Örlög

Chapter 8: A slow day, with trains

TThe ordered garments had arrived. Harry and Theo were busy arranging their trunks and supplies. 

Theo’s owl, Arkyn, was roaming around in the forest.

Damedra, or Dame, was hopping around and patting at random things in the room. The feline, at intervals, came up to Harry and rubbed her head against him before continuing to inspect the room. 

Harry reached to pet her, Dame’s attention instantly caught on the golden chain bracelet with a dangling moon charm.
“No no, Dame, it's not edible. Stop trying to eat it, please.” Harry tried to detach Dame from where she was nibbling on the charm bracelet, quite unsuccessfully. 

“Damedra, come here.” Theo said, his one hand extended. A similar silver chain bracelet, with a sun charm was visible in his other hand. 

Dame stopped, her pupils widening before she let the charm go and hopped to curl around in Theo’s lap.

“There, good girl. You can’t bite at random things.” Theo stated as he pets her back.

Harry leaned forwards to booped her nose, “silly, so you’ve chosen a favourite, huh?”

Dame meowed at him. Harry meowed back at her.

“You’re both silly,” Theo stated as Harry giggled, “I have a gift for you”.

Harry leaned back and said with excitement, “really?!”

Theo nodded, and pulled out a necklace from his pocket. 

“I thought you would like this,” Theo said, looping the chain around Harry’s neck, laying the intrinsically designed round pendant down carefully. 

“You can see the time if you open the hollow part of the pendant in the front, and if you click here,” Theo clicked a small clasp which opened the round pendant in the middle, “you can put pictures inside.”

“I have a similar one,” Theo pulled out a similar pendant, and opened it to show two pictures, one side containing the picture of a younger Vivian and Theo’s mother, Andora. The other contained a picture of Harry and Theo, from where they had taken a picture in the booth.

Harry wiped his eyes, trying to stop the tears before they could escape.

He lunged forward, and hugged Theo tightly, careful of Dame who was in Theo’s lap.

“Thank you,” he rasped, “best birthday ever. Can you also put the same pictures in mine?”

Theo hugged him and gently ruffled his hair, “of course, vinátta.”

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“I’m so bored.”

Harry grumbled, face down in an open book. 

“Read something else then,” Theo said, flipping through the pages of his own book.

They were sitting in their spot, in the library, Dame having curled up and fallen asleep in front of the fireplace. 

“I’m just so tired. And bored.”

Harry shot up straight, “how about we make some guesses and predictions?”

“About?” Theo said, still reading his book.

“Wait, let me think. Umm… nope, no idea, not a clue.” Harry again buried his face in his own book.

Theo looked up then, then gazed to the side. “How about we read about the secrets of Hogwarts? Maybe you’ll find joy in gallivanting around the castle.”

Harry peaked through his lashes and mumbled, a bit bashfully, “how about you read it to me?”

“Alright then.” Theo stood up and browsed in the library before pulling a book and returning to sit in his seat.

Theo opened the book and began speaking, “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded around 990 A.D., and is located in the Scottish Highlands. It was established by the four greatest wizards and witches of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.”

—------------------------

“Boys!” Vivian exclaimed as she gave Theo and Harry a tight hug.

“Oh, how you children grow up so fast, like radishes.” 

Vivian then squeezed Dame’s cheeks, from where Harry was holding her in his arms, “Vivian’s lovely Damedra, oh how Vivian will miss you. Vivian’s little Appalachia.” Vivian cooed at her.

“Vivian, we need to leave.” Theo reminded her.

“Yes, let’s see. The trunks and bags are here, Damedra and Arkyn are here… Wands, robes, books, stones, glitter-”

“Wait, why would we need glitter?” Harry interrupted.

“Oh, it’s just good to carry it around in polite company, young Harry.” Vivian replied nonchalantly.

“Wonderful, splendid, everything is here.”

“Vivian will miss you both. Now, you need to leave to get a good seat. Remember to write Vivian a letter. Vivian loves them.” 

Theo and Harry hugged Vivian again, before Theo took out a rune stone. 

In an instant they reappeared in a bustling and chattering crowd of robed wixens. A red steam engine in front of them.

Harry readjusted his hold of Damedra; Arkyn preened his feathers before covering his face with his feathers to presumably fall asleep.

The two boys entered the train and walked to find an empty compartment. 

They situated their luggage and sat next to each other.

“We’re going to Hogwarts,” Harry whispered, excited, as he looked around in their compartment. He couldn’t stop bouncing his legs, an act which Dame found highly amusing, as she patted them like she was paying whack-a-mole.

Theo nodded sagely, “it’s going to take about three hours. So, we should reach at 2 p.m.”

It was then that the door opened slightly as a boy peaked in and said, “um can I sit here, all the other compartments are full.”

Theo nodded and said, ”please,” as he motioned to the seat across from them.

“Thank you,” the boy’s shoulders drooped as he fully opened the door and dragged his trunk inside.

 He took his seat with an ‘huff’. He then straightened and waved, ”Hi, I’m Ron, and this is Scabbers.” He moved to raise his hand and showed an old rat in a cage.  

“Hi,” Harry waved back, “I’m Harry.” He motioned to his cat, “she is Damedra”. 

“Theo,” Theo simply nodded his head.

“And Arkyn,” Harry motioned to where the owl was, “who is currently sleeping.”

“So which house do you suppose you go to, apparently you have to fight a troll to be sorted.” Ron said, as if stating a secret, a very loud secret.

“I don’t think they’ll make 11 year olds  fight a troll,” Harry said, then he turned to Theo, “would they?”

Theo shook his head, “the sorting method would be something else.”

“Do you know the method?” Ron asked, “everyone I know, who has been to Hogwarts, refuses to tell me.”

“Neither do I, it is supposed to be a rite of passage.” Theo commented.

“Rite of passage my ass, they just want us to suffer and die of curiosity,” Ron murmured, as he slouched against the wall.

After a while, the train started moving.

Harry gazed outside. He’s going to learn magic, in a magic school, and become a proper wizard. 

He couldn't wait.

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i image the necklace like this