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The Yankees Nephew and the Philosophers Stone	By : Wilde_Guess Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 5806 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe I am making no money from this fanfiction

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapter 6. Going to Hogwarts in 1982.

Wednesday, September first, 1982 was a chilly and drizzly day in both London and Eastern Surrey. Not wanting to make the entire drive from Ottery St. Catchpole to King’s Cross in one go, the Weasleys accepted John and Frank’s offer to stay in Number Two overnight, and to have Arabella Figg babysit Fred, George, Ronnie, and Ginny along with Harry, Dudley, and Lily while they drove into King’s Cross St. Pancras station in London for the Hogwarts Express. While all the older magical Dvoraks were studying and learning magic, John convinced Arthur and Molly Weasley to get their driving licenses on an older petrol engine manual gearbox FX4 John had picked up, and ultimately sold to them.
While the car was fairly expensive for Arthur compared to what he earned and the bills he had with a stay-at-home wife and seven living children, he was able to afford it. John let Arthur earn a serious discount in exchange for the magical training Arthur gave John, along with the use of his warded known-magical home and land. John also conveniently “forgot” to tell Arthur that he had had the car rebuilt to better-than-new condition throughout, including extra sound insulation, carpeting, leather upholstered seats, power steering and power brakes. John had also doubled the engine horsepower and torque along with fitting a “suburban” rear axle ratio so the car could be driven comfortably and safely on the motorway. The car was still an FX4 and not a Jaguar, but it could safely be driven on the motorway. Since John had already had nearly the same work done to his own two FX4s, he was able to get a small break on the price for the older one he sold to Arthur.
Arthur’s car was last in line in front of Number Two and Number Four, behind John’s two FX4s and Frank Floyd’s James Young Limousine. All four cars had the baggage loaded for the four students actually attending Hogwarts that year, minus the owls David and A.D. had for Post. Neither Bill nor Andy wanted their own companion animals. Bill was concerned about the expense for his family, and Andy wasn’t sure he’d be able to spend enough time with a companion animal. He was also quite happy to share his cousin A.D.’s owl Athena for letter writing.
Since all four boys had had their Hogwarts acceptance letters since prior to the start of the year, all of their school shopping had been done in small bits here and there rather than in one epic shopping trip. The exception to that had been their trip to Madam Malkin’s for their school robes, cloaks, and the like. That shopping had been done at practically the last minute, so that the boys had the best chance of not outgrowing their uniforms or shoes before school even started.
Their school trunks were only slightly fancy, with automatic lightening charms so the trunks would only ever weigh as much as an empty trunk instead of one loaded with clothes, textbooks, and school supplies. The trunks also had retractable wheels, so if they needed to handle the trunks where a baggage cart was not available, they would still be able to pull the trunks instead of attempting to carry them. David, Andy, and A.D.’s trunks were also three-compartment instead of single compartment. Each of the three boys were also packing no-Maj textbooks and musical instruments. David and A.D. were packing more no-Maj textbooks than Andy, and each boy also had the textbooks for all seven years at Hogwarts with them.
While the morning started early for the group, it wasn’t nearly as bad as if the Weasleys had to drive all the way from Devon. But it was still just shy of organized chaos, having twenty-four people drive out from near Heathrow Airport into downtown London just to see four kids off to school. However, it was the first year all four students would be attending Hogwarts, which was enough of a big deal for the large crowd. For the holiday breaks, John or Pet would likely just pick up the four students by themselves, since even Pet’s Ford Capri could hold four kids and one adult, providing the kids weren’t all carrying their large school trunks with them. If she were a year older, they could even send Delilah, since she had long since gotten used to all of John and Pet’s cars, including the FX4, and was only lacking five months to get her unrestricted license. Delilah was a prudent yet confident driver, and actually preferred the manual gearboxes over the automatic on the Silver Wraith II.
Breakfast was starting at six that morning at Number Two for everyone in both houses. Frank had the goblins duplicate John’s kitchen at Number Four into Number Two. However, he had the lounge moved upstairs to the first floor, and combined the former lounge on the ground floor with the dining room, allowing generous room to feed thirty-three people. Michael and Danny had done most of the cooking and baking for breakfast, but Frank’s head butler Wilbur took over at the end.
Aaron was the first Dvorak under twenty to join the adults who hadn’t helped cook breakfast. He greeted, “Good morning, everyone; and ‘Happy Anniversary,’ Mom and Dad.”
Aaron’s greeting was greeted by embarrassed silence from both parents and bemused silence from everyone else.
“Sorry, Mom and Dad” greeted David, who lost a lot of his excitement thinking that his parents would be upset with each other.
Pet put that fear to bed at once by replying, “David, don’t be sorry for your first day of school. Your Dad and I were the ones to get married the same day school starts, and with the excitement of getting you ready to go to Hogwarts, he and I both forgot it! Unless of course, your Dad had a surprise planned for me later on.”
John quipped, “Here’s where if I were less honest I’d claim to have done just that. Pet and I will celebrate our Anniversary later today, but it’ll be a surprise for both of us, since I haven’t figured out where to take her out for dinner or anything of the like.”
What could have been the start of an untimely quarrel ended up in shared humor, and would eventually end up of all places at the Chippie stand down the way from Grosvenor Square where John and Pet had their first ‘actual’ date.
After everyone else had come down to start the day, Wilbur and Howard served the food out to the extended group that was now seated around the table. Delilah helped Molly with the twins and her two younger children, while Debbie helped Pet with Harry, Dudley, and Lily. Javier Carlos and Henri Dupris had also joined them, along with Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
Henri asked, “You all aren’t disappointed that Javier and I won’t be coming out to the station?”
Andy reassured his bluesman teacher, “No, Master Henri; we’re actually pleasantly surprised that the two of you joined us for breakfast. We appreciate everyone coming out to see us off going away to Hogwarts, but we also understand that it’s not easy getting twenty-three people into downtown London when only four of us are going off to school. And while it is a boarding school; with the obligations the band has, and the school’s willingness to work with us to allow weekend concerts and the occasional mid-week rehearsals, it’s not like we’re even going to be completely gone until Christmas Break.”
David added, “Thank you both, Javier and Henri, for having breakfast with us. We all appreciate your being here.”
Javier quipped, “Just so long as you practice your guitars along-side your ‘trucos de conejo.’”
David chuckled while replying, “And seeing that you are a native of España, you would know, Mr. Carlos.”
While those in the know laughed, the Weasleys looked confused. David quickly explained, “The Spanish phrase Mr. Carlos said translates to ‘rabbit tricks,’ which are a stereotypical feat performed by no-Maj illusionists as well as the occasional witch or wizard. The Spanish Name for Spain is ‘España.’ This comes from the Carthaginian ‘Ispania,’ or ‘land of rabbits.’ The Carthaginian word ‘sphan’ referred to both the rabbits native to Spain and the rock hyrax.”
“You still sure you don’t want to come down to Champaign, David? We could always use someone in the History Department that can actually bring the subject alive along with getting it right” opined Uncle Junior.
David laughed while he replied, “I won’t say no, Uncle Junior. But I’m a chopper pilot who likes history more than I am a professional historian or history teacher.”
Uncle Junior told David, “Well, stick with A.D. anyway. You should be able to help each other with both your magical and your regular studies. I’ve also given A.D. an ‘O-Level’ and ‘A-Level’ study guide set. I have a few academic friends who owe me some favors, and I might have A.D. attend one of the colleges at Oxford University for at least his undergraduate and master’s work. I might even have him get his doctorate in English Literature there, too. Oxford’s DPhil programs aren’t nearly as much bullshit as ours at UIUC, and their Doctorates are just as good or better than ours. But you need to get good grades on those two no-Maj UK Government Exams to get into a UK University. If you get Oxford Degrees, and if you guys stay ‘magical,’ it’s because you want to and not because you have to.”
“Uncle Junior, I’d be better served by going to Lewis or Embry-Riddle like I’d planned on in the first place. But so long as I study business somewhere, and so long as I get my licenses and flight hours somewhere, I should be fine. Unlike Michael, I don’t have to worry about resume shopping after I get out of school, and the one bad thing ‘bout Hogwarts is that I won’t be able to go to college with Danny and Michael like we’d all planned. They could be working on their Master’s already before I finish up at Hogwarts, and have all the magical education we need on top of that.
“What were you thinking ‘bout this, A.D.?”
“I’m still thinking about it, David. But, an Oxford Doctorate would be beyond cool. And, unlike you, I will have to ‘resume shop,’ especially staying in Academia as a career. That Oxford DPhil in English Literature would be a dream-come-true, if I could get in at all, and if I could keep up. And, Dad was wanting me to take my O-Levels this spring, so I’ll have to work ahead at Hogwarts so they’ll let me take them, on top of studying so that I get scores good enough to get into Oxford, whatever college at Oxford I can get into.
Molly asked, “Why don’t Wilbur and Howard set down with us?”
Wilbur assured Molly, “We really are like family, Molly. But this is still our job and vocation. Mister Francisco pays us very well. But he doesn’t pay us to sit around and not do our jobs. Part of our job is to serve Mister Francisco’s family and guests food at meals, and I would be extraordinarily uncomfortable not serving. Think of Mister Francisco’s kitchen and dining room as a very fancy high priced restaurant that just happens to be located in his home, and is only available to his family and friends.”
Changing the subject slightly at first, Arthur praised, “Great job cooking all of this, Danny and Michael. And Wilbur, you’d definitely earn the top tip from whomever is picking up the check; likely Frank, of course.”
After the laughter died down, Arthur asked, “John, I had the chance to actually drive a working London Cab the other day. It didn’t drive nearly as well as the one you sold me, or for that matter the one you’ve leant to Remus or the one you’ve kept for yourself. What’s making the difference?”
John answered, “Even on the one I bought brand new, I had the drivetrain gone over and changed to my needs. I drive the car on the motorway, so I needed more power along with highway gearing. I also had the interiors made up a little nicer. Remember that when I came over here, it was only a couple of months after my youngest four had lost the rest of their family in a passenger van crash. They were not even a little bit comfortable riding in a passenger van, but I needed something that would carry all of them. It made a lot more sense for me to buy a FX4 and have it modified to suit rather than a limousine. I went ahead and bought two of them, and I’ve been having Remus borrow the second one.
“For the one I sold you, I found an older taxi that had been well cared for, and had everything gone over just as if I were keeping it for myself, which was actually what I was thinking about doing when I bought it. But as things are turning out, I’ll need three taxis worth of carrying capacity so seldom that it’s made much more sense to loan Remus one and sell the second one to you. Yours should be easily expansion-charmed for when you really need it. Otherwise, it has enough room all on its own when you need it, and it isn’t horrible on fuel economy either.”
Frank offered, “It’s still a good thing we had the garages enlarged along with the houses, isn’t it, John?”
John countered, “And it’s also a good thing that Dumbledore was able to expand the wards to cover Number Two along with Number Four.” Explaining to Arthur and Molly, he added, “When we had the Goblins expand the houses, we also had both garages expanded as much as we could get away with without using expansion charms. In my garage at Number Four, I can now get my FX4 and Ford Galaxie 500, Pet’s Silver Wraith II, and Pet’s Capri that she’s sharing with Delilah into the garage without needing an expansion charm. Along with Frank’s Phantom V, I’m able to get my ’59 Triumph Bonneville, my ’47 Harley Davidson, and my ’81 Harley-Davidson Tour Glide out of the weather, too. And if we get to the point of needing them, we’ll still be able to put expansion charms on both garages.”
Frank asked, “Any chance you can collect your kids’ two Cadillacs?”
John replied, “I’d rather you hold onto them for a while longer at least. I could move them up to the Orchard Muni hanger at Midway, but we’re already jammed for space there as it is. We already had to move most of our maintenance out to DuPage, which Rick really hadn’t wanted to do. Other than the one Corvair of Mom’s we let her give Junior, we still have the rest of hers, Cathy’s Corvair, my Frasier, the rest of Rick’s and my motorcycles, Tim’s Ford pickup, and Tim and Pixie’s two ’77 Town Cars. And don’t bitch at me about not selling anything, either. You still have Father’s ’48 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Derham that Father made Harley pay to replace in ’59.”
Arthur asked, “If this ‘Harley’ person paid to replace the car, then why does Frank have it?”
John and Frank laughed uncontrollably for over a minute before John replied, “The Cadillac Frank has is the replacement, and ‘Harley’ is our late brother Carlos Luis Floyd, whom everyone called ‘Harley.’ And the funny part is this. Father had the first car built new in 1948. Cadillac shipped the car to Derham’s factory in Pennsylvania to finish it, and then it was shipped to him by way of the local to him Cadillac dealer. When Harley caused the destruction of the first one in 1959, Father had Harley pay for a 1948 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special, which by then was a hard-to-find eleven-year-old car. After that car was shipped in from California, Father had everything on the car redone to better-than-new condition, and Harley paid for that. Then, Father shipped the car to Derham to have them finish it exactly like they’d done the original one, and Harley paid for that too, along with shipping the car out and back. And back then, Cadillac competed with Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Daimler, so nothing about this car was ever cheap.”
Arthur asked concerned, “If the car was so expensive, then why did your Father make your brother pay for it, and why are you laughing at his expense?”
John told Arthur, “‘Harley’ Floyd grew up rich and worked in the Family Business, though he was usually a screw-up. I did not grow up in the main line Floyd family, which is why I grew up with much more modest means. Rick grew up as a main line Floyd, but he deliberately and peaceably left the family business, more-or-less. We’ll leave it at that for now. So Harley not only had the money to replace the car, he also caused the destruction of the old car while trying to hurt me, and was spectacularly stupid in what he caused to happen.”
Frank added, “Harley was also the only one of us boys to live to adulthood and not serve honorably in the United States Armed Forces. I served in Korea, Harley went to prison and was disqualified from military service, Jose died of polio, Ricardo became Richard and joined the Army as a helicopter pilot, and John joined the Army Special Forces as a Special Forces Medic. I enlisted for only three years and was honorably discharged. Rick and John were both career soldiers who were medically retired for war injuries. In John’s case, that was entirely legitimate…”
John supplied, “It was actually legitimate for Rick, too; and you know it. Father was able to bribe the Army doctors when he did for Rick because his asthma wasn’t really that bad. But flying in combat is very stressful, and eventually it got too bad to cover up. Hell, I was the one who had to start the process that saw Rick retired, ‘cause it got so bad that he couldn’t even walk from the flightline back to his tent without an oxygen bottle.
“Since the doctors Father bribed back at Fort Wolters cooked the books right, we were able to get it signed off as combat-induced asthma, so we got him medically retired. As far as that goes, I was in the midst of recovering from losing my leg and fighting retirement the following year. Believe it or not, some people lose a leg, or even two, but while retirement is the first option, you can fight successfully to remain in service. There was a Marine who lost his left lower leg like I did but in a parachute jump accident who even returned to jump status just like I would have. We even crossed paths once or twice in-country since he was Marine SOG. And there was a Navy Salvage Diver who actually had his two broken legs cut off because they weren’t healing properly. He kept diving for another ten years before he finally retired.
“I quit fighting and let them retire me after I had two sons in ten months. Cathy just wasn’t cut out to be an Army wife, and I’m much happier with my sons than I would have been going back into combat.”
Getting the subject of the conversation back to school, Pet asked, “So, boys, are you more nervous or more excited about going to Hogwarts today?”
A.D. replied, “Now that I don’t have bureaucrats threatening my family, Aunt Petunia, I’m completely excited. And beyond the music business, I even have a place in the Wizarding World if I want it. I’d always thought I’d follow my Dad into education, and I actually liked that. But Hogwarts and Ilvermorny need teachers just as much as the University Dad works for, so there is that. Since David and I’ll keep up our non-magical education too, and since we’re far enough ahead in that age-wise, we can still go back to the no-Maj education system too, and at the same age as our peers.”
Andy added, “Providing I learn how to fly helicopters over the next few summers, I’m good, too. I’m not excited about Hogwarts, but I’m not really all that nervous either, other than starting two years late. Of course, having the band, and the royalties and residuals from our music helps a lot, too. And If I keep earning money from the music business, nothing says that I can’t just do that. If we remain popular, I can always buy my own helicopter and just fly that.”
David retorted, “You’d better not ditch me just when I’ll need you the most, Andy! But yeah, the money from the band is really taking the pressure off of me. And it’s not like the bunch we have running Orchard Muni are doing a bad job. They’re actually doing great, and we’re able to reinvest a lot of money into the business and still put some back into our pockets. When my birth-father built her, he built her right.
“I’m actually about as excited as an American kid can get about going to a boarding school instead of staying at home with my family. But I’ll have two cousins with me to start, another cousin and a brother the year after next, and friends who are at least as close as family. So yeah, I’m only a little nervous about going. Did you ever go with Aunt Lily to King’s Cross, Mom?”
Pet sighed and replied, “Only her first year, and I didn’t really want to go then, as jealous as I was. But I’m really looking forward to seeing you off today, David; along with your younger siblings when it’s their turn to go. Going off to Hogwarts is an important rite of passage, after all. Any mother should be proud of her children’s progress in life, and I certainly am. And going to Hogwarts is a major milestone in your younger life, just like your very first day of school, or leaving for college or the service.”
John announced, “Speaking of going to Hogwarts, we should start getting ready to leave, since we’re now down to coffee or tea on breakfast. Now kids, Arthur and his brother have told me that the train has compartments instead of coach seating. You’ll need to share the same compartment, not that we thought you wouldn’t. Your mothers have worked together to pack enough food for all four of you to have a good lunch. This is important because you’ll be on that train for about eight or nine hours, the train does not have a dining car, and the snack cart mostly just sells candy and cakes, not more substantial food. Hogwarts provides plenty of wonderful food, but it’s only a quarter after seven now, and the Hogwarts Welcome Feast won’t be for another thirteen hours or so.
“Now let’s finish loading the cars and get going. We should still have plenty of time to arrive early and get you a good compartment on the train, but I’ve learned to never trust weekday traffic in London. And I’d rather we were early than late.”
The group managed to get everyone moved or loaded as needed. With the younger ones remaining at Arabella Figg’s, everyone else was on the road by a quarter to eight.
§§§
Ten o’ Clock saw the cars parked, baggage trolleys procured, and the two post owls, four students and twenty well-wishers about to enter King’s Cross Station. Looking around, Molly asked, “All right, do all of you who have no magic have your pendants on?”
John had arranged to buy charmed pendants for the completely non-magical people to protect them from Muggle repelling wards, so they would have an easier time entering the train platform itself. The Wizarding World used one platform at King’s Cross for rail travel northward. And that platform, Platform Nine and Three Quarters, was deliberately misaligned with the non-magical tracks and situated so that only the Ministry Wizarding Railway or MWR could access it. It was also warded against people who had no magic in them. While the Hogwarts Express was not the only magical train in the UK, all other services were annulled on the days and times when the Hogwarts Express ran. So while wizards and witches who were so inclined could catch an MWR train into King’s Cross to ride the Hogwarts Express, they had to do so a day prior and spend the night at the Leaky Cauldron.
After everyone told her they had their pendants, Molly cast light Muggle-repelling charms on their two trolleys. Mercury and Athena, David’s and A.D.’s owls, were not amused. As they entered the station, Molly remarked somewhat loudly, “It’s just as well we arrived early. The station is already packed with Muggles, and it will be a wonder that we make it to the Hogwarts Express on time, though we at least have the time. What was the platform number again, Charlie?”
“It’s Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Mum, everyone knows that. But why are you asking me when Bill’s going this year?”
“Just because it’s Bill’s turn to go to Hogwarts doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about you, Charlie.”
Charlie almost rose in pleasure as his mum included him.
John told her sotto voce, “I think you’re making a big mistake here, Molly. And unlike with my sister-in-law, I can’t just send you home if you get arrested for risking an incident where the Obliviators need to be called.”
Molly retorted, “Well, even if the Ministry has its heads up their collective arses, your Embassy should at least replace the sign the Ministry removed for ‘temporary repairs’ in 1964 and never put back. Children have missed the train, and even been hurt because some bureaucratic arsehole is too cheap to spend twenty Galleons seventeen and five on a charmed sign, money that they’ve already taken from us working-folk mind, to put the damned sign back up. I’ll do my part in the mean-time” she finished, just as two separate parties of Mum-Dad-boy-or-boys approached at a trot.
The first group was a couple with an eleven-year-old boy. All three had dark brown hair and eyes. They were of average height for their ages and genders. They were dressed nicely but casually. The second group was a couple with three boys, with the older two being boarding school age and the younger one being about five years old. Their hair was lighter brown along with their eyes, and they were also of average stature for their ages and genders. They also had an air about them that practically screamed “American,” though they also didn’t look out of place.
After the adults caught their breaths, the darker haired man volunteered, “I heard you mention a strangely numbered platform we’re having trouble finding for a chartered train that leaves at eleven?”
Molly quietly but in a friendly way asked, “Hogwarts?”
Seven of the newcomers nodded embarrassedly in answer. The five-year-old smiled and shyly waved at Paul and Percy.
Molly assured them, “No need to be embarrassed. Hogwarts usually does a good job of making sure everyone can find the platform, but mistakes can happen, which is why I did what I did. I charmed my son’s cart just enough that total Muggles would stay away, and only Muggleborn witches, wizards, and their parents would bother looking. Just stick with us, and we’ll get your kids and you on the platform. If you’re not magical, you’ll need to take the hand of either your son or another wizard or witch to get onto the platform, but you’ll be able to leave the platform by yourself. If you’re a Squib or a magical person, you can get onto as well as off of the platform by yourself.
“See the support pillar between Tracks 9 and 10 that looks like it doesn’t quite belong? Well, that’s the gateway to platform Nine and Three Quarters. The brickwork is just an illusion hiding the brick-textured gate when the gate is closed, or hiding the open gateway when the trains are running.”
The darker haired man introduced himself, “I’m Rich Daley, this is my wife June and my son Tom. We drove in from Cokeworth, and we left there at half-six…and why is that boy laughing at us?”
David recovered from his laughing and answered, “Mr. Daley, I was laughing at the irony, not you, your family, or your long drive. I’m an American ex-pat from very close to Chicago. Chicago’s most famous recent, and longest-serving mayor was Richard J. Daley, who served for twenty-one years and died in office of old age. His son, Richard M. Daley is also a politician who just might become mayor there, too. And my Mom and Aunt were born and grew up in Cokeworth! So, Mom will sympathize with you on the drive if nothing else. We only drove in from south of Heathrow in Surrey, but that was still more than enough for us.”
While David shook the hands of the three Daleys, the older two boys of the other couple exclaimed, “David Dvorak, what the hell are you doing in London!”
David looked at them closely, along with Tim Cash. David and Tim asked in their turn, “Joe and Max Stock? What the hell are you guys doing out here?”
Joe replied, “Max and I are transferring in from Ilvermorny, since Cat, or Caterpillar Tractor if you haven’t heard of ‘em, transferred Dad. I’m a third year, and Max is starting second year, David. You guys disappeared from St. Mary’s right before MaCUSA and Ilvermorny told Dad we were wizards and had to go to boarding school after fifth grade. What happened after your folks died?”
“Uncle John adopted Aaron, Paul, and me along with my girlfriend Saria just like he did for Tim, and he became my Dad. He decided to change careers, since he was hurting with my birth-father dying and all. He went to work for the State Department and we came out here. Dad met Mom, they fell in love, and they got married. Didn’t you guys have a sister?”
Max supplied, “She drowned at the local swim center right after you guys disappeared. We’re still getting over it.”
“Sorry it happened, man. I’m still torn up from the kid that my birth mother conceived right before the accident, I can’t even begin to imagine losing a sister you actually got to know.”
Max asked, “When did you switch to guitar? That was you with your brothers on TV, wasn’t it? Last I knew your first Dad was getting you piano lessons like me.”
“I still play piano, Max. I play bass on stage though, and while I’m great at piano, so are Debbie and Delilah, and I’m also great at bass. So you saw our concert on BBC One last June? I still can’t believe it sometimes, but that was us.”
“Wow! I thought it was you, even while I thought there was no way in hell it was you guys.”
Meanwhile, while the disparate group of parents and children migrated through the magical barrier and onto the platform itself, conversations kept happening as the group went. Joe said, “So Tim, you’re the drummer for “The Treasures” now? Far cry from that bossy second grader who taught me how to play ‘cause the Band Teacher wasn’t worth a used rubber, or maybe it isn’t.”
Tim blushed, but he answered, “Other than the ‘me having no magic where it feels like everyone else does,’ yeah. Back then, we were both fantasizing ‘bout being the next Grahame Edge or Ringo Starr. This year, I was taught by Grahame Edge and Ringo Starr. Really cool guys to hang out with, but when they’re teaching you? They wrung me out so dry that I almost couldn’t even lift my arms outside of practice for weeks. It’s still a dream-come-true. I’d trade it in a hot second to get Bill and Chris back, but it’s still almost unreal. How good are you now?”
“Ilvermorny has a much better music program than St Mary’s or Hogwarts. We have a full orchestra that can be broken up into different bands for different types of music. I don’t think I’m quite as good as you, but I could keep up.”
“Really, Joe? You want to get up to the next level? Lotsa work, pain, and crying; and no guarantee you will actually make it, but do you want it bad enough?”
“Fuck yeah, Tim!”
“Hey, Michael! You were wondering ‘bout a second drummer? Joe says he’s close enough he can do it. I was the one to first teach him, and back then he got it. So, can you get it set up if he keeps his grades up?”
Michael walked over and asked, “Joe, how good were your grades at Ilvermorny?”
Joe told him, “All ‘As,’ and that’s on the American scale, so I guess the Limey Wizards call ‘em ‘Os.’”
Michael told Joe, “Stick with David. If we can swing it, you’ll be leaving Hogwarts with Bill Weasley and him on weekends for concerts. We won’t put you on stage necessarily, but we will work with getting you up to the next level or more. Also, check with David and Professor Filius Flitwick once you get there. Flitwick’s the Charms Professor, but he also heads what passes for their Music program. He should be able to help David and you get a place set up to practice and rehearse. David and our cousin Andy Floyd will be there with you on guitar, and our cousin A.D. plays a mean soprano sax. We’ll only be short a keyboardist for you guys through the week.”
Joe interjected, “Max is ace on a piano, or anything else with a keyboard if he sits and plays it for a few minutes. It isn’t magic, he’s just that good. He and I can both read sheet music and play by ear. Max can even write the shit when he’s in the mood.”
Michael finished, “David knows what my sound is, so stick with him. Year after next, you’ll have another soprano sax and another guitarist or keyboardist. And Aaron can play bass, six string, and twelve. But stick with David, and he won’t steer you wrong.”
Meanwhile, Molly was telling Bill, “Now be sure to study hard and do your best out there, Bill.”
“Of course I will, Mum. I’ll be sure to write at least once a week, too. I might have to write more often to keep Charlie from flittering off in the back garden while the Twins torment Percy.”
“I don’t flitter, Bill.”
“Really, Charlie? Then why were the twins messing with Ronnie’s bear yet again right before we left for here this morning, hmm? They’re great kids, but they sometimes forget that they’re not the only kids at the Burrow, and they’re just old enough now to do some actual damage. And where’s Percy?”
“I… he was just here a minute ago?”
“He’s been talking with Paul Dvorak and Peter Stock for the past five, by John Dvorak’s side. Just because he’s safe doesn’t mean that you don’t need to know where he is. Especially with how young he is, and with how the Dvorak boys got distracted with their American friends who they didn’t think they’d ever see again.
“Charlie, we’re kids, and we’re supposed to have fun while we grow up. But you always always always look out for your younger siblings. I won’t really be home for more than a few hours at a time ‘til Christmas break. So, the rest of our siblings will look up to you. Just take care of ‘em and give them a big brother who’s worth looking up to, yeah?”
The two boys hugged each other as the crowd started to build.
Meanwhile, A.D. was also exchanging good-byes with his family.
“I’m not happy, but I’ll manage, and I’ve got both family and friends from the get-go. So I’ll get by” A.D. assured his family.
Junior told his son, “Be sure that you do, A.D. And be sure to write your Mom and me, along with Sally. Your Uncle John’s already agreed to fax us copies of your letters when we’re home, and your Mom and I will fax our letters to him, so we aren’t messing around with the delays with international Wizarding mail.”
Hannah added, “And don’t forget to write your cousins, too. You know how hard your Aunt Cathy, Aunt Stacy, and I fought to keep our family together. I won’t see our hard work pissed away on ‘Buggs Bunny truck-ohs.”
“Trucos de conejo, Mom. Quit being a ‘Minnesota Redneck,’ you’re embarrassing me. And A.D., if you don’t write, I’ll put loads in your cigarettes—again” Sally admonished.
“Don’t be that way, Sally! ‘Sides, it’ll by your turn in just a few years, and with Michael’s band we’ll see each other almost as often as if were still at home together. But I’ll write anyway, even if I end up passing Athena on my way to Uncle John’s place to meet up with the rest of the band.”
While the two siblings hugged, Sally replied, “Be sure that you do. You know I don’t like it when you’re not around, even when you’re being a boy and a jerk.”
A.D. laughed while releasing his hug and quipped, “Hey, I highly resemble that remark! And I’ll miss you too, even if you’re doing the Good Work and keeping Saria humble!”
“As if, A.D. That girl plays circles ‘round both of us. It’s just a good thing that even we’re better than everyone else.”
With a finial laugh and round of bravado, the four Champaign Dvoraks started to seeing their one Hogwarts student onto the train.
Meanwhile, Danny told the group, “Hey, let’s get a compartment or two next to each other picked out for you guys. There’s seven of you all together. Uncle Sirius, how do the compartments work with sizing and all that?”
Sirius answered, “The compartments have automatic expansion charms on them. You normally don’t try for more than twelve students, but seven should be fine. Even without the automatic expansion charms, the compartments easily hold eight first years. I’ve already found one this way, if you can help get them and their trunks over here?”
“Got it, Uncle Sirius” Danny answered.
Even though the four trunks they had expected to load had automatic lightening charms on them and didn’t weigh very much, they were still awkward. Tim Daley’s trunk and both Stock boys’ trunks were basic trunks, and weighed just as much as you would expect such a trunk to weigh. Just the same, Michael and Danny got all seven trunks and all three owl cages with owls in them loaded in short order.
A.D. told them, “Thanks, you two. That saved us a lot of time, and a lot of effort, too. But where did David go?”
Michael informed the boys, “He’s saying ‘good-bye’ to Saria. And I’d just leave that alone, if I were you.”
David was saying “good-bye” to Saria. He was also off just outside of notice of the crowd kissing and hugging Saria good-bye, too. But they soon broke for air and to straighten themselves and each other back out.
“David, as much as I’ll miss you too, it isn’t even like we’ll be stuck with only letters until Christmas. With the band taking off, and with Professor Dumbledore working with us to have the three of you boys leave the castle on the weekends when we have weekend concerts, we will get by, even if we aren’t in the same house all the time like we were. We need to get you on the train before the other boys start talking. Since I can see the train, I just saw Danny and Michael get off of it, which means that your friends, and all of your stuff is on it. And, it’s six ‘til, so we really need to get moving.”
David sighed and nodded, but they walked to the train holding hands. David let go of Saria’s hand, almost surprising her as he ran the few short steps to Pet, Aaron, and Paul, hugging them all affectionately in turn.
He told them, “Thanks for coming to see me off, Mum. I guess I ‘made the turn’ while we’d both blinked, and I spent more time with my hopeful future instead of my present. But even with my many distractions, I’m thankful you came out with us. Aaron, it’s the year after next for you, but your turn is coming. Yours too, Paul, even if you can’t see it yet.”
They hugged around again sincerely, but not for any length of time. Pet kissed her stepson’s cheek and he kissed hers and his brothers’. Aaron and Paul kissed him back, and they let each other go.
“Don’t miss your train, son” Pet gently chided while wiping a tear from her ear. Aaron wasn’t quite crying, but he was sad to see his brother leave, even if David would be returning for most weekends far sooner than Christmas Break. Paul was closer to crying, but he’d also made a new friend, and one who actually came from home, even if the boy still lived really far away.
“I’ll be sure not to, Mom! And I’ll also be sure to write all of you, Mercury would get angry if I didn’t give him anything to do. Goodbye!”
“Goodbye, David!” Pet and Aaron answered.
David re-took Saria’s hand as they walked the last few steps to the vestibule of the carriage. As they stood by carriage door, David hugged and chastely kissed Saria one last time, which she returned. She told him, “I guess I’m Sitting This One Out, David. I’ll be sure to have a lot of letters waiting.”
He reminded her, “Mercury will wait for your letters while delivering mine. Mind You Do.”
With the sadness of parting momentarily broken, they kissed yet again before David boarded the carriage. His compartment was the first one next to the vestibule, so in just a few steps he was in the carriage and at the windows along with Andy, A.D., Bill, Joe, Max, and Tom.
Max got nosy first and asked, “What’s the ‘sitting this one out’ and ‘mind you do’ stuff with your girlfriend?”
While he chuckled, David answered, “I’m a history buff. Ask your brother ‘bout ‘Mind you do.”
Joe supplied, “It was how we told the Brit Ministry to make sure they did what they said and stay out of the American Revolution. When MaCUSA asked the Ministry what they were doing, the Ministry replied, “Sitting this one out.” We told them back, “Mind you do.” Remember that MaCUSA was never subordinate to the UK Ministry of Magic or any no-Maj government in the US then either.”
The whistle on the enchanted steam locomotive pulling the train drowned anything else Joe was going to say. All seven boys were waving and saying their last direct good-byes to their families for the next few weeks while the train started to move. They continued to wave and shout until their carriage was well clear of the platform, backing out at speed towards the wye track that would face them about to Hogsmeade. Their adventure in magical education for the year had begun.
§§§
The train was quickly turned around and headed the right way in the right direction. As the train picked up speed, the boys all looked out of the window as the train sped through first the north end of London proper, then the suburbs, and finally the countryside. As the scenery became more bucolic, they all sat down.
David announced, “All right, some of us know some of us, but that’s not all of us.” After the other boys finished laughing, David continued, “No easy way to say that, really. But I was going to suggest, and I still do suggest that we introduce ourselves to each other. Names, when we turn twelve, where we’re from, and if we have a preference for what house we’re sorted into. A little more would be nice, but you don’t have to right away. And no, the sorting is one Hogwarts secret no one shares where a ‘firstie’ might hear it, that’s part of the ‘fun’ of going to Hogwarts. And in case you were wondering, all of us are getting sorted in front of the rest of the school tonight, whatever year and house they stick us in.
“I’ll start. I’m David John Hernando Rush-Cook Dvorak, and I go by ‘David.’ I turn twelve on the twentieth of October. I’m originally from a place near Chicago called Mokena, and that’s in the United States. Now, I live in Surrey somewhere south of Heathrow. I’m hoping for Gryffindor House, but any house other than Slytherin would be great, and the only trouble I have with them is the fallout from the war they just wrapped up here. I’m also one of the lead singers with ‘The Treasures,’ and we really don’t want any groupies barging into our neighborhood. Next?”
Tom interjected, “What’s with all the middle names, David?”
David replied, “My birth-father was ‘honoring’ relatives and ‘kissing up.’ ‘John’ is for my Dad now, since after my birth father died, he adopted me. Dad was my birth father’s younger brother. ‘Hernando’ would be my grandfather Hernando DeSoto Floyd, who died before I was born. ‘Rush-Cook’ was from my birth-mother’s adopted family.
“Doctor Benjamin Rush was a renowned no-Maj medical doctor, and one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence. One of his more devoted students was Doctor Nathaniel George Cook. Doctor Cook helped Doctor Daniel Brainard found Rush Medical College and Rush Hospital in Chicago. Rush Medical College was and still is the finest Medical School in the Midwest, and the hospital has an equally good reputation. The Cooks were so invested in their connection to Rush Medical College and Doctor Rush himself that every male Cook has ‘Rush’ for their middle name, or one of several middle names. Since my birth mother was adopted, they aren’t my ancestors. But my birth father was ‘kissing up’ to my birth mother’s older brother-by-adoption, and my girlfriend Saria is a Cook by blood, since she was ‘Uncle Benji’s’ granddaughter. So, why don’t you go next, Tom?”
Tom stammered for a moment before Bill interrupted, “Why don’t I go next, David? The only reason I wasn’t wondering ‘bout your names is ‘cause you’d already told me.”
Bill introduced, “I’m William Arthur Weasley, and I go by ‘Bill.’ I turn twelve on the twenty-ninth of November. I was born and grew up in Ottery St. Catchpole, which the Muggles call Ottery St. Mary. It’s in Devon, near Exeter and Chudleigh. I’m hoping for Gryffindor House just like David and for the same reasons, and ‘cause the only Weasleys who haven’t sorted into Gryffindor were women who married into the family; and not even a lot of those. I’m not a lead singer with The Treasures, but David has me help out back-stage, and I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I plan on becoming a curse-breaker for Gringotts when I pass my NEWTs and leave Hogwarts.”
A.D. took up the round, “My name is Abner Doubleday Dvorak the Third, and I go by A.D. Being named for the inventor of Baseball really sucks, especially in America, where our version of ‘rounders’ is the National Pastime. So does coming from a three-generation string of men who have no clue what to name their oldest son without destroying his social life. Even with the teasing and bullying, I love the game. I’m an ace shortstop; just not quite good enough to try playin’ ball for a living.
“I’m turning thirteen on December twelfth. I’m starting Wizarding School late, and here, for political reasons. I’m hoping for Gryffindor House, but Ravenclaw would also be cool. Dad is a University Professor, and I might still take that up on the no-Maj side after passing my NEWTs, since I’m keeping up with my no-Maj subjects, and I’m already starting high school on the no-Maj side this year. If I stay on the Wizarding side, I’ll try to find a subject to teach and become a teacher somewhere. I’d prefer English Literature, since that’s what Dad does, and I’m great at it. I could handle history, but that’s David’s gig now, if he quits music and choppers.” After the confused laughter died down a bit, A.D. added, “David’s birth father left him a helicopter flying company in Chicago, and David wants to take it over and fly with it.” Seeing no confusion, he let Andy take over.
“I’m Andres Augustin Floyd II, and I go by ‘Andy.’ I’m not heir to the head of house, and I don’t really want it. I’m originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, in the United States. I’m living with David’s parents now, but my Father comes by to visit frequently. I was born on March first, 1968, so I should be a fourth year. I also have dyslexia, which is a problem with how my eyes are connected with my brain that can’t be fixed with glasses or potions. That’s why I’m starting Wizarding School late; Ilvermorny couldn’t be bothered to come up with extra tutoring for a ‘second son.’ And with the shitty attitude the Ilvermorny bunch copped at me, I wanted nothing to do with them, either.
“Things got changed around for me because of politics, and Hogwarts coming up with an actual plan to make sure I could work around and through my dyslexia, and even make it to my NEWTs, even if I’m older than the other guys in school when I do it. I’m hoping for Gryffindor, but I’m more hoping that I stick with David and A.D., ‘cause they’re family, and I believe that family sticks together. If David actually does take over the helicopter company, I want to work flying helicopters for him. If the music keeps paying off though, I’m damned sure sticking with it. I’m Henri Dupris’s apprentice in the blues, and you don’t walk away from that without a God-damned good reason.”
Joe took over. “I’m Joseph Howard Stock Junior, and I go by ‘Joe.’ I turn fourteen on November twenty-second. I’m starting third year as a transfer student from Ilvermorny, but if we’d been no-Maj, I’d be starting high school. I didn’t keep up with the no-Maj shit, and neither did Max. I’m originally from Mokena like David. In fact, David went to the same no-Maj school as Max and me at the same time before we all went our separate ways, and we knew each other from there. We live in Desford now, which is basically Leicester, ‘cause our Dad works for Caterpillar Tractor, and they’ve sent him there. He’ll hopefully be able to stay long enough for Max to finish Wizarding School over here instead of transferring back and forth again. Wampus House chose me, so I’m hoping for Gryffindor, since it’s closest. I’m a pretty good drummer, and I’m hoping to play into Michael’s band, if I can keep my grades up. I got all ‘A’s, which they call ‘O’s here. Your ‘A’ is what we call a ‘C,’ which I guess is okay if that’s the best you can do.”
Max added, “I’m Mawell Taylor Stock, Joe’s brother, and I go by ‘Max.’ I was born on March first of 1970. I’m from Wampus too, and I’m also hoping for Gryffindor. I’m starting second year this year. I’m an ace piano player, and I’ve played some guitar, too; and I can also sing backup vocals. In magic, I’m really good at Transfiguration and Potions, but I can also help with Charms. Joe is much better at Charms and Herbology. I’ve written some music here and there, but not like you guys yet. Joe and I’ll both need some help with History and DADA.”
Tom finally finished in his turn by telling, “I’m Thomas Moore Daley, and I go by ‘Tom.’ I’m Catholic, but I’m not an arsehole ‘bout it…”
David interrupted, “Tom, the only guy in this compartment who isn’t Catholic is Bill, and he grew up deep in UK Wizarding Society. So, they don’t really follow any of ‘em in the Wizarding World here. But they’re really mad at the Protestants, with their whole ‘suffer not the witch to live’ shtick. And MaCUSA hijacked ‘Guy Fawkes Day’ as ‘Cotton Mather Day,’ so we’re not re-fighting any of the UK Religious Wars here, thank you very much. You were saying?”
After everyone finished laughing, Tom continued, “We live in Cokeworth ‘cause Dad could get a nicer house there for less money. He works for the aircraft side of Rolls-Royce in Birmingham. Irish roots, but back so far you really have to dig for them, and we don’t like the ‘Oranges’ or the ‘Greens.’ Sad to find out that we can’t escape the by-blow of the Troubles even in the Wizarding World, especially since we don’t consider ourselves the least bit Irish. I just turned eleven a week ago Tuesday, which was the twenty-fourth, so I guess I’m the youngest one here. I’d never heard of magic or Hogwarts until Professor McGonagall visited us last June. From what Professor McGonagall told me about Hogwarts, I’m hoping for either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, since their house ghost was a former Friar before he died. My grades in primary were okay, but I wasn’t a genius. Even without the Magic Troubles just ending, I don’t want to sort into the house where the ‘bad guy’ did most of his recruiting, even if the guys there are probably mostly all right.”
David assured Tom, “You’ll get sorted where they sort you, just like the rest of us. We’ll stick by you even if you sort Slytherin and the rest of us Gryffindor, which is the big ‘house rivalry’ at Hogwarts. And the Hufflepuff House Ghost is actually the real life Friar Tuck from Robin Hood. He graduated from Hufflepuff before going into the church, and he was ordained a priest for his order later in life. Unlike most real ghosts, he didn’t fail to ‘move On’ because he was afraid of death. He was remorseful and repentant that he never went back to the Wizarding World to preach the Gospel without the anti-magic bullshit that leaked into it from some of the clergy who thought magic was too much like the actual miracles that some important church leaders had done to spread the Gospel. So, he’s now the Hufflepuff House Ghost, though most of his religious preaching is only done in the Hufflepuff Common Room. He can still give Reconciliation, but being dead and all he can’t do anything else, not even the Last Rights. Still a great guy other than being dead; at least that’s what I’ve been told. I’ve only met him the one time when I visited Hogwarts to read their copy of their Royal Charter, but he was friendly enough.”
Joe asked in amazement, “Hogwarts has a Royal Charter, and you’ve read it?”
David replied, “Yeah, I’m really in to history, both Wizarding and not. And real historians always read the primary sources if and where they can. The Charter is from 1040, and it was written in Latin, even though that wasn’t the everyday language in Scotland; especially not then. The Romans never stayed long north of Hadrian’s Wall, which is still in Northumberland. But it was the major language of diplomacy back then, so the Charter was in Latin. It’s the only remaining document actually signed by a Hogwarts Founder, along with being one of very few if any surviving documents signed by King Macbeth of Alba.”
Joe asked, “You mean the evil guy from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth was real?”
David told them, “Yes, and no. Shakespeare’s play was Elizabethan and Jacobite Propaganda. James I and VI, the Witch Hunter King, was descended from Malcom III, who took the throne from Macbeth’s stepson Lulach after killing Macbeth in battle.
“Shakespeare got the witches kinda right, and Malcolm III killing Macbeth in battle kinda right, but he made everything else up out of whole cloth. Macbeth ruled as a just and fair king for seventeen years and was beloved by everybody except the supporters of Malcolm III. The bit about Birnam Wood walking to Dunsinane wasn’t a misunderstood promise of a long reign, it was a dire warning, and one that Macbeth heeded. While Macbeth lost the Battle of Dunsinane, he escaped, and reigned another three years before Malcolm III finally killed him at Lumphanan
“And Helga Hufflepuff, the last of the Hogwarts Founders, sent her Potions Mistress, her Potions Mistress’s apprentice, and her Divination teacher to help Macbeth take the Scottish Throne in 1039, because Duncan I was a cold-blooded witch-and-wizard murdering dick. And, ‘back in the day,’ ‘kill your predecessor and just take over’ was how Scottish Politics normally was done. The good-luck potion they brewed Macbeth was so powerful that after he killed Duncan I at the battle of Bothnagowan, he claimed the throne in 1040 without any further trouble, along with getting the warning about Malcolm III’s fighters attacking from Birnam Wood while camouflaged in tree branches. He also gave Hogwarts their Royal Charter in gratitude as one of the first things he did after he was crowned.”
David stopped talking, and the compartment was silent. David finally asked, “Did I get too boring?”
Joe retorted, “Naw, just the opposite, really. And guess who just volunteered to lead our history study group?”
The laughter was genuine and welcoming. As their laughter died down, there was a knock at the compartment door. David, who was closest, opened the door to reveal the Trolley Lady. She asked, “Anything from the cart, dears?”
David suggested, “Why don’t we get a ‘selection’ between all of us and share it, along with some bottles of Pumpkin Juice. We can share our basket lunch since there should be enough food, and then split the treats for dessert.”
Everyone agreed, the treats were bought, and the Trolley Lady left.
While the actual food was shared around and eaten, Tom asked, “What’s different about Wizarding candy? And why all the pumpkin shit?”
David answered, “Wizarding candy is mostly just different brands. But some of the stuff is flat-out weird if you’re not used to it. Honeyduke’s Chocolate is just very good chocolate. But with all the not so very good chocolate out there, I wouldn’t sneer at them.
“The Chocolate Frogs are not from ‘Monty Python,’ and they’re not crunchy. Theodore Bunniford, the father of Tobias Bunniford who runs Bunniford now, copied them from an Australian Muggle chocolate back in the early 1930s. The Aussie company was bought by Cadbury, and they sold ‘em here for a couple of years. I actually got to try one of the Muggle ones before they quit selling them here, and they were pretty good. They’re just chocolate molded into the shape of a frog, but where the Aussies made cartoon frogs with their "Freddo" bar, Bunniford’s Chocolate Frogs are shaped like real frogs. They also have an animation charm so they can actually jump away from you, and they also wriggle in your mouth until you get the first solid bite on them. They also ‘jumped’ Bunniford’s from the brink of bankruptcy to filthy rich in less than a year during the Great Depression.
“Bernie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans are otherwise ordinary jelly beans, but Bott’s uses flavours which no other sane candy maker would use, and mixes them in with the good ones. So, you might get lemon, or lemongrass, or liver. They also have tripe, booger, dirt, and earthworms along with cherry, cinnamon, and so on. They actually brag about being ‘A Risk in Every Mouthful,’ and UK wizards and witches can’t get enough of them.
“The pumpkin pasties are good. Pumpkin Juice is basically pumpkin pie flavoured Kool-Aid, but it’s also good. Samhain is a major Wizarding holiday, and traditions between it and Halloween have sloshed back and forth for centuries even with the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. But get this: before they shipped pumpkins over from the Americas in the early 1600s, everything Wizards do today with pumpkins used to be done with turnips. Would you care for a turnip pasty, anyone? Or maybe turnip juice? Perhaps you would like to try making a lantern out of a larger solid tuber instead of a conveniently hollow and edible gourd?”
After the laughter died down, Bill added, “The cockroach clusters here are made with real cockroaches, but the charms work makes then almost edible if you don’t know what they are. Acid pops are very acidic and tart, so you don’t want to eat a lot of them. Fudge flies are just a knockoff of Chocolate Frogs, but they’re also okay. The blood-flavoured lollipops are for vampires, really. And they use real human blood, even if only a very small amount. But they’re processed and spelled so you can’t get any kind of disease at all from them. They’re still nasty, though. Licorice wands and sugar quills are just what they say on the tin. Tooth flossing string mints are actually that, too. The string eventually dissolves, and they’re very minty with very little sugar. Pepper Imps and Ice Mice are both mints. The Pepper Imps make you breathe out very small puffs of fire, and Ice Mice make you feel so cold that your teeth chatter. Anything else?”
Andy offered, “Cauldron cakes are just cauldron shaped chocolate cupcakes, but they’re good. The Chocolate Cauldrons are chocolate shaped like a cauldron. Some are filled with Firewhiskey, and others just with crème filling. Fizzing Whizzbees are sherbet balls that fizz in your mouth and levitate you. Lotsa fun, and they taste good, but you really need to be careful where you enjoy them.”
Being a group of teens and near-teens, they had quickly finished the “real” food that they’d all packed, and they started on some of the treats they bought. They saved the Bernie Bott’s for “dares and desperation,” and made quick work of the Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes. They devoted their attention to the Chocolate Frogs.
While each of the boys got ready to open a Chocolate Frog, Bill told them, “The Chocolate Frogs themselves are great, but you really buy them for the trading cards of famous wizards and witches that come with them. I’ve been collecting them for years. I’m still looking for Agrippa and Ptolemy.”
Andy opened his first, having the Chocolate Frog hop directly into his mouth. He bit it to stop it from squirming, and pushed it the rest of the way into his mouth. When he looked at the card, he almost choked. He waved to his friends that he was okay, and passed the card around.
It read: “Francisco Javier Floyd V. Currently head of House Floyd of MaCUSA. Lord Floyd took over as Head of House Floyd at roughly the same time the Magical Congress of the United States of America signed the Treaty of Parallel Free Unity in 1965. This treaty with their Muggle Government established cooperation between their government and their Muggles while repealing Rappaport’s Law. Lord Floyd is famous for bringing his House into cooperation with MaCUSA, even while maintaining their independence from MaCUSA control and military cooperation with their Muggle Government. He has also introduced magic-free Muggle American Whiskies to the Wizarding World to great success. He lives in Clarksville, USA, and is also a breeder of champion Tennessee Walking Horses.” The moving Wizarding photograph portrayed Frank Floyd toasting the viewer with a shotglass of whiskey before drinking it and walking off-camera, only to return.
Bill summed up everyone’s thoughts by saying, “Wow! Not every day you get your own Dad on a Chocolate Frog Card.”
Having reclaimed his breath, he informed his friends, “And Father and I really don’t get along that well, at all. And I’ve never actually tried these things before today!”
Andy laughed along with everyone else, before looking at A.D., who was sitting closest to the window on the bench facing forward. Andy asked, “Any rats in here?” Everyone, of course, denied it. Andy said, “Good. A.D. smokes cigarettes, and his nicotine fit is driving me nuts. A.D., crack the window a bit and light up! David will jam the door and cast the smoke banishing spell to keep you from gassing us out.” David was closest to the door on A.D.’s bench with Bill in the middle. The Stock brothers, Tom Daley, and Andy budged over to let Bill join them. David first cast the spell to lock the door, and next the one to make the windows almost opaque, letting light in but not allowing anyone to look in. After David cast the smoke banishing spell to get rid of whatever smoke the open window didn’t, A.D. lit up a non-filter King Size Old Gold and dragged deeply.
After his second hard drag, A.D. told his friends, “I started a little over a year ago. It drives Mom crazy, and Sally my little sister doesn’t like it, either. But Dad stated smoking at about the same age and we smoke the same brand. Uncle William never smoked a day in his life. He was Dad’s younger brother ‘til he died of liver cancer the start of this last August. If Miles Davis can still play bein’ old as fuck and smokin’ menthols like a chimney, I think I’ll get by.”
Tom declared, “I’ll get us back on the Chocolate Frogs then.” He opened his first-ever Chocolate Frog, but he grabbed the Frog before it could get away and bit its head off. After finishing the Frog, he passed around his card.
It read: “John Abner Dvorak. Currently Head of House Dvořák. House Dvořák is a cadet branch of House Floyd that also descends from the famous Muggle composer Antonín Dvořák. Lord Dvorak is a retired Muggle US Army Soldier of great renown, having earned that Muggle Government’s highest awards for bravery and intrepidly under enemy fire. Showing the typical Floyd respectful indifference towards magic, his older sons are Muggle educated and attending Guildford Academy. His oldest adopted son and all of that boy’s younger magical siblings are expected to attend Hogwarts. He works for both the Muggle United States Department of State and the MaCUSA Department of International Cooperation as a Special Counselor. He lives somewhere unplottable in the London area.” The moving picture showed John in a suit with Medal of Honor Rosette smile before moving out of view.
“I guess the Chocolate Frog Company loves new celebrities. Let’s see what I get” Max offered as he opened and ate his first Chocolate Frog.
The card read: “The Treasures, the newest Wizarding popular music band, as well as being popular among Muggles. Led by thirteen-year-old Michael Dvorak, son of Lord Dvorak, this band is a mix of young wizards, witches, and knowledgeable Muggles. They have hit songs on both the WWN and the Muggle radio, and their albums are available in both Wizarding and Muggle formats. Most of their songs are Muggle oriented, but their Muggle blues crossover hit “I Put a Spell On You” has been the number one song in Wizarding Britain, Wizarding Europe, and MaCUSA as well as a top-40 hit in the Muggle UK and Muggle United States.” The picture showed the band performing at the Chudley Canons Stadium back in July.
While the card was passed around, David stated, “I’ll have to remember to write both Dad and Michael. The Chocolate Frog Company isn’t a news organization, so they have to pay us royalties to use our likeness, I think. Sometimes though, especially when you’re first starting out, you’re better off just having them give you a case of whatever, in this case Chocolate Frogs with ‘our card’ in every pack, or just paying you a trifling symbolic payment of ten sickles or something. That’s for Michael and Dad to figure out.”
Going out of turn, David opened his first Chocolate Frog of the trip and quickly ate the Frog for the chocolate. He looked at his card, and almost died of shock.
The card read: “David Rush-Cook (Floyd) Dvorak. Currently lead singer and bass guitar player for The Treasures. David’s birth father, CW2 Richard C. Dvorak (deceased) left the main-line House Floyd to join the cadet House Dvorak under the leadership of his younger brother, Lord John Dvorak. While he did this before marrying and fathering David, some magical registers still recognize David as a Floyd, even though House Law of both houses clearly states that he is a Dvorak, who could move back into, or even claim Headship of House Floyd, since he meets the House Law requirements to become head of either House. He is the third son (by adoption) of Lord John Dvorak, and is the double-first-cousin by blood to his two older brothers. David lives with his father when not attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, due to House Floyd’s dispute with Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” The picture showed a smiling David with a bass guitar slung on his shoulder while he played and sang some song, almost certainly taken at Chudley.
After David’s heart rate came back down to double digits, he announced, “Dad’s gotta hear about this!” He drew his wand and silently cast a spell, causing a silver flash to leave the train.
Joe told his friends, “Let’s see what I get.” Joe at his Chocolate Frog, and read the card. The card was for Headmaster Dumbledore.
After Joe’s card was passed around, Bill said, “Let’s see what’s in mine.” After eating the Chocolate Frog, he looked at his card. His was for Nicholas Flamel. They passed the card around, and having finished his cigarette, A.D. took his turn without a word. After eating his Frog, he passed his card around.
“Daniel Andrew ‘Danny’ Dvorak, oldest son and heir-apparent to House Dvorak. Danny is the lead six-string guitarist for the band The Treasures. Known for his informal dress for almost all occasions, Danny is also known to be an aficionado of both British and American Muggle motorbikes. Danny lives with his parents. The picture shows Danny riding one of his motorbikes on private land with the owner’s advance permission.” The picture on the card showed Danny riding past repeatedly on Sirius Black’s ’59 Bonneville.
While the boys were passing the card around, a magic illusory silver fox joined them. The fox said, “Yes, all of your siblings in the band have cards, along with the band itself. The Chocolate Frog Company paid one Galleon plus half a case of each card type. You will be signing some of these cards when you come in for your next concert for a charity auction later this year. Don’t lose track of the time, all seven of you need to be changed into uniform before the train gets in to Hogsmeade.”
The boys who didn’t know what the spell was fell over each other in asking what it was.
David answered, “It’s the Messenger Spell. It uses the caster’s Patronus form and voice to send a one-way message to someone else. While it can work if your Patronus only generates fog, it works best if you can cast a corporeal Patronus. The Patronus Charm is what you use to drive off Dementors and Leithfolds. The incantation for the Messenger spell, once you’ve already mastered the Patronus Charm, is ‘Adfero, followed by your short message, followed by Adfero again.’ Like the Patronus Charm, there’s no wand movement. And while pointing in the general direction of the recipient is helpful, it isn’t necessary, since the magic of the spell will find the magic of the recipient. However, the person you send the spell to might not be alone, or even in a safe area, though Muggles can’t see the Patronus itself, and almost any Muggle-Worthy excuse will work quite well for the unexpected voice.
“The Patronus Charm itself is a bit of a bear to learn, and it’s normally taught in NEWT Defense Against the Dark Arts. But Bill, my older two brothers Danny and Michael, and even my younger brother Aaron, and I have all mastered the spell. Joe, Max, Tom; I can try to teach you, but like I said, it’s a bear to learn even half-way. It takes a lot of power to cast until you actually learn and master it, and it’s even harder with a real Dementor to cast it against. You honestly might not have enough magic to cast it. But I can try showing you guys how and letting you try it once we all get settled in. Only Tom might have to worry, but I’m even guessing with that.”
Bill added, “You need to teach me the Messenger Spell while you’re at it, David. And mates, the Patronus is no fucking joke. Until you’ve cast ten or twenty of ‘em in a row to get that good, it takes a lot of magic to try.
“But speaking about trying, why don’t we ‘try’ and get into our uniforms. It’s after four now, and the Hogwarts express usually arrives in Hogsmeade a little before eight in the evening. If we change over now, we won’t be panicking and stepping on each other at the last minute. And don’t forget to have your cloaks out, it’ll be colder than a vampire’s tit when we get there.”
So for room rather than modesty, they took turns standing out in the hall while changing into their Hogwarts uniforms and robes in pairs. While they were quick, it still took them just over half an hour for all seven boys to get changed over.
§§§
After the boys changed into their Hogwarts Uniforms, the subject of the boys’ conversation turned to thoughts about romance. Rather, they turned to tease and quiz the one member of their group of seven who was openly dating. Tom asked teasingly, “So, David; what’s it like –K- -I- -S- -S- -I- -N- -G- a –G- -I- -R- -L-?”
David blushed almost purple, but the other five boys blanched white in fear. Recovering his composure from both embarrassment and anger, David replied, “Tom, the other five boys in this compartment with us know me to at least some degree. They’re frightened because they’ve all seen what I can do if provoked into a full rage. I’m very protective of those I love, and I love the ‘g.i.r.l.’ you saw me ‘k.i.s.s.i.n.g.’ above all others. Saria and I are normally a lot more ‘teaseable,’ if you aren’t actually being a dick about it, but this ‘boarding school’ shit has had us both upset for months.
“But yeah, despite being as young as we are, Saria and I’ve been dating for years. And before we go any further here, I’ll need your word from all of you that what we say to each other here never leaves this compartment ever. Confess your own sins if you’re Catholic, but name no names. Also, when asked a question here, be totally honest, without lying or hiding. Do I have it?”
Every other boy answered ‘yes,’ and David continued. “Saria and I have been intimate with each other semi-regularly since June. The physical sensation is even better than you can imagine, but the emotional sensation of sharing everything with your beloved one is even better than that. She and I were both afraid that if we didn’t take that step in our relationship, that we would drift apart. Fortunately for us, the band is having me leave this magical boarding school frequently enough, and seeing her frequently enough, that we won’t have that problem. We have gotten even closer emotionally than we were before, though that might have happened even if the two of us had ‘behaved’ ourselves. Like any relationship, we both need to work together to stay together. It takes both people in a relationship to make it work, but only one to end it.
“I’ve also masturbated a few times, had a couple of wet dreams, and helped facilitate two interested boys in having a gay ‘summer fling’ together, hopefully without any hurt feelings when the fling ended. Since you insisted on ringing a bell that cannot be un-rung,’ we’ll go around the compartment, and we’ll all share. But, no judging. What we did, are doing, or might do in the future is between that person and God, not the others of us. Well?”
Bill decided to chime in, “I was one of the boys David set up for the ‘summer fling.’ The other boy was a Muggle who knows about the Wizarding world, and both of us knew that we wouldn’t have a ‘relationship’ involving sex after I left for Hogwarts. I like girls, but while I don’t lust for boys, I was curious about what that was like. The other boy and I did all of that stuff together, and we both enjoyed it. But, that kind of stuff really isn’t for me, so I won’t be staring and drooling at any of you guys in the shower or nothing. I haven’t dated or kissed a girl yet, but we are a little bit young for that. I will do that with girls, and only girls or women when I’m grown up, from now on. I’ve jacked off a few times, but I haven’t actually had a wet dream, even though David told me in disgusting detail what it’s like to wake up after one.”
After the nervous tittering ended, and seeing that he started the ‘sharing mess’ in the first place, Tom asked, “Is a wet dream where you dream of sex and find out you’ve come in your pants when you wake up?” After the other boys nodded, he told them, “I’ve had three of those, and I’ve jacked off only once so far. I’ve only just turned eleven, mind, and even with the ‘NHS’ classes in primary, I didn’t realize that it was actually happening to me. Sorry for nosing in, David.”
Before Tom could cross the rest of the way into embarrassed sorrow, David assured him, “Tom, it’s all right to be curious ‘bout stuff like that. And you honestly didn’t know either how much you might hurt my feelings by teasing, or that my temper was actually anything to worry about. And I honestly don’t have ‘anger management’ issues, or even like seeing other people hurting. But I will defend those I love, and I’m honest enough to admit that when I’m that angry, that I’m not a person you would ever want to cross.”
A.D. announced, “I guess I’m pretty much innocent. One wet dream, and more jacking off than I’m comfortable admitting. While I don’t go around all day with my dick in my hand, I do ‘relieve the stress’ at least four times a week. I also clean up after myself, and I make sure nobody will walk in on me. No dating yet, girls or boys. And while boy-on-boy stuff isn’t my thing, I won’t go all judgmental either, providing you aren’t trying to cram it down my throat.”
Answering the compartment full of unrestrained laughter, A.D. waspishly retorted, “You know what I meant! Get your minds out of the gutter.”
Andy quipped, “A.D., we’re talking gutter stuff, so we can’t. Deal with it. We’ll hold off on teasing you any more right now, though.”
A.D. huffed in frustration before continuing, “Anyway, my Dad and dead Uncle were lovers, meaning that they had sex with each other frequently, from the time they were more or less our age up until the last three months of Uncle William’s life, when he was too sick to enjoy doing anything. Mom knew about it before she and Dad got married, and since neither one of them was sleeping with anyone else, she just ignored it and made them do that where she wouldn’t walk in on it accidentally. I don’t think that Sally knows, but I obviously do.
“I probably won’t try any gay stuff even if it’s offered to me. While Dad and Mon’s marriage has worked well for them, it’s been in spite of his having sex with Uncle William, and not because of it. So, since I want to get married and have kids someday, I’m not going to put that in to the mix, not even if I marry the right woman and we stay together mostly happily.
“And I especially won’t do anything like that in case I marry the wrong woman and we end up getting divorced. When a marriage ends, it often gets nasty, especially for the kids. If your gold-digging future-ex finds out that you were nailing and getting nailed by a dude, all bets are off, and your reputation is trashed. Music and academia run hot-and-cold about that kind of stuff, and most other occupations will see you unemployable, so ‘no thank you.’
“A friend of mine in the grade above me got so messed up in the head with his parents’ divorce that he tried to kill himself, and he almost made it. His parents ended up staying together, but now they’re living in a new kind of hell. My friend used to be even smarter than I am. Now, he has the mind of a three-year-old. They say that when he’s Dad’s age that he might actually have the mind of a six-year-old.”
Andy shared, “I’ve only had wet dreams and jacked off. I haven’t dated yet ‘cause with the way Father and I had to live in Clarksville, I couldn’t really have any friends at all. And I honestly haven’t figured out whether I like girls, boys, or both; other than I don’t want any of you guys for that. So, I’m still ‘safe’ in the shower and the dorm rooms and stuff.
“The Floyd Family may be a ‘mysterious’ warrior clan that straddles both the no-Maj United States and MaCUSA. But beyond serving with distinction in the US Armed Forces in every war they’ve ever fought except for serving the Union only in the Civil War, we’re also a House that includes a crime family at it’s core, and it’s done that since the Whiskey Rebellion.
“We’ve smuggled, stolen from the rich to keep for ourselves, sold the less dangerous ‘street drugs,’ distilled whiskey without a license or paying taxes on it to the government, evaded almost every tax the United States or the individual states has imposed on everything, and murdered tens of thousands of people while doing that. That’s why I’m not bothered about not being Father’s heir, or even participating all that deep in the Family Business. Since our whiskey is legal on the MaCUSA side now, I might get in to that if the music or helicopter flying doesn’t pan out.
“And the Floyd family actually has rules on being gay, lesbian, or bisexual that don’t involve being shunned by the family. They actually celebrate it providing you have blood Floyd kids somehow, and never let the Outsiders find out. Both Floyd men and Floyd women can pay individuals to either have kids for them or get them pregnant, and the child is a blood Floyd. So, we can be even weirder than Outsiders.”
Joe remarked, “MaCUSA didn’t have a lot to say ‘bout you guys, but boy did they say it! They mentioned the 1777 Floyd Rebellion, the 1790 Floyd Family War, the Great Truces of 1814, 1861, and 1893, and the Armistice of 1941, plus Hernando and Francisco Floyd proposed and helped negotiate the Treaty of 1965. And until I met you guys again this morning, I didn’t realize that I had gone to school in Mokena with five Floyds.”
David remarked nonchalantly, “And, you weren’t supposed to realize, either. It’s not the kind of thing you go bragging on about if you’ve got a lick of sense in your head. Even the Italian Mob had front businesses and shell companies. And while the Floyds have done and still do all the illegal shit Andy rattled off, we’ve also invested in many legal businesses over the years, and we’ve done very well with that too. We also own a lot of land, and almost none of it is idle. So, the money was easy enough to explain if you were in the Family Business, since we’ve always had enough legal and tax-paying businesses going that we could ‘explain being rich’ without admitting where every last cent came from.
“My birth father got out of the Family Business, and Dad was never really in. Aunt Wilma and Uncle Kevin were supposedly out of the ‘Family Business’ in 1978, though I guess that they were still involved somehow. Harley quietly ordered the hit on Kevin Drake from Pontiac, and Rosacio Floyd didn’t try to stop it. Harley’s crew got careless, as his crews usually tended to do, and Aunt Wilma got killed too, along with Dad’s friend from the Army Captain Cash, the Captain’s wife, a friend of both the Captain and his wife, and two of the Captain’s three sons, those would be Tim’s older brothers Bill Cash and Chris DeVos.
“My birth father got out of the family business in the late ‘50s, and Dad was never really in it in the first place. But my birth father had always had a crush on his ‘baby’ half-sister, and this wasn’t the first time that one of Harley’s crews pissed Dad off. So, they decided that ‘something had to be done.’ Harley ‘suffered a fatal accident’ in solitary confinement in Pontiac, and Rosacio Floyd was found burned to death in her burning ’56 Packard Sedan with a lot of broken bones outside the train station in Effingham less than a month later”
Joe asked, “I remember the news reports about that. It even made the national TV news when it happened. But, wasn’t your Uncle Frank upset about that at all? I mean, it sounds like it was his mom who got offed, and you implied that your birth-father and dad were the ones who did it…”
David replied, “Even without the ‘Family Business’ stuff, our extended family has had issues over the decades. Rosacio Floyd was Grandpa Hernando’s wife, but she only ever had Aunt Wilma, and she hadn’t even planned on having her. Grandpa Hernando and Rosacio were full-siblings, so Grandpa Hernando used concubines for all of his kids except for Aunt Wilma, who was a beloved accident. So, Roscacio was not Uncle Frank’s mom. But after Grandpa Hernando died of old age, she was Uncle Frank’s boss, so he couldn’t do anything about her himself.
“And Harley wasn’t supposed to be running shit from Pontiac. He was actually sentenced to death when they put him in prison the last time, but when the Death Penalty was shut down in ’74, Harley got his sentence commuted to life. But Rosacio wouldn’t listen to Uncle Frank, so Harley was still calling a lot of the shots with the Family Business right up to the end.
“Dad had also given both Harley and Rosacio their only warning back in ’59, so Uncle Frank was more than happy to clean things up and take over after my birth father and Dad bagged the trash up. The Family knew it wasn’t Uncle Frank, and that according to Family Law Rosacio and Harley ‘had it coming.’ So Uncle Frank took care of things and nobody really cared.”
Tom asked nervously, “What kind of ‘warning’ did your Dad give?”
David answered, “Harley had one of his crews steal Grandpa Hernando’s ’48 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Derham sedan and drive it up North to rob and kill Dad. Dad was running shoeboxes full of cash from the North Side of Chicago down to Coal City on his motorcycle, where either Grandpa Hernando would pick them up or my birth-father would take them the rest of the way down to Effingham. Each one of these shoe boxes had over $700,000 in cash in them in 1959, which is like $7.5 million today. That’s also £6.5 million, or 1.3 million Galleons.
“Dad had run out of gas right where the turnoff to Coal City was when Harley’s crew had tracked him down. Dad had a two gallon gas can with him on the bike, and he was just about to refuel the motorcycle when Harley’s crew happened upon him. They drew guns and offered to kill him and steal the shoebox Dad was carrying. Dad chucked the full gas can into the car with them. After giving them a second or two to toss the can of gas back and fort and spill it all over themselves, he tossed them a lit Zippo lighter after lighting a cigarette. The driver of the car jammed the gas pedal to the floor, and since the car was still in gear, it raced over a mile up the road with the passenger compartment and everyone in it on fire before it crossed the center line, ran off the road at over a hundred miles per hour, and wrapped itself around a tree.
“Grandpa Hernando beat the shit out of Harley and made him replace the car, but that’s all that happened to him. Rosacio probably interceded there. Grandpa Hernando had also reported the car stolen, and the cops never did figure out why a group of ne’er-do-wells from Southern Illinois were taking their pet gas can for a back-road ride in a stolen car in Northern Illinois, so that was the end of it.”
“That the one your dad and Uncle Frank were laughing about this morning, where he had to buy an eleven year old car, fix it to new, and have a coachbuilder go over it?” Bill asked.
David laughed and replied, “Yeah, and it cost Harley half again more than if he’d had to buy Grandpa Hernando a new Cadillac Fleetwood and have it coach-built, too. And if it wasn’t for Grandpa Hernando, Derham might not have done the job at all.”
Max asked David, “Why do you keep saying your ‘birth-father’ when talking about your original dad?”
The entire compartment was silent waiting for David’s answer. The boy finally said in a very quiet voice, “Dad never replaced Daddy, he just took over for him. Daddy didn’t know what would happen, but he knew somehow that he wouldn’t live to see me grow up. He told me a lot of stuff in the last year or so before the accident that he freely admitted to me he wouldn’t tell me otherwise, because he believed that he had to tell me. He never told me why, and with how heavy a lot of the shit he told me was, I never really thought to ask him why he was telling me when he was. It was only looking back and having grown up just a little bit more that I could see what he was doing.
“Daddy started tellin’ me the ‘grown-up’ stuff right after I started first grade. A year later, to the day, I lost him; along with Mommy, Uncle Benji, Aunt Susan, Aunt Cathy, and Miss Cook. Some losses you never get over. If you’re lucky, you can outgrow them, and I’ve been luckier than most.”
After a minute of total silence in the compartment, David regained most of his composure. He added, “Mom and my birth mother are a completely different story. Mom married Dad, and she’s doing the job, so we all call her ‘Mom’ out of respect for both Dad and her. And, with Dudley, and now Lily and the new sibling on the way, if we were calling Mom ‘Pet’ or anything of the like, the little ones might not realize that we’re their older brothers and sisters and stuff.
“Clever distractions by the way, you two. So, what pervy secrets are you hiding, hmm?”
Everyone looked expectantly at Joe and Max Stock. The two brothers almost shank back in their seats before Max nervously admitted, “I seduced Joe, and we’ve been lovers as well as siblings since I started at Ilvermorny. We’ve never been caught, or even admitted it to anyone other than you guys. And we’re both only interested in each other that way, not other guys, or any of you. And David, we’re friends with you, but we haven’t forgotten that bully back at St. Mary’s and we’re still scared of you.”
David shrugged, sighed, and replied, “Don’t be. I don’t turn on my friends, and I’ve grown up some since then. If that strength and fury is ever needed, it will be to protect my family and friends, so that’s strength for you and not against you.”
Squirming in embarrassment, Tom asked, “How do you guys know as much as you do about Hogwarts if none of you have been there, though?”
Laughing in relief at the change in subject, Bill told Tom, “Easy. My Dad’s younger brother Bilius likes to mess with Dad, especially when he’s been drinking. So, while he’s never revealed the ‘secret’ of Hogwarts sorting, he’s told my brothers and me about almost everything else he knows about, including the Thestral Carriages, the ‘long’ way the first years including all of us will be led around tonight so the upper classmen can get around us and get places first, Hogsmeade visits for the older students, basically everything a Gryffindor student would see attending Hogwarts. I’ve told David and the other guys other than Joe, Max, and you what I’ve learned, and we’ve mentioned bits and pieces of it here to you guys today. And David did visit Hogwarts right after school let out to look at the Royal Charter.”
“What’s a Thestral?” Tom asked.
David replied, “It’s a magical creature, and it’s a type of flying horse for lack of a better way to describe it. They’re at least as good as Post Owls for navigating and finding places, too. But unlike most flying horses or other similar creatures like Hippogriffs or Griffins, they have leathery bat-like wings and very sparse fur. They are also carrion eaters instead of vegetarians. Most importantly, you can only see a Thestral if you’ve seen and comprehended death. Bill and I will both be able to see them, and so will Andy and A.D., since we were there when Uncle William died.”
Joe added, “We have Thestrals at Ilvermorny too. Max and I have always seen them, because we lost our younger sister right before I went to Ilvermorny.”
Tom asked, “I guess I won’t see them, then?”
David assured him, “That isn’t such a bad thing, Tom. Really. We’re all kids still, and we really shouldn’t be in that big of a hurry to grow up, or at least to cast our childhood innocence aside. You will see them someday. But while you shouldn’t avoid it, don’t be in any hurry to see them sooner, either. Live each day ‘til then, and after then for that matter, as best as you can, enjoying life without harming others.”
The guard announced over the magical train’s public address system, “We will be arriving at Hogsmeade Station in the next five minutes. For individual compartments, your outside compartment door will open onto the station platform. Please be sure to leave all of your baggage and pets on the train. Staff will have your personal effects moved up to your dorm room and bed for you. Follow the signs posted for your year. Once again, we will be arriving at Hogsmeade Station in the next five minutes. Individual compartment outside doors will open onto the station platform. Please leave all of your baggage and pets on the train. Follow the signs posted for your year. Thank you, and please watch your step.”
While all seven boys made sure they had both their cloaks and their pointless pointy wizard hats, David reminded them, “We all stick together. Even though Voldemort recruited mostly in his old house of Slytherin, all four houses supplied multiple Death Eaters to his cause. None of the houses are in and of themselves evil. If you sort Slytherin, we will stick together because you will cunningly display your honest ambition to stick with your friends and actually get rich in the music business. If you sort Ravenclaw, you will wisely stick with your friends to help and accept their help in the gain of further knowledge and wisdom. If you sort Hufflepuff, you will prove your loyalty to your friends in the other houses and stick with them, no matter how hard you need to work to do it. And if you sort Gryffindor, like I think we all will, then you will bravely and courageously stick with your friends, even those who sort Slytherin. After all, before they finally parted ways for whatever reason, Slytherin and Gryffindor the men were the closest of friends despite the difference in their ages. Oh, and Hagrid the Keeper of Keys and Grounds will lead us by our longer path to the castle. He will probably be the largest man you’ve ever met if you haven’t already met him, but he’s also one of the kindest you’ll meet. His is the strength to protect, which is all right by me.”
The train finished stopping at the platform for Hogsmeade station. David opened the compartment door, and the boys stepped out into the gaslight of the platform, since the sun was mostly set. David also cast a strong notice-me-not charm and smoke banishment charm on A.D., to allow him another cancer stick. A.D. smoked very quickly, but the seven boys still found themselves towards the very end of the crowd of students. They walked most of the length of the ten-carriage train to the platform-width stairway at the end of the elevated platform, and walked down them to follow the sign directing the first years to their left. They looked off to their right. As they expected, Tom was the only one of their group to not see the Thestrals.
He remarked, “You actually have to look to even see the empty-looking shafts and harnesses. No wonder kids think they’re truly ‘horseless.’
A rather nosy first-year girl walking near Tom retorted, “The carriages are horseless.”
“If you say so” Tom replied, not wanting to argue the point.
The gaggle of mostly eleven year olds followed the slippery moonlit path, along with a curiously highly raised lantern and the booming voice announcing, “Firs’ years this way, an’ watch your step! Yah’ll ge’ yer firs’ view of Hogwarts jus’ aroun’ ta bend.”
The group of kids emerged on a rocky beach lined with smaller boats and saw that the highly held bobbing lantern was actually carried at waist level by the largest man most of them had ever seen in their lives. He was fully twelve feet tall, yet was still stocky. The man’s eyes appeared kindly, but he had bushy untamed black hair that he wore down to his armpits, along with an equally untamed moustache and full beard. Though his clothing was definitely of a Wizarding style, it was also the raiment of a man who worked outdoors for a living instead of in an office or classroom.
But even their first sight of Rubeus Hagrid couldn’t compete with their first sight of Hogwarts Castle, their future home for most of the next seven years. Perched atop Hogwarts Hill on the far side of the lake, the castle stood in all of its multi-turreted glory, the lighted windows sparkling and reflected on the calm surface of the lake.
David shouted enthusiastically, “Hey, Hagrid! Great seein’ ya’ again!”
Hagrid replied enthusiastically, “Jus’ so, David. I managed ta see yer brothers ‘n’ yah at the shindig in Chudley, and thanks fer the ticket. But we both ‘ave work ta do tonight, lad. Yours is getting on the boats wi’ all of yer new classmates, an’ no more tan four of ya’ ter a boat. Don’t worry ‘bout life belts or any o’ tha’ mess, we’ve got it safe seven ways from Sunday. My job is ta guide yer boats ‘cross the lake ta Hogwarts an’ present ya ter Professor McGonagall.”
This year’s crop of first years was quick enough on the uptake, and soon all the students were on the small boats. David and his six friends claimed the last two boats, with one seat empty alongside Joe and Max Stock and Tom Daley.
After making sure that all the students were on the boats, and only four to a boat, Hagrid commanded, “Forward!” At Hagrid’s command, the boats all moved of one accord to cross the lake. The air was seasonably cold yet clear, and warm enough that you couldn’t see your breath even while crossing the lake. All the new students stared transfixed at the beautiful castle on the hill, both directly and its reflection on the glass-smooth waters of the lake. Once the group was most of the way across the length of the lake, Hagrid commanded, “Heads down!” as the first boats approached a single-span bridge over the far end of the lake that from the side resembled the face of a cliff. The bridge itself was pleasantly far off of the water, but some of the amazingly non-magical vines growing off of the side of the bridge did hang further down.
Having crossed under the bridge, the boats sailed more directly towards the castle itself until they all touched down on the pebble-strewn beach of that section of the lake. Without needing further instruction, the near teens with a couple of teens mixed in got out of the boats and followed Hagrid. They crossed a section of grass in the shadow of the castle itself before approaching what had to be the castle’s main door. They followed Hagrid as he ascended the steps, and they joined him on the landing. While counting, Hagrid asked, “Yah all still here?” Getting no answer, and also being satisfied that his count matched both the number of students he loaded onto the boats at the other end of the lake, and the number of students he was told he would be putting into those boats, he knocked very loudly three times on the massive oaken double-door to the castle.
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The Yankees Nephew and the Philosophers Stone