Chapter 7
"Oh well, that's interesting!" The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and started flashing it at the wall. "Space folded over on itself with this wall as the entrance to the bubble created."
Jack rolled his eyes and looked up at the numbers posted on the platforms. 9… 10… 9… hmm. "Doctor, are you saying platform 9 and ¾ is behind this wall?"
"But how? It's not like they have a dimensional manipulator. Humans won't create that until the 52nd century. Even you, Jack, don't have one."
"Doctor…"
"Though perhaps a vortex manipulator, if altered properly, could do it. But then it would be rendered completely useless. The forces needed to accomplish such a task would blow the entire system…"
"Doctor…"
"Don't worry, Jack, I'm not going to experiment with yours, unless you want me to. Besides, even if a vortex manipulator could do it, that's 51st century technology. They shouldn't have it, so the point is moot."
"Doctor!"
"Ow!" the Doctor yelped, rubbing his ear. "No need to shout, Jack." He scowled.
"How do we get to the train?"
The Doctor blinked at Jack. "Weren't you listening?" he stared at Jack as if he were an idiot.
"Don't do that," said Jack.
"Do what?"
"You've got that look on your face."
"What look?"
Jack sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Never mind. Could you just tell me how we get to the train?"
"Through the wall of course." Jack's eyebrows contracted in confusion. "Come on." The Doctor rolled his eyes, grabbed his own and Jack's luggage and stepped through the wall. Jack had been holding one end of his luggage and thus was pulled along with it.
"Oh," said Jack, looking around at the platform. "Space bubble, right."
"This way, Jack," said the Doctor. He had put down Jack's luggage, and had already started forward to the train. Jack rushed to catch up. According to his wrist strap, they were running fairly late, courtesy of the Doctor's interest in the wall. Hoisting his trunk into a firmer grip, he jumped on the train right behind the Doctor.
The Doctor was looking around in fascination. Jack rolled his eyes, planted his hand firmly on the Doctor's back, and propelled him forward. "We need to find a compartment. I'd prefer an empty one, but for some reason, I can't imagine why, we were late, so there probably won't be an empty one." Jack glared at a completely oblivious Doctor.
The Doctor was still studying his surroundings, so, with a sigh, he grabbed the Doctor and pulled him into a compartment. It was already occupied. Jack rubbed his eyes and looked again. Nope, he was not seeing things; there really was a pair of violently red haired twins in front of him. The Doctor finally deigned to take notice. "Gingers!" he exclaimed. "One day, Jack, I will be a ginger!"
The twins shared a look then stared at the Doctor. "What he means to say," Jack said, "is 'may we join you here?'"
The twins shrugged. "Sure," said one.
"Here, let me help you." The other one got up and helped Jack and the Doctor lift their trunks into the overhead compartment. "I'm George, this is Fred." Fred waved slightly.
"I'm Jack." He looked at the Doctor. The Doctor was still staring enviously at the twin's hair. "This freak of nature is John. John? John!" The Doctor finally remembered his cover name and glanced at Jack. "Say hello."
"Hello. So your hair… it's natural? How'd you get- oof!" Jack rammed his elbow into the Doctor's gut.
"Ignore him. I tend to."
George and Fred traded looks then shrugged. A slightly weird first year was nothing to get upset about. They settled back down and continued doing whatever they were doing before. Jack and the Doctor sat down across from them. Jack pulled out the book for first year Defense Against the Dark Arts. The Doctor started to read his own book. Jack glanced over the top of his book. "You moved along quickly. Is that your last book?"
The Doctor hummed in affirmation. "But… that's the seventh year potions book!" exclaimed Fred.
"I know; I'm horribly unbalanced," said the Doctor. "I had meant to read each year at a time. But I got really stuck in charms. For the most part, it makes sense, but there are some things that seem to defy all logic. And don't even get me started on transfiguration. None of the textbooks for Hogwarts actually discuss theory, and when you read the texts that do have theory, they all assume you already know the basics." He scowled at his book. He absolutely HATED not understanding something, and the entire system was making it impossible for him to gain the knowledge he wanted. The most frustrating thing was that he was positive transfiguration was one of the keys to them getting their adult bodies back.
Fred's jaw dropped. Not even Hermione Granger compared to this first year in front of him. Jack shrugged and sent Fred a sympathetic look. He knew how scary his friend's intellect could seem. Silence fell in the compartment as the two younger boys continued reading. Fred and George quietly started planning some of their pranks for the up coming year. Occasionally, one of them would glance at the boys. Jack calmly paged through his textbook, making decent progress.
John, as they knew him as, on the other hand, tore through his books, finishing every potions textbook he had (including secondary school level material), all the DADA books, Hogwarts: A History, a few muggle texts, and was now writing in journal. George, on pretence of stretching his legs, caught a glance at his notes. As far as he could tell, they were naught but overlapping circles, beautiful to look at, but gibberish. By the way John was studying them, though, George thought they might be some kind of code.
Despite the boys, specifically John, being absolutely creepy for first years, George and Fred felt an odd sort of peace come upon them. They filled the compartment just enough so that nobody came in, looking for a seat, and the boys were quiet and private, allowing the Weasley twins to plot and plan without somebody nosing into their business. George had put his notes away and was settling down for a nap when the train started to slow, then came to a lurching halt. "What?" he asked, confused. He shot a worried look at Fred right before the lights cut out.
"Ack!" yelped Fred.
"Shh!" hissed somebody. There was a slight whirring noise, and a bright blue light suddenly illuminated John's face.
"Doctor, are you getting anything?" Jack asked.
George was about to ask whom Jack was talking to when John answered: "There's something… I don't know what. It's sucking in massive amounts of energy though…" The boy's lips pursed. He pointed the light at one of the walls. "It's coming this way." He suddenly spun to face the door. "Somebody's coming."
At that moment, Draco Malfoy burst through the door. "Dementors," he whimpered and threw himself at Fred.
Dealing with a sudden armful of trembling Slytherin, Fred was wholly unprepared for the dementor that entered the compartment just a few steps behind Malfoy. Any happiness he had been feeling left. He was freezing. Horrible memories and thoughts whirled around in his head. Judging by George's expression, his brother was feeling the same way. Malfoy was trying to bury himself into Fred, or so it felt. Meanwhile, there were the two first years…
Jack was swarmed with terrible memories: his brother… working for the time agency… Ianto dying in his arms… his grandson, dying by his hand… Owen… Tosh… the year that never was. The memory of pain flashed through his system. So many deaths, so many tortures. They peripheries of his vision blackened as unconsciousness threatened. The only thing that held off the darkness was the sight of the Doctor.
This chapter was fun to write. It was also one of the biggest things that slowed me down while writing because I had to wait until my copy of PoA was available so I could be as accurate as possible.
Sorry for the cliffhanger (I'm really not that sorry). Don't forget to review!
