The three Gardna siblings spent a month learning what they could from what they had. Especially how to work with their wands when they had their mystic soul powers as well.
Harry was the one most intrigued by wizard magic, as it was the type of magic his parents had used. Don't get him wrong, he loves being a mystic soul and everything that comes with his gift. But wizard magic was his heritage and he wasn't going to abandon it. He thought that if his parents had lived, he would have probably been raised around it and never even have known that he was a mystic soul. In truth, that was the case with a lot of witches and wizards in England that don't know about their powers. But according to Buzz and Vallia, it's better that way.
Krinos and Melody were a little more cautious than their brother. England was a dangerous place for mystic souls. Buzz and Vallia had barely escaped with their lives when they were found out. They were going to make sure their brother was safe from the maniacs that seem to run that insane country.
Right now, it was the day before they had to catch the train to their new school. They had all read through their books, even corrected a few errors they saw in them. They did think the first year knowledge was a bit basic and as if it was being held back for some odd reason. Any seven or eight-year-old mystic soul could brew a Boil Curing potion. They had their own revision of it for the teenage mages to get rid of pimples.
"I still don't like this," Krinos says to Melody, watching Harry practice wand movements from one of his books as Selene watched him. "Nature doesn't feel right, over there."
"I know you're protective of us, but he wants to honor his birth parents," Melody reminded him.
Wolf was standing by his bonded, Krinos's hand on his head. Frost was, as always, comfortably sitting on Melody's head. She never seemed to mind, as it was always her head, her shoulder, or right next to her that Frost always seemed to be.
"I'm not saying he shouldn't," Krinos said. "His birth parents were as much his parents as Mámá and Bampás were. I would never come between any connection he could have with them. I know I'd do the same thing in an instant if it was a connection to Mámá and Bampás."
"I get it, now," Melody nodded her head, understanding. "You don't want our world exposed to England. You want to protect Harry and our home."
"Mystic souls aren't supposed to be secret, but that country has tried hunting us on multiple occasions," Krinos almost growled. "We're going into the belly of the beast, attending Hogwarts. And I'll be sent to Tartarus before I let my brother and my fellow mystic souls be in such danger."
"You may be too noble for your own good," Melody giggled.
"I'm not a member of Unicorn for nothing," Krinos smirked. "We may be pure, but our horns are as sharp as a dagger."
"You should put that on a sign to hang above the door to Unicorn Hall," Melody suggested, giggling.
"Who says I don't already have one, but enchanted to only be seen by members of the house," Krinos teased.
"If you think you're being funny, it's not happening," Melody said.
The snowy owl that Hagrid got them, Harry naming her Hedwig, then landed on Harry's head. She hooted something to him as she looked at the book.
"Couldn't have put it better myself, girl," Harry responded.
"What did she say," Melody asked, the twins sitting next to their brother.
"Those wand movements are a waste of time when all you need to do is focus on what the spell does," Harry told them.
The twins smirked. Harry's ability to talk to animals was always an entertaining sight, mostly when it's around those that don't know he has it. They also thought that Hedwig was one-hundred percent correct.
"There is a reason why Athena chose owls as her sacred animal," Krinos chuckled. "They are indeed wise creatures."
Hedwig almost seemed to puff out her feathered chest in pride.
"She is right," Harry said, closing his book. "Complex wand movements, what a bunch of nothing. If Greece and England ever went to war, we'd win in less than ten minutes."
"The Magic Council is way too smart to go to war with anyone," Melody reminded. "The last war we had was against the giants. We haven't had any wars against fellow mages in over millennia."
"Still doesn't stop them from being idiots every now and again," Krinos says. "I hope that Olivia knows what she's getting into."
The Magic Council is the main form of the government in magical Greece. They're run by twelve elected officials, representing the twelve Olympian gods. They run the higher up levels of magical Greece, including how well the schools are doing and the safety of the students. The other parts of the government are run by the department heads at the Council's headquarters or by the Theós and Theá of the more powerful Greek families.
Olivia Gardna is the cousin of the three siblings. The daughter of the sister of Jax Gardna. She was a user of time magic, making her the biggest history buff in the world. She prided herself on being a well-knowledged girl that cares about her home. She had just turned twenty and was planning on running for a position on the Council as soon as she could. She had been a member of Mermaid house during her time at Crystal Rose.
"What's up Gardna trio," a girl's voice called.
The siblings smiled as their friend, Abby Gold, literally glided over to them.
Abby was a member of Winter Wolf with Harry. She held a special brand of ice magic known as enchanted sapphire. It did reflect in her style of a sky blue winter sweatshirt and skirt with a winter forest design and white fur lining the skirt bottom, hood, and sleeves. She also has matching boots.
"Hey, Abby," Harry greeted, smiling at his housemate. "Nothin' much. Just going over this very boring material. I've known seven-year-olds that can do more advanced stuff than this junk."
"It's England, what do you expect," Abby shrugged. "Quite literally, every other magical community in the world are more advanced than they are. Even Malaysia and the Philippines are more advanced, and they're both really small countries."
Abby is their resident expert on global history. She has a vast knowledge of the different cultures of magic around the world from her travels as a little girl before she came to Crystal Rose. She loved learning about the different mystic cultures and how they were different from one another. It was the reason she was top of the class in International Magic. But while she was Greek by blood and by heart, she never made her culture seem more important than the cultures of those around her when on her travels. To her, it isn't right. You can be as religious as you want but never downgrade the culture of another just to make your own seem better.
"So, ever been to England during any of your explorations," Melody asked their friend.
"Unfortunately, yes," Abby says, sitting down.
Frost gave her a soft cuddle, animals like winter hawks always attracted to her ice magic. It was the same for white wolves, penguins, polar bears, and any other winter or arctic animals.
"Britain is basically the definition of a magically, educationally, and historically behind civilization," Abby told them. "Hogwarts may be considered one of the best wizarding schools in the world, but even that school has its flaws. Most of how behind they are dealing with their first generation witches and wizards.''
''Yeah, we heard that over there, they're called muggleborns,'' Harry says. ''They seriously refer to mundanes as 'muggles.' What a degrading word.''
''I'm with you there,'' Krinos said. ''Mundane is an actual word, they just made 'muggle' up. It's disgusting. How do they deal with the first generation?''
''Well, first they only visit them after their tenth birthday to tell them that they're a witch or wizard,'' Abby explained. ''Then, they just throw them into the magical world at eleven with little knowledge of magical culture and laws. Sure, their parents got to ask questions over the year so they could feel more comfortable with their child in the magical world, but there are no books or lessons given in how to act."
England is one of the few countries that still use 'blood' terms to describe a witch or wizard. Places like Greece, Argentina, Japan, and Russia use other terms. First generation mages are witches and wizards that are born to two non-magic parents. Second generation is a mage born to one magic parent and one non-magic parent. And third generation is a mage born from an all magic family, or simply just two magical parents.
"Well, that is one of the most ridiculous I have ever heard," Melody says. "And I hear a lot. Here, anyone that shows signs of magic are first observed and then visited after their magic is shown to be constant. The oldest first generation mage to get a visit was six. It gives them time to adjust and educated before they enter the full magic world."
"England must like doing things the easy way, and not the right way," Krinos said. "Nobody ever does it the right way when an easy way presents itself."
"Couldn't have put it better myself," Abby continued. "Blood supremacy rules in that country. Everyone is judged and basically, have their whole lives planned almost completely by their blood type."
"By blood type, I'm sure you mean muggleborn, halfblood, and pureblood correct," Harry asked.
"Got it in one," Abby answered. "Apparently, purebloods are the only ones that have any real chance of success. Half-bloods only have a chance if their magic parent was a pureblood lord or lady. And if you're muggleborn, then you're pretty much out of luck. The first generation are looked down on, over there."
"How despicable," Krinos said.
"Britain, man," Melody shook her head.
"I'm actually wondering about your familiars," Abby says. "I know owls are pretty common in England, so Hedwig would be fine, but what about Selene, Frost, and Wolf?"
"We did some checking so that we could still feel comfortable in a new magical environment," Harry told her. "The only pets allowed are owls, toads, and cats, but any student with a familiar is allowed to bring them. Regardless of what type of animal or creature they are."
"It was a relief," Krinos said. "Especially since a separated bonded and familiar causes damage to one's core. And it's also illegal to separate us."
"No kidding relief," Abby breathed. "Pretty sure I would turn them into an ice statue if they tried to take my familiar if I had one."
They all laughed.
*****Time Jump To September 1st*****
"Are you guys sure you have everything," Hestia asked, making a fuss over them.
"Hestia, quit with the mother hen act," Krinos slapped her hand away from his hair. "For crying out loud, you're our age."
"I'm a healer, what do you expect from me," Hestia shrugged.
The three Gardna siblings were standing in the garden at the back of the school. They all had fully packed trunks with their clothes, books, mirror pads and phones, potion ingredients, and everything else they'd need. They made sure to pack their Crystal Rose cloaks so that they still had bits of their traditions.
"Okay, so it's twelve thirty here, meaning that it's about ten thirty in England," Sofia says. "And your tickets say the train leaves at eleven?"
The three nodded.
"My nature's teleportation will get us there is a flash," Krinos snickered. "Quite literally, I add. I'd floral swirl us there, but I'm barely strong enough to teleport myself let alone three people."
"Just make sure to beware," Abby reminded. "If they find out you're all mystic souls, they will kill you."
"We get it, Abby," Harry says, patting her on the back. "We'll be fine. Unless they try to take my amulet. Then, it will be a bloodbath. And it won't be our blood."
Most of them rolled their eyes at that. After a few more hugs, and Hestia fussing over them, Krinos opened up his flower portal. Frost placed himself on Melody's shoulder, his cage in her hand. Wolf jumped into his bonded's arms, his tiny wolf body cuddling into Krinos's chest. Selene followed Harry, right by his side. The three walked into the giant flower. They disappeared, waving.
The three mages and their familiars appeared in an alley. Frost and Wolf were hidden in their enchanted cage and crate so that they looked like a regular pet bird and dog. It was the same with Selene's leash, made her look like a poodle.
"Do we have anything to shrink these things," Melody asked, their trunks being fairly heavy.
She and Harry looked at Krinos. His floral enchantment spells had a variety of effects that came quite useful when needed.
"Fine," Krinos says. "A Button Mum spell will shrink them and then another one will reverse it."
Waving his hand over their trunks, blue pollen sprinkled over them. They then instantly shrunk to the size of a matchbox. They pocketed the shrunken trunks, then went into the train station. They checked their tickets.
"Nine and ¾," Harry raised an eyebrow. "Obviously, the pathway is cloaked or glamoured. Magicals would have a way there, but this way must be for first generation and the mundane raised students."
At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and they caught a few words of what they were saying.
"-- packed with Muggles, of course --"
The three swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like theirs in front of them, and they had an owl. The siblings went after them. They stopped and so did the three, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"Now, what's the platform number," asked the boys' mother.
"Nine and three-quarters," piped a small girl, also redheaded, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go... "
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it. Just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, the boy had vanished. As if he went right through it.
"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.
His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so because a second later, he had gone. Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere. There was nothing else for it.
''I like those two,'' Krinos chuckled.
"Excuse us," Harry said, them going up to the plump woman.
"Hello, dears," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. But something didn't feel right about him to the siblings.
"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is... the thing is, we don't know how to... "
"How to get onto the platform," she asked, and they nodded.
"Not to worry," she said. "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, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
"Er... okay," Melody says.
The three collected themselves, clinging their familiars to them. Selene, in particular, was nervous about running into a wall.
''You'll be okay, my sweet little corn,'' Harry comforted her. ''It is magic, after all.''
They all ran at the dividing pillar. When they thought that they were about to run into the stone pillar, they just kept going. It felt like a rush of magic around them. When they finally opened their eyes, they were in a whole new place. There a look back at the barrier reveals it is instead a wrought-iron archway with the words "platform nine and three-quarters," and over the scarlet steam train billowing smoke, a sign announces that the Hogwarts Express departs at eleven o'clock. The platform also has a distinct smell. One which lifts the spirits of young wizards who look forward each summer to the start of term.
"Sweet Circe," Harry swore.
"My reaction exactly," Krinos and Melody agreed.