Kieran was standing in his bedroom, looking at the old nature themed posters.
He remembered getting them as a birthday gift for his fourth birthday, before he knew he was in the world of Harry Potter.
His parent’s clocked early on that he enjoyed nature and being outside.
Since he could not be outside all day, they brought nature inside for him in the form of nature posters.
In the corner was his bags filled with clothes and books and his second wand holster.
He on purpose acquired two wand holsters.
One inspired by Ellie Grode, attached to his side that can be hidden in a jacket when wearing muggle clothing.
The second holster specifically for use when wearing wizard robes, attached to his left arm, hidden within the sleeves of his robes.
At the window Silas was still sleeping, his dear screech owl.
And oh boy did Silas live up to the name of his species.
He kept screeching at everyone except Kieran.
Silas is at least slowly but surely growing used to my parents, it helps that they bring food offerings.
He glanced at the mirror, seeing his light blue eyes, his silver monocle covering his left eye.
His black hair long and ending in a ponytail.
He knew his choice of fashion was slightly eccentric, but he was a wizard, he was allowed a bit of eccentricity.
He was fit for his age, the daily running with his mum paying off.
It was heavily necessary when he duelled Mr.
Craig, allowing him to not run out of breath as he manipulated Mr.
Craig in a half circle across the room, like a human chess game.
He smiled to himself as he remembered the hefty bribe of magical candy he got from Mr.
Craig, in exchange for staying silent about actually managing to disarm him.
Aunt Abi would have infinite teasing material against Mr.
Craig, but the magical candy won, always.
Kieran was big on integrity; once he had been bribed, he stayed bribed.
Tomorrow I am heading to Hogwarts.
It feels surreal despite all the preparations.
I wonder what house I end up with.
Would definitely make my time at Hogwarts interesting to end up as a Slytherin.
I would be branded an instant enemy of the Golden Trio.
Ellie should be in her fifth year as a Gryffindor; I wonder if she will remember me.
A recalling of Mr.
Craig telling him of the student populace of Hogwarts made him think about the facts of his future school life.
Approximately seven hundred students in the school, that was on average 25 students per house, per year.
A class of 50 to teach per teacher, doable for a competent magical teacher.
As he thought about the number of students, he was reminded of one simple fact.
The books were largely from Harry’s point of view.
The only students introduced and noticed were the students Harry himself bothered to remember the names of or caught a glance at, which were mostly his own year and his own house and a few above his year.
Kieran tapped his chin.
The school is big, and the inside is bigger due to magic existing that can expand rooms.
A Great Hall with seven hundred students, that is going to be exciting to see, and I will be one of them.
He looked outside his window, seeing his meditation spot.
He had spent countless hours sitting under the wooden roof of his spot.
A spot just for him, created by his dad out of a desire to let his son stay outside even when it rains.
Tomorrow he would no longer start the day jogging with his mum.
Tomorrow he would no longer spend the mornings doing muggle studies.
Tomorrow he would no longer spend hours sitting in the garden practising his magic.
Tomorrow he was going to Hogwarts.
Tomorrow, the evening dinners with his parents and Aunt Abi, would be with his fellow students.
I am going to miss them, but I will do my best to make Hogwarts into my second home.
The last day home was a solemn affair.
His family was slowly realizing that after tomorrow, he would not be present at the breakfast table.
His mum would have to jog on her own.
His dad would not have his son waving at him as he drives to work.
Aunt Abi could no longer just apparate to the guest room to see her nephew.
He glanced over at Mr.
Craig, who was visiting too, having been invited by Aunt Abi, not that Kieran minded.
He liked Mr.
Craig, and he felt as a natural extension of the family.
For dinner, they had steak, something he usually only got on his birthday.
Kieran listened as Mr.
Craig complimented Kieran’s mum on the steak, with his mum accepting the compliment with the grace she applied to everything.
Dessert was originally going to be liquorice ice cream, but sadly his mum returned home saying the store was out of it.
Kieran accepted it, that could happen, the important part was spending the time with his family.
His surprise was therefore earned when it became time for dessert, and Aunt Abi waved her wand and used Accio to summon several tubs of liquorice ice cream, to Kieran and his parent’s surprise, and Mr.
Craig’s delight.
“I apparated across town until I found a shop that sold it,” his aunt said with a bashful smile.
Kieran smiled and walked up and hugged his aunt.
She went out of her way to find something she legitimately hated the taste of, just for him.
Aunt Abi ate the chocolate ice cream his mum originally had prepared, together with his dad, while Kieran, his mum and Mr.
Craig ate the liquorice ice cream.
Kieran smiling, enjoying the final evening with his family before everything would change.
Watching as Aunt Abi suspiciously confirmed with Mr.
Craig that he and Kieran’s last duel indeed ended in Kieran’s loss as usual.
Having already been bribed, Kieran backed Mr.
Craig up without hesitation.
After dessert, they all retreated to the living room and relaxed, enjoying watching some television.
Kieran squished between his mum and dad, with Aunt Abi and Mr.
Craig sitting on a chair each.
After a bit, Kieran looked up at his dad, getting an idea.
I wonder if I can overcome the wall before Hogwarts?
“Checkmate,” his dad said, as he wins, yet again.
Deciding to see if he could beat his dad at chess before Hogwarts, he challenged his dad and five games later, Kieran had to admit, it was not meant to be.
Kieran groaned at the small smug smirk of his dad.
“Another round son?” his dad teasingly asked.
“Just you wait dad! I will beat you at chess before fifth year at Hogwarts…no! Third year!” Kieran exclaimed, as he pointed dramatically at his dad, hearing his mum giggle from her cheering position to the right side of Kieran, followed by a scoff of laughter from Aunt Abi on the left side, with Mr.
Craig having left earlier because he needed to get up early the morning after.
“Hmm…third year the mighty challenger says, willing to bet?” his dad said with a big smile.
Kieran felt himself hesitate; his dad’s bets tend to be brutal.
“Is that hesitation? Where did my son’s bravado go?”
I know I am being baited, but I am not backing down! Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Hah! I can do any bet! When I inevitably win, you need to dye your hair blond for a month!” Kieran grinned, their bets are always innocent yet very costly for one’s dignity.
He suppressed a small shudder where his dad, last time he won a bet, insisted he accompanied his aunt and mum on an all-day shopping trip, they had him try on everything, while his dad just relaxed at home!
His dad winced.
“Son, you know that colour does not look good on me… Fine, but when I inevitably win, I get to see how you look like as a short haired boy, and no using magic to grow it back until at least after two weeks,” his dad said with a smirk, while his mum leaned in excited, having failed for years to convince her son to try short hair.
Something Kieran had been proud of avoiding.
Kieran winced, that is so brutal, I love my hair… “Deal!”
They shook hands, bet made, both parties looking forward to winning, or just avoiding a loss.
…
Kieran lay on his bed with his hands behind his head, looking up towards the ceiling that was covered in shining stars.
He always before bed drained his magic reserves, he had done so for six years.
The stars were small 3D illusions, each glowing with a slightly different colour in a canvas of the blackest night.
When he would wake up tomorrow, he and his family would be driving to Kings Cross in London.
They could take the floo network, but on an unspoken agreement they all agreed on the car.
It would be the last outing as a family before Kieran was dropped off at the Hogwarts Train and they drove back home without him.
He knew they were going to miss him as much, maybe even more so than he would miss them.
He would after all be surrounded by new things, new impressions, new people.
For his parents and aunt, it would be the same environment, just one without Kieran.
Trying to get away from the melancholy thoughts he had being having a tendency for the entire day; he tried to focus on how his next month would be like.
He would board the iconic red train, would likely meet some fellow first years, doing his best at remembering their names.
He would purposefully avoid the compartment of Harry Potter, not wanting to interfere with the meeting of him and Ron Weasley.
He would get to see Hogwarts for the first time.
He would meet all the people that he, until then, only knew as characters.
They were real people, with real lives, with real emotions and thoughts.
Just like him.
He remembered the various possible robes, red with golden trims for Gryffindor, green with silver trim for Slytherin, yellow with black trim for Hufflepuff and finally blue with bronze trim for Ravenclaw.
He wondered which colours he would wear.
He needed to figure out the first prank of The Hidden Prankster too, nothing too extreme, he just needed to establish himself.
Looking at a green glinting star above him, he felt his reserves nearing their end.
His illusions still running and draining his magical reserves.
The green reminded him of Snape, and Kieran’s awful affinity for Potions, he could barely stay awake when reading the books.
I will need to find a way to create an arrangement with others from my year that is good at Potions, otherwise I will fail that class.
He recalled the troll, Fluffy, The Philosophers Stone, Quirrel having Lord Voldemort on the back of his head inside his turban.
Those are not my problem.
I am just a normal first year.
I just need to stay the course and focus on my own magical education.
He fully intended to explore Hogwarts to his hearts content, obviously avoiding the third-floor corridor at the right-hand side, at least for the first year.
He wanted to find the Room of Requirements, the kitchen with the house elves, maybe he could even find a way to enter the dorm rooms of all houses.
He wanted to see it all, talk with all the magical paintings, the ghosts.
By the time he was done, no one in Hogwarts would be just a character from a book, they would be someone he had met and talked to.
One individual at a time.
He saw the illusionary stars above him fade as he felt his magical reserves empty, and he started to close his eyes.
Draining the magical reserves was the best and most effective form of falling asleep.
He drifted off with one final thought.
…Tomorrow I start school as a wizard…
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