The whole train station was just as grand as the Hogwarts Express, in Hillevi's opinion.
There was a Potions Store, a Pokemon Center Express, a little souvenir shop, at least six different fast food shops, and even a book store, lining either side of the terminal.
Spotting a couple of familiar faces in the crowds, Hillevi lit up, tugging James along through the crowds of businessmen, trainers and students.
"Harry! Mister Lupin!"
The pair turned at the shout, waiting for them to catch up.
"Hey, Levi. Hello, Bucky."
"Where's your friend?" Remus wondered, looking around for the Latias that always seemed perched on Hillevi's back.
With a shimmer of refracted light, Cloudjumper appeared with a giggle before disappearing again, and the Valhallan shrugged at the little jolt it gave the Gym Evaluator.
"She likes surprising people."
"Neville!" Harry called, spotting said boy and Flora a few yards away from a mob of Hogwarts students in front of a bookstore. "What's up?"
Neville sighed, glancing into the throng, as Flora settled more firmly on a familiar bag.
"Hermione and I met up early and were just about to board the Express when she heard about this and dragged me over here. I'm watching her stuff."
A number of girlish squeals escaped the mass, and Harry raised an eyebrow incredulously.
"Hermione is a part of that?"
Hillevi was equally incredulous, seeing a rather muscle-bound Fifth Year Hufflepuff shriek in joy.
"I suppose Ron is off having tea with Professor Snape? Percy Weasley is pranking some girls, perhaps?"
"I don't get it either." Neville admitted, understanding Harry's confusion. "But honestly, have you ever tried to stop Hermione when she gets it in her head to do something?"
"I get your point…"
"I don't remember you being so snarky." Neville noted, curious.
"I'm rubbing off on him." Remus replied. "What's going on over there?"
"Gilderoy Lockheart is doing a signing."
Hillevi was surprised when James actually did roll his eyes at the name, Sting letting out an exaggerated gag.
"Who?" Harry wondered.
"Lockheart, if you believe his own press releases, is the world's greatest Pokemon Tracker." Remus explained, earning a snort from an invisible Cloudjumper that mirrored the Valhallan's disbelief. "He'd have you thinking that Jack Kenway and Alder of Unova come to him for advice. He's written books about his quests to uncover Pokemon that were only spoken of in legend. For the most part, he seems to be on the level. I read one of his early works, 'Hunting for Ho-Oh', and it was pretty good and actually matched up well with what scientists suspect about the fire bird. But recently, he's…"
The man paused, stroking his mustache.
"He's gone a bit too much in the way of the extreme for my tastes. It's one thing to say you spotted a Keldeo, another to say that you battled a Pikablu."
"You think he's a fake?" Harry questioned.
"No, not fake. A magazine once tested some of his photos of a Zapdos he claimed to have found in the mountains of Kanto, and the experts said they were genuine, no photoshop, no digital altering. He really does see the Pokemon…I just wonder how much of the rest of his work is factual."
The crowd let out a roar, and they turned to see the man of the hour step out to greet his fans.
Gilderoy Lockheart was clad in a tight gold jacket and khaki pants, all sorts of little trinkets hanging from his belt, not a single blonde hair falling out of place or so much as shifting as he moved, kissing women on the cheek and waving.
Having grown up in Valhalla, and knowing quite a number of experienced trackers, Hillevi could tell immediately that this man was a fraud.
He was too soft, trying too hard, fashioning this persona to fool everyone into thinking he was this great explorer.
A pulse of distrustdislike meant that Cloudjumper felt the same.
"Hello, hello!"
"I love you!" Several girls screamed over the cacophony.
"Oh, and I love each and every one of you!" Lockheart called out. "You know, I don't write my books, such as 'Travels With Tyranitar', 'Seeking Zapdos' and 'Matching Wits With Mewtwo', for fame or glory. I write my books, like my newest one, 'Seeking Suicune', because of each and every one of you! You are my muses, my inspiration, and every time you call out my name, buy one of my books, on sale today at this very store by the way, and ask for my autograph, it pushes me to do oh so much more!"
"Ugh." Harry and Hillevi muttered in unison, James inclining his head in agreement.
"If he were any more sugar-coated, we'd all get diabetes." Remus voiced.
"Now, I am afraid I will not be able to sign all of your books."
Lockheart held up his hands in an attempt to placate the groaning girls.
"Oh, I would love to spend time with each and every one of you-"
"In the wanker's van, as he hands out free candy." Harry muttered, earning a snort from Hillevi and another strange look from Neville.
"But none of you need to fret too much, as you will be seeing enough of me…soon…enough…"
Lockheart trailed off, chin raised and eye squinting as he peered over the crowd, before making a mad dash right for them.
Or, more accurately, Harry.
"Harry Potter…" The man voiced, grinning wide.
"Yes, me Harry." The boy replied, nonplussed. "You, Lockheart."
Gilderoy was immediately kneeling beside Harry, an arm wrapped around his shoulder to direct him towards the mob as they pulled out their Pokedexes.
"Smile for the camera, Harry-"
Harry yelped when he was suddenly freed, Flora's vines pulling him clear as James threw Lockheart's arm aside so Remus could close in, his hand wrapped around the man's throat.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" The Gym Evaluator snarled, silence falling as he lifted the so-called Tracker into the air. "What the hell gives you the right to touch him? To use him? To treat him like a prop to bolster your career? What made you think you could just walk up to him and treat him like another object to be posed in front of?"
With a sharp exhale through the nose, like an enraged Tauros, Remus reeled Lockheart in.
"Too many people have mistreated Harry, and it ends now. If you ever touch the boy again, I will know. And I will break you."
With that, Lockheart was dropped and Remus receded back into his calm persona, adjusting his jacket as if nothing had happened.
The writer looked to James, as if for assistance, but the super soldier stared back coldly, left arm clicking as the plates shifted.
Spotting Hermione on the edge of the crowd, Hillevi motioned for her to come as the group moved on, helping with her book-laden bags.
Nothing was said at they arrived at the platform, with plenty of time to spare people-watching before the train was scheduled to leave.
Harry waved to his Gauntlet captain, Oliver Wood, who was proudly showing off a familiar red-and-brown bird Pokemon that was perched on his left arm.
"A Talonflame." Hermione supplied for her less-knowledgeable friends. "They originate from Kalos, pretty rare to see one in our region."
"Oliver's family went on a vacation to Kalos over the break." Harry supplied. "He was telling us how he wanted to observe the Kalos National Gauntlet Team's open workouts. They won the World Cup this last year."
"A Talonflame is a good fit for Oliver." The bushy-haired girl noted, grunting at the mention of the Gauntlet. "It's fast, and its ability to fly will give him the edge in some battles."
"And it will work well as his Gryffindor Pokemon." Remus added.
"Gryffindor Pokemon?" Neville parroted.
"Another tradition at Hogwarts." The man explained, pulling out a Poke Ball. "Magcargo, I choose you!"
The only one not to back away was James when the Lava Pokemon appeared, an intense wave of heat rolling off him that made Cloudjumper whimper, likely in empathetic unease with Flora.
Remus carefully pat the Pokemon's shell, careful of the fragile rock and the small puffs of fire that escaped.
"As you know, the four Houses of Hogwarts are represented not just by a Pokemon, but by a type. Hufflepuff are Water Types, going with the flow and wearing down defenses. Slytherins are Grass Types, using every trick they have to win while appearing as if they're doing nothing. Ravenclaw are represented by Dark Types, as they're able to use their intelligence to trick their opponents. And Gryffindor is, of course, Fire, which symbolizes our passion and burning desire to win."
Magcargo was recalled then, and Hillevi released a sigh as the source of heat disappeared.
"It's an unofficial tradition that, before you graduate from Hogwarts, you catch one Pokemon that's the same type as your House."
"That makes sense…" Neville admitted. "I always found it weird that my dad…"
He trailed off, unable to finish that thought, and Remus jumped back in.
"Some, like myself, wait till the end of our time at Hogwarts to catch our House Pokemon. I got Magcargo here when I was made Head Boy and could surf over to Burnt Island. Caught him as a Slugma and raised him up. Others catch their Pokemon as soon as possible. My friend Sirius caught his Houndour during his Second Year."
"And some of us get our House Pokemon before we even step foot in Hogwarts." Draco sneered, approaching the group with his father, the Head of the Malfoy family setting down a small bag from the bookstore next to Hermione's.
"Hello, Mister Malfoy." Harry greeted, polite.
"Harry Potter. We meet again."
"Yes, sir. Do you know my guardian, Remus?"
"Yes, we are quite well acquainted, aren't we Lupin?"
"Indeed, Malfoy." Remus agreed, glance darting down to Draco. "And you are quite correct, Draco, some trainers do get their House Pokemon handed to them before they come to Hogwarts. No effort, no test of strength, just a gift."
Draco seemed confused, unsure if the words were an insult or a compliment, though Lucius' grip on his shoulder tightened.
"Yes, if I remember right, James got his House Pokemon before he even got his letter of acceptance. The same with all the Potters."
"You are technically correct, though James did not receive his Cyndaquil like it was a birthday present. He had to chase down a whole little herd of them, and try and snag one."
Remus chuckled at the memory.
"Depends on who you ask, but from what I can gather, he must have spent three hours leaping into dry leaf piles before he finally managed to get his Cyndaquil, and it wasn't much of a celebration afterwards, what with him having his hands covered in burn cream."
Draco scoffed at the thought.
"You would never catch a Malfoy running around like some peon. I received Snivy-"
He cut off with a yelp, Lucius' knuckles gone white.
"How a Pokemon is obtained is only half the story though, isn't it Lupin? A Legendary Pokemon in the hands of an inferior trainer, one who should never have been allowed to have it in the first place, one who is a boy playing at a man's game…Well, it doesn't stand a chance, does it?"
His gaze drifted to Hillevi, who stared right back with restrained fury.
"Or a girl playing at a woman's game, if you wish to be politically correct."
"Indeed." Remus replied, straightening. "Just like Lily proved that even a weak Pokemon, under the care of a great trainer, can become quite powerful."
"Yes." Lucius answered, snagging his bookstore bag with long fingers. "I would love to debate such things with you, Lupin, but I have important work to do. Draco, come along, I have some final words to share with you."
Once they had disappeared through the crowd, Hillevi released an angry breath, almost trembling.
"Who does he think he is, implying I'm not good enough for Toothless?" She burst, unable to hold the words in anymore. "I didn't see him walking around on a fake foot after fighting off two Legendaries! See how well he would have come out of that!"
Cloudjumper growled in agreement, shaking out her wings as if about to take flight, and James pressed a hand to the girl's shoulder in a calming gesture.
The Weasley family arrived then, Molly hugging each of them while Arthur looked at his two youngest with teary eyes, Fred and George almost buzzing with the urge to pull a prank and Percy, somehow, looking more puffed-up than usual.
Luckily, the shrill whistle of the Hogwarts Express saved Harry from one of Molly's patented hugs, which was redirected to Ginny.
"Oh, all my babies are leaving the nest..."
James, apparently not wanting to be witness to such an emotional display, herded Hillevi, Hermione and Neville onto the train to secure a cabin.
The super soldier led the group towards the very last cabin in the third car, the last free one this close to departure…
Or so they thought.
"Luna!" Neville realized, approaching the new First Year girl happily.
Her long blonde hair was done up in a ponytail, an orange blob clamped onto the end, with wide, dreamy eyes and an almost otherworldly feel to her that was familiar to Hillevi.
Her jacket was standard for other First Years, but with white fringe added to the sleeves and the buttons all replaced with ones of various shapes and colors, a copy of the Quibbler held upside-down in her hands.
There was a little tug, in the back of her mind, before Hillevi realized what was going on.
"You're a Veela."
The blonde smiled, that same dreamy, far-off quality in her expression.
"And you're a Dragon. Are you a Night Fury or a Terrible Terror?"
"Uh…How about both?"
The three shuffled in, putting away their bags, as James stood next to the door, arms crossed while Sting leaned closer.
"This is Luna Lovegood." Neville introduced. "Luna, this is Hermione Granger, Hillevi Haddock, and James Barnes."
"Have you caught the Riddler yet?" Luna wondered, looking up at James. "He's teamed up with the Joker to steal all the orphans."
"…Yeah, this is familiar." Hillevi noted a touch dryly as Hermione just stared, perplexed.
The door opened as Harry, Ron and Ginny joined them, glancing inside-
"Are you here to challenge me to a children's card game?" Luna greeted them.
"Uh…"
"Luna!" Ginny squealed, shoving her way inside to wrap the blonde up in a hug. "You remember my brother, right? This is his friend, Harry Potter. Harry, this is my best friend, Luna Lovegood."
Ron elbowed the boy, breaking him from The Gaze.
"Don't worry, mate, you'll get used to her someday."
Everyone took a seat as the train lurched, and Hillevi ended up sitting across from James by the door to make room for everyone.
"Sorry about that, Harry." Ginny apologized, looking down at her hands. "The eye thing, she didn't mean it. Luna's just half Veela."
"Veela?"
"They're a tribe that originated in Kalos." Hermione informed him. "They're renowned for being Mistresses of the Gaze. The Gaze is another one of the Ancient Pokemon Arts, like Pokemagnuses, Element Wielders, Aura Knights or Speakers."
"My mummy was a Veela, even if she left to marry my daddy." Luna agreed. "That's how I got Mickey."
"Who's-?"
Harry yelped as the Trapinch finally opened one eye to blink at him, startled.
"Excuse him, Luna." Neville apologized. "Harry spent most of his life on Little Surrey and they don't have Pokemon there. He's never seen a Trapinch like Mickey before."
"Yes, how foolish of me not to see." Luna said, whipping her head forward so Mickey tumbled over her head and into her lap. "I will have remember that he is slow."
She turned towards Harry and smiled.
"This is Mickey. He hasn't Digivolved yet."
"Uh huh…"
Harry grunted as Ron elbowed him again to break The Gaze.
"How does that keep happening?"
"The Gaze is quite strong." The blonde said, a touch sadly. "My mummy was teaching me, but…"
Ginny and Neville reached out to give her a hug, and Hillevi shuffled closer, releasing Lockjaw.
The pair of Trapinch blinked at each other before starting to scuffle, falling to the floor with twin yelps that made laughter break out in the cabin.
"Veelas were the first practitioners of The Gaze, and they tend to do it subconsciously until properly trained." Hermione informed them, smile fading at Harry's continued confusion. "Did none of you do any of the summer reading McGonagall assigned?"
"There was summer reading?" Ron asked.
"If I am Pinkie, then you must be Twilight." Luna decided, pointing towards Hermione and then Ginny and Hillevi. "And you are Fluttershy, and Applejack."
Deciding, as usual, to just go along with the crazy, the Valhallan found herself talking with Ginny and Luna about their summers, unintentionally blowing the Weasley girl's mind when Dexter popped out asking if they were at Hogwarts yet.
As Hermione lectured Ron on the importance of summer reading, Neville tended to Flora, Harry pulled out his Pokedex, and James watched over them like a silent sentinel…
Hillevi figured this years was getting off to a pretty great start.