Life is Magic: The Dark Ritual
Chapter 2 of my Crossover story, hope you enjoy it.
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Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Life is Strange, Harry Potter or its characters.
Chapter 2
Pulling his trunk from the taxi and making his way up into King's Cross, Chris hoped he wouldn't stand out, being on his own.
'Dad couldn't come, no surprise, he...' He thought to himself, before quickly pushing the thought away.
He didn't want to dwell on his father, Charles Eriksen, and those issues. He made his way through King's Cross, his trunk now secure on a trolley, looking around at the platforms. He recalled everything he had been told and when he reached platforms 9 and 10, he furtively looked around and then, carefully, approached the barrier between the platforms and soon, as he had been told, he passed through it, finding himself on Platform 9 and ¾.
He looked around, eyes wide. 'Wow, I kept, I kept telling myself this had to be a dream, but...I'm, I'm really here now.'
He gazed in amazement at the scarlet steam engine known as the Hogwarts Express, the numerous other students and their families, the noises of cats, owls and even toads. It was overwhelming and Chris tried to stay calm and focused on looking for a compartment further down the train that he could get in.
"Chris, hey Chris, over here!"
He started and turned, before smiling and feeling a little more relaxed now as he saw Daniel Diaz and Noah Fairweather approaching him.
He was still nervous and his natural shyness always asserted itself, but he was glad to see the two boys he had managed to befriend at Diagon Alley.
"Hi guys, um..."
Daniel spoke up. "C'mon, we're already got a compartment, you can come sit with us."
Noah nodded and Chris managed a weak smile. "S-sure, thanks."
He had to admit that, being Muggle-Born, as the term went or so he heard, he felt completely out of his depth. So he was thankful that Daniel and Noah had befriended him. They began making their way to the compartment, which was when Noah noticed something.
"Are you, by yourself?"
Chris hesitated, but quickly composed himself. "Y-yeah, it's fine though, I...Dad was just busy and couldn't make it."
"Oh, uh, okay." Noah replied. "Sorry, didn't mean to-"
"No, it's fine." Chris said quickly.
He couldn't help but feel Daniel was looking at him strangely during that, but thankfully Daniel didn't pry either and they soon reached the compartment, the other boys helping Chris to store his trunk along with theirs and they all sat down.
"So, this is it, you ready?" Daniel asked.
Chris bit his lip. "I, I guess, I'm just, nervous and..."
"Everybody is nervous the first time, you should see the other first years." Noah said. "They're all nervous, even the excited ones, it's how they cope with it."
Chris smiled at that, feeling calmer.
With the train making it's way through the countryside Chris listened carefully to Daniel and Noah as they told him what they knew about the school, the houses and such. As he listened however, he noted that while Noah seemed quite excited and cheerful, but he noted something about Daniel.
'That's odd, he seems a little, on edge...No, it can't be, he...' Chris thought.
He recalled meeting Daniel's father and brother at Diagon Alley. From what he understood, Daniel and his brother were Half-Bloods, their father was a Muggle and their mother a Witch, but their mother hadn't been seen by any of the family since Daniel was a year old. Sean had already graduated Hogwarts.
"So, I guess it's kinda good your brother's already been to Hogwarts?" Chris queried. "I mean, you know what to expect and-"
Daniel's gaze flickered, then he shrugged. "Yeah, thing is Sean was just...brilliant at school, guess what I've gotta live up to."
Chris inwardly kicked himself. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"We know you didn't." Noah said quickly. "Right Daniel. You gotta look past that, you're your own person."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, don't think others will see it that way though, others at the school."
"Well, that's their problem, you have us, right." Noah explained, nodding to Chris.
Chris managed a smile. "Y-yeah, of course."
Daniel smiled lightly, feeling a little better. It was then they heard the door of their compartment open.
They all turned to see a pale skinned girl standing there, first year like them, somewhat short and slightly plump with long blonde hair in pigtails and blue eyes.
"Um, sorry, do you mind if I sit here, everywhere else is full." She said.
She seemed self-conscious and shy, Chris could certainly relate. He looked to the others and they nodded, smiling.
"Sure, c'mon sit down." Daniel said.
Chris nodded too and the girl sat down on the free seat.
"Oh, I'm Goldie Lacework by the way, nice to meet you." She said quickly.
Chris managed a small smile as he spoke. "I'm Chris Eriksen."
"Noah Fairweather.
"And I'm Daniel Diaz."
She smiled and they all relaxed, once again simply talking about what they might expect when they got to Hogwarts. It turned out that like Noah, Goldie was from a Pure Blood family, yet even this, giving her certain foreknowledge, didn't alleviate her worries.
"There was some concern that I might not get in, I...I never really showed any magical capabilities, until I was nine." She told them after some hesitation. "My parents and grandparents were arguing about it and I got upset and screamed...and set the curtains on fire."
Chris had to admit he was surprised by this.
"Wow, I never...I never thought..." He stammered.
"What about you?" Goldie asked.
Chris hesitated and then sighed. "Well, I had no idea what was going on, I just knew I was making strange stuff happen...It wasn't until I got the letter that I learned it was magic I was doing."
It took a moment for Goldie to realize what Chris was hinting at with how he explained things, but then she seemed to get it and nodded. Chris still felt the odd one out however, Noah and Goldie had two magical parents and, although absent, Daniel's mother had magic. He was the only one here with no magical parentage, to say nothing of the issues he already faced at home.
The door to their compartment suddenly opened again, they turned and the boys were suddenly wary when they noticed Goldie flinched. Standing there was a girl, tall and skinny, lanky even, for her age of eleven, with short dark brown hair and hazel eyes and pale skin. She had a haughty smirk on her face.
"So this is where you ran off too, Lacework." She sneered. "Thought you could get away from me, huh."
Goldie was actually shaking. "A-Anastasia...I, I..."
The girl scoffed and instantly the three boys noted this girl was clearly a bully and an instant dislike for her filled them.
"What, try talking, you know, using words?" She taunted.
That was enough and Noah stepped up. "Hey, leave her alone."
The girl was startled. "Oh, what's this, you got yourself a little boyfriend."
"He said leave her alone, back off." Daniel snarled.
He had put himself between Goldie and this other girl who was now looking offended.
"Who do you think you are, you should treat me with more respect." She snapped. "I am Anastasia Romano, we are very important and-"
"And blah, blah, blah, don't care." Daniel snapped.
Chris couldn't take it anymore, despite his own nervousness he stepped up too. "He's right, you're just a bully, now just leave."
Anastasia was startled by this but then glared again. "This isn't over."
With that she stalked away and left.
Goldie stared in amazement at the three boys and then smiled.
"I...Thank you." She burst out. "Oh, she's been giving me trouble ever since we got on the train."
They all smiled and Daniel spoke up.
"It's no trouble, we couldn't just let her get away with that." He said.
Goldie nodded, relieved and soon, after getting changed into their Hogwarts robes and such, they continued talking, laying the basis for the beginnings of a solid friendship between the four of them. Many hours later, with the sky having already gone dark outside, all four of them stood up and left the compartment, they had finally arrived at Hogwarts.
"Well, here we are." Noah said. "Ready?"
Chris nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Daniel and Goldie agreed and they then joined the throng of students heading off the train, onto the platform at Hogsmeade station.
Chris looked around in wonder, still amazed at actually being at Hogwarts at last, despite his trepidation. He almost jumped out of his skin at a loud voice calling out.
"Firs' years, Firs' years over 'ere!"
Turning rapidly he spotted the speaker, a large giant of a man with long greying black hair and similar beard, he was carrying a large lantern and gesturing.
Following some of the other first years Chris made his way over to the man who began to guide them along the platform and down a small path. He let out a gasp when they rounded a bend and ended up with their first view of Hogwarts.
'It's even more amazing than anyone described.' Chris thought to himself in wonder.
The giant man spoke again. "Alright, let's get on board, no more than four to a boat."
Chris then noticed the boats lined up at a dock and soon joined Noah, Daniel and Goldie in one of the boats. At the giant man's direction the boats moved away across the inky blackness of the lake, carrying them closer and closer to Hogwarts. The little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of under-ground harbour, where they clambered out onto the rocks.
Having all disembarked they followed the giant man up the stairs and up to a large pair of wooden doors. Knocking on the door the giant man stepped back as the door opened and a tall, blonde haired young man with brown eyes answered.
"The firs' years professor Longbottom."
Before long they were taken inside and Chris followed the others after Professor Longbottom as he gave them a speech about the sorting and left them for a while in a chamber off the Great Hall. Chris took a moment to collect himself and focus on what was to come. He looked around at a few of his fellow students, they all looked just as anxious as she did. Finally, after some time, Professor Longbottom returned and led them out, Chris fought to keep his breathing steady as they entered the Great Hall, ready for the sorting to begin.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.
To clarify a few things BTW, while set in 2018 and such, with the prejudices and such fading, there is still some left, in most cases simply some viewing Muggle Borns as being lesser Witches and Wizards, in some cases targeting them for bullying.