Chapter 68
Chapter : Return to Hogwarts
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Alex's POV
January 2nd had come around faster than I expected, and soon enough, we were back at King's Cross Station, standing by the scarlet train that would carry us back to Hogwarts. The holidays had been a whirlwind of new experiences, innovations, and unexpected events—especially with the Marauders Inc. launch and my… adjustments to the Stark timeline. But now, it was time to return to school. And as I boarded the Hogwarts Express, my mind was already preoccupied with the task that had haunted me since my arrival in this world: the Horcruxes.
It wasn’t just about Voldemort, though he was the immediate threat. The bigger issue was dealing with the Horcruxes without revealing too much. I couldn’t just blurt out that I knew about the existence of these dark objects or how they tied into future events. If I did, questions would arise that I wasn’t ready to answer. I had to handle this carefully.
Still, there were opportunities. The Room of Requirement, for one, was practically begging to be used for storing one of the Horcruxes, though Tom Riddle’s diary would come into play soon enough with Ginny. But before that, I’d have to find ways to track down the other Horcruxes and destroy them without arousing suspicion.
As I mulled over strategies, I noticed some students already using the magic mirrors I had helped Sirius launch. It felt surreal, seeing them in action, as if we had successfully changed a small part of the wizarding world. The mirrors were making waves, and it seemed like every other compartment had a student showing off their shiny new magical gadget.
When I finally reached our compartment, Oliver West was already there, lounging on the seat, feet propped up against the window.
“Back to the grind, eh?” Oliver smirked, looking up from his book.
I shrugged. “Something like that. At least we’re armed with magical mirrors now. Makes things a bit easier, don’t you think?”
Oliver laughed, closing his book. “I’m still trying to figure out how you managed to help Sirius create that. A projector for memories? That’s next-level magic, Alex.”
Before I could respond, the door slid open, and I saw the Weasley twins sneaking in. I could tell by the glint in their eyes that they were up to something, and it wasn’t long before I felt a surge of mischief aimed directly at me.
They were about to pull one of their infamous pranks.
In one swift motion, I raised my wand discreetly and flicked it toward them. An invisible charm surged from my wand, causing their prank—likely a set of dungbombs or something equally disastrous—to backfire before they even realized what happened. The items in their pockets began to glow ominously, and the twins, realizing something was wrong, looked at each other in horror.
“Fred, what’s—"
“George, I think we’ve—"
“Had a little malfunction.”
I smirked. “Nice try, but maybe save your pranks for someone less prepared.”
Fred and George exchanged glances before breaking into grins.
“Impressive, McKinnon,” Fred said.
“Very impressive,” George echoed. “But you haven’t seen the last of us!”
As they left, still grinning despite their failed prank, I turned back to Oliver, who raised an eyebrow. “That could have gone worse,” I said, trying to sound casual.
“It’s impressive, though, how you can handle the twins without breaking a sweat,” Oliver commented. “They’re usually a nightmare for everyone else.”
“Years of practice,” I replied with a smirk.
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Harry's POV
The Hogwarts Express was a bit quieter than usual, at least in our compartment, though there was still a lot of chatter about the Ministry Yule Ball and the holidays. As we sped back toward school, I found myself thinking about how different this past break had been. Being with Sirius, Alex, and their friends had made me feel like I finally had a real family—a feeling I wasn’t used to.
I was sitting with Hermione, Ron, Neville, Susan, Hannah, Justin, Anthony, Daphne, and Tracey, all of us catching up after the holiday break. Conversation naturally drifted to the ball, and I couldn’t help but smile a bit at the memory of the dancing, the formal clothes, and meeting everyone’s parents.
“I still can’t believe you danced, Harry,” Daphne teased, smirking from her seat across from me. “And with me, no less.”
“Well,” I said, trying not to blush, “I didn’t really have a choice, did I?”
“It wasn’t so bad,” Tracey added, laughing. “You looked terrified at first, but then you got the hang of it.”
“You should’ve seen my parents,” Neville chimed in, a small smile on his face. “Gran actually complimented my posture during the dance.”
Susan and Hannah giggled, and I was glad the conversation stayed lighthearted. But soon enough, we drifted to talking about the upcoming semester and what we were dreading the most.
“Do you think we’ll get a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?” Hermione asked, frowning. “Professor Quirrell wasn’t exactly… effective last term.”
“I doubt it’ll be much of an improvement,” said Ron, rolling his eyes. “With our luck, we’ll end up with someone worse.”
“I just hope we don’t have another run-in with Malfoy and his gang,” I muttered. “He’s been unbearable ever since the ball.”
“Hasn’t he always been?” Neville asked, shaking his head. “He’s always trying to prove he’s better than everyone else.”
I couldn’t help but agree. Malfoy had been particularly snide lately, and I had no doubt he’d be even worse this term. But with Alex around, maybe dealing with him would be a bit easier. Alex’s inventions—the mirrors and pensieve projector—had become the talk of the school, and even Malfoy had grudgingly admitted they were impressive. Not that it stopped him from being a prat.
As we talked about our holidays, I glanced out the window at the passing countryside, a sense of anticipation building inside me. This semester was going to be different. We had grown closer as a group, and with the new developments happening around us—whether it was in the political world or the classroom—I knew things were about to change.
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Alex's POV (Continued)
The rest of the train ride was relatively uneventful, though the buzz of excitement about the new term was palpable. As we pulled into Hogsmeade Station, I stepped off the train and greeted familiar faces—some from my own house, Ravenclaw, and others from different houses.
I noticed a few students were already using the magic mirrors, and they waved them around like the latest trend. It was surreal seeing how quickly they had caught on.
Before I knew it, Fred and George were back, this time without their pranking supplies. They sauntered over, grins still firmly in place.
“So, Alex,” Fred started.
“What’s it like being a master inventor?” George finished.
I laughed, shaking my head. “Master inventor, huh? I’m just getting started.”
“Well, you’ve made quite the impression,” Fred continued, crossing his arms. “That pensieve projector is brilliant. We might have to borrow some of your genius for our own future projects.”
“Yeah, we’ve got a few ideas up our sleeves,” George added.
I raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly would those ideas be?”
“Oh, you’ll see, McKinnon,” they said in unison, before heading off to continue their pranking schemes.
As the train pulled away from the station and we made our way toward the carriages, my thoughts returned to my original task: dealing with the Horcruxes. The semester ahead would be full of challenges, but for now, I had to navigate Hogwarts life while keeping my secrets—and my future knowledge—safe.
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The train ride back to Hogwarts felt like the start of something new. Whether it was confronting Malfoy, studying under a new DADA professor, or tackling the mysteries that loomed over us, one thing was certain—this semester would test us all in ways we couldn’t yet imagine.