Not my first attempt at a fanfic, but probably the first one that I've realised what I really want to write about in the HP world… the world. I don't really follow anything Pottermore has released, with a notable exception being the schools of magic in other parts of the world, so don't expect a whole lot of congruency with that site. The first 'arc' of the fic I've planned will take place during the Hogwarts years, but it won't be completely focused upon Hogwarts, if that makes sense. After that, the world will be my oyster… Overall, the goal is to build on the HP world in ways that I feel are interesting, and I sincerely hope that you folks will too. Please, let me know if you do with a follow, favourite, or best of all, a review. Thanks for reading. :)
BLAKE KALLIS AND THE WORLD OF MAGIC
Prologue: The Hogwarts Express
September 1st, 1988
The sound of the car boot slamming shut cut sharply through the sound of Blake's father huffing, puffing, and swearing blue bloody murder at the innocuous trunk he had just heaved out of the vehicle.
It was 10.30 in the morning on September first, and King's Cross station was teeming with life - car horns, the bustle of the crowds, the armada of pigeons determined to make their presence felt, all of it contributed to the steady pulse of London. Oh, and his father's colourful exclamations of course.
"Blasted bloody oversized suitcase! I can't believe it didn't even come with bleeding wheels, son." Paul Kallis certainly wasn't one to beat around the bush with words. A burly man standing closer to seven feet than six, a great, bushy, red beard, and caterpillar eyebrows to match, he didn't have to be, honestly.
"They have invented the wheel in this magic land, right?" He seemed almost horrified, with one red eyebrow creeping up his forehead, looking to escape.
"It's called the Wizarding World, Dad." Blake sighed. "They probably make their luggage fly, like that time I accidentally made your briefcase chase you downstairs. Or shrink it. Or maybe…" he trailed off as the possibilities of easier luggage transport briefly overwhelmed him.
"Whatever it may be, if we hadn't put wheels on it, your trunk wouldn't be going anywhere." Paul glared at the offending item, only stopping when Blake's mother put a hand on his arm.
"Come now, dear. It's not going to bite you." Sofia chided gently. Blake snorted as Paul pouted at his wife. The sight of a man as big as his father pouting like a scolded child never got old, especially in front of his mum, who was a petite five foot, five inches. With long, thick, luscious black hair, a thin frame, and warm brown eyes that sparkled with mischief, she certainly cut a striking contrast against the looming backdrop that was her husband.
"I nearly dropped it on my foot Sofia! I'd never have walked again!"
Sofia rolled her eyes at him and then turned to Blake. "Are you ready? Have you got everything you need?"
Blake nodded. "Yeah Mum, I have everything. It's all in there." He cheekily grinned at his father as he pointed at the trunk. Paul glared at him before grabbing a nearby trolley to place the trunk into.
"What about Selene?" Sofia queried, looking around for the owl that they had purchased at Diagon Alley a few weeks prior.
"Oh, I told her to meet me at Hogwarts so she could stretch her wings, y'know?" Blake moved to quickly reassure his mother before rambling on. "I read that post owls can find their way almost anywhere that isn't protected by specific wards."
Sofia looked a little lost at the unfamiliar terms, but shrugged and nodded anyway. Paul, now finished his renewed battle with the trunk, stepped close to Blake and placed a large hand on his shoulder.
"Be good, kiddo. Write to your mother often, you know how she'll miss you." Blake nodded rapidly, having already received the same demand from his mum on the car trip to Kings Cross. "Good, now do you want us to walk you to the platform? Nine, right?"
Blake shook his head. "No Dad, it's Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The Professor that came by gave instructions on getting there, so I'll be fine." He took a breath, the realisation that he was leaving his parents behind for nearly ten months fully hitting him now that the moment had finally arrived.
"Keep Dad safe, Mum. You know he needs all the help he can get." Sofia smiled tearfully, and swept him up in a hug while Paul snorted and muttered "Brat." behind her.
"Love you, Mum." Blake whispered in her ear. "I'm just an owl away."
Sofia sniffled, and hugged him even tighter. "I love you more."
After bidding them farewell a dozen more times, Blake turned and headed deeper into the station in search of the barrier wall between platforms nine and ten, pushing his trolley ahead of him, mood sombered a little from the knowledge that he wouldn't see his parents until at least Christmas, but he didn't take long to perk up again.
'I wonder why the Wizarding World meetup point is in an extremely crowded train station."
It was an odd thought, but Blake was used to those. He called them 'sensibility slaps', because whenever one popped up and he thought about it for long enough, an obvious answer would present itself inevitably. Right now though, Blake was too eager to stop and think, as the barrier he was hunting for showed itself in front of him.
Quickly, he hurried up to it, eager to examine it and unlock the secrets of the universe, life, and everything…
"...Are you okay?" a concerned voice asked. "You've been standing there staring at the wall for a solid two minutes now. Are you trying to melt it with your eyes or something?"
With a jolt, Blake turned sheepishly towards the voice and saw a boy who looked similar to his age, pale with black hair and a small smile creeping up the side of his face. Oh, and he was wearing wizard robes. In the middle of Kings Cross. 'Subtlety, hello?'
"Er… yeah, no I'm fine. Just trying to figure out this barrier. No melting involved." He flushed a little.
The boy laughed and stuck out his hand. "Well that's alright then, I'm Cedric. Cedric Diggory."
"Blake Kallis, at your service." He shook Cedric's hand thrice and then turned back to the barrier, intent on uncovering its secrets.
"Do you know how it works, Cedric? Mind if I call you Ced? I feel like we've known each other long enough for that, don't you?" He trailed off, running his hands along the rough brickwork of the barrier, on the possibility that his touch might cause… something.
"Wait! No, don't tell me. It'll spoil the surprise." He turned back to Cedric just as quickly as he'd turned away, a thought striking him. "You are a wizard, right? You're not just dressing up in those for someone's mad costume party on this specific Thursday? That would be… awkward."
Cedric held up his hands to ward off the flood of words and dryly responded. "Yes, Blake, I am a wizard. No, I'm not dressing up for a costume party… anything else? Oh yes, I do know how it works - well, how to get through it, rather."
Blake almost bounced in excitement. "You go through it, do you? No, stop! Don't tell me anymore! Half the journey is the discovery, I'll figure it out…" his words died in his throat as he watched a woman and her child clearly hurry up to the barrier and disappear into the wall.
'What?'
A moment's silence, and then…
"Damnit."
Cedric doubled over in laughter, and Blake glared at him ineffectively, muttering under his breath.
"Discovery…" Cedric took a deep breath, mirth sparkling in his dark eyes. "Discovery is half the journey, huh?"
"Shut up, Diggory."
Now that he knew how the barrier worked, and feeling a little miffed at his thunder being stolen, Blake wasted no time in lining up his trolley with the brickwork, before charging into the abyss, closing his eyes tightly as the barrier rushed up imminently. He braced for an impact but felt nothing, however the sounds of many people that weren't present previously suddenly reached his ears, and when he opened his eyes to look, he couldn't help but gasp.
Before him was an entirely different platform from the one he had just left behind the barrier. A smoky haze blanketed the space, which was enclosed over head, and had high vaulted ceilings, and red brick walls just like the other platforms at Kings Cross, though Blake knew that this platform would not appear on any designs of the train station. On the other side of the tracks was another platform, identical to the one he was standing on, except for one notable difference. The wall was lined with fireplaces - a dozen of them - taller than any man save perhaps Blake's own father. Every few seconds, the flames would turn a startling green, before belching out people dressed similarly to Cedric, who was now standing beside Blake, also taking the sight in with an open mouth.
The space was dominated, however, by the enormous steam engine locomotive that sat in pride of place in the middle of the area. The train was a glorious scarlet, polished and gleaming so brightly that Blake could easily see his own black hair and blue eyes staring wide-eyed back at him. The Hogwarts Express was printed in elegant gold scripture on the side of the engine, and Blake could make out two wizards chatting idly in the drivers bay of the steam engine.
The smoke coming out of the funnel seemed to shimmer and twist into fantastical creatures, unaffected by wind or the laws of physics, changing hue and tone with every passing second.
Blake was in love.
Magic is so damn cool. A magical steam engine? Hell yeah.
It also explained why they gathered at Kings Cross, so that was another nagging question ticked off Blake's never ending list. He turned to Cedric, who was still admiring the Express.
"Want to get a carriage together then, Ced?" Cedric looked bemused at his nickname, but nodded, and they both headed towards the compartment carriages behind the main engine. Blake prepared himself to struggle under the immense weight of his trunk and lift it up the step and into the train proper, but was surprised when it weighed far less than he had expected.
In fact, it felt like it weighed as much as a feather.
That git was having me on this whole time. 'Nearly crushed his foot' my ass.
It explained why he hadn't seen more than half a dozen luggage trolleys on the platform as well… they weren't necessary. When I get my hands on you, oh father of mine…
Blake reckoned he could hear his father's laughter echoing all the way from Kings Cross. Hurrying down the narrow hallway after Cedric, they managed to locate a compartment that was still empty (a prospect that had become rapidly more difficult the longer they took to search), and quickly made themselves at home, storing their trunks overhead and settling on the comfortable benches, chatting idly to each other.
"So, are you a muggleborn then?" Cedric asked curiously, looking over his worn jeans and band top. "Not that it matters, I just haven't met many… actually, you're the first one. Are all of you so…"
-"Awesome?" interjected Blake, fanning himself with his hand in a mock pose of superiority.
"I was going to say odd." Cedric said primly, grinning at Blake's raised eyebrow.
"Well yes," Blake confirmed. "I am a muggleborn. The awesomest muggleborn you'll ever meet, mind you." Cedric snorted.
"Does that mean you're a pureblood then?" Blake returned serve, though he was fairly sure he knew the answer, judging from Cedric's robes and prior knowledge of the barrier at Kings Cross.
Just as Cedric opened his mouth to reply, the compartment door slid open to reveal a young girl with caramel coloured hair and cerulean-blue eyes. A boy was standing just behind her, holding two trunks and looking slightly put out by the abrupt stop.
"Could we sit in here? Everywhere else seems to be full up." the girl explained rather grumpily, as if the presence of other kids sitting in compartments was offensive. Blake liked her immediately.
"Sure, we've got plenty of space; right Ced?" The boy in question shrugged and smiled while nodding towards the spare seats.
"Go for it, the more the merrier."
The girl flopped down onto the seat next to Cedric dramatically, allowing the boy with her to hastily store the two trunks up above next to Blake's own, before sitting down too. They all stared at each other for a moment.
Blake went to introduce himself, but was beaten to it by the girl.
"I'm Katrina, and this is my brother Antonio -" Antonio immediately kicked Katrina lightly in the shin with a glare, causing her to yelp and quickly amend: "-but call him Ant, not Antonio, and definitely not Tony."
Blake blinked. "...Right, got it. Katrina and Ant. I'm Blake, Blake Kallis. This is Cedric Diggory. Are you two first years as well?"
Ant just nodded, while Katrina took the frontfoot again. "Yeah! We are! Isn't it odd that you English always introduce yourself with your full names? How strange! And tiresome, I would say. But anyway, I wanted to go to Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts, it just seems so much more… elegant, right? From what I've heard anyway. Our mother went to Beauxbatons, but father went to Hogwarts. He won the coin toss, so here we are!"
That… was a mouthful. A seconds silence passed.
Hmm... we do introduce ourselves with our full names, don't we? Is that weird? He was jolted back to reality when Cedric recovered enough to reply.
"Are you saying…" Cedric spoke slowly, as if he was still trying to digest what he had just heard. "That your parents decided where you were going to study for the next seven years of your lives… with a coin toss?" He sounded a little incredulous, but mostly confused. Blake could only concur - it did seem rather strange.
But then again, so far wizards and witches had been nothing but strange.
"Indeed." It was the first word that Ant had spoken since entering the carriage. Katrina looked like she would keel over with pride, while Ant looked mildly nauseous.
"What's Beauxbatons? Another magic school?" Blake asked curiously - he'd not heard of any other schools of magic, but then again, he'd only found out about being a wizard just over a month ago. He felt he could be excused for his ignorance a little. "Are you two purebloods like Ced over here then?"
Katrina raised an eyebrow. "Ced, huh?" Cedric groaned and shook his head.
"Don't even bother, we met barely thirty minutes ago and he's already coined a nickname for me. Watch yourself or he'll get you too." Blake smirked, and winked at Ant who shook his head rapidly.
'No way' was the clear message. Blake pouted slightly and turned to Katrina, waiting for a response to his queries.
"Oh yeah, um. No, we're not purebloods. Mum is a muggleborn, so we're half bloods. And yeah, Beauxbatons is another school of magic in France. It's the best magic school in the world, they say!" she said passionately, a light shining in her eyes.
"I've always heard that Hogwarts is the best magic school." Cedric defended, Englishman pride coming to the surface at the mention of the French being superior at something.
"Don't bother, she'll never admit defeat." Ant sighed, the weight of a thousand lost arguments crushing him.
Blake laughed, as Cedric ignored Ant's dire warning and he and Katrina became locked into a friendly debate about which school was indeed the best. They hardly noticed the train pulling out of the station and off towards Scotland, where Hogwarts and magic awaited.
This is going to be amazing.
So that's the prologue down. I wanted to achieve introducing the 'main' characters of this story here, and establishing an early bond between the four of them. Obviously, Blake is the main character of this story and we will be seeing things from his perspective. Katrina and Ant are also creations of my own, largely because I couldn't really find any other characters from Cedric's year level. Creating engaging characters is something I really want to nail, so I hope that I did so - at least a little bit.
There will be a timeskip next chapter, as I'm going to leapfrog the first three years of Hogwarts for Blake and bring him straight into fourth year - when Harry arrives at Hogwarts.
Please tell me your thoughts, as feedback is the best way to improve - and is also amazing motivation.
Until the next one.
-ADN