Departure
Until The End
Chapter 3: Platform 9¾
"Being alone is a power that very few can handle..."
Albus Dumbledore’s P.O.V:
Darkness had begun to take over the magnificent hues left by the sunset. Albus held his coat in one arm as he turned around the corner and followed the meticulously lined-up oakwood trees, sporadically taking out his pocket watch to check the time.
A familiar sense of enigmatic dread gripped his soul when his eyes scanned over the large board that read ‘Wool’s Orphanage’.
The very same orphanage where he met the young, troubled, and inscrutable Tom Riddle himself. Did Albus know at the time that Tom would go on to become the most feared wizard of all time? Of course not! Back then, Albus found the secluded boy very reticent and there was somewhat a dark aura that surrounded him, but Albus had been led to believe that it was the harsh, isolated years residing at the orphanage that had conjured this unique aura that they brilliant boy had acquired.
As Albus traversed through the black, steel gates and made his way to the main building of the orphanage, he couldn’t help but wonder how the boy he was about to meet would be like.
But there was something that itched incessantly at the back of Albus’ mind. When Minerva had reviewed the Book of Admittance, she had summoned Albus and to both of their disturbance and astonishment, a boy’s name ‘Xavier Desmond’ was written in the book. How could it be? Was this boy possibly related to the Desmond family? From what Albus recalled, Daliah had found three bodies at the remote Desmond Manor. Caesar’s, Athena’s, and their baby boy… If this was the child of Caesar and Athena, then it changes a lot of things about their inexplicable death…
Though the letter was sent to the boy a while back, Albus felt the need to take a visit himself and to help make sure the boy understood his inherent magical abilities, especially since a worker of the orphanage who was a long-time friend of Albus had confirmed sighting the boy produce magical capabilities. Along with this, Albus would be able to ascertain the controversy over this child bearing the last name of a prominent pure-blood family that was all wiped out. One thing was for sure; Albus dearly prayed to Merlin that this boy he was about to encounter would be nothing like that of Tom Riddle.
Albus’ eyes fell on a woman awaiting his arrival by the doorway of the main building and he smiled cheerfully when he recognised who it was.
“Ah, Maria! How are you, my dear girl?” Albus greeted, allowing the younger woman to welcome him with a pleasant hug.
“I’ve been doing good! It’s been a while, Albus,” Maria replied with an amicable smile.
“Indeed, it has been, my friend,” Albus agreed, and Maria led him inside towards the couches by the reception.
“Most of the children are asleep right now, but I’m sure he isn’t,” Maria informed sharply and Albus’s brow furrowed instinctively.
“Please, tell me about this boy, Maria,” Albus requested as she poured him and herself a glass of fine wine. Tell me about this… Xavier Desmond…
“Xavier…” Maria started, but no words came out. “He is a very quiet and detached child, Albus. It’s seldom to see him around much at all besides when classes are being held, and I haven’t known him to be the interactive type with the other children.”
Albus nodded curtly as he felt slight uneasiness. This boy was already starting to remind him of a few qualities that Tom Riddle possessed. “When did you catch him doing magic, Maria?”
“Not catch him, Albus,” Maria corrected, taking a sip of her wine. “I only peeked through his door and had just enough time to see him igniting two pencils on fire and then he was able to make the fire disappear.”
“Magic fuelled by emotions,” Albus muttered to himself. “He had to have felt a strong way to ignite something and then to put it out without a single motion.” That’s very unusual… not many children can use their emotions in control… maybe he has done it before and was intrigued by the prospect…
“May I please see him?” Albus requested, taking one last sip of the wine and Maria nodded fervently.
Maria then proceeded to lead Albus up three flights of stairs, before reaching a door marked with the number ‘666’.
Maria knocked three times on the door and called out, “Xavier, it’s Mrs. Katz. May I please come in? You’ve got a visitor.”
No answer returned, and Maria opted to open the door. As it creaked open, Albus instantly felt a powerful wave of magic wash over him, something that perplexed him strongly. Albus hadn’t felt such pent-up magic in one room engulf him in a very long time. What was going on? Where did it come from?
Albus inspected the room and found it set up as the way Tom Riddle’s room was set up all those years ago. A wardrobe in a chocolate-brown finish was stationed to Albus’ left, and to the corner of the room was a single bed. A window allowed inhabitants of the room to get a view of the spacious yard outside and by the window, was a black desk. A dark-skinned child with neatly assorted dreadlocks and all-black clothing sat by the desk, gazing out the window, lost in deep thought.
“Xavier Desmond,” Maria spoke lightly. “This is Albus Dumbledore.”
The boy swivelled his head and Albus felt time slow down. No… no, it cannot be… He looks just like them… A boy who can perform magic who also has the shared features of his parents and bears his father’s last name… Impossible… He can’t be alive… Unless…
Albus masked his discombobulated countenance with ease and took a few seconds to study the young boy. Xavier had gaunt cheeks, had a slim build, and as he stood up, Albus also took note of his slightly tall height. How could this be?! They filed a baby’s body as dead along with Caesar and Athena’s… this can’t be their son… it makes no sense…
Albus realised that he was speechless by Maria’s elbow nudging, and Albus snapped out of his trance. Compose yourself, Albus. I’ll see how it goes when I chat with the boy…
“Good evening, Xavier,” Albus greeted kindly, and the boy stared back indifferently for a few more seconds before he nodded his head respectfully.
“Good evening, sir,” Xavier replied, his tone calm and quiet. Maria was right… he is quite an introverted child…
“Albus Dumbledore here would like to discuss some important things with you, Xavier,” Maria proclaimed gently, making her way out of the room. “I’ll leave you both to it.”
Once Maria shut the door behind them, Albus sat down on the bed with a comfortable sigh and gestured for Xavier to sit on the chair next to the desk. The dark-skinned boy obliged and waited for Albus to speak patiently.
“Do you have any idea why I might be here today, my boy?” Albus started, his lips delivering a cordial smile.
“You could be here to adopt me or for another reason,” Xavier answered after a moment.
Albus chuckled to himself. “You see, my boy, you are not like the other children here. There is something about you that deviates yourself from others and you know it. Do you think you know what it is?”
Xavier’s dark, emotionless eyes bored into Albus’ brilliant blue ones and the boy stared wordlessly for a couple of seconds. “There could be many things that segregate me from others, sir. I believe you know the answer, but I can not be too sure what to tell you in the case of sounding absurd.” Hmm… he likes to think before he speaks… a very beneficial tactic, no doubt passed on by Athena…
“I believe that you, Xavier, are in fact a wizard,” Albus stated sincerely, and the boy’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I only believed that I could perform bizarre things at random intervals,” Xavier responded, his mind no doubt racing with thoughts. “I had no idea that wizards existed.”
“There’s more to this world that you may perceive it as, my dear boy,” Albus countered, smiling nostalgically.
“How did you know that I’m a wizard, sir?” Xavier questioned after a moment, pronouncing the word as if it was foreign to him.
“How I know is not vital, my boy. What’s important is that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” Albus answered, his eyes twinkling at excitement for the fortunate prospect for the boy.
“A school of magic, sir?” Xavier quickly deduced, and Albus nodded firmly.
“Let me tell you a bit about the Magical World, Xavier,” Albus said, and Xavier listened intently. Albus began to give some history of the Magical and Muggle Worlds and how they collided with one another. Albus explained the sophisticated ways and lifestyles pursued by wizards and witches, and Xavier was engrossed, not once interrupting to ask a question.
“Sir… why did you tell me all of this without asking me to prove myself?” Xavier asked slowly, and Albus admired the thoughtful processes that the boy used.
“Because of this,” Albus responded, and without any effort, he summoned the letter written by Minerva. It came zooming out from a drawer in Xavier’s desk and the boy cocked an eyebrow. The letter was torn upon and Albus determined that the boy had read through the letter but had no true idea of what it could possibly mean.
“This was the letter that informed of your selection into Hogwarts and includes a list of items that one must purchase,” Albus clarified with a small smile. “It has your name and residence on the back, and thus, there is no mistake that you are selected for Hogwarts. I’m sure you must have felt very puzzled by this letter.”
Xavier’s eyes were fixated on the letter, and he was clearly immersed in his thoughts. Albus’ smile widened; the boy really was a spitting image of his parents. Oh, Caesar and Athena… why were you taken from us?
Albus then decided to obtain the boy’s attention and trust by focusing on a cup holding stationery and with ease, levitated the cup non-verbally. Xavier’s attention was instantaneously diverted towards the cup and if Albus wasn’t mistaken, he saw floored glints shimmer in the boy’s dark eyes. Without a word, Xavier emulated Albus’ action, but with a more concentrated look. He held out his hand and focused solely on the cup and slowly lifted it into the air before it fell back onto the desk, emptying the stationery. Incredible… the boy has already recognised his skills and has begun playing around with objects wandlessly…
Xavier must have noticed the old man’s stunned demeanour as he hastily asked, “Something wrong, sir?”
“No, no of course not, my boy,” Albus assured with an affable smile. “It’s rare for a child of your age and restrained knowledge to have performed some wandless magic. You must have practised quite a bit.”
“I noticed it a few years ago. I thought I was dreaming but it kept occurring perpetually and I began to gain some control over it to levitate small things when I wanted to,” Xavier apprised truthfully.
“It’s quite remarkable, my boy,” Albus complimented. “I’m sure you have a gift. Wandless magic is not touched upon until the senior years of Hogwarts and even then, it’s not explored thoroughly.”
The placid boy made no notice of Albus’ praise, and instead adorned a distant look when his eyes scanned the letter once more. “What’s the matter, Xavier?”
“Sir, there’s a list of items I must buy for Hogwarts in this letter… I don’t have any money-”
Albus’s chuckle cut the boy off. “My dear boy, did you really believe that your parents left you nothing?”
Xavier’s ears perked up and his demeanour shifted as a look of intrigued surprise flitted across his face. “My parents, sir?”
“Yes, Xavier. Both of your parents were pure-bloods and attended Hogwarts concurrently,” Albus replied, smiling fondly as memories of Xavier’s departed parents filled his mind. “Your parents were both heroes to the Wizarding World, my boy. Both extraordinary students in their own circumstances, they had sheer talent and respect esteemed by others.”
“Please, sir, tell me more,” Xavier requested eagerly, and Albus smiled sadly. No child deserved growing up without their parents, not having any single idea of their fate. “How were they hailed as heroes?”
Albus sighed faintly; He had hoped to avoid this topic in case the boy would show signs of strenuous hatred or an outburst of fury. But Albus found the boy to be a calm and collected individual. He deserved the right to know some things about his parents. As Albus knew that Xavier would most definitely attend Hogwarts, it would be idiotic of Albus not to give Xavier some context before students would bombard him with questions and things about his legendary parents. On top of that, Xavier was a very mature and eloquent boy, who most likely understood the severity of situations, and Albus placed his faith in the boy. He deserves to know some things…
“Well, Xavier, your father and mother both attended Hogwarts and were sorted in Gryffindor House. They both excelled at their studies immensely, and your father aspired to become an Auror and an individual who fought perpetrators who initiated criminal acts within the Magical World, while your mother opted to travel the world, picking up the many diverse traditions and methods used by the versatile groups of people across the globe,” Albus explained, his tone laced with pride. Xavier made no interjections and hung onto every word.
“Around that time, a dark wizard was growing and collecting a following exponentially. Even students your parents went to Hogwarts with joined the ranks of this morbid wizard. His name… was Lord Voldemort,” Albus spoke gravely, recollections of the Great War tattooed in his brain.
“Lord Voldemort?” Xavier repeated quietly. Albus nodded once.
“The Dark Lord, a title which referred to Lord Voldemort, built an army of devoted followers who were known as ‘Death-Eaters’. The Dark Lord brought a period of terror upon the Wizarding World and so began the Great War. Dark times had fallen upon us, my boy. Casualties and collateral damage meant nothing to Lord Voldemort. He brought pure destruction for power was his opiate and wiped out anyone who dared to oppose him,” Albus informed, his tone turning grimmer by the second. “Your parents joined a special, elite group that I formed to help bring Voldemort and the Death-Eaters down, and your father especially became an individual that the opposing side feared cautiously.”
“Now, at the same time unknowingly, another despicable person was slowly rising from the shadows. An eerie witch by the name Lady Dysnomia. She was gaining attraction for her infamous slaughters of those who didn’t join her ranks over in the United States of America. I can only imagine that it was a hard time for Magical America at the time. You see, your parents took the initiative to put an end to Lady Dysomnia’s actions. Your mother defeated her, and your father captured a large portion of the Dysomnia Soldiers, her faithful followers,” Albus chuckled at Xavier’s awe-struck look. “Needless to say, your parents’ names were elevated extensively and there were effectively dreaded even more by the Death-Eaters.”
Albus could see that the boy was speechless. Xavier’s eyes pierced through Albus’ soul though his mind was somewhere else. Poor boy… if only you knew…
“I guess that means my parents are truly decedent if I’m here,” Xavier pointed out rather nonchalantly, and Albus patted his shoulder sympathetically.
“I’m so sorry, my dear boy. Your parent’s demise is still a true mystery to all of us, even to this day. Their bodies were discovered by a close friend of theirs. How you have been here all this time is quite beyond me,” Albus admitted ashamedly, shaking his head. It just made no sense whatsoever…
A silence fell between the old man and the young boy, and Albus waited patiently for Xavier to gather his thoughts.
“Sir,” Xavier suddenly spoke up.
“Yes, my boy?” Albus inquired.
“How was Lord Voldemort defeated?” Xavier queried curiously. Quite perceptive as well…
“Ah, that’s an intricate tale. One that I haven’t still fully understood yet,” Albus replied honestly, his brow furrowing slightly. “But Lord Voldemort fell to his demise… at the hands of a baby boy,” Albus started, and Xavier cocked an eyebrow. He’s definitely more in control of his emotions… I’m sure most people would react more dramatically.
“It may be a difficult thing to take in, my boy,” Albus agreed with a peculiar smile. “The boy’s name in question is Harry Potter. His parents, who were actually both close friends with yours, died protecting Harry from Voldemort,” Albus provided grievously. “Something malfunctioned in the Dark Lord’s method of killing Harry as he was vanquished because of it.” A very odd thing indeed…
Xavier nodded curtly before staring out his window. “How could one crave such power, sir? It accomplishes nothing when you have no one…”
Albus was thrown off guard by Xavier’s opinion. The old man then smiled joyously at the boy’s thinking and found himself agreeing with Xavier as a sense of relief flooded him. Xavier wasn’t like Tom. He too disagreed with the ruthlessness of a wizard such as Voldemort and clearly felt empathy deep down. This is a great revelation!
Albus pulled out his pocket watch and chuckled softly. Time really did fly for himself. “It was great meeting you, Xavier. I will come back in a few days to take you to buy your items for Hogwarts and when the time comes, Maria will send you to the right platform with given instructions written by myself to board the train to Hogwarts.”
“Maria?” Xavier questioned in a baffled tone. “Mrs. Katz is a witch?”
“Not quite, my boy,” Albus responded. “She is a Squib.”
“A person who has magical parents or ancestors but isn’t born with the innate ability of magic themselves,” Xavier recalled, and Albus nodded firmly.
“Indeed, my boy,” Albus replied fondly. “Well, Xavier, I must get going. I will see you in a couple of days.”
“Are you sure, sir? If you’re particularly busy, I can manage by myself,” Xavier reassured firmly.
“It will be my pleasure to assist you, my boy,” Albus promised with a paternal smile. “Please, have a good rest and take care of yourself.”
“You too, sir. Thank you very much,” Xavier respectfully bowed, and the old man chuckled warmly. The old man flashed the boy a departing smile before exiting the room and closing the door with a resolved sigh.
Xavier Desmond… Albus was almost certain now of who the boy truly was. He’s their son… I don’t know how he ended up here, but it’s a miracle…
Albus re-joined Maria and they made themselves comfortable as she poured Albus another glass and handed it to him as he pondered over his encounter silently, still reeling from his shell-shock.
“Maria,” Albus began profoundly, and Maria listened raptly. “That’s him. Xavier Desmond, the son of Caesar and Athena Desmond.”
“So, it’s true…” Maria paled severely. “He really is the long, lost son of the two saviours…”
“Indeed,” Albus replied softly, and he then frowned slightly. “How is this possible? When their bodies were found, a baby boy’s body was amongst them. Caesar and Athena never spoke of bearing a child, but once their bodies were sent through to Athena’s closest relative’s home, the child was confirmed to be the son of Athena and Caesar.”
“It makes no sense,” Maria agreed, still in a mixture of shock and awe. “I just don’t understand…”
“The Desmond Manor is unplottable, and the location is a secret from everyone,” Albus informed with a furrowed brow. “How can this child end up here? Do you know who admitted young Xavier into this place and how long ago he arrived here?”
“I believe it was the Matron who previously worked here,” Maria answered with a sophisticated look. “She had retired by the time I came to work here, Albus.”
“Ah, yes, her name was Mrs. Cole,” Albus reminded, remembering the vivid memory of Mrs. Cole directing him to Tom’s room. “It’s no matter, I will figure out this on my own, no matter the time or cost, Maria as I’m sure the boy will grow up with the same desire to learn about his late parents and their Manor.”
“If you’re sure,” Maria reluctantly obliged, and the two stood.
“Thank you for this excellent wine, Maria,” Albus spoke, smiling at her. “I hope to speak to you soon. If Xavier has done anything particularly strange, please contact me immediately.”
“Sure thing, Albus,” Maria replied with a resolute smile, guiding him to the door. “Goodbye.”
Xavier Desmond’s P.O.V:
“Sir, how will we travel to Diagon Alley?” Xavier questioned as he and Albus Dumbledore walked away from Wool’s Orphanage.
“Well, Xavier, I’m going to transport us to Diagon Alley with a method called Apparition,” the old man replied ebulliently, and Xavier’s brow furrowed.
“Apparition is a method of teleportation,” Xavier recalled quietly to himself, and he missed the old man’s fond smile.
“Indeed, Xavier, and I request you hold my hand. I’m going to Apparate us to Diagon Alley and forgive me if you feel nauseous. Apparating can give you that feeling the first few times you partake in it,” Dumbledore informed ruefully, and Xavier nodded tersely.
The second Xavier grabbed Dumbledore’s hand, he felt his whole world twist within itself, swirling unbelievably rapidly and he felt the sudden sensation evaporate as his feet touched the Earth, followed by a rushing wave of nausea.
“Feeling queasy, my boy?” Dumbledore asked soothingly as he rubbed circles on Xavier’s back.
“Only a bit, sir, but I’m sure I will be fine,” Xavier reassured calmly, though deep down he was astounded by the unique method of travel.
“Let us not waste any time,” Dumbledore declared, and Xavier nodded curtly.
The two then began walking for a bit, observing their surroundings mutely and they soon found themselves in a busy street of London. Xavier’s eyes darted fastidiously around with curiosity as he had rarely been to London, but Dumbledore made sure not to lose the boy within a hectic crowd.
Dumbledore led Xavier towards a grubby, miniature pub that had an abandoned, vacant impression to it. If the Headmaster of Hogwarts hadn’t pointed at it, Xavier wouldn’t have even glanced at it once.
“The Leaky Cauldron, my boy,” Dumbledore announced as they approached the door and entered in. “A quick way to access Diagon Alley.”
They were greeted by the sight of old men and women dressed in archaic, elegant clothing, smoking out of their pipes whilst chatting amongst one another or simply going over the newspapers. The pub had its signature aroma of smoke and alcoholic beverages. To Xavier’s surprise, the pub was much more spacious and immense inside and turned out to be an inn, unequivocally for witches and wizards.
One of the men, who Xavier presumed to be the bar owner and innkeeper, looked at Dumbledore and grinned widely, showing off his gold tooth.
“Albus, what a surprise!” the man greeted enthusiastically, which caused others to swivel their heads around and some even raised their glasses to Dumbledore with words of acknowledgment.
“Nice to see you, Tom,” Dumbledore greeted amicably. The innkeeper glanced at Xavier and shot him a pleasant wink.
“Who do we have here, Albus?” Tom queried cheerfully, and in the corner of Xavier’s vision, he could see the occupants of the pub watching him and Dumbledore with interest.
Dumbledore took a moment before replying with a proud smile, “This, my fellow friends, is Xavier Desmond, son of Caesar and Athena Desmond.”
What followed Dumbledore’s answer were gasps of utter shock and looks of pure disbelief. One fellow even guffawed boisterously and yelled in a drunk, cockney accent, “You’re chatting absolute rubbish, mate!”
“I assure you, I’m not,” Dumbledore confirmed firmly. Everyone took a moment, looking between Dumbledore and Xavier, no doubt evaluating if this was a practical joke, but they were quick to realise Dumbledore would never lie about such a bizarre matter.
The sound of chairs scraping the floor gave Xavier time to mask his bewildered demeanour as folks came rushing up to him, vigorously shaking his hand and muttering words of bliss.
“Mr. Desmond, it’s an absolute honour to know that Caesar and Athena had a child,” one witch with frizzy hair vocalised.
“Mr. Desmond, I’m Timothy Kimmel, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” one bloke introduced as he shook Xavier’s hand firmly with a congenial grin.
More people made their way to shake hands with the son of the celebrated Desmond couple, and Xavier could only return nods. One woman even burst into tears and kept repeating, “Bless your soul, boy, you will do great things!”
Dumbledore hadn’t been lying; Xavier’s late parents really were renowned in the Magical World and Xavier took the brunt of the rejoice given by the community. All this time…
After shaking hands with the Landlord, and Timothy Kimmel, who had kept coming back for more handshakes, Dumbledore decided to intervene with a hearty chuckle of the ordeal. Xavier was in a state of turmoil.
Dumbledore had specifically introduced Xavier to the group of people as a way of proving what he told the boy a few days ago to indicate the everlasting fame left imprinted on the Magical community by his parents.
“I would much appreciate it if you all kept your meeting with Xavier Desmond a secret as it will be quite the shock to everybody when they hear for themselves,” Dumbledore requested, and a consensus of nods followed his request. A random lady with a pipe yelled, “Hear, hear!”
“With that, Mr. Desmond and I must get going. Enjoy your day, ladies and gentlemen,” Dumbledore spoke politely, and everyone raised their glasses to Xavier. The boy nodded curtly and followed after the old man.
Dumbledore guided Xavier to a back room of the pub, and they faced a brick wall, sealing off where Dumbledore wanted to go. Dumbledore tapped the wall in a particular pattern with his wand and the wall began to open horizontally, letting in daylight from what Xavier presumed to be the streets of Diagon Alley. Xavier and Dumbledore stepped through the entrance and Xavier looked around, smiling for the first time he had in a very prolonged time. This is… this is incredible…
“Welcome to Diagon Alley, my boy,” Dumbledore smiled sentimentally. Together they strode down the bustling street, and Xavier gazed upon the adjacent stores, memorising their names.
On one side, Xavier observed a shop that was called ‘Quality Quidditch Supplies’, and at the window, a group of young kids all hushed over what Xavier presumed to be a racing broom.
On his other side, there was a shop named ‘Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions,’ and Xavier could see exceptional, superlative robes on display by the window as women took their children inside. Xavier missed those who passed by him and Dumbledore outright gawking incredulously at the famous Headmaster of Hogwarts.
After a firm inspection of the place, Xavier inquired, “Where will we head first, sir?”
“Gringotts, my boy,” Dumbledore answered, and Xavier’s brow furrowed.
“The Wizarding Bank?” Xavier recalled.
“Exactly. We must collect some money first,” Dumbledore informed.
Gringotts was a tall-structured white building held from strenuous pillars and an elongated staircase led visitors to the front doors.
The doors opened automatically, and Xavier schooled his incomprehension; Miniature people dressed in stylish three-piece suits and spectacles all had their heads down in their paperwork behind counters. What… are these?
“Goblins, my dear boy,” Dumbledore stated, reading Xavier’s mind. “Highly clever and cunning creatures, they run the Wizarding banks.”
Xavier nodded in understanding. It was perturbing, to say the least, as he was to enter a world of different creatures, unknown to many around the globe.
A goblin looked up with an indifferent countenance and asked, “What may I help you with?”
“I would like to gain access to Vault eight hundred and sixty-nine,” Dumbledore requested courteously, and he placed a large key onto the goblin’s station.
The goblin inspected the key thoroughly with his black, beady eyes before glancing at Xavier piercingly. “Very well, follow me.”
The goblin and the two wizards proceeded to be encapsulated in an elevator. They stepped in and without another notion, the elevator took off, travelling down underground. Once it reached the essential destination, the door opened and the goblin waddled forward, hopping onto a cart attached to a railway. Dumbledore placed a hand on Xavier’s back and the two joined the goblin. Without a word, the cart took off hastily, and Xavier’s eyes searched over the huge underground cavern-like area that he was currently inside.
Xavier had lost track of time once the cart had stopped abruptly, and the goblin, along with Dumbledore and Xavier, exited the cart and walked onto a platform.
“Stand back,” the goblin ordered as he took the key Dumbledore had given him and inserted it into a keyhole engraved into a huge, circular door of Vault 869.
The vault opened with a satisfying pop and a mixture of dust and smoke filled the area as a golden light filled Xavier’s eyes. He squinted to earn a closer look from where the golden beam was originating from. Needless to say, his parents had inherited more than a fortune within their vault. Galleons on top of Galleons, Sickles upon Sickles, and Knuts upon Knuts were piled on top of each other, some rolling off the top of the mounds.
“This… this belonged to my parents?” Xavier asked distantly, and Dumbledore squeezed his shoulder gently.
“And now, it’s all yours, my dear boy,” Dumbledore replied in a comforting tone. Dumbledore pulled out a pouch from his robes and handed it to Xavier. “Fill the pouch with as many Galleons, Sickles and Knuts you believe you can fit, and we’ll go out to purchase the requisite items for your first year of Hogwarts.”
Xavier took the pouch with a grateful sentiment and started to fill it with all the coins he could fit. After he decided to stop, he retreated from his parent’s earnings and exited the vault with Dumbledore and the goblin. Xavier took one last peek into his parent’s vault as the goblin shut it and locked it securely. A sudden feeling engulfed Xavier. He couldn’t explain it. It was like he had been reborn into a new life and a new journey had begun for him. And Xavier knew that there was elation deep down in his detached soul.
“This key belongs to you now. Keep it safe,” the goblin advised as he handed the key to Xavier. Xavier clenched the key tightly in his hands and nodded firmly. Thank you, mother, and father… I promise to use this fortune well…
“Let us go buy your things now, Xavier,” Dumbledore suggested, guiding Xavier back to the cart.
Xavier wandered into Ollivander’s with an inquisitive feeling hidden under a brusque appearance. A doorbell tinkled, notifying the shop owner of Xavier’s presence, but no one tended to Xavier’s matter. He looked around and found small cases stacked upon each other, caked in dust, even reaching the soaring ceiling at some points. I wonder what wand I will receive…
Suddenly, a man with messy grey hair and some stubble on his face appeared behind the counter, wiping his glasses with a dirty cloth. He placed his glasses back on and narrowed his eyes at Xavier. He must be Mr. Ollivander…
“Hello, sir,” Xavier greeted respectfully. “I’m here to purchase a wand.”
“Oh, but of course,” Mr. Ollivander spoke softly. “Forgive me, dear child, you remind me of a brilliant boy I sold a wand to not so long ago.”
“Would this boy happen to be Caesarius Desmond?” Xavier asked, keeping his facial expression neutral. Mr. Ollivander didn’t respond straight away. Instead, he leaned over the counter to take a closer look at Xavier and gasped softly.
“It can’t be…” Mr. Ollivander murmured softly.
“My name is Xavier Desmond. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Xavier greeted in a deferential manner, and the man’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
“I hadn’t heard of Caesar and his wonderful wife, Athena, baring a child,” Mr. Ollivander admitted slowly, and Xavier listened raptly. “I see that you aren’t lying either. This is… quite the shock, my boy.”
“I understand, sir. I hadn’t any clue of the Magical World until Albus Dumbledore visited me and exposed me to my true identity,” Xavier explained impassively. “One day, I will figure out the hidden part of my story.” That’s a promise…
Mr. Ollivander scrutinized the boy for a few moments before smiling softly. “I expect that you will go on to achieve great things like your father and your mother.”
“I aspire to,” Xavier agreed as Mr. Ollivander strolled around the counter, pulling a tape measure with silver markings out from his pocket.
“Which is your wand arm?” Mr. Ollivander inquired.
“I believe I’m a right-handed individual, sir,” Xavier provided, and Mr. Ollivander proceeded to take his measurements from shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, waist to floor, knee to armpit, and around his head. As the measuring tape continued by itself, Mr. Ollivander began his pursuit for the proper wand rightfully fitted for Xavier. Xavier could tell that the man was quite stumped and was persistent on finding the exact wand as it took over ten minutes until Mr. Ollivander finally retrieved a small case and extracted the wand. Mr. Ollivander studied it, and if Xavier wasn’t mistaken, he saw a frown grace Mr. Ollivander’s lips.
“A fourteen-inch, pinewood wand containing a thestral hair,” Mr. Ollivander stated, his expression enthralled. “Go on, try it.”
Xavier took the wand and instantaneously felt a strong warmth rush over him. The wand felt a bit foreign but firm to him and Xavier gave a wave of it. Sparks flew out of the wand and coloured the store like fireworks. It feels right…
“How curious indeed…” Mr. Ollivander muttered with an intrigued look.
“How so, sir?” Xavier asked, examining his wand.
“Mr. Desmond, I have designed wands with three main wand cores that I have procured; dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and the phoenix tail feather. This wand, however, contains a thestral hair as it was one my father experimented with back in the day. Some even might presume thestral hair to be the most powerful core of all time. This wand is made of pine wood, meaning that it matches a wizard or witch perceived as mysterious and intriguing. Pine also adapts unprotestingly to new methods and spells,” Mr. Ollivander informed, and Xavier held onto those words. “You will accomplish marvellous or horrendous things with this wand, Mr. Desmond. Your actions will dictate your deeds and sins.”
Xavier gazed at his wand before looking up at Mr. Ollivander and they were interrupted by the doorbell as a red-haired boy entered the store.
Ron Weasley’s P.O.V:
Ron shut the door behind him and plopped himself onto his bed as a recollection of the day raced through his mind.
For one, he had finally gotten his long-anticipated robes, textbooks, and even a wand as his father had luckily scraped enough money to buy one. However, one encounter in Ollivander’s store left Ron reeling from shock. It was a conundrum that he simply couldn’t solve.
Flashback:
“Mum, Dad, is it alright if I go get the wand alone?” Ron requested eagerly; the wand was what Ron had been waiting all day for and was now the last required item necessary for his voyage to Hogwarts and as a wizard.
“Our ickle Ronniekins,” Fred started with a sniffle.
“He’s all grown up,” George piped in with a proud look, feigning tears.
“He’s a big boy now… he goes where he pleases,” they mocked simultaneously and then grinned at a scowling Ron. Bloody twins…
“Ignore them, Ron,” Percy recommended with a wink directed at Ron, and that made Ron smile. The two brothers had grown much closer to each other with the course of Percy’s given help to Ron over his in-advanced studying for Hogwarts.
Molly bit her lip at Ron’s request and looked over to Arthur to decide. Ron’s father took a moment before nodding.
“Oh alright, but came straight back here, Ronnie,” Molly ordered, and Ron nodded vigorously.
“Do you know where Ollivander’s is located, son?” Arthur questioned, and Ron nodded firmly. It’s all I can think about, dad!
“Alright then, Ron, go on. Don’t take too long, son,” Arthur consented, and Ron smiled widely before swiftly turning around and making his way through the jostling streets of Diagon Alley. His eyes instinctively glanced over to the Nimbus 2000 on sale. Wicked…
It wasn’t long before Ron stepped inside the grand, crammed store of Ollivander’s, and he came across an old man dressed in fancy robes, staring strangely at a dark-skinned boy around Ron’s height and age. It seemed as though the boy had just purchased his wand from Ollivander’s.
Ollivander’s eyes left the dark-skinned boy and landed on Ron. With one attentive look, the man said, “Another Weasley, eh?”
“Yes, sir,” Ron answered, his eyes darting between the numerous boxes encasing various wands.
“I still remember your brothers purchasing their wands from here,” Ollivander muttered with an evocative smirk. “Your first year of Hogwarts is coming up, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir,” Ron replied rather nervously.
“Excellent, this fine gentleman is in the same boat as yours,” Ollivander noted, and the two boys looked at one another. I should introduce myself, I guess…
“Hullo, I’m Ron Weasley,” Ron greeted, holding out a hand.
“My name’s Xavier Desmond,” Xavier responded curtly, and he shook Ron’s hand. For a split second, Ron shot the boy a friendly smile before it fell off. Desmond? Like the pure-blood Desmond family? No, they were all wiped out according to Bill… Have I gotten this all wrong?
Ron continued to stare at the boy and took the time to study him. Xavier had smooth, dark skin and he had neatly assorted dreadlocks. His cheeks were hollow and matched Ron’s build and height. The boy also came off as a bit inexpressive and kept a collected composure.
Ron then cleared his throat to snap out of his slight stupor and wanted to question Xavier about his lineage when everything suddenly went black and white. A vision!
Ron quickly examined the location of his vision and realised that he was in one of the bathrooms of Hogwarts. Ron only knew from past experiences of visiting his older brothers.
Painful grunts and groans came from a hidden corner and Ron approached the sounds with bated breath and trepidation. To his infuriation, a replica of himself, only a couple of years older, was slumped on the bathroom floor. Blood cascade down his nose and neck, and he was still struggling to fight back even though he was outnumbered three to one. Ron’s blood boiled at the sight of his older counterpart getting the pulp beaten out of him and immediately glared at the three boys who were scrapping his older self.
Two of the boys were fat and chubby and came off as lackeys for the other boy who stood in the middle of them. He was skinny and had platinum hair.
"Fucking cunts..." Ron's older counterpart croaked, spitting out blood onto the platinum-haired boy's shoes with a true look of contempt.
“This what you deserve, you filthy blood traitor!” the platinum-haired boy spat out, and Ron grit his teeth when his counterpart was kicked in the ribs. What the bloody hell are these idiots doing to me?!
All of a sudden, another person entered the bathrooms and they all spun around alarmingly, along with Ron who was spectating his vision. To his dear perplexity, an older version of Xavier Desmond entered the loo and stared at the three boys with a look of impassiveness, but Ron could see glints of cold fury in Xavier’s black pupils.
“How foolish of you all,” Xavier spoke, his tone sending chills down Ron’s back. “Bashing someone in a public bathroom with no regard that anyone could just walk in and report you three dumb cunts.”
“This has nothing to do with you, Desmond! Shove off!” the platinum-haired git tried to yell, but there was a clear tone of fear underlined in his yell. Are they… scared of Xavier?
“I assure you, it has everything to do with me,” Xavier snarled viciously, and the two fat boys made the mistake of charging at him for not listening to their leader’s commands.
Ron went slack-jawed as Xavier dodged one of their fists and grabbed it smoothly. With one firm twist, Xavier had one of the fat boys rolling around the floor, screaming in agony as he clutched his broken wrist. Xavier waved his hand, effectively silencing the boy’s painful sounds. WHAT THE HELL?!
Ron had no time to even react as Xavier wandlessly levitated the other fat boy with ease and he slammed the bulky kid into one of the walls. The chunky boy groaned in anguish before knocking himself out. Oh my God…
Xavier spat on the floor with no remorse and approached the platinum-haired twat. The skinny boy immediately backed up against a wall and desperately brandished his wand. Unfortunately for him, Xavier summoned the wand non-verbally and threw it aside. The platinum-haired boy snivelled under Xavier’s death glare and seemed to hold his breath as Xavier gazed at him with a look of pure loathing, their faces merely inches away. Even Ron could tell that the tension was at an all-time high and he gulped, almost scared for the platinum-haired prick. This makes no sense… why were these three cunts attacking me? Is Xavier protecting me?
“I’m going to let you go,” Xavier suddenly whispered, and both Ron and the platinum-haired cunt heard him. “But best believe, if I hear of this atrocious act again, you will wish that you were never born into this pathetic mistake of your life. Go.”
Ron watched as the platinum-haired boy nodded shakily with dilated pupils and slipped from Xavier, but it all went to shambles for him as Xavier wheeled around and sent some sort of curse Ron was unfamiliar with directly at Ron’s attacker. Ron had to cover his ears to drown out the screams emanating from the platinum-haired boy as his skin sizzled disturbingly. Ron felt slightly nauseous and quite frankly, this Xavier Desmond was starting to scare him tremendously.
A malevolent smirk graced Xavier’s lips and he silenced the boy’s cries for help. Xavier then turned to Ron’s older counterpart and bent down by his head.
“Xavier… mate,” Ron’s older-self rasped, just barely breathing and Xavier cradled his head in his arms, wiping away some blood.
“Everything is fine now, Ron… I’m going to take you to the Hospital Wing, mate,” Xavier promised in a gentle tone, and a speechless Ron watched as Xavier carried his older counterpart out of the bathroom, not before delivering a kick to the platinum-haired ponce’s head, and it knocked him out from his misery. What… what just happened?
Ron felt his present surroundings return to him and he quickly looked around, noticing that Xavier had already left the shop. Blimey… I just met Xavier Desmond and now I’ve just witnessed him coming to rescue me…
“You zoned out for quite a while there, Mr. Weasley,” Mr. Ollivander commented sternly, though his tone laced with slight concern.
“W-what? Oh, yeah, sorry about that, Mr. Ollivander. Must have been daydreaming…” Ron trailed off, blushing sheepishly. Mr. Ollivander overlooked this and began to take Ron’s measurements in precise quantities. Ron eagerly awaited for Mr. Ollivander to search for the accurate wand for Ron, and it took a few tries that ended in damages to different areas of the store before Mr. Ollivander finally settled on a wand high up in his stack. He extracted the slightly curved wand out from its box and handed it to Ron.
Ron wrapped his fist around the wand and to his awe, a tranquil sensation engulfed him, flowing freely around his soul and he instantly knew this wand what the right one, especially as Mr. Ollivander shared his sentiment. Ron gave it a quick wave and the wand vibrated in his hands before producing a cooling thrill on Ron and Mr. Ollivander. This is the one!
“Hmm, how fascinating,” Mr. Ollivander pondered, while Ron gave him an intrigued look. “Your wand is made from red oak, fourteen inches with slight flexibility, and contains a unicorn feather. Some have disregarded red oak to be infallible with the owner’s easily angered temperament. However, it is the perfect duelling wand, and you will find your time spent resourcefully in duelling as your wand will comply and yield great results.” That’s wicked! I’ve always wanted to duel as well!
“Mr. Weasley, your wand contains unicorn hair, meaning that it embodies purity and is by far the least prone to fluctuations and blockages. With this comes the challenge of producing spells associated with the dark arts as wands that contain unicorn hair may take quite some time for one to achieve said magic,” Mr. Ollivander provided, and Ron nodded fervently. “How strange… your wand’s core… well it’s only bipolar opposite was just sold to the person who was in the shop before yourself… I can only imagine what would occur if you two were to duel or to fight side by side…”
Ron stepped out of the shop, pondering over the ordeal that had just occurred as the sun glared down upon his face. Ron absent-mindedly made his way back to his family with his new, polished wand in hand. What Mr. Ollivander had told Ron left the red-haired heavily discombobulated.
“How strange… your wand’s core… well it’s only bipolar opposite was just sold to the person who was in the shop before yourself…” Mr. Ollivander’s words reverberated through Ron’s head. In the shop before me… that was Xavier… and his wand is some sort of bipolar opposite to mine? What does that even bloody mean?!
“There you are, Ronnie, I was beginning to worry,” Molly sighed with relief.
“Let’s see your wand,” Percy suggested, and Ron carefully handed it to his older brother. As Percy, Ginny, Fred, and George examined the wand in a discussion, Ron turned to his parents with a distant look.
“What’s wrong, son?” Arthur asked, placing a hand on Ron’s shoulder.
“Did you personally know the pure-blood Desmond family?” Ron questioned genuinely, and his parents were befuddled, to say the least. They exchanged a quick look.
“Not really, I had met Caesarius Desmond on a few accounts, however, your uncles, Fabian, and Gideon, knew them better than we did,” Arthur replied, and he shot his son a funny look. “Where is this coming from, son?”
“Did they… did they have a son?” Ron asked slowly, much to his parent’s bewilderment.
“Ron, what are you going on about?” his father queried, his tone laced with concern while his mother stared at Ron with confusion.
“Alright well, when I stepped inside at Ollivander’s, there was this boy around my age. I introduced myself to him and when he introduced himself to me, he told me his name was ‘Xavier Desmond’. How could that possibly be?” Ron recounted, his brow furrowed deeply.
“That could be anyone, love,” Molly countered, though she didn’t look so sure herself.
“Yes, but even Mr. Ollivander was looking at him oddly. Xavier… didn’t really have anyone accompanying him either…” Ron trailed off, feeling quite sympathetic if that was the case. Ron could never imagine what life would be like without his parents.
Ron’s parents looked at one another in silence. They were no doubt contemplating Ron’s story, but Ron decided to leave it for now. He could only be ascertained once he went to Hogwarts and maybe acquainted himself with this mysterious Xavier Desmond.
“You know what, never mind! I must have misheard his name or something,” Ron cleared up, and his parents just nodded in uncertainty. Ron then ran up to both of them and hugged them tightly.
“Thank you for today,” Ron muttered gratefully, and he heard his parents chuckle lovingly and they returned the gesture.
Ron, accompanied by his family, pushed his trolley through the Muggle train station, and they all halted in between platforms nine and ten. This is it…
Fred and George ran through the 9¾ barrier with their trolleys first and disappeared from sight.
As Ron gripped his trolley tightly, a rather malnourished, bespectacled boy with baggy clothes approached them with his trolley and observed them.
“Hello, dear,” Molly greeted kindly.
“Er, hello, ma’am. Um, I was wondering how to… er… get through the barrier,” the boy asked anxiously. It was clear that the boy had seen Fred and George run through the brick wall.
“Of course, love. It’s Ron’s first time too,” his mother pointed over to Ron and the boy with glasses and baggy clothing gave Ron a quick, timid smile. Ron smiled back reassuringly.
His mother then proceeded to explain to the boy how to get through to the 9¾ platform, and the boy took a deep breath before following her instructions and disappeared from view.
Ron then quickly followed through the barrier of platform 9¾ and he grinned in awe as a scarlet red steam train awaited the students of Hogwarts who were either talking, laughing, or saying their goodbyes to their families. Percy, Ginny, and their mum appeared right behind Ron.
“Excited, Ron?” Percy asked with a knowing smile. Ron just nodded vigorously. I can’t wait! I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time… and now, I’m more than prepared for it!
“Mum, why can’t I go now?” Ginny whined for the hundredth time today; she always got like this whenever her brothers went away. Their mother frowned lightly.
“Because, Ginevra, you are not old enough,” Molly reminded sternly. Ron looked at the sniffling Ginny and placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
“Don’t worry, Gin, you’ll be Hogwarts before you know it. And until then, I’ll write to you,” Ron reassured firmly.
Ginny smiled at her favourite brother and added in, “Every week?”
“Every week,” Ron promised with a strong nod.
“Every day?” Ginny asked sheepishly and the two youngest siblings laughed.
Ron and Ginny then came in for a tight hug and Ron patted her back softly, while tears leaked out of Ginny’s eyes. It’s all right, Gin, I’ll be safe…
“I’m going to miss you, Ronnie,” Ginny cried, and Ron just hugged her tighter.
“I’ll miss you too, Gin,” Ron whispered, feeling downtrodden for his sister. They were always the closest of siblings, so it would be quite distressing and fresh for Ron and Ginny to be away from each other.
Their mother, who had been staring at them fondly, looked at Percy and gave her son a hasty kiss on the forehead.
“Farewell mother, I must get to the Prefect carriage,” Percy stated as he inspected his badge for the thousandth time of the day.
“Alright, Percy. Study well and please eat for Merlin’s sakes,” Molly pleaded as she crushed his bones with her infamous hug.
As Percy departed, he winked at Ron and left for the Prefect carriage. Fred and George then came running over to Ron, Ginny, and their mother.
“Now, you two, if I get a single letter or complaint of you blowing up a toilet or turning a student into a bag of crumpets, I’ll pull you two straight out-” she was cut off by the chuckles of merriment by the twins.
“Don’t worry mum,” Fred started with a laid-back smile.
“We wouldn’t dare blow up a toilet or turn a student into a bag of crumpets,” George reassured coolly.
“But on second thoughts-”
“Those ideas you suggested-”
“Are perfect!” they both exclaimed in their unusual unison, and their mother scowled heavily, while Ron and Ginny snickered to themselves.
The Hogwarts Express suddenly began to move slowly as students boarded the carriages.
“That’s our cue,” Fred pointed out with a mischievous grin.
“This is goodbye, we’ll never see you lot ever again,” George joked, and Ginny burst into tears.
“Aww, Ginny,” Fred hugged her soothingly.
“Don’t cry, sis,” George added as he ruffled her hair.
“We’ll make sure to send you a toilet seat!” they grinned together, and Ginny half-laughed, and half-cried.
The twins then ran off laughing their heads off and Ron could see his mother tutting under her breath as she shook her head in their direction.
“I’ll get going now, mum,” Ron announced, garnering her attention.
“Oh, good luck Ronnie! Stay out of trouble and please write to me or your father!” Molly commanded worriedly, and Ron nodded. Ron winked at Ginny who gave her brother a quick kiss on the cheek, and Ron headed to one of the carriages with his trunk.
The train began to move faster, and Ron waved at his mother and Ginny, who were now mere figures in the distance. Ron sighed to himself and began to find an empty compartment, while Scabbers nuzzled up against Ron in his pocket.
Ron passed many compartments and to his rising frustration, they were already filled with other occupants.
Fortunately, Ron finally found a compartment, but to his shock, Xavier Desmond was sitting there in solitude, gazing out at the window. Ron grabbed this chance to befriend Xavier properly and to understand him better.
Ron opened the sliding door and Xavier turned and looked up at him.
“Hey, there. Most of the compartments are already full. May I sit here?” Ron asked civilly and the dark-skinned boy nodded once. Ron shot him an appreciative smile and slid the door behind him before placing his trunk onto the rack on top of the seats.
“Ronald Weasley, was it?” Xavier recalled curtly, and Ron nodded.
“Yep, but you can just call me Ron, mate,” Ron consented, and Xavier nodded.
Before the two could continue to say anything more, the door slid open again and the skinny boy with circular glasses and baggy clothing from before appeared in front of them.
“Do you guys mind if I sit with you? Everywhere else is full,” the boy questioned tensely. Xavier and Ron exchanged a look of agreement and nodded for the boy to invite himself in. The bespectacled boy muttered his appreciation and placed his trunk on top of the rack above his head before taking a seat next to Ron.
“Hey there, I’m Ron Weasley,” Ron greeted, electing to break the awkward silence between them.
“I’m Xavier Desmond,” Xavier introduced, and the other boy smiled at them.
“Hi, I’m Harry Potter,” the scrawny boy provided. Ron went slack-jawed for a second, while Xavier’s brow furrowed faintly.
Harry must have had these reactions before because he then lifted his fringe to prove his statement, and sure enough, a lightning bolt-shaped scar was clearly imprinted on his forehead. Merlin… he really is Harry Potter…
Just then, the door slid open for the fourth time and Ron groaned inwardly. Oh, come on, don’t ruin the moment…
A girl with bushy hair and slightly large front teeth appeared and she had her hands on her hips.
“Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost his…” She informed rather bossily, and the three boys shook their heads. The girl was about to leave when Xavier spoke up.
“Here, I can help. Accio Neville’s toad,” Xavier spoke as he held out his hand.
Ron, Harry, and the bushy-haired girl watched in astonishment as a toad came flying into Xavier’s hand and croaked. Merlin!! He just did wandless magic!
The bushy-haired girl trembled as Xavier passed the toad with a jaded look.
“I’m Hermione Granger…” Hermione introduced and then without warning, she ran off, leaving the boys bewildered. Ugh, girls…
“That was wicked, Xavier!” Ron praised and Xavier just shrugged.
“Yeah… that was so cool… Is everyone at your level? Oh, I’m going to be so bad at Hogwarts,” Harry mumbled miserably.
“Hey, don’t worry. I really didn’t know about magic until a few weeks ago. You’ll be fine,” Xavier reassured in a tone that really didn’t match his demeanour. Ron, nonetheless, concurred with Xavier.
“Yeah, Harry, Xavier is right. We will all learn at the same pace and Hogwarts is there to teach us magic. It’s not about competition. I’m sure you’ll be great,” Ron encouraged, and Harry’s face lit up at their comforting words.
“Thanks, guys,” Harry said gratefully, and Ron smiled back, while Xavier nodded curtly.
Harry Potter’s P.O.V:
Harry had never felt so jubilant and relaxed before.
There he was, on a train to a school of magic and chatting away with two people who had been possibly the first two boys that were his age who both treated him like a person. Maybe, just maybe, he could become their friends…
When the trolley lady came by, Harry had chosen to buy everything; he wanted to try it all and he wanted it to try it with Ron and Xavier.
Ron had done most of the talking throughout the ride as he had grown up into a wizarding family and had more experience, while Harry and Xavier had just assimilated into this new life. Even Xavier, who appeared to be more of a reserved individual, opened up a little bit, asking Ron questions and explaining muggle things to him in return.
As Ron was talking about incredible Quidditch wins over the centuries to Harry and Xavier, the door to their compartment opened and three boys allowed themselves in.
The middle boy had platinum hair, was thin, and had pale skin. He looked like he was the leader of the trio. The two other boys were both quite fat and chubby and came off as the middle one’s bodyguards, rather than mates.
“I thought the other students were bluffing… are you really Harry Potter?” the platinum-haired boy interrogated, and Harry nodded in response. Harry also weirdly picked up on Ron’s sudden look of vexation. What’s up with Ron?
“I’m Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. And these two are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle,” Draco introduced forthrightly, and he held out his arm. Ron let out an uncanny cough which garnered Draco’s attention and the boy sneered at Ron.
“Ah, red hair, freckles, and presumably can’t even afford one chocolate frog… You must be a Weasley,” Draco spat out and his two cronies guffawed like buffoons, while Ron went red with humiliation. Harry felt his blood boil; he really detested bullies with a passion. After all, his own cousin was his sole tormentor throughout the years living with the Dursley’s.
On top of that, Ron had been welcoming and caring to Harry, something that he wasn’t so accustomed to. So, if anyone were to insult Ron, it would be an insult to Harry too.
“How about you sod off, you arrogant tosser!” Harry warned, glaring at the platinum-haired boy. Malfoy was severely caught off guard but then schooled his stunned expression with a dissatisfied sneer.
“Be very careful, Potter. Your parents didn’t know what was right for them and they ended up badly in life-” Draco warned, but his sentence was abruptly ceased when Xavier got up and delivered a mean right hook to the boy’s jaw. Malfoy yelped loudly and fell back before his cronies caught him.
“Leave us, scum,” Xavier growled ferociously, his withdrawn demeanour completely forgotten. Malfoy rubbed his jaw with a sour look and glared at the three of them before he stormed off, his lackeys close on his tail.
“That was bloody brilliant! Did you see the look on Malfoy’s face?” Ron exclaimed gleefully, and his expression then turned sincere. “Harry… Xavier… you two really didn’t need to do that, you know.”
“He insulted you and referenced the death of Harry’s parents, Ron. As far as I’m concerned, it was well deserved,” Xavier reasoned, reverting to his calm and collected attitude instantaneously.
“And we are friends, right?” Harry added in with bated breath.
Ron replied earnestly, “Yeah, after what you two did for me just then, I definitely think we should be friends.”
They missed the look of pure exuberance that flitted across Harry’s face. Years of hopelessness, isolation, and persistent hatred given by the Dursley’s disappeared from the moment Harry realised that he had made his first ever friends.