartment door wide open.
Author's Note:
Wow, this chapter really took a long time for me to finish it. Word Count: 3,331.
Sphintus really got angry huh... wonder if I did that right? But then he can really get nasty if he wanted to, he wasn't really nice to Aladdin at first too. Updates from this story would probably be getting much rarer from this point. College is starting so; it's really hard to find a time to write.
Thanks for those who followed and hit the favorite button! ~
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Reply to Reviews:
Percyjacksongreece: Thank you so much! Wow, we share favorite characters! Titus and Scheherazade are part my list of favorite characters in Magi. Yeah I have my own list of my favorite characters in Magi lol. I hope I won't stop writing too, because to be honest with you I have a really bad habit of not finishing any of my stories, well this is the first one that got published on though so I hope it won't happen. Hope you enjoy the update though.
Ghostblossom: Thank you for the review! Glad you like the story so far!
PaintSpatterings: I'm glad you're happy with this story. Thank you so much. I agree with you, Magi really deserve more love, more fanfictions and crossovers! My dream is that more Magi crossovers would be written in the near future!
Fan: Well, here's a new chapter, hope you like it.
Yukixvongola: I don't understand your language (I only know English and my native language, sorry) that's why I just used google translate for me to understand your question. So please forgive me if I fail to give you a proper reply. About Aladdin, yes he will appear in the story but he will be more of a side character as of the moment. Anyway thanks for the feedback I really appreciate it.
So any thoughts, comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcome, please type a review. Thank you.
Ryuu von Einzbern
