Hagrid looked at his watch. “Blimey, is that the time? I’ll be needing to get back to Hogwarts right quick. You’d better come with me, Gourry.”
Gourry blinked. “But I need to stay with Lina and Harry.”
Hagrid shook his head. “No can do I’m afraid. They gots their tickets for the train, but we need to get there fast so we can get you settled into the staff before the term starts.”
Lina blinked and looked at Harry. “What’s a train?”
Harry tilted his head and thought about how to describe it. He had been really young when he had left this world; he didn’t have more than a faint clue about how a train worked. “It’s kinda like a really long carriage that goes on a track at really high speed. Not magic.”
Hagrid nodded vaguely at the description. “The train will take you right to Hogwarts and I’ll be there ta meet yeh.”
Lina nods. “So where do we pick up the train?”
“King’s Cross station,” Hagrid said, handing Lina and Harry each a ticket for platform nine and three-quarters.
“I can find that,” Harry said with some confidence. “We leave Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron, right?”
“That’s right Harry,” Hagrid said with approval. “See you at Hogwarts. C’mon, Gourry.”
The large man headed off at a brisk pace, Gourry following with some uncertainty.
Lina looked to Harry. “You sure you can find this place?”
Harry nodded. “Positive.” He looked at the ticket. “Um. Platform nine and three-quarters might be a bit trickier, though.”
Lina smacked him upside the head.
Harry stared at the big 9 over the platform.
Lina stared at the big 10 over the other platform.
Harry looked at Lina.
Lina looked at Harry.
“You have no idea where platform nine and three quarters is, do you?” Lina asked.
“None at all,” Harry agreed. “But I think finding it quickly is a good idea. Even with your sword hidden, we’re attracting a lot of looks.”
Lina nodded. Her exposure to muggles would hopefully be over soon. Muggles used strange vehicles and built buildings that towered into the sky and had strange roads and it all smelled and sounded wrong and there wasn’t a proper guard, hero, justice freak, or bounty hunter anywhere to be seen.
Not that she particularly liked dealing with the heroes and justice freaks, but it was weird not having them around. She was actually beginning to hope Amelia would pop up on a tower and give a speech. “You’re right,” she said with a shudder. “This place is messing with my head.”
Harry looked around. “There must be some clue or something. I mean we can’t be the only students coming this way, can we?”
Lina snapped her fingers. “I got it. Put on your cute face.” She ran over to a man in a uniform and tugged his pant leg gently. “Excuse me sir,” she said in a chirpy voice, eyes wide. “We got separated from our group. Have you seen anyone with a biiiiig cart filled with trunks of weird stuff?”
More than likely the man could think of several people with weird things, but dressed as Lina and Harry were, he didn’t hesitate and pointed down the platforms. “They went that way, lass. There’s no other way out so they have to still have to be there. If you can’t find them, just go to the ticket office and they’ll be able to call for them. You know where the ticket office is?”
Lina nodded. “Yes, sir! C’mon, Harry!” She took off at a run.
Harry followed, grinning. “Have I told you you’re a genius?”
“You could stand to say it more often, little bro,” Lina laughed.
The family was as easy to spot as Lina had hoped. Four boys with carts, a little girl, and an obvious mother, all redheads. Lina decided the man she had talked to would think her a sister that got lost.
While they were getting closer, the oldest boy walked into part of the barrier between nine and ten and simply vanished.
Harry shook her head. These wizards hid their places like squirrels hiding nuts. He wondered if they ever lost any.
Two more boys who looked to be twins vanished before the Inverse siblings reached the barrier. “Excuse me!” Harry called.
The woman looked over and stared at the oddly dressed children. “Yes?” she asked warily.
Harry suddenly realized that they looked nothing like wizarding students to this world’s wizards. He calmly showed his wand. “My sister and I…”
“Oh put that away dear,” the woman said urgently. “Muggles don’t pay much attention but the way you’re dressed you might as well have an Attraction Charm.” She smiled and her demeanor switched from reproachful to kindly in a heartbeat. “Now, first year at Hogwarts? It’s Ron’s, too.”
The last boy was their own age and waved nervously.
“Well it’s easy as anything…say where’s your school stuff?”
Lina grabbed her cape around her and opened it slightly, revealing the sacks of stuff that very clearly hadn’t been there when it was billowing out behind her when she was running through the station. She closed it again and when she let it go to hang freely, it was once again unencumbered. “It’s a simple storage enchantment,” she said easily.
The woman was obviously not sure what to make of this, but Ron knew what he thought. “Wizard,” he breathed. Lina and Harry could hear in his tone that it was slang that roughly translated to “way cool.” Lina favored him with a smile.
Harry rolled his eyes at his preening sister and looked to the woman. “I’m sorry, but…the platform?”
“Ah, right,” she said, smiling uncertainly. “Well it’s simple enough. Just walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Best to do it at a run if you’re a bit nervous.”
Harry nodded slightly and looked at the barrier. He took a step, another, built up some speed…
…and found himself in a new place entirely. Well, it was clearly part of the train station, but it wasn’t either platform Harry had seen. The sign proudly declared nine and three-quarters, the train was a rather distinctive black with red and gold trimmings, and it was packed with wizards, cats, and owls. And, Harry noticed, one poor boy chasing a toad.
Harry moved out of the way before Lina and Ron came through. Ron was a bit of a run, but Lina strolled through calmly. “Rezo had the same setup at his lab,” she told Harry. “Although those sucked you in. So this is a trene?”
Harry nodded. After dealing with a lunatic’s traps, he supposed a simple disguised door wouldn’t faze Lina. “Train. We’d better find a seat.”
Lina was fortunately not too curious about the train, because Harry only had so many answers. He pointed to the locomotive and said “That’s what makes it go.” That’s it; that’s all he really knew.
The Inverses found a seat in almost the last compartment, which fortunately they had to themselves. Harry sat down heavily. “All this secrecy is giving me a headache,” he complained.
Lina nodded. “These wizards do like their secrets,” she agreed. “But I think we’re past all that. Just like in Diagon Alley; magic is all around here.”
“True,” Harry agreed. “How do you think Gourry’s doing?”
Lina snorted. “The big lug can take care of himself.” But she sounded worried.
Harry nodded knowingly. Amelia had been quite informative about their encounter with Hellmaster. “Hagrid seems a good sort. Little slow, maybe, but I like him.”
“Yeah the big dumb nice ones are like that,” Lina mused, staring out the window.
The family that had helped them through was having something that looked like an informal ritual. The mother was well-pleased with Percy, the eldest and a “prefect,” whatever that was. She was less enthused with the twins Fred and George, who promised to blow up a toilet and send the young girl, Ginny, the seat. And then there was Ron, who looked insufferably embarrassed by his mother…being a mother.
Before long they were off. Lina showed some surprise at just how fast the train could move, but for the most part they just chatted idly about the things and people they had seen in Harry’s old world.
Then the door opened and Ron stuck his head in. “D’ya mind?” he asked nervously. “Everywhere else is taken.”
Harry glanced at Lina and smiled at Ron. “Not at all, come in.”
Ron sat down, smiling broadly. “Thanks. I’m Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley.” He held out his hand.
“Harry Inverse,” Harry said, shaking it. Ron turned to Lina.
“Lina Inverse,” she introduced herself.
“That was a neat trick with the cape,” Ron said. “Mum said she never saw an Undetectable Extension Charm used like that.”
Lina beamed proudly. “My mom taught me a fair bit about enchanting. I made the cape when I was ten.”
“You made it?” Ron asked, clearly stunned. “How’d you get permission from the ministry?”
Lina blinked. “What ministry?”
“What ministry?” Ron nearly exploded. He wasn’t angry, clearly, but Lina had very clearly walked into some local taboo. “The Ministry of Magic! It’s illegal for underage witches to do magic outside school!”
“It’s what!?” Harry and Lina both yelled. Unlike Ron, they were angry. Angry and shocked. Ron was glad that they didn't seem like shoot the messenger types.
“No overblown bureaucrat is telling Lina Inverse she can’t cast sorcery,” Lina growled threateningly.
Harry nodded his agreement. “Now I’m really glad mom and dad adopted me,” he said.
Ron’s eyes flicked over Harry. “Adopted? So your name wasn’t Inverse?” There’s no way, Ron thought to himself. Everyone knew this year would be his first, but Ron couldn’t possibly be in the same room as…
Two things happened at the same time. First, the door opened and Fred and George came in. “Hey Ron, Lee Jordan’s got…”
“No, my name was Harry Potter,” Harry said easily.
And then there was a moment of silence.
“Harry Potter!?” the three Weasleys yelled at once.
Lina burst out laughing. “About time you had to deal with fame!” she howled.
Harry looked mortified. Lina had justice freaks after “The Enemy of All Who Live.” Luna had swordsman after “best swordsman in the world.” And now he had…something. “Am I going to have to deal with wizards who want me dead, wizards who want to prove they’re better than me, or wizards who want to shake my hand and get my autograph?” he asked.
Fred and George recovered first and grinned. “Which one do you want?” George asked.
“I’m sure we can oblige,” Fred added.
“Although I’m not too sure about that first one.”
“Would you settle for wizards who want you mortally embarrassed by a perfectly executed prank?”
Harry groaned. “What did I do to deserve this?” he whimpered. He could hear others talking in the train, and was fairly certain his name would be everywhere.
“You lived,” the twins chorused.
“Anyway, I’m George.”
“I’m Fred. You already met Ron.”
“Pompous Percy is in the prefect cabin.”
“He’ll want to shake your hand.”
Harry couldn’t help but smile. He’d never had a brother, but he knew the sound of family playing off eachother. It reminded him how very lucky he was not to be Harry Dursley.
“Well we have to get going.”
“That we do. So many pranks, so little time. Ta!”
And then the twins were gone. Harry shook his head and laughed. “I hope everyone is as friendly as them.”
“And as brief in their admiration?” Lina asked with a smirk. “Maybe you should take off the headband. Show the world your scar.”
“No thanks,” Harry grumbled.
Ron looked at the two of them. “That reminds me. What’s with the clothes?”
Harry shrugged. “This is how sorcerers dress where we’re from,” he said simply.
“Wicked,” Ron approved. “Pity you can’t wear none of it at Hogwarts.”
Lina snorted. “I’d like to see them try and stop me.”
Not long after Fred and George scampered off to cause new mischief, the food trolley came by for lunch.
The trolley didn’t go much further.
Ron stared at the mound of food the Inverses had purchased. “Whoa.”
Harry looked up from the candies and pastries to eye the sandwiches in Ron’s hand. “Howabout a trade. A sandwich each and you tell us what all of these things are, and you can help yourself.”
“You sure?” Ron wondered.
Lina carefully staked her claim to a selection of victuals. She didn’t know what they were, but that had never stopped her from eating before and it wasn’t going to now!
Half an hour later, Lina regretted her decision after an unfortunate encounter with a troll flavored jelly bean. “Explain something to me,” she said to Ron. “Why do wizards enchant food to move and have strange flavors when it would be easier and more agreeable to not have to catch your chocolate frog and for your jellybeans to be recognizable?”
Ron blinked, but was spared from answering when the door opened and a bucktoothed girl stuck her head in. “Excuse me,” she said in a rather bossy tone that reminded Ron far too much of Percy, “have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost his.”
Harry shook his head. “No toad in here.”
“Ugh this is going to take forever,” the girl complained. “And he could be hiding in some dark corner of any one of these rooms!”
Harry rolled his eyes and held out one hand. His voice echoed oddly as he spoke. “Light which burns beyond crimson flame, let thy power gather in my hand. Lighting. There, that help?”
Ron and the girl both stared at the conjured ball of light. “How did you do that?” Ron asked.
“How did you do that without a wand?” the girl asked. Forgetting all about the lost toad she slipped into the compartment and sat as if mesmerized by the ball of light. “I’m Hermione Granger.”
“Ron Weasley,” Ron said automatically, also staring at the spell.
Lina rolled her eyes. “Lina Inverse.”
Harry decided that it would be best if their visitor could think and waved off the glowing ball. “Harry Inverse.”
“Harry…” Hermione muttered. “Harry Potter? There’s a rumor going around that Harry Potter is here under an alias.”
Harry sighed. “It’s not an alias. I was adopted. My name is Harry Inverse. Say it with me now. Harry. Inverse.”
“Er, right, sorry,” Hermione said with a blush. “It’s just I’ve read all about you, I mean Harry Potter, I mean…you know what I mean. You’re in three of the books I bought.”
“I’m in our textbooks?” Harry asked, suddenly quite out of depth.
“What? No, I finished learning those months ago.” Ron coughed in shock at this. “I picked up a few new books to help prepare. I do hope it will be enough.”
“I think we found the top of class,” Lina muttered. “But it sounds like you don’t have a lot of first-hand experience.”
“Nope,” Hermione said brightly. “First witch in my family.”
Harry smiled. “We’re in the same situation, kinda. Lina and I study a very different kind of magic.”
“Clearly,” Hermione stated. “I don’t suppose you’re interested in teaching?”
“Me?” Harry asked. “No. You, Lina?”
Lina shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taken an apprentice. Just as long as you don’t start begging me to teach you the Dragon Slave.”
Hermione stared. “You’ve taken apprentices? How long have you been studying magic?”
“You have a dragon slave?” Ron croaked out.
Lina suddenly remembered just how young she looked. “Um, it’s a long story. But Harry was actually near graduating from the mage’s guild back home, and he got a late start on magic since he was so old when we adopted him.”
“What about the dragon?” Ron pressed while Hermione regarded Lina with uncertainty.
Lina rolled her eyes. “It’s a really old spell and the name got corrupted in a few oral histories. It has nothing to do with enslaving dragons.”
“What does it do?”
Harry snorted. “Pray you never find out.” He looked out the window and noticed with some surprise that the sun was setting. “Has it really been that long?”
Hermione looked out and frowned. “You had best change into your robes; we’ll be arriving soon. Come on, Lina, you can change in my compartment.”
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(Posted Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:52)
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