A New Adventure Begins
The first of September came quickly, and Toriel was careful to have breakfast made by the time everyone was getting ready to leave.
Sans didn't seem happy about being up so early, helping get the kids ready to leave, but he didn't complain when Harry gave him a shaky smile.
Breakfast was quick, and then they were on their way to Platform 9 3/4.
"Are you going home now?" Asriel asked of his mom curiously, voice slightly anxious.
Toriel gave him a soft smile and hugged him. "I am, but I'll be there in a second if you need me, any of you." she promised.
Asriel gave a small smile in response once Toriel let him go, then looked at Sans. "What about you?"
Sans shrugged. "I'll be going back home, but I might be able to make my way there if it's necessary. Just don't expect random visits."
The kids smiled at this.
Harry looked at the train quietly for a moment before he sighed. "It's just another adventure..." he mumbled.
Frisk grinned at him. "That's right! It'll be fun, just watch!"
Harry gave them a small smile in response.
"Harry!"
The raven haired boy jumped slightly before looking over to see Blaise and a lady that had to be his mother approaching. He gave a smile and wave in greeting.
Toriel noticed and smiled faintly. "Who's this, dear?"
Harry hesitated before he spoke. "This is Blaise, Mum." he offered. "We met him in the Alley!"
Harry watched quietly as Toriel smiled and turned to address Blaise's mother, letting the children talk.
"Everything worked out?" Blaise asked softly, throwing a look to Chara and Sans.
Harry hesitated once more, looking to Sans in question.
Sans nodded in agreement. "everything's fine." he offered. Then his gaze went to Chara, who seemed slightly uncertain, and he continued speaking. "bygones are bygones."
Chara seemed to understand what he meant, because their face lit up and they launched themself at the Skeleton. "Thank you."
Harry smiled at the scene, even though Toriel had paused what she was saying to give a worried look to the scene.
"Affectionate family, then?" Ms. Zabini asked with a knowing look in her eyes.
Toriel smiled faintly as she answered. "We've been through a lot together,"
The train's whistle sounded as a last minute warning and Toriel immediately started ushering the kids to the train. "Feel free to write, okay? Any time you want, we'll answer as soon as we can."
Frisk laughed. "Then we better send Sans' mail to you, Mom!"
Sans gave a good natured grin at this and shooed the excited kid onto the train. He hesitated before shaking his head.
He waited with Toriel until the train had disappeared before they headed home.
The beginning of the ride was spent settling into an empty compartment, Blaise joining the siblings.
Asriel immediately settled with one of the books that he hadn't finished, curled in his seat beside the window on one side of the compartment, Harry sitting across from him.
"You seem worried," Blaise said after a moment of watching Harry.
Harry glanced over at Blaise before he gave a shrug. "I've heard bad things about this world." he pointed out. "It doesn't help that I'm likely to get separated from my siblings when we get Sorted."
Blaise gave an amused hum. "It won't be that bad," he pointed out. "Just ignore people who try to force a House feud onto you and stay close,"
Harry gave a wry smile at this, looking to the window.
Chara went to say something, but Frisk beat them to it. "It doesn't matter what happens when we get there, Harry." they said stubbornly. "Nobody's gonna try to use you or anything, or they'll be fighting with me."
The other three kids who knew Frisk looked over at them in surprise.
Asriel gave an amused smile. "You've spent too much time with Chara," he pointed out. "Aren't you supposed to be a pacifist?"
Frisk went to reply before they went bright red.
Harry smiled faintly at this and spoke. "You weren't the one who fought along side them," he commented. "They are a pacifist, up until someone they care for is threatened."
"I'm sorry, have you seen the state of your Soul?!" Frisk countered, giving Harry a look. "Protecting you wasn't an easy feat."
Blaise seemed lost, but let the siblings argue for a moment before he spoke up. "Who wants to explain to me...?"
Frisk stopped arguing to look at Blaise before they sighed and started talking, voice calmer now. "You heard about the Barrier being broken on Mount Ebbott right?"
Blaise nodded in agreement.
"That's where we were. We were in the Underground when it happened," Frisk offered.
It took most of the trip to explain everything out to Blaise.
"Okay so...what's wrong with Harry's Soul?" he questioned once Frisk had showed Blaise what their Soul was - bright red and strong - and had explained what the color of the Soul meant.
Harry stayed quiet, so Frisk started talking, having been in encounters alongside him enough to know. "Green, like his eyes, but it's...worn and battered. I don't know if it's changed at all, but down in the Underground..."
Blaise understood and then glanced at Harry. "I won't ask what you went through to cause it." he offered softly. Since Frisk and the others had explained Souls and their magic, he knew the only thing that could cause it was someone else tearing the boy down and him finally losing hope. "But I am sorry for whatever it is."
Harry gave him a surprised look. "Don't be," he replied.
Getting to Hogwarts prompted everyone to be silent in their little group.
There were a few looks due to Asriel, but nobody said anything. He wasn't the only Monster in Hogwarts that year. Just the only one that was staying close to a group of humans.
Harry seemed a bit nervous - his siblings were all getting sorted before him as they'd all been able to take the last name of Dreemurr due to being orphans with no relatives alive.
Harry himself hadn't been able to.
Blaise stayed close to him, though, once the Sorting started, offering the boy a calming presence.
Asriel was the first of the siblings to be called to be Sorted. He gave a small smile to his siblings before he moved forward.
It didn't take long for the boy to be Sorted to Hufflepuff. His siblings didn't miss the look of surprise in his eyes.
Harry gave him a knowing grin as the boy moved to sit with the Hufflepuffs. Asriel would fit in just fine there.
Chara hadn't been on the stool for more than a few seconds before they went to Slytherin.
Blaise gave a surprised hum. "Slytherin, huh?" he mumbled.
Harry hid his smile at this as Frisk was called up. They ruffled Harry's hair as they passed.
They were up for a good while before they finally wound up in Hufflepuff.
They gave Harry a kind smile and a wink as they passed, sitting next to Asriel, who grinned happily at someone joining him.
Harry paid little attention to the rest up until his name. He watched as a Hermione Granger was sorted to Gryffindor and smiled faintly at her excitement as she moved to her house table.
Neville Longbottom went to Hufflepuff with Frisk and Asriel and Harry watched as Frisk immediately greeted him, causing the boy to get flustered.
He reminded Harry of Napstablook, honestly.
The raven haired boy was snapped out of his thoughts when Blaise nudged him forward when his name was called.
Harry ignored the fact that the room was silent unlike how it had been with everyone else. He just watched his feet as he moved towards the stool.
It took a minute, but eventually he went to Slytherin.
He saw the surprise on Frisk's face when he moved towards the table where Chara was waiting for him. But he also saw the soft smile grace their features before they started clapping and cheering for him.
Chara smiled faintly when Harry sat beside them. "Seems like we'll be having a nice long chat with Frisk and Asriel later," they pointed out. "At least we'll share a dorm,"
Blaise was the last to be sorted, and he joined Harry and Chara.
"You alright?" Blaise asked Harry.
Harry nodded in agreement. "I'm fine." he promised.
Chara hummed softly when Blaise glanced at them, glancing up from what they were writing.
"Who are you writing to?"
Chara hesitated before shrugging. "Mom and Sans," they offered warily. "Sans wanted to know where we all ended up."
"Then why write to your mom?" Blaise questioned curiously.
Harry gave an amused smile and answered that one. "Because Sans never opens his mail. Sending it to Mum is the only way he'll ever read the letter and reply."
"If he decides to reply," Chara added.
The following morning at breakfast, Frisk and Asriel waited for Chara, Harry, and Blaise at the entrance to the dungeons.
"Slytherin, huh?" Frisk asked of Harry, their eyes bright. "You and Chara both."
"I know why Chara ended up in Slytherin," Asriel offered with a shrug. "A gen run requires a lot of cunning, especially facing Sans, but..."
Harry hesitated before shrugging.
Frisk took a moment as they walked to think before their face softened. "I know why he's in Slytherin," they said quietly.
Asriel and Chara both looked surprised, looking to Frisk.
Blaise seemed confused, but didn't ask.
Frisk looked to Harry. "You learned a lot at your relatives' didn't you? You never would've survived if you were sly and cunning enough to survive on your own."
Harry gave an empty smile and nodded in agreement with this statement.
Silence fell over the group, and it lasted until they reached the Great Hall.
Frisk broke the silence then. "Did you already write to Mom, Chara?" they asked.
"I wrote the letter at the feast," Chara offered. "Blaise helped me send it last night."
"Alright, good." Frisk mumbled, then looked to Harry, who was playing with the green and silver stripped uniform tie. "It suits you, stop messing with it."
Harry glanced up in surprise, then smiled and left the tie alone.
Frisk grinned. "I think I know what colored stripped sweater you need," they offered. "Chara's is light green and yellow, so is Asriel's. Mine's purple-blue and pink. Yours should be your house colors! They suit you."
Chara smiled faintly in response to that, looking at Harry to see the boy surprised. "Yeah, I agree. One all your own. Besides, that way, we can get you one that actually fits."
"Who's was he wearing in Diagon Alley?" Blaise questioned as they made their way to their tables - directly beside one another.
Frisk smiled faintly at that. "That one was an old one of Sans's. It's tradition in the Mount Ebbott area that kids wear the stripes. I don't know why, but.."
Blaise nodded in understanding.
After that, breakfast was calm for the group.