NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Hogwarts Express (2)
The compartment door slid open, revealing two new faces.
The first to enter was a girl with long, golden-blond hair that shimmered even in the dim light of the train. Her gray eyes, cold and piercing, scanned the room with a calculated detachment that made me sit a little straighter. She carried herself like someone accustomed to getting what she wanted, her movements precise and deliberate.
Trailing behind her was a boy with tousled brown hair and bright blue eyes that practically radiated warmth. His smile was open and disarming, the complete opposite of the girl in front of him. He looked around the compartment as if he'd stumbled into the company of long-lost friends, though we were strangers.
"Is this compartment taken?" the girl asked, her voice calm and clipped, as if she didn't care much for the answer.
Ember leaned forward, her grin as fiery as her hair. "Nope! Come on in! Plenty of room."
The boy's smile widened, and he stepped inside, dragging his trunk behind him. With ease, he lifted it to store it on the luggage rack. "Thanks. I thought I wasn't going to make it. Do you need help with your bag?" he asked, glancing at the girl.
She shook her head, her movements brisk. "No." She carried her own trunk as if daring anyone to question her capability, then settled into the seat nearest the door. Placing a leather-bound notebook on her lap, she flipped it open and began reading without acknowledging the rest of us.
"I'm Alaric," the boy said, sitting across from me and holding out a hand. "Nice to meet you all."
I shook his hand, nodding. "Nero. And that's Ember."
Ember gave a little wave. "Hey there!"
The girl finally glanced up, her gaze cool and assessing. "Lilith," she said simply, before returning her attention to her book.
"Well, Lilith and Alaric," Ember said, leaning back in her seat. "Welcome to the best compartment on the train. You've got Nero and me, so you're off to a great start."
Alaric chuckled, his easy demeanor softening the edges of Lilith's aloofness. "Good to know. This train's incredible, isn't it? I've heard so much about it, but seeing it in person…" He trailed off, a look of genuine wonder crossing his face.
"Have you read about Hogwarts already?" Ember asked, her curiosity bubbling to the surface. "Or are you the kind who prefers diving in headfirst?"
"I've read a little," Alaric admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "But I'm more of an explorer. I like learning as I go."
"And you?" Ember turned to Lilith, her grin unwavering. "What are you looking forward to most at Hogwarts?"
Lilith glanced up, her expression as unreadable as ever. "Learning and researching new spells."
Ember raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "New spells? That sounds pretty advanced for a first year."
Lilith gave a faint shrug, her tone cool but deliberate. "It's not about being advanced. It's about understanding the foundations of magic and pushing beyond them. Why settle for what's already known when there's so much more to uncover?"
I couldn't help but nod in approval. "That's an interesting perspective. You're aiming to innovate rather than just follow what's in the textbooks."
Lilith's gray eyes flickered toward me, her lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile. "Absolutely."
"That's ambitious," Ember said, leaning forward. "So, what kind of spells do you want to create?"
Lilith tilted her head slightly, as if weighing how much to reveal. "Spells that challenge conventional limits, something elegant and efficient. Why spend ten minutes casting a ritual when a single wand movement could achieve the same result?"
"Efficiency," I said thoughtfully. "It makes sense. Most spell creators must have spent ages perfecting even the simplest incantations."
"Precisely," Lilith replied, her tone sharpening slightly. "And they didn't get there by sticking to the basics. They experimented, took risks, and dared to fail."
"Well, I can respect that," Ember said, a grin spreading across her face. "I might be all about bravery and action, but it sounds like your kind of risk-taking isn't far off."
Lilith arched an eyebrow. "Risk-taking without thought isn't bravery, it's recklessness."
Ember laughed. "Fair point. But I bet we'd make a great team. I dive into danger, and you figure out how to get us out of it."
Alaric, who had been quietly listening, chuckled. "Sounds like a plan. Though if you're experimenting with spells, maybe keep me in the loop. I'd rather not accidentally sprout antlers or something."
Lilith's smirk widened slightly, a glimmer of mischief in her otherwise stoic demeanor. "Noted. No unauthorized antler-sprouting."
The group fell into an easy rhythm, the conversation flowing naturally. Alaric's warmth balanced Ember's fiery energy, while Lilith's sharp wit provided a grounding edge. Nero, for his part, found himself enjoying the dynamic more than he expected. Each of them brought something different to the table, their personalities distinct yet oddly complementary.
How long has it been since I last genuinely enjoyed being with people my age? Grandma had tried introducing me to peers when I was younger, but it was always an uphill battle. Pretending to find joy in playing with five-year-olds felt more like a chore than a pastime, especially when I could be using my time in far more efficient ways.
This wasn't uncommon, though. Ravenclaw heirs, I'd learned, often faced similar challenges. Mental acuity and a precocious nature were practically expected, so no one batted an eye at my disinterest in childish games or my tendency to prioritize intellectual pursuits over social ones. It wasn't strange, it was simply the Ravenclaw way.
After a moment of quiet, Alaric spoke up, his tone contemplative. "You know, when I was walking through the train looking for a compartment, I felt… I don't know, a tug. Like something was pulling me here."
"A tug?" Ember asked, leaning forward with her trademark curiosity. "What do you mean?"
"I can't really explain it," Alaric said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "It wasn't like I heard a voice or anything, but it just felt like I had to come here. Like this was the right place to be."
Lilith, who had been silent for a while, tilted her head thoughtfully. "Interesting. I felt something similar. Not a pull, exactly, but a… subtle nudge, as if the air itself was guiding me here."
Nero's eyebrows lifted. "I felt it too. Like a whisper of magic. As if there was some sort of guiding force leading me to this compartment. It was faint but unmistakable." He paused for a moment, gauging their reactions.
Ember leaned back, crossing her arms with an exaggerated huff. "Okay, hold on. So, all three of you felt this magical, mystical force pulling you here, and I felt nothing? Seriously? Not even a twinge?"
Nero smirked, leaning forward slightly. "Maybe something was just trying to gather all of us together. The first person could've been the beacon that drew the rest of us in." He paused, his smirk growing mischievous. "Or maybe you're just too dense to notice."
The entire compartment burst into laughter. Ember glared at Nero playfully, pretending to look offended. "Dense? Me? I will let you know that I am extremely attuned to magical forces!"
"Clearly," Nero deadpanned, earning another round of laughter. Even Lilith, despite her reserved demeanor, let out a soft chuckle, quickly covering her mouth as if to hide it.
The shared humor seemed to melt away any remaining tension, leaving the group in a state of easy camaraderie. For a few moments, the only sound was the train's steady rhythm and the occasional whistle of steam.
Finally, Alaric broke the silence, his tone reflective. "It's funny, though. What if that tug really was magic? Something connecting us for a reason?"
Nero nodded thoughtfully. "It does make you wonder. Maybe it's the train itself, weaving its own kind of spell to bring the right people together."
"Or maybe," Lilith said with a faint smirk, "we're just overthinking things."
"Could be," Ember said, grinning. "But overthinking is half the fun."
The four of them shared a look, a moment of quiet understanding passing between them. Whatever had brought them together, it already felt like the start of something significant.
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2nd chapter of the day as promised! (2/2)
50 chapters ahead on Patreon (Suiijin): Chapter 64: The Summon (2)