The rest of the day, as well as the night of the next, passed quickly. During self-development and reading books, time flew away at incredible speed. Before I knew it, it was time for evening meditation, followed by sleep.
The next morning, I had breakfast and received a response from my parents (how did it happen that a letter from my family arrived exactly at the moment when I finished eating? Coincidence? Perhaps.), I went to platform nine and three quarters, using the fireplace. More precisely, with the help of flying gunpowder, and the fireplace in this case acts as a repeater and receiver, but on the other side.
How does a person "burn" in a green flame feel, and then again "appear" in the same flame, but at the other end of the "world"? Yes, in principle, nothing special. Just another test of the vestibular apparatus. The same rotation as during apparation, but without compression. Everything in this world with magic is in one place...
It was tempting to activate magical vision while moving, but alas, I don't know how the process would have changed after that. In the end, the movement itself affects not only the body, but also the energy of the magician.
The platform greeted me like family. All the same noise, din, shouting, swearing. The emotions overwhelming people (from the feeling of sadness over parting with their child, to the joy of meeting two "lovers" after such a long separation) intertwined in such a ball that my head would start spinning if I weren't ready for it.
Having stepped onto the platform, I did not stay in one place for long. Having quickly stepped aside, you never know, someone would also appear in the same fireplace, and headed towards the train, a rich burgundy color.
In general, the arrangement of the cars is quite interesting. The outermost carriages are occupied by the faculty of green-silver ties, immediately in front of them is our faculty, then the badgers, then the lions, and the remaining carriages are occupied by the first-class and prefects. The latter are a kind of buffer zone that fences off the "newcomers" from the more experienced ones. And if they can always help, that's why they are located there.
Slowly entering the carriage that "belongs" to our faculty and taking the first free compartment, I began to wait. I think Nev will definitely be able to find me here, that's why I didn't lock the compartment door.
The view from the window was wonderful. A crowd of people living their lives, both individually and as a whole. People's faces were very different: happy, sad, sad, impatient, excited and many, many others.
Here are a couple of senior student friends enjoying their long-awaited meeting. The little "magician's" mother, almost crying, gives him undoubtedly important instructions, which, judging by the boy's face, he is already really tired of. The father, on the contrary, was proud of his child, the way he looked at his son.
There were also those representatives of the human race who did not express their emotions so zealously. For example, the Greengrass family, as well as the Malfoys. Ideal posture, pride that you can "feel" with your hands, a distant look and a serious look in the eyes, in which only for a moment you can see the sadness of the imminent parting with your children. The younger generation of these families was more "emotional," although they tried not to seem so.
Draco looked at the train with slight impatience, anticipating a speedy return to Hogwarts. Daphne, on the contrary, was too much removed from everything; only her sister, a small copy of herself, was awarded a reproachful look from her sister.
Oh, the youngest of the Gringras family, Astoria Gringras. A bright, mischievous, slightly agitated, but no less sweet person, who at the moment was literally "devouring" the train with her eyes. There were so many emotions, so much happiness in her eyes. It's immediately obvious: she waited too "long" (for her, of course) for that very moment to get into the fairy tale. Soon her wish will come true.
- How long will you continue to stare out the window? Maybe you can help me? — the familiar voice of my friend sounded, who had been standing in the doorway for several minutes, thinking that I wouldn't notice him. Naive.
"Hello to you too, Nev," I told him, looking away from the two aristocratic families, finally noticing how the eyes of the youngest of the sisters were staring at me. "Have you really become so lazy this summer that you've become completely stupid and forgotten all the charms that we learned at Hogue?" — he raised an eyebrow questioningly, just like Snape, which a priori includes a slight mockery of the interlocutor. What can we do, this is our professor.
At my statement, my friend just smiled and with a wave of his wand threw the chest of things onto the top shelf. Apparently he didn't waste his time.
The guy's figure also inspired respect. The fat that Nev had so diligently cultivated in himself disappeared. In the two months that we haven't seen each other, the guy has grown about five centimeters, and his shoulders have become much wider. Still, the body of magicians is amazing, such global changes in a relatively short period of time, and this is without any diets or anything like that. Control, will and desire, that's all a magician needs in order to become something else, something more.
"It's good to see you, Nev," I said with a smile, getting up from my seat, extending my hand for a handshake.
"Me too, Kol," Neville shook the outstretched hand.
A couple of seconds after the greeting, we sat opposite each other and shared our impressions of the summer.
"You can't imagine how happy my grandmother was when she saw that I started doing something other than plants," said an embarrassed Neville, scratching his cheek. "I saw her so joyful only once, when my first ejection occurred." By the way, your grandmother asked you to convey her gratitude.
- To me? — I asked again, a little surprised, purely automatically, but after a second I understood the reason. - You told your grandmother that I became your "teacher", right? And what exactly did you tell her? - I asked, looking at him carefully. At the same time, with a wave of his wand, he protected our compartment from the others, there was no need to eavesdrop on us.
"Well," the guy said hesitantly. - Almost everything, except for prana.
- Yes? Well then great. "So there's no problem," I said, leaning back. - I see you have a new wand, right? What happened to the old one? — I switched the topic to a more "free" one.
"Oh, this... you see, my previous wand was not mine, but my father's," Nev began his story with his head down, forcefully squeezing the new wand in his hand. His figure reeked of hidden sadness and pain. — As a child, I wanted to be like him, to be as brave and strong. That's why I persuaded my grandmother to give me my father's wand. At the time, I thought that this would make me a little more like him. Childhood dreams," a relaxed smile, reeking of sadness, adorned his face. "But over the past year, my hopes were dashed, the wand did not accept me as its master. Let Merlin work at half her strength. Then I didn't know that different wands were suitable for different sentient beings, so I considered myself that mediocrity," then he raised his head and his eyes, with green sparks shining in them, stared at me. "But the saddest thing is that in fact I knew all this, I just didn't want to accept it." There was an image in front of me that I followed. Hah, I even wanted to go to Gryffindor, but the hat convinced me," then his eternal smile appeared on his face again: a little shy, but incredibly bright. Completely the opposite of mine: confident and incredibly dull. "And then in the summer my grandmother told me about the wands again, and we went to the wand maker and bought me a new one, my wand.
"Well, you know," I said after a few minutes and silence. "I just wanted to know how you're doing, what's new and the like." And here you open my soul. Hmmm, something didn't go according to plan...
"Pfft... You're right about that," Nev said, almost laughing. "Something definitely didn't go according to plan."
Looking at me again, Neville still couldn't stand it and laughed out loud. Let him laugh, but I feel how with every second old problems and nightmares are weakening, gradually releasing Nev from their clutches.
While my friend was laughing, a familiar light appeared in my zone of magical sensitivity. Looks like the moon is already here, which is good.
- Okay, I laughed and that's enough. Nev," after waiting until he laughed, I called the guy. "Now I won't go away for long and I'll bring someone." You do not mind?
"No," he shook his head from side to side. -Who did you decide to bring to us? — the guy couldn't help but ask, watching me leave our compartment.
— Druga Nev. "I'll bring my friend here," I said over my shoulder and went out into the corridor. Eh, it's a pity I didn't see his face at the moment, but empathy helped to at least partially present that picture. Shock of incredible proportions, surprise overwhelming almost everything and, of course, curiosity.
It didn't take long to look for this person. Literally leaving the carriage and stepping onto the platform, I almost collided with the owner of almost white hair, as well as earrings made of pumpkin.
- And why are you walking alone? — I asked her while she realized what was happening. - What if an evil, bad, tall guy takes such a young lady?
- Kol! - Finally seeing me, the girl shouted joyfully and, throwing the small bag she was clutching in her hand to the ground, hung around my neck, laughing joyfully. -You were really here! Brainsnatch and Mom helped me find you! Hooray! — she smiled so contagiously that, involuntarily, I began to smile back at her.
Almost everyone who was next to us watched this entire performance. Somewhere in the crowd I even managed to spot a blond head. Hmm, perhaps? But who knows?
The rare acquaintances who knew me from Hogwarts looked from me to the girl and back with a certain numbness. I can understand them; it wasn't often that I could smile at someone. Basically, only Nev "used" this privilege.
Picking up Luna's bag from the ground, which continued to hang on me, I began to climb the stairs leading to the carriage.
- Now I'll introduce you to one of my friends, okay? — the girl obediently nodded to my words. "Then get off and let's go, otherwise I'm not very comfortable," there was only silence in response. - Do not want? - nod. - Eh. And it's necessary," holding her sides with my hands, I slightly lifted her body and unhooked the Moon from me.
A pair of silver eyes stared at me with some resentment. Hah, how cute she is, like some kind of kitten, or a ruffled sparrow.
- Don't be offended, we still have more than one year ahead. You won't be offended, right? — I asked, smiling slightly at this miracle.
"Okay," Luna told me after thinking a little and smiling. - Let go.
Having put the girl on the ground, I went into the depths of the carriage, the quiet stomping behind me showed that the Moon was following.
With a characteristic sound, the door that led to the other carriage, which was opposite us, opened. From under the bicycle glasses, two attentive, bright green eyes stared at me. Stopping in place, I stared at him in response.
We stand silent. Potter somehow watched all my movements with interest, but I just watched. Still, what is he hiding?
- Problems? Potter was the first to speak.
- At your place? - I echoed him. Apparently he did not expect such an answer, because for a moment his eyes widened, but he quickly pulled himself together.
- And who is this with you, Wilson? Another "pet" that you have undertaken to rehabilitate? - he said with a grin.
Stop. Something is wrong here. For the past year, Potter has refrained from making harsh statements, what has changed now? Ron and Hermione? Hmm, perhaps, since he acted so radically with them, he didn't see the point of hiding completely now, because Hermione survived.
"Interesting words for a Gryffindor," I answered him a little later. — Aren't you afraid that your faculty will turn away from you? — I smiled at him slightly. - Oh, how can that be? Instead of being in the carriage of the Supporters of Light, our hero was in the Stronghold of Evil - and this is the "truth". Still, Potter got out of the snake train. - What will your "comrades" think of you? "Because of my words, his eyes became sharper than daggers, and his smile became sinister.
"You…" he began threateningly.
- Who are you? — unexpectedly for us, Luna intervened in the conversation.
-What are you talking about? "I'm Harry Potter," he answered incomprehensibly.
- Harry? Which one of you? — the girl asked incomprehensibly. - You are alone? Or are there two of you? The brainsnatchers say that you are not alone, as if you were divided. Or not. I don't understand. Now they say that you are alone, but somehow different... - here the girl froze in place, as if listening to something.
- Wilson! Potter roared. - Shut up that crazy woman. What is she talking about? If it doesn't last, then I..." Harry drawled threateningly.
- What are you doing? - I asked, blocking the girl from the supposed fire. "What will you do, O great hero of light?" Or is the boy who survived now ready to punish and kill for any sideways glance in his direction?
"There's someone here," Luna said, tugging at my sleeve.
- Who? - I asked, turning slightly.
"I don't know, but he's upset."
At that moment my senses were screaming, signaling danger. The mana around me suddenly went berserk, preparing to destroy everything and everyone.
- Be careful! - warned Potter.
At the same moment, he squeezed the Moon in his arms, while with a wave of his wand, creating a shield from external influences.
Flash.
And immediately behind him there was an explosion.