Rusty dropped Sebastian off at the apparition point in King's Cross before disappearing, just like he had last year. The lights still flickered, and the broken chairs were still piled in the back corner, but this year it was less of a struggle for Sebastian to lift his trunk onto a trolley.
He was earlier this time, and he didn't spot anyone he knew on the muggle side of the platform but, as he passed through the barrier, it was already busy on Platform 9 3/4.
The crimson train stood on the tracks, magical smoke billowing from the engine even though it was stationary. Owls hooted at each other from the rafters, claiming their own space or sweeping across to each other as if saying hello to old friends, their wings gliding over the heads of the people milling about on the platform.
Ava craned her neck in her cage, eyes watching the owls overhead as Sebastian pushed her through the crowds around the barrier. He saw Susan Bones standing with her parents. She dropped the end of the red braid that she'd been fiddling with to wave at him as he went past. He returned her smile and pushed on. He'd caught sight of Lucius Malfoy further along the platform and headed towards him, but seconds later Draco's dad disapparated and Sebastian couldn't see where Draco had disappeared to.
His eyes scanned the platform before landing on his white blond hair on the steps of a train carriage.
"Draco," he said in greeting, wondering why he was standing alone.
He couldn't see Crabbe and Goyle nearby, and his eyes must have given him away because Draco said, "They're not here yet. Probably helping themselves to more breakfast."
"Right-"
"Hey, Seb,"Archie said, appearing by his trolley, cutting him off. "Draco," he said, mimicking Sebastian's polite greeting moments before.
"Lestrange." Draco barely spared him a glance, his gaze focused over their heads, but Archie just rolled his eyes.
"Me and Matt have already gotten a compartment." His hands pulled at Sebastian's trolley, manoeuvring himself until he was standing ready to push it. "It's at the end of the train. Coming?" His eyes didn't flick back to Draco. It was as if both boys were unaware the other existed. Sebastian sighed internally. He'd rather hoped they'd get on better this year.
"Yeah," he said to Archie before turning back to Draco, who was doing an impressive job of looking completely nonplussed. "I'll see you in a minute, Draco."
Draco gave him the barest of nods, and Sebastian had to jog after Archie, who had already started pushing his trolley away.
The two of them hefted the trunk into place in their compartment. Matt took Ava carefully from him and put her cage on the seat beside him. She was more than happy to stay behind with the blond boy offering her treats as Sebastian made his way back to where Draco was still standing in the doorway of a carriage.
He was ignoring any of the students that ambled his way carrying heavy trunks, refusing to budge from his perch, making them drag their trunks to the next door instead.
"I didn't see your broom," he said by way of greeting. "You are bringing it this year, aren't you? Now that we're finally allowed. Though I suppose it won't be much good if there's a breeze."
"I'm not bringing the Lightning Bolt," he said, and Draco's eyes swung towards him, frowning (The wording here seems a little odd. Your subject was Draco's eyes, so it makes it seem like it's his eyes frowning.). "Astoria's going to send my old Comet by owl." Draco's frown disappeared, and he nodded. "We'll have the same broom," Sebastian added.
"No, we won't," he said. Sebastian gave him a confused look. Draco had brought his broom with him when he'd come over during the summer. It had definitely been a Comet 260 then. "Father bought me a new broom this summer," he said, answering Sebastian's unspoken question. "The Nimbus 2001, only came out two weeks ago. Father said that, now I'm going to be on the Slytherin team, I need a broomstick worthy of it. Don't want to go out in front of the school on an 'old Comet'."
"You're not on the team yet, Draco," Sebastian said.
Draco just raised an eyebrow. The slow and purposeful way he did it reminded Sebastian way too much of Lucius. "Let's just say, Father made sure none of team would be going out on old broomsticks."
Draco was obviously pleased about this, and Sebastian had to bite his tongue from saying any of the dozen responses that he was thinking: all of them would have started an argument. There was a challenge in Draco's expression, defensiveness, as if he was waiting for Sebastian to criticize him, so Sebastian simply said "Congrats." Confusion flitted across Draco's face before his features gave way to a genuine smile. "Seeker?" Sebastian asked.
"Of course," Draco said. And Sebastian nodded; it had been a silly question. Of course he'd want to be the one to catch the snitch himself, though Sebastian wondered what would have happened if Terrence Higgs hadn't been in seventh year last year. Would Draco still have bought his way onto the team? He wasn't about to say anything though. Draco was happy, obviously proud he was the new Slytherin seeker. Sebastian wasn't about to ruin his moment, especially as he got the feeling he was the first person Draco had told.
The open smile was still on Draco's face, and Sebastian saw the moment that it dropped. His face closing up, his lips contorting into a sneer. Sebastian only had to turn to look over his shoulder to see what Draco was looking at.
"Weasleys," Draco spat. "There's more of them every year. Do you think the girl will have to wear her brother's hand-me-down robes?" Draco smirked at his own joke before his face darkened again. "Do you know, their father actually attacked my father in Flourish and Blotts?"
Sebastian spun back to Draco. "What?"
"In the middle of the shop. With his bare hands like a filthy muggle. He's lucky my father didn't tell the Ministry about it." Draco paused, a look of pure disgust on his face as he said, "Blood-traitors. The lot of them."
Sebastian frowned, his eyes going back to where the Weasleys were all standing in a knot, Ginny pressed up against her mother's side and Fred and George laughing at some joke they'd just made. They looked like a family.
"Oh, I forgot," Draco said, bringing Sebastian's attention back to him. "You like the twins, don't you?" There was a hint of sneer in his words, but Draco didn't push it. In fact, he dropped the conversation completely in favour of talking about who the new Head Boy and Girl were this year.
It turned out Gemma Farley was the new Head Girl, making it three years in a row that a Slytherin had held the position.
Crabbe and Goyle turned up while they were still talking about how horrible it would be for her to have to share duties with her counterpart ("Working with a Gryffindor all year!"), and the train whistle blew seconds later. Sebastian climbed on board with the others and made his way back down the train to the very last compartment.
Edgar was standing in the corridor chatting to Ernie when Sebastian slipped through the door to take a seat beside Archie. Edgar's stuff was already stashed inside, and he joined them moments later, closing the door behind him, as the train rattled its way out of London.
The journey was rarely just the four of them, or rarely all four of them. People were coming and going to catch up with friends, and others came to join them. Edgar had gone off with Ernie, and Rory had just left, having been chatting to Archie for the last hour, when Sebastian decided it was his turn to go for a wander.
"Let me guess," Archie said when he got up, "off to see Malfoy?" He rolled his eyes at Matt, who laughed.
"Don't start," Sebastian said, already tired of the two being at odds.
"He's the one that started it, not me. I was all for him not acting like a prat this year, but he couldn't even manage hello before he was all–" Archie straightened up, stretching his neck as far as it would go before looking down his nose and sneering, "Lestrange."
There was a moment of silence in the compartment before both Sebastian and Matt burst out laughing. Sebastian had doubled over, holding his ribs he said, "Was that supposed to be Draco?" between breaths. "That was nothing like him!"
Matt mimicked what Archie had just done, and they both broke into laughter again.
"Yeah, alright," Archie said, a blush rising to his cheeks. He kicked at his brother to try to get him to stop laughing.
"Lestrange," Sebastian said, copying him again by putting on as deep a voice as he could and screwing up his face.
"Shut up." But there was no sting in it, and Sebastian could see Archie was fighting a smile too.
He was still grinning when he walked into the corridor. Shutting the compartment door behind him, he turned and walked straight into the twins.
"Alright," Fred said. "No need to hug me."
"Just the man we were looking for," George said. The twins weren't alone. Hermione and Ginny were both standing behind them in the otherwise empty corridor.
He focused back on George. "What do you want?"
"Well, first thing's first, I don't suppose Ron and Neville are hiding in there, are they?" he said, gesturing to the compartment he'd come out of.
Sebastian scrunched up his face. "No. Why would they?"
Fred and George shared a look but said nothing. Hermione was the one who answered him. "It's just- we've searched the whole train."
Sebastian looked between them all. The twins shared expressions of mild amusement while Ginny and Hermione both looked worried. "You're saying they missed the train."
It wasn't a question, but Hermione answered anyway. "They must have done."
Sebastian laughed. He couldn't help it; he was imagining Neville and Ron realising the train was leaving without them and trying to chase it down the platform. He could tell the twins were thinking something similar, but they were both trying to keep straight faces.
"It's not funny." Ginny had gone from worried to angry. Her eyes were blazing and flicking between the three of them.
"It is a little bit, Gin," George said.
"Wish we'd thought of it."
"How can you say that?" Hermione said. "They could miss classes; they could get in trouble!"
"They'll be at Hogwarts before we will." Both Ginny and Hermione turned to Sebastian with confused looks. "They'll floo. Your parents will owl the school, and they'll be there hours before us."
"They've probably already got their feet up in the common room," Fred said. "Why haven't we ever thought of missing the train?" he asked his brother.
Ginny still looked a bit worried, and George turned to Sebastian. "Anyway, we were looking for you. Ginny wants to owl Mum. Don't suppose you'll lend us Ava?"
"Sure." He walked back the few paces to the compartment and slid the door open.
"-even though it's true," Archie was saying to Matt as he went inside. "You're back quick. Did Malfoy- oh, hey." He stopped as he spotted the twins. "What's going on?" he asked as Sebastian undid the latch to Ava's cage.
"They need to send a letter." Ava hopped out easily, perching on Sebastian's arm and pecking at his sleeve as he brought her out into the corridor.
Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the ground scribbling a letter out on a piece of parchment, though Sebastian had no idea where they'd pulled the quill and ink from.
Ginny bounced to her feet when it was done and handed it over to him while Hermione was still screwing the ink pot shut.
He gave the letter to Ava. She clutched it tightly, her golden eyes focused on Sebastian waiting for instructions. "The Burrow," he said to her. "Wait to see if they want to send something back, and if they do, bring it straight to Fred or George, okay?"
She fluffed her wings and shuffled from claw to claw on his arm as if getting ready to take off. Sebastian took that as understanding.
The windows that could open along the side of the train were small and high up, so they made their way past the compartment to the door that would go down to a platform when they reached the station.
"Can I do it?" Ginny asked.
"So long as you're careful with her. Put your arm out."
She did and, after a few moments where Ava swivelled her face between the two of them, the owl flapped her way over and landed on Ginny's outstretched arm. The weight was more than Ginny was expecting, but she recovered before Ava decided to take flight.
The window in the door went down fully, and it was easy for her to reach her arm out of the opening. Ava ducked her head automatically, but Ginny made sure she had plenty of room and, as soon as she was outside, she took off. A sudden flap of her long wings and she was gliding away in the wind.
"Thanks," Ginny said quietly, suddenly shy as she slipped back towards Hermione, who gave Sebastian a smile before leaving with Ginny.
"Care to place a bet on the sorting?" Fred said as soon as the girls were out of earshot.
Sebastian laughed, "You're betting on your sister's sorting?" The twins just smiled. "Why would she be anywhere but Gryffindor?"
"We've an outside bet on her being in Slytherin."
That surprised him; their whole family were in Gryffindor. It could happen of course, but it was rare. "Well," Sebastian said, a smile creeping onto his face. "If she does get sorted into Slytherin, I'll be sure to tell her where my dorm is, you know, in case she needs anything." He winked at them and was abruptly shoved into the side of the train. He bounced off the wall, laughing as the twins shook their heads.
The rest of the journey went quickly. He popped his head into a few compartments along the train as they trundled further north across the lowlands of Scotland. Edgar bumped into him as he was making his way back to their compartment, a voice echoing along the train announced they were five minutes out.
Archie and Matt were already changed, so it was just the two of them rushing to get their robes on as they pulled up to Hogsmeade station.
They squeezed out onto the platform together just like last year, but this time, instead of following Hagrid's call for first years, they let themselves be buffeted along to the carriages.
They were some of the shortest amongst hundreds of students, so it was only when they were near the front and climbing into their own carriage that the space around them opened up enough to see.
Matt and Archie had already climbed up and taken their seats when another carriage pulled up behind them. Only it wasn't horseless like everyone had been excitedly talking about on the train. Sebastian froze, his hand clutching the side of his carriage, ready to pull himself up. There were huge black horses, snorting and pawing at the ground. Thin, wiry wings extended behind their skeletal bodies.
"Seb!" Edgar pulled at his arm. He'd climbed up, as had Ernie and a boy with short curly hair that Sebastian recognised as Justin Finch-Fletchley. They were just waiting for him. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, joining them so that their carriage could take off. No one else was looking at the creatures. He didn't think he was imagining them, but even if he wasn't, no one else could see them, and he wasn't about to bring attention to the fact he could. Not until he knew why.
He'd sat down next to Archie, and the others were talking about something else, so he didn't think they would overhear as he leaned closer to him. "You're good with Defence and creatures," he said quietly, drawing Archie's attention. "Black horses with wings like bats that no one can see?"
Archie frowned at him then a wry smile took over his features. "If we can't see them, how do we know they have wings like bats? And wouldn't the wings be a bit small?"
"Archie," Sebastian said, a sigh in his voice.
"I dunno, I've never heard of them. Nothing we've covered and not in this year's Defence either."
Sebastian just nodded. They were moving along the dirt track up to the school now, and there were carriages following behind. Sebastian could see out of the corner of his eye that they were all being pulled by the horses, but he was trying desperately not to look at them. There was something off putting about them - other than the fact that no one else could see them.
"What are you talking about?" Matt asked.
"Nothing," Sebastian said again, not wanting the others to hear, but Matt frowned in that way he had that meant he felt he was being left out. Archie shot Sebastien an annoyed look, so he relented and said, "We were just talking about defence."
"Anyone else's mum fall in love with Lockhart?" Justin joked, jutting into their conversation, completely unaware of the stares he received back as he continued, "She took one look at his photo on the books and now everything is Lockhart this and Lockhart that. She doesn't even know what he's talking about, being a muggle and all. My name was down for Eton, you know?" Sebastian had no idea what Eton was, and he could tell that Archie didn't either. Ernie's brow creased in disapproval as he saw them share a look but Justin kept talking, oblivious. "I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Mum was disappointed of course, but now she's read Lockhart's books she coming around. Have you read his books yet? He does seem an incredibly brave chap. I'd have died of fear if I'd been cornered in a telephone box by a werewolf, but he stayed calm and - zap!" he said, swinging his arm around in a way that Sebastian guessed was meant to imitate casting a spell. "Just fantastic!"
There was silence as he finished. Ernie was giving them a sour look that Sebastian didn't understand, and Justin frowned as he took in the tension and realised no one was really listening to him.
The rest of the short journey was in silence. Justin had taken to glaring across at them in a sulk (which, as far as Sebastian had seen last year, was his usual state), and Ernie had crossed his arms and leaned back next to him, unwilling to be drawn into a conversation by Edgar, who jumped down to let them off as soon as they'd come to a stop. Students were streaming across the courtyard and up the steps into the castle, and Ernie and Justin had disappeared amongst the bodies before Matt had even gotten down.
Another carriage had pulled up beside them, and Sebastian flinched away as the creature snorted, flicking its head inches away from him, its dead black eyes looking straight at him. Neither Matt or Archie had noticed, but Sebastian found Blaise's eyes watching him carefully.
Blaise had obviously just climbed down from the cart before them, but he wasn't moving to follow the others into the castle. He was standing still, watching Sebastian. And then he moved, or his eyes did. They flicked over to the creature Sebastian was standing nearest to, and there was no doubt he was looking straight at it before his eyes focused back on Sebastian. He could see them too. But he didn't seem disturbed by them, or the fact no one else seemed to be able to see them.
Archie pulled on Sebastian's arm, breaking his focus. Matt had already disappeared, and when he looked back, Blaise was gone too. They moved into the shuffle of students, and then suddenly Blaise was beside him. "They're called Thestrals," he said. He'd said it quietly, but Archie was so close to them in the press that he heard too. "It's a bit grim. Having them here." He paused, watching Sebastian's reaction. Everything he said gave Sebastian the feeling he was testing him. He wasn't paying any attention to the people around him; his gaze was locked on Sebastian as if digging for information. "Only people who've seen death can see them." Another pause. Another silent judgement. "They normally pull funeral carriages."
Sebastian suddenly realised what Blaise was getting at as they passed into the entrance hall. "I didn't go," he said simply, and Archie, who had at least understood that part, pulled Sebastian away from him.
That was why Blaise had been so interested by his reaction.
He wasn't paying attention to much as Archie guided him over to a seat at the Slytherin table.
They would have pulled Sebastian's mother's hearse. But he'd been in St Mongo's still, recovering from blood loss. They'd talked about letting him go to the funeral, talked about it as if he wasn't sitting right there, but in the end they'd decided not to let him. If they'd asked, he'd have said he didn't want to go. He remembered being terrified that if he left Astoria he'd have to go to hers too. Instead he'd sat with her all morning, holding her lifeless hand until people started showing up in formal robes to pay their respects.
People he didn't know, people he recognised, people whose names he'd heard but had never met. He didn't remember what they'd said. "I'm sorry for your loss" probably came up a lot. Augustus had appeared beside him after the first few, and if any of them had needed a response that included more than saying "thank you" at the right intervals, his cousin had taken over.
Archie pulled him down onto a bench, dragging him out of his memories. They were sitting near the top of the Slytherin table. Only a couple of younger prefects were further along, marking the point where the first-years would sit after they were sorted. Other second-years were around them, but Sebastian was relieved to see that Blaise wasn't among them.
The double doors opened again (Sebastian hadn't noticed they'd been closed), and the new first-year students were led down the centre aisle. Some looked scared; others were chatting excitedly. Ginny Weasley was marching near the front of the group, her chin up and eyes looking straight ahead, but her hands were wringing at her sleeves.
McGonagall retrieved the stool and the sorting hat, and it was only then that Sebastian noticed the empty seat at the staff table. "Where's Snape?" he asked as the sorting hat began to speak. He'd said it loudly enough that it carried to Draco across from him.
"I'm sure I saw him just now," Daphne said from beside Archie. But she didn't sound very sure.
"You saw him?" he asked, but she just bit her lip.
"Maybe?"
"You don't think this is about last year, do you?" he said to Draco, gambling on his father having told him about what had happened with Quirrell and the Dark Lord.
"No," he said, "and I would have heard if he wasn't our head-of-house anymore."
"Because you know everything," Archie said, rolling his eyes.
"More than you." The scorn in his voice was obvious, and Archie rose to the bait.
"I know what happened last year," he said defensively.
"Archie," Sebastian hissed, overly aware of all of the ears around them.
"What happened last year?" Pansy said quickly from beside Draco. Daphne and Rory were both leaning in now too, looking between the three of them. "Aside from what we already know, I mean."
But no one answered her, and for a few long moments, the only sound was the singing of the Sorting Hat. Sebastian looked back at Snape's empty chair. "If he was gone, then someone else would be sat there."
Draco nodded. "True, so he's just doing something - important."
"Of course," Pansy cut in. "If anything had happened, Draco would have known."
Draco looked simultaneously pleased and uncomfortable at Pansy's praise. She was sitting a little too closely, and Sebastian saw the way Draco edged away, covering it by turning to look at the dais as McGonagall opened her scroll to call the first name.
"Avery, Rosina."
A girl with sharp features and long blonde hair falling over her shoulders walked up and took the hat. It settled on her head for a moment then shouted, "Slytherin!"
There was clapping up and down the Slytherin table as she took her seat beside Elladora. The fifth-year prefect smiled and introduced herself before going back to watching the hat.
Between thinking of Thestrals, St Mungo's memories he didn't want to be remembering, wondering which of Blaise's stepdads the boy had seen die (or how many of them) and wondering where Snape was, Sebastian missed most of the sorting. He didn't think he was the only one not paying attention either. All down the Slytherin table, students were whispering and shooting glances towards their head-of-house's empty seat.
The seats beside Elladora Grey and Alex Sykes, their other new fifth-year prefect, slowly filled up.
"Look." Pansy hissed, and Sebastian's attention snapped back to the Great Hall to see Snape had arrived.
Snape had entered through a side door and walked the length of the staff table until he was standing behind Dumbledore. He leant forward, his lips moving quickly, and the headmaster nodded but didn't rise. Instead of sitting down in his empty chair, Snape walked back to the edge of the room and waited by the door he'd entered through.
McGonagall was still calling names. She'd frowned and pursed her lips at the mutterings that had erupted at Snape's entrance, but she continued down the list.
There were only a couple of girls left standing in the centre aisle now, Ginny Weasley, with her red hair, stood out in any crowd and another small girl with short cropped, black hair who reminded Sebastian oddly of a pixie (or was that an imp?). It was this girl that got called next. "Vaisey, Catarina."
She strode up confidently. The hat slipped down over her short hair and eyes. Everyone waited a moment and then - "Slytherin."
There was a sharp smile on the girl's round face as she took the hat off and made her way over to their table. And finally, only Ginny stood there. She had started climbing the dais before McGonagall had even read her name.
"Weasley, Ginevra." The hat sunk low, her red hair streaming out around it like a lion's mane. The result was already obvious to anyone watching. "Gryffindor!" it shouted, and Ginny skipped down to the Gryffindor table as McGonagall carried the stool and sorting hat away.
Sebastian almost missed McGonagall leaving through the side door with Snape as Dumbledore stood and called for attention. "Welcome, to our new students and those returning for another year. Now," he said his arms wide, "food." He clapped once, and the tables filled with food.
The first years gasped, hands reaching for every dish, but Sebastian was watching Dumbledore. He hadn't sat back down. He watched them for a moment then left through the side door too.
He shared a look with Draco and Archie, but before long, they were all tucking into the feast, their hunger from the long trip temporarily overcoming their curiosity.
Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape all returned together while they were still munching away. None of them looked concerned about whatever had been happening.
They were well into desserts when a solitary owl flew in overhead. The white feathers underneath its wings caught the light of the hundreds of candles. Its heart shaped face peered down at the students. Sebastian recognised Ava before she swooped down across the Gryffindor table. He didn't think anyone else would recognise her, not unless she stopped. Just one barn owl out of the dozens that resided at the school but Sebastian had had her since she was a ball of fluff. It was definitely her. She didn't slow down as she dropped a letter over the twins' heads. Her wings flapped to gain height, and then she was gone again. No one would know it had been his owl delivering the Weasleys' letters. He'd have to go to her tomorrow in the owlery to thank her.
He looked back at the Gryffindor table where the twins were reading the letter, and his eyes skimmed across the table. Ron and Neville still weren't there. A small knot of worry started to form. Surely they would have been here by now, but he dismissed it. They'd probably just been forced to miss the feast, a punishment to stop others from copying them next year.
He'd had enough mysteries for one night. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to find out till tomorrow, so he let his mind wander. Talk at his table turned to guessing what their timetables would look like when they were handed out at breakfast, which lessons they would share with who and how long they'd have to wait till they had a defence lesson with Lockhart (or in some people's case, how long they would get until they had to have a class with Lockhart). They returned to their dorms later full of food and more than ready for sleep. They'd even managed to get into bed without any trace of an argument between Draco and Archie.
AN: as always comments always make my day :)