Iris Potter had an amazing month last month. Being away from her relatives was one of those thing she won't forget and she was happy because of it. She could sleep as late as she wants but she still woke up early. Ate anything she want, though tried to keep it at the bare minimum and explored Diagon Alley but not going to far from the pub.
Shirou had been a great help to her during that month as she lived in the Leaky Cauldron. Sure, some people came towards her greeting her with awe and excitement or maybe even thanked her for what, she do not remember doing as she was an infant. Sometime, some customers or attendance were getting a little brave on her so Shirou would come and save her. He acted like a big brother towards her and at times she liked that. She never had anyone to called as a big brother so she never knew what it is like but not calling him that would be wrong.
She liked that. She really do. And someday, she wished that it would come true.
On the 1st of September, the end of summer holidays and the beginning of school, Iris and Shirou were busy on searching for their platform in King's Cross station. Platform 9 and 3/4 to be precise. It was easy, based on what Hagrid said. Only searched for the platform between 9 and 10, easy, simple instructions which the two didn't forget. Well Hagrid almost forget to tell but then Shirou immediately asked the man before he went away.
So as they pushed their trolleys of trunks and the like, they arrived to the intersection of platform 9 and platform 10. Which neither Iris have no idea on how to enter, nor those Shirou but he could used his magecraft to do it. Maybe structural analysis the wall and the like surrounds it. Before he could do any of those, a woman came down their way in a quick paced which cause the two to look at who was yelling.
"I swear every year more and more muggles are keep popping everywhere. And because of it we're going to be late." said the portly woman. As soon she came into view, so those her children. All of them have vibrant red hair, dissimilar to Shirou's auburn red, with freckles and paled complexion. Some wore second-hand or hand-me down clothes. It was easy to spot who was a wizard by the woman's word.
Iris pushed her trolley to the said woman for directions on how to enter while Shirou catch up with her with his own.
"Alright Percy, you first." said the woman. Her 'first' son when into the wall and simply phased through it. Shirou saw it and was surprised on how easy for them to enter. He wonder what happen if a normal civilians saw them but seeing that the folks didn't, so maybe a charm or a boundary spell?
"Fred, you're next. And then you're up next George." said the mother.
"I'm not Fred. His Fred. I'm George!" said 'Fred'.
"Seriously woman. And you called yourself our mother." said 'George'.
"Oh, just get in moving you two!"
As one of the twin was about to pushed and went along, he turn to his mother and said,
"I'm kidding. I'm Fred, hahaha!.." laughed Fred as he ran with his twin following behind. With the two gone, Iris walked right up the woman who was still with her younger son and daughter. Shirou following behind her with hurry.
"Um... excuse me?" said Iris.
"Hm. Oh hello dearies. Is something the matter?"
"Um, could you tell us on how to..." Iris point to the wall while pausing. The woman look at the two and saw them together with trunks and Iris's owl.
"Starting are you, both of you?"
The two nodded. The woman smiled and look around for their parents before introducing herself.
"Well, my name is Molly Weasley. And this is my youngest son, Ron and my only daughter, Ginny. You see here, Ron too, is starting Hogwarts as well so I hope that the two of you could be friends with him.
Now to enter is quite easy, all you have to do is run towards that and don't stop till you reach the other side. Watch Ron first if the two of you have no confident to do it at first." said Mrs Weasley. Push his trolley and a lined with the wall and ran through it." said Molly.
"Now you two dearies."
With Shirou being the first of the two, he ran towards the wall and through. Iris was up and she ran. Closing her eyes while keeping her hand on the trolley, she went through the wall and as she feel it, passed through the wall and reach the platform. In front of her as she open her eyes was a black steam powered engine incased with red and gold lining as well with carts going down the rail.
It was a fascinating site to see.
"Iris! Over here!" shout Shirou from the cargo trailer/cart with his trunks. She pushed and reach to her partner. Now the tricky part, to get her trunks inside. She knows that she can bring Hedwig into the passengers cart but her trunks not so much and with the model of the train... yeah it would be difficult.
"Really should have Tom charmed them to be lighter.", she said.
However, Shirou decided to not wait for anything and Reinforce himself.
"Here, let me get that for you." he said while taking his trunks and Iris's. She would said she is stunned but sometimes seeing it in the Leaky Cauldron when he was working, she wasn't that surprised. Still shocked but not by that much. The twins of the woman, Mrs. Weasley, came and wanted to see if the can help on to saw Shirou manage them himself.
""Wicked!"" was their reply. After Shirou is done he went down the trailer and saw the twin before he said something.
"Umm.. Hello?"
"Oh! Sorry, we thought of giving you a hand but seeing that you did... that, I guess we're not needed. But let us introduce ourselves. I'm Fred Weasley."
"And I'm Fred Weasley!" It was there that the second twin realize his mistake.
"Well one if us Fred-"
"- And the other is George."
""And We're the Weasley twins! So if you need any prank to play-"
"- Or stuff to steal. Or perhaps a little madness-"
"- Just called us and we will be there!"
""Because that is our promised.""
"So what are yours, you two?" said George(?).
"Well I think that was a swell way of an introduction, my name Shirou Emiya. A pleasure to meet you" said Shirou while he bow a little.
Iris panic a little before she introduced herself,
"A- ah! I'm Iris Pottew-!"
'She bit her tongue.'
'She bit her tongue '
'She bit her tongue'
Was the thought while she accidentally bitten her tongue. She was alright but due to past trauma in her childhood, she ducked down while covering her head with her arm. It was then and there the twins had somehow swore to protect her like as if she was their biological sister.
I mean... LOOK AT HER. She was like a kitten who is trying to hide for being embarrassed. But to Iris she want to die.
The two went and searched for an empty compartment as they were about to leaved. When they did found one, they a sit and look around in the compartment.
"Well, those two seems to be... something." said Shirou, discussing about the twins as he took a bag down and handed Iris a bento box to her. Iris as if she knew, took the bento and began eating. After saying her thanks, she began to munch away. Shirou would only shook his head as he placed a bottle of water beside her. Before the train began to move, the compartment door open and a red was the first thing the two saw.
"Umm.. is it alright if I sit here? The other compartment have being filled, so.." said Ron.
Iris look at Ron and to Shirou and back to Ron then back to Shirou. Shirou however, just nodded and point to the empty sit beside him.
"Thanks. Um, I know my mother told you but my name is Ron Weasley." , he said .
"Shirou Emiya."
"Iris Potter."
At the mention of her name being said, his eyes wide shot itself and muttered, "Bloody hell.", to himself. Regaining composure, he look back at the black hair girl and asked,
"Do.. do have, you know", as he point to his forehead. Taking the hint, she moved the hair above her scar and show it to him.
"Wicked"
Ron looked at the two before realizing that they were eating and by the look and smell of it, something that would seems expensive (to him at least).
"That look delicious. I know my mom made me sandwiches in case any of us were hungry but I have to asked who made for you?"
Iris, who was munching on a karage point her chopstick at the other red hair in the cart.
"You know how to cook? Wouldn't your mom made for you?" asked Ron. To anyone who didn't know about Shirou, they would be curious but those who does, they may found the question a little insensitive to the boy.
"I have no mother or family for that matter. They all die in a disaster when I was seven. I have no recollection of anything about them.", it was the truth and while it sometime hurt to not his own origin, he just as happy when he knew the man who he called father. And while Illya once tried to killed for 'stealing her father', they have a talked and bonded but only for a short time before she passed on due to the Einzberns greed.
A look of shocked appear on the bright red hair boy before he bring his sandwiches out before he messed with it.
"Here. Have some." said Shirou.
Ron look at the lid that was filled of many assortment of food giving to him. Taking his time, he took an omelette roll and took a bite.
His mom may have competition.
As the train moved ever so slowly, the rumor of Iris Potter came circulated back to the source. Many students, both beginning, in-between or in their last year, took the chance to meet the famous 'The Girl-Who-Lived'. She didn't liked that. Especially when the other two in the cart was in here with her. Sure they bonded a little, but not much. After the last of the student went away, that was until, someone they once met, shows up.
"Well, well. The famous Iris Potter really did came to Hogwarts. Funny seeing the famous you in here with wrong crowd. But I can help with that.".
Draco Malfoy was his named, and he is with two hired muscle name Crabbe and Goyle. Hearing that Iris was beginning in Hogwarts like he does, he immediately when and to see if it was true. And low and behold, it is. Believing that he could change her perspective on the two in the cart with her,(a poor choice in his taste), can be friends
Iris however felt an old anger for this boy began to surface and look at his hand that was outstretch. He first bad mouth Hagrid and now he bad mouth her friends. She wanted to shout but with how timid she is towards them, she couldn't.
"Get away Malfoy! Leave her alone." Shout Ron. Malfoy look at him with anger and then amusement.
"Oh, be quiet Weasley. Yeah I know who you are. Red hair, freckles, with more children than money. Tell me, is it true that your whole family slept in a closet?"
Before the boy get a chance to attack, Shirou ever so surely stop him.
"Enough Ron. He's not worth it."
"Oh, another Weasley? Which is this your brother or cousin?"
Taking no hit from the remark, he looked at Malfoy before reply,
"My name is Shirou Emiya. A pleasure to meet you."
At the word of his last name, both Crabbe and Goyle stop snickering from behind wheat blond boy and starting to coward.
Malfoy,too was surprised to hear his name.
"You.. Emiya!? This will not c-change things! You hear!" he said as he ran away with the muscle he brought followed behind.
"What's that all about?" asked Ron as he saw that Shirou shrugged and Iris look outside.
"Well, that goes down in the well. Seeing that the Malfoys were old blood, I thought of planning to greet them in kind."
"Why would you do that, Shirou? He bad talked both Ron and you." said Iris.
He shrugged and explain to Iris that old blood family usually means that they have more money and resources than everyone else and they may or may not have their own spells that was pass down.
Ron as well explain that his family was old but only in the hundreds not the thousands like some family. With the explanation, she realizes that it would be true but her opinion still stands. Malfoy is a pain in the ass jerk.
In a portion of the time that they travelled, the trio of the compartment talked about many things... at least they tried. Iris had a difficulty on what topic to talked about, Shirou, bless his heart for trying to help Iris, had barely any topics on his own. Which left Ron on his own with trying to thought up a conversation topic.
It was hard and difficult, but they got it done. Many things were spoken and asked as well learn from each other.
Like how old Ron's family was. Several hundreds years back even, albeit they didn't have the money or power support their claim out of many reason but the most prominent was high fertility. Shirou slightly winced in the fact about owning more than one sibling in a magical family.
There were as well when Iris asked on about the train and why wizards and witches are using it despite being a muggle contraption.
Both Ron and Shirou explain, latter on better on the topic than the former.
"It was mostly like due to the fact it will be easier to transport large amount of things easily." said Shirou.
"But that still didn't really said anything about why they use it? And on why we are traveling... how fast is it again, Shirou?"
"At best? 20-30 k/pH at the moment."
"That slow/ That fast!?" shout both Ron and Iris.
The former believing that was fast and the other felt like she just got robbed.
"Why is it going so slow!?"
"I don't think it's slow..."
"Well to be fair the train is a coal powered train. If it was a steam powered or diesel, that maybe it would go faster." said Shirou as he reach on top storage of the compartment to reach a book. There were many different books that was used for him to study. Some were more advanced than most, in his opinion of the world standard, which is good. To the other two, all they saw were something really hard to understand, which hurt their brain.
The reason on why Shirou was able to understand it was because of a few factor. Though it was from Rin back at his old world.
Funny and ironic if one to see him now.
Meanwhile be the two continue to talk, on what Shirou have not much clue as he was focusing on one transfiguration theory which was debunked as false.
The theory was about on that you can't reinforce an object much to it's limts without a drawback of some kind. That was debunked hard as to those that have a good understanding over the object would have the ability to do so.
While Shirou wasn't on par with Archer in 'his' lifetime, he did however work it out the quickest. All thanks to resonance. That and Rin, Lucia and Velvet even if the last didn't want to admit it. He was able to perfected, in a sense, Reinforcement. Still not on Archer level but enough to help him.
To any average magus, it was a useless victory but to Enforcer, it's was a boon to behold. Many of the Enforcer are fighters and they are one of few that use modern technology and science like cars, cellphone even computers.
As they were waiting to arrive to Hogwarts, which isn't in another six hours, a trolley lady appear as such, to give the children, be it older or young something to eat.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" said the trolley lady.
Ron and Iris saw bunch of different sweets on the cart and knew what they want. But Ron stop and look down before answering,
"No thanks. Already ate from the sandwich my mom pack."
Iris however pick up on that statement.
"We'll take the lot, please." said Iris before pulling out a whole lot of Gallons.
"Woah.." Ron state when Shirou look up at the trolley lady giving Iris almost everything on the trolley before set it down near her other sit.
Shirou look like he was at a dismay of sweets and sugar then at Iris, only for her to act her age and stick out her tongue.
"Go on Ron. Have some. It's not like I could finish it. You too Shirou!" she said as she took a bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
Ron dash towards a pack of pepper imp and ate it. The immediate reactions was smoke coming out from his ears. To Iris, it was one if the weirdest she saw on what a candy can do. To Shirou, he knew those sweets as he was taste testing different sweets back at the Leaky Cauldron. While he wasn't a big lover for sweets that doesn't mean he couldn't enjoyed them. Though the only thing he hate was black licorice. How those thing were sweets, he had no idea.
As the train continue on and the eating of sweets beginning to dwindle, only a few were left. Still many but a few to give and maybe share. Iris took one of the Chocolate frog package as well as Shirou.
"What are these?" she asked Ron while Shirou opening his. "They're not really frogs are they?".
"No. There more to golems made from alchemy but with magic instead." said Shirou as he ate his frog before it escape.
"Oh, what's the card? I'm only missing Agrippa." said Ron. Shirou looked at the card and showed it to him. "Oh! You got Morgan. That's lucky. One of the few rare card you can find in them. Oh man. Da Vinci, again. I got like eight of them."
Ignoring that retort of Da Vinci was a magus/wizard in this world, he read the quick biography of his Servant's sister. The two never knew well enough and the hatred they felt together was wrong in his eyes but Humanity wanted to move forward, so the Counter Force will make possible.
"Morgan Le fay or Morganna Le Fay was one of, if not, the most recognizable figured in wizarding history. Said to rival even Merlin, the court wizard of King Arthur, in terms of spell and technique was rumor to be whole and true.
A powerful witch she maybe and the mastermind on the downfall of Camelot, she still one if the best researcher known to date with many of her potions recipe such as the Raven drought, which cause deadly ailments to those who drank them was true. Or her famous usage on the Cruciatus curse to gain what she want.
However, she too, gave birth or raise over half of the famous Knights of the round table.
It was stated she too have a strong love over feline companion, like a cat she called Arturia and have a strong hatred over bugs. Many speculated the reason for her master plan on the downfall of Camelot was not out of spite but of loathed of not getting to play with her brother."
The small segment of Morgan history was something he wasn't expect of. Indeed that their were time where Shirou saw memory of Saber with Morgan which is only once every three months they met. Looking back at the picture of Morgan, what was shown was a beauty. Silver blond hair which reach long behind her, a crown veil to hid her facial expressions. A beautiful black satin dress with a blue lining that hugs her curve.
It was strange seeing her as history and myth usually depicted her as something else. The picture in the card however was pouting as she knew that Shirou read her history. No matter how short it was! But if Shirou focus enough on the picture, he could saw the blush about the one dirty secret she had. And he knew which one.
Only he knew who Saber was in modern time. And some reason, he felt like that person was still around.
(Else where)
A woman, who was living in cottage out at the countryside felt an urge like no other. She now have a new purpose... to punch him in the gut and possibly use him as a plaything.
But where did she get this urge no one knew..
"Fuck you Merlin... Cath Palug! We're going on a hunt for Merlin!"
"Fou!"
(Back to the train)
Yeah... it probably wasn't something. After reading and realizing that Iris lost hers by chance itself, she look at the card she got from.
"Oh you got Dumbledore."
"Who?"
"Don't tell me you haven't heard of Albus Dumbledore." said Ron before realizing what he said. "Oh right. Not in the wizarding world for most of your life right."
Iris then turn to Shirou who was sitting there and looking the Morgan card before asked. "How come you're not surprised? Did you know him?"
"Met him once when he help registered into Hogwarts among other things. A wise man, he is. A terrible exploding snap player though."
Only nodding, she turn to her card before shouting that Dumbledore was gone. Ron explain that the never stay for long and this time Iris explain that picture never move in the muggle world to his reply was, "Weird."
She then turn to a bag of Bertie Bott's every flavour jelly beans.
"You might want to be careful with those. When they said every flavour, they mean every flavour- because you never know what you'll get. There are plenty of ordinary flavours like chocolate, peppermint and marmalade, but the then there's the weird one like spinach, liver and tripe. George said he had a bogey flavoured one once."
While the implications that she may get a bad one was high, so those her getting a normal too. Taking her chances, she took a bright yellow one and ate it.
Oh how she wish she was wrong.
After eating what was now known as pee-flavoured, she asked Ron to which places with him and use that chance to cry in Shirou's lap. She complained on how disgusting it was and Shirou would tried his best comfort her. With Ron watching, it was difficult not to do it.
Embarrassed as he maybe, he pat her head said it maybe an honest mistake, that she would be trick on the color and so on, so forth. To anyone, who may or may not be older woman, it was adorable. To Ron, it was weird. Not creepy but weird.
It was barely a month that Shirou and Iris bonded and now Iris stuck to him like glue. Maybe it was the trauma when she lived with her relatives but as soon someone comforts the young girl in ways most knew of family, she immediately stick to it.
After a while, the door of their compartment was open by a young girl with bushy brunette hair. Behind her was a piggy boy with black hair. He looked nervous while the girl radiates confidence. Seeing Iris on Shirou lap and with Ron at the other side of the compartment, her brain telling her to snap at the boy for something he didn't but rather than made a scene, she immediately throw out that train of thought and spoke.
"Hello, have seen a toad anywhere? Neville here lost his. We can't find it anywhere."
"No. Sorry."
Iris merely shook her head on his lap and those the boy in question although, he said that he would help them if they want. He did. And find the toad real quick. It wasn't hard. Any animal of a wizarding family are similar to that of a familiar thus produce some form of magical smell he could track.
It wasn't half an hour later that the boy found the toad, and with Neville bowing his head over and over in thanks and apologies, he took his leaves with said toad.
"I'm impressed that you can find the toad faster than any of us. I have asked are you part bloodhound or something?"
Shirou merely shrugged and said, "I got that a lot back where I came from. One way or the other it's weird side effect from birth."
"Well, better you get back to your cart, I believe will be arriving soon. Oh I'm almost forgot, my name is Hermione Granger." she said.
"Then mine is Shirou Emiya. It's a pleasure to meet you miss Granger." Shirou reply politely.
Saying their goodbyes and returning to the compartment, he saw Ron showing Iris magic on his own, trying to change his rat, Scabber, into yellow. That didn't work well but it did made gave it a brighter coat.
Upon returning, he told the two to change into their robe and grab the bright red head out so Iris could change into her robe. While she may took longer than most seeing that she's alone, but she manage to place on her robe and hold onto her hat in her hand.
Soon the boys were next and took much shorter times but still had their own difficulty. After putting it on their school uniform, Iris enter once again and wait for their arrival.
As soon the sky darken and air grow chilly from the season, they have arrived at Hogwarts around seven in the evening. As the students when out the train, a large voice calling all the first years can be heard.
"Firs' years! Over here!"
