Black Dawn Ch.14: Leaving the Nest

The summer warmth shone in the sun’s rays that streamed in through the open window, drifting with the slight breeze that carried the smell of the sweet pea flowers from Bailey’s garden outside, fluttering against the edges of the newspaper in Harry’s hand. 

“I didn’t expect you to be the one who stole my newspaper,” Arcturus’ voice sliced through the silence of the room like the cutting hex Harry had read about in his new textbook. “You don’t usually read that unless I tell you to. Or you find something interesting on the front page, which, I must say, is a terrible way to read the newspaper.”

“You’ve said that before, Grandpa.” Harry rolled his eyes and peered over the edge of the paper. “And I said that if it were a good newspaper, they’d put interesting things in the front. How else would they attract readers?” 

His grandfather snorted. “You think only Quidditch or dueling-related news is interesting,” Arcturus said dryly. “What is it today that caught your eye? Cleansweep’s new broom?”

“No. Puddlemore played the tornadoes yesterday, and I was reading the match commentary and seeing the pictures of the highlights.” Harry turned the paper around for his grandfather to see. “Puddlemore won by a hundred-and-ninety points.”

Arcturus nodded. “It was a good win. Put them back above the Arrows on the board, thankfully.” Arcturus paused. “We could’ve gone to the match, you know? As a board member, I get seats in the top box for all Puddlemore games.”

Harry shrugged. “It wasn’t an important match. The Arrows are only on the board because they trashed the Canons by over six hundred points last month, which shot them up the ranks. We’ll play against the Canons in three weeks, which will result in more or less the same, as long as our seeker doesn’t end the match early.”

“A held-back seeker isn’t the wisest of plays at times. But yes, the Canons are just hopeless. They’ve only won a single match in the past three years.” Arcturus pursed his lips. “And I’m pretty sure that was because their seeker accidentally caught the snitch.”

Harry let out a bark of laughter, closing the newspaper and folding it shut. “As long as we don’t lose in the semi-finals like we did last year, I’ll be happy.”

“I suppose.” Arcturus stared at the golden head of his cane for a moment before looking up at Harry. “Now, Harry, I came here to see if you were prepared. By this time tomorrow, you would be aboard the Express, on your way to Hogwarts.”

“I’ve already packed my trunk for Hogwarts, Grandpa.” Harry pointed to the trunk in the corner of his room. “Well, Bailey packed the trunk for me, and I just checked if she put everything that was needed. She has even picked out my clothes for tomorrow, so that I’ll have no trouble getting ready well in time to catch the train.”

Arcturus gave him a brisk nod and slowly sat down at the foot of his bed. He glanced at Harry, giving him a fond smile as his grey eyes grew misty.

Harry felt his gut twist. “Grandpa? Is something wrong?”

“No, no,” Arcturus chuckled. “It is— It seems like it was just last week that I brought you home for the first time, you know. You looked so little sitting in my lap and calling me Grapa.” He looked up, meeting Harry’s eyes. “And look at you now. Already eleven years old and off to Hogwarts.” He spun his cane between his fingers as the smile faded a little. “I also realized that from tomorrow, I will be all alone in this house again.”

“You’ll be seeing me again at Yule, Grandpa. That’s not even three months away.” Harry scooched closer to his grandfather, wrapping his arms around him. “And you won’t be alone. Melody and Bailey would be here with you. So would Uncle Remus for most of the day. Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted will visit you, too!” Harry gave him a broad smile. “Plus, I’d send you letters every week with Hedwig.”

Hedwig let out a small bark from her perch in the corner, ruffling her snowy white feathers, before tucking her head back under her wing.

Arcturus patted Harry’s back. “I’m aware that you will. But the house would still feel empty without you. I know it did when Orion and Cygnus left for Hogwarts. But then, I still had Melania.”

“I’ll be back home before you know it, Grandpa,” Harry whispered. “Don’t worry.”

“I know, Harry. I know.” Arcturus gave him a small smile. “But I’ve something for you that’d help us keep in touch at Hogwarts. It was something that once belonged to your father and… and Sirius.”

Harry sat up straighter, feeling excitement bubble in his chest as Arcturus reached into his robes with a quiet breath and removed a hand mirror.

“This was my dad’s?” Harry asked softly.

“Yes, it was,” Arcturus said, passing the mirror into Harry’s hand. “It is an enchanted mirror, which has a twin— the mirror that Sirius once had, which is with me now.” Arcturus clasped his fingers over the handle of his cane. “If you call my name in the mirror, I’ll be able to hear it on my own, and with it we could talk face to face.”

“Like a floo call?” Harry asked, running his fingers over the mirror’s edge, tracing his father’s name that was carved in a neat, fancy script.

“Yes, exactly like that, except the fire part.” Arcturus smiled. “Your uncle Remus tracked the mirrors down for me. It was your mum who made them and gifted them to your dad and Sirius on their graduation day.” Arcturus smiled as Harry's eyes widened, a fierce spark of yearning burning in them. “She must have had quite a good grip on charms to have made this.”

“She did.” Harry nodded, his throat drying as he stared into his own eyes in the mirror. “Uncle Remus told me she was the best in their year at charms. In fact, he said that their professor claimed that my mum was the best he had ever taught.”

Arcturus smiled softly. “It wouldn’t surprise me. Your mother was one brilliant witch.” He laid a hand on Harry’s knee, and he looked up. “And she gave the world an equally brilliant son. Didn’t she?”

“I’ll make her proud, Grandpa.” Harry’s words hung on his tongue like an oath. “I’ll make both of them proud. Their legacy will not be tarnished.”

“Good. Make them even more proud, Harry. Make all of us proud.”

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Harry folded the sleeves of the checkered shirt up, tucking them neatly just over his elbows and smoothing the creases. He tugged his collar straight and checked his appearance in the mirror, trying to flatten his wild hair the best he could.

A pop shattered through the silence of the room, and he glanced around in the reflection to see Bailey standing on his bed.

“Morning, Bailey.” Harry gave her a small smile through the mirror. “What brings you here?”

“Lord Black was asking if you were ready yet, Master Harry.” Bailey disappeared with a pop, reappearing on the dresser table with a comb in her hand. “Breakfast is served, and the portkey will be ready soon.” She slapped Harry’s hands away and meticulously combed his hair. “I’ve already taken your trunk out to the entrance hall with Miss Hedwig. She chose not to get in her cage, though. Instead, she’s sitting on your trunk.”

Harry shrugged. “I think she’ll rather fly to Hogwarts. She doesn’t like cages all that much.” He let out a sigh. “And I don’t think she’d like the train any more than I do.”

“It is tradition, Master Harry.” Bailey ran the comb through his hair, ignoring Harry’s small wince as the comb’s teeth dug into his scalp. “It is a place where you can start making friends before school begins.”

“Yes, I’d probably make more friends in half a day of journey than nine months in the school itself,” Harry muttered sarcastically, and Bailey frowned. “It isn’t like trains are the slowest way to get to Hogwarts. We could all always walk from London to Hogsmeade. That way, we could get a week to make friends instead of half a day.”

“You sound like Lord Black, Master Harry. And not in his best way.” She tutted, flattening his hair more. “Not all wizards can apparate to Hogsmeade. It is rather far for most.” 

“Maybe it is. But instead of spending the day on the train, I could’ve started learning magic a whole day early.” Harry protested. “Isn’t that worth something?”

Bailey raised her eyebrows, glancing pointedly at the red table lamp, which had once been blue. It was also slightly cracked now, despite Bailey’s best efforts to repair it.

“That wasn’t learning. It was me trying a spell and making a mess. Hogwarts would teach me so much more. I can’t learn everything on my own, can I?” Harry waved her off. “Also, I would be less likely to break lamps if I learn properly, which would save you a lot of work.”

“It could’ve been avoided entirely had you learned the basics of magical theory first,” Arcturus’ voice echoed from behind, and Harry turned to see him standing in the doorway. “Had you learned it, you would’ve never tried a jinx on an inanimate object in the first place because you’d know that jinxes don’t work as intended on inanimate objects.” 

“I did read a bit from the book, Grandpa. But it was terribly boring,” Harry protested. “There were no spells in it. What sort of magic book doesn’t have spells in it?” Harry scoffed. “So I learned to cast a jinx and hex instead, alongside a few other spells, which I tried with Susan and Dora. They all worked fine.” 

Arcturus nodded. “I’m sure they did. But the spells you learned are the bare bones. If you truly wish to learn magic, real magic, you must go beyond spells, Harry. You should know the theory.”

“And I will. That’s what I’m going to Hogwarts for, isn’t it?”

“I suppose that’s true.” Arcturus’ lips quirked. “Now, why don’t you come for breakfast? It is getting cold and we’ve a portkey to catch. If we miss it, we’d have to go through the apparition point and end up lugging that trunk for quite a distance to the platform. Or figure out a muggle way, which we won’t have the time to.”

“We could’ve gone with Dora. Uncle Ted has a car.” Harry said, following him out toward the dining room. “He would’ve dropped me off. We could’ve flooed there and gone with them to the station.”

His grandfather scoffed. “Your sister would drive me insane with all the running around and misplaced things. I’d rather have a peaceful sendoff for your first time at Hogwarts. Not to mention, it’d be for the best if we arrive discreetly, rather than running the risk of some of your admirers crowding you on the Muggle side.”

“Right.” Harry grimaced, remembering the two times he had been in public in the past month, both ending with him being hounded by a crowd of admirers. “Wouldn’t want that happening in the Muggle world. And it does take us directly to the station, which no one else can do. VIP treatment.”

Arcturus gave him a blank look. “What treatment?”

“Very important person, grandpa.” Harry rolled his eyes. “It is something Uncle Ted told me. In the Muggle world, VIPs get certain privileges for being who they are. Like they don’t have to wait in lines or park their car in the distance. They can get through directly.”

“Ah,” he drawled, taking his seat at the table. “I suppose that is true for us wizards as well. The portkey office was more than happy to accommodate you when I asked for it.”

Harry shrugged, giving Melody a smile as she handed him a glass of milk with a plate of eggs and bacon. “Thank you, Mel.”

“You’re welcome, Little Master.” She beamed. “And I wanted to wish you luck before you leave today. It is a big day. You’ll go to the place to learn all sorts of wonderful magic and do wondrous things.”

“I hope so,” Harry whispered. “I want to do great things like my mum and dad did.”

“And you will, Harry.” His grandfather gave him a small, assuring smile. “You will.”

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Harry nearly staggered as his feet hit the ground, feeling his breakfast crawl back up his throat as Arcturus steadied him. Hedwig let out a disconsolate bark from his shoulder, ruffling her wings and looking around the platform with her amber eyes. 

His heart drummed in his chest, and excitement bubbled in his veins as he looked around the platform where students and parents milled around, pushing large trolleys filled with animal cages and trunks of all sorts running in the direction of the steam drifting from the scarlet engine.

“Welcome to Platform Nine and Three-quarters,” Arcturus straightened his robes and glanced at his watch. “We’ve fifteen minutes until the train departs. So we should first find you a compartment to sit in. Preferably, a bit ahead from here, so you would be closer to the lake route.” He drew his wand and tapped the trunk, which floated off the ground. “Come, Harry. We’ll find Susan and Nymphadora later.”

“Yes, of course,” Harry whispered, feeling a wave of unease well in his stomach under all the tides of excitement as he followed his grandfather into the train, looking through the windows into the compartments. “Are we looking for an empty one?”

“Indeed,” Arcturus whispered, peering into one of the compartments before entering it.

The trunk rose higher and settled itself on the rack above the window. Hedwig immediately fluttered off from Harry’s shoulder and settled in front of his trunk, letting out a small bark.

“So, this is it.” Harry felt his voice quaver slightly, and his grandfather turned to him. “I’m finally going to Hogwarts.”

“You are,” Arcturus said, smiling at him. “Just like you’ve wanted to for years.”

Harry gave him a jerky nod before darting forward and wrapping his grandfather in a tight hug. “I’ll miss you, grandpa.”

“I’ll miss you too, Harry.” Arcturus patted his back, tilting his face up to meet his eyes. “You said it yourself, we’ll see each other in three months. You’ll be home before you know it.”

“But I’ll still miss you. I’ll miss home. I’ll miss my family.”

“The man who doesn’t value family is not a man, Harry. It is perfectly natural to miss your family and your home.” Arcturus squeezed his shoulder. “But we’re going nowhere. And you have to learn magic, make new friends, and live your own life like everyone else does. Like your parents did. Like I did.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“You be good for me, won’t you? Be polite and make friends, not enemies.” Arcturus sat on the seat, his grey eyes meeting Harry’s. “You represent more than your own self. You represent your parents, the Potters, and the Blacks. You’re the best of us.”

Harry nodded, holding his grandfather’s hand tightly. “I know.”

“Make all of us proud, Harry,” Arcturus whispered. “The years you spend at Hogwarts will be some of the greatest years of your life. Make friends and wonderful memories. And above all, live to your fullest and achieve your dreams.”

‘To make my parents proud.’ The words hung on the tip of his tongue, but Harry just managed another small nod.

“And if there’s anything, and I mean anything, don’t hesitate to write a letter or use the mirror. If you can’t reach me by those, call Bailey or Melody. They’ll reach me.” Arcturus added. “I’ll always be there for you, Harry, no matter what.”

“I love you, grandpa,” Harry whispered, and Arcturus pulled him into a hug.

“I love you too, Harry.” 

The train’s shrill whistle tore through the air, and Harry felt his heart twist as the train moved, rolling down the platform. Arcturus and Amelia waved from the platform as it slipped away, while Harry and Susan waved back until the two vanished into the sea of parents in the distance, as the train sped up.

“We’re really going to Hogwarts, Harry,” Susan whispered, looking at him with wide blue eyes. “Far away from home”

“That you are, munchkins.” Dora’s voice rang from behind, and Harry turned to see her dressed in Slytherin robes, a gleaming green badge pinned to her chest. “Try not to be too weepy about it. Babies, I can handle. Cry babies? Ughh.”

“Are you just here to call us names? Don’t you have a Prefect meeting or something to attend?”

“I do. It’ll begin in a few— usually starts by half past eleven and goes up until around lunch time. It is mostly just boring stuff.” She flicked her wand and the train’s door shut itself. “Now you two scram back to your compartment, wherever you’ve put your trunks. I’ll check on you after the meeting and then go join my friends.”

“We feel loved. Really.” Harry scoffed. 

“You may be my baby cuz, but I ain’t babysitting you.” She swept her hair back into streaks of silver and green, checking her reflection in the door’s glass. “For the meeting, you know? A bit of house spirit and all.”

“That looks ridiculous,” Susan muttered. “I still don’t get why you’re in Slytherin.”

“What can I say? I'm more like my mum than my dad, apparently.” She tilted her head. “You know we’re not all evil jerks like some say? Half your aunt’s colleagues are from Slytherin.”

“I… never thought that. People say that? That’s so prejudiced.”

Dora snorted. “The Gryffs love to say that. It’s house rivalry, nothing more.” She paused. “Well, some are jerks, but they’re all around, really. Now, I’d really love to talk, but I’ve a meeting to get to.”

“Good luck,” Susan said softly.

“No luck is going to save me from getting bored out of my mind.” Dora rolled her eyes. “Toodles.”

“You know? I can’t believe she’s a Prefect. She’s probably the least responsible person I’ve met.” Harry muttered.

“That’s not absolutely true,” Susan said. “Well, you might think that because all you’ve seen is your grandfather, Aunty Amelia, Mister Lupin, and Dora’s mum and dad. They’re all pretty responsible, aren’t they? In comparison, anyone would seem irresponsible.”

Harry shrugged as they walked down the narrow train corridor, glancing at the students they passed on their way. “I suppose it comes with all the things they do.”

Susan nodded and slid the door to the compartment open, and Harry nearly stopped short as he saw two girls sitting inside. 

“Oh, hello.” The shorter, brunette-haired girl looked up. “Sorry, we saw the compartment was occupied, but we didn’t find anywhere else that didn’t already have students. So we sat here.”

“That’s not a problem,” Harry said, his eyes drawn to the large, fluffy white cat that sat on the blonde girl’s lap, which was glaring at Hedwig, who glared right back at it. “But it seems our pets have one with each other.”

“Oh no, Snowy’s harmless,” the blonde girl said, scratching her cat behind its ears. “He’s just a big softy. And you’ve a lovely owl.”

The cat let out a protesting hiss while Hedwig preened, giving the girl an approving bark.

“I’m Susan, by the way.” Susan stepped forward. “Susan Bones.”

“Davis.” The brunette girl drawled, shaking Susan’s hand. “Tracey Davis. And this is Daphne.” 

“And I’m Harry,” Harry said quietly, and took a seat opposite them, where his grandfather had sat only a few minutes ago, and smiled at the two girls. “And that’s Hedwig, my owl.”

Daphne looked up sharply, her eyebrows rising. “Harry what?”

“Potter,” Harry said, swallowing a grimace as Tracey’s head snapped to him, her eyes widening almost dramatically. “Harry Potter.”

“You’re—” Tracey wheezed as Daphne drove her elbow into her side.

“It is nice to meet you, Harry.” Daphne smiled, shaking his hand delicately. “You’ll have to forgive my friend here. She’s very easily excited.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Tracey muttered. “You must get that a lot.” 

“He does,” Susan muttered, her eyes darting between Hedwig and Snowy as the two faced off again, their eyes not leaving each other. “We’ve been friends since we were little, and I was there with him when he went to Diagon Alley recently.”

“I saw the article in the Prophet. My sister went a bit crazy when she saw it.” Daphne said, giving Harry an apologetic look. 

“Well, you can tell her that I said hello,” Harry gave her a small smile.

At that, Snowy leaped from Daphne’s lap into Harry’s curling around and glancing up at Hedwig, who let out a harsh bark and hopped down to sit between the two girls, nudging their elbows to demand attention.

“I don’t know about you, but this seems like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Tracey looked between the two pets, her lips quirking slightly. “Or a lifelong rivalry between the owls and the cats.”

Harry sighed, meeting Hedwig’s eyes, which were daring him to pet the cat in his lap as Daphne petted her. “Let’s hope it is the former, shall we?”

“Certainly.” Daphne smiled. “Let’s hope for a beautiful friendship.”

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

So, Harry is finally on his way to Hogwarts, with Susan in tow. And he just met two of the most important supporting characters on the train.

As for the chapter itself, I’m aware it should’ve been longer, but for some absurd reason, my muse has been uncooperative in helping me churn out ideas. I originally intended for Harry to reach Hogwarts in this chapter but couldn’t. I will compensate in the next, going an extra mile (and maybe later readjusting the scenes as I originally intended), but that’s all for next month.

I’m planning to slowly introduce you all to Daphne and Tracey, followed by the third supporting character soon after.

Anyhow, the next update on the roster is LoSP, and those who’ve read the last chapter know what at what scale I’m writing right now. :)

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66