Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe or any of the recognizable characters living there. I am just borrowing them to tell this story.
A/N: Here's the next chapter of The Stranger. Bryan reflects on his summer as he rides the Hogwarts Express.
I want to thank everyone who's been reading and the ones that have reviewed.
Sanguine: as you've probably figured, yes, I was trying to get the backstory over with as quickly as possible. How does one compress a story that was written over the course of several years into a few chapters? I'm glad that you're willing to stick with it. I hope you won't be disappointed that you did.
Marauder: Thanks for your comments. Unlike my previous attempts at story writing, I have been trying very hard to be as descriptive as possible. I am pleased to know that I am succeeding.
I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter. Please feel free to review and let me know what you think. :D
Coursing its way through the countryside north of London, riding on tracks laid out for its sole use, was a scarlet and black steam locomotive. Behind it, in the same colors as itself, were numerous passenger cars. Each car was full of the most unusual passengers. These passengers were all witches or wizards, but that's not all they were. Each witch and every wizard was also a student at a very exclusive school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This train's primary purpose was to transport students to and from the school, hence its name, the Hogwarts Express.
One particular student sat alone in a compartment near the center of the last car. Unlike most of the other passengers, he didn't know anyone else, therefore had no one to find and compare tales of summer exploits. He leaned against the wall that separated the compartment from the hallway outside and had his legs sprawled out in front of him, effectively taking up the entire seat. His hands were resting on his slightly bent knees and lying across his open palms was something that had, in the span of a few short months, become like an extension of his arm. He was staring at his wand, an honest to goodness magic wand. For the last three months he had been working with it daily, learning and practicing what his fellow students had or will learn in three years. He still had another month or so to learn another year's worth of magic until he was caught up with the other students that would be in the same grade, or year, as him. Although he was staring at his wand, he really wasn't seeing it. He was lost in thought, remembering when he had first held this wand.
* ~ * ~ *
Bryan had woken up early. He was eager to get started on what was sure to be a grand adventure. He was about to begin learning magic again, this time in a structured environment. The very thought of it was enough to put a spring in his step as he had walked around in Diagon Alley. His high spirits had not left him all morning, even when he was dealing with the dour creatures at the bank he had gone to first thing this morning.
He had known that the money that he possessed wouldn't be of much use in purchasing anything so the first order of business was to convert his 'muggle' money into wizard currency. He wasn't sure of the conversion factor between the two, but he hoped it was favorable enough to allow him to buy everything on his quite extensive supply list. Tom, the bartender/innkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron, had given him directions on how to get to Gringotts' Bank, which he later learned weren't necessary. As soon as he had entered the Alley he immediately noticed a building that stood much taller than the rest of the buildings and proceeded toward it. Everything about the building seemed to say BANK. It was impossibly white and looked like it had never been dirty. Once he was close enough, he noticed that it was also the only building that had a guard, which must be one of the goblins that Tom had told him about. Beside the guard were two large, ornate bronze doors. Bryan reached out and opened the doors and entered.
It had taken him about an hour to get his financial situation sorted out. It seemed that goblins loved to fill out a form for everything they did, and in quadruplet. There was a form for exchanging muggle money into wizard money: a form for declaring that you didn't come of the money by illegal means, another form for obtaining a vault to store any money you wished to keep safe, as well as a form when you receive your key to the vault. After all the forms were completed to the goblins' satisfaction and Bryan had withdrawn what he was told would be more than sufficient for his needs, he left the bank and started visiting various stores, in search of items on his list.
It was nearing midday and Bryan had started to get hungry. He had told himself that he would go to one more store, then find someplace to eat. He had already visited such stores as Madame Malkins, where he had placed an order for his school uniforms and the dress robes that were on his list as well as several everyday robes and other wizardwear, the Apothecary, the cauldron shop, and the stationary store. He would have to return to Madame Malkins later to pick up his purchases. He still had to purchase all of his books, a wand, and a few other small items.
Bryan looked around and saw that Ollivander's wand shop was closest and headed in its direction. The first thing he noticed when he had entered the shop was the walls. Every wall was filled floor to ceiling with small, narrow boxes. Many of the countertops and tables were similarly laden. No sooner had the door to the shop closed when a very old-looking man seemed to materialize out of thin air.
"Good morning, young man. You must be Mr. Dunn. I am Mr. Ollivander. Dumbledore said that I should expect a new student to be stopping in today. You're a few years older than I expected." Mr. Ollivander reached into his pocket and pulled out his tape measure. "Well, we might as well get started. Which is your wand arm?"
Bryan thought for a few seconds. "Honestly, I don't know. I am right-handed, if that helps." As if to emphasize what he was saying, Bryan raised his right arm toward the other man.
"Yes, quite well, indeed." After taking several measurements of Bryan's arm and various other body parts, Mr. Ollivander jotted them on a scrap piece of parchment that appeared from the same pocket the tape measure disappeared back into. Taking the parchment with him, he started collecting boxes from many of the nearer stacks and returned with arms weighed down with his collection.
As he had Bryan try wand after wand, he explained that each wand is unique and that it is the wand that chooses the wizard, not the other way around. He had made two additional trips to the stacks to get more wands for Bryan to try. When it became apparent that he would not find what he was looking for in these stacks, he gave his newest customer another look over.
"Hmm, it would seem that you aren't meant to start with a beginner's wand. I guess we better start trying advanced wands." With that statement he disappeared further into the shop and returned with another armload of wands, all of which had proven to be as ineffective as the others.
It was in the second trip to the back that he found what they'd been searching for. "Ok, give this one a try. Mahogany with maple grip, phoenix-feather, 12 ½ inches."
Bryan grasped the wand as he had done innumerable times already. Instantly he knew that something was different about this wand. He felt a warm sensation wash over him and several golden lights shown from the end. This seemed to please the old man. He seemed to sag noticeably, a look of relief crossing his face.
"I was beginning to think that you'd be the first wizard in the history of this store that would leave without finding a wand. You have a great wand there. Great for defending against the Dark Arts as well as for transfiguration, very powerful. The maple grip gives the wand additional stability and longevity. Treat it well and it will serve you very well. That'll be 8 galleons, 2 sickles."
Bryan paid for his wand and went in search for food. He had been in Ollivanders for nearly two hours and he was starving.
* ~ * ~ *
In a compartment not too far away was another student that was reflecting on his summer as well. Since he had the nightmare-vision the week after school had let out last year, Harry Potter had been wondering about the boy that Voldemort was talking about. Was he alright? Was he dead? He had written to Professor Dumbledore and his godfather, Sirius Black, and let them know what he saw in his vision. Neither could alleviate his fear.
Professor Dumbledore had written him back and told him that everything was under control and that the boy could take care of himself. He also said that he wanted to introduce the two of them because they had many things in common. Other than the fact that they both were targets of Voldemort, Harry could think of nothing else that he might have in common with this unknown boy. The boy had an older brother that had made arrangements for him to attend Hogwarts, so he wasn't an orphan. He probably didn't have relatives like the Dursleys, either.
During the summer Harry had also written to his two best friends several times, and had even stayed at one of their houses for the last three weeks of the summer. Ron Weasley, the youngest son of a large wizarding family, all of which had flaming red hair, and Hermione Granger, who had curly brown hair that was starting to tame itself and brown eyes, the daughter of muggle dentist parents, were about as different as two people could be and still like each other. They seemed to argue about every little thing and it often was up to Harry to mediate for them. Harry cherished both of their friendships and would do anything for either of them. And they would do the same for him. In fact, the three of them have been inseparable since their first year, having one adventure after another. Harry was almost afraid to think about what this year had in store for the three of them. Each year seemed to become more dangerous than the last. Just last year, Harry had witnessed another student get killed just because Voldemort didn't need him.
Harry spent many sleepless nights thinking about the night that Voldemort had used Harry's blood to rise again. That was the same night that Cedric Diggory had been killed because Harry had insisted that they both take the trophy. The trophy had actually been a portkey that transported the two of them to where Voldemort was waiting. As soon as they arrived, Voldemort had ordered, "Kill the Spare." Those words will haunt Harry for a long time.
The feeling he got when Cedric was killed was the worst thing that Harry had ever experienced in his life. But it would have been infinitely worse if it had been one of his two friends. Harry had always thought of Ron as the brother that he never had and would miss him terribly if he were killed. Likewise, Harry had thought of Hermione as a sister of sorts. That is, until this summer. Harry had started to think of Hermione as more than a friend. Each time he had looked her way during the time they had stayed at the Weasleys, his stomach would do a flip and his heart would beat a little faster. Whether he loved her or not, he didn't know, but he knew that if Hermione had died he would miss her even more than he'd miss Ron. Even thinking about the possibility of losing them was painful.
Before Harry could sink further into depression, he was interrupted by the very two people he'd just been thinking about. Sitting next to him with a book in her lap was Hermione and Ron sat across from the two of them, munching on some of the candy he had brought with him. Harry didn't know what they had been discussing before but they now seemed to be talking about what it meant to be a prefect. Seeing Ron talking around a mouth full of candy was having an adverse effect on Harry's stomach, but he let it pass because it just wouldn't be Ron if he wasn't eating, talking about eating, or thinking about eating.
"Ron, just because Harry and I are prefects doesn't mean that you will be able to break the rules more than usual," Hermione said from over her Arithmancy textbook. Hermione was always one to get a head start on her studies and was probably the smartest witch that either boy had ever known. She was always at the top of every one of her classes.
Ron, on the other hand, always put off his homework until the last moment and was always trying to get Hermione to let him copy off her. "Maybe, but if I do get into trouble and lose house points, you or Harry can award the points right back."
"That wouldn't be fair of us to just give Gryffindor points for no reason. Harry or I would need valid reasons for awarding points to any students, especially if it were you. Someone could accuse us of showing favoritism."
This didn't deter Ron in the least. "Well, if Snape can favor Slytherins, then what's the harm if you favor Gryffindor?"
"For one thing, Ron, Snape's a professor and we're not. And another, it would be tantamount to cheating. You know how I feel about cheating."
"Cheating? Who said any . . ."
Harry decided that he'd let it go on long enough. He cleared his throat, which served its purpose. Both of his friends turned to look at him. "Ron, Hermione, why must you two fight about the simplest things? Ron, she happens to be right. We can't show any favoritism if we want to stay prefects. About the only thing that will change is the fact that we won't get in trouble if we're out and about at night. That alone should save Gryffindor at least a hundred points this year."
Ron gave it a moment of thought before he said, jokingly, "All Hail, the Great Potter has spoken. Go forth and spread his word. This servant is humbled." Ron stood up and did an exaggerated bow.
"Ron, you're such a git sometimes." Harry slapped Ron on the back of the head as he was rising from his bow. When Ron sat back down, he and Harry started talking about whether there'd be a Quidditch season this year and who might make the house team now that Oliver Wood was gone. They also discussed who'd be made captain. Ron had said that Harry should be, but Harry said that he didn't want it because he had enough going on with being a prefect. From there, the two started talking about professional teams and players.
Hermione did what she did every time they started to discuss Quidditch; she read a book. In this case, she returned to her Arithmancy book. It wasn't that she hated Quidditch; it was more a matter of not understanding the fascination with potentially violent games of any sort. The fact that she wasn't very good on a broom might also have a small part in it.
* * *
Bryan had been so deep in thought that he hadn't heard the door to his compartment open, nor did he notice when three others had entered. It wasn't until he heard the other seat creak slightly as the three sat down. Glancing over he saw three students that couldn't be more than thirteen or fourteen. There were two girls, one with red hair, freckles and brown eyes, the other had blonde hair and the lightest shade of blue eyes that he'd ever seen. The boy that was with them also had blonde hair. Bryan couldn't see his eyes because they were hidden by the camera that suddenly flashed as he took a picture. Bryan was forced to blink several times in an effort to clear his vision.
"Colin, I really wish you'd stop taking pictures of everyone you see. It can get really annoying sometimes. Sorry about that, we didn't realize that the compartment was occupied. We were looking for someplace a little quieter than our old compartment. We can leave if you want," the redhead spoke quickly.
Bryan swung his legs around and sat in the seat properly and put his wand away. Having been more or less alone for the past four years, Bryan suddenly felt the need to have company. "No, that's alright. I've been in the company of my thoughts long enough for one day. My name's Bryan, Bryan Dunn."
"Hi, Bryan, I'm Ginny Weasley, shutterbug here is Dennis Creavey, and this is Sarah Thomas. We're Gryffindor fourth years. I've never seen you before. Are you a transfer student?" Bryan greeted each one as they were introduced.
"In a manner of speaking. I'll be a fifth year, but I've never had any formal training. In fact, I've been spending the entire summer studying everything that I've missed. Professor Dumbledore insists that I take some tests on the old material to show that I can handle fifth year. I've finished the first two years and am most of the way through year three."
At once the three newcomers became very animated and were all trying to speak at once. In the attempt to outdo the other two, Sarah was knocked out of the seat and fell to the floor of the compartment with a resounding thump. She apologized to Bryan when she landed and fell into his legs and accepted his assistance in getting up. "Sorry, I don't usually fall for a guy so quickly. It usually takes an hour or two." Instead of returning to her previous seat, Sarah had taken the empty seat next to Bryan. He gave her a look that seemed to ask if she was all right. She simply smiled in response.
"Don't apologize, it's been a long time since anyone's fallen at my feet. Glad to see I haven't lost my touch."
Colin Creavey found his voice and regaled Bryan with the story of how he and Sarah had met at the end of breakfast the first day. He had been walking between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables towards the exit and was excitedly taking pictures the entire way. He had been so engrossed in what he was doing that he failed to notice that someone had just fallen in front of him. As Sarah had been attempting to get up from the table her foot had gotten caught and she lost her balance. When he told Bryan about how he had landed on her, Colin's face became the color of Ginny's hair. The two tried unsuccessfully to get up and extricate themselves from the other, but Colin's camera strap had ideas of its own. It had become tangled with Sarah's clasp on her cloak and neither one could seem to get at it. That's when Ginny had come along and undid the clasp on the camera strap and helped Colin to his feet before separating the strap from Sarah's cloak and handing it to Colin while helping Sarah to her feet. Colin finished by stating that Sarah was the resident klutz and trips herself up once in a while. Now it was Sarah's turn to turn red.
"Hey, we all can't be as graceful as swans. I used to trip over my feet on a daily basis, but I grew out of it and so will you."
Seeing something in the way that Sarah was sitting, Ginny decided to change the subject back to what had started it all. She wanted to know more about Bryan. "As we all tried to say earlier but drowned each other out, you've been cramming four years of learning into a single summer? Either you're very smart or very crazy. How can you remember it all?" Sarah relaxed into the seat and gave Ginny a look of thanks.
Bryan had known this was coming and was ready with the answer. "Guys, I am not crazy. I wouldn't call myself smart either. I just have a great memory. And being able to practice the material on a daily basis certainly helps to reinforce it. During the summer I began to get to know some of the shopkeepers in Diagon Alley, and once I explained what I was attempting to do they offered to help me. So each day I would spend a little time with them and they'd tutor me. Although we couldn't cover everything, I am confident that I've grasped the concepts enough that I can do the remaining spells and potions. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to stay in Diagon Alley late at night so I couldn't study the Astronomy stuff. I was a little worried at first, but then the shopkeeper offered to sell me a map of the galaxy at a discount. When he told me that I wouldn't have to take any astronomy classes if I owned one, I bought it on the spot."
"Well, I don't envy you. I can barely keep one year of information in my head, let alone four. If your going to be a fifth year, that means you're going to be in the same year as my brother and his friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. We could introduce you to them. They're just down the hall."
Bryan knew that if things went the way Professor Dumbledore wanted then he'd be spending quite a bit of time with Harry Potter and his friends. At the moment he wanted to learn more about the three kids that he was talking with.
"I'll have plenty of time to get to know them. We'll probably be in some of the same classes and if I get sorted into Gryffindor, then we'll be in many classes together. When we get to Hogwarts, you can introduce me. Until then, I'd like to get to know more about three other students. You."
For the remainder of the train ride, Bryan listened as the three friends told him of their experiences over the last three years. Most were small tales about incidents in classes or who had a crush on whom. But some of them were grander and always seemed to involve Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As the train pulled into the station that evening, Bryan felt as if he had been there when Harry had fought the basilisk, when the dementors had interrupted the Quidditch match, or when Hermione had entered the Yule Ball on the arm of Viktor Krum. He could easily imagine that he was in the stands witnessing every event of the Triwizard tournament.
No matter what he may have imagined about the adventures that awaited him at Hogwarts, none of them came close to what he'd just heard. This could be quite an exciting year.
