HP :Pokemon In Horgwart

The elf tilted its head, its bat-like ears twitching. "Elvih can do that. It's on the second floor. Sir should follow Elvih."

The elf began to head toward the door, but Magnus called out to stop.

"Elvih... I... I am already late. I was thinking maybe you could take me on a side-along Apparition?"

Magnus could not understand how it was possible, but the elf's already bulging eyes now looked like they would explode any minute. They appeared twice their usual size.

He felt a disappointment begin to crawl inside him. He had been on a good streak so far, but maybe his clear, pleading tone had been overkill. Maybe the elf had seen his desperation and figured he was up to no good.

The next second, however, the elf's expression morphed into one of pure thrill.

"Sir wants Elvih to help him Apparate? Sir needs help from elf magic?"

Magnus suddenly found himself taken by surprise by the sudden turn of events.

I mean, he had expected something like a reprimand or even for the elf to call someone. He had certainly not expected the creature to sound flattered, as if he had given it the highest of compliments.

But then, slowly, understanding dawned on him.

Humans usually had all the benefits when it came to magic. I mean, they were free to own wands, while elves weren't. It was therefore not common for humans to ask for magical assistance from elves.

"Yes... yes... so will... will you help me?" Magnus asked, making sure to put emphasis on the word help.

It worked. The elf looked even more thrilled.

It even bowed quite low, as if Magnus was its master.

"Certainly, sir! Elvih will help."

Elvih stretched out its clawed hand towards him. "Sir must hold my hand firmly and not let go."

Magnus did not need further encouragement.

He shut his eyes and braced himself as he grabbed the elf's wiry arm.

He tried not to dwell on what was coming.

With a loud crack, the room spun out of focus, and he felt as if he were being shoved through a rubber tube. When they reappeared, his stomach lurched, and he stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance.

The Floo Network room was larger than he had imagined, with a wide row of ornate fireplaces lining the walls.

Each one was bustling with green flames, and witches and wizards of all ages queued up with clear impatience, chatting softly as they waited their turn.

Magnus felt a surge of relief. He was one step closer to freedom.

"Elvih has done as sir asked," the elf said, bowing low before popping away. Magnus barely had time to thank him.

However, he had a good idea where the elf had run off to... He was certainly off to narrate how a wizard had begged him to help with actual magic. But knowing elves, he would have a tough time selling that tale.

Magnus joined one of the queues that looked shorter.

He was doing his best to look inconspicuous in his patched-up clothes but soon realized that no one here gave a damn... I mean, no one had even looked at him after what must have been a weird entrance.

Despite the fact that the line was moving quite fast, it still felt like a lifetime before he reached the front. He kept looking over his shoulder, checking whether someone had come after him.

Finally, it was his turn.

Stepping into the fireplace, Magnus grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the urn nearby.

"Diagon Alley," he said clearly, tossing the powder into the flames.

The familiar spinning sensation returned, and moments later, Magnus stumbled out of the other end into a chaotic scene.

He brushed soot off his tattered clothes before blending into the steady flow of witches and wizards bustling through Diagon Alley.

The familiar cobblestones stretched before him, and he paused for a while to take in his surroundings.

He was in Diagon Alley, for freak's sake. He was in Harry Potter.

And he had cunningly escaped from friggin' St. Mungo's.

Seriously, up until now, he had not had nearly enough time to process the sudden shift in his life or even figure out how he had blown himself from the modern world into a Harry-Pokémon mix.

Every second he had spent in the hospital had been occupied with one incident or another, and no one had seemed able to answer his questions.

Now that he had managed to escape and the pressure of questioning had lifted from him, reality came down heavily on him.

"Sorry, lad. Thought you might want to stand aside. You're blocking the path," a voice said as he was shoved aside.

The speaker was a fairly old witch who clearly looked to be in quite a rush.

"Ohh, sorry," Magnus said as he hastily stepped out of the way.

He could hardly claim to know all the Pokémon in existence. There were probably millions of them. But also, he had been quite little when he had the luxury to watch TV.

Back then, Pokémon anime had been an all-time favorite for most kids, but he had only watched for leisure—albeit a little dreamily.

He had not been aiming to commit things to memory.

Still, he could identify some when he saw them, and right now, his mouth gawked as he beheld the scene before him.

A Ralts was trailing behind the witch, holding a stack of what looked like grocery bags.

His eyes flew between the Ralts and the people moving around him, trying to see if anyone was noticing this.

They did, alright. People even stepped politely out of the way for the creature to pass, but no one really paid it much thought. It was like, to them, there was nothing interesting about a Pokémon in Diagon Alley.

It was then that the words of the guy in the portrait rang in his head.

"Everyone knows Pokémon."

Isn't that what the guy had said?

Magnus felt an excited thrill rush through him.

How had two such different worlds come together? And... and how did Pokémon even fit here?

Was it like in the Pokémon anime and Pokémon Go game, where they were used for battling? Or were they just like any other magical creatures?

He was still staring at the Ralts in awe as it got swallowed in the crowd ahead when yet another commotion broke out somewhere around him.

Magnus turned just in time to spot what he could swear was a Meowth streaking past him, leaving behind a trail of coins.

"Give that back, you thieving little menace!"

A man came rushing past him and, on seeing the scattered coins, stood momentarily, unsure of his next move.

Magnus could see the man's dilemma. He was probably wondering whether he should collect the scattered coins or follow the pouch that was still in the Meowth's possession.

"It's alright. I'll help you here," Magnus said as he bent and began to collect the scattered coins.

For a while, the wizard scrutinized him doubtfully, but then he seemed to decide that whatever was in the Meowth's possession was more valuable.

Drawing out his wand, he rushed towards where the Pokémon had disappeared, yelling a string of curses.