The British Ministry of Magic claims that magical blood is dwindling in Pureblood families. This puts some students in awkward positions. Kris Averbach finds himself being dangled like a piece of meat in front of eligible Pureblood young ladies, but...
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Platform 9 ¾ was crowded and noisy with the usual bustle of students eagerly greeting their friends, owls hooting and screeching in their cages, and parents doing a last-minute check before their children left for another year of magical learning. In the midst of it all walked Kit Sullivan, holding a fancy carrier with an unimaginably large cat stuffed inside, his parents following with his trunk. Now that they were beyond the barrier, Fionn Sullivan was using a charm to levitate the trunk, but a sheen of sweat remained as evidence of him pulling it manually through King's Cross.
The chaos around them continued as Kit lugged Frances, yowling in his carrier, over to the train, looking around for faces he recognized. He was rather hoping to see Kris Averbach, but his best friend was not visible amongst the students running around nearby. He thought he saw a flash of bright colors, indicating the presence of fellow Ravenclaw Jayla Edris, but before he could shout out to her, another Ravenclaw classmate of his appeared at his side.
"'Lo, Kit," Emmett O'Leary said, rather sullenly, though no more sullen than usual.
"All right, Emmett?" Kit said sunnily. He had always found it best to combat Emmett's dour personality with as much cheer as he could muster.
Before Emmett could respond, however, Kit was distracted by a somewhat pompous-sounding voice behind him. He turned to see a man with bottle-cap glasses and thinning hair addressing his parents. The man's face bore an ill-humored expression not unlike Emmett's.
"Well now, Sullivans, here to see your boy-o off? I'm after sending out more notices, ye know," he said, peering at them knowingly over his silver-rimmed glasses. "I expect ye'll be receiving yours soon enough." He cast a somewhat distasteful look over at Kit and clapped a hand on Emmett's shoulder. "Off ya go, son."
Emmett climbed onto the train without a backward glance, heaving his trunk behind him. Mr. O'Leary sloped off, looking churlishly at the happy students rushing about the platform. Kit whirled around to face his parents.
"What's the story then?" he demanded. "What notices is Mr. O'Leary sendin' out?"
His parents exchanged uncertain looks. "It's not something we want ya to be worryin' about," his mother said, reaching out and running her hand tenderly through his hair. Kit noticed that her blue-green eyes were full of concern and he opened his mouth to question her further, when he was interrupted.
"Aunt Lorna! Uncle Fionn!" a little girl's voice shouted, and a small blur rushed at them. "I'm going to Hogwarts! Look at me wand!" Fiona Sullivan held up her new wand for inspection. The wood was so pale it was almost white, and the handle had a graceful twisting design to it.
"Oh my," Fionn said, looking it over. "Is that aspen?"
Fiona nodded proudly. "Yes, and it has a dragon heartstring core. Mac says I'm going to be a duelist!"
