Disclaimer&Warning: Won't be found on this chapter, seriously, shouldn't you already know this stuff? I think i was pretty clear my lovey's earlier.
Rambling: In which you meet key player in this drama, the story doesn't move much, It's basically the train ride and not much else. Could i do better with the twins? Do you get the eye discription thing or is it crap? Should my story continue? Ready for the next greatest chapter?
Read on Buttercups and Muffinlovey Ducks!
I'd always thought it curious of the administration of Hogwarts to transport students to an unplottable school on a glaringly red train, a practice only instituted in 1904. Not only that but the station where the train rested was placed in a relatively unconcealed location, a simple solid glamour, in the middle of a Muggle train station. Most European wizard schools use Port-key, Floo's and send a teacher for the rare-few accepted muggleborn students attending.
Before.
That was the key word after all, before. Before finding myself stranded in Muggle London. Before forcing my trunk through the crush of the crowd of sweating muggles.
Before I couldn't find the Merlin damned platform entrance.
At this moment the Hogwarts Express and its location were nothing short of a source of extream aggitation for me.
Over the crowd I saw a mass of towering red-heads. Noting the trunks the two youngest where dragging behind them, and the grey owl that looked beyond his carrying years, I fallowed them as closely as I could in the crowd. I caught bit of the words the dumpy elder woman was shouting at her children and barely contained a snort.
"Packed with muggles every year. Can't get anywhere – Merlin ron hurry!"
Statute of Secracy indeed. The woman was as discreet as a rampaging Basilisk.
I watched as the six redheads passed through the barrier, the platform between 9 and 10 incidentally, and fallowed as soon as I was sure they were beyond the exit.
Managing to haul my luggage onto the train was a feat without the aide of my magic. Obviously I needed to become better prepared, I should have shrunk it, or cast a Featherlight charm before I left Auggie's this morning.
On the train I noted about six empty compartments. Locating the one nearest the front of the train cars I take a seat, shoving the stupid trunk in the corner, no way was I trying to heave the bloody thing onto the Luggage rack above my head.
Just as I was settling down and adjusting myself for a long comfortable ride of silently staring out the window, the sliding door's metal shell rattled….. Oh fuck.
Whit an ear shattering slam it was forced open and two gangly red heads, mildly reminiscent of the idiots at the barrier, fell in with a tall black boy following shaking his head. The red heads were collapsed in a pile on the floor but the black boy had frozen in the door frame when he caught sight of me.
He was tall with Honeyduke chocolate skin. Thin tiny cornrows hung in braids almost to his waist wrapped in bronze wire. He was clothed in midnight blue robes, so dark that if the folds didn't catch the light you couldn't distinguish the blue. The cut was a sharp a-line from the belted torso and clinging to the muscular chest. The buttons and belt were platinum and completely fastened all the way to his collar bone.
His eyes gave him away even more than the fine clothing and regal facial features. They were solid crimson. The only African family of Purebloods with those eyes were the Neti tribe near Egypt.
He coughed and looked away from my gaze and I sighed internally, deciding to ignore that conversation for now I examined the three of them more closely, looking at the Aura's around them.
The two were obviously twins, the lay still on the floor giggling helplessly their red pony-tails caught on one another. The matching Aura's of twins were so rare to me I was almost excited. Their Aura was spread wide from their bodies, not nearly so far as Auggie's but further than normal. The silvery blue shade was perfectly even throughout and it almost seemed like their Auras were not touching, but connected and moving together.
The Neti tribe boy's Aura wasn't a surprise, the exact color of his eyes, a thick and murky shade of red. His power was almost even, therefore the distance from his body it spread, with the twins. Though where theirs seemed to move at lightning speed so it almost vibrated, his was casually moving in a cylinder around him. contained energy.
"Ah- Uh, we, we normally sit here, we didn't know anyone would be here. I mean. Er… Gred, Forge, let's go guys." The comical sight of the powerful, tall, Neti boy stuttering at the sight of me almost had my teeth grinding. Irritation taking hold quickly.
The twins stopped laughing and suddenly two sets of huge blue eyes connected with mine. Twin gasps and seconds later all three of them stared in mutual terror at me. It wasn't new.
One of the many things I'd learned about upon my introduction to the wizarding world and Auggie was eye-color distinction. The best of the Light Bloods have eye colors of Gold for phoenix flame, and Blue like ice for healing and the very worst of the Dark Blood's have eyes of Black for Fyndfire, and Crimson for blood. The eye color thing has apparently been around since Merlin and Mordred.
When witches and wizards began distinguishing themselves as dynasties and Blood's they began experimenting. Some rituals used on babies just born to the family introduced special abilities like Animagus forms and Metamorphagus talents; others simply killed the children they were used on. The colors of certain children's eyes changed when they underwent certain extreme rituals of Light or Dark, usually the ones involving blood, life or death sacrifices.
My own eyes are the exact shade of leaf green a killing curse would appear to spell-sight. While most wizards and witches can see the color of a spell as it comes out of a wand, or as it effects and object, not all can, and some lose the ability as they grow older. No one doesn't know the color of the killing curse though; it is the boogey man, the nightmare of the whole magical world. It has no defense. It has no counter.
It is permanent and unequivocal death to any living thing.
The killing curse eye color never came from any bloodline in the entire magical world. If someone had eyes in any shade of green, they were muggleborn, simple as that. Green was a color no wizard blood accepted. And my own eyes were unnaturally green; they glowed with the obvious coloring of wizard or magical blood.
It was unacceptable and spoke of Dark evil rituals fueled by many foul sacrifices of life.
Naturally it inspired fear and wonder in those who saw the color.
Auggie explained this to me, and the fear it inspired, when one witch had fled the shop in horror, dragging her daughter away without a wand. It was about a week after I had moved in with him and it had upset me somewhat, thinking even in the magical world I was a freak of nature.
But then Auggie went on to tell me his own thoughts.
"My boy, you are the only magical person I ever met with eyes the color of the killing curse, but I was not shocked by it when I saw you. I didn't run. Bloody Merlin boy, I asked you to live with me! Don't you want to know why?" Auggie asked in his thick voice, to chocked up to respond verbally I nodded.
Auggie dropped to his knees in front of me then. Ignoring his fine robes of acumatuala silk, ignoring the dust on the floor and ignoring the pains of old age as I knew now, he knelt in front of me. Placing a finely wrinkled brown hand on my shoulder he squeezed, making me forget about not meeting his silver eyes with my cursed ones.
"Your eyes are unnatural."
My eyes began to sting and he hurried on, squeezing me again.
"You were obviously placed under a ritual, from the days of Merlin, and you survived. That ritual gave you power boy and you are absolutely, no contests the most powerful being I've seen in all my years.
Whatever ritual it was, be thankful.
Even if someday people point, and stare, and wonder. It doesn't matter. Know that you are above them; you have had magic literally pulled from the world and ingrained in you. Back in those days, you would have been one of the honored chosen. Just because you have the Darkest cursed eyes in the whole world doesn't mean you should hate them, don't be embarrassed by a few petty fools who wish they had your power.
Love it my boy, love it."
I never cried after that day. His words had finished the job my Dark Lady's death had started. I was powerful. The orphanage was behind me and none in my new magical world was going to make me feel like I did there, curse eyes or no. I wouldn't let them.
Still, sitting here in front of the first people I've met my own age, I can't help but feel a bit self conscious.
One of the red head twins broke the silence. "So, what's your name? I've never seen you before and you're a bit-"
The other twin took over from there "Big to be an ickle firstie"
I was taken aback by this. They wore identical smiles showing perfect white teeth, standing properly I could see they were taller than the Neti boy, pale white skin and far from gangly. Strong chests covered in lilac robes of the same style as the other boy's, but with turquoise buttons and not belted.
I was a bit ashamed of comparing them to the obviously worse-off red-heads I'd encountered earlier; they were much more attractive and clothed decently. But mostly I was more in shock. I looked at their eyes again; they were still Icy Light Blue.
Dumbfounded I answered as coolly as I could. "I'm Charlus Eli Arcturus James. Entering the fifth year to take my OWLS for apprenticeship."
"Our age? Hmm you look a bit small…." One of the twins trailed off squinting at me.
I glared and my voice came out steely. "If you must know, I'm only fourteen, but my guardian thought it appropriate to get them done this year."
I didn't mention I'd never planned to enter Hogwarts, never mind earlier than I had to. Seeing their affronted expressions I backed down a little, unconsciously coiling my magic closer to me.
I really didn't want to alienate people my own age, possible housemates, so early before I knew whether they might be useful or not. I tried again before they could leave.
"Well you can call me Eli." My voice subdued and I looked back toward the window, watching the green hills roll by and flashes of trees here and there.
"My names Lee Jordan."
My head snapped back around at the deep voice. The Neti boy looked a bit more comfortable, edging more in the compartment, like he might stay.
His voice broke the dam of tension and the twins exploded into motion almost dizzying. One boy slammed the compartment shut and the other twin dived into a seat across from me grinning ear to ear again. Lee took the seat next to me, leaving the other twin next to his brother. The twins shared a look and then began talking quickly.
"I'm Fred. He's George."
"But call him Forge, and me Gred."
"Were Prewett's by blood-"
"But not birth."
My eyebrow rose at this, the Prewett's were as dark as the Ollivanders and Malfoy's. These two must think me an idiot to believe that with their Light Blood eyes.
Lee must have caught the look because he spoke up.
"Don't let the eyes fool you. These two are adopted, by Fabian and Gideon themselves. Their mum was a Weasley by marriage-"
The twins took over the story from there, the one called Forge anyway, they didn't switch off talking as before.
"Aye, we were born to Molly and Arthur Weasley. The Fourth pregnancy of Six, only twins in the lot. We got the Weasley Blood eyes and not much else. We have Dark Blood features; our hair is too dark our skin to pale with no trademark freckles, our features to refined for Weasley Blood. Mum and Da were ok while we were young; after all we had the eyes, so what if we took after the Dark family?
But then our first year we met Lee. Straight off friends. We'd always been mischievous, turned our brothers teddy into a spider, messed with the ghoul in the attic. But five minutes with Lee and we had reeked all sorts of havoc.
When we Lee got sorted he went to Ravenclaw, we thought we'd lost a friend, after all Weasley's go to Gryffindor." Here he paused and I nodded, it was true. The Light Blood Weasley's are always Gryffindor no matter what family they marry into.
The other twin picked up from their when it seemed Forge wouldn't go on.
"Well when I went under the hat I wasn't even nervous. McGonagall called me up and the hat fell on my head. It took a second but I knew something was wrong when it spoke in my head instead of aloud. It said "George Weasley, but you aren't are you? You're no Gryffindor and certainly not a Weasley. Now don't be scared, you're fit for a Dark Blood house, Slytherin for sure, maybe Ravenclaw." The hat paused and I was panicking, what if Forge didn't get in one of those, never thought of what the hat said meant, beyond separating us.
But the hat caught it. It started talking out loud, shouted at McGonagall "Give me George Weasley I say! Alphabetical!" Well Fred looked confused and Professor M looked pissed. She took the hat off and made me stand to the side while Fred put it on." He stopped and looked at Forge.
"I put it on and all it does is ask me, Ravenclaw or Slytherin? Well Lee went to Ravenclaw so I automatically picked that house, right?"
Gred started again. "When the hat was on me again he sorted me straight to Ravenclaw.
We had a great year, pranking and learning the castle and even enjoying our classes, with the brilliant minds we had in our classes how could we not? We didn't even notice our two older brothers, the only others in school Percy and Charlie avoiding us. Didn't miss the letters from mum, Gideon and Fabian and Uncle Bartlett were always sending us letters and sweets and never mentioned them either.
It wasn't till we got to the train station the last day of Hogwarts we realized something was wrong. We had just said bye to Lee and were dragging our trunks to mum and da, when da stepped up to us and made us stop.
He looked both of us dead in the eye and said "Bone of my bone, Blood of my blood, Flesh of my Flesh, No more. House Weasley has cast you to stand alone." ''
My gasp was hardly audible but my eyes were wide in obvious shock. Severing children from your House, even the deformed and squibs, was rare because not only did it cut off the line of succession, it permanently removed them from the family vaults, their hearts and even that soul connection family's tend to have.
Gred went on.
"We both felt this tearing deep inside, like something was broke, you know. Both of us fell down on our arse's hard and we watched. Mum was hugging Percy crying, not looking at us, Charlie was shaking his head but da was walking away.
They left us there in that train station. Never said bye or gave us the stuff we'd left at the house"
"Not that it was much" Muttered Lee harshly.
Gred and Forge smiled slightly.
Forge took up the tail end of the narrative.
"Well when it got dark, about four hours after they all left the station, Fabian and Gideon showed up looking angry. I was afraid we'd lose them too. But they walked right up to us and kissed us both on the head and told us to come on home.
The next day the Goblins had Blooded us to them and we became Fred Fabian Prewett and George Gideon Prewett. Turns out The two of them were bloody Slytherins!" He laughed and the tense atmosphere of the room was broken.
"Now they haven't stooped so low as to talk to any of the Weasley's since, a good five years." Lee smiled at me slightly, a glint of true humor in his deep scarlet eyes.
"Nope, Bloody Ronald-"
"And Ginerva-"
"Tried to get us to resort their fist day's here."
"Just stood there and looked over their heads"
I grinned and decided to share some with these three, they were Ravenclaws and Dark obviously, and I knew from Hogwarts a History the train cars were individually privacy warded from staff and students.
"My name is true. I am Eli James. I am also the Heir of House Ollivander." I speak lowly. Watching their faces intently.
The Prewett's drew in equal breaths of realization but Lee seemed unsurprised.
I raise an eyebrow at the exotic boy and a small smile curves his perfect lips. "You carry yourself well and ask no questions. Your robes are also about three seconds newer than our own." He smirked when I glanced down.
I did look the part of Heir. My robes were peridot green; a silver tarnished antique belt slung low on my hips was embedded with chips of jade. The robe was full length but hung open from the hips upward exposing my soft grey undershirt. The shirt it's self had a lace neck loose enough to expose the hollow of my throat where a simple round jade nestled hanging from a silver ribbon. My hair was in a fashionable, barely to my shoulder blades, braid. And most telling I had a simple cuff on my left ear in platinum, on the unexposed inside the words "Lusus naturae" in an elegant scrawl.
The cuff spoke of Dark or Light Blood. Only the owner and the crafter know the words of Latin hidden in the cuff, for it was never removed. Sometimes the words were shared, but only among the like-blooded. His own words were or the House he did not know and for the truth in the words.
Looking at Lee the boy smiled and tucked an elegant braid tied with bronze cord behind his left ear. The cuff was made of ivory or bone with gold inlay, a testament to his culture.
The twins just turned their heads in unison to the right.
"Our cuffs had to be changed when we were adopted." Forge said happily.
"Yup, Ronnikins and Ginny have stone ones!" the other added gleefully. And they were right to be proud. Their cuffs were made of a tarnished copper metal, seemingly worthless, but I could sense the magic.
"Magical creature?" I asked attentively shifting a bit to get a closer look.
"Chimera!" they shouted together turning back to me.
I smiled and began to ask where they had gotten the blood solidified at but the compartment slammed open before I could.
The three of us turned to face the three boys in the doorway. They had stopped moving, stilling in shock, when my cool gaze lit upon each of them. One was ebony colored and of such princely features I almost looked at Lee to see if they were related, his eyes however were a soft hazy brown. One of the other boys was tanned with a dark flop of hair on his head, and dark almost black eyes. The most noticeable was the pale blond in the front.
His head was tilted high with a stubborn set to his jaw, check muscles clenched and light pink suffusing his milky skin. He was tall, taller than I at Five two at least, but didn't compare to Lee or the twins. His hair was platinum and long and flowing. He'd already changed, as had the others, into the conforming black of school robes, all three bore a Slytherin crest of green and silver.
His eyes were magic though. The silvery grey color animated with sparking magic. The sliver eyes flashed above his face equal part fear, and defiance.
I smiled. The twins rose and bowed, Lee nodded deeply.
The blond nodded as well but none of the three could move their gaze from my own sickly green eyes.
"Hello, my name is Eli. I'm here for my OWLs. Who are you?" I deliberately skimped the pureblood dance of greeting, smirking internally as the boy's lips twisted in a sneer.
Lee twitched in ill concealed mirth as the boy spoke.
"The name is Malfoy, Draco. Don't speak it though mudblood." His voice was biting but the words held no heat as he finally looked away from me.
To Lee he asked politely and gravely.
"Jordan, May we join the four of you?"
He had assumed Lee was the eldest and the most notable House. I widened my smile as Lee turned to me and spoke clearly – after my nod.
"Heir of House Ollivander, Would you allow Heir Malfoy, Heir Zambini and Heir Nott to join us?" his tone was even but his red, red eyes sparkled with the laugh he was holding down.
The blond gasped as I gave the shallowest nod. Our family, the Ollivanders I mean, was on par with the Malfoy's in Dark Blood ancestry and money status.
The all three made themselves comfortable and we found ourselves chatting amicably enough, the rest of the ride being uneventful. As the train slowed to a stop I smiled at them all and stood. "Shall we?" I asked.
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