The Rise of Harry Potter

The Hogwarts Express was simultaneously exciting and disappointment.

Some part of Adrian wished for something...more. He didn't know what he had expected in retrospect. It was a large train, ample room for movement and more compartments on the inside than it should've had. He'd managed to claim a large empty compartment for himself. The train was magical in how quickly it flew across the countryside; the view outside the windows was just a blur of greys and greens and browns. Adrain was almost positive the amount of rail didn't actually exist in the eyes of muggles.

Still, something about it just felt...lacking though.

Twenty minutes into the long trip, his compartment door slid open and he was met with the familiar face of Calum.

"Harry!" The older boy cheered, causing Adrian to freeze entirely.

How did this-

"You don't mind if I call you Harry, do ya?" The boy grinned larger. "Much easier to remember than that Hadrianian mouthful."

"Adrian," he corrected with forced laziness, eying the boy critically. "Did you learn those curses you were looking at?"

Calum's cheerful expression fell very quickly into something serious. He casually pulled out his wand - a light brown wood - and set it on the table between them. "Don't mess with me, Adrian."

Adrian in turn pulled out his own wand, concealed in an arm holster like Calum's own. The other boy's eyebrows rose in surprise at the holster, but seemed to take the sight of both wands on the table as a peace offering.

"Nice wand you got there," Calum noted, eyes filled with what Adrian now suspected was kleptomania. The older boy's fingers were twitching noticeably. "Birch? No wait- Hemlock?"

Calum guessed correctly.

Adrian had long since purchased an additional wand to his phoenix and holly. Apparently, his preferred wand was something of a 'sister core' and would one day be wanted by Dumbledore. Because of that, he'd been forced to get another wand: hemlock and dragon heartstring. It wasn't his first choice, but it would work well enough.

"Interesting thing, hemlock. I didn't think they sold that in Ollivanders." Calum grinned, obviously thinking he had somehow pinned down Adrian with his knowledge.

"They don't," Adrian openly admitted. "You also can't buy the majority of the books that you own in Diagon Alley."

Calum swallowed.

"You're in Ravenclaw," Adrian confirmed, leaning forward and linking his fingers together. How convenient it was to have sources able to look into the Ministry Archives for him. Adrian's smile grew. "You are rather studious. I assume you know plenty of things. Actually, I think you know things that are rather... secretive."

"If you're talking about the books-" Calum started.

Adrian interrupted him with a raised hand, tilting his head as if he had heard something. He hummed, looking thoughtful. Adrien pointedly met Calum's eyes and smiled a knowing smile. "I'm sorry, I thought I'd heard a rat."

Calum paled.

The compartment door slid open suddenly, showing two young children around his age. One had ridiculously bushy hair and her front teeth were slightly more prominent than normal. The other was pudgy and seemed overall nervous with the situation.

"Oh, sorry," the girl said, though she didn't seem all that apologetic for having barged in. "Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost his."

The pudgy boy looked down, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Adrian's eyes widened as he looked at the uncomfortable pudgy boy. He did faintly remember him. He had a horrid grandmother.

"No toad in here!" Calum exclaimed, snatching up his wand from the table. "But I'll help look. I'll get the Prefects to help out too. They owe me a few favours."

The bushy-haired girl seemed surprised but blushed slightly at the overwhelming assistance. "Thank you! I'm Hermione Granger-"

"Hadrianus Selwyn," Adrian interrupted, rising with a pleasant smile, sliding his wand back into its hidden holster. "What kind of toad are we looking for? I know quite a few magical creatures."

Neville pushed his way past and wrung his hands anxiously.

"He- Trevor's about this big," Neville stumbled to explain, holding his hands apart a decent distance.

Adrian fought to keep the look on his face pleasant. He hadn't known the Longbottom heir would be so… useless.

"I'll go search!" Calum said, slipping out into the open hallway of the train. He obviously didn't want to be confronted on certain… issues.

Hermione frowned, looking at Adrian curiously. "I've heard the name Hadrianus before. Wasn't he a greek ruler?"

"Unfortunately yes. You can't choose the names your family gives you." He shrugged helplessly. "Call me Adrian. I insist."

Hermione offered a small, timid smile and nodded.

"I'll see you around?" She offered, seeming thrilled by the pleasant interaction.

Adrian nodded. Hermione and Neville left, once more leaving Adrian in silence. Briefly extracting his wand again, he wordlessly locked the compartment door, closing his eyes and leaning back against his seat.

Of course, the one time he could use Lutain and his uncanny ability to find every animal in question, the snake was sound asleep alongside the rest of the Hogwarts pets.

Adrian must've dozed off himself. When he woke up, it was dark outside and the train was slowing down. They'd arrived at Hogsmeade, it seemed. The station was barely more than an overhang on the side of the a hill. Between them and the large beautiful castle rising from the Scottish moore, a huge black glittering lake reflected the constellations above.

Adrian was loathe to admit it, but he found the sight exquisit.

"Firs' Years! This way!"

....

Want to read ahead by more than 60 chapters. Then join my pa*treon now.

Link: pa*treon.com/Amelie796 (Remove the *)

Free members will get 2 chapters for free.