The train rocked lightly as it ran along the tracks in the low light of the growing twilight as children filed into the various spots to sit and chat or find quiet moments to think. Many had been anxious for this day their entire life, while others were having their eyes opened for the very first time. The excitement was palpable and vibrant as the chatting sound of young children filled the cars from end to end.
Three children slowly wandered into a single open cart while a fourth was snoozing in the corner. A girl with a cunning smile, a child with a curious glimmer, a boy with a quiet courage, and the sleeping girl who held close to a plush of an owl as she snored.
The curious one spoke first as the three sat down gently. "Go by Hales. Hales McGonagall."
The blonde adorn in crystals gave a big smile. "Selena Lovegood!" She offered a hand to each as they gently shook her perfectly manicured fingers.
"Justin." The boy said with a rubbing hand along his neck, looking away from Selena shyly.
Hales rolled their eyes while Selena gave an even bigger smile. "So what houses are you hoping for?? I cannot wait to be a Ravenclaw. The books, the knowledge, the stories to find. So many new crystals!" As she gave a happy clap that eased the tension.
"I was hoping there might be a class for art. So. Maybe hufflepuff for me." They knew only a little of the houses, but the comforting safety of a house full of good food and empathy sounded amazing.
"Gryffindor." Justin noted a bit proudly, though it was tempered with a shy blush.
"My, looking to be the main character hm? How exciting." Selena teased as Justin's blush grew fiercer and he looked away.
"H-hey its not like that."
"Sure it isn't. I think red and gold will suit you quite nicely though."
"... r-really?"
"A worthy boy to the house of Potter indeed."
Justin's face soon flushed further as he gave the dopiest grin the two had ever seen. Hales felt a bit at ease around the guy's dorky honesty, while Selena found it just a little endearing. "So then, Mister Hero. Why?"
"W-why?"
"Why do you wanna be a Gryffindor hm? Make a name for yourself? It's the home of heroes after all." Selena added, as talkative as both of her mothers.
Justin tapped on his thigh for a few moments. "Cause... Cause someone hurt people I loved for a long time. I don't wanna let anyone else get hurt like that anymore. I'm gonna rid the world of hate."
Selena smiled with a warm and playful giggle. "My, are you American by chance? Quite the auspicious goal."
"Aus... Pish...?" He tried to repeat.
Selena simply giggled more. "You know I wonder about our little extra over there." Motioning to the sleeping raven haired girl.
Hales looked at her, and seemed to give a little smile. There was a scar on the girls underlip that almost resembled the cut of a fang line, and she had a rather round and pretty face. Her hair was tucked back in two big buns that were messily sat, but she wore the same robes as all of them otherwise. She was huddled up to a single suitcase with that plushie, and the case was decorated with animal stickers.
"Hmm, perhaps another hufflepuff?" She plucked a small bit of dirt from the girl's cloak and gave it a sniff. "Maybe an herbologist family? Smells like mandragora root."
"You can tell that with just a sniff?" Hales asked.
"Of course. They leave a bitter smell after a few days away from the root itself in the soil. Like molding grass." Selena answered.
"You are pretty s-smart." Justin added
She flashed him a pretty smile. "Well, I try." Flipping her hair over one shoulder.
Hales rolled their eyes before turning and heing startled. The girl's eyes had snapped open, and were entirely fixated on Hales. Deep blue eyes that glimmered with strange golden flex along the edges like a ring.
She slowly sat up as Justin and Selena began to get quiet, watching Hales silently as she slowly sat up with her hands around her shins and her suitcase tucked behind her. She had pendants and necklaces of old crystals and a small earring of a little black and blue butterfly.
"Uhm, Hi?" Hales responded.
The girl tilted her head slowly, the motion making her seem closer to a fox than a child like them. Hales could even picture a pair of flopping ears.
"Selena Lovegood! This is Hales McGonagall, and Justin. Just Justin?" Selena was quick to introduce everyone with a bright smile.
"Oh, I- its Justin Kelly." He responded with a scratch of his cheek.
"Barbara." They heard the girl say softly. The sound came out like a little cough almost, like she was hiding the full sound of her voice.
Hales smiled a little more at that. "What're you, a Barbie doll?" Motioning to all the various pins, pendants and colors on her and her suitcase.
Barbara blushed subtly, shifting a little nervously. "Not yet..."
Hales instantly felt a rush of guilt as they could tell that had been taken differently than intended. "Hey, hey I didn't mean any offense."
"It's ok." She spoke softly, offering a little smile as Hales saw a single fang peeking out over those lips and line up with the little indent.
Selena smiled more fully. "Oh our own little group! This is just like the stories of the legendary three!" Hales gave Selena a raised brow look. "Surely you have heard of the three who brought down he who must not be named."
Hales shook their head slowly before Barbara spoke softly. "Voldemort." A shiver run through the train car for a moment.
"Hey, he might be dead but don't go poking the bear." Justin said a little harshly. Barbara's eyes snapped to him, drinking in his expression for a moment before diverting her eyes back down to her pink shoes. "Sorry..."
"Oh... Hey don't take it personally. Just. Name's have power, ya know?"
"Only when you let them." She whispered back with a strangely grim tone.
He quirked a brow, while Hales seemed to smile at that. Selena seemed indifferent and simply giggled.
"Well, I suppose that's true from a certain point of view." Selena added.
"... Star wars?" Justin asked.
"Ohhhh, you are a fan?" She beamed.
Barbara joined in gently. "Peace is a lie.." with a tiny poke with her finger at Justin in a jokingly accusatory motion.
Justin let out a full laugh at that, and Selena was quick to follow as a smile formed on the shy Barbara's face. Hales seemed to smile more at the sight as a little glimmer sparkled to life. The sight made them smile a little more happily themself, even if they couldn't quite say why.
...
Hogwarts, Hall of Heroes.
The headmaster quietly walked along the long and nearly silent hall as the only sound were his fine loafers against stone and the crackling of candle light. The old man gave a gentle smile as his eyes briefly passed by a photo of his oldest and dearest friend. Lost recently to a tragic accident, Ronald sighed softly. He knew there was still work left to be done, but he did wish at times that he still had Harry's courage to help his worst nervous days. The regret sometimes still slipped in of his younger self's behavior.
He stroked the long white beard across his wrinkled features as the old glasses he had inherited hung down his well lumped nose. The candles illuminated his old and wrinkled features as he turned towards the further reaches of the halls and strode slowly down the ancient stones. He smiled as long passed eyes graced his own. Heroes of the old days when he could still feel his knees.
He stopped as he finally came to the end, a hand resting in the brass handle again as he took a deep breath. The students would be here in less than an hour, and he could feel something afoot this year. He felt a tingle traveling along the back of his neck just like in those first years of Hogwarts. It made him worry, but above all, it made him smile. There was a little adventure left for this old Wesley, yet.
...
The sound of footsteps and shuffling pages was all one could hear in the large library as Professor Nisabu adjusted their glasses. Walking down along the halls in his Ravenclaw colors, they smiled at each student behind rimmed purple glasses. Deep brown skin and styled short heavy curly hair. Slitted draconic purple eyes denoted their skill as an animagus as they had permanently changed his eyes. They ensured their library was always watched over.
His feet were adorned in sandals unlike most professors, and they were eager to ditch shoes all together when acceptable. Still, in the library it was a hygenic concern, and they were none too eager to stir the pot on such a trivial issue.
Sitting beside the old oak desk as they looked out among a few of the summer students, noses buried in books, he felt a smile pass over. His eyes soon landed on a reddish brunette who had been here for two years as of this September. She was a brilliant little whip who took to books like a fish to water.
She was also a bit of a gossip, commonly seen outside the common rooms of other houses whispering the latest he said she said, but so far it had been mostly used to encourage some of the shyer members. She was a Gryffindor who seemed to take the idea of courage to heart. It was a warming sight for one who had traveled more than one home for children of gifts, and a hand briefly stroked the purple and orange pendant tucked beneath their collar.
After around thirty minutes of reading themself, they began to catch whispers from the very same girl. That soft little voice that conveyed a lot of emotion even in gentle whispers. He was certain she had learned some form of charisma charm to achieve the effect, but they'd never been able to prove it.
He decided to listen in as a little twitch of their wand formed a listening charm on their ears. "I heard that one of the new children is a powerful witch already."
"No way." One kid said under his breath, a short and stout blonde with rosey cheeks and the colors of a Gryffindor.
"I heard she used one of the unforgivable curses to save an old man." She whispered, masking it with a hand and a yawn but doing little to actually trick the elderly wizard.
"Bloody hell.." a green haired Ravenclaw responded, brown skin and a button nose on a sleek and boney face of a girl with short dark hair.
"Bet she's gonna be a Slytherin."
"Definitely."
"Where's she from?"
"Heard she's from the countryside up north. Mothers are both experienced witches that're old as dirt."
"She's adopted?"
"No you git," as the girl swatted the boy, "Magic can make anything trivial with enough hard work and dedication. That's what my mama tells me." She held her head a little higher, and Nisabu could swear he recognized that odd glint in her eye. A crazed energy always on a knife's edge from slipping.
"But my dad said there was this reporter.." the other girl began, "said that magic like that's all wrong and unnatural."
"What's natural about pointing a piece of wood at a trashcan and suddenly having flowers?"
Both of the others instantly got quiet, and looked rather thoughtful by that answer. Nisabu could only smile more, seeing such a strange kind of use for what most saw as such a dirty teen girl thing. Gossiping for others. Getting ahead of rumors for their sake. It was precious and rather funny at times to watch.
Still, he did still have to set an example about talking this much in the library. A subtle twitch of their wrist as they whispered a soft incantation. "Rota papaya." As the pages of their books suddenly began to rapidly turn. The girl jumped briefly before donning a pouted lip and a sassy hip hold with both hands while the other two jumped up from their respective seats.
"Very funny Professor." She said before giving a smile as she drew her own wand. "Papaya Erst'hella." She whipped her wrist before the books became still again and even reformed the crinkled pages without any creases.
"You have been practicing I see." They said in an old voice that really leaned neither way beyond wizened.
"Of course. A lady must stay sharp in case of anything."
"You remind me of a friend I know at times. Do be careful, however."
"Why, professor?" The girl quirked a brow.
"Hogwarts has help, for all who need it. Yes. Just as every hero will eventually draw its villain, that kindness will come with risks."
"I don't care." She said gently, to the soft shock of her professor. "If helping was about me, then it isn't helping. Helping is about doing things for others. I can always make it, but others may not. So if helping them is risky, then call me a risk taker!" She beamed with a first thrust into the air.
The professor smiled warmly, and reminded even further of their old friend. "Tell me, Ms. Kahn, what must your parents think of such a dangerous line of thought."
The young girl grinned slowly, before placing a finger to her lips slowly. "It's a secret."
He chuckled, gazing at the clock nearby. "Alright Fjalla. Now, a little quiet for just the next fifteen minutes. Your new classmates should arrive just in time for -" they never got a chance to finish as they returned to where she had sat to find Fjalla already rushed, and her books already put away. He smiled at that. A good kid indeed.
