A/N: This one is in Tristan's POV. The face claim to Adam Williams is David Midthunder.
Chapter 3: The Platform
McGonagall got them rooms at the Leaky Cauldron. Well, at least she got Cypress a room while Tristan and Harry were made to share a room.
At least it was a bigger space.
"Look, Reese!" exclaimed Harry, "Actual beds! I call the bed by the window." He tripped Tristan on their way to the window. Tristan got the bed closest to the door.
"Can you actually believe that we're famous?" asked Harry.
"Famous because some lunatic killed our parents and tried to kill our sister," Tristan muttered.
Harry looked at him, "Are you okay?"
"My legs aren't hurting so I'm okay," said Tristan.
"I mean, knowing the reason we're orphaned," said Harry.
Tristan thought about it. Yeah, some lunatic came strutting into their house when they were babies and killed their parents. But…he was only a one-year-old at the time. He couldn't remember their parents, so he kind of felt no love towards them. He wasn't missing anything or anyone. Sure, he thought about what ifs from time-to-time, what his life would be like if their parents were alive, if he would be a different person, stuff like that…but he just felt nothing about their parents. He didn't know anything about them. He just…felt empty.
"I'm fine," said Tristan. And maybe the Dursleys screwed him up more than he realised.
Harry seemed to understand what Tristan didn't say, and Tristan took Juniper out of her cage.
Juniper made a bubbling sound of contentment.
"I can't wait 'til I get to Hogwarts," said Harry, taking out Hogwarts: A History.
Tristan snorted, "You love school."
"I do," Harry admitted, "It gets us away from the Dursleys. But we're going to learn magic! Actual magic!"
Tristan asked, "Speaking of the Dursleys, do you think they're worried about us?"
"No," said Harry rather bluntly.
"We just took off after breakfast and never came back home," said Tristan.
"They think we probably ran away," replied Harry. "Don't worry about them, Reese. We're better off without them."
Tristan nodded, "Yeah. You're right."
"I always am," said Harry.
"I thought that was Cypress," Tristan countered.
"I'm right on some things," said Harry.
The next morning, Harry made them read their course books to get a head start on their learning.
"We have 'til September first to study," Cypress said.
"We need to study before we all fall behind," said Harry. "We grew up not knowing anything about magic. There are families that probably know a lot more than we do."
Cypress groaned, but agreed to study.
"Did you come up with a name for your owl, yet?" Tristan asked Harry, looking at the owl.
"I decided to name her Hedwig," said Harry. "I read the name in a book when you were sleeping."
"You need to stop reading before you fall asleep," said Cypress. "You're going to break your glasses again."
"I know when I'm going to fall asleep and take them off before I do," said Harry.
They ate breakfast in the pub and they spent some time out in Diagon Alley, looking at things.
"We should've asked Professor McGonagall what Quidditch was," said Tristan, looking at the broomsticks.
"The Nimbus 2000," Cypress muttered. "That is a nice broom."
Harry seemed amused, "It is."
Tristan shrugged, "I guess."
"But we need to save our money, since there are three of us and we all have to go through seven years at Hogwarts," said Cypress. "We should get new clothes."
They went and got new clothes and Cypress got a new canvas backpack.
When they got back to the pub, a man with an impressive silver beard and hair was there, waiting in Harry's and Tristan's room.
Tristan made some choking, gasping sound and dropped some bags in surprise.
Harry looked alarmed at either the strange man or at how Tristan reacted. "You okay, Reese?"
"I'm fine," replied Tristan. He looked at the strange man, "Who are you?"
"I'm Professor Dumbledore," said the man. "I apologize for dropping by unannounced and for eliciting that…response from your brother."
"It's okay," said Harry.
"I've had worse reactions." Tristan said, thinking of the freak-out he had yesterday when Professor McGonagall walked out of the fireplace.
Harry just nodded in response.
"I think this is a conversation that should involve your sister," said Dumbledore.
"Reese can go get her," said Harry.
Tristan went across the hall to where Cypress's door was and knocked on it.
Cypress opened the door, "Yes?"
Tristan started, "Professor Dumbledore—"
"Who's Professor Dumbledore?" asked Cypress.
"I'm guessing a teacher," Tristan replied. "He said it's a conversation that should involve you."
"Okay," replied Cypress confused and followed Tristan into the shared room.
Professor Dumbledore looked at them, "I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."
Well, Tristan was wrong on that.
"Er, hello, Professor," said Cypress.
Tristan nodded in response.
"Professor McGonagall has informed me that you three are experiencing…problems with your relatives," said Professor Dumbledore.
"If you count sleeping in a closet under the stairs as a problem, then yes," said Tristan.
"Or sleeping in a shed," added Harry.
"Or wearing second-hand clothes and hand-me-downs," said Cypress.
"Dudley is a big bully," said Harry. "He and his gang would chase us around and hit Reese and I. He would also pull Essie's hair and pinch her. Our aunt and uncle wouldn't do anything about it."
"He threw a shoe at me and knocked a vase down right in front of Aunt Petunia. I got yelled at for it when I didn't do anything," Tristan said.
"I am sorry for what you three go through," said Dumbledore looking apologetic. "Putting you three in that environment wasn't my intention or out of malicious intent."
"Then why were we put there in the first place?" asked Cypress.
"It was because your mother sacrificed herself for you three, creating incredible powerful magic. It was sacrificial magic, blood protection. She willingly gave herself to protect you three, thus creating a type of ward, to protect you three, as those who share her blood, you three, and her sister. That is why Lady Azrael couldn't kill you that night, Cypress. I only put you three in Petunia's care, knowing that when she took you three in, the charm I placed on you three fully activated the ward. It's the best protection I can give you three to protect you from harm," explained Dumbledore.
Tristan and Cypress looked at each other, and then at Harry.
"Except it doesn't protect us from harm inside the house," said Cypress.
"Can you put a ward in a different home for us?" asked Harry. "We can take each other in and the charm will still work, right?"
"There's nowhere for you three to go," said Dumbledore looking sad and apologetic. "The ward needs you three to stay in the house for one month every summer."
"Then can we please stay here for the rest of the summer? You said that we need to stay there for one month every summer," Harry said. "We can always go back next summer."
"Even though we don't want to," said Cypress.
"I can talk to them, talk to them about your mistreatment and tell them to stop mistreating you three," said Dumbledore.
Tristan nodded, though he felt like he didn't like Dumbledore very much. It was strange. A strange man showing up to talk to the Dursleys about mistreating the three of them? That won't go over very well.
There were times that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon got phone calls about how Dudley was bullying other children, but they didn't care. He doubted that Dumbledore was going to make a difference when it came to the Dursleys.
"He seemed nice," said Harry.
"I guess," muttered Tristan. "I'd rather get my throat slit then go back to the Dursleys."
Harry rolled his eyes at that far used to Tristan's painful death declarations.
The rest of the summer went by rather uneventfully. Harry was making them study for Hogwarts.
For their birthday, they went in different directions to exchange birthday gifts.
The thing was, what should he get his siblings for their birthday? They never received money from the Dursleys and they never got any type of gifts from them either, unless one counted rubbish as gifts. The best gift he had ever gotten was a mug with no handle and a crack down one side. He had seen Uncle Vernon fish it out of the neighbour's wheelie bin.
He was sure that Harry would love a book, the problem was which book, and Cypress…He couldn't get just anything for Cypress, so he settled for getting a gold bracelet that had star pendants on it. He wasn't sure what to get Harry, then.
He looked around at the stores, trying to find something that he hoped Harry would like. He ended up in Flourish and Blotts, again. He looked around at the shelves.
"Are you looking for anything specific?" asked the shopkeeper.
"I'm just looking for something for my brother," Tristan said.
"Ah, yes," said the shopkeeper, "And what about your sister?"
"I got her a bracelet," said Tristan. "It's our birthday today."
"Ooh, triplets," said the shopkeeper. "I can't remember when the last time there was triplets."
"Must be rare then," said Tristan.
The shopkeeper nodded and looked at Tristan. "Wait…triplets…"
"Yes, I'm Tristan Potter," he replied. "I just want to get a book that would interest Harry."
"Let's see," started the shopkeeper, leading Tristan to an aisle. "Maybe The Decline of Pagan Magic."
Tristan shrugged and grabbed the book. He looked at the writer, "Bathilda Bagshot sure writes a lot of books."
"She's a very gifted historian," said the shopkeeper.
Tristan looked at the books and picked The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. "Not for Harry, but for me. Well, if he wants to read it…"
He met up with his siblings at Fortescue's, Harry had gotten him a male barred owl, who Tristan immediately named Brady. Harry rolled his eyes and gave Cypress a tawny owl, who she named Rosemary.
Tristan gave Harry The Decline of Pagan Magic, who smiled gratefully for it, and gave Cypress the bracelet, which she gasped over and hugged him, embarrassing Tristan in the process. She had given the bother of them large black and red beaded bracelets with one for herself.
Then they got bowls of ice cream and ate it for lunch.
September 1st came quickly.
The Knight Bus was a violently purple triple-decker bus that had no business of being a business.
When they got off the Knight Bus, Tristan threw up in a nearby rubbish bin. He wasn't motion sick, but he wouldn't be surprised if he developed motion sickness after riding the Knight Bus.
Juniper, the guinea pig, looked like she didn't enjoy the ride.
They got trolleys for their trunks and pets, and got in Kings' Cross. They ran at the platform in between nine and ten, getting onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
There was a scarlet stream engine puffing out smoke.
"Stay close to me," said Cypress, looking anxious as she looked at the platform which was busy and packed.
"All right, Essie," said Tristan.
Harry nodded, "Let's try the back of the train."
They headed to the end of the train, finding a compartment that was empty.
Harry took the cages onto the train.
"Need any help?" asked Tanda.
"I guess," Cypress said, "With the trunks, at least."
Tanda helped Tristan with one trunk.
"Tanda!" called a man, sounding worried.
"Over here, Dad!" called Tanda, waving.
A man with long hair walked up. He looked extremely tanned. "What's going on?" He had an American accent.
"I was helping them with their trunks," replied Tanda.
"Where are you parents?" asked Tanda's father.
"They're dead," replied Cypress.
Tanda's dad seemed to soften at the mention of them being orphans. "And any other relatives watch you three?"
"Our aunt, uncle, and cousin are Muggles," said Harry bluntly.
Tanda's dad nodded in understanding and helped the triplets with their trunks.
"Thank you, er, Mr…" started Tristan.
"Williams," said Tanda's dad. "Adam Williams."
"Thank you, Mr Williams," Tristan said and nudged Harry.
"Yes, thank you," said Harry.
Cypress nodded. "Yes, thank you so much."
"If you three need any advice about the wizarding world, don't be afraid to owl me or talk to my daughter. She's very helpful," said Mr Williams.
"Will do," said Harry smiling.
Cypress nodded and the Williamses walked away.
The triplets got on the train and Cypress looked out the window.
"Kind of makes me wonder what our parents would've been like if they were alive and seeing us off," said Cypress.
"Me too," said Harry.
Tristan shrugged, "They would've been happy and proud for us."
"That's a lot of kids," said Cypress.
"What?" asked Tristan.
"That read-headed family," said Cypress.
Tristan looked to see at least four boys and one girl with a plump woman. "They're not that big of a family. There's bigger."
Harry had to nod. He prodded Cypress in the ribs, "Thinking about joining them, Essie?"
"No," replied Cypress with a scoff. "You two would be hopelessly lost without me guiding your dumb arses."
Harry chuckled at that, "Whatever you say, Essie. As long as it makes you feel important."
"I am important," replied Cypress.
"Well, you are The-Girl-Who-Lived," said Tristan.
The train started moving and Harry sat down in the seat across from Tristan. "What house are you two hoping to get sorted into?"
"Probably Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, like our parents," said Cypress.
Tristan nodded in agreement.
"I hope so too," said Harry.
"It wouldn't make a difference if we end up in different houses, though," said Cypress. "We're still siblings, even if we end up in different houses. Right?"
Tristan nodded, "Right."
Harry nodded, "Right."