Heretic • C. Diggory

Full Steam Ahead!

1st September 1989
Stratford, London

"Books and instruments?" Leo asked.

"Check and check," Castiel replied, pulling a stack of books and his instrument case out of his trunk.

"Potions kit?" Ruya asked.

"Check."

"Telescope?"

"Check."

"Lunch?"

Castiel tilted his head at Leo's question. "Don't they sell food on the Hogwarts Express?"

Leo and Ruya looked like they were about to burst out laughing. "Very funny, Castiel," Ruya started.

"All they sell there are sweets, and I'm sure you don't want to be Sorted while you have a sugar rush," Leo added and went to fetch Castiel's lunch.

Castiel couldn't fathom how anyone could endure an eight-hour train ride from London to the Scottish Highlands on sweets alone. Honestly, did the professors want a school full of sugar-high students on the first day?

"Well then," Ruya said, kneeling towards Castiel's trunk, "Seraphiel's owl treats?"

"Check," Castiel replied, knowing that Seraphiel would be starving after his flight to Hogwarts. Castiel had insisted that he ride on the train, but Seraphiel was far too stubborn.

"Wand?"

Castiel took his wand out of his trunk and put it in the holster fastened around his arm. "Check. Now, I'm all sorted."

Leo returned holding a bag full of lunchboxes that Castiel put in his trunk. "Alright, time to go!" Leo excitedly chirped, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

King's Cross Station, London

Castiel looked around at King's Cross Station in confusion. All he saw were multitudes of muggles walking around and didn't see the gold and red train Leo and Ruya told him about. "Mother? Dad? Does the Hogwarts Express really leave from this station?"

"It does, Cas, we're just on the wrong platform- Oh, would you look at that! Here we are!" Leo explained, stopping in front of the wall platforms 9 and 10.

"Watch me," Ruya said and ran towards the wall. Castiel was about to pull her back before she inevitably hit the wall, but to his surprise, she just passed through it.

"Now you do it, Cas," Leo instructed and Castiel closed his eyes and hesitantly darted towards the wall, bracing for impact.

☽︎○☾︎

After unknowingly passing over to Platform 9 3/4, Castiel rammed into something that felt like a large pole. He opened his eyes and saw that the large pole was, in fact, Ruya. "Guess I'm not dead," Castiel shakily jested and Ruya rolled her eyes.

Castiel's jaw dropped upon seeing the phenomenon that was the Hogwarts Express. It left him wondering how the people at his school in his past life would feel looking at the train in the flesh in comparison to seeing it in a movie. "Whoa," was all he could breathe out.

"Whoa, indeed," Leo and Ruya nostalgically repeated.

"Cas!" a blue flash that Castiel recognised as Cedric, excitedly shouted, spinning Castiel in the air as they hugged.

"Well, someone's excited!" Castiel teased after being released from their hug.

"'Course I am!" Cedric raved and grabbed Castiel's hand, "Let's get a seat-"