Scars Of White

I raise my arm to knock on the glass before opening the door of the cart. The two inhabitants turn to face me, both with surprise evident on their faces. Opening the cart, I wasn't sure what to say, my breath hitched in my throat.

"There you are, I assumed my brothers ran off with you. Come and take a seat, there's plenty of room." Well, if we were to ignore the current litter plastered all over the room and seats. Ron begun to move some of the rubbish to make room for me.

Over the past few weeks, I had begun to get a bit closer to Ron, both of us felt like outcasts in the same house. As an obvious interloper it was nice to relate to someone else in that same aspect, rough for Ron that he felt that way at all. Still, this was more assertive than he usually behaved. Perhaps rebranding himself in school?

"Thanks, yeah they were up to some stuff earlier."

"No doubt bad. I'll introduce you guys."

"This is my roommate who's currently staying with us, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji."

"Oh, I see. Pleasure to meet you. Why exactly is it you're staying with Ron's family?"

"..."

"Uh, it's a bit complicated. He only really found out he was a wizard recently and there was some other trouble. But he's been with us for a month now."

"I'm sorry! It was a bit rude to just ask that."

"...It's no problem. Ron and his family have been really accommodating towards me I'm grateful for them."

"...Sorry, and you are?"

"Oh, this is Harry Potter. The Harry Potter. You know the boy that lived. Crazy, right?"

Boy that lived, what's that? All I could do was tilt my head as if verbalizing my own confusion.

"Look he's got the scar and everything!" The bespectacled boy quickly parted his hair and revealed an intriguing scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. No doubt related to the titular 'lived' of his signifier. Lived through what is the question? Also, when did this event take place, boy could mean any part of his life from birth till now. I mean we were only just entering the school, at most he would be 11 years old.

"...Right. Sorry, I don't know you."

"...Weren't you there when we talked about it in the house?" I have no recollection of this conversation, and my memory is pretty solid.

"I don't believe so?"

"...Strange I could've sworn the whole family was there, plus you're usually around the house..."

The only time I was absent from the house were trips with other family members or the one occurrence I had met with my guardian prior to our Gringotts's visit. That's the only possibility unless I missed the cult meeting whilst I was asleep.

"What exactly was the meeting about?" It makes sense why he was interested, after all the topic of conversation was literally about him.

"I mean that you were coming to the school this year, you're basically a hero to most people y'know. That and what house you would end up in, my money's on Gryffindor. It's what I'm aiming for myself."

"Sorry, house? What do you mean?" Harry had asked.

My understanding of this system was basically that they were like forms or classes. The actual information that the other brother's had given me was pretty non-descript. Often accompanied by a phrase like 'I'm leaving it as a surprise' or 'you'll know when you get there'.

"Do you seriously not know anything about Hogwarts?"

"No. I only found out I was a wizard two months ago, just before my birthday."

"Wow, so it's like you were raised by a muggle family till now?"

"...Yeah, I suppose so."

"You should get along with Taka then, he's in the same boat for the most part."

That was my cue to carry on the conversation, I can't afford to lose ground now.

"Yeah, although I suppose the added time at the Weasley's house might make me a month or so ahead."

"Cool. How is a wizard's house?"

"Pretty interesting, they live on a farm, so we tend to animals and the like. But for the most part I think it's the same as typical country lifestyle stuff. You know just add flying stuff and magic to the equation."

"And do they tend to magical animals?"

"Surprisingly no. Though there are a few magical pests on the farm..."

"Pests, like what?" I looked towards Ron for him to continue, he's more informed on the topic after all.

"...All sorts really. We have the gnomes, goblins, roods, periwrinkles. The list goes on and on."

"Periwrinkles? Like the flowers?"

"Not so nice unfortunately. They're actually pretty rare, you really don't want one on a farm especially."

"Why, what do they do?" This I was particularly interested in as I hadn't heard of these creatures before either.

"Well, they look like the flower but it's actually a disguise. They often move onto lavish land and suck up immense amounts of nutrition. Usually, the crop cycle and animals in the area can starve. In worse scenarios sometimes they can even lead to degradation of land forming deserts."

"What's the wrinkle part for?"

"It used to be that a farmer would gain a new wrinkle whenever they encountered one. After all, it could spell disaster for them. No harvest means the past few months may go down the drain, plus whatever livestock you have could be affected. It actually caused a few famines in history. Thankfully, they aren't as dangerous nowadays. In fact, they're super rare."

Grabbing one of sweet packages surrounding the two labelled a 'chocolate frog'. 

"It'd be like pulling one of the creators' of the four houses from these."

"Really that rare?"

"Yeah, there were only a few hundred or so printed of those guys. It's practically a collector's item. It's one of the few things that'll stop me ever completing the collection."

"...I was going to ask, is that a real frog?"

"Nah, just a simple charm. It wears off after a few second, usually after they jump the first time. You missed Harry's frog's great escape, straight out the window."

At least it isn't a live animal, I guess.

"They don't look like chocolate though, is that one faulty?"

"Hmm?"

I point directly at Ron's foot where a typical toad is currently residing.

"Ahh! When the bloody hell did that get there?" Quickly raising his foot and perching on the seat away from the creature.

"...It must've come in whilst the door was open. It definitely isn't a chocolate frog, it looks nothing alike." Harry was quick to scoop up the toad in his hand and begin petting it.

"I guess someone's lost a toad."

"Is there a difference?"

"Generally, some of the anatomy is different between them. But if you just want a simple difference, toads have bumpy coarse skin whilst frogs are slippery and smooth." Some basic biology taught me the difference between these species.

"You like animals Kiyotaka?"

"Somewhat, I've never really been allowed to have them before. But I suppose that changes this year."

"Oh, cool. What pet did you end up getting?"

"A dog."

"Is he with you? What's his name? What breed is it?" My head was thrown for a loop. Breed? I actually have no idea, does it matter? I mean behaviour can be presupposed by breed, but the most important factors shouldn't really change that much. They still eat mostly the same things and drink the same, require similar levels of training and physical exercise. It should be fine.

"The larger animals were sent with luggage, so I wasn't allowed to bring him on the train. I'm not sure exactly what breed it is, but his name is Hikari."

"Cool, let me see him when we get there."

"Sure, anytime."

The conversation lulled for a moment. The rat in Ron's pocket emerged and begun to move about, ravaging the leftover contents of the packages strewn about the room.

"Is that yours Ron?"

"Yeah, Scabbers. He's a bit pathetic ain't he?"

"...Only a little."

"What about you Harry, got a pet as well?"

"Yeah, an owl named Hedwig. She got sent ahead. I could show you guys later if you want."

Without purchase the door opened to reveal a girl with curly long brown hair entering the cart.

"Excuse me, have any of you seen a toad. Neville's lost it... I don't suppose that's yours, is it?" Pointing at the small toad currently residing in Harry's lap.

"No actually, we just found this in the cart a minute ago."

"I see. Hermione Granger by the way, nice to meet yo- Goodness, your Harry Potter, aren't you?"

"Th-that's right, how'd you know?"

"I can see the scar. You should take better care of your things, those glasses are hardly in good condition."

"...Yeah, I need to get them fixed."

"Nonsense, you're a wizard, aren't you? Observe. Occulus reparo." Miraculously the glasses mended, both the strained frame and the cracked lenses themselves. How exactly does that spell work? If we just assumed definitions of the words, then it would repair any lens. But how does the wizard dictate what would truly repair the lens? If the original caster doesn't know the strength of said lens, then how could they repair it. That and does the spell only work on lenses for refraction, would it work on glass windows, Perspex etc.?

How is magic made? If the words can be mismatched to create different phenomena's, then there must be a lexicon that magic is derived from. Similar enough to Latin but still removed from any actual practiced human language. Even further than that, magic can be cast wordlessly. Therefore, there must be some structure which allows magic itself to be tempered without the use of language. Maybe the words themselves are a sort of guide like an earthing wire. It prevents magic going awry whilst the person has little control, in exchange the versatility is reduced due to the constraints.

How were words grafted into magic then? There must be some distinction between the spoken words and most human languages otherwise magic may spring forth during normal conversation. That poses another question; what about other countries? Do they use the same faux language or are there more versions of the same?

"And you two are?" The haughty girl stood once again turning to face the two of us.

"Kiyotaka Ayanokouji."

"You... It isn't until later is it...?" Is she talking to me?

I look at her nonplussed.

"No, I suppose it doesn't matter. And your name?"

"Ron Weasley."

"Pleasure... Is that a rat?"

"Yeah, c'mere Scabbers."

"...Charming. Whatever, I suggest you all get ready to leave. We'll be arriving soon after all." Like a hurricane the girl left, probably to get this 'Neville'.

"...Not very charming yourself." Ron said under his breath to no-one in particular. 

I'm still wondering what exactly is supposed to happen later, I have no doubt another headache awaits. All three of us prepare to grab our things for eventual departure. A boy soon comes to the cart and grabs his toad back from Harry, thanking him all the while. Neville Longbottom, apparently. He seems friendly enough despite the unfortunate name.

Through the window I can see the castle and town gradually approach from the horizon. Soon enough. Although my heart wants it to arrive even faster...