F&L: Chapter 57

Platform Nine and Three Quarters, where the Hogwarts Express sat, was, as usual, completely crowded with various kids and their parents. Even my early arrival hadn't changed that, as there were plenty of people who'd had the same idea. One of those people, unsurprisingly, was Hermione. She was standing next to a dark-haired woman who was either in her very late thirties or very early forties. The family resemblance between the two was slight, but it was there, and it made me think that this was either Hermione's Mother or her Aunt. For her part, when she spotted me, Hermione's face broke into a wide smile, and she began to wave me over while calling out for me.

"Blaise! Over here!" She exclaimed, arms waving as she tried to flag me down and get my attention. I couldn't help but grin at that. It was good to have friends. In my old life, I had only had a fairly small circle of friends. Most of the folks I'd known had been acquaintances, really. It was nice to have a larger circle of friends for a change. Hell, in this life as Blaise, it felt like half my school year was friends. I made my way over to where Hermione was standing, nodding at her.

"Hey, 'Mione." I greeted.

"Hermione, dear. Introduce me to your friend." Spoke up the Older Woman.

"Right. Blaise, this is my Mum. Mum, this is Blaise." Introduced Hermione.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am." I offered, doing a little half-bow.

"You never said he was this polite, Hermione." Grinned Mrs Granger.

"Mione's mentioned me?" I questioned.

"Oh yes. She's mentioned you a lot. Brilliant and infuriating were words used frequently. Also sweet, if less frequently." Answered Mrs Granger.

"Mum!" Whined Hermione.

"I'm only repeating what you told me, dear." Defended Mrs Granger, grin widening.

"Ohlookatthetimeweshouldreallytryandfindaseat!" Exclaimed Hermione in a long string of words as she grabbed my wrist with one hand and her luggage trolley with the other and began to pull us both away from her Mum, a blush on her face.

"It was nice to meet you, Blaise. Do look out for our Hermione while at school." Waved Mrs Granger with a giggle.

"Will do, Ma'am." I returned.

"Bye Mum, see you at the Holidays!" Called out Hermione, tugging at my wrist harder, and her blush deepening to crimson.

Mrs Granger laughed at that, and I allowed myself to be dragged away, a bemused look on my face as Hermione seemed to be insistent on getting us away from her Mum as quickly as possible. Honestly, though, we were all getting to that age when you turn thirteen and suddenly your parents are the most embarrassing thing in your life. I could see why Hermione was getting me away from her Mum, and suspected that if I used the Mind Arts to try and read her emotions right now, I would get a heaping helping of embarrassment. Possibly enough to cause secondhand cringe in myself. Regardless, Hermione dragged us away from her Mum and over toward a newsstand near the wall that was selling issues of the Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, Quidditch Today, and the Quibbler, along with various snacks. I bought two cans of Goblin Juice, handing one over to Hermione before I began to talk.

"You know, 'Mione, having your Mum take an interest in your friends isn't a bad thing." I pointed out.

"I know. I love my Mum, but she can be so embarrassing sometimes." Sighed Hermione.

"She seemed nice." I remarked.

"She is, but she has no real filter sometimes. It's a little embarrassing, is all." Explained Hermione.

"Can I offer you some free advice, 'Mione?" I queried.

"Of course, Blaise." Nodded Hermione.

"Speaking as someone whose mum is dead, you won't know what you have there till it's gone. You ought to cherish time spent with your Mum, 'cause she won't be around forever." I intoned.

"Oh." Frowned Hermione.

And now she was probably thinking about how my Mum was dead and feeling sorry for me. I hadn't wanted that advice to bring the mood down like that. I just wanted to give Hermione some food for thought. This was not the intended lesson to take away from my statement, nor was it something I had wanted to happen. Thankfully, the Quibbler was right there on display in the Newsstand, and it was always good for a laugh, even if it did sometimes have a nugget of truth amid all the conspiracy theories and nonsense about whatever Nargles were supposed to be. I drew Hermione's attention over to the issue on sale. There was a caricature of Minister Fudge on the cover shaking hands with a Yeti and exchanging a bag with the Galleon Symbol emblazoned on it, a capital G inside a circle.

"Enough of that, what do you make of this?" I asked, pointing to the Quibbler.

"Minister For Magic Bribes Tibetan Yeti Council? Is this seriously news? Why would anyone bribe Yetis? They're basically just fuzzy trolls. What would they even do with money?" Questioned Hermione as she read the headline.

"Bribe the Government of Magical Tibet to keep people believing that misinformation about them only being as smart as trolls, of course." Came a lilting, musical voice from behind us.

I turned to see a willowy girl who was perhaps a year younger than us with long, straight, platinum blonde hair and who was wearing a teal crocheted shawl over a periwinkle blouse and burgundy skirt. It was an odd color combination, but that fit the person who was wearing it. After all, I recognized Luna Lovegood when I saw her. I nodded at her, and she nodded back. However, before I could introduce Hermione and Myself, Luna spoke up, pre-empting any introductions on my part.

"I know who you are, Blaise. I've seen you sometimes in my dreams. The Luck Goddess says we ought to be the best of friends, and the Fates agreed." Insisted Luna.

That brought me up short. Was Luna an actual Seer here? I know she'd been hinted at as such in the books, but whenever it had come up, it had always been fifty-fifty whether that was the case or whether it was all in her head and she was just good at guessing thanks to her unique perspective on things. She'd also mentioned the Goddess of Luck. Had she spoken to Fortuna, too? And she spoke to the Fates as well? I hadn't even spoken to the Fates yet! However, as my mind was scrambling to make sense of the new information it had just gotten, Hermione jumped in to save me. She grinned at Luna and introduced herself with her typical level of enthusiasm.

"Hi! I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger! Pleasure to meet you!" Beamed Hermione enthusiastically.

"Lovegood, Luna Lovegood. Daddy runs the Quibbler, and I'm just beginning Hogwarts this year." Introduced Luna.

"Nice to meet you, Luna." I remarked, shooting Hermione a grateful look for helping me get the conversation back on track. She rolled her eyes at me before turning back to Luna.

"What house do you think you'll be in?" Queried Hermione.

"Well, the Fates have told me it's an even chance that I will be put in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Apparently, they haven't decided yet. I don't know if Wrackspurts can affect Goddesses, but it seems there's an infestation where the Fates live." Responded Luna.

"And what House would you like to be in, if you had to choose between the two?" I asked.

"Ravenclaw, I think. Daddy was a Ravenclaw back in school, so was my Mum." Answered Luna.

"That's my house! If you get to be in Ravenclaw, I can introduce you around." Grinned Hermione.

"Thank you. I knew that following what the Fates told me would be a good idea." Thanked Luna.

"Do you drink Goblin Juice, Luna? I can buy you a can?" I questioned.

"No, thank you. Too much sugar tends to attract Wrackspurts. However, I will take a Gillywater if they have one in the chiller." Demurred Luna. Thankfully, the newsstand sold Goulding's Gillywater, a popular brand of bottled Gillywater. I bought one for Luna, and she cracked open the top and took a drink, smiling at me as she did so.

"Thank you. It was nice of you to do that." Nodded Luna.

"I figured it would be a nice gesture. After all, if Fortuna says we're going to be the best of friends, who am I to argue?" I shrugged.

"What are Wrackspurts? You've mentioned them twice now, but I can't remember reading about them." Queried Hermione.

"They're tiny, invisible creatures who fly into people's brains and make them all fuzzy. Sugar attracts them, on account of their being similar to Muggle Hummingbirds. That's why you shouldn't indulge in too many sweets. Why do you think people who eat so many sweets tend to be unfocused and hyperactive? It's the Wrackspurts messing with their minds." Informed Luna.

"That doesn't sound right. We've known about sugar rushes for years." Frowned Hermione.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, 'Mione. Luna probably got that information from her father. Xenophilius Lovegood is a well-known eccentric, after all." I opined.

"What you call eccentric, some call truthful." Insisted Luna.

"Sometimes, I suppose. After all, the Quibbler does occasionally have insight into real problems." I allowed.

"Daddy prints things the Ministry doesn't want the average Witch or Wizard to know." Nodded Luna.

And with that, the three of us spent some time chatting, finishing our drinks, and just generally getting to know Luna. Apparently, she had something of a knack for Enchanting, along with being a Seer, though she wasn't great at Herbology or Potions. That was fine by me, however, since with our Cross-House Study Group, we could get her up to snuff in both subjects in no time. I'm sure Neville would be glad to have someone to share his vast knowledge of Herbology with who hadn't gotten tired of the way he taught. I liked the guy. He was a good friend, but Neville tended to go off on tangents in the middle of explaining a subject. Interesting tangents, mind you, but still tangents that were only slightly related to what we'd asked about. It was to the point that I suspected he might have a Wizarding form of untreated ADD, but then, I also suspected that tangents wouldn't bother Luna at all.

As we chatted, however, Daphne, Tracey, and Millie made their way over. This started a new round of introductions, during which Susan and Hannah arrived, starting the whole process over again. Just as we'd finished that, Terry arrived, though thankfully, he was just one guy. Apparently, he'd spent most of the Summer with his friend, Anthony Goldstein, at a Junior Duelist's Camp out in the Cotswolds. I recalled that Anthony knew quite a bit about dueling and couldn't help but grin at that. It was likely that the two would have helped each other grow in that regard over the summer. Between Terry and Draco, both doing intensive training, it seemed that I might actually have a bit of a challenge when it came to duels this year. I couldn't wait. I nodded at Terry when he mentioned what he and Anthony had been up to over the Summer.

"Looking to take the top spot as King of Duelists for our year, eh?" I asked.

"Definitely, Mate. You'd better watch out, 'cause I learned a bunch of new tricks over the summer." Confirmed Terry.

"I'm looking forward to it, Mate." I grinned, engaging Terry in a friendly staredown.

"Boys." Sighed Daphne, rolling her eyes.

"Do they do this often?" Questioned Luna.

"It's an on and off thing." Admitted Hermione.

"I dunno, it's kind of Cute how they're all competitive." Giggled Tracey.

"It does have a bit of a bonny quality to it, aye." Agreed Susan.

"You just like to see Blaise in action." Scoffed Millie.

"And you don't?" Queried Hannah.

"That's different." Protested Millie, a blush on her face.

"Is it though?" Asked Hermione.

"Oh, come off it, you two. It isn't like we haven't all had those thoughts at one time or another." Intoned Hermione, a blush on her face.

"Indeed, though I suspect some of us have had those thoughts about multiple boys." Nodded Daphne.

"Harry." Concurred Hannah.

"Neville." Responded Susan.

"Ron." Offered Tracey.

"Really, Tracey? Ron Weasley?" Questioned Millie, scandalized.

"Ron can be nice. Plus, he's athletic." Defended Tracey.

"Who's Ron, and why is he bad for this?" Queried Luna.

"Do you girls mind? Terry and I are trying to have a male bonding moment, you know!" I grumbled before any of the girls could answer Luna. Honestly, their conversation had pretty much ruined my macho staredown with Terry.

"Just leave it, Mate. We're outnumbered here." Sighed Terry, giving up the ghost.

That caused the girls to all giggle in unison, but thankfully also brought about a change of subject. I guess I was going to have to get used to getting caught on the periphery of Girl Talk from time to time with so many female friends. Honestly, with just me, Harry, Terry, Ron, and Neville versus Millie, Daphne, Tracey, Hannah, Susan, Padma, Parvati, and now Luna, we were outnumbered by three. It was just something that was going to happen every now and again. Maybe we ought to think about adding more guys to the group? Terry's Mate Anthony, maybe? Or possibly Ernie MacMillan from Hufflepuff? He seemed fairly friendly, after all, and I knew he was a decent hand at Charms and Potions. It was something to think about, anyway. Regardless, the topic soon switched to everyone's summer.

It seemed that while I was off adventuring in the Malltraeth Marsh, Hermione was on vacation on the Continent, and Terry was at Junior Duelist's Camp in the Cotswolds, only Millie had anything similarly interesting to share. She had apparently gone with her Grandad on a hunting expedition to deal with an infestation of Streelers on Guernsey. Apparently, the Magical Duke of the Channel Isles was a school friend of her Grandad's, and he had called for his help because Millie's Grandad owed him a favor for something that had gone down a few years back. Millie had tagged along and learned a few things about Streelers, how to kill them quickly and efficiently, about their venom, and even about the Magical Channel Isles.

"Their primary export to the continent is Herbology-Related Potions Supplies. They're south enough that they can grow some of the more specialist plants in larger numbers than you could in a greenhouse. The Duke of the Magical Channel Isles has ten acres out in the countryside of Guernsey, and more on Sark that grow all kinds of things, plus there's aquatic plants as well, like Gillyweed, farmed on parts of the coast. The streelers were cocking all that up." Explained Millie.

"So, how did you deal with them?" Asked Terry.

"There's a few ways. Salt is the easiest, but that also wrecks the fields." Remarked Hermione.

"Which is why we didn't use it." Nodded Millie.

"So what did you use?" Questioned Daphne.

"A dehydration curse, Torreo Corpus. Streelers are fairly vulnerable to those sorts of things." Informed Millie.

"That doesn't leave a whole lot of venom behind." Pointed out Hannah.

"Aye, you'd think you would've tried something else 'cause of that." Affirmed Susan.

"Trust me, there were enough streelers that we were able to get enough Venom even using the Curse. They were all over the Island." Intoned Millie.

"The poor things." Frowned Luna.

"They're snails, Luna." Reminded Tracey.

"I wonder why they were on the island?" I queried.

"It's 'cause of the Great Migration." Came Neville's Voice from behind us.

We turned to see Neville walking up alongside Padma and Parvati Patil. They must have just arrived. I noticed that although Platform Nine and Three Quarters had been full before, it was positively packed now. Apparently, we'd been standing around and chatting for long enough that most of the people taking the Hogwarts Express to School had arrived. I scanned the platform for any sign of messy, black hair and a lightning bolt-shaped Curse Scar, but didn't see any sign of Harry. Looking about, I noticed several bouts of bright red hair denoting Weasley's, but no Ron either. Had they been barred from the Platform by Dobby this time around, too? It would make sense. I wasn't too worried, though. I knew they'd just take Arthur Weasley's flying Ford Anglia to Hogwarts instead. Turning back to Neville, Parvati, and Padma, I nodded at the trio of approaching friends.

"Nev, Parvati, Padma." I greeted.

"What's this I hear about you gallavanting off to Wales and almost getting yourself killed?" Asked Padma, an expression that could only be described as a Look etched across her face.

"Padma was worried about you for the last week, ever since Daphne mentioned it to her. She was wondering if you were all right." Clarified Parvati.

"I'm fine. Really." I insisted.

"I tried to tell her that, but Padma didn't want to wait till we were on the train to talk to you." Shrugged Neville.

"We're already planning our revenge for him worrying us like that." Offered Hermione.

"If you want in, let us know." Intoned Daphne.

"Hey, look! It's Luna!" I blurted out, swiftly changing the subject and therefore continuing to kick the can down the road as more introductions were made between Luna and my friend group. The Girls' revenge for me going on a Summer adventure without telling them would be a problem for Future Blaise, accordingly.

By this point, however, people were starting to board the Hogwarts Express, and we would have to hurry to get cabins next to each other, which could fit us all. I bought one last round of drinks for everyone, which went into my Mokeskin Pouch for the train, and we all hustled over to board the express. Thankfully, we managed to get a row of adjacent cabins, though unfortunately, the ones we were able to get were close enough to the ones Malfoy's little clique were using that we could expect a visit from them to annoy us at some point on the trip. Fortunately, he wouldn't do anything serious, as we still had a few days left on the terms of our wager. Magically binding terms which ought to prevent Draco Malfoy from bothering my friends and I too badly, else he risked losing his magic.

Once we were all settled in, I flagged down Neville and got him to tell us all about what he'd meant when he mentioned the Great Migration. It turned out that it had to do not with Streelers directly, but instead with Merfolk. Apparently, the Merfolk of the Southern part of the North Sea tended to migrate out into the North Atlantic once every decade, which meant that there had been a great horde of them moving west through the English Channel over the Summer. Streelers, being both aquatic by nature as well as a Merfolk delicacy, as the Merfolk were one of the very few known species who were Immune to Streeler Venom, tended to move out of the way of the Merfolk's Great Migration, accordingly. It had resulted in a great swathe of the venomous, color-changing, magical snails literally going to ground.

"Normally, they tend to move to larger places than the Channel Islands, though. Usually Dorset or Hampshire. They even avoid the Isle of Wight normally." Mused Neville.

"Why is that, I wonder?" Questioned Padma.

"Probably because of what my Grandad and I did over the summer." Scoffed Millie.

"It makes sense. Too many Streelers in one small area makes for an epidemic. Then they get caught up in a hunt." Nodded Hermione.

"Aye. There's plenty of stories about local Beasts getting together in one place for long enough to exhaust food supplies. They tend to go radge on any poor Witch or Wizard in the area then." Agreed Susan.

"That's why we have hunts in the first place, after all." Sniffed Daphne.

"Well, that and to keep the Muggles unaware." Pointed out Terry.

"Statute of Secrecy and all that." Confirmed Tracey.

"Still, there has to be a better way to manage it all. I don't like the idea of just killing a bunch of beasts who were just trying to eat." Opined Luna.

"That's just how life works, Luna." Remarked Parvati.

"What I want to know is what that migration of Merfolk is all about. I know they farm, so it can't be following herds or anything, right?" I asked.

"There's a bunch of theories, but no one knows for sure. The Merfolk don't tend to talk about it to outsiders." Shrugged Neville.

"Weird. Maybe it's a religious thing." I mused.

"Who knows?" Shrugged Millie.

"Aye, Merfolk may be more like Wizards than some Magical Beings, but they're still Humanoids, not Humans." Pointed out Susan.

"What does that mean?" Questioned Hermione.

"It means they don't think like us." Answered Daphne.

"At least not completely, anyway." Agreed Tracey.

"I've been told I don't think like a normal Witch either. Perhaps I'm a Mermaid who learned to walk?" Queried Luna.

"I don't think they meant it like that, Luna." I offered.

"Didn't I read somewhere that Merfolk claim to be the descendants of the survivors of Atlantis? Ones who were changed by the Magic that sank the city?" Asked Padma.

"You did. That's a good point. It could be something to do with Atlantis." Offered Parvati.

"Seems like it fits, anyway." Agreed Hannah.

Soon enough, however, the call came in for everyone to board, as the train was about to leave. With no sign of Harry or Ron, I realized that yes, Dobby must have prevented them from boarding the Hogwarts Express this time around, too. It seemed they would have to take Arthur Weasley's Flying Ford Anglia to school this time around as well, just as they had in the Books. That didn't stop the others from worrying over the issue, though, nor did it stop Draco from coming over to gloat about Harry and Ron missing the train. Of course, I knew that they would show up, but the Meta-lock on my Metaknowledge prevented me from sharing that information with everyone. Instead, all I could offer was platitudes, which would only prove to be more than that after the fact, when Harry and Ron were inevitably escorted into the Great Hall partway through the Sorting later in the evening.

One other thing that Draco said, however, was aimed at me in particular, and that got my blood up more than snide remarks about Harry and Ron missing the Hogwarts Express or veiled insinuations that just barely skirted the boundaries of the terms of our magic-enforced wager that suggested Harry and Ron may just not have qualified as Wizards for continued education at Hogwarts. Draco turned to me before he finished with his little show of force and sneered at me.

"I do hope you're ready, Zabini. When the terms of our Wager run out in a few days, I will demand a rematch." He Intoned.

"Been practicing, have you, Malfoy?" I crawled.

"More than you could possibly imagine. When the time comes, I will show you no mercy in the Pit." Smirked Malfoy.

"The feeling and sentiment are both mutual, Malfoy. Somehow, though, I don't think you'll be as up to the task as you think." I taunted.

"We'll just see about that, then, won't we?" Sneered Malfoy.

"I suppose we will." I concurred.

"Until then. Crabbe, Goyle, we're leaving." Huffed Draco, spinning around on his heel and heading out, his two retainers following after him.

Part of me knew I should be worried. After all, I had foreseen that Draco had been tutored by Rittmaster Von Todesicht of the Freiburg Circle, one of the disciples of Aloysius Kemmler himself. A veritable terror of the Battlefields of the Necromancer's War and one of the few who had survived to the present day. There was no way that Draco hadn't picked up a whole host of nasty curses and tricks from Von Todesicht's training. However, another part of me, the part that held Ambition, one of the fundamental traits of my House, in high regard, also relished the challenge and knew the sort of plaudits I might get from vanquishing someone who had been taught by one of the feared Captains of the Freiburg Circle.

I wasn't sure which part of me I should heed more, Ambition or Caution, though I supposed it didn't matter either way. This duel rematch was going to happen regardless of my wants. It had to, after all. See, before I could deal with any Basilisks or Lockhart, Draco Malfoy's Grudge needed to be dealt with, and if at all possible, another year and a day of avoiding his schemes needed to be gained from a wager. I couldn't protect my friends and solve the Lockhart and Chamber problems while having to deal with Draco.

The split focus would only ensure that I failed to do so, after all. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. A lot of it was character interaction and a bit of worldbuilding, though we did get the introduction of Luna Lovegood as well. I know some of you were pretty anxious to see her make an appearance. This time around, with Hermione and Padma both friends in Ravenclaw, she's not going to get bullied by the upper years, at least not to the same extent as in Canon. She also has a bit of a soft spot for various Magical Beasts, as you can see here, though she's clearly still fairly loopy as well. Harry and Ron are also going to be taking the Flying Ford Anglia to Hogwarts this year too, thanks to Deus Ex House Elf via Dobby. Plus, a rematch with Draco has been set up for after the terms of their bet run out.

At any rate, the next chapter will go over the first night back at Hogwarts. Blaise will be meeting back up with Magnus Gamp during that time, and you'll get to hear all about his adventure in Magical New Orleans.

Stay tuned. . .