The day had finally arrived.
Ezekiel stood near the entrance of Platform 9¾, watching as students hurried past, their trunks and pets in tow. The air was filled with excitement, chatter, and the occasional first-year looking terrified about leaving home for the first time.
Beside him, Alys and Daphne were buzzing with nervous energy.
"This is it," Alys said, practically bouncing on her feet. "We're finally going!"
Daphne, ever the composed one, adjusted her cloak and nodded. "We've been preparing for this for years."
Ezekiel smirked, giving them a pointed look. "Try not to cause trouble."
Alys huffed. "That's your job, Ez."
Daphne smirked. "She's right, you do have a tendency to attract chaos."
Ezekiel chuckled but didn't deny it.
"Lord Ravenclaw" wasn't exactly a title that went unnoticed.
---
Once on the train, Ezekiel helped Alys and Daphne store their trunks before leading them toward the compartments.
Alys hesitated. "Should we sit together?"
"You'll need to make friends with your own year," Ezekiel pointed out.
Daphne nodded. "He's right. We should start getting to know our housemates early."
Alys sighed dramatically. "Fine. But I expect you to check on us, Ez."
Ezekiel ruffled her hair. "Of course."
Alys swatted his hand away but grinned. "See you later, then."
As the two girls went off to find their own seats, Ezekiel continued down the corridor until he found his usual compartment.
Inside, Elena and Adrian were already waiting.
Adrian smirked. "You're late."
Ezekiel rolled his eyes. "Had to make sure my sister didn't get lost."
Elena smiled. "She looked excited. And Daphne seemed… composed as always."
Ezekiel nodded. "They'll be fine."
As he sat down, the train gave a lurch forward, signaling the start of another year.
And for the first time in a while, Ezekiel felt something new.
A shift in the air. A change in the atmosphere.
Maybe it was because this year, Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts.
Or maybe it was because, for the first time since discovering the marriage contract, things finally felt… stable.
---
About halfway through the trip, Ezekiel decided to take a walk down the train, stretching his legs.
It was then that he saw him.
Harry Potter.
The messy-haired boy sat in a compartment with a redheaded boy—Ron Weasley—and a bushy-haired girl—Hermione Granger.
Ezekiel observed them quietly from the corridor.
Harry looked… normal. Nothing like the legend he was made out to be.
But there was something in his eyes.
Something sharp.
Ezekiel had seen those eyes before. The eyes of someone who wasn't naïve to the world.
Interesting.
Deciding not to intrude, Ezekiel turned and walked away.
---
As the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station, the students disembarked, the familiar castle looming in the distance.
For Ezekiel, it was routine. But for Alys and Daphne, this was their first real glimpse of Hogwarts as students.
Standing among the crowd of first-years, Alys's eyes were wide with wonder.
Daphne, standing beside her, gave a small smile. "It's impressive."
Ezekiel, standing with the older students, caught Alys's gaze and gave her a reassuring nod.
"You'll do great," he mouthed.
Alys grinned, the nerves momentarily fading.
As the first-years followed Hagrid toward the boats, Ezekiel turned and joined his fellow third-years, walking toward the carriages.
Another year at Hogwarts had begun.
And something told him… it was going to be a very eventful one.
---