Family

The month is up sooner than Gellert would like. Both he and Newt are showing a bit more, Newt less so than Gellert himself due to height differences. Thank Merlin that Zal and Nik got Newt’s height. The idea of his sons going around helping animals with his height was terrifying. Sara also won the genetic pool, being well built like Percy meant that she would be an excellent beater. 

Gellert forgot how much he hates crowds as he makes his way through the train station. The boats to Durmstrang were never this crowded, parents dropped off their children and left. But he has to admit the love he sees on parent’s daces is appealing. 

“Castor!” Zal shouts when they spy the blonde boy hiding near a pillar. Something about the boy makes him glad that his son met him. He remembers when he met Albus, his first true friend. The boy smiles softly and waves a hand before making his way over with a soft smile. Gellert friend when he sees a scar on the boy's neck but knows better than to bring it up. 

"Hi guys!" Kylene says and she comes over already dressed in her robes. She must have already changed on the train.

"Hey Ky, should we get on the train?" Zal asks.

"Not yet! I want everyone to sit on their luggage. Sara hold Oli for me. Castor you and Ky too. I want a picture!" Newt says pulling out the camera. Thank Merlin he'd been able to make a smaller, more compact one or Gellert is certain they'd be here all day.

"Mum!" Nik says turning red.

"It's fine...I...could...do you think could...uh…" Castor says and Gellert decides something immediately.

"Castor, do you have plans for Christmas?" He says.

"No sir…"

"Gellert is fine. Good then you will be coming home with these troublemakers. You seem like you'd be good at keeping them in line. Kylene you are welcome as well," Gellert says his mates can pry this invitation from his cold pale hands.

"I...I…"

"Just… think about it. You don't have to come but we'd love to have you," Gellert says, his mind is completely made up. Where even are the boy's parents? Or siblings? Or anything? A guardian or a servant. What parent lets their child go through this sort of thing alone? Even Durmstrang parents at least dropped the child at the docks.

"Uh...yes of course," Castor says and Zal slings an easy arm over the boy and smiles big as Newt readies the camera.

"Big smiles...wait hold on Fireball, ghost, and Olliander get up as well," he says and the kittens mew and hop up onto the luggage. Fireball nuzzles Zal's leg before jumping up and climbing to settle on Castor's head. Making the boy look like he's wearing an interesting orange hat. Ghost settles in Sara's lap and Olliander pokes his head out of Nik's shirt and mews as the picture is taken. 

“Perfect. We’re going to do that every year for the record,” Newt says making the kids groan. Except for Castor who seems to be smiling a little bit at the idea.

The train whistle signals that it's time for the children to board and they wave as they climb onto the train.

Newt is grinning. Sure he's going to miss them and he hoped they'll be safe but he also remembers that some of his best memories were at Hogwarts.

"They're too young. Much too young," Gellert murmurs wringing his hands. His children are going so far away he won't see them till Christmas!

"Gellert, shh it's okay. They'll be okay. Remember... Dumbledore is still a professor there. He'll be there to watch out for them and we'll write them every day and with the number of visions you've forced yourself to have you would know if something bad were going to happen," Newt says and gently kisses him on the head.

"At least at Durmstrang we could visit," Gellert mumbles.

"Ah yes but you know Sara would have been miserable. No Quidditch. Could you imagine the tantrum?" Newt asks and Gellert snorts.

"No need. Why do you think I stopped pushing. I had a vision of it," Geller says.

"Ma!!!!" Oli whines and Gellert smiles and props his son on his hip.

"At least we still have this one. Maybe he'll enjoy Durmstrang," Gellert says and his eyes go unfocused.

"Erm...no...it seems another Hog," Gellert says earning a pinch to the rear from Albus with a fond chuckle.

"Cheeky thing," Albus murmurs.

"Let's get home. I believe we owe the future additions a little attention," Percival says laying a hand on Gellert's bump.

"Ah yes. Quite. We have been neglecting the omegas," Albus says.

"Oh no you don't. You are not going to the welcome feast smelling of sex and embarrassing our children," Newt says elbowing Albus away.

"Cruel creature," Albus says as they head home.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"There should be an empty compartment up ahead," Zal says and sure enough the next one they come to is empty and they as they try to settle in Castor almost tripping but Zal catches him by the arm before he can fall.

"Thanks," Castor says with a smile and they take their seats.

"So Cas...what house do you want?" Ky asks and they watch th blonde bite his lip.

"I don't quite know. I just know that I don't want to be in Slytherin," Castor says hands clenched at his sides.

"Mum says that the house you're put in doesn't matter. Everyone has a bit of everything in them. Look at him. Arguably the most Hufflepuff-like of Hufflepuffs and the most famous. But examine him closely. He walks up to dangerous creatures, poisonous ones, and ones that could feel threatened and bit him at any moment. Yet he doesn't back down. He keeps going after them. That's Gryffindor. He uses a swooping evil hidden in his sleeave during fights to throw off his opponents. He also set out to write a book that would hopefully change the way Magical beasts are treated. Cunning and ambition. Slytherin. He has used extension charms in ways that no one could ever imagine. Has built a whole world into his basement and in his case. Has studied each creature intensively so that his book might be as accurate as possible. Ravenclaw. He shows unwavering loyalty to those he holds close, to his house, to his creatures and to his ideals. Hufflepuff. I could do similar breakdowns for all of my parents and then my aunt and uncle. Any person who fits their house completely and none other is a person who is lacking substance," Zal says and Cas blushes.

"That makes me feel a bit better. But I still don't want Slytherin. My whole family has been in that house and they haven't been my family for a while now..."

"Well then welcome to our family. You're one us now," Nik says tone brokering no argument and Cas looks down and nods.

"GET BACK HERE YOU BLINKERED THING!" They jump when the hear someone shout and then a boy with dirty blonde hair, brown eyes and a manic look bursts into their compartment with his hands wrapped around his wand which seems to have dragged him their.

When their eyes all lock the wand drops down and the boy flushes bright red.

"Sorryforbotheringyouilljustbegoing!" He says quickly and it's thanks to years of practice with his mom doing it that Zal is able to tell what he said.

"Wait, no need to run off. Please join us," Zal says and the boy stops and turns around

"I'm Zalán, this is my brother Dominick and my sister Saoirse. Though please call us Zal, Sara, and Nik. These are Kylene and Castor," Zal says softly and they all wait for the boy to sit.

"I'm... Wilhelm... I'm sorry this is all new to me. My parents aren't...I didn't...umm...you know?" Wilhelm says.

"Wait does that mean you've never had Bertie Botts every flavor bean?" Sara says.

"Um...no?"

"That is a crime. Zal which treats should I buy?" She asks and Zal sighs.

"It doesn't work like that," Zal mumbles.

"Wow... so you really are a seer. I wasn't sure," Castor says and Zal smiles at him and nods.

"Fine. Wil, prepare to be amazed!" She says and runs after the trolley.

"I hope she brings pumpkin pasties," Zal hears Castor say softly.

"She better. She knows those are my favorite," Zal says.

"Our feast has arrived!" Sara says and drops the treats in the single empty seat.

Castor tentatively reaches for one of the pumpkin pasties and Zal grabs one as well while the others divide up the beans attempting to eliminate the foul ones.

"I wanted to say thank you for approaching me in that store. I've always had trouble talking to people," Castor says.

"I'm glad too. I hope we get put in the same house. But even if we don't, we'll still be friends," Zal assures him.

"I've been meaning to ask. What's it like having Professor Dumbledore as a dad? My sister tells me he is one of the most compassionate teachers there," Ky says.

"He's our papa. He's always kind to our mum and dad. He does on us all the time. Especially with lemon candies. Mum has had to scold him a couple of times when he's given us too many. But he also comes up with the most creative punishments when we step too far out of line. Nothing dangerous but it's not your normal grounding," Nik says.

"He's taught us a bit of magic. Mostly just the wand technique but it's a leg up I suppose," Sara says.

"He's also attempted to teach us to block out spells to read minds. But Nik is rubbish at it and my mind is naturally protected because of my seer abilities. Sara doesn't seem to have a proficiency in it but she shows an ability to learn."

"That's so cool. I wish I had something cool about me. But... I'm just me. Nothing special," Castor says.

"I don't know about that. I find you interesting...I mean I uh...oh dear it seems it's time to get off," Zal says standing and grabbing his treats and smuggling them into his robe pockets.

The boat ride is as exciting as their mum told them it would be. If he looks close enough into the water he can see the shadow of the squid under the murky water.

Zal is helping Castor out of the boat when the vision hits. It's of a curly haired boy with a face in a permanent sneer shoving Castor into the lake.

Zal blinks away the vision and when he sees the boy he shoved Castor away and manages to discreetly trip the boy so he falls into the water.

The caretaker helps him out of the water and the boy glares at him. It looks like he's going to sock him but he looks at something over Zal's shoulder and his demeanor shifts and he starts shivering.

"What is going on here?" A familiar voice asks and Zal turns to look up at his papa.

"He tripped me and made me fall into the water!" The boy says and Zal fights the urge to roll his eyes.

"I did not. He was going to stumble into Cas so I pushed Cas out of the way and he fell into the water!" Zal says and his papa looks at the caretaker.

"I did see the freckled blonde push the pale one out of the way and the curly haired one would have knocked him into the water, Professor Dumbledore," he says and Zal gulps.

"A harmless accident it seems. Make sure nothing like that happens again," he says.

"Yes sir," they say and the class makes it's way inside listening to the speech about the history and the feast and all that.

Zal feels a tug on his sleeve and he turns to look at the curly haired boy.

"You're going to pay for that," he says.

"We'll see," Zal says. He's not afraid. He's got a secret weapon after all.

"We will now begin the sorting. One by one I will call your names and you will come up on stage and the hat will be placed upon your head. Addison Abernathy!"

The girl goes up and gets her house and the Hufflepuffs cheer for her.

"Kyelene Bretrox." Zal watches his friend climb the stairs and sit under the hat.

"Hmmmm...Brave...very protective of her friends. But no...that is not who you are. No I see stories. Whole worlds in your head...yes...yes... RAVENCLAW!" the hat bellows and Zal hoots for her.

A few more people get called up and then, "Calhan Hall!" The curly haired boy goes up.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Wilhelm Heirm!"

Zal watches him go up on stage and sit under the hat.

"Ambition and intelligence. A cunning mind that sees angles only imagined. But...hmmmm...you would be great there but other aspects of yourself would make your time there difficult," the hat says and Wilhem's face fills with determination.

"Hmmm you don't care? Truly interesting...hmmm but no. You belong in... GRYFFINDOR!"

"Way to go Wil!" Sara shouts and names continue to be called. They're in the Ls when Zal notices Castor casting anxious looks at him.

"Cas, are you okay?" Zal asks.

"No...please don't hate me!" Castor pleads and Zal blinks.

"What?"

"My family is... infamous in some circles. Just...don't hate me when you hear my name!"

"Zal my last name has Grindelwald in it. You're safe. No name will make me hate you," Zal says.

"Castor Malfoy!"