Harry Potter : Bloodraven

It had been nearly an hour since Maverick boarded the Hogwarts Express, which was scheduled to take the students to the school for the new academic year.

Looking out the window from his cabin, he saw the platform crowded with families bidding their final farewells, while the train had steadily begun to fill up.

Students, from first-years to seventh-years, were settling into cabins in groups, and his had been opened a few times as well. However, perhaps because he looked a bit older or because of the way he dressed—like an outright Muggle—no one seemed interested in joining him.

Even the Muggle-born first-years opened and shut the door in a flash, which felt even sillier, likely because they assumed he was a senior student, and their timidity got the better of them.

Shaking his head with a small smile, his attention returned to the families and their children outside on the platform. He had already noted a few noteworthy names boarding the train, though some key characters had yet to make an appearance.

Just then, he spotted a group stepping through the enchanted wall. They all had reddish-brown hair, and it wasn't difficult to guess they were the Weasley family. But among the group of redheads, he noticed another boy he was all too familiar with.

Maverick glanced between the Boy Who Lived and Ron, and it was immediately obvious how much smaller and frailer the protagonist actually was. It was clear he hadn't had a pleasant childhood, and Maverick couldn't help but briefly consider doing something about the situation.

However, he decisively dismissed the thought. He wasn't ready to interfere with the plot just yet. Perhaps he would, once he felt more confident in his personal strength.

Call me a coward if you want, but I'd rather know my hand than bet blindly, he thought inwardly.

He watched as the Weasley family gathered in a tight circle, exchanging hugs and promises of good behavior from the children.

Mrs. Weasley's voice carried through the bustle, faintly audible even from inside the cabin. Maverick couldn't help but chuckle, understanding—at least in part—why her children feared receiving a howler from her.

He leaned back in his seat, a smile tugging at his lips as he thought about the troubles he might soon face from the pranking professionals.

Then, his attention changed from the platform to the door of his cabin as his senses caught two people approaching. They were young, likely freshmen. Maverick adjusted his posture, retrieving a book from his ring and beginning to read.

Perhaps, he thought, pretending to be a nerd might convince a student to share the cabin with him—or at least help whoever opened the door overcome their timidity.

A knock came from the other side, but before Maverick could respond, the door slid open, revealing two young witches staring at him curiously.

He sat leaning comfortably, one leg crossed over the other, with a book in his right hand resting casually on the knee of the raised leg.

From the corner of his eye, he first noticed the taller girl, her wide-eyed stare fixed on him without a hint of subtlety. When he turned his head toward them, her mouth shaped into a small "o" of surprise.

Beside her, the other girl too seemed a little taken aback. Though she tried to hide it behind a blank expression, his sharp eyes didn't miss the subtle flicker of emotion in her eyes.

The first thought that crossed his mind was whether he looked too pretentious, pretending as he was. But the thought was quickly dismissed when he caught a barely audible squeak from one of the girls. "So handsome," she muttered, only to slap her hands over her mouth in mortified realization.

"Ah... one of those who lets their mouth run before their brain," Maverick thought to himself.

They both looked like first-years. The taller one had dark hair and an air of eagerness, while the other, shorter and more reserved, had neatly arranged blonde hair and an observant gaze that spoke of caution.

An awkward silence passed until Maverick arched a brow and gave them a friendly nod.

"Looking for a cabin?" he asked, breaking the tension.

Though one of them seemed like she might give him a few headaches, he still asked politely, noticing they hadn't left immediately after opening the door, unlike the previous students.

He saw the taller girl blink and quickly turn to the blonde, as if seeking approval. However, her head bobbed like a pigeon the entire time, making the silent exchange far from subtle, and making it clear what she was trying to say.

Maverick noticed the corner of the blonde's mouth twitch, betraying her mild exasperation, before she gave a small, reluctant nod.

Finally, they stepped inside and settled into the seats across from him.

"Thank you," the dark-haired girl said, her eyes fixed on Maverick with a fascinated expression that made him inwardly sigh.

He had prepared himself for the chance that some teenage witches might let their hormones override their common sense, but running into one so quickly—and a first-year, no less—already had him worried about the trouble and headaches he might have to deal with.

Swallowing his thoughts, he kept his expression neutral, and offered a polite nod. He wasn't going to go all edge lord on some little girls, not to mention they were going to be his students.

"I'm Tracy," the dark-haired girl introduced herself as soon as she sat down, her voice full of enthusiasm. "And this is my best friend, Daphne Greengrass."

Maverick had already guessed their names, recognizing the family crest subtly engraved on the ring the blond wore.

"My name is Maverick... are you both freshmen?" he asked, offering a kind smile.

"Yes, senior," Tracy replied brightly. It was clear she was the outgoing type, while the blonde beside her seemed more introverted, or perhaps she was simply trying to maintain a mysterious air.

"We just turned eleven, and we're so excited to start school! Can you tell us a little about it? Is it true that the potions professor doesn't wash his hair?"

Her words came out so randomly, as if she hadn't even thought before speaking, and the last part left him momentarily frozen, his mouth slightly open, unsure of how to respond.

After a beat, he shook his head, silently mourning Snape's reputation.

"First of all, I'm pretty sure Professor Snape washes his hair, and I'd advise you not to spread that rumor around," he said, maintaining his polite expression. "As for Hogwarts, do you really want me to spoil everything, or would you rather discover its greatness for yourselves?" He glanced between the two girls.

This time, Tracy didn't respond immediately. Her brain caught up with her mouth, allowing her a moment to think. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a polite knock came from the door.

Tracy was about to shout, "Come in!" but paused as she saw the "senior" across from her move his arm.

Maverick extended his finger and flicked it to the right, making the door slide open smoothly.

A wizard with neatly combed hair stood in the doorway, looking a little shy. "Ah, sorry, I thought it was empty," he said, his voice soft.

He appeared older, probably a third or fourth-year student, but Maverick couldn't recognize him.

Before the boy could close the door, Maverick quickly called out, "Please, come in. There's one spot here beside me."

The boy hesitated, scratching his head, then shrugged and entered, settling beside Maverick.

"I'm Maverick," he introduced himself quickly, not wanting the boy to have second thoughts and leave. He figured it might be better to share the potential headaches that the little witch across from him might cause during the journey.

He flicked his finger again to the left, causing the door to slide shut.

"They are Ms. Tracy and Heiress Greengrass," he added, gesturing to the two girls across from him.

None of the three students responded immediately, all of them staring at him with surprised expressions.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion, but before he could ask what was wrong, Tracy exclaimed, "That was wandless silent casting... so cool! Was that the unlocking spell?"

"Stupid. The unlocking spell doesn't close doors," Daphne finally spoke, rolling her eyes at her friend's comment, before turning back to him.

All three stared at him, their expressions almost identical, as if they were waiting for him to explain himself.

It seemed that his simple use of Magical-Energy was an impressive feat to these students. After giving it some thought, he realized it made sense, as the use of pure Magical-Energy wasn't something most wizards had seen. But he wasn't about to give them a lecture on that.

"Ah... that... just a little trick I learned," he said, chuckling sheepishly and scratching his head before quickly changing the subject. "So, what's your name?" he asked, glancing at the boy sitting next to him.

The boy seemed a little lost at first, gathering his thoughts. "Uh... My name is Roger Davies. A third-year Ravenclaw." Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he tilted his head, studying Maverick's face.

"Senior, I... don't remember seeing you before in the higher grades."

Maverick let out a sigh, realizing that his hope of keeping his identity as a professor a secret until they arrived at Hogwarts might not be possible.

Or so he thought.

"Oh... are you the new assistant to the Alchemy professor? I heard from my father that Hogwarts was looking for a teaching assistant from the recent graduates."

Maverick swallowed back what he was about to say and decided to humor them. "I am indeed related to it... yes, I'm not exactly a student. Just catching the train to experience the journey since I graduated from another school."

Maverick saw different expressions from the three of them. Daphne Greengrass looked at him with a doubtful gaze, while Roger Davies first showed confusion, then nodded in understanding. Tracy, however, seemed to believe his words at face value, believing every letter.

"That is so cool! So should we call you professor or assistant professor? Where did you go to school—"

Her words were cut short by the sudden whistle of the train, and all four of them turned toward the window.

As they watched, the platform seemed to move as the train's wheels began to turn, and they felt the motion as the engine started pushing the massive express forward.

"It seems we've started moving," Maverick said, breaking the brief silence.

The cabin was once again filled with the hum of conversation. Mostly, it was the three of them talking, while Daphne Greengrass listening intently and occasionally nodding along to their words.

Two hours passed, and the cabin grew quieter. Maverick was reading a book, as were Daphne and Roger, while Tracy, now resting her head on Daphne's shoulder, had finally tired herself out and was nearly drifting to sleep.

The peaceful, rhythmic sound of the train continued, carrying them toward their destination, until—

Bam!

The door of the cabin was abruptly slid open with a loud thud.

"Have you seen a toad?" a voice called out.

—————————

Author's Note:

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 102 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic