Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

Crash!

Three trolleys hit the barrier leading to the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station, London.

Ron's trunk fell, taking Hedwig's cage with it.

The owl screeched, catching all eyes and ears of the passing passengers.

Harry vainly tried to take control of the bouncing trolleys but got squashed by them, his glasses slipping off.

"What in blazes d'you think you're doing?!" the guard asked, looking at the only boy who was still standing —

— Arlen Black, 12-year-old, Hogwarts' 2nd year Gryffindor.

"Ah, sorry," Black apologized, giving hands to both Ron and Harry. "We lost control of the trolleys."

Black had been staying with Ron and Harry at the Burrow since they had met at the Diagon Alley.

The Blacks weren't rich, per wizards' standards, as they were muggles.

However, the Blacks were much richer by muggles' standards, owning swaths of lands, mines, and businesses in Cunestune and surrounding villages.

So, when Black arrived at the Burrow, he brought with him months' worth of supplies.

Mrs. Weasley, who had gained an unfavorable impression of Black because of his exchanging words with Gilderoy Lockhart, forgot everything instantly.

Now, the older witch, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Percy, and Ginny were all on the other side of the barrier, boarding Hogwarts Express.

The boys looked at each other, stunned.

Harry shooed Hedwig's hooting, slipped on his glasses, and looked at Ron and Black. "Why can't we get through?!" he hissed.

Ron's mouth opened slightly. "I dunno — We're going to miss the train. Why the gateway's sealed itself —"

Black walked forward and touched the barrier, pushing it in.

It was a solid wall.

"It's not normal, right?" he commented, turning back. "Someone wants us out of Hogwarts — "

"No way…" Ron gasped. "Why — "

"Because I am famous." Black smiled.

The boys cursed, punching Black all over.

"Oi, you three!" someone called. "Where are your parents?!"

Harry and Ron pulled Black away from the curious people surrounding them before he could say something witty again.

Stopping far from the crowd, they looked at the giant clock with a pit in their stomachs.

Ten seconds… nine seconds…

Three seconds… two seconds … one second …

And the Hogwarts Express was gone.

"What if mom and dad can't come back, either?" Ron asked. "Have you got any Muggle money?"

Black looked at Ron as if he had gone nuts. "What's that gonna do?"

Ron looked back at Black, thinking the same. "I dunno why I asked that…"

Surprisingly, Harry pulled out notes of Muggle money, too. "Yes…"

Black and Ron's mouth hung open. "Where did you get money from?!" they asked together.

Uh, oh! Harry hadn't thought it through, already regretting the urge to take out money from his pockets for the first time to help someone.

In the end, he had to tell them how did he get the money.

"You took money from her?!" Black asked, looking disgusted. "When I was giving a bundle of cash to you, you made some bullshit reason."

"Bullshit?" Harry threw back. "I wanted to exchange with wizard money at a higher rate than Gringotts. You told me we weren't smart enough to calculate rates…"

Black laughed. "Yeah, that was funny…"

"And I didn't take money from her…" Harry explained, trying to salvage the situation. "It was a birthday gift."

"Does that make any sense, Ron?" Black asked.

Ron dutifully shook his head, playing along as if the boys hadn't missed their train to School just a moment ago.

"What you did do for her, Harry?" Black asked, nudging him with the elbow. "Come on. You can tell us. Did you… become her pet House-elf for a day?"

Ron and Black hunched over, laughing their asses off.

After a moment, when they were done with fun, the sinking feeling returned.

"Let's go wait by the car —" Harry suggested.

"The Car!" Ron gasped.

The sinking feeling turned into excitement.

After a few minutes, the three Gryffindors were already staring at the old Ford Anglia.

After another few minutes, they were already in the air, London lying, smoky and glittering, below them.

Harry and Ron were in the front seats, with Ron driving the car.

Behind, Black was holding onto the trunks and Hedwig's cage, sensing the car's invisibility.

Then, with a pop, the car reappeared.

"What was that?!" Harry asked.

Ron jabbed at the Invisible Booster. "It's gone…"

To not let the muggles see the car, Ron took it above the clouds, before bringing it down after a while to see the train.

"I can see it!" Harry yelled. "Right ahead — there!"

Ron caught a quick look at the Hogwarts Express slithering due north and pulled the car up again.

London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicolored ants, villages with tiny toy churches.

Several hours later, the boys came down one last time to check up on the train.

The fun of traveling in a flying car had gone by now.

It was just too hot in here.

They had pulled off their sweaters, but their backs were still stuck to the shirt.

Beads of sweat were dripping from their noses and their mouths were going dry.

The Sun had all but set, drenching the horizon in a pink hue. The Clouds had gained a grayer touch under the growing darkness.

When they caught sight of the train, their eyes also landed on a silhouette on the horizon.

There, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts Castle.

The boys looked at each other and let out sighs of relief.

It happened then.

The car's engine whined, and the whining grew louder and louder as the sky darkened.

Suddenly, the car shook as if something had crashed into it from the sides.

The impact was so great, in fact, that the windows on the other side threw open.

Sitting right on their seats' edges already, the impact also threw Harry and Black out of the car, their breaths leaving their lungs.

"NO!!!" Ron yelled, but he was already having a hard time keeping the car in the air.

They were on the lake.

The castle was right ahead.

Two boys fell from hundreds of meters height, screaming.

Overhead, with a loud clunk and wobble, the car's engine went out.

"Nooooooooooooo!" Ron shouted again. He threw open the window, trying to get any sight of his friends.

The car had begun nose-diving, though, slamming the window shut on his face.

With a graveness jolting his stomach, Ron suddenly remembered his Spell.

Mecha Eye!

Everything became numbers and lines in Ron's left eye.

Somehow, magically, he knew what to do to make the car fly again… for enough time to land it on the ground.

However, he didn't have the time to even attempt such a thing.

"Stupid Mecha Eye!" Ron cursed.

He again remembered Harry and Black, his stomach tightening in knots.

Ron took out his wand and slammed it on the dashboard and windshield to no effect.

"RON! TREE!!!"

Huh? Who was that?!!!

Ron didn't get even an instant to turn his head, though.

A great mass of darkness was standing in front of the crashing car.

Ron swung the steering wheel, but the vehicle failed to budge and slammed right into it.

CRUNCH!!!

Now enchanted to protect the Castle from foreign wizards, the tree's branches ripped the car into shreds, caring not for metal and flesh.

… but there was no flesh in the car. Not anymore.

Ron felt a sunken feeling in his stomach and parted his eyes.

He was hanging right above the tree along with Harry, both grabbed tightly by their shirts by Black who…

Ron couldn't believe it.

Black was kicking repeatedly, keeping himself in midair.

He was wearing a new type of shoes, with different magical runes.

Every time he kicked, magical runes sparked around them, lighting the darkness.

Then, as the monstrous tree devoured the entire car, loud cracks overwhelmed their ears.

"Mom's gonna kill me…" Ron mumbled out.

The Aurors guarding the castle had arrived!

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