CHAPTER 5
|PLATFORM NINE AND THREE QUARTERS|
The scene shifted to a quaint little house that was situated somewhere in front of a large number of trees. Two men walked forward through the trees with only their backs being shown. The angle changed and showed the pair to be a much older version of Remus Lupin who had a slight stubble and of Sirius Black with shorter hair.
“Think she’s really here?” Sirius asked.
“Over there.” Remus nodded to a female figure.
She had her back turned to them and was feeding a small vicious looking creature a piece of meat. It purred and whined for attention and the woman rubbed and scratched its neck. As Remus and Sirius got closer the creature began snarl and growl at their presence.
The woman turned around and showed her face to be Cathy. Her hair was slightly red and tied to the side. She looked surprised at the arrival of the two.
“Hush little one.” She gently told the creature as she walked towards Sirius and Remus.
“Cathy.” Remus greeted.
“Hey.” She said. “What are you doing here? Not that I mind or anything?”
“We here on official auror business.” Remus answered.
“Did I do something wrong?” The witch asked.
“No, we just need to ask you where you were between ten and midnight two days ago.” Remus said.
“I was here. Taking care of the little Graphorn.”
“What are you doing here?” Sirius asked. “I thought that you were in Amelia Bones’ secret taskforce that does whatever it is that you do.”
Cathy nodded. “It’s not a full-time thing that requires a consistent attendance. I go when I’m needed. I stay here when I’m not.”
“And in your spare time you look after whatever little Graphorns’ is?” Remus nodded to the creature that had walked over to a tree and placed its head on its paws while watching them.
“Everyone’s so focused on the war they’ve neglected the magical creatures that live in this world. I take them in, help them if their injured or sick and then help relocate them before they wreak havoc in the Wizard or Muggle world.” Cathy explained.
“Seems like a lot of work for one person.” Remus noted.
“I manage.” Cathy said. “Amelia Bones hooked me up with a magizoologist called Newt Scamander. He helps a bit from time to time.”
“Can he vouch for your whereabouts two nights ago?”
Cathy looked at the two strangely. “Is there something I’m being accused of here?”
“Don’t mind him.” Sirius interrupted. “He hasn’t slept in over two days.”
Sirius walked over to Cathy and they walked back towards the house with Remus closely behind them.
“We’re not trying to accuse you of anything it’s just that two nights ago an Auror safehouse was broken into.” Sirius informed her. “We’re trying to narrow down the number of people who could have told Voldemort about it.”
“And you’re sure that Voldemort was the person who broke in?” Cathy asked as she looked ahead.
“The only person who was being held there at the time is a confirmed Death Eater.” Remus said. “Although--”
“Right after, more Death Eaters came and attacked.” Sirius said. “Funny thing is, they were looking for the same Death Eater that was taken away.”
“So, what’s the Order thinking?” Cathy enquired.
“We think that someone else might be involved.” Sirius told her. “Ever heard of the Scarlet Witch?”
Cathy looked puzzled. “Can’t say that I have?”
“That’s what we’re calling her. She seems to have themed her magic red and apparently has been sighted in the midst of the Death Eaters so we thought that maybe she was one of them but apparently not.”
“And you think that this Scarlet witch is the one who took away your Death Eater?”
“Yes.” Remus nodded. “Whoever she is, she’s powerful. Walked thought the safehouse and took down everyone who got in her way like it was nothing.”
“Who came up with the name Scarlet witch if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Dumbledore.” Sirius said. “He said that it was from a story about a powerful witch he read about when he was little.”
“Ah huh.” Cathy nodded. “So why are you questioning me about the breaking in?”
“We have to question everyone who was present that day or wasn’t accounted for. Took us two day before we convinced Amelia to tell us about this place.”
“She’s just trying to be cautious. We can’t talk about what it is we’re doing but if we did a lot of people who have their lives placed in danger.”
“So, you say.” Sirius nodded. “It’s killing Dumbledore and the others to not know what’s going on here.”
“That’s their problem not mine.” Cathy said as they got closer to the house. “So, what are you going to do now?”
“We’re going to track the Scarlet witch down and get our prisoner back and throw them both into Azkaban while we’re at it.”
“Really? I get the Scarlet Witch but would you really do that?” Cathy asked slightly concerned.
“Why’s that a problem?” Remus asked.
“I know he’s done some bad things but maybe hear your brother out. Try to understand why Regulus became a Death Eater in the first place. Maybe you’d be surprised to know…”
Cathy stopped when she noticed that Sirius and Remus were no longer walking alongside her. She looked at them puzzled while they stared at her with dark expressions. Cathy looked away when she noticed her mistake.
“You never told me which Death Eater it was, did you?” She asked calmly.
“No.” Remus said. “We didn’t.”
Cathy let out a sigh. “I forgot you’re not those stupid boys that stayed over at my house for the holidays anymore.”
“Cathy,” Sirius began, “what did you do?”
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“It’s you.” Remus stated. “You’re the Scarlet Witch.”
“Yeah.” Cathy nodded. “Well since we’re not pretending anymore then…”
Cathy raised a hand and the red magic flowed out and spread into the air. It went all around them and changed everything. What was a bright little forest turned into a small area darkened with dead trees all around them. And the little Graphorn turned into a massive looking furry beast that didn’t resemble it at all.
“I’m sorry.” Cathy said.
“For what?” Sirius asked as Remus slowly took out his wand.
Remus raised his hand to cast a spell but Cathy was too fast. She raised her hand, a ball of red chaos magic hover and held Remus and Sirius in their place. The red magic wrapped around them and pushed them to the ground.
“For this.” Her eyes glowed red as she threw chaos magic straight into the screen.
The camera changed to a clock that was on a stone wall in the day. A loud train whistle high pitch rang as the camera shifted down to view Cathy and all the children she was responsible for marching thorough the train station. Ryan, Neville and Harry were all busy pushing their trolleys with Cassie sitting on her brothers’ and Halley was walking beside her mother while hold her hand.
“The platform. They’re going to the platform.” James said trying to lift the mood in the hall.
“Right then,” Cathy stopped and turned to the boys making every cease their walking as well, “boys you’ll need these to get on the train.” Cathy handed each of them their tickets.
“Thanks mum.” Ryan said.
“Thanks Aunt Cathy.” Neville said as he placed his in his pocket as Harry stared at his ticket strangely.
“Remember that an hour before the train stops you have to change into your school robes, the prefects will walk by and tell you. Or if you see the other students changed that should be a pretty good sign to change. Put your luggage away and don’t get them when you arrive. The school will handle it. If you get hungry there’ll be a trolley going around the train with snacks and food. Do you have enough pocket money?”
“You sound like your mother.” Fleamont whispered to his daughter making her scrunch up her face before she smiled and laughed.
“Yes.” Ryan nodded. “Mum we have everything we’ll need.”
“Alright sorry.” Cathy smiled looking at the three boys. “You all so grown up. I can’t believe you’re all off to Hogwarts for you first year. God I feel…so old.”
Several of the parents laughed at her comment. They remembered the feeling they had when they sent their own children off to Hogwarts for the first time.
Um, Aunt Cathy.” Harry spoke up. “There must be a mistake. This ticket says platform nine and three quarters. There's no such thing, is there?”
“Not to worry, Harry.” Cathy assured him. “I’ll explain when we get there. Right, after this I’ll drop the girls back home, cook dinner and be back at school waiting for you lot.”
“You’ll be at Hogwarts?” Harry questioned.
“I’m a professor at Hogwarts.” Cathy explained. “I’m sure I must have mentioned that.”
“Mum teaches Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts.” Halley stated.
Professor Kettleburn looked at the screen as he thought about Catherine Potter. The girl had always been one of his favorite students with how well she did in his class but to think that she would later replace him as the subjects’ professor was still surprising.
“She became a teacher?” Euphemia noted with a hint of surprise. Her daughter was always stubborn and wild in nature that the idea of her having a reasonably mundane job in the future was quiet unexpected.
“Right off we go.” Cathy said as they continued walking.
“It's the same every year, packed with Muggles.” Cathy turned to her left to see a red haired woman and a group of red haired children of various ages walking with her. “Platform nine and three quarters, this way.”
“Molly!” Fabian and Gideon Prewett cheered at the sight of their sister.
“Molly!’ Cathy called out to the woman.
“Oh Cathy.” The two women stopped to hug. “How are you?”
“Very well. Just here send this lot off.”
"How wonderful.” Molly smiled. “Hello Neville, hello Ryan, Cassie, Halley.”
The children all replied with their greetings when Molly’s eyes landed on Harry. Before she could say anything the eldest looking boy interrupted her.
“Mum the train’s leaving in ten minutes.”
“Well, well, Molly someone’s been busy.” Fabian said winking at his sister and her blushing husband.
“Busy indeed.” Gideon agreed.
“Oh shut up!” Molly told her brothers.
“All right, Percy, you first.” Molly told her son before looking back at Cathy. Harry and the rest of the children watched as Percy ran straight in front of the wall and disappeared. “You’re looking well.”
“As are you. I love what you’ve done with your hair, really shows off your cheekbones.”
“Thanks so much.” Molly said blushingly.
Ryan looked at Mrs. Weasley for a second. “Cheekbones? What cheekbo—Ow!” Cathy had stepped on her sons’ foot abruptly. “Abuse!”
“Hush before I show you so real abuse.” Cathy whispered as Molly didn’t seemed to notice the exchange.
People in the hall laughed at Ryan’s reaction to his mother cutting him off.
“His manners need a bit of work.” Walburga said.
“I suppose so.” Her husband said as he watched his future grandson rub his foot with the other one while balancing himself with his trolley.
“Fred, you next.” Molly told one of the twins.
“He's not Fred, I am.” The other one told her.
“Twins!” Fabian and Gideon cheered.
“You call yourself our mother?” The first twin shook his head disappointedly.
“I'm sorry, George.” Molly apologized.
The first twin walked over to his mother and said: “I'm only joking. I am Fred.” Before he ran into the wall. The rest of the Weasleys’ went quickly through the wall and Cathy and her children were left.
“Our legacy lives!” Gideon shouted as little Bill Weasley clapped his little hands.
“Oh god.” Molly groaned at the idea of raising two boys just like her brothers.
"Right then, who’s first?” Cathy asked.
“Aunt Cathy…how…could you tell us how to...?” Harry looked very hesitant.
“Oh the poor thing.” Lily said at the sight of her sons’ uncertainty.
Cathy leaned down and spoke to her nephew in a gentle voice. “All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don’t stop and don’t be scared you’ll crash into it. And as soon as you get through walk ahead so anyone coming up behind you doesn’t crash into you, that’s very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you’re nervous.”
Harry gripped the handles of his trolley very tightly and took off in a run and phased through the wall. On the other side was a scarlet steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, 11 o’clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.
“It hasn’t changed one bit.” Remus said.
“A bit disappointing, isn’t it?” Sirius nodded.
He walked further ahead as Neville came through the wall next followed by Ryan and Cassie who still sat on his trolley and then Cathy and Halley.
“Alright group photo kids!” Cathy said pulling a camera out of nowhere.
“Aw Mum!” Ryan groaned.
“Your dad insisted.” Cathy said as she shuffled the kids closer together and snapped the picture. “Perfect.”
“Neville!” the group looked to see an elderly witch approaching them.
“Who’s that?’ Dorcas enquired.
“That’s my mum.” Frank Longbottom informed turning to his confused mother. He was confused to the situation. He had assumed that Neville was living with Cathy because he didn’t have any living relatives left. So why was he with Cathy instead of his mother?
“Oh great.” Cathy mumbled.
“Who’s that?” Harry asked.
“That’s Neville’s gran.” Ryan answered.
“We have a complicated relationship.” Cathy informed him.
“She hates mum because she has custody of Nev, it’s not that complicated.” Ryan told him.
“Why don’t I have custody of my grandson?” Augusta wondered.
“Neville look it’s your gran.” Cathy said pointing to a woman. “Go say hello.”
Neville looked white. “But--”
“What’s with that reaction?” Alice wondered.
“Come now, she came all this way the least you could do is say hello.” The Neville’s grandmother wore green outfit with a large witch’s hat arrived in front of the group.
“Catherine.” She greeted.
“Augusta.” Cathy replied. “Right then let’s get you two settled in.”
The scene rapidly moved fast as Ryan and Harry sat down on one compartment and looked out the window to see Neville still outside with Cathy and his grandmother.
“I lost Trevor!”
“Who’s Trevor?” Fleamont asked.
“Must be the toad.” Cathy said.
“Let’s not panic.” Cathy said. “He might be on the train.”
“What if he’s here?” Neville said.
“You should have kept a closer eye on him.” Augusta said. “As should you. You are responsible for the boy after all.”
“Last time I checked the toad was with him when I left him with you.”
“Wow they really don’t like each other.” Someone commented.
“Regardless--”
“Let’s not fight.” Cathy interrupted. “Neville you need to get on the train.”
“But--”
“The girls and I will look around the station. If he’s here I’ll get him to you tonight. You can search the train for Trevor as well. Ask help from Percy Weasley if you see him, that boy with the red hair we saw earlier, he’s a prefect this year I recall. But avoid the Weasley twins though. Even if they say they have him don’t believe them. They’re probably lying and don’t eat anything they give you either.”
“Oh my god!” Molly groaned.
“Okay.” Neville said reluctantly.
As soon as he got on the train it began to depart from the station. Halley and Cassie were waving to Harry and Ryan as the train moved and Cathy smiled and waved as well.
“Now where’s that damn toad?” Cathy looked around her.
“You seem to curse a bit too much around children.” James stated to his sister.
Cathy raised an eyebrow. “What’s your point?”
“Just doesn’t seem like good parenting is all.” Her brother shrugged.
“The dead should keep their opinions to themselves. No offense, Lily.”
"None taken.” Lily said.
The train left the station after a bit of time. After a while Ryan took out a book and read a bit while Harry stared outside. The doors of their compartment opened and a red haired boy that was with the Weasley’s earlier stepped in.
“Excuse me. Do you mind?” He asked gesturing to the seats. “Everywhere else is full.”
“Hey it’s a Weasley.” Fabian said to Bill in a baby voice while pointing to the screen.
“Wease! Wease!” the young infant squealed.
Ryan seemed to not notice him and didn’t look up from his book so Harry answered. “Not at all.”
“Seems like a bit of a reader.” Remus said in a humorous tone looking at his friend. “Are we sure he’s yours.”
Remus didn’t know it but that comment struck a nerve with Sirius who looked to Cathy and his brother. They weren’t holding hands anymore but he couldn’t help but wonder. The box that came had Lily and Severus’ names. He assumed it was because they were friends but Cathy and Regulus? The two of them might have been in the same year but neither one should have been in contact with the other. They were in completely different Houses and social groups.
‘No.’ Sirius shook the thoughts away. ‘There was no way.’
The boy sat down next to Ryan who looked up from his book.
“Who are you?” he questioned as Harry was reminded of how they met.
“I'm Ron. Ron Weasley.” The boy introduced.
“Ryan.”
“I'm Harry. Harry Potter.” Ron’s eyes widened in surprise. “So it's true! I mean, do you really have the...”
“The what?”
“The scar?”
“Why are you whispering?” Ryan asked.
“Why is he whispering?” Cathy wondered while her father nodded.
“Oh, yeah.” Harry answered lifting his hair to show him.
“Wicked!” Ron said in a impressed voice.
The doors to their compartment opened once again and an elderly woman with a trolley filled with snacks looked in. “Anything off the trolley, dears?”
“Do you have any chocolate frogs?” Ryan asked standing up.
“Yes I do.”
“Oh I’d love some chocolate frogs right about now.” Peter moaned.
“Chocolate frogs?” Harry repeated.
“You lads want anything?” Ryan asked taking out his wallet.
“No, thanks. I'm all set.” Ron said taking out his wrapped sandwiches.
Harry saw the look of nausea on the redheads face. “We'll take the lot.” Harry said as he took a fist full of coins out.
“Whoa.” Ron said in surprise.
“Minted!” someone shouted.
The three boys were next seen snacking on everything they had bought. Ron was eating a chocolate frogs leg when he picked up Ryan’s wallet that had fallen to the ground.
“OFSB.” Ron read the initials that were engraved in green. “What’s this mean?”
“It’s my initials.” Ryan said grabbing the wallet. “Thanks.”
“I didn’t see an ‘R’ anywhere.” Lily said.
“I thought your name was Ryan. Why isn’t there an ‘R’ in your name?”
“It’s a nickname.” Ryan answered. “The people in my family are named after celestial objects, usually stars and stuff.”
“So what’s the letter ‘O’ in your name stands for?” Ron asked.
“My full name is Orion Fleamont Salazar Black.” Ryan said. “The ‘O’ is short for Orion.”
Orion Black felt a semblance of happiness to know that his eldest son had named his eldest after him. The same went to Fleamont who put his arm around his daughter and kissed her cheek, appreciating the gesture of naming her first born son after him.
“Black?” Ron repeated in shock. “Are you related to Catherine Black?”
“It’s Cathy Potter.” The Chaos Castor said.
“Catherine Potter.” Ryan corrected. “She never took my dads’ surname.”
“Your dad?”
“Yeah.” Ryan nodded. “My mum’s Catherine Potter. And Hazza here’s my cousin.”
“No way!” Ron seemed so excited. “That’s so cool.”
“But back to your name.” Harry interrupted. “You said you were named after stars?”
“Yeah a star constellation actually.” Ryan affirmed. “But technically I’m named after my granddad. Both my grandads. That’s why Fleamont is up there too. He was mums’ dad. Our granddad.”
“Fleamont.” Harry repeated. “The Dursley’s never told me about my dads’ family.”
“Oh poor child.” Euphemia said sadly.
“They probably didn’t know that much about your dad.” Ryan said unwrapping some bubble gum. “But I know a lot my family. On both sides so just ask.”
“What about our grandmother?” Harry enquired.
“Euphemia Potter.” Ryan answered.
“Are they still alive?” Harry asked.
Ryan shook his head sadly. “They died before you and I were born.”
The Potter parents felt a twang of pain in their hearts. They never got to meet their grandchildren. Cathy and James both also felt saddened by the fact that they would lose their parents somewhere within the decade or so by their calculation.
“Oh.” Harry said. “Do you know how?”
“Yeah. They had a bad case of dragon pox.” Ryan said looking thorough the pile of candy.
“Dragon pox?” Cathy and James said in unison.
“Dragon pox?” Ron questioned. “But no one dies from dragon pox these days.”
"They weren’t vaccinated.” Ryan said. “That’s what mum said anyway.”
"You’re not vaccinated!” James shouted.
"How is that possible?” Cathy demanded.
“Well--” Fleamont started.
“Weren’t they vaccinated when they were babies like everyone else?”
“They were pretty old. My mum said that they had her and Hazza’s dad when they were in their seventies.”
“That’s your excuse?” James yelled.
“No.” Fleamont said. “That’s our reason.”
“Are you kidding me? You need to go to a hospital!” Cathy told her father.
“We will. We will love.” Fleamont assured his daughter.
“Their seventies!” Harry looked surprised.
“Yeah wizards have a longer lifespan compared to muggles.” Ryan explained. “And a longer…best before date shall we say. We can live up to around a hundred to a hundred fifty.”
“That’s amazing.” Harry said.
Ryan picked up a packet of candy before tossing it away. “Ew! Get that away from me!”
Harry picked up the small packet. “Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?” he read.
“They mean every flavor.” Ron said licking a lollipop. “There's chocolate and peppermint and also...spinach, liver and tripe.”
“The first time I ever had one was when I was five.” Ryan began. “One second I’m at the shop with mum and dad and the next I’m at St. Mungo’s Hospital being treated for arsenic poisoning.”
“Oh wow.”
“Someone should really monitor that candy factory and what they put in their sweets.” The minister said and an Auror wrote down a note.
“George sweared he got a booger-flavored one once.” Ron said.
“Ew!”
“How’s he know what boogers taste like?” Ryan asked to which Ron shrugged while Harry placed the flavored beans down and picked up a box of chocolate frogs.
“That’s a good question.”
“Are they real frogs?” he asked as Ron picked up a box as well.
“It's just a spell.” Ron informed him. “It’s the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I've got about 500 meself.”
“I used to collect them.” Ryan said. “But I just gave up after a while when I kept getting Gilderoy Lockhart.”
A golden haired third year from Ravenclaw perked up at the sound of his name. “Did he just say my name?”
“He’s a rare one.” Ron said. “Cause he was newly added.”
Harry opened the box and a chocolate frog leapt out. “Watch it!” Ron said before the frog jumped out the window. “That's rotten luck. They've only got one good jump in them.”
Harry didn’t seem to mind and picked up the card he got. “I’ve got Dumbledore!”
“I got about six of him.” Ron said as he took out a card. “Hey I got your mum!”
“That’s nice but I’ve got that live-action version at home.” Ryan said as he opened his. “Oh no! I got Lockhart again. Here Ron you can have him.”
“I’m in a card!” The Ravenclaw boy said gleefully.
“Do you want them?” Ron asked Harry gesturing to the cards. “You can start collecting.”
Harry graciously took the cards from both of them and thank Ron as he looked at his aunt. Cathy in that picture had short hair that fell on her shoulders and her sleeves were rolled up showing multiple small tattoos.”
“Catherine Euphemia Potter-Black--” Harry began to read.
“Oh my god I’m in a card.” Cathy said in surprise.
“It’s just Potter.” Ryan interrupted. “Mum’s annoyed that people always think that she took name.”
‘—brilliant, beautiful and powerful, Catherine Black is best known for being the first Chaos Castor to be born in over a thousand years. Blessed with power and wit, Mrs. Black is best known for her mastery of Chaos magic and her skills as a potioneer. Following in the potioneering steps of her family, she invented and holds sole rights to the Veil Potion.’
“Holy shit!” Cathy swore in shock of her achievements.
“I’m so proud of you.” Fleamont told his daughter.
‘Her efforts in the Wizard Protection Program in the second wizarding war earned her several achievements in Great Britain. As a result, Mrs. Black is presently the youngest witch to ever receive an Order of Merlin First Class and the only person to hold all three Order of Merlin awards. She currently teaches at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the Care of Magical Creatures professor.’
“Oh I think I’m going to cry.” Cathy turned to her mother. “And you said that I’d probably end up in a ditch somewhere if I didn’t become a polite girl.”
“It won’t hurt for you to be a bit politer now, would it?”
‘Mrs. Black’s self-proclaimed proudest achievement is her ability to respond to conversations she’s totally zoned out off. “That’s how I got engaged.” She revealed.’
“Oh my god I love that!” Cathy laughed as others joined her.
“Dad always thinks it funny she added that joke.” Ryan chuckled as Harry and Ron laughed. “Of course it lost its effect when he didn’t know whether she was serious or not.”
Harry picked up the card with Dumbledore as Ryan picked up a Liquorice Wand.
“Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times. Brilliant and often controversial headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel and his steadfast championing of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.”
“Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.”
Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore’s face had disappeared.
“He’s gone!”
“I always hated when that happened.” James said.
“Well, you can’t expect him to hang around all day,” said Ron as he looked down at a brown furry creature whose head was hidden inside an empty box of sweets. “This is Scabbers. Pathetic, isn't he?”
“Ew.”
“A rat!”
“A little.” Harry nodded.
“Fred gave me a spell to turn him yellow. Want to see?”
“Yeah.” Harry nodded as Ryan shrugged and picked up his book.
Ron took out his wand and cleared his throat. Before he could a girl with long bushy hair opened the door to their compartment.
“Who’s she?”
“Has anyone seen a toad?” She asked. “A boy named Neville's lost one.”
“Bad luck, Nev.” Ryan murmured.
“No.” Harry answered her.
The girls eyes landed on Ron who was hold his wand. “Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see, then.”
Ron cleared his throat once again. “Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.” A small flash of light made the box that Scabbers had his head in fall to the floor but the rodents fur color remained unchanged.
“What jokers.” Gideon said in approval.
“Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've only tried a few simple ones myself...but they've all worked for me.” The girl said smugly as she sat down next to Harry. She took out her wand and pointed it at his glasses. “For example: Oculus Reparo.”
“Impressive.” Professor Flitwick stated. “To correctly cast a spell like that before she’s even attended a class.”
The lens on Harry’s glasses that were previously cracked healed and the glass became almost good as new.
“Well, that’s pretty problematic.” Ryan spoke. “You just sat down and blasted a spell at Hazza’s face. Like you didn’t even ask consent. Who do you think you are?”
“He’s got a point.” Severus nodded. “It is rather rude.”
Hermione looked back to Harry, possibly to apologize, when she caught view of the scar on his head. “Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter! I'm Hermione Granger. And the two of you are...?”
“I’m Ron Weasley.” The redhead introduced.
“Ryan.” The boy said simply.
"Pleasure.” The girl said before she stood up and walked to the doors of the compartment. Before she left she turned back to the three boys. “You three better change into robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon.” She turned her eyes at Ryan and narrowed them. “You've got chocolate on your chin. Did you know?”
“And you’ve got ‘SMUG’ tattooed on your forehead.” Ryan shot back. “But don’t worry though. It’s mostly covered by that ridiculous fringe.”
Several people laughed loudly at Ryan’s comeback while others just smiled or giggled.
“It seems that our grandson has your temper.” Orion told his wife who smiled with pride at how he put that girl in her place.
“And her forked tongue too apparently.” Sirius murmured. “Someone should tell him to be nicer to girls. Or else they won’t like him too much when he asks them to--”
“He’s eleven, Padfoot.” Remus reminded him. “They’re all eleven.”
Hermione huffed her breathe and left the compartment after slamming the doors shut.
Harry and Ron stared at Ryan and the boy looked back at them. “What?”
“Why’d you pick a pick a fight with her?”
“Dunno. I was bored.” Ryan answered. “Dad says my mum does the same thing. Picks fight when she’s bored.”