Chapter Thirteen: Gift
The trip back to London was silent, but comfortable. Stoick actually gave his hand to Hiccup at some point, and just squeezed it once, a gesture of support that made the boy smile for a bit.
King's Cross was crowded with the mass of people, but Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was strangely darker than Hiccup remembered. Perhaps due to the timing. He was used to boarding the platform at 11:00 AM, but now was still 09:00 AM. Some fancy precaution from Minerva McGonagall.
"Do yeh have everything yer need?" Stoick asked, and Hiccup had a deep breath.
"Yes, sir." Hiccup nodded. The toot sounded, making Hiccup jump, startled.
"Here, son, I got ya this." Stoick pulled a small package from his pocket, a small square box, not bigger than a shoe box, with circle holes on the sides.
"What is it?" Hiccup asked, attempting to open it, but Stoick placed his hand above his son's.
"Just open it tonight, not before, yeh got it? You'll like it." He assured.
The whistles sounded again, just in time for Hiccup to give Stoick a final hug. It has been a while since they had not shown basically any act of affection on this place. Hiccup closed his eyes, again just feeling the moment. "I love you, dad."
A tear escaped Stoick's eye. "I love you too, son." His father said, before letting his son go. "Take care."
Hiccup nodded. "You too."
And with that, Hiccup jumped in the Hogwarts Express, fighting to fit his trunk inside the locomotive, and turning to the window to give his father a final look before the train started moving.
It was then, wandering through the wagons that Hiccup saw him. Snotlout was standing in the wagon, along with his Slytherin peers. Hiccup's eyes met his for a moment, cold as ice, his expression harsh.
Snotlout didn't stare back, but didn't do anything remotely offensive either. Hiccup walked past them without looking back, and went on to the next wagon.
He found Aster sitting alone in an empty compartment.
"Hi, mind if I join you?" He said, copying what Aster had told him only a couple days ago. Aster smirked, and Hiccup mirrored.
"Be my guest." He answered, and the other boy got in, closing the doors behind himself. He helped Hiccup putting his trunk above their seats, and then both boys sat down, staring out the window.
"How was it with your father?" Aster asked.
"It was alright." The smaller boy replied. "He seemed okay, all things considered."
"Do you believe some of the Prophet's reporters came to my parents' house last Sunday?" Aster said. Hiccup stared at him, furrowing his brows.
"What did they want?" Hiccup asked.
"They want to get 'my' point of view of the whole thing, but they're only tryin' to make things seem safer than they actually are." He replied. "They kept retortin' my answers to make the shield seem impenetrable."
"The Minister came to my place as well, asking for the same thing." The boy said, and Aster gulped. "Right after her funeral. Said he wanted to calm everyone down."
"Wow, wait up, the Minister himself?" Hiccup nodded. "Bloody bastards, they are." Aster commented. "At least we still have the Quibbler."
"Quibbler?" Hiccup asked, "Don't tell me you read that rubbish."
"Oh, I recommend you to read that rubbish yourself." Aster said. "That guy's not afraid to write exactly what happens. No wonder it's been banished so many times before."
"What you mean?"
"Durin' the Second Wizardin' War, they came after that guy so often… Not just Death Eaters, but the Ministry as well. They tortured him, even kidnapped his daughter."
"You're kidding." Hiccup crossed his arms.
"It's history, mate." Aster shrugged, amused. Hiccup rolled his eyes, staring back at the window.
"Guess I'll check out on the Quibbler, then." The auburn haired boy said with finality.
"You do that." Aster winked, and for the first time, Hiccup actually smiled.
There was a long silence. "Aster," Hiccup said.
"Huh?"
"Have you heard anything about Astrid's family?" Hiccup said.
"Not that I can remember, why?"
And Hiccup told him everything he heard from his father. From the disappearance to the Ministry's coverage of the case.
"I can't believe it…" Aster said, disgust more than anger filling his expression. "How long do they think they can hide this?"
"Not much, I hope. I sent her a letter as soon as I knew." Hiccup said.
"You did well." Aster said, now looking sad. "She'll be heartbroken once we get there. Did she reply to you?"
"Nope." Hiccup answered. "Not that I was expecting a reply from her anyways."
"Wait, complete silence?" Aster asked. Hiccup nodded. "That's not good news."
"Why? She never really liked me in the first place."
"It's not that." Aster placed his hand on his forehead. "Astrid is not the type to ignore things like that. She's not entirely evil, you know? But if she gave no reply, perhaps the Ministry must be checkin' on the mails we're sendin'."
Hiccup stared at him. "What you mean?"
"It's a bloody conspiracy, Hiccup." Aster said, annoyed. "Astrid would never let this go quiet, so I'm positive that your letter might have never even got to her in the first place." Hiccup had his mouth open. "I'd look for my owl, first thing when you get to Hogwarts."
#
Aster turned out to be a nice friend. The afternoon they spent together, he made sure not to mention Valka's name. He knew the right thing to say. Allowing Hiccup to pay for his own sweets when the Trolley Witch appeared. He wasn't a joker like Jack, but his natural sarcastic and sassy nature matched Hiccup's, in a way both boys ended up getting along just fine.
When they reached Hogwarts, the sun was still visible in the horizon. Hiccup figured there would be less students coming back to Hogwarts, but was surprised to see things were nearly the same as ever.
Jack was waiting by the entrance courtyard when they arrived, dressed in his blue hoodie, leaning in against the stone wall. When he saw Hiccup, he walked to him, pulling the boy into a crushing hug before the boy could barely step inside the castle properly. Hiccup chuckled with the tight embrace, hugging back once he dropped his backpack. Around them, people looked, but no longer judging or sneering like before, but mostly sympathetic ones.
"How was it?" Jack asked.
"I'll tell you soon, did she get my letter?" Hiccup interrupted.
The white haired boy furrowed his eyebrows. "Who?"
Hiccup's hear sank. "Astrid, I sent her a letter, did she get it? She stayed here with you."
"Hiccup, we didn't get any letter."
Hiccup grew pale. "We need to find her, something happened to her family." That's when the small boy ran, and Jack ran after him, screaming his name.
"Wait up!" Jack called, but Hiccup disappeared somewhere inside the Great Hall. When Jack finally reached him, Hiccup had already made sure Astrid wasn't there. "What happened?"
"Her family is missing for two weeks now!" Hiccup was panting, breathless. "She has to know."
"What?" Jack was incredulous, suddenly his own heart skipping a beat.
"I sent her a letter, but the Ministry must've intercepted it." The boy explained. "We got to find her, she needs to know."
Jack looked around. He didn't spend as much time with Astrid as it seemed. Mostly he'd spend those days wandering around the castle while the girl would be off around the lake or inside the common room. "I'll check our Tower, she could be there." Hiccup nodded, and Jack ran off to find his friend.
#
When Astrid got the news it wasn't either from Jack or Hiccup, but from Aster. As soon as he found her, he told her everything Hiccup had told him. At first, the shock had made the girl emotionless, then the confirmation once Hiccup and Jack ran to her, and reality would hit her hard. She ran off, disappearing behind the castle's grounds and hiding near the Black Lake where no one would be at that time.
"Have you found your owl yet?" Aster asked Hiccup once they were by the Entrance Hall. Hiccup shook his head. "Have you checked the owlery?"
"Why didn't I think of that?" Sarcasm dripped Hiccup's mouth. "I'm already considering Ash has been either captured or killed by now."
The dark energy rose among the three teens.
"I'm heading to bed." Aster said, stepping away.
"You didn't even have dinner yet," Jack pointed.
"Not hungry," and with that, Aster left, walking back inside the castle and disappearing behind the entrance door.
The two boys kept on wandering through the courtyard, until they settled on a bench near the covered pathway. Hiccup told Jack everything about his meeting with his father, and answered every little question about the Minister's official visit.
"I think he just wanted you as their marketing face," Jack said. "You know, your name appeared on the papers at least a dozen times only this week, people did get interested."
"Whatever, I'm still not doing shit for them." Hiccup retorted. "Dad said it's safer here in Hogwarts."
"He's probably right. Even being right in their aim they're probably never getting in." Blue yes directed towards the night sky above them. "Trust no one."
"Trust no one". Hiccup replied, remembering the line McGonagall told him on her office just a month ago. "Anything interesting happened while I was out?"
Jack grimed. "Not a bloody thing. I mean, aurors coming and going at least three times a day, which is basically useless considering there was nearly no one here, but… Everything got just too boring."
"Guess you're glad I'm back, then." Hiccup smirked, and this time Jack actually nodded.
"I missed you." The taller teen said.
Hiccup's eyes shot open, finally losing that sad tone to his smile, but instead a flattered one. Blushing. He swung his arms around Jack's waist. "I missed you too."
Jack hugged him back over his shoulders. "I might be wrong, but I could bet that the teachers are giving us an easier time with their homework tomorrow." Hiccup giggled.
Suddenly Hiccup jumped, freeing himself from Jack's arms.
"Oh gods, it's night already!" He exclaimed suddenly. "Meet me at the Astronomy Tower in ten minutes!"
"Wait, what?" Jack suddenly got confused, shaking his head as if someone had slapped him across the face. "Wait up!"
"Just meet me there!" Hiccup yelled before disappearing.
Hiccup ran all the way back to the Ravenclaw Tower, avoiding every living soul he could, with one thought in his mind: his father's box. As soon as he stopped at the Ravenclaw portrait, he spilled the answer of the riddle and jumped into the room, nearly stomping into a seventh year girl on his way. He crouched besides his bed, pulling the box to himself, feeling how something seemed to swing inside. He gulped.
And then ran all the way back, the girl he bumped in still watching in shock and yelling when he nearly crossed her again, fast as a lightning.
When he reached the Astronomy Tower, Jack was already waiting, his elbows rested on the balcony, looking at the night view of castle ahead of him.
"Here." Hiccup yelled, basically sliding on the wooden floor. "Dad just gave me this, right before I got into the train. He told me to open it only tonight."
Jack seemed curious. "Let's do it then." He smiled.
Hiccup sat down right there, crossing his legs, and Jack joined him. The freckled hands grabbed the cover of the box, taking it off to reveal something that he most certainly was not waiting for.
A miniature of a black dragon stood inside the box, so small Hiccup could put it in his hands if he wanted to. Its dark scales had some shades of blue on them, and its green eyes were wide and fierce, unlike most dragons Hiccup ever studied about.
"Is that…" Jack started, "a dragon?!"
"Shush!" Suddenly Hiccup became aware of how dangerous that was. "It's not an ordinary dragon; that's a Night Fury right here!" Hiccup exclaimed, lowly. "They're very rare, last time they were seen was decades ago in Norway, before our great-grandparents were even born!"
The small dragon contorted itself inside the box, suddenly looking up, its eyes meeting Hiccup's and escaping a small fragile guttural sound that made Hiccup pop his mouth in awe. He lowered his hand, allowing the tiny creature to curl itself inside his palms. The freckled fingers petted the creature, that seemed to hum in content.
That's when they noticed a small piece of parchment inside the box. Jack's hand that grabbed it, unfolding it and reading it.
"Burn this letter after you read it.'
'I know how much you love dragons, and all things considered, I suspect breaking one more rule won't be anything new for you. This may seem like a model dragon, but use the incantation mentioned beneath it – Only in places it will not be seen – and you'll have its true size. Don't let anyone know of your possession. If the Ministry caught it, then you'll have a handful of problems to deal with. You can choose its name, and keep it safe. Someday it may return you the favour.'
'There is another letter with some basic instructions on how to take good care of it, make good use of them.'
'Essentio makes it real, Ocultatum makes it small."
Jack's eyes wandered from the letter to the small dragon, and then back at the letter.
"Let me see it," Hiccup raised his hand to the letter, and Jack gave it to him, also extending his hand so Hiccup could place the small dragon in it.
As Hiccup read the letter, Jack observed how the dragon curled itself around its own tail, not sleepy, in fact it was wide alert, but also as if it was too quiet, scanning the room and observing all of its surroundings.
"I don't think I've ever heard about a dragon so quiet before." Jack said.
"What you mean?"
"I mean, look at him!" Jack had a glint on his eyes as he cupped the dragon inside his palm, his finger petting the area beneath its chin, which made a funny reaction; the dragon literally twisted itself, shutting its eyes really tight in apparent bliss from the touch. "Also, never seen one that looked so cute."
"I bet most of them would seem cute if they fit inside your pockets." Hiccup remarked, smirking, and Jack gave the dragon back to Hiccup.
"What are you going to call it?" He said.
"I don't know… Is it a he or a she?" Hiccup wondered, examining the dragon, now laying on his own back on Hiccup's palms.
"I think a female dragon wouldn't be so docile." The other boy had the smallest of grins, just like Hiccup, finding the small creature adorable.
"You can literally feel its heart beat."
Jack smirked. "How about you name it Jack?"
Hiccup chuckled, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."
