Fractured

On Our Way

'See you at Christmas!'

Nova had burst into tears again, and was sobbing into Draco's shoulder as he carried her. Lily's chin wobbled as she fought back her own tears. Hugo looked bored, but his eyes glistened as he watched them board the bus.

They found a seat near the window, waving and blowing kisses to their family below. Albus was ashen, and Scorpius' grey eyes were full of tears. Rose smiled shakily to her family, her lips quivering as she sat in the row of seats in front of the boys. The other children on the bus were all pressed against the windows, waving frantically at their families outside. The door to the bus swung shut, and the engine started with a loud, rumbling roar. They saw all everyone step back, still waving and shouting their goodbyes.

'Alright, soon-to-be witches and wizards,' the driver said over the intercom. 'Get ready to roll, we are on our way!'

Some of the children cheered quietly, but most looked utterly terrified. A young girl slid down into the seat next to Rose. A black hijab covered the girl's hair, and Rose could see a moonstone pinning the fabric into place.

'Hi,' Rose said, smiling gently at the young girl, who had tears streaming down her face. 'What's your name?'

'Sara,' she sniffed. 'What's yours?'

'I'm Rose.'

'Nice to meet you,' she said, ducking her head and wiping her eyes on her shirt sleeve.

'So, do you know how long we're on this bus for, Sara?'

'No idea,' Sara said, her eyes welling up again. 'I don't know anything about this school or...or...anything.'

'Me neither,' Rose said, reassuringly. 'Well, not about the school anyway. I'm sure we'll figure it out together, though. Here, this is my brother, Scorpius, and my cousin, Albus.'

'Hi,' she said quietly. 'Where are you all from?'

'We're from England,' Scorpius said. 'Our parents are ambassadors to the Ministry, so we're attending school here for the year. Are you from Burkina Faso?'

'No, I'm from Togo, my parents drove me here to catch the bus.'

'Drove? In a car?' Albus asked. 'So, you're from a muggle family, right?'

'Um, I don't know what that means?'

'Are your parents magical?' Rose asked.

'Oh, no, they're not. They thought I'd been possessed when I started showing magic!'

'Awkward!' Rose grinned. 'Did they try to have you exorcised?!'

'The Imam came to visit a few times and blessed me,' Sara said, smiling slightly.

'How did you find out what it really was?' Albus leaned over the seat between them. 'Was it the Dream Messenger? Or did someone actually come visit?'

'The Headmistress came to my house and talked to my parents. They were very relieved! How about you? Are your parents magical?'

'Yeah, all of them are,' Rose said. 'Though my mum's parents aren't. She's the first generation witch in her family, like you!'

'That's cool.'

They fell silent, watching as the bus drove through the streets of Ouagadougou. As with the Knight Bus back home, this one seemed to be invisible to the nearby muggles. It drove with more care than the Knight Bus, though, adhering to road signs and driving rules.

A girl across the aisle leaned over to them, flicking her braids over her shoulder.

'Did I hear you asking how long we're on here for?'