A Magical Adventure (HP/GOT/MCU)

1st Sept 1992

Hogwarts Express

Arriving at King's Cross Station at 10:30 in the morning, we took our time strolling to the barrier. My buddy, Teddy was gambolling around our legs, happy in the knowledge that he was coming with me to Hogwarts, while my parents were feeling sad that both of their children were leaving for school. Mom has decided to start working at St. Mungo's again. Thankfully, Dobby would be there to take care of them and help around the house.

Leaning casually against the barrier, we slid sideways through it and emerged on platform 9 3/4. The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine stood there billowing clouds of steam, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents appeared like dark ghosts. Teddy became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist. Harry, Rachel and I set off to find seats for ourselves. Passing by the first few compartments which were already full, we found Neville and Hermione waiting for us in a compartment halfway along the train. Stowing our luggage, we hopped back down onto the platform to say goodbye to our parents.

"Look after her, will you?" Mum embraced me one last time as the final whistle blew.

"Don't worry about it, mum," I said with a smile. "Anyone who tries to bully my little sister will find themselves in the most embarrassing situations."

"That's my boy," she smiled, ruffling my hair.

"Take care of yourself, son." Dad said, coming over and hugging me after saying goodbye to Harry.

"I will, Dad," I promised, returning the hug. We then dashed to the train that was slowly starting to move.

"We'll see you guys on Christmas!" I yelled at my parents from the window as the train gathered speed. Rachel waved wildly until the train turned a corner and mum and dad were lost to view.

We made our way back to our compartment, and came across Ginny and Luna in the corridor looking for seats.

"Ginny! Luna! There you are!" Rachel went over to greet them. "I was waiting for you. Come on, we have a compartment over there." She began leading them to our carriage. Harry and I followed.

Once inside the compartment, we were faced with a logistical problem, given that there were seven people and only six seats.

"It's okay, Rachel," Ginny said with a light smile. "Luna and I will find another compartment." Luna serenely nodded in acceptance.

"Wait!...I'll come with you," Rachel said, not wanting to part with her friends. She turned to me with an unwilling expression.

"Okay, no one is going anywhere." I said at length. "Dear sister, did you forget what I always say?" I asked Rachel with a smirk. "Anything is possible with magic."

I waved my wand and silently cast the Extension Charm (Capacious Extremis). The walls of the compartment seemed to lengthen although there was no outward sign of this in the corridor. In an instant, instead of six seats there was now enough space for ten people to sit comfortably.

"You used the Extension Charm." Luna said with wide misty eyes, rather as a statement than as a question.

"Yes, I did," I answered, sitting down beside Hermione and making myself comfortable.

"But, that's a NEWT level spell!" Ginny exclaimed, taking a seat beside Luna.

"It's all about perspective, my dear," I said with a shrug. "What qualifies a spell as OWL level or NEWT level? Granted, for some you need more magic than for others, but mostly it's about knowledge and effort. Knowledge about the spell and the effort you put in to master it." I explained to my audience. "So, if you want to perform a spell that's usually taught to 7th year students while you're a 2nd year, it's quite possible. Just be prepared for the inevitable grind." I finished with a smile.

"That's my brother for you," Rachel said with a fond smile. "Always the over-achiever."

I shrugged in reply. "What have you got there?" I asked Hermione who was poring over a book.

She turned the cover to reveal that it was Voyages with Vampires. "Lockhart is quite the hero, isn't he?" she said excitedly. "I mean, the number of dark creatures he has defeated! We're lucky to have someone with so much field experience teaching us this year." She finished with a slight blush.

"Yeah, mum's a big fan of his," Ginny said off-handedly. "Personally, I think that people who travel the world fighting dangerous monsters don't dress like fops."

Hermione's look of affront brought a chuckle out of me. "Don't believe everything you read, Hermione," I cautioned her. "Books can be misleading."

"What do you mean?" She asked me sharply.

"I'm not giving out any spoilers," I said, raising my hands. "Everyone needs their entertainment, even me. And speaking of entertainment, where's Trevor?" I said to Neville.

"Trevor's gone," Neville said with a downcast expression. "A week ago, I woke up and couldn't find him anywhere. We searched the house, the grounds, the greenhouses. Nothing. He was always trying to escape," Neville gave an exasperated sigh. "Looks like he finally got his wish."

"Well....look on the bright side, now you can get a cooler pet, and Malfoy won't be able to make fun of you for having a toad anymore." I tried to cheer him up. "Tell you what, you should get a dog. They are the best." I said looking down at Teddy, who barked twice in confirmation.

"Speaking of dogs, are you sure you are allowed to bring him?" Ginny looked at Teddy doubtfully. "My list said only owls, cats and toads are allowed."

"That's okay, I spoke to Professor Dumbledore," I explained. "He agreed that it's the height of cruelty to separate a man from his dog."

"You mean, to separate a boy from his dog?" Hermione said with a smirk.

"I meant what I said, missy," I leaned forward and gave her a smoldering look. "Or do you want to find out how much of a man I am?" I gave a smirk, raising my eyebrows suggestively.

Hermione blushed and turned her head away from my face. "Prat," she whispered. Hey, don't blame me! If she's old enough to have a crush on Flophart, then she's old enough for some harmless flirting.

"So, what House do you think you guys are going into?" I asked Ginny and Luna.

"Well, I expect I'll be going to Gryffindor, like literally every one else in my family." Ginny said with a shrug, although she did cast a furtive look at Harry out of the corner of her eyes.

"Probably Ravenclaw. Both my parents were there. If nothing else, it'll make daddy happy." Luna commented.

"Hmm. Well, all I'm going to say is that you should never let something as important as your sorting be governed by a desire to please others. I don't want to spoil the surprise of how you get sorted...."

"It's a hat. Daddy told me when I was a little girl." Luna said placidly.

Ginny looked at Luna disbelievingly. "Your father told you?! No one in my family would say a word about it." She scoffed.

I smiled. "So much for cherished school traditions. Anyway, the sorting hat is wise and knows how to do its job. Listen to its advice."

The lunch trolley soon came rattling along the corridor and I bought enough cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs for everyone to share. Teddy chased a chocolate frog around the compartment, before biting its head off and consuming the confectionery, much to our amusement. Several of our classmates, mostly from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, looked in on us as the afternoon progressed. Astoria, who had been sitting with her sister Daphne and Tracey, came by after lunch and spent the remainder of the journey chatting with the girls.

All too soon, darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages. Outside the cabin window, I could vaguely make out the distant turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle, high on the cliff over the lake.

We quietly changed into our school uniforms. The Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch darkness of Hogsmeade station.

There was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed and Teddy barked, showing his joy at finally being able to stretch his legs after the hours long ride. We disembarked on the platform, our clothes providing minimal defence against the cold winds. Even in the beginning of September, the weather in the Scottish highlands was quite chilly.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. We turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake. Rachel, Ginny, Luna and Astoria said their goodbyes for now and separated from us to follow the other first years.

"All righ', you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. We waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around us was shunting us away along the platform. We followed the rest of the school onto a rough mud track where atleast a hundred stagecoaches awaited the returning students. Most students believed that the coaches were charmed to carry people by themselves. An unfortunate minority knew the truth.

I walked over to take a closer look at the creatures. They looked like horses, but there was something reptilian about them. They seemed completely devoid of flesh, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Their wings were black and leathery, looking like they belonged to bats rather than horses. Given how eerie they looked, it was easy to see why they would be considered omens of doom.

"What are you looking at?" came Hermione's voice, right behind me.

"Thestrals," I said lightly, gently petting the dark beauty. "I assumed that I would be able to see them now, after that whole fiasco with Quirrel last year. I was right."

"Ben," Hermione said, sounding confused, "there's nothing there."

I turned around to see Hermione looking at me inquiringly, while behind her both Harry and Neville were looking at the space between the shafts with wide eyes. Teddy was sniffing around confusedly, not being able to see them, but probably getting their scent. I took Hermione's hand and slowly brought it up to touch the back of the creature. As she came into contact, she flinched and reflexively tried to remove her hand.

"It's all right," I reassured her, slowly leading her hand back on the beast. "Thestrals are a breed of winged horses. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that only people who have seen death can see them."

"It makes sense that you can see them, Harry. You were in the chamber with me, after all." I said. "Whom did you see die, Neville?"

"My....my grandad." Neville said.

"I am sorry." I said. Neville nodded. The four of us, plus Teddy, climbed inside the stagecoach and shut the door, the thestrals gently set off bumping and swaying in procession.

Soon, the carriage trundled past a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars. The carriage came to a stop at the end of the long, sloping drive up to the castle. We got out and joined the crowd swarming up the stairs, through the giant oak front doors into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors. Our footsteps echoed as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.

"Alright, Teddy," I rounded onto my canine friend. "There are going to be a lot of people in there. So, I'm gonna need you to be on your best behaviour. Understood?"

"Woof!" Teddy affirmed.

"Attaboy!" I gently rubbed the back of his head, before following my friends inside.

The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky we could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in mid-air all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and clothes.

Harry and Neville said their goodbyes for now and moved to join their Housemates at the Gryffindor table, while Hermione and I found seats together about halfway down the Ravenclaw table between Padma Patil and Terry Boot.

"Hi, Ben. Is that your dog?" Terry asked looking at Teddy. He wasn't the only one. Quite a few people across the Hall were checking him out. Can't blame them, Teddy's a handsome fella.

"Yep. That's Teddy, my best bud." I introduced him.

"Cool!" He said with a big smile. "How was your summer?"

"Fruitful," I summarized. "Yourself?"

"Not half bad. Went to Italy with my folks. We climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was weird." He shared excitedly.

"Good for you, Terry. That sounds interesting," I commented, thinking back on how I kept busy tracking horcruxes and freeing house elves in the summer.

A few moments later, the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. A long line of scared-looking first years' entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

The first years' lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall carefully placed the stool in front of them. I easily spotted Rachel looking around in apprehension. I gave her a reassuring nod when her eyes found me.

The silence was broken when the long tear near the Sorting hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat burst into song:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting hat finished its song. Professor McGonagall then produced a long scroll of parchment and started calling out names.

"Armitage, Charles!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

I politely clapped with the rest of my housemates as the clearly terrified boy hurried to our table and sat down.

"Blake, Jonathan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Carter, Rachel!"

Rachel staggered forward, clearly nervous. She sat down and put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes. A moment's pause -

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.

I clapped loudly with the Lions as Rachel moved to join their table. She turned for a quick look at me, and I gave her a big smile and a thumbs up. I knew Rachel wasn't the intellectual type, so I wasn't really disappointed that she wasn't a 'claw. She returned my smile and sat down opposite Harry and Neville.

The sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall reached the G's.

"Greengrass, Astoria!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Astoria (or Tori, to her friends) looked surprised. She had been incredibly excited about going into Hufflepuff. Daphne, on the other hand, looked relieved at having her sister in the same House.

"Lovegood, Luna!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

I amusedly watched the spritely figure of Luna as she almost danced to the Ravenclaw table. I could already see the looks on the faces of some of my Housemates as they mentally labelled her a weirdo. Someone to mock, and in time, someone to bully.

"Hello again, Luna. Welcome to Ravenclaw." I greeted her with a smile. "Why don't you sit with us?" I motioned to empty space on Hermione's right.

"Thanks, Ben." she smiled and moved to sit between Hermione and Padma.

"Do you know her?" Padma lightly asked Hermione.

"Yes. She's a friend of Ben's sister. I have met her a couple of times." She explained. "Hello, Luna."

"Hello, Hermione." Luna said, sitting down.

"Weasley, Ginerva!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The twins applauded enthusiastically and wolf-whistled as their little sister joined them at the Gryffindor table and sat beside Rachel.

Finally, the sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away.

Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. "Welcome!" said the Headmaster, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! And now, without further ado, let the feast begin!"

There was an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down and food and drinks appeared magically on the previously empty dishes.

The feast was as usual, delicious, especially with the new additions such as Pizza, cheeseburgers, fries and Macaroni and cheese. I have heard a lot of positive comments throughout the last school year about the new fare that was now being provided at Hogwarts. Handing Teddy a couple slices of pepperoni pizza for his dinner, I dug into my own plate, as the Hall echoed with talk, laughter and the clatter of knives and forks.

At long last, when the last morsels of dessert had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore stood up and gave out the usual notices about banned items and the forbidden forest being, well forbidden, before bidding us good night.

Hermione, Luna, Teddy and I joined the ravenclaws streaming up the marble staircase, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, until finally we reached our destination - Ravenclaw tower.

Across the common room, I wished the girls good night and climbed the staircase that led to the boys dorms. I walked up to my old room, which now had a sign on it saying SECOND YEAR - BENJAMIN CARTER. I entered the familiar room with the blue velvet four poster bed and the narrow window, which right now showed a dark moonless sky. My trunk was already waiting at the end of the bed, although everything important was stored in my ring. I retrieved Teddy's bed and put it in the corner, where he quickly settled in for a nap with a full belly. I followed his example and after changing my clothes, climbed into the bedsheets and drifted off to a restful slumber.