3 Chapter 2 - Hogwarts (1/2)
”So, you guys are wizards, what's life like, can I pet your owl?”
Harry was sitting blank faced while Ron was extremely pale as he drove the car to follow the Hogwarts Express. They both knew that bringing a muggle into the world of magic could incite an abnormal amount of trouble.
”Hey Harry,” Ron whispered, ”if we push him off, no one will know.”
”We can't do that Ron,” Harry said horrified at the thought, ”we're not murders,”
”Well what do we do then!!” Ron practically shouted the last part.
Harry sighed as he covered his head in his hands. This was not something they could fix on their own.
Vincent was busy observing Harry and Ron with curious eyes. Ron was half a head smaller than him with fuzzy red hair and freckles. He had a skinny body of sorts and an average face.
He then turned his attention to Harry. Although he was the same size as Ron, he was extremely skinny for a boy his age. He had messy black hair and goggle like glasses. What was most noticeable was his lightning like scar and bright green eyes. He actually had a handsome face in the making.
”So, what's your names?” Vincent asked for perhaps the eleventh time that flight.
He has been trying to get some answers, but both of the boys were stuck in their own thoughts.
”Harry Potter,” Harry muttered
”Ron Weasley,” Ron said just as unenthusiastic as Harry
”I'm Vincent, Vincent Wong,”
”A foreigner?” Harry asked curiously as he tried to forget his misery.
”Apparently I'm a half breed, part Chinese, part American.” Vincent said with a smile knowing that someone was talk to him.
”Apparently?” Ron asked trying to take his mind of the negatives.
”Well that's what I was told by the orphanage before I ran away,” said Vincent.
He managed to lock pick Hedwig's cage open. Hedwig hopped onto his lap and nuzzled into his palm making him smile.
”I'm sorry for asking,” apologised Harry, ”I don't have any parents as well.”
Vincent was able to have a comfortable conversation with Harry. For Harry he learnt of Vincent's life growing up on the streets. He knew what it was like to have no parents and was someone that he knew his pain.
Harry talked about his own life. He lived with his aunt, uncle and cousin which sounded like a living hell to Vincent. Harry was constantly neglected, and it was only until last year when someone told him the truth that Harry was wizard, and that the Dark lord known as Voldemort had killed Harry's parents as well as try to kill Harry himself. He failed, losing all his power and leaving a lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead.
From then on, Harry met Ron and a girl called Hermione. Together they we're able to stop Voldemort from coming back to his full power.
Vincent noticed that Ron turned a deathly white while Harry had a slightly angry look on his face.
”It's a taboo to say you-know-who's name, the only ones who have the courage are Harry and the greatest Wizard of our time, Dumbledore.” Ron explained when he saw Vincent's confused face
”Dumbledore?” Vincent thought of the old man who loved sherbet lemons, ”that old man is that well regarded?”
”Hey how did Hedwig get out?” Harry asked curiously, just noticing the white owl snuggling up to Vincent
”Hope you don't mind, I picked the lock,” Vincent said pulling two small picks out of his shoe.
”Lock picking?” Harry thought as he once again looked Vincent up and down, ”although his not a wizard, he seems, strong?”
Harry shook himself out of his thoughts before nodding at Vincent, ”It's cool, I've been meaning to let him spread his wings for a while now.”
As if on cue, Hedwig flew out the car window and alongside them. They stayed like this till the sky started to get dark. That's when trouble hit.
...
”Umm, I don't know a lot about magic cars, but that doesn't sound good.”
Vincent and Harry both looked at Ron for confirmation as they heard the car engine making creaking and wheezing sounds.
”It should be fine, I mean it never driven this far before.” Ron tried his best not to look worried as he focused on where the train below them was going. His rat Scabbers kept making squeaking noises, as if it was concerned at the danger, they were in.
”I think I see Hogwarts!” Harry said excitedly
Vincent looked out the window with great expectations and wasn't disappointed. The giant castle in the distant looked majestic under the moonlight. Each tower that made up the whole stood tall and proud. The giant lake that was underneath them looked so clean and clear to the point that Vincent thought he saw something move underneath.
”This is Hogwarts,” he thought excitedly, ”I'm really here!”
All of a sudden, the car started puffing smoke out of the engine, it proceeded to dip towards a giant looking tree.
”Ron do something!” Harry yelled as he held on for dear life.
”Stop, you, stupid car!” Ron yelled as he continually smacked the dashboard with his wand, which was pointless.
Vincent just sat there looking at the two of them panicking. He let Hedwig fly out of the car just in case she got hurt.
CRASH!!!
The impact hurled Harry and Ron forward in their seats. Vincent however managed to jump out the window just at the time of impact. He grabbed on a branch using it to slow his momentum. He then jumped from one to another before doing a backflip to the ground.
Vincent winced in extreme pain as he held his stomach. The injury he took earlier that day hasn't healed and him doing that stunt definitely didn't help. He could still feel his cracked ribs and couldn't help but let out a small grunt.
Harry saw all of this and his eyes widened with astonishment at Vincent's skill. He then turned to Ron who sat there frozen in his seat.
”Harry, my wand broke,” he showed Harry the wand which would have been snapped in two, if not for a piece barely holding it together,” Mom's going to murder me,”
”Uh, don't worry, I'm sure we could get that fixed,” Harry said, trying his best to sound optimistic.
”Hey guys, are you alright?” Both Harry and Ron looked out to see Vincent sitting on the ground. He held a hand to his stomach in obvious pain.
Right before Harry or Ron could say anything, the tree branches started moving. Vincent watched in half amazement and half horror as he watched Harry and Ron get bombarded by the tree branches. The car eventually got out of the branches before drying out of range of the tree.
Next second the car opened all the doors ejecting everything inside. Their luggage and themselves. The two boys landed on the ground with their luggage around them. They watched as the car made off.
”No!” Ron shouted in panic, ”come back, dads going to kill me otherwise!”
”If I was that car, I'd probably be fed up as well,” Vincent said to Harry as they watched Ron try to 'convince' the car to come back.
”Barriers locked, wand broken now we crash into the only tree that's willing to hit back, our day sucks!” Ron complained as he carried his luggage alongside Harry and Vincent.
”Maybe flying a car to school wasn't the best idea,” Vincent muttered as he tried to not grimace in pain which didn't go unnoticed.
”Dude are you alright?” Ron asked in concern as he saw how bad Vincent was sweating, ”was it the landing?”
”It's not your fault Ron,” Vincent have a smile, ”I was in a fight earlier this morning, dude broke a few ribs of mine.”
”A few ribs?!” Ron and Harry looked at each other in alarm, ”we'll get you to the schools nurse, she'll fix you up in no time.”
Vincent felt grateful towards the two boys, despite having just met they treated him as a friend. Vincent never had a proper friend before, so this was something new to him.
”Thanks guys,”
...
”I wonder if we missed dinner?” Harry asked
”Hope not,” Ron said as they climbed the stairs, ”maybe we can sneak in, you holding up alright Vince?”
”Yeah I'm fine,” Vincent said as they continued climbing the stairs before reaching an enormous door.
Vincent was busy admiring the door while Harry and Ron both took a peek inside.
”Looks like we missed the sorting, wonder if Ginny's in Gryffindor, also where's Snape?”
”Ginny?” Vincent thought weirdly as he remembered the red head, he compared her to Ron and found their hair similar, ”siblings?”
”Maybe he quit!” Harry said excitedly
”Maybe he's standing right behind you.”
They all turned around with both Ron and Harry jumping slightly. Vincent observed the man in front of him. Snape was a tall lean man with long black hair that ran down from all sides except his front. He had pitch black eyes and sallow like skin accompanied by a hook like nose. Coupled with his black robes he looked like....
”You have vampire teachers as well?” Vincent asked curiously
Despite how serious the situation was, Harry and Ron laughed silently into their sleeves while Snape looked like he was going to burst a vein.
”Hey, hey you alright mister vampire?” Vincent just waved his hand in front of Snape's face, ”Your veins are popping out, you're not out of blood or anything right, well I only saw that type of face on a guy who was constipated.”
At this point Harry and Ron were trying to keep a neutral face but they were dying on the inside with laughter causing their mouths to twitch.
”ENOUGH!” Snape roared at Vincent who just stood there confused, ”now you will all follow me!”
With that he turned around and started walking away. Vincent looked back and saw the two boys with twitching smiles come follow. Ron gave Vincent a pat.
”No matter how bad things get today, that was worth it.”
Vincent looked confused before following them, thinking what he did wrong.
...
”So,” Snape looked at the three boys, ”the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we boys?”
”No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it—”
”Silence,” said Snape coldly, ”What did you do with the car?”
”It ran away sir,” Vincent spoke up, ”or drove away?”
Snape's eye twitched as he gave Vincent the evil look which was ignored by said person. Vincent was too busy admiring Snape's office full of floating jars with questionable contents in them. Snape took a deep breath as he turned back to Harry and Ron.
”You were seen!” Snape showed them a newspaper titled, Evening Prophet, ”a total of six muggles, saw your little stunt. Your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, right Weasley? Dear, dear, his own son.”
Snape smiles at Ron's pale face while Harry looked absolutely ashamed of what their actions had done for Ron's dad's career.
”I noticed in my search of the park, that considerable damage had been done to the Whomping Willow.” Snape went on
”Whomping Willow?” Vincent thought, ”Sounds fitting.”
”The tree did more damage to us then we—” Ron began
”Silence!” snapped Snape, ”and your last offence is him!”
He pointed straight at Vincent who didn't really seem fazed by it.
”Bringing a muggle into the wizarding world without consent is a violation of the law.” Snape stated coldly, ”I don't have the authority to expel or punish you, so I'll fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here.”
Harry and Ron both looked extremely pale while Vincent tried to comfort the two of them.
”You guys will be fine,” he said, ”I'm pretty sure Dumbledore wouldn't punish you guys too harshly.”
”Thanks for the optimism man,” Ron said dejectedly, ”you're from a different world, so you wouldn't know a lot on how things work here.”
Vincent just scratched his head in annoyance looking at the two depressed boys.
”Wait, how do you know Dumbledore's here?” Harry asked
Harry did remember mentioning Dumbledore, however he did not mention he was the headmaster of Hogwarts.
Just before Vincent could answer, the door opened entering Snape and an elderly woman who looked extremely angry. She scanned both Harry and Ron before her eyes landed on Vincent's. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock as she saw the two rods sheathed on the sides of his waist. She then recovered her composure before staring angrily at Harry and Ron.
”Explain.” despite her not yelling, those words held an incredible power over them.
Ron launched into the full story, starting with how he and Harry got stuck at the barrier.
”— so, we had no choice, Professor McGonagall, we couldn't get on the train and Vincent,” he looked at Vincent who scratched his head embarrassed, ”was trying to hide and got caught up in our mess.”
”Why didn't you send us a letter by owl?! I believe you have an owl?” Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry
”I—I didn't think—”
”And that,” McGonagall said bluntly, ”is the problem.”
A knock came on the door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood a wizened old man with long flowing white hair, the strongest wizard of all time, Dumbledore.
Vincent's eyes started watering up slightly, it's been so long since had seen the old man. Dumbledore spotted Vincent as well making his eyes widen in surprise before giving a quick nod. Vincent didn't feel to put off by the lack of attention, they could catch up later.
Dumbledore started straight at Harry and Ron in silence for a long time before talking, ”Please explain why you did this.”
As Harry explained the story, Vincent was observing the old man. He looked no different than he did all those years ago. Dumbledore was still the kind old man that helped him become the person he was today.
”We'll go get our stuff,” said Ron, feeling hopeless