John Ross IV Rides the Train
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. He belongs to J K Rowling. I don't own the Dallas Characters or South Fork Either.
-OOOOO-
September first came and young John Ross went with his father to Kings Cross to board the Hogwarts Express. The wizard keeping the door was Albus Severus Potter, an Auror in training. Except for his green eyes he looked like James.
When Albus gave the okay the Ewing men went onto Platform nine and three-quarters. Walking through the wall fascinated young John Ross and amazed his father.
There was a good deal of excitement. Students were boarding and owls were hooting. John Ross noticed a young man with blond hair. He was talking to two adult men and two adult women. One of the women looked quite old. The other looked younger.
"Now Abraxes your house is not important," said the younger man. "I thought it was important to get into Slytherin. I ended up happy in Gryffindor. I met a real pretty red-head there and we're getting married."
"You're marrying the half-blood Rose Weasley from a family of blood traitors!" said Abraxes.
"Abraxes if you talk that way again, I'll turn you over my knee!" said the older woman. "That nonsense got the Malfoys into trouble and in the middle of the wrong side in that awful war. What ever came of it? The Blacks extinct in the male line. The Potters almost extinct in the male line. We were down to one male heir. Now we have you and Scorpius. Be a good wizard and a good member of whatever house you get. Be thankful you are getting schooling."
Abraxes became more quiet. A blond man with a receding hairline walked over.
"Your must be the Texas Ewings," he said. "Draco Malfoy. I work for Gringotts. Your son got a vault there."
"My son is the one who is the wizard!" said John Ross Sr.
"He and Abraxes will be the same year, " said Draco.
-OOOOO-
A whistle blew and it was time to board the train. Abraxes and young John Ross rode together.
"How long have you known you were a wizard?" asked Abraxes.
"About a month," answered John Ross.
"What's it like to be Muggle-born?" asked Abraxes.
"The Ministry pays you a visit one day and you find out," answered John Ross. "I was shocked. It still seems like a dream."
"My Dad and his cousin were fighting and somehow his cousins hair turned purple."
Abraxes laughed, "You did accidental magic."
"It stopped the fight. Then dad and Cousin Christopher were laughen' like a couple of hyenas," said John Ross.
John Ross and Abraxes began swapping stories. John Ross told Ewing stories and Abraxes told Malfoy stories.
"Did you know my Grandpa met Voldemort at South Fork and shot him, twice?" asked John Ross. "He killed a mess of Death Eaters that were trying to set up shop in Texas."
Abraxes's eyes widened.
"Grandpa buried them on some abandoned property that had been part of South Fork. Years later the skeletons were found but no one could make anything of it," said John Ross.
"My Granddad is in hiding," said Abraxes. "The Aurors are not sure what he's up to. He was a Great Big Death Eater and Voldemort took our home over. That was all way before I was born."
"My Granddad died," said John Ross. "My father was very important to him. I remember him a little, not much but he was proud of me."
The boys watched the scenery change from suburban London to countryside. The mountains began to appear. The train began to climb. It was beautiful. John Ross became fascinated.
"We are entering the Scottish Highlands," said Abraxes. "Hogwarts is in this region. It's big we still have hours to go."
The train went to more and more remote country.
A voice said "Hogsmeade in ten minutes put on your robes."
"Pull over robes are convenient here," said Abraxes and helped John Ross pull his robes over his Muggles clothes.
"After we are sorted our robe liners will take on the color of our house," said Abraxes. "My brother was in Gryffindor so his is red. Dad's was Slytherin so his is green."
Hagrid called the first years to the boats. The ride across the Lake was the most spectacular thing John Ross had ever seen. The boats came ashore, Hagrid counted his charges and they walked up to the castle.
A round-faced man met them.
"Good evening new students. I am Professor Longbottom. I teach Hearbology and head Gryffindor House. Our Headmistress, Professor McGonagall has asked me to get you. In a moment I'll take your through these doors and you will be sorted into your houses. There are four houses. They are named after the school's four founders, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. I'll be back in a moment and take you in."
Many of the students felt nervous and a little girl started to cry. Abraxes went over and reassured her.
Professor Longbottom came back out. "We are ready!" he said and led the students into the Great Hall. Candles floated in the air. The ceiling looked like the rapidly darkening sky.
They stopped in front of an old stool with a very old cap on it.
The sorting cap though it usually sang tonight made a speech.
"Greetings new students. We live in a time of peace. Let it remain so. Years ago a student came to this school already secretly trained in the ways of dark magic. He caused two devastating wars among our kind. The last battle of the second war was fought in this very castle. Many young wizards gave their lives so you could have a better world. Let us remember their sacrifice and keep dark magic out of these halls. Let us keep the peace they paid for, some with their lives."
"Now it is time for sorting. Put me on your head, new students, and I will tell you the house that best suits your gifts. However remember this, all house have produced great wizards. In the words of Remus Lupin, who died in that great and terrible battle, it is not the house you belong to that is important. It is your choices. Let the sorting begin!"
"Professor Longbottom, will you please do the honors with the sorting!" said a stern looking older woman.
"That's Professor McGonagall. She's really alright as long as you don't cross her," whispered Abraxes.
Professor Longbottom called out the first name. "James Diggle."
A somewhat shy boy walked up. The had was place on his head and immediatly came out "Gryffindor".
"Cedric Bagman."
The hat took it's time and came out "Raveclaw".
"Rufus Fudge."
The hat came out "Hufflepuff".
"John Ross Ewing."
The cap came out "Slytherin" as soon as it passed over John Ross's head. It never actually touched him. Most of the Slytherins were happy about it. The Ewings were certainly cunning and cleaver.
Some were unhappy because John Ross was Muggle-born.
Most however knew that though J R had been unethical he was cunning. John Ross would also be cunning.
"Abraxes Malfoy."
The cap promptly yelled "Slytherin" as it neared Abraxes's head.
Abraxes ran over to John Ross and the boys high-fived each other.
The next name was a surprize, "Vance Gaunt". The cap spent some time debating over Slytherin of Gryffindor and finally yelled out "Slytherin".
-OOOOO-
Vance sat by Abraxes and John Ross.
"I am a literal descendent of Salazar Slytherin and I'm also a natural Parseltongue," said Vance. "Our branch of the family has lived in America. My Dad went to an American wizarding school."
"I'm the first in many generations to come to Hogwarts. After the mess with Voldemort we thought it would never be safe here. Dad came over and Minister Weasley personally invited me to attend Hogwarts. We are different than the extinct British branch of the family. We all go to school. My sister is a snake handler at Charley Weasley's Dragon keep. She went to Durmstrang and was liked there."
A tall man with dark hair and a hooked nose came to the Slytherin table.
"I though Professor Snape died in the war," said Abraxes.
The man smiled, "I'm Professor Tobias Snape, younger brother to Severus. I came to school under an alias and only Severus Snape knew I was his brother. I'm a little more relaxed than Severus but I will be your potions master and I am head of Slytherin House. I expect great things from you three."
"John Ross, your Grandpa Ewing had the heart of a pure-blood and he was a Muggle. Vance you need to cast a favorable light on your family. Abraxes the same with your family. I know there are good Malfoys, Ewings and Gaunts. There are certainly good Snapes. Two of them are my sons. Their Mum is the prettiest blond I ever laid eyes on. She was an Australian Malfoy but she's a British Snape now."
-OOOOO-
As the sorting finished Professor McGonagall stood. "New students welcome to Hogwarts. Returning students welcome to another year."
"We have a staffing change. Please join me in welcoming Arthur Burbage, son of Charity Burbage. He will be teaching Muggle Studies and he has updated it."
A wizard stood holding a London Times.
"Would you like to say anything?" asked Professor McGonagall.
Professor Burbage stood and said, "I read Muggle Newspapers and not just the London Times. Muggle newspapers will be available to anyone in my classroom and the library. I've spent much of my life among Muggles and can answers all sorts of questions about them."
Professor Burbage sat down.
"We have a few rules I want to mention. The Dark Forest is off limits to all students except when accompanied by Professor Hagrid. No magic is be done in the corridors."
"If you have a cell phone it will not work properly for anything except to attract Muggle tracking devices. If you have such a telephone, power it down now and hand it in. It will be sent home for you. You may have electronic calculators if they use no more then nine volts and you may have flashlights as long as they are in the nine volts limit. Absolutely nothing that transmits an electronic signal."
"A short distance outside the Boar Gate is a building we call the Technical Shed. It has electronic things including a hard-wired in telephone you can call home on if there is a telephone at home. There are also some computers and printers. These things do not work on the Hogwarts grounds as the magical flux is too strong. Some Squibs and American wizards help us set it up. Take care of it."
"I do believe you are hungry so dig in."
The golden plates filled with food. Everyone ate until they were stuffed.
Then it was time for bed. The prefects led the students into their dormatories and explained how things worked. The returning students headed for their bedroom areas. Professor Snape spoke to the younger students.