《Harry Potter: Dion the magician who changed everything》 Chapter 1: A Silent Place. So... that''s how it feels... it''s quite a lonely feeling, although very soothing, there''s a lot of silence... the grass feels a bit wet but it''s very comfortable, it''s like it''s constantly caressing me in a soft way, the breeze makes it feel like I''m on top of a cloud flying through the air... funny, people used to say that in these moments you only feel pain and sadness, regret or just impotence of not being able to go on, but I just feel peace... The peace that maybe I was always looking for or longing for, although maybe this is not the peace I was looking for but something very similar, or at least that''s how it feels... or so I would like to think, a place where I can be happy with her... if only she were here... no, she didn''t deserve an end like mine... but that doesn''t matter now... These are my last moments. Maybe this is for the best, I was never worthy of a more honorable death, I''m really tired, I feel like I''ve reached my limit... I can''t move my feet, I feel like I have a giant stone on top of me... the cost of that last spell was terrible, I just feel like I''m finding it harder and harder to keep my consciousness... A slight pain in my arm is the little I feel, but that seems impossible as I see how this one is a few meters away from me. ...The sky looks beautiful, and clear, something unusual in times like these... it''s not raining, but nevertheless, I feel how drops fall down my cheekbones and pass near my ear... it''s not sweat either... it''s tears, but... ?why am I crying?, why, if I really feel good... -Don''t give up, get up!" I hear a voice next to me, as I notice a figure above me, covering the view of the sky, with a similar beauty. That voice...no, it can''t be, I''m already hearing voices, this is definitely the end of me, even if I recognize her melodious voice she shouldn''t be here, even if she is I don''t want her to see me in this sorry state.... Quickly the silhouette tries to lift me up but my body is still not able to respond, for a moment my sight becomes a little clearer and as I look around I can only see how such a beautiful field of flowers was turned into a field of death and withered flowers, a bath of blood and mutilated bodies... it''s terrifying, although this was always a possibility. Moments later he managed to see silhouettes in the distance forming a sort of circle and pointing their wands and hands to the sky, which must be their way of saying that they have been victorious... moments later a spell is cast into the sky and it causes different clouds to appear and gather to form the image of a skull with a large snake coming out of its mouth... the symbol of death, the symbol that changed everything. "You''re an idiot, I hate you for doing this to me as you could... you know how much I suffered thinking I could never see you again?"- I hear her voice broken between crying with sadness and despair in it, as she is on my back pulling me with all the strength she has, although my body is too heavy for me to move far enough away from the battlefield, at this rate only she will die too. "Leave me is a waste of time"-I didn''t think it was so hard for me to speak, my voice sounded muffled and very low so much so that a part of me doesn''t know if she heard me. It was quite selfish I don''t deny it, she as well as most of the people in the revolution were waiting for this moment, and I... I deprived her of this moment even when our promise was always to be together until the last moment... but I didn''t expect it to be this way... I couldn''t afford to lose her, that''s why I had to lie to her, but it was useless. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. One of the mages in the circle turns his head towards us because of the noise caused by one of the revolutionaries who is still alive... although his mask does not allow us to see his face, I know that his thirst for blood was awakened when he saw us, it is as if I could almost see a smile drawn on his covered face. "Run, go now"-are the only words I can say before she lays me down on her thighs. with her eyes as beautiful and bright as an Aquamarine she could not for a moment take her eyes off my face almost as if she was memorizing every inch of it, no matter what situation we were in, she was definitely the best sight I had ever seen in my life. Moments later with her ring she causes a wound in her hand and from a pocket inside her bag she takes out a time-turner... one of the few that were left, immediately she drops her blood on the time-turner and it begins to react differently than what I had been told in those old stories as a child. The time-turner changes its color and began to emit an increasingly powerful glow. "I always knew you were going to achieve great things, you were hope and salvation for many people, especially for me, so I know you will look for a different path, whether it is right or not, I will always no matter where you are, I will always love you... and that''s why you, you are my only hope, the hope of all"- he said between tears causing a whirlwind of emotions that constantly crashed inside me. My eyes become more and more watery and tears are constantly falling down my face both hers and mine, ?what is happening?, because I feel that everything is slowing down, while the light is getting more intense, to the point of almost not allowing me to distinguish her face well but for an instant I saw a sincere and calm smile drawn on it.... "Avada Kedavra!"- is the last thing heard from the masked man who rushed over as soon as he saw that flash of light, aiming at my place, but he was no more wrong, as she prevented the spell from falling on me by covering me with her body. ___________________________________________ When I open my eyes again, in a blurry way, I can distinguish some kind of miniature dragons flying over my head, something nostalgic, it reminds me of my childhood, it''s as if... Realizing the place around me I got out of bed terrified that this was real, this place, this room I am in is the room from when I was a child, I still remember exactly all the things I had and where they were. ?What am I doing in this place?, a feeling of anguish fills my interior, moments before a light knocking is heard at the door, this filling me with more questions and fear, how can I be in this place if long years ago it was destroyed, I was left with only the memories that constantly embraced me in my dreams. "My lord, with your permission I''m coming in" - a thick, formal voice is heard from the other side of the room door. As the door opened I felt a shiver run down my spine, a feeling of sadness and nostalgia run through my whole being and tears began to flow from my eyes, it was almost impossible to believe, Alphonse was the noblest and smartest man I had ever met in my life, the man who practically raised me as if I was his son. He was standing in front without looking up bowing and stretching out his hands with a letter to me. "My lord, the long-awaited letters from the two magical schools have arrived"- Alphonse declares as he slowly raises his head. When he looked at my face his serious expression changed immediately and he quickly approached me, he took out a handkerchief he had in the front pocket of that dreadful jacket he always wore, I still couldn''t believe it, Alphonse was in front of me wiping my tears with a worried expression. "?Has something happened my lord? ?did you have a bad dream? or ?do you feel sick?"- Alphonse asks while he gently passes the handkerchief over my eyes to wipe away the tears that still do not stop coming out. This is definitely not a dream, her touch and smell are real enough for me to realize that this is really happening. Without thinking about it anymore, my body finally reacts and I throw myself on him to give him a hug. "Sir, this is unusual for you, ?has something happened?, ?have the nightmares returned?"- Alphonse continues to ask now with a more worried tone. She managed to activate it, it''s still an amazing thing to be here, next to Alphonse, I still don''t want to let go, it''s been many years since I could do it for the last time. "Just now this is perfect Alphonse"- I say as I break down in tears. Chapter 2: House Alphonse stayed with me for almost 15 minutes stroking my head until I calmed down. "Very good sir, I haven''t seen you get like this since a long time ago when you were refused to buy him an Opaleye dragon from the Antipodes"- Alphonse expresses as he gently pushes me away and stands up lightly wiping his jacket of my snot and tears. "I''m sorry"-is the only thing that comes out of me after that distressing scene. "Now then, I took the trouble to bring the admission letter from the great Beauxbatons Magical Academy, and also as you ordered I threw away your other admission letter from the also well-known Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, also as usual I brought the newspaper so you can enjoy solving the puzzles of the last pages"- he says winking at me while he puts the things on my bed. When I picked up the newspaper the first thing I noticed is that I am in Lyon, my hometown, exactly in June 1990, exactly 8 years before the big disaster... shit the letter. " Alphonse, where did you throw the Hogwarts Academy letter?" "My lord the letter at the moment is in the garbage bin at the back of the mansion"- exclaims Alphonse looking at me in amazement at my behavior. As I finish the sentence I don''t give Alphonse time to ask any questions, my body moves as fast as possible to run out of the room, and I run down the hallway and slide down the staircase banister. Falling on the second floor I run directly to the back door of the house to open it with one blow, in the distance I see how a giant mountain of garbage is looming in the two containers, and although I''m still barefoot I run as fast as possible through the backyard. When I get to the dumpsters I start tearing through the garbage bags looking for the letter. After a few minutes bathed in food residues and other foul-smelling substances of dubious origin, I can''t find the letter the first time, and there are still many more bags to go through. Shit... what a bad start, my feet got peeled due to some rocks and slabs that were connected by different paths in different significant places in our backyard or better said, in our big garden of beautiful and rare flowers, along with sculptures of different famous artists of ancient Greece, well, hurting my feet was something to be expected if you don''t run with shoes. When I arrive at the door of the house Alphonse is waiting for me with a look that expresses many questions, I guess it is not so common to see a child running towards some garbage cans in such an agitated way, and that in a slightly agitated way he will start destroying each of the bags. "My lord, ?what''s the matter? ?what''s the problem?" he asks as he bends down with a first aid kit to treat my minor scrapes. "I needed that letter," he replied a little frustrated. "But sir, you had indicated that you were not interested in any school other than Beauxbatons Magical Academy, ?what happened?, ?have you changed your mind?"- he asks as he wipes my feet carefully with gauze soaked in hydrogen peroxide to prevent any infection. "Although my dream was to go to Beauxbatons Magical Academy, I''ve been thinking for a few months now that maybe my mother would want me to go to Hogwarts Academy"-I tell her as I raise my gaze to the inside of the house. I didn''t remember it as big, my father managed to negotiate before my birth in the hope that I would have more children, and we could run through the labyrinth at the back of the house, also so that my mother could grow all kinds of vegetables and plants with magical effects. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Some people will say that it looks like a castle, but realistically what it resembles most is those typical old mansions built for important royalty when they made long trips and needed a place to rest, really now that you look at it well, as a child I was never aware of the privilege I had. Unfortunately, a house as big as this one feels very lonely when you don''t have many people to share it with, and Alphonse and I understood that very well since we were the only ones who were really staying here, the rest of the servants lived in the village that was a few minutes away by carriage or carriage. Besides, anyone who saw my parents would never have thought they were such extravagant people with expensive and antique tastes. As I lower my gaze again Alphonse is smiling with his eyes fixed on me. "?Is something wrong Alphonse?"-I ask a little puzzled at that meaningless smile. "You have left me speechless my lord, I didn''t expect that change of yours, and you don''t know how much it fills my interior with joy"- he expresses as he stands up again without wiping that smile from his face. "?What do you mean Alphonse?" "To tell the truth I was hoping that by a miracle he would change his mind, that''s why..."- Alphonse puts his hand inside his coat and pulls out an envelope with the respective seal of Hogwarts of Witchcraft and WizardryAcademy, my hair stands on end when I see it in his hands, I can''t do anything but hug him tightly. "Thank you so much Alphonse"- I tell him while my arms are still around his waist. "Calm down my lord, in the same way, Hogwarts letters are able to magically tell if a boy has read his letter or not, meaning that even if there wasn''t the letter if you still hadn''t made a decision on which academy to go to, it was going to keep coming repeatedly until you gave an answer"- explains Alphonse as he turns around and heads towards the kitchen. Something I had heard about the letters from the different schools, each one comes from different methods, A special pen writes the name of each magical child in their respective state at the time of their birth, allowing letters like the one from Hogwarts to be sent to all magical children at the appropriate time, even those born to Muggles. The letter is written in emerald green ink on parchment paper and is delivered to the recipient by owl, except in the case of Muggle-born and children living with Muggles, where the initial letter of acceptance is delivered by regular Muggle mail. "All right, when you finish reading the letter, take a bath and brush your teeth well so you can go downstairs for breakfast." Without giving an answer I nod my head and run back to my room, when I am in it I open the letter, and when I open it some kind of mini fireworks come out, which is totally different from the letter from Beauxbatons Academy where from the letter came out some kind of trumpets and the flag of France, the content does not really vary that much, it follows the same system of writing and wording: HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY Director: Albus Percival Wulfric Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Dear Sir: Dion Beaumont de Legrand We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please note the list of required equipment and books. Classes begin on September 1st. We look forward to receiving your owl before July 31. Very cordially, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress Once you have finished reading the letter, all you have to do is get ready and organize your day to go shopping for the items specifically requested on the menu. But before that... I need to buy some clothes, what the fuck is that they used to put me in as a kid? I look like the small version of a nobleman who dresses in Victorian-style clothes, it''s awful, I can''t even look at myself in the mirror, but it''s the only thing I have so I''ll hold out for a while until we make a little change in this closet. When descending the stairs you could hear a soft laugh of a woman, or at least I thought so for a moment until her laughter was transformed and the woman let out a pretty powerful laugh that even frightened the few birds around, even between laughs you could hear how she made a sound of a little pig, something that could be considered low class in some people of high society. I try to make as little noise as possible and walk on the tip of my toes to the kitchen where that woman''s frightening laughter is coming from, looking through a small opening in the door I managed to visualize Alphonse talking to Mrs. Am¨¦lie, the best cook in town, and Alphonse''s secret love. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you would like to support my work. Chapter 3: The Guardian Of The Garden "Mr. Alphonse, you always manage to make me laugh with your witticisms," exclaims Amelie as she turns the omelet in the frying pan. "I love being witty enough to listen to that melodious laughter that touches my heart and gives it more life and zest for life," says Alphonse as he sits in the dining room sipping a cup of tea in a very classy way. Alphonse never disappoints, he was the one who helped me to manage the art of seduction towards a woman, when I was in the academy, we always kept in touch and he advised me on what to do with the girl I liked in order to conquer her. "My beautiful lady, I would like to keep talking to you about other things but apparently we have a little visitor now." -Alphonse says as he opens the door that was in front of me leaving me uncovered in this pathetic outfit before the two of them. "Good morning my lord, it is a pleasure to have you here, your breakfast is almost ready, so please take a seat"- Am¨¦lia expresses in a cheerful and polite way. amelia "Thank you very much, Mrs. Amelia. As usual, you look splendidly beautiful." As she says those words she turns her gaze to Alphonse in a quick, quizzical way, her eyes watering and a joy-filled smile on her face. "Thank you very much it is quite an honor, my lord." Alphonse looks at me and nods his head while smiling as he approaches me. "Keep it up my lord and they will all fall at your feet."- she whispers in my ear, and moments later she heads to the kitchen and winks at me. Now that I really think about it as a child I had almost no approach with any person external to Alphonse and Prik, I usually used to ignore or simply despise the servants for different things, especially Amelia who although she was always a very cheerful woman, I was not interested in the slightest contact with her, to tell the truth, I considered her as an inferior being because even being the daughter of wizards and having magical blood, she did not possess any magical power. They are the strangest cases in the magical world, this type of people are called Squib, there are few cases of Squib known, one of them or the best known happened in 1858, Angus Buchanan who despite being the son of magical parents, never received a letter of acceptance from Hogwarts, but without knowing how he managed to get to the Sorting Hat before being exposed as a squib. Stories tell that in sheer desperation after gaining entrance to Hogwarts, he threw himself in front of a girl whose name had been called and the Hat was placed on his head. The horror of the moment when the Hat kindly announced that the boy beneath it was a kind-hearted fellow, but not a wizard, will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. Angus took off his hat and walked out of the room with tears streaming down his face. This had never happened before and never happened again since. The fact that Angus was a squib caused him to become estranged from his family. "Let me set the table"- Alphonse says as he takes the dishes from the top kitchen drawer. "As chivalrous and special as always Mr. Alphonse, I see where you learned those chivalrous gifts my lord."- Am¨¦lia says with a flirtatious smile to Alphonse. "No doubt I learned it from the best." Alphonse turns to Amelia and whispers something in her ear, which makes them both turn their gaze to me. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "My lord you have been... different all morning, look me in the eyes and tell me what''s wrong?"- Alphonse comes back to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "I''m just happy they''re with me after everything that happened"-I say as my eyes tear up a little. "It''s okay, go get Prik, he must be hungry too, he''s been working really hard." I nod my head and head to the backyard, more specifically to the garden, where my mother spent hours and hours watering her flowers and vegetables, as a child I loved to see how her face glowed with peace and tranquility being in this place. Or at least it was like that before, since the day everything changed I did not return to that place, until sometime later when Alphonse asked me to accompany him, I was still afraid that I could not be there without her caressing my head and singing songs that reflected the great love that she had. It was a stage of her that very few knew... that day I thought that everything would be lost, withered, rotten, I thought that I would only see death around me of what my mother cared for the most, and that would break my soul, even though I was only a child. Alphonse took my hand and without saying a word began to lead me towards that place, I felt my hands sweating and I was panicking, so much so that my breathing started to go faster and my vision was getting a little blurry. But something changed that... her voice, her singing, was still heard inside the place, my eyes filled with tears non-stop, my heart was shattered because for a moment I thought she was there... I thought I would see her there again and it shattered even more to realize that it wasn''t so. As I looked at Alphonse his eyes were tearing up too, a part of me told me that she really wasn''t coming back, but both he and I felt at that moment that maybe for an instant we had faith in that. As I entered the orchard my eyes lit up again and my mind was calm again. Among the flowers and plants that still retained that beautiful color that overflowed so much life, I managed to appreciate some pointed ears, a being of short stature that teleports from one place to another with a plant waterer, this being was Prik, mother''s house elf. Prik was quite shy, he has been with us since I can remember but he always avoided contact with anyone but my mother, only until the day of his death that while I cried for hours in my room he appeared in front of me, and without saying anything he stood up on the bed, looked at my red and tired eyes from crying, with his finger he wiped one of my tears, without noticing I had stopped crying and he approached me and hugged me, after that, I slept and I thought it had been a dream. But then I saw him again in the garden some time later, taking care of the plants that my mother used to protect, the song came from a special plant that copies people''s voices, and although I thought for a moment that he was going to run away, he looked at me and continued watering the plants quietly. Since that day I started to go more often to the orchard and Prik started to get closer to the point that he would sit next to me and just listen to the plant sing, with time Prik became my confidant, I would tell him my problems and he would even help me with some adventure outside of Beauxbatons Magic Academy. "Hey Prik, how long have you been here?"- I say as I push aside a few leaves from the larger plants in an orchard. "My-my lord...is it ho-time?" speaks Prik timidly as he points to the letter in my sack. "That''s right Prik, the letter arrived today, what do you say, do you want to accompany me shopping?"- I tell him while I take the letter out of the bag to show it. "No! It would not be pru-prudent my lord, a filthy man like me would bring a bad reputation to the ca-casa, if he is seen by your side"- Prik slowly moves away while rubbing his hands due to the anxiety that the thought of that situation must provoke. "Easy Prik, just kidding, do you think the hydrangeas are for the season?"- I ask as I walk around the orchard a little at a time. "For sure my lord, I assure you they will be the best, just as the lady liked them"- says Prik while following me with quick steps behind me. "I''m sure Prik, my mother would be very happy to see how you have this place, you are amazing." "...I only follow the guidelines left by the lady my lord, I would not dare to carry a merit of which I am not worthy"- explains Prik while making a kind of hard paste diary appear with a Gardenia in its center. "You always do the same thing Prik, you avoid any compliments, even though my mother decided to trust you from the first day you came to her." Prik is silent and teleports near the Gardenias, one of the most difficult plants to care for, my mother''s favorite. That meant that our talk was over, as always so fruitful. Chapter 4: Magic Flow August 18th It has been a few weeks since I received the letter, during that time I was learning some gardening with prik, the plants that my mother cared for and cultivated had great properties when it came to casting spells. I was also reading books and exploring some corners of the house to remember old times. Most of the books are about the history of magic, I guess the ones containing old spells will be easier to find at school. Alphonse told me it would be best to make the trip to London this week so I could make the purchases requested by the Hogwarts academy letter, London... who knew I would go there before the great tragedy, and to think it was the beginning of everything I lost. In London, as I remember I lived in complete darkness due to the rain clouds that were constantly forming in the sky, it was like looking at a colorless and damp place. I wonder what it was like before everything, I''m already excited to go exploring, of course, I can''t be careless, I have to delay or end as soon as possible anything that might cause the resurgence of death in the future. Alphonse has helped me with my magic control, I did not remember that I had a bad magic flow and control at this age, I asked Alphonse to help me not because I did not know how to do it, on the contrary, I had to learn by force in constant battles that I managed to fight against the dark forces. But there was something about Alphonse that always generated a lot of admiration and curiosity in me, and I never had the opportunity to ask him directly how he did it. Alphonse had a fairly controlled flow of magic, he was even able to see how much magical power another person had and what their shortcomings were, my father who was even one of the best wizards at Beauxbatons Academy could not beat Alphonse in any direct duel. Even so Alphonse decided to serve my family despite how talented he was, a splendid magician no doubt, that even other families wanted him as a bodyguard or for other functions that honored such talent. Right now we usually have a duel or two in the backyard, I use to apply different spells to my body to be able to move more with this body that is not as strong or fast as my future self. That is why in the morning training sessions with Alphonse he tries to teach me theory, a little bit of precision in casting a spell, and finally a reinforcement combat. A long time ago I didn''t understand this kind of training, it was boring and tiresome, I even used to run away from home through the secret passages of the house, but still Alphonse always found me. The shooting techniques were simple, my marksmanship was not a problem now, my problem was my limitation of magic power. But even so, Alphonse was still determined to teach me these techniques, at the beginning I did not understand him but as time went by I understood that he was only training me for future conflicts, now that I have the opportunity I know that I can take advantage of his teachings and make the most of them. Prik is in front of the orchard covering the orchard with a protection spell to prevent any damage, Amelia watches in surprise from the kitchen window. Or so I thought, but I was wrong, looking at Alphonse had not moved a bit from the place where the fight began, while I''ve just been running without more, my magic runs out very quickly due to the little magic reserve I have, and that without counting that I can only enhance two parts of my body, with the spells that my teacher developed in the future, which are apply more resistance and speed, so I can run and prevent any attack I can give me to resist or cushion damage. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Then there is the fact that even standing in front of me and with only one arm holding his wand and the other behind his back, he seems to be off guard but his presence proves otherwise, I feel how his pressure makes my body heavier and I can''t fire any spell, even what I have fired only deflect or sometimes don''t shoot out of the wand Alphonse lent me to practice. This is quite frustrating, I thought it would be easier but Alphonse shows a determination and confidence in his eyes that I don''t see a chance of winning. Even with my combat experience, I have not even been able to touch him once with a spell, now I understand why my father had such a hard time winning against Alphonse. Without realizing it for an instant one of my shots goes straight to the window where Amelia is, and although for a moment I thought I had hit her, Alphonse positioned himself in front of me in a second and repelled my spell towards me, causing me to fall to the floor without air. "My lord, are you all right?" asks Alphonse as I hear his footsteps approaching me at high speed. "No wonder my father couldn''t beat you, you are incredible Alphonse, you have everything planned," I tell him with the little air I have left. "my lord, you have left me amazed myself, you have significantly improved your magic handling, although you still need to polish some things, besides your mobility is amazing, not to mention your impeccable way of analyzing the field if you continue like this even I in a few years will lose against you my lord"- Alphonse says after healing my wounds with the Episkey spell which is a healing spell that heals relatively small wounds or fractures and could also be used to relieve pain. Apparently, Alphonse developed his magic in the battle against the first dark lord, that would explain his combat ability and his healing magic. "Thanks but I didn''t think it would be so difficult to control magic" - It was something he meant, the body of a child who just has magic is volatile, and measuring the amount and strength used in each spell is something arduous this morning I had several incidents with magic because although some shots managed to hit the target without problem, others failed by the same ability of magical control, Something that honestly a magician like me should not have problems but for a child who is just starting in the magical world is something arduous. "That''s right my lord, there are people who when young find it more difficult due to their flow of magic, some have their pathways closed and as time goes by these open up allowing some mages to have more power and control, so don''t over exert yourself with time I know you will go far my lord"- Alphonse says as he cleans the dirt left on my shoulders. The flow of magic is not something that can be released easily, sometimes it is just luck, or so it was believed in the past, but in the future, my teacher found a way to accelerate the process, something painful and intense but very effective. Some considered it as going against the laws of magicians to acquire more power, but it was not so, the only thing that was done was to open the avenues for magic to flow naturally in advance. This process can only be accomplished quickly and completely with a higher level of magic, although even three mages with halfway decent skills can do it if they know the proper procedure and it would take a month at most for this process to be complete. On the other hand, there is the long method, the method that can be implemented by oneself if you have full knowledge and stamina to endure such treatment, it would take months to finish or even years, and you would suffer constantly due to the tortuous task of opening one by one the ways, of all the above this is the one I have to do, as this type of magic does not yet exist today and teaching it could fall into the wrong hands and advance all the problems of the future to this present time. After our morning fight I took a shower and got dressed, at least I already have more decent clothes, I asked Alphonse to buy me more comfortable clothes, something sporty or at least one so I can at least move without feeling like I''m wearing armor. The training lasted weeks, I have managed to unlock a few points of magic flow in my body, I still have marks and bruises that show that it is a method that forces the body, I also managed to improve my accuracy and took the opportunity for Alphonse to teach me a little healing magic, which to tell the truth made me promise not to tell anyone about how I learned it or who taught it to me. "My lord, it is best that you say goodbye now, it is time to leave," says Alphonse as he gently knocks on the door. Chapter 5: Diagon Alley It is finally time to leave for London, I know that we will arrive a few weeks early to be able to make the respective purchases of the letter, so if all goes well I will be able to take the opportunity to look for some information. As a child I had never left France, much less after the death of my parents, Alphonse would not allow me to leave the country or any other place where I would be exposed to many people, he was a strict man but it wasn''t until I was older that I learned he was also fearful. Afraid of losing me, his continuous training was often contrasted with his sweet way of treating me, but all the pieces fit together once you knew his weak side, one that he only showed on his deathbed, one that only I could see. The farewell this time was more painful, the first time I started in the previous academy I cried almost the whole trip mostly for Alphonse and prik, since with the others I had no real bond, at least nothing similar as now, I would have liked to share more with them, but I am here for another reason. After arriving in London, we stayed in a cottage, not as spacious as my home, but quite homey, you could tell it was a place that was full of love for how things still are, even Alfonse was going from room to room with a somewhat nostalgic smile. The house on its walls you could appreciate the decorative paper a striking and colorfully unaesthetic and had a design that broke with the aesthetics of any place where it was placed, apparently, the tastes of his parents were inherited to Alphonse since he was in charge of buying my clothes, that would explain many things of the clothes I found when I returned to this time. After exploring the rooms we returned to the main room on the second floor where in the center of the room there was a giant fireplace, or well for my size it looked like it. On the walls remain different family portraits, pictures of a wedding, pictures of Alphonse with his Hogwarts Academy costume, a great amount and variety of pictures, something different from my home, where the only portrait there was going up the stairs where a portrait of my parents could be appreciated in an imposing way, a portrait in which I am sitting on my mother''s legs while my father is behind us holding my mother''s men, how nice it would have been to have this amount of pictures in my family. His parents must have been very proud of him to show him off all over their home, but something broke with the aesthetics of the photo frames. On the top of the fireplace, there was a photo frame different from the others, in it, there was a photo where you could see a very happy couple and next to it a boy with crossed arms frowning obviously that was Alphonse and his parents, but on the other side of the phot,o there was only the trace of a burn on the photo, almost as if they had done it on purpose or had rescued it just in time before the photo burned completely. I even tried to get closer to better appreciate the photo and in the mother''s hand where the burned photo was, I could see a much smaller hand, almost like that of a baby. "Are you curious what was on that side of the picture?"-said Alphonse, breaking the silence in the place. As I turned to look at him his nostalgic smile had faded, he had lost any trace of emotion in a matter of seconds. Alphonse put his hand on my shoulder and continued talking. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "It was our first family photo, that day I remember I was furious because I wanted to be the one next to my mother... but I was not allowed, since my parents wanted me to be next to my father, and next to my mother to be Elise... my precious little sister"- he took the photo with extreme delicacy, to then leave it in my hands. Alphonse had a sister, he never talked about it with me before, this is a surprise even for me who thought I knew Alphonse more than anyone else. "She was quite a restless child, also rebellious, and had her moments when she thought she was the mistress and lady of the whole house, but despite being a child with those qualities she was a child full of joy and love towards my parents, even towards me when she wasn''t competing for my parents'' attention with me hahaha"- she laughs a little and her face becomes more colorful, almost as if she was going to cry. " she was a smart girl with more manners than anyone her age... you my lord remind me of her, I would have liked you to meet her, maybe she would have taken care of you as if you were her son." "What happened to her?"-he asked with a hint of impatience in my voice. "Elise was sick, no one had noticed this because she was always smiling and running around the house, when we found out about her illness it was already quite late, since that time I realized that there is no magic that cures all kinds of illness and that there is no magic that fills an empty heart." After those words, Alphonse walked over to a drawer on one of the tables and opened it to pull out a brown cloth bag with a knot in the top. "Surely they must be happy I''m back home hahaha"- Alphonse says as he laughs again- " come on come on, we''ll be late, leave the painting anywhere, and stand inside the fireplace." Leaving the painting on a tea table, I do as Alphonse instructs and stop right in the middle of the bonfire. "Very well, it''s been a long time since I''ve done this so it''s going to be a little weird at first, so try not to move from that spot," he explains as he opens the bag and takes out some kind of powder in the palm of his hand. Of course, since it didn''t occur to me, that would explain the giant chimney, this is for traveling with Powder Flu, the magical powders capable of transporting a person from one place to another via a Flu Network. the network that connects most of the homes and buildings in the magical world. "Well I explain, you have to be very clear with what you say, take the powder and throw it to the base of the chimney, this will take you where you indicate, so remember to pronounce well Diagon Alley, I''ll be right behind you"- he says while he hands me the powder. I don''t deny that I have traveled by this means, but I never liked it, I always burned a part of my clothes, besides with time it stopped being safe to use this method to travel from one place to another since some chimneys were enchanted to take you to places where your death was already designated. "Did you understand?" asks Alphonse. "Yes sir." As I throw the powder I shout Diagon Alley to ensure my trip without risk of getting lost, moments later a green fire appears under my feet and in the blink of an eye I''m in another chimney in an establishment full of people coming and going through different chimneys. Moments later Alphonse also appears behind me, shaking a little as part of his coat caught fire. "Nothing can be perfect, how did it go for you?". Alphonse asks as he quickly checks me out. "All is well, quiet." "Very good, congratulations your first trip was a complete success my lord"-Alphonse smiles like a proud father-" now let''s continue, follow me". When you go out to the main street you can see a considerable number of people and children coming out of the commercial establishments. "My lord I present to you the famous DIAGON STREET, a place where magic is in every place even in the corners you shouldn''t enter"- Alphonse says while being pushed by the people around us, definitely a rather distressing presentation. "So here we will buy everything the list asks for?" "That''s right my lord, I will take you to the best places, my lord deserves the best of this place"-Alphonse speaks with a cheerful tone, it was very rare to see him like that, he looked like a little boy-"so let''s start, my lord". author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 6: Shopping Day Walking through this place is a bit annoying, there are many people and children running around, I did not believe that there could be so many people in one place, according to the stories Diagon Alley after the great disaster remained closed and not a soul was seen, the streets once crowded remained practically empty, but that will not happen again, this time everything will change and this place will not be lost as many others did in the future. Diagon Alley... the truth is more beautiful and entertaining from this perspective, children running all over the streets from market to market, trying to buy the best magical materials in advance, before people with more resources buy them and leave only the leftovers, Particularly during the days or weeks before classes start at Hogwarts, the place is full of witches and wizards. Even Alphonse thought of that and that''s why we arrived a few weeks before the start of classes, the alley is mostly cobblestone, inside the alley there are a variety of restaurants, pet stores, herbalist stores that a Prik, potions, candy, everything you can imagine, even flying brooms, it''s definitely the most magical place in the magical world, the perfect place to find the items on the academy''s supply list. It is a place totally hidden from the Muggle world, hidden under their noses. It is even bigger than he thought, its streets seem to have no end, largely because of the number of people who go through it, its commercial establishments are of various levels, and there is even security guarding and protecting both shoppers and establishments of any conflict that may arise. However I feel how Alphonse doesn''t let his guard down for a second, his eyes are attentive to any movement of the people around us, I guess it''s understandable since this would be the first time he''s surrounded by so many people. "There are many popular stories about this alley"- Alphonse says as he takes my hand- " among those there has always been the doubt of which is the oldest building in this place, some speculate that it has always been over Gringotts or the Ollivanders wands building, there is also the doubt of how many are the spells cast to hide this place from the muggle world, some rumors say more than 300 spells, as there are some that only say it''s no more than 100." "Quite interesting Alphonse, you know a lot about this place." "That''s right my lord, this was my favorite place as a child, I used to come here on vacations with my sister to enjoy the magic, even here was where I met your mother, a girl who stood out among all the crowd with her long white hair that stood out from the tower of magic books she carried in her arms."- Alphonse explains while imitating the situation by making a funny walk. "You''re right, she was a very intellectual woman, but wait white color, my mother?" "That''s right my lord, believe it or not s, he had her hair that color, and after a while she decided to change it, in our time her hair color was a cause of discrimination against her, they said it was a bad omen for the school...well, here we are." Her eyes reflect complete disgust towards her memories of where my mother was discriminated against, "We will start by buying the pewter cauldron number 2, 1 set of glass or crystal glasses, 1 telescope, and 1 brass scales, which are the first items that are on the list of Hogwarts, then we will go for the uniform Three simple robes of work, A black pointed hat for everyday use, although you may not even use it, A pair of protective gloves, very important to avoid any burns or accidents with your wand, A winter cloak for the season, then we will go for the books and finally the most important and exciting, your wand"- says Alphonse while pointing at each place with the tip of his finger. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Although everything Alphonse is mandatory to buy, I also need to make some purchases on my own, stones and metals that will help me develop an object that was perfected in the future, something that allows channeling magic and concentrating in the same way that wands do... but for that I would need two cauldrons plus one of copper and brass. Similarly, we also need to buy spoons to stir the materials. And all the rest of the preparation equipment such as knives, grinders, mortars, and mortar gloves. Ah! We also need potion bottles and ingredients of different shapes and shades. And finally, we need potion-grade protective gloves and safety goggles. The big question is where will I hide all these materials from Alphonse if he is always with me... the only way would be to get a magic bag with ample storage, but asking for one would already be weird for Alphonse. The materials I need don''t seem to be all available in this place either, but I remember well that my teacher used to tell me about hidden places where they make sales of dangerous and dark materials, materials which I need, my teacher used to tell me stories of this place just like alphonse does now, but she was more specific with the dark places of diagon alley, places where she always used to say that unlike the commercial and full of life area where the best of the place were the honest merchants, in the shadows there were only swindlers, thieves and dealers. Shadow merchants are always ready to offer you the best compounds and illegal materials of magic, only if they think you are worthy of these gadgets, and that you will not jeopardize their integrity with the safety of the place. Although in these places there must be security allied with them for their illegal works. Now then, comes the hardest part... As I am a child it might be complicated to escape from Alphonse, although I can use spells that can boost my speed in a way it is still not perfect magic due to my current amount of magic...but along with this maybe...no, Alphonse still doesn''t let his guard down..... I only have one way out, hopefully, it will work. "Alphonse, can I take a ride just for a moment?" Alphonse''s eyes widen with surprise- "My lord it is dangerous, you don''t know the place, you could get lost, besides we don''t know who might be waiting to do any harm, I don''t want to take the risk my lord, you better stay with me". "Relax, I grabbed a map of the alley a few places back, I''m not going to get lost, I just want to see a little more of this place, of the place where my mother grew up." "..."- Alphonse''s silence is indicative that he is thinking about it. "Ok my lord but with my conditions, let''s see give me a moment"- Alphonse takes me back to the place where I took the map and takes one in the same way- " if we are going to do this I need you to be very careful, I know you can defend yourself but there are incredible and problematic mages in these places". "if we are going to do this I need you to be very careful, I know you can defend yourself by yourself but there are incredible and troublesome wizards in these places" he pricks his finger and drops a drop of his blood on both maps and then puts the tip of the wand on both maps to repeat three times the word " first point" and also saying some words which I didn''t understand, when doing this, the blood disappeared and two points appeared on each map. One representing blue and the other red, the red one representing Alphonse and the blue one representing me, incredible, I don''t know how he did it but I have never seen this kind of magic before. "How did you do that Alphonse?" " a little trick your mother taught me by copying one of the best mischief relics at Hogwarts, the marauder''s map, this is just a cheap trick, it only serves to locate us, it will help us to know where each other is at" "Great sounds perfect to me" "Also have some money in case you like something, take good care of it," Alphonse tells me as he hands me some shiny galleons in a cloth bag. "Okay, see you in a bit Alphonse." "Be careful!" shouts Alphonse in the background as I get lost in the crowd. I have to confess I didn''t think he would let go of me so easily but I guess it''s because of the nostalgia of the place when I was a kid, of when he would run around this place alone going into every retail store, something he suddenly wants me to live. Well... Now I just need to look for that secret market, but first I need to camouflage my identity a bit before entering a place like this, the best thing would be to get a mask and a cape, luckily here you can find that and more. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters.- I WILL BE ABSENT THIS WEEKEND, SO I WILL UPLOAD THE CHAPTERS OF THESE DAYS, IN MY SITE WED ON MONDAY I WILL Chapter 7: Among The Shadows. After getting the cape, the mask was the most complicated thing to get since most of the masks were very festive, except for one, which was the right one for this kind of situation, a cat mask, a simple design but perfect to go unnoticed. It was also her favorite... Now that I have what I need to hide my identity there are only two things left, one is to find the entrance to the place, and two, to get rid of the map for a moment, so Alphonse cannot discover that I am in a place that the map does not indicate. My teacher said that although they were illegal stores that were in secret locations in Diagon Alley, they were places that were not on maps, so their entrance could only be achieved with code words, I never thought this would work for me in this situation. Once I put on all my clothes, I took advantage of the fact that some children were passing by me and I put my map in one of the backpacks of one of them and proceeded to enter one of the oldest stores where there were only destroyed or collectible gadgets, a junkyard where you could say that no one enters due to its little use because they are mostly rare decorative things. The objects are full of dust and some of them have cockroaches and rodents crawling over them, as I go deeper into the store I can see a desk where the only living light rested, a candle, and a book in a language I had never seen before. "Something of your interest or are you looking for something specific?"-sounds a voice behind me and I feel how the tip of a wand is positioned on my back. "I''m just observing, I found it quite an interesting place"- before entering I used a spell called sonport which allows to change the voice to thicker or higher-pitched tones depending on the person''s need without damaging or affecting the vocal cords. "I see, next time call if you need something before snooping through a person''s things"- exclaims a stooped old woman walking by my side after unclipping the wand from my back. The old woman after taking a seat at the desk begins to read in a strange language the book that was on the desk, when I look better from the front, I can see her gray hair and her rotten teeth that look like they will fall at any moment from her mouth, you can also see in her hands that the tips of her fingers have a completely dark shade, unlike the rest of her pale and lifeless skin tone, on her fingers there were also rings with skulls and some with a kind of black pearls. This woman seems to have enough knowledge to show the entrance to the darkest parts of the alley, but first I will have to gain her trust, the most difficult part of this... "Excuse me, ma''am, I didn''t mean to be rash, I''ll take a few things from this place, so I''ll take a walk around the place." "Buy quickly and get out of here if you don''t want me to throw you out myself"- says the old woman with a tone full of disgust. As I turn around I start to take a better look at the place, it is evident that he is watching me from different places in the store, I feel how different looks are pointing at me, so I have to be very careful. In this place there are different creatures stuffed and put on display, creatures that I had not seen before, some I would say that seem artificial and fake, there are also different variants of wendigos, mandrakes, and some types of similar plants, prik would be very curious, there are even carnivorous plants and spiders that have flowers on their body as a method of camouflage for hunting insects. There is jewelry with bones similar to what the old woman has, potions, old books, and rare magical items, although all of this is cool it is not what I am looking for.... If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "watch out!!!"- shouts a man running out of the basement of the place chasing a small black cat that runs past me running at high speed. As I turn to look at the cat it stops dead in its tracks and proceeds to look me straight in the eye, its eyes change color from a shade of blue to a shade of purple and proceeds to jump on me and stand on my head. The old woman stands up angrily from her seat and proceeds to walk towards me in a threatening manner, ignoring the man who was desperately begging the old woman for forgiveness. "Interesting... I''ve never seen this before, tell me midget... what are you really looking for?" I don''t know what''s going on, this is weird, the old lady''s attitude suddenly changed to a more curious tone about me, does this all have to do with the cat? "I am looking for metallic, red gold, and some other materials that I was told I could find here." "Who gave you that information dwarf?"- says the old woman a bit annoyed and holding her wand pointed at my neck. "Between us, we can''t sell out, I''m sorry I can''t tell you, old lady." "You are a rather strange man...and your creature should not be here" The old woman lowered her wand and proceeds to grab the cat above my head, though it clings tightly to my cloak so as not to be separated from me. "It''s definitely something very strange"- says the old woman as she resigns herself to putting the cat down and proceeds to turn her back and walk towards the basement-"what are you waiting for dwarf, follow me before I regret it, Philip take care of the store, later I''ll take care of reprimanding you for what happened." As the old woman descends the stairs, she lights another candle that opens a path through the thick darkness of the place. After walking a few steps we hit one of the 4 basement walls. "Here you will find what you need dwarf, you better not be long and not talk about this place or I''ll look for you myself." The old woman lifts the candle with her right hand and the next step with her other hand she proceeds to cross the wall as if nothing, when she took out her hand again she managed to see something that she has not noticed before due to the old woman''s clothing. On her forearm was the spitting image of the same skull and serpent I saw before I died, the familiar dark mark, the mark that is engraved with fire on the left forearm... the symbol of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. No wonder these people live here, in these underworlds... but I never thought I''d run into one of them so quickly. That must be the access key to this place, besides now I understand the fear of that man and why he begged the old woman for forgiveness, these people are cruel and merciless, and a mistake can cost you your life or the life of something you love. "Well old lady, I''ll buy what I need and retire." The old woman takes a few steps back and doesn''t take her eyes off me, so I take one step away from the wall and without thinking twice I close my eyes and walk through the wall. When I opened my eyes again I was in an alley similar to Diagon Alley but this one was different, its dark shades and disgusting smells flooded the whole place, it was literally the opposite of Diagon Alley, in the premises there are different illegal creatures, fairies, and mermaids exposed as if they were trophies, some still alive and chained by their limbs. There are also heads of different creatures in containers with a green liquid in them, eyes of different shapes and sizes, and strange food of dubious origin, people do not get off my back. Just by looking at the people, I realize that it is a really dangerous place, although there are people like me with masks and robes that cover them in their entirety, there are others who simply walk the dark streets, some that with only their clothes you can tell that they are of high class, and on the other hand there are those who were consumed by the place and live in it, people full of dirt, consumed by drugs or potions that gives them a little happiness in their filthy life in the streets. It''s a very similar environment to the one I used to live in after the tragedy, it was like being back in my own time... right now I''m on my own turf. Walking through these streets is easier, there are no crowds of people anywhere, the stores are not collapsed, the only problem for a person who does not know this world is not knowing how to negotiate. "You damned midget, what are you doing with my creature?"- shouted a man in front of me limping due to his peg leg, resembling a pirate by his dirty and unkempt appearance. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 8: Fantastic Animals. As the man gets closer, he can feel how the cat tensed up and started to show its teeth, the cat was furious and ready to attack, this behavior of the cat makes the man stop in his tracks and raise his hand trying to prevent any attack from the cat. "Psh is hopeless, if she chose you there is nothing I can do, you will have to pay me for her"- says the man while glaring at me. "Excuse me but what do you mean?" "Although it is very uncommon for this kind of creatures to choose their masters forming a bond in a forced way, normally I sell them to special customers so they can use them as hunters until the creature sees the person as its master, but your case was special dwarf"- says the man while still grumbling. "And how much do you want for it?" "Hummm how about a sum of 350 galleons?"- the man''s face changes and he starts smiling with his cigar between his teeth. Shit in my bag there must be about 50 galleons at most, plus a creature isn''t what I was thinking of buying right now, but it doesn''t seem to want to get away from me...I could escape but being honest, escaping in a place like this would only draw attention to me sooner than I wanted. "what''s the matter midget, you don''t have that courage, hahaha if that''s the case I have another option, an easier one depending on the point you wish to see it...." It seemed that this was his intention from the beginning. "Speak up, old man." "Hahahahaha I like your attitude dwarf, follow me, to tell you the truth I would only need a few favors, something simple, like collecting some stuff"- says the man taking me to his fantastic creature shop. If before I thought I had seen many creatures this has no comparison, unlike the other places this store is incredibly large, but it is also due to the wide variety of creatures it has... "Alright dwarf, I need you to help me with the collection of some creatures, creatures that I have not been able to go and collect due to issues of taking care of these beauties"- says the man while stroking the head of a griffin, which is a few steps away from the exit of the store, one of the wildest creatures in the magical world due to its ferocity. Simply amazing, I had never seen one of them...This man... He is different from all the others in this place, even his way of acting outside his tent was different a moment ago, now he is calmer and warmer, but he still had a characteristic roughness in people with rigorous jobs. It also seemed that each beast, animal, or plant has its own habitat suitable for its survival, it''s amazing this place almost looking like a kid in a candy store, although I''m practically a kid now. "So what do you think dwarf, do you want to help this old man or will you pay with your life?" - says the man as he walks down the corridor of the store until he positions himself in the center of the store with his arms open in token of all the creatures around us. "what do you really want from me? Why me? "Although it seemed to be a good deal, I would not accept stupid proposals for an unknown creature in my hands. " Well boy, I''m a busy man as you will see," He said as he pointed to his desolate store with a proud face and a cheeky grin. The creature oblivious to any conversation or situation seemed to be busy as it was engrossed in its hunt for flies flying around the store-and what is she supposed to be?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "A moment ago I told you that this creature chooses its master, but it really doesn''t, this creature are usually wise and powerful beings that never yield to the control of another being"- explains to the man as he approaches a bookshelf and takes from a large book of a dark color-" although its appearance is of a simple cat, nobody has really seen its true form... mainly because nobody has survived long enough to see its full form". "If so how come you have such a creature?" "That''s my point, nobody knows much about this creature but that they are dangerous, only a few specimens have been found and their eggs are incredibly difficult to find, I had the opportunity to save this little one before it hatched"- he explains while he approaches me again and points to one of the pages of the book the image of the cat, where you can only appreciate a half drawing and a brief description of what the man just told me. It appeared to be an encyclopedia on creatures, and quite an extensive one for its size "An egg?" "That''s the most curious thing about this being, it lays eggs, not knowing what habitat it usually has it is not easy to keep it in a specific place, I told my assistant to change its habitat while I went out to do some shopping but apparently he could not control it and it escaped"- says the man while he leaves the book in my hands and approaches to observe through the window of the establishment. "The man who was chasing him." "So you know Philip, he''s a bit clumsy, to tell the truth, he''s not a bad person, in this place there are few left like that, good thing he didn''t leave this place to the surface because it would be dangerous for the integrity of the place" -the man walks back passing by me and heading to a desk that was in the center of the establishment while looking for something else in one of the drawers of his desk. "Damaging the integrity of the site?" "I imagined it, I had never seen you around these parts, it is very rare to see a dwarf in these places... this is the alley of the bloody cauldron, one of the most secret places in the magical world, the real black market of wizardry, a place where you find everything you don''t need but you wish to have.... everything you want but can''t have, everything you need to fulfill your darkest pleasures"- after these words the man takes out a briefcase from one of the drawers of the desk, inside the briefcase he proceeds to keep the book he took from the bookcase a moment ago. "If this place were to be discovered, many wizards of the high and low class would fall before the congregation of world magic and would be convicted of trafficking many illegal materials, creatures, and potions in the magical world." the man continues to explain. "Is that why the man was asking the old woman for so much mercy?" "Oh shit, Philip got in trouble again with that old lady, I hate owing favors to that woman,"-the man passes his hands over his face in a desperate way-"well, later I''ll solve that problem, for now... I''ll hand you this"-the man approaches me again while handing me a shovel and gloves "And what am I supposed to do with this?" "Good dwarf, these once the most spectacular creatures in the world, fantastic, beautiful, and dangerous, but there is one thing in common in all of them and indeed in all living creatures in this world and that is that they shit, some too much for their size and I am an old man that time is catching up with him too fast"- the man walks past me again and goes around the room as they feed their creatures and points to the scraps. "It''s something you could do with magic, " "You don''t know much about magical creatures, do you? Some are very sensitive to magic, the slightest spark of it and they are likely to shatter their entire cage. "A calamity?" "Nothing to worry about dwarf, maybe they are just ideas or things in my head, consequences of so many years in this job, but I still want to protect them"- the man turns his gaze to me again and although I have a mask I feel as if he was looking me directly in the eyes just like the cat did on the surface. This man is definitely not like the others, it seems that his only purpose is to protect these creatures. "One more thing, when you have all the creatures on the list come and visit me to close the deal"- the man extends his hand towards me and concludes by saying- " best of luck in your adventure... wait what can I call you ?" I hadn''t thought about what name to give... "You can call me a shady cat." "That''s a bit ridiculous, but if that''s your alias then there''s no other option, my pleasure I''m Rakan the hunter of fantastic creatures, from now on I''m counting on you dwarf... I mean grim cat, we''ll be in touch, best of luck in your adventure." - the man stretches out his hand again to shake it with mine tightly. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 9: Varitology While running through the crowd, I kept the mask and the tunic, who would have thought that having this briefcase would be much better than what I had planned, going to that place was definitely very profitable, I got most of the materials, although I was almost out of money the help of old Rakan helped me find what I needed at extremely cheap prices, although some tried to scam me my trading skills helped me out of those predicaments, although I did not get materials in large quantities if necessary to get by in what I get a bag to store various things. Shit... Now where can I find Alphonse, I don''t have the map... and there are so many people around me that I can''t see anything, the change from one place to another is impressive, it''s a bit overwhelming. I need to concentrate; it must be somewhere... for a moment, I hesitated to go back to where we had separated, but the cat that was still perched on my head jumps from my head to the floor when it turns to look at me, its eyes shine again almost as if it was telling me "follow me," moments later it runs away through the people. Without hesitation, I chase the cat through the crowd to a school magic bookstore. As he entered, he saw Alphonse paying for some books and putting them in a hand cart where there are also a couple of school robes, cauldrons, spoons, and other implements that are on the school list. Apparently, Alphonse didn''t realize I wasn''t in Diagon Alle; maybe he just scared me more than necessary. "My lord, how nice to see you again, you seem to have found some interesting things"- says Alphonse as soon as he sets his gaze on me, detailing me from head to toe. "Ehh, it''s a nice briefcase with a nice design, it''s also very comfortable to carry it, and it will be useful to carry materials for magic classes." "Interesting, you found something quite useful... and apparently you also found a new friend"- Alphonse rests his gaze on the back of my feet where the cat was hiding. "Ah yes, I met him by chance, apparently he likes me a lot because he hasn''t left my side since we met." "I see... now I understand why it took you so long, putting things like this, right now only one thing is needed my lord, your magic wand, an important decision for every wizard"- Alphonse says as we leave the magic book store-" by the way my lord, you lost this right?"- Alphonse takes out from his coat the map he had left in the unknown boy''s backpack. "I... I''m really sorry, I got lost without realizing it, I got too entertained, that''s why it also took me quite a while to realize that I had lost him and it was too late to go back for him." Shit, I hope that works to convince him that it was just a little mistake by a kid who got carried away by the incredible magnitude of Diagon Alley. "You have nothing to worry about my lord, just be more careful with your things, I won''t always be there to protect you and retrieve the things you lose"- Alphonse says while stroking my head. Those words make an immense void in my chest as I remember the time I lost with him because of the war that developed after the great calamity. "Yes Alphonse, I''ll be more careful." "I know you will, my lord, now, on your way to get your first wand,"- says Alphonse as he walks in front of me-"oh, and one more thing, what''s your new friend''s name?" I hadn''t thought about that either, I pick up the cat and looking into his eyes I realize that thanks to him today everything went better than expected, he has saved me and helped me more than one would think an animal is capable of, you are definitely a very interesting creature..... Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "What do you think...iolita?" "What a beautiful name, I would never have thought of it, iolite is a purple gemstone that varies its hue. the "stone of vision", associated with foresight, acceptance, and unity between body and soul, great name and great meaning"- explains Alphonse. Sometimes it surprises me how much Alphonse knows about everything in general, his information is always concrete and easy to understand. "Then you will be called iolita from now on, you are now part of my adventure." Alphonse looks at me with a smile on his face, while iolite rests on my head again. After walking for a few minutes we arrived at the well-known Ollivander''s store. "The great Manufacturer of fine wands since 382 B.C."- Alphonse points to the top of the door of the establishment, where rested a sign on which was written his motto, the same one Alphonse has just mentioned. After briefly appreciating the entrance, we decided to enter the store. Looking at Alphonse''s face, I could tell that it reflected a bit of nostalgia and joy. "Ohh but if it isn''t one of my favorite customers, how long little Alphonse"- says a man who cheerfully approaches Alphonse to give him a hug. "Hahaha I''m not a little Mr. Ollivander anymore"- says Alphonse with a chuckle. Garrick Ollivander is a wizard of mixed blood, he is widely regarded as the best wand maker in the world, and many wizards buy their wands from his store. "You haven''t changed much, my boy," said Mr. Ollivander, "what brings you here, you came personally to fix your wand, you haven''t damaged it for a long time". "I''m all grown up now, just now I came for this little guy"- Alphonse says as he puts his hand on my head. "Ohh I see, give me a moment and I will help you, first I will attend to some customers that are ahead, if you want to take a tour of the store you are welcome, if you find something of your interest let me know"- says Mr. Ollivander as he heads towards the other customers waiting for his attention. The store''s display consisted of a lone wand lying on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window, noting that its appearance itself was not what the place was known for, but the quality of its wands. Mind you, the store was small, and empty in terms of showy counters, except for a single, thin chair in the corner that looked like it was going to fall over at any moment on its own. Thousands of narrow boxes containing wands were stacked on the walls of the store, the boxes reached up to the ceiling of the small store, and the whole place had a thin layer of dust. "you know that the original Ollivander came to Britain with the Romans, he started his wand-making business in 382 B.C. That''s where his motto comes from, but the Roman conquest of Britain only effectively started in 43 A.D., under Emperor Claudius, which from then on helped in his growth in terms of wand sales"- explains Alphonse. "Is there anything you know Alphonse?" "Hahaha, as I told you, this place was my safe place as a kid, I know stories about this place that the different store owners have told me, and Ollivanders was no exception, he told me the history of the place and how much it has grown, he also explained to me the almost 50 types of wood that exist along with the almost 18 most known types for wand making."- says Alphonse excitedly. "So you have knowledge of varitology?" "It''s not that I''m a great connoisseur either, as I told you, the little I know is thanks to Mr. Ollivander"- Alphonse points out-"There are all kinds of woods and cores, some with more affinity than others, for example my wand is made of Yew and Dragon Heart Fiber..."- he explains as he takes out his wand. The Alphonse wand is dark at its woody base but lightens in hue until it reaches the tip, at its base or grip area it comes somewhat twisted, surely to make it easier to grip. Although I don''t know much about varitology, I know the basics in that each wand has its own varieties in terms of attack, dark arts, defense, or healing, all based on its wielder. There are also wands that are quite loyal to their owners as there are also some that yield to the person who defeats their owner, some wands are even difficult to control for some users of the same, varitology encompasses many things to tell the truth some a little disturbing. "So explaining to the boy the qualities of your wand eh Alphonse?"- Ollivander''s voice is heard again approaching towards us. "Something like that, I don''t remember very well the characteristics of each one but I do remember some notes I got to read from you Mr. Ollivander"- says Alphonse with a smile. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 10: Dual Core I still remember that my first wand was made of willow and unicorn tail hair, although that time I didn''t want to leave the house directly Alphonse had different wands brought for me to choose one, so I didn''t have to live this experience before... I wonder if in this case, it will be the same as before. "Oh yes my notes, you always have to write down everything some people say before they get old and lose their memories, and how right they are, as this branch of varitology is quite complex and mysterious"- Ollivander says while making some exaggerated gestures-" the idea that a wand chooses a wizard and can change his loyalty is still a significant mystery of the branch, something difficult to explain, but it is easy to see." "They are so mysterious that some wands are assigned according to the Celtic tree calendar in different parts of the year, also the wands take on characteristics according to their wood and core that helps to find their right master."- completes Alphonse. "That''s right, for example Alphonse''s wand, which is made of yew is a rare wand to see, its owners are likewise unusual and notorious, the wand has the power to give its wielder power over life and death, in addition to its wood it possesses a core of Dragon Heart Fiber, a core that produces wands with greater power, they form strong bonds with their owners, but can change their alliance if someone beats their owner," explains Ollivander as he takes Alphonse''s wand and looks at it carefully. "This kind of wands are easy to carry in the dark arts due to the fact that it also helps to perform extravagant spells, each wand is a new world full of possibilities, something really interesting that I learned from Mr. Ollivander,"- emphasizes Alphonse. "There are many possibilities then according to all the amount of wood there is and cores." "There''s still a lot to know young man, I think that''s enough of this lecture hahaha, it''s time for you to choose your wand sir...." a moment of silence spreads through us after those words from Ollivander. "His name is Dion. Dion Beaumont de Legrand"- Alphonse breaks the silence. Ollivander''s face reflects great surprise when he hears my last name and his gaze goes straight to me again. "So you''re Ava''s son, I haven''t known about that weird but incredibly smart and magic-skilled girl for a long time either"- says Mr. Ollivander-" is she around?" Silence again became present and when I saw Alphonse, his eyes were already on me, not knowing how to say something that could hurt me. "She passed away a few years ago S.r Ollivander with my father." Alphonse was stunned by my answer, he did not expect me to give the answer so directly. "Oh... I see, a tragic event to tell the truth, she was an amazing wizard, not only for her talent but she had a brilliant personality... we will find a worthy wand so that your mother from where she is watching you can also see how amazing you are"- Ollivander says trying to make up for the awkward moment. "Believe me, Mr. Ollivander, Dion is a more talented than all of us combined at her age, she better than anyone should know how amazing she is," says Alphonse with a proud smile on his face. "Extraordinary, that generates more curiosity as to what type of wand he chooses for you." - Ollivander says as he goes from side to side in his small establishment pulling out different types of wands and arranging everything on the main counter of the establishment. After trying different wands we realized that it was not as easy as we thought to find a wand for me, I even ordered one with the same specifications as my previous life and it has not responded to me as I expected. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Actually, it''s quite strange, it''s never so difficult to find a wand for a wizard," Ollivander said, looking at me a bit surprised, "hmm, maybe..." Ollivander runs off to the back of the establishment leaving us wondering what he was going to say. Alphonse and I look at each other not understanding what Ollivander came up with. "I found it!"- Ollivander''s shout is heard in the distance. "What did you find?" asks Alphonse. "There is a wand that has been abandoned at the entrance of my store many centuries ago... It is a rare wand, a wand unlike any other, we don''t know its efficiency but we do know how dangerous it is" Ollivander points out. Alphonse puts his hand in front of me as a sign of protection to separate me from Ollivander. "I won''t let you give that wand to Dion"- Alphonse in a serious tone. "But... you better than anyone know that maybe he''s the one, if it wasn''t the case we can try again with the other wands"- Ollivander while extending the hand with the wand box. Alphonse resolutely does not take it, but iolita decides to get off my head and approach Ollivander, she first passes between his legs rubbing her torso and tail with them, and then proceeds to get Ollivander''s attention to pet him. When Ollivander relents Iolita jumps up and grabs the box from the wand and runs back to me. Her eyes again looking directly into mine generate a small gleam, almost as if telling me to take the box. Ollivander was paralyzed by the agility and ingenuity that Iolita has to trick him and take the box, something that is also reflected in Alphonse who does not make any movement as soon as Iolita hands me the box. Upon opening the box you get to appreciate a fairly simple wand, with nothing different from the ones I had already tried before... it is a 9?" (23.50) length wand, at its base it has a sort of oval shape. For the most part, nothing new to note other than its flexibility it is Stiff. Taking the wand from the box Alphonse reacts immediately and takes my hand before I perform any test. "Be careful, it''s not just any wand"- Alphonse says. The wand although it takes a few seconds, I can feel the flow of magic run through it, causing the tip of the wand to produce green sparks in abundance that disappear in a matter of seconds. "Green sparks! amazing , nobody had been able to perform a simple spell with that wand before and after you Alphonse, at least until now"- says Ollivander while he approaches to see the wand again-" besides it seems to have better control, hmm that''s the one for you little Dion". "I told you I won''t let that wand be with him, it''s dangerous" - says Alphonse in a threatening tone. "Why do you say it is dangerous Alphonse?" I had never heard of dangerous wands, of course, there are always some that have volatile materials, but they were defective wands, hence their danger, but this wand was far from it, in fact, I felt the satisfaction of holding it in my hand, as if that was where it belonged. His gaze turns to me and with a sigh he proceeds to explain. "That wand is the only one of its kind, as Mr. Ollivander indicated, it has been here even before I was born, its origin is unknown as to its creator... The Ollivanders have studied and tried to replicate the wand, as it is a wand made of redwood that possesses two cores... something practically impossible or very risky to practice if you are not very careful, and even with care, it is difficult to perform." - explains Alphonse "It had been tried before but its results were always the same, some of my family members died in the process and some didn''t even come close to achieving anything significant, apart from that Alphonse who was the only one to cast a spell with it, no previous wizard had been able to activate the wand... at the time I don''t know what went through my mind, but it wasn''t the best idea, a very bad idea on my part to believe that a talented child could awaken an unknown power from a unique wand." - Ollivander explains. "And what are the two cores?" "Thorn of the white river monster and rougarou hair, although thorn wands are usually long this one is countered by rougarou hair plus each core are completely different, one helps its wielder to generate spells powerfully and elegantly... while on the other side, rougarou hair is believed to have an affinity for the dark arts, as the rougarou is a very dangerous beast."-Ollivander explains. "And the redwood?" "Redwood is hard to find of good quality so it is always in high demand because of its reputation for bringing good luck to its owner. And although we have used the same materials we have not yet been able to find the right way to replicate it, we do not know if we still have one more thing to discover that we do not see, but we do know that producing this type of wands would help in terms of the growth of magical power in the world"- Ollivander ends. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 11: An Abandoned Wand "It would be a risk to do so not only for the integrity of the creator but also for the integrity of its owners and people around it... I made that mistake and it almost ended a person''s life because of a simple mistake."- Alphonse says while looking directly into Ollivander''s eyes in a defiant manner. "Come on Alphonse don''t be like that, that time you were just a kid and nothing bad happened, it wasn''t your fault"- Ollivander emphasizes to Alphonse". "What exactly happened?" "We''ll come along and show you," Ollivander says as he turns around and heads back to the back of the establishment. Upon reaching the back of the establishment, the wand manufacturing area could be seen, some boxes with wands were also still surrounding the place, making it a bit annoying to walk around the place. "This is what happens when you don''t control your wand properly"- Ollivander points his finger at a spot in the courtyard. Upon reaching the patio of the site, a small crater can be seen in the ground where grass has already grown again. "At that moment I was with a great friend of mine, playing at throwing flashes of light at us without any risk of anything happening, everything was going well until Mr. Ollivander decided to test us with the wand... a lousy idea for an adult, when my friend tested the wand nothing much happened, the wand didn''t react, it didn''t cast any spell, something that was totally the opposite of when I took it in my hands..."- Alphonse is silent for a few seconds. "Nobody believed that a wand could have a will of its own, without even dictating a spell its tip lit up and started to launch fire projectiles... one of them falling on the other boy..."- the uncomfortable silence is present again-"Alphonse was paralyzed so much so that although the wand for his attacks, he would not let go of the wand, I, on the other hand, had to help the boy who was screaming in agony while his leg presented mortal wounds." "And what happened to your friend Alphonse." "...I didn''t see him again after that, he didn''t come back to the academy after that, it''s almost like he disappeared from the earth. That''s why I don''t want you to have that wand, I don''t want you to get hurt." Alphonse is right, this is quite risky but if I don''t take it I won''t be able to realize my purpose... iolita approaches again and proceeds to put her head on the tip of the wand. The tip of the wand lights up again, this time with an intense purple color, a purple that illuminates the whole place, for a moment I thought that the wand had caused damage to Iolita, but on the contrary, a purple gem appears on Iolita''s forehead. Moments later my skin begins to burn and just like Iolita a gem of the same color appears on my wrist. Alphonse runs to quickly take the wand out of my hands, but even though he succeeds the wand comes flying back to me. Alphonse performs several ways to prevent the wand from coming back to me but all are in vain, no matter which spell I used, she always comes back to me, so much so that in her last attempt the wand hides in my pocket quickly to avoid any direct attack from Alphonse. "It''s useless Alphonse, she already chose him."- Ollivander says as he grabs Alphonse''s shoulder. Alphonse angrily removes his hand from his shoulder, reproaching everything that just happened, taking my hand Alphonse proceeds to get me out of the place as soon as possible. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Alphonse stop, we haven''t paid." Alphonse ignores my words and moves on, ignoring Ollivander as well. "Alphonse is an order, stop!" I had never raised my tone of voice with Alphonse until now, his face of surprise immediately changes to one of sadness as he sees me and my wrist with the gem embedded in it. "I''m sorry my lord... I acted inappropriately, I got carried away by my emotions. We pay and we will leave"- says Alphonse as he takes out 20 galleons and puts them on Ollivander''s desk. "Alphonse... it is not necessary, take it as a gift for everything caused"- Ollivander says calmly and with a sweet tone. "Gift?, this is almost a curse for the boy, believe me that if something happens to him, there will be no wall or spell that can protect you from what will happen to you"- Alphonse says without taking his eyes off Ollivander. Ollivander lowers his gaze and without a second thought proceeds to kneel down and put his head on the ground. "I''m sorry Alphonse, I was really excited to see you again after so long, after what happened a few years ago you didn''t come back, I thought you hated me and that broke me for a long time because I considered you as a son..."- Ollivander says without raising his head. The people around us keep looking at Mr. Ollivander and Alphonse. Even more surprised to see such an act performed by Ollivander, who because of his family''s pride no one would think he would bow his head for anyone. Even Alfonso''s face reflects great surprise with his eyes wide open. "I thought I could make amends to you for the harm I caused you at such a young age... and because of my recklessness I made a mistake again, hurting someone you love..."- Ollivander continues. Alphonse clenches his fists as he hears those last words. "I know that boy will be a great wizard, as great as you, he may even surpass you, so I wanted to give him something worthy of the student of the person I have most appreciated throughout my life... I am truly sorry, it was not my intention to harm you or young Dion"- Ollivander finished with a broken voice. Silence fills the place, the only thing that breaks the silence are Alphonse''s footsteps approaching Ollivander. Alphonse kneels down and puts his hand on Ollivander''s shoulder and gently helps him stand up again. Their gazes meet again and Alphonse proceeds to hug him tightly. "Thank you... I needed to hear that from you, all this time I thought you never cared about anything but wands"- Alphonse says in a mocking tone trying to release the tension of the situation. "Hahahahaha, you are definitely still the same noble and strong boy I was proud of"- Ollivander says while wiping a tear that was falling from his eyes in a quick manner to avoid the rest of his clients from seeing it. After a long talk between Alphonse and Ollivander things were settled, generating a dignified farewell of mature people. On the way back Alphonse kept looking at my wrist with the gem. Upon returning home Alphonse with some basic healing cleaned the area around where the gem was embedded "My lord... I am sorry for my behavior a while ago, I did not take into account your opinion and took your hand forcefully forcing you to leave the place."- says Alphonse with his gaze lowered as he cleans the redness around Gem to avoid an infection. "Don''t worry Alphonse, I also made a mistake when I spoke to you loudly, but everything is better now, so the best thing to do is to rest, there are difficult days ahead before I leave for Hogwarts." A small smile spreads across Alphonse''s face. "That''s right, I have to help you with that wand to avoid trouble at the academy, so get ready for your training from here until the last day." (next day) After breakfast Alfonso and I went to the backyard to practice with the new wand, the thing was not so easy, because despite being such a "powerful" wand some spells were complicated to cast or at least those of high power, the common spells for beginners come out even easier than I thought, some spells I don''t even have to recite them, because just by thinking about it the wand performs them, almost as if the wand read my mind. I tried several times to shoot at some targets that Alphonse put in front of me but the shots were so powerful that they were deflected, exploded before their time, or sometimes didn''t reach, but even so, Alphonse kept telling me. "Trust in yourself, don''t push yourself, I know you''ll make it." Words that served me as a mantra to be able to finally perform a more complicated spell and get it right for the first time... In part, the idea was to throw a fireball at a kind of scarecrow, the impact was direct of course, but... instead of catching the doll on fire, it ended up exploding without leaving a trace of it. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 12: The Last Night After a few weeks of training with Alphonse, I managed to have a better wand handling, my magic was already at a more acceptable level in terms of magic handling, largely thanks to my control and meditation to improve and release some key points so that the flow of magic was much better through the pathways. My body now presents more bruises than before due to this forced process, even I who have previous knowledge of how to perform this process is usually quite tedious, difficult, and painful. Alphonse has noticed these bruises but always managed to dispel any doubts by making the excuse that it is because of the individual training I usually do with the wand. Alphonse on the other hand sends letters to Amelia every day telling her about our daily experiences and training. In the same way, we constantly receive letters from her telling us about the state of the house and how Prik has been in charge of keeping everything in order, not only in the garden but in the whole house. In the evenings I have researched more about the bestiary where you can find all kinds of creatures, their appearance, threat, abilities, food, and other characteristics that allow the beast not to feel threatened, but to allow safe contact with any of them. Iolita has been on the sidelines most of the time, lying down watching the training sessions I have with Alphonse. We have not yet discovered what is the direct relationship of both gems, we have searched in different encyclopedias and scrolls something similar or related but it seems an increasingly difficult task but Alphonse does not lose hope, nothing is impossible as Alphonse says. I have visited Diagon Alley more often, even I have also visited the well-known Knockturn Alley, which is the more public version of the secret Bloody Cauldron Alley but without so many illegal components or materials. About the alley of the bloody cauldron, I have to say that being such a secret place the illegal magical materials are becoming more and more impressive, creature eggs, body parts of magical creatures, dangerous potions, and other artifacts for the dark arts. As for the rakan hunter I have been talking to him about the different creatures found in different parts of the continent, I have also learned a little about the creatures I didn''t know and strengthened the knowledge of some of the ones I already knew about. Right now there is only one night left to enter Hogwarts, I feel a little uneasy to be in this place. It''s strange to think that at this time I was already preparing to enter Beauxbatons Magical Academy, a time when I was much, much less prepared than I am now. "Still awake my lord, are you nervous about tomorrow?"-Alphonse knocks on the door and enters cautiously. "If I''m honest with you I''m not nervous, I''m not scared, I know it''s a good place and I''ll learn a lot, I''m just a little pensive about what comes next." Alphonse walks over and sits on the edge of the bed looking out the window reflectively. "I understand, why do you say so?"- Alphonse without taking his eyes off the starry night. "of not being able to achieve everything I have planned and not being able to be happy as I am now." I know this is going to be one of the few talks I will have with Alphonse after he enters the academy and I want to take the opportunity to speak honestly with him about how I feel. "Humm what is that, don''t be afraid of failure, if you have to be afraid of something be afraid that the opportunity doesn''t exist and you still have it, just don''t hide and live, look for the sun and you will see tomorrow."- says Alphonse while he takes my hand. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "And it just all goes wrong?" "Accepting that things change can be a challenge but it is the essence of life, a constant flow of changes and transformations, open yourself to what will come, experiences and opportunities can be so enriching even if they are painful"- says Alphonse. "Have you ever felt afraid of losing yourself and losing everything?" "Hahaha, you are very reflective today, my lord... but you know? I will confess you something once to your mother I asked her a similar question, and she answered me saying , you don''t know how much reason I give her today". Alphonse as he gets out of bed and closes the blinds. "A hero? And what is your hero Alphonse?" "I could tell you that your parents after my losses, they gave me to go on for, they trusted me and helped me, I could tell you that they but I really wouldn''t be sure...I would say my biggest hero is you, my lord." "Me?" "That''s right, to look at you is to see how far you have come, you faced your trauma and came out the other side fighting for what you want, and that makes me so proud of you, you survived, you are a survivor and I really am proud of you, because I know how hard it is to take care of us, but you are amazing, you still have a lot to grow and to know but... I can''t help but think how proud I am of the person you are now"- says Alphonse as he approaches me again and tucks me in. Because of his words, I could not stop the tears from coming out of my eyes, tears that instantly Alphonse dried while smiling, after that moment, Alphonse and I said goodnight and each slept in his room. I may not have salvation because of my past but I have to try for this past, I have to push I have to become something else, people need hope and I will create that path. _______________________________________________________ September 1 Right now we are at King''s Cross station in London, a muggle train station that is one of the busiest in the city, It is a perfectly normal station, with large plastic numbers on each track and guards who have never heard of Hogwarts, after walking a few minutes we are positioned in between station 9 and 10 where the muggles are normally located, at first glance you can not see Platform nine and three quarters (platform 9?). Alphonse, as he already knows how the entrance is, takes the cart where he carried all the school supplies and suitcases to position himself between the columns of stations 9 and 10. "In order for someone to enter platform nine and three-quarters, you must walk directly into the seemingly solid metal ticket box that divides platforms nine and ten."- Alphonse explains. There is a guard standing just outside the entrance, to regulate the entrances and exits from the platform. Particularly every September 1, as the clock overload approaches eleven o''clock and InterCity 125 pulls into platform nine, a strange Muggle crowd occasionally turns its head. A crowd of wizarding children, carrying huge trunks and caged owls, make their way toward the solid metal barrier between platforms 9 and 10. A few moments before entering through the two stations a rather striking and outrageous family passes in front of us. "Excuse me, can we come in earlier, you know, being more children this is crazy?" asks the stout lady with her two twin sons with reddish hair and two other smaller ones, I would say one of them about the same age as me, a boy with a somewhat familiar kinship... "No problem, go ahead," says Alphonse calmly and politely. "Wait for me here children," the stout woman pointed to her other two sons. "I want to go too," says the younger reddish-haired boy. "Son, you still have one more patient year, in the meantime...Fred and George come in quickly, there are people waiting for you, Percy is already on the other side."- shouts the lady to her two oldest sons. That''s the Weasley brothers, that means... that boy there is Ron, that''s the great Weasley family, I didn''t think I''d see them here so soon, and even more so Fred who was someone I didn''t get to know except in stories. After the Weasley family crosses the metal barrier, the large home of the famous Hogwarts Express comes into view. A glance back at the barrier reveals that it is, instead, a wrought iron arch with the words "Platform 9?", and above the smoke of a line of steam rising from the express, a sign announces that the Hogwarts Express departs at eleven o''clock. This is quite different from how they do it at Beauxbatons Magical Academy where all students and staff are transported through the use of Beauxbatons carriages. The carriages are light blue in color, pulled by a dozen winged horses. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 13: The Express From what Alphonse tells me at Hogwarts was different many years ago, some Hogwarts students used to arrive at school in any way they liked. some rode brooms (a difficult feat when carrying trunks and pets); some took hold of enchanted carriages and, later, carriages; some tried Apparition (often with disastrous effects, as the castle and grounds had always been protected with anti-apparition enchantments), some rode a variety of magical creatures. The tumult of magical families makes it almost impossible to walk, some cry with happiness to see that their children will finally be able to study in one of the most famous schools of magic, and others cry for the time they will be separated from their families, and others simply do not wait for the moment to get on the train and for their parents to leave them alone. Iolita jumps off the top of the cart where she was sleeping peacefully to perch on my head again, the burning of the gem on my wrist momentarily takes over as iolita lies back down on my head. "Don''t worry, everything will calm down soon." Alphonse covered my gemstone with bandages as a measure to avoid any questions or questions as to why a child would have a gemstone embedded in his wrist. The steam from the scarlet engine floods the platform different animals scurry around the wizards'' legs and owls screech at each other, some hungry from watching the rats scurry about, as the hordes of students and parents move through the steam almost as if they were souls in sorrow wandering the world, their voices through the fog getting louder and louder from the amount of noise around us. Even the Weasley family that entered moments before us disappeared amidst the commotion and noise of the crowd. "Well listen to me, we are finally here, it''s time for our farewell, I know it''s not going to be that hard for such a smart and educated kid for you, but remember this, you still have enough time to become whatever you want to be in life, so don''t pressure yourself, have fun, make friends, enjoy every class and every corner of the school."- Alphonse says while arranging my clothes. -" one more thing about last night... the question you asked me, I believe there is a hero in all of us, it gives us strength and makes us noble, it keeps us honest, and in the end it allows us to die for pride so I know you will find someone like that in your life because even though I have suffered a lot in my life, it would be unfair to say that life was bad to me when it was this very life that made me meet you, my lord." Those last words made the hair on my skin stand on end, an image came back to my mind. A vivid image of when Alphonse was in my arms, surrounded by a great darkness, one where only sobs and cries of people could be heard before the great catastrophe. A place where there was only death, the day they took control of Beauxbatons Academy, a day I don''t expect to live in this time. Finally, at 11:00, a whistle blows announcing the train''s departure, and the whistle of pistons fills the platform as the train begins to move, creaking out of the station as family members stop to watch their children leave for school. Without another word, Alphonse hugs me tightly, almost as if this is the last time we will see each other. But this time it won''t be like that, this time I have one last try, just one more try. After putting my belongings away I decided to look for a seat where there were not so many people, the noise of the laughter and shouts of the students who were meeting their classmates was quite annoying. The express is faster than I thought, it''s even bigger than I thought. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. iolita hasn''t gotten off my head for quite a while now, so I''d better take a seat as soon as possible so my neck can rest. The gem has not hurt again, it was quite a strange thing the pain a while ago, as the gem had not hurt since the first time it appeared on my wrist, even in training there was no strange sign. "You''re new aren''t you?"-asks a thin, bespectacled boy sitting alone in one of the carriages. "Yes, it''s my first time here." "I see, I understand how you must feel being new is always a bummer," says the boy. "What year are you from?" "Me? ... I''m new too"- says the boy with a big smile-" you can''t find where to sit, if you want you can sit here, as you can see... people are fighting for a seat here"- he ends with a sarcastic tone while smiling. "I guess it''s not so bad," I tell him as I take a seat. "Right, I''m so excited, this is going to be the best stage of my life, of course, I have to study theory and all the boring stuff but I can''t wait to cast spells, play quidditch, and tame amazing beasts"- says the excited boy-" by the way, what''s your name?" "My name is Dion, it''s a pleasure to meet you and what''s your name?" "Uhh Dion... what a curious name, it''s uncommon around these parts... to me people usually call me the great dementor-destroying wizard, but my friends and family call me Patrick."- he says as he strikes a ridiculous pose on the express seat. "Oh look at how ridiculous that kid is hahahaha"- laughter and voices of other students passing by in the hallway are heard, causing Patrick to take his seat again somewhat chagrined. "Did you eat anything before you came, or are you hungry?" asks Patrick. "The truth is that I haven''t eaten anything, I missed it because I was so anxious to get to this place on time". "Ohh so we''re the same, but on the bright side I, hear that down the hallway we always. Someone walks by with a cart full of magic candy, it''s crazy." Funny, on the floats there were usually snacks and one or two sweets for the students on their way to Beauxbatons Academy, to provide an elegant and comfortable experience for each student. "You guys want some candy?" you can hear a lady with a cart approaching from the back of the espresso. "Hey brat, do you have any money we can borrow?"-the same boys who were teasing Patrick a moment ago approach him directly in a threatening manner because they are older students than us. A silence filled the cubicle where we were sitting. "Ohh don''t you want to talk, you look like you want us to make you talk."- says one of the three bullies who were bullying Patrick. How can senior students do this to newcomers, this is cowardly and disgusting... "Uh no no, let me see how much money I have"- says Patrick nervously checking his pockets. After Patrick pulled a silver sickle and a bronze knut from his robe "That should do it," says the boy shaving Patrick''s money from his hands. "But it''s the only thing I bring," says Patrick. "Too bad, we need it more." What disgusting people... Alphonse asked me not to get into trouble but I got tired of just watching all this, the gem starts to burn on my forearm and Iolita wakes up quite agitated. Iolita jumps straight at one of the three bullies, while the other two crash into each other and fall to the floor, without hesitation, I pull out my wand and point it at the three of them. "Slugulus Eructo!" Moments later a green light shoots towards the three upperclassmen bullies, a spell quite repulsive to everyone who receives it, a card that I am not proud to use on my first day at the academy but like my teacher said it is a good lesson for those bullies who hurt innocent people. A few seconds after receiving the spell, the three began to belch loudly, accompanied by slugs coming out of their mouths. This spell has a secondary effect of weakening the victims, due to the gagging generated by the slugs'' vomit. "Y-you how (vomits a slug)... how dare you attempt to attempt to (vomits another slug)... against us..." says one of the thugs. Without lowering my wand I keep pointing it at them. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 14: Darkness "Do you want me to stop?" Looking directly into his eyes I can feel how his eyes give off hatred towards me, but his movements beg for mercy. "Make it stop ( vomits a slug)... please... Please" - says one of the bullies lying on the floor. "Apologize to Patrick and return your money." "You fucking ( vomits a slug)..."- his looks don''t give off anything but hate for a moment, at least until later they give in and his looks turn to resignation- "well... it (vomits a slug)... sorry kid, we won''t bother you anymore (vomits a slug)... make this stop please"- says the bully with his eyes watering due to the constant retching he is having. After Patrick''s money was returned, iolita jumped back into my head. And although a part of me wants to give them a longer lesson, since the effects of this spell usually last for several hours before disappearing completely, I know Alphonse would not appreciate a wake-up call on my first day, so from my bag, I pull out some molasses candy that allows the spell to be cured and the effects to wear off in a few seconds. "You won this time brat, that wasn''t bad."- says one of the bullies while wiping his face after a few minutes of eating the candy. "You better not run into us again, next time we won''t give you a chance to attack, and you ... Patrick right, thank that kid that we won''t hit you right here."- says the one who seems to be the leader of the bullies-" and your brat, what''s your name?"- he asks pointing at me. "My name is Dion"-I answer with a menacing look. "Hmmm, as my partner said, not bad brat, if you are lucky and stay in our house, join us"- says the bully while pointing proudly to the shield on his tunic-" and if not, get ready because we will not overlook this." "We''ll see." A duel of glances is maintained for a few seconds before the lady with the cart appears offering a variety of sweets. The bullies, seeing that they no longer have anything they can take from us, retreat. Patrick looks at his money and points his hand at the cart. "Take whatever you want, it''s on me, you saved me" - says Patrick as he looks at the prices of sweets dubiously. "My treat this time, let''s eat together, shall we?" "I think that''s a great idea, but I''d rather we pool our money together to buy a few things," exclaims Patrick as he pools his and my money to buy different candy. ________________________________________________ London, Bloody Cauldron Alley (outside of what Dion is experiencing). Two silhouettes stroll through the alleys, walking in a threatening and territorial manner, their presence made many merchants and shoppers who were walking the streets nervous. "Is it here?"-asks one of the two men. "That''s right, it''s this despicable place," replies his companion. When they decide that the place is the right one, they both decide to enter without hesitation. "What a surprise to have you here," says Rakan coming out of one of the habitats. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Stop pretending old man, you know what we came for." "Oh me? I''m not pretending, I didn''t expect two of you to come, that''s what I mean, I''m not such a big threat that two morphs would come to this desolate place"- Rakan says while petting one of his creatures in a calm way. "You know what we came for so turn him in" - says one of the Mortifagos menacingly. "I''m sorry, but that thing you''re looking for is no longer in my possession, I''ve lost it"- rakan says calmly as he walks back to his desk. "How dare you fucking scum!" shouts one of the morphs as he casts a spell that sends Rakan flying over his desk. The other Death Eater quickly approaches Rakan to point his wand at him before Rakan can get up. "You think we are playing, don''t you old man, you know how we do things, we will show you no mercy," said one of the Mortifagos threateningly. "I wouldn''t do it in this place if I were you," says Rakan as he points to the various habitats of fantastic animals and creatures that surround him. Some of the creatures emerged from their imposing habitats ready to attack if any of the mortifags were to attack Rakan again. "Leave it...old man you''d better hand over that creature." "I already told you, that creature is no longer with me, it escaped a few weeks ago from here."- says Rakan. "Humm with that being the way things are, I''ll take it up with my superior but you better have a better excuse so they don''t finish you or your creatures off, old man" - says one of the morphs turning around and walking towards the only way out of the place. After the two men left Rakan''s fantastic animal store, rakan searched through his bookshelf for a letter that was hidden in one of his books, a rather old and wrinkled letter, one whose contents were written in very blurry letters. "The secret of the changing creature, I have to warn the others, they are already starting"- rakan says in a low voice. While Rakan walked as fast as he could with his wooden leg to deliver the letter to Philip. "Find that dwarf and deliver this to him as soon as possible."- orders Rakan to Philip. "But where do I look for you, Mr. Rakan," says Philip, uneasy to see how Rakan is so worried. "Although I''m not proud of this... here"- rakan pulls out a totally different device that people in the magical world haven''t seen- " this will help you find them, it''s a tracker, I borrowed it from the muggles, and the tracking chip is in the creature. So hurry up now." "Yes sir"- Philip puts on his tunic and hides the letter inside it, moments later he runs off without looking back. Philip runs out of the alley of the bloody fishing ground, dodging the people and dubious-looking merchants passing by, but what he and Rakan didn''t know is that from the shadows, from the darkest places of the alleys, they were being stalked. "Shall we follow him sir?"- says one of the morphs that were with Rakan a moment ago. "No... at least not both of us. Filvor you go, Nando you stay with me, I need you for the direction of the new order that is being formed in Spain,"- says the chief that directs the Death Eaters while he takes out a map where a few tenebrous marks that are in different parts of the world appear, and proceeds to point directly to Toledo- Spain-"we have a long journey ahead, Filvor keep us updated, do not let them discover you". "As you command my lord," said the two morphs at the same time. _______________________________________________________ Hogwarts Express - Hogsmeade Station: After a few hours of eating Chocolate Balls, Strawberry Mousse and Cornish Cream Filled, Chocolate Frogs, Frog-shaped chocolate bars with collectible stickers of famous witches and wizards, Licorice Wands, and Chocolate Wands along with other magical candies, we arrived at the station. "Good thing there was a buffet car, or else with so much sugar I would have thrown up everything by now," says Patrick as he gets off the espresso. "Good thing you warned me, I didn''t know that on the back of the ticket, it said they included lunch or salt food, otherwise I would have gotten cavities from the amount of candy I would have eaten so I wouldn''t have starved to death." As we got off the express laughing with Patrick, we both turned to see an astonishing amount of students from different school years, some students wearing robes with different colored coats of arms, I guess this is related to the Hogwarts school houses. Our things were left on the train by order of the attendants, as well as the pets, something that Iolita was not very happy about since it was difficult to put her in her cage. "All right, freshmen come with me, you hear, freshmen come with me!" - shouts a stout man who is over six feet tall, with a big beard and a thick voice, "Alright now that you are all gathered, I introduce myself, I am Hagrid the keeper of the keys and the grounds of Hogwarts, but now I am your guide on your way to Hogwarts, so stay close to me, watch where you step if you don''t want to get lost in the forest and die." After walking a few minutes down a steep dirt road full of leaves, roots, and rocks that could trip us up at any moment, we arrived at a dock where a number of boats were ready to set sail on the large lake that stretched all around Hogwarts. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 15: Hogwarts. When boarding the different boats, a student from each boat was in charge of carrying a lamp that helps to illuminate the place and scare away any creature that tries to attack any of the boats, the boats are driven by magic and navigate through the dark lake that remains quiet in the dark, the boats that go all information go in the direction of a grotto that can be seen below the castle. In the sky, you can see some carriages being driven by thestrals. "The lake has no direct connection to other lakes, rivers, or seas. However, if you travel by means of a magic contraption, there is a shortcut to other navigable areas. Also, you children must be very careful of falling out of your boats as this lake is home to terrifying creatures such as the giant squid, a colony of selkie grindylows, and many more creatures that threaten your life," said Hagrid as he navigates one of the boats alone. The other students go from 3 to a maximum of 4 students per boat, due to the indications given by Hagrid before boarding the boats. " I once heard that a student fell into this lake when he was in the boat and the squid put him back in his boat, so I don''t think they are all as bad as Hagrid says"- Patrick says whispering in my ear. Before arriving at the great castle you can see how different floating lights begin to emerge from the lake, guiding the boats towards a direct image of the castle, the Great Academy of Magic and Wizardry, and Hogwarts. The castle is located in the mountains near the lake. Hogwarts is one of the three most important schools in Europe, which trains people with magical abilities to become qualified wizards and witches. The other two best-known academies are: my former academy, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, located in France, and Durmstrang Institute (which studies almost entirely the Dark Arts) and is believed to be located in northern Europe. Hogwarts, like the other academies, is hidden by the most powerful spells that protect the castle, classified as anti-apparition spells and Muggle-repelling spells (such as repello muggletum). "Be careful children, keep your heads down," says Hagrid as the boats enter the crevasse. Without hesitation, the other students along with Patrick lowered their heads to prevent any blows, although to tell the truth none of them took into account that Hagrid was the only one who had to be careful because of his size, he was the only one who was at risk of receiving a blow to his head. As the boats sailed through the crevice, I could feel some kind of ivy and roots going over my head, something that was not annoying, at least not for us, since Hagrid did get tangled up with them a few times, and he kept reproaching that no one was cleaning this place. At the bottom of the crevice, a kind of pier can be better appreciated, which is illuminated by the various lamps, while the moonlight illuminates the flowers along with the grass making them seem to shine with their own light. The lamps also guide the way to a wide, rocky and slightly steep staircase. "Wow... it''s beautiful"- Patrick says with a look of amazement on his face. A part of me feels a bit of guilt for not being able to enjoy this like the other students, it''s a bit lonely this feeling now that I see the face of excitement on Patrick. "Alright kids, we''re here," said Hagrid moments before we got off the boats. "Wow this is amazing isn''t it Dion, I already want to know which house we both get, I hope it''s the same one"- says Patrick excited. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Yes you are right it is quite imposing the castle, which house would you like to be in?" "That''s a good question, mmm I think I''d like either Hufflepuff or Slytherin, although my parents went to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw... which one would you like?" - Patrick asks excitedly, almost shaking with excitement that he can''t contain. "Slytherin is not a bad choice, unlike your parents, my mother was the only one who studied here at Hogwarts many years ago, if I remember correctly... I think she was in Gryffindor." "Amazing, does that mean you''re half Muggle?"- says Patrick curious of my origin. "Hahaha no, and if I did I wouldn''t have a problem with that, but that''s not the case, my father studied at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and my parents met for the first time at one of the three wizards tournaments." "What, really? Your parents are from two different academies, that''s great."- a smile was getting bigger and bigger on Patrick''s face. "Yes, that''s right, my father participated in the tournament but he didn''t win the cup but he won my mother''s heart." "That''s too cheesy hahaha, I didn''t expect such an amazing past from your parents, I guess they are amazing wizards nowadays."- Patrick exclaimed with much joy. "They would be without a doubt...they died a few years ago." "Oh... I''m so sorry, I didn''t think..."- said Patrick with a sad look on his face. "Don''t worry, really, it''s nothing, we''d better keep walking or we''ll be left behind." After a few seconds in which only the voices of different children talking about themselves and trying to get to know each other could be heard, Patrick broke the silence that had been caused by the previous talk. "So Slytherin, not a bad choice"- Patrick says as a curious expression comes across his face and he walks awkwardly to make the walk to the castle entertaining. "I wouldn''t mind staying in another house really, it was just the first one I thought of." I have no preference for any of the houses per se but if I analyze the situation it would be an easier way to get closer to what I am looking for. "You''re right... Although people often say that the scariest wizards at Hogwarts have come out of Slytherin, among the most well-known... you know, the one everyone knows about"- Patrick lowers his voice before saying those last words. "The house doesn''t define you as a good wizard or a bad wizard, it''s your actions and purpose that push you that way." "That''s true Dion, but you know, whatever house and whether or not we stay together, I hope it works out well for both of us."- Patrick says as he looks up at the castle. "It shall be so Patrick... it shall be so." Now that I am closer to the castle I could say that it is even bigger than the palace of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, the castle could be said to be a bit more rustic for the style of any Beauxbatons Academy student. I would have liked to come to this place before in the tournament of the three wizards... but at that time I could not come, this place is totally new to me. At first glance Beauxbatons Palace is even more beautiful, Beauxbatons Castle is mostly surrounded by majestic gardens and fountains magically created out of the mountainous landscape. In the dining hall, wooden nymphs serenaded the students as they ate, every meal was a beautiful singing show, and although it was beautiful, nothing beats Christmas, one of the best times to celebrate at Beauxbatons, although most of the students were leaving, I stayed for some Christmases to avoid remembering the many Christmases when my parents were not with me, so I preferred to go to the hall to read along with big, shiny ice sculptures that would not melt, to the point that they were like glittering diamond statues. Although unconfirmed it was often said that the castle and grounds of the prestigious Beauxbatons academy were largely financed with alchemist''s gold and in memory of that a magnificent fountain is located in the center of the school''s park, believed to have healing and beautifying powers. After spending a few minutes climbing the mountain where Hogwarts castle is located, we finally arrived at one of the main entrances to the academy, a large wooden door with metal details was in front of us. "All right, everybody gather round, are there any of you missing?" shouted Hagrid. Hagrid confirms that everyone is present and without hesitation knocks on the door a couple of times and the doors open automatically, and all the students begin to enter, some more excited than others, pushing to get the first glimpse of the inside of the castle as soon as possible. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 16: the large dining room "You guys control yourselves!" shouted Hagrid as he pushed his way past everyone to go ahead of the group of freshmen. After all, follow Hagrid more stairs up, at the end of these, we expected an old woman with a dark green robe and a big hat wore square glasses, was tall, and with a very serious expression that could almost say it was an expression of a stern and extremist person, so serious that it seemed that we were going to scold, although this is nothing unusual in terms of my old academy. Since students at beauxbatons academy were taught that they had to stand from the time the headmistress entered the room until she sat down, to show respect for her power. "Oh Professor McGonagall, as I was instructed here are the students...this time they are all here," that last one Hagrid says covering his mouth and trying to speak low only for Professor McGonagall, but in the end we all listen. "Excellent work Hagrid, you can go through to the dining room, I will take care of the students and we will go there in a few minutes."- says Professor McGonagall. "Professor McGonagall, she is an amazing wizard when it comes to transfiguration magic, my parents used to talk about her."- says Patrick. Hagrid withdrew at Professor McGonagall''s command, after which McGonagall turned her gaze back to us. "Alright students welcome to Hogwarts, I introduce myself I am Professor McGonagall I teach the subject of transformations, I am also deputy headmistress of Hogwarts from 1952 to the present, I understand you must be tired from the trip, and more for some kids who concentrated on causing chaos in the express carriages"- McGonagall throws a threatening look at Patrick and me. "We''re finished Dion..." says Patrick quietly. "In a few moments we will go to the great dining room where the other teachers and the headmaster Albus Dumbledore are waiting for us, behave yourselves and keep quiet, before you take your seats for the great banquet, you will be assigned to each one a house."- McGonagall The faces of the other students are filled with emotion when they hear those words. "As some of you may already know, at Hogwarts we have a house system, to be exact there are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house is a faithful representation of their nobility and talent according to their abilities, in each of them have emerged excellent wizards and witches, something which we hope will also emerge from you students."-McGonagall His gaze flicks back to me for a moment. "Also to keep in mind is that each house will be like their own family, they will have classes and sleep in the same dormitory as their houses, and even in each house, they will have time to share with each other in the common room of each house. The most important thing about this is their triumphs, every triumph will earn points for their respective house, while every misdemeanor, rule infraction or quarrel will cause a loss of points."-McGonagall "Good thing we''re not in any house yet, or we would have lost Dion points by now."- says Patrick whispering. A frightening look is thrown at Patrick by Professor McGonagall, in that instant I could see the fear in Patrick knowing that with just one look she would silence him. "You may wonder what the points are for. Well at the end of the year, the house with the most points receives the house cup, one of the highest honors at Hogwarts, with that of course I hope as well as their respective houses that they proudly carry their crest and become the best house of the year." -McGonagall Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. After Professor McGonagall''s long talk, all the first-year students walked as a group through the wide corridors that Hogwarts has, while walking I could realize that it is a bigger castle than it seems on the outside, it has an infinite number of corridors and stairs to go up and down to the other floors, it is going to be a little complicated not to get lost in this place. The walls are made of stone, even as in my other academy, these have different torches that do not go out no matter how much breeze is blowing in the place, even allow to keep the heat in the corridors to avoid any problem of cold in cold seasons, something quite useful to tell the truth. As we move through the corridors a constant noise of voices gets louder and louder, until we reach a large door the noise remains loud. "Oh my god.... It''s the big dining room, do you know what that means Dion?"- Patrick says as he grabs my arm with his two hands and pulls me several times from excitement. "What are we going to eat?" - I say sarcastically "Yes!!!...what, ah yes of course that too, but I mean we are about to meet Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, besides we are going to finally find out which house is our house. I''ve been dreaming about this moment for a long time but I never expected to get here, now what should I say when they tell me my house, how should I greet? What if I trip and fall in the middle of the dining room, what if I choke on a chicken leg!"- Patrick makes a suffering face that to tell you the truth makes me laugh. "You''re a particular case patrick, but try to calm down"- he pulled patrick away from my arm-" everything will be fine, just let yourself go trust in you". Patrick although still nervous listened to me and calmed down although his smile and the way his hand was shaking could make it obvious that he was too excited for this moment. As I looked around many of the first-year boys were just like Patrick, looking around nervously, some wiping their sweaty hands with their robes, others pouring on their face with their hand so that the sweat coming off their foreheads would dry quickly. "Look around you Patrick everyone is just as nervous, some of them I doubt they even have any dinner... apparently they''ve already eaten their fingernails from nerves." "Hahaha you''re right Dion, you are very calm."- Patrick says as he starts to breathe more moderately. "It''s true, I don''t know how to really feel right now...you know what, let''s just enjoy this for now, and trust that everything will be okay." "I think it''s perfect," says Patrick. "One more thing students, in a few moments in the presence of teachers and the headmaster, and of course the rest of the academy, I recommend that you comb your hair and fix your clothes while we get to the dining hall."- McGonagall points with her eyes to some specific students who still had their hands dirty, their clothes untidy and their hair sticky from the amount of sweets they ate in the train carriage between those Patrick. "Pff I''m perfect so I don''t think I''ll make a bad impression right Dion?"- Patrick says confidently. "Yeah sure, just let me help you out a little bit with a few little things.... Tergeo" (spell used to suck up with the wand any substance that fouls its target, such as blood, dust, grease, or in this case candy). "Great, I still don''t know any spells, but you do pretty well."- Patrick "I only know what my Alphonse taught me." "Alphonse?"- Patrick asks. "Yeah... he''s like my dad since my parents died." "Ohh I see, cool"- Patrick says with a small smile. After a few minutes of anxiety on the part of most of the students, Professor McGonagall knocked on the big door, a door that instantly opened and a silence filled the large dining room of Hogwarts, a large number of students were in front of us, each group of students seated in 4 rows of incredibly long tables spread out along the large dining room, a large room with giant walls made of stone. The walls are so high that when you looked up an incredible amount of candles flooded the place, but above them, a great view of the night sky added a fascinating contrast to such a place built with stone. "Very well students follow me"- orders Professor McGonagall. "Wow it''s beautiful... my mother told me about this but she always said it wasn''t comparable to telling about it as much as seeing it in person, and she was so right this has no comparison, the ceiling has different enchantments to make it look like heaven"- says Patrick. It is true, this is beautiful, even for this detail I could say that it is even superior to the dining room of my previous academy... it is incredible. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 17: Selection ceremony As we walk down the central aisle of the large dining hall, students from previous years look at us attentively and are equally excited to know what new talents will be in their houses. For a moment I feel how Patrick pulls my robe as a sign to show me something he saw on one of the tables, when I turn my gaze to the left the three bullies of the wagon were sitting staring at us, their gazes showed a malice that could not be hidden. "Relax, they won''t be a problem." "Okay," says Patrick more calmly. When looking at the other side you can see 3 heads of red hair sticking out, which indicates to me that at that table are the Weasleys, more exactly, the twins and I guess he is the other son named Percy, the boy referred to by their mother in the wagon. "Very well stop, everyone get into formation and wait for the respective indications"- orders Professor McGonagall. In front of us was an equally long table where all the teachers were located and the great wizard known as Albus Dumbledore, a man who looks older than the other teachers, with a long white beard, with glasses and a white robe and of course with a kind of white cap. Professor McGonagall approaches the headmaster and whispers something in his ear, something that apparently is not to his liking. Next step the teacher returns to stand in front of all the old and new students. "Again, welcome to the great Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, at this time we will begin the great selection ceremony. At your back are your future housemates, as you can see there are 4 long tables, each one represents each house, to your left is Slytherin, followed by Hufflepuff, then Ravenclaw, and finally Gryffindor."-McGonagall. All the students look around at the different houses impatient to know which one will be their house. "When I call your name, you will come to the front and the sorting hat will be placed on you, which will assign you to your respective house, when you are told your house you will go to the respective table of each one"- explains Professor McGonagall. At the moment when Professor McGonagall steps aside, just behind where she was positioned, a chair appears along with a pointed hat, it is tatty and old; it is patched and extremely dirty, something that just by looking at it one cannot get the idea of how long that hat has been used, I did not imagine it was like that when stories were told about it. "Ohh look at that...that''s quite a few kids this year, I find myself a little uneasy as to what''s going on in their heads"- the hat speaks, a tear along the rim opens like a mouth. It is true that the hat, besides having the mission to determine which of the 4 houses mentioned above corresponds to each student, has the ability to read thoughts and respond to them. "But as is tradition it wouldn''t be a great ceremony without a great show," says the hat moments before tuning his voice. (Verse 1) In a time long gone, four minds came together. With a dream in their hands, they protected magic. Gryffindor, brave and daring, Ravenclaw, with reason. Hufflepuff, faithful and honest, Slytherin, with ambition. (Pre-chorus) Together they forged an unparalleled legacy, a school where knowledge shines immortal. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. But fear and discord drove them apart, and the fate of Hogwarts changed. (Chorus) Put on the Sombrero and let him see what is hidden in your soul. Each house is a path, which your essence will guide. To be brave, to be shrewd, loyal or wise in walking, choosing well your course, you will find your destiny. (Verse 2) When it all began, there was nothing to fear. But an echo of battle, broke the bond of yesterday. Slytherin marched aloofly, his ambition set him apart. And though the fear was constant, Hogwarts never gave up. (Bridge) Ravenclaw, with her unparalleled ingenuity, finds answers where no one else can. The mind is your lighthouse, your light and your faith, with wisdom I will guide your steps. Hufflepuff, noble and sincere of heart, his friendship and effort are pure steel. There is no challenge you face without giving your best, work and prosper with great courage. Gryffindor, fierce as a fiery lion, brave heart, indomitable always. Unafraid to fight for what is right, he stands strong with his sturdy honor. Slytherin, sly as a snake, in the shadows stealthily advances. With ambition and determination, his goal is triumph, his strength, passion. (Final chorus) Put on the Sombrero and let him see what is hidden in your soul. Each house is a path, which your essence will guide. To be brave, to be shrewd, loyal or wise in walking, if we choose to be together, no one can bend us. The chant although somewhat exaggerated by the hat makes everyone present stand up and applaud with joy, even among the students you can see some kind of small fireworks, something that the hat proudly received at the end of his song, even the tip of the hat bowed forward as if it were a bow for each of the 4 tables. "I see what my mother meant about a show that can only be appreciated once a year... I don''t know if you knew this Dion but the hat is more than ten centuries old it is said that it belonged to Godric Gryffindor (founder of one of the Hogwarts houses), he sings a song that he himself composes and he always usually talks about the same thing; that the houses should be united even if they are different, my mother used to say that every year the song is different, so this is new, and it is the only time we will hear it." - Patrick explains to me. "You know a lot about all this," I whisper. "My parents'' dream was always that I would enter Hogwarts, so this is the dream of my whole family and mine of course, that''s why I know many things about here, even though I''ve never been here and everything is new to me... because of my parents it''s like I already know what''s what but it never ceases to amaze me this world." - Patrick says whispering. "All right now if we''re going to start.... " -Professor McGonagall The joyful faces of the freshmen change drastically from smiling and clapping to serious and full of fear. "Andrew Leighton, please come forward," said Professor McGonagall. As the boy passed by and took his seat, the hat was placed on his head, a few seconds of silence flooded the room. "Hufflepuff!" shouted the hat. "I wonder how they could have made a hat that could read thoughts and apart it will come alive with its own personality... it''s amazing" - says Patrick happily as he watches the boy get down from the chair and call the next student. In total, we are between 120-140 students. So this will take a while, in total it should be a total of 30-35 students for each house, to make it equitable I would think. (a few minutes later) Most people don''t sound as familiar to me as I thought they would, some I do recognize from the stories my teacher told about Dumbledore''s army. One thing I discovered is that the hat speaks inside the hat in a small voice, quiet to others, or at least to those far away, those in the front row only hear whispers from the hat to the person wearing it. "Alright, next up is .... Dion Beaumont de Legrand"- makes the call Professor McGonagall, her face makes a serious expression while she adjusts her glasses as she sees me walking towards the chair where the hat is. "Good luck Dion, I trust we''ll stay together"- Patrick says to me as I make my way through the other students ahead of me. Professor McGonagall doesn''t take her eyes off me. "I hope you won''t cause problems like the ones in the wagon, Mr. Dion," the teacher says to me as she puts the shade on me. "Ohh this... it''s interesting, it''s brilliant, so many possibilities, I wouldn''t know which one to choose..."- says the hat in a low voice-"what a curious boy, the power I see in you, a lot of ambition...something that would be perfect for Slytherin, brave and with determination perfect for Gryffindor, witty and calculating something representative of Ravenloft. And last but not least noble and sincere, noble qualities of a Hufflepuff." "Is there any difference with the houses, you can choose any, I have no problem." "Haha boy how straightforward you are, it''s not that simple, the house will determine your growth, it will speak of the person you are and reinforce your most valuable qualities, it''s not something to be taken lightly, besides your mind is messy there are blurry things I can''t read, it''s like your mind is a book but some pages are in another language"- says magic hat. author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters. Chapter 18: Common Room . Suspense covered the dining room for about 10 minutes, people did not take their eyes off the hat trying to deduce what was what so much murmured, murmurs could be heard in the background doubtful of what was really happening, even some of them were hungry, and those who were sleepy to see that I was still sitting awoke attentive to know what was the verdict of the hat. Even professors were filled with trepidation and surprise that it was one of the longest times that the Sorting Hat took so long to choose a house for a single student, considering that some students were told their house they belonged to in less than 5 seconds. "Those wizards who created me and became the founders made my mind reading ability almost impossible to avoid for some reason I can''t see past your last months... but from what I see you have lived a great loss, you live with hatred in your heart, something dangerous to tell the truth..."- says the hat. "I just want to leave my parents'' last name high in honor of them, even though they were taken from this life I want to protect the people I love, hate is not the problem, the problem will be the people who cross my path." "I can see you are loosening up more little one, you have a lot of potential, even your wand is an incredible work, the work of a demon with a perverse mind, to create something like that is for someone who doesn''t know the danger it can cause to magical society, but more amazing to me is your ability to learn to take control of it in a few weeks, something that would cost many of the wizards here." - Said the hat pointing its tip at teachers and students. "Professor McGonagall is everything all right with that boy?"- asked Dumbledore as he stood up. These were the last words I heard before collapsing to the floor for a few seconds. Seconds in which the hat was able to communicate with me. "I am afraid of what you may become boy, I hope you achieve great things, I have already decided what your house will be, the perfect house for you to perfect your power and go very far with your wit, the perfect house to forge bravery, at the same time you can open your heart more with those who come on the way to your life, it only remains to tell you good luck boy, we will continue to see each other." - says the hat in my mind while I am still away from my reality due to the little fainting I had. "Oh how well he''s waking up"- says a thick voice coming from headmaster albus dumbledore. When I opened my eyes the teacher quickly removed my hat and the principal was in front of me, even some students were around me and the murmurs turned into constant noise of shouts and voices throughout the dining room. "Everyone take a seat and be quiet, the ceremony continues give the boy room to breathe" shouted one of the teachers who was in the dining room. "Are you all right, boy?" asks Professor McGonagall. "Yes ma''am, I don''t know what came over me, I''m sorry." "It''s the overload of the hat, no one has ever lasted with the hat on for so long, the hat going into the head of the wearer forces the person in some ways to be able to read their thoughts and get to know the person."- explains Professor McGonagall. "Who knew there would be someone capable of beating your record, Professor McGonagall," says a teacher with a chuckle. A gray-haired professor with one arm missing, his clothes somewhat dirty and torn, and one of his eyes missing. "Shut up Silvanus this is no time for jokes, listen boy, Your selection is postponed for now for now rest and get in line again." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Getting to my feet and walking a bit I managed to get back to where Patrick was. "Dude... is everything okay?"- patrick asks. "Just a little dizzy but nothing that won''t go away later." "Very well dear students excuse the slight inconvenience, we will continue with the ceremony."- says Professor McGonagall. "No! I have made a decision." The astonishment of all the people present in the room is inevitable, the hat that was also silent for so long let out a heartbreaking scream. "Your house child... shall be, Ravenclaw!" A moment of silence fills the room and moments later everyone applauds with joy, even more the Ravenclaws to have such a curious boy in their house. "Go, they are waiting for you at the table, I will come in a few minutes, just wait for me a little bit"- Patrick says. Without saying anything else I go to the table of the ravenclaw house, when I take my seat many students jump on me to greet me and ask me questions about what I talked to the hat. They are so intense that they force another teacher to intervene in the mess that was being made at the Ravenclaw table. "Quiet students, if you don''t want to lose points, it''s better to keep your mouth shut"- says the professor of thin build with pale skin, dressed in a black robe and his hair that had the same dark color was long and greasy. He had a murderous look. "Pff what laziness, Professor Severus Snape, is one of the worst teachers here."- says one of the boys in a very low voice to avoid being heard by the teacher, which did not work, because in the blink of an eye the teacher from the shadows appears quickly behind him. "so one of the worst, eh student damian"- says professor severus, while taking one of his ears and stretching it, " I will see you in tomorrow''s class to verify that what just came out of your mouth mr. damian." The look of fear on the faces of the other students is evident; it is as if they are seeing the grim reaper himself in person. "As for you Mr. Dion, I can''t wait to see what talents or qualities you hide to make the magic hat so doubtful," says Professor Severus, who, being closer, can be seen that his eyes seem lifeless and his yellow and crooked teeth make his look and appearance more sinister. "It''s no big deal Professor Severus...to tell you the truth I''m just hoping to learn new things." "Hmm a dull thought for someone to be talking about on his first day," Severus finishes as he disappears again in an instant and immediately appears back in the main teachers'' dining room. "My life is over!" says the boy named Damien as he begins to cry and some of his classmates hug him in consolation for what lies ahead. "All right next up is Patrick Williams Patel."- Professor McGonagall. The eyes turn again to the front of the dining room where the students who have yet to be called for their house selection are located. "Come in please Patrick Williams Patel" - repeats Professor McGonagall. As I look towards Patrick I can see that he is paralyzed and his hands are shaking. For a moment he looks in my direction and to motivate I throw a look of acceptance and confidence for him to take his first step forward. Which he almost as if he had heard me and takes a small breath and walks forward. "It''s me," Patrick shouts excitedly. "Very well, please take a seat." Patrick takes a seat and the hat is placed on his head, the hat covers his eyes a little and immediately the hat starts talking, which I now understand from this position. The hat moves its mouth but nothing of what it says can be heard, even when the place is in complete silence. Standing there, we can make out a small noise but nothing that can be understood, but from here it seems impossible. "Can you find anything?"- says a ravenclaw student. "No nothing yet, it''s impossible to read their lips, and the magic to listen at a distance doesn''t work either, it''s as if they have a shield that doesn''t allow any spell to reach them." - Damian says already a little calmer while wiping his tears and rubbing his ear. Incredibly patrick lasts 6 minutes with the hat talking to him, you can even see that the hat is still hesitating about which house would be the best for him, the other students have the same expression they had when I was sitting there, their intrigue and suspense consumes them and keeps them attentive. "Alright this year brings surprises, ravenclaw!"- shouted the hat. "Patrick jumps out of his chair and takes off his hat before Professor McGonagall does, proceeds to quickly hand it to her and runs over to the ravenclaw table excitedly. "Dion, I told you we were going to stay together, now yes, let''s become the best wizards at Hogwarts together!"- Patrick exclaims excitedly. "Hahaha, that''s the way it''s going to be Patrick, we''ll go far...we have to get there." author''s note: remember to visit my website if you want to support my work. there you will find advanced chapters.