I boarded the train with my trunk floating behind me, enchanted by a levitation spell my grandfather had disguised with a simple flick. The interior of the Hogwarts Express was warm and noisy — a mix of excited voices, laughter, and the muffled sound of wheels screeching along the tracks as the train prepared to depart.
I walked down the narrow corridors, passing by packed compartments. I saw students trading chocolate frog cards, others already dressed in their school robes, and even a few practicing spells on pet rats under the watchful eye of a prefect.
Every compartment seemed full — until, finally, I spotted one ahead with just a single boy sitting by the window.
I gently slid the door open.
"Can I sit here ?" I asked with a restrained smile.
The boy looked up quickly. He had slightly wavy black hair, pale skin, and vivid green eyes. He seemed my age, maybe carrying the same feeling of being slightly out of place. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure... go ahead."
I pulled my trunk in, locked the door with a simple spell — "Colloportus," as my grandfather had taught me — and settled into the seat across from him.
Silence lasted for a few seconds. The train gave a lurch and then began to move, slowly at first, then faster, until the platform faded behind us.
"I'm Aurelius," I said at last, extending a hand.
The boy looked at me and shook it with a light, shy, but sincere smile.
"Lucian."
"Nice to meet you, Lucian."
His name echoed in my mind for a moment, but nothing immediately surfaced. He seemed… normal. Reserved. But something in his posture, his alert eyes, and the careful way he spoke revealed there was more beneath the surface.
We talked for a few minutes about simple things. Which house we thought we'd end up in, what kind of magic interested us most, and whether either of us had ever flown on a broomstick.
Lucian seemed more at ease as time passed. He had a curious way of expressing himself, like he was discovering the world for the first time.
"Did you grow up with wizards ?" he asked, gazing out the window.
"Yes. My grandfather raised me," I replied. "And you ?"
Lucian hesitated for a moment, fingers tapping on his knee.
"I grew up in an orphanage. I never thought I was a wizard. I always thought I was… weird, but not magical."
"How did you find out ?"
He looked away for a moment, as if reliving the scene.
"One day, a man showed up. Tall, pale, dark eyes. He spoke coldly, but… he wasn't cruel. He introduced himself as Professor Snape. Said he worked at a special school. Gave me the letter."
"Snape ?" I repeated, surprised. "He came to you personally ?"
Lucian nodded. "Yeah. Said it was important. That there was something in me that needed to be nurtured… or contained. I didn't really understand at the time. But he told me I'd finally have a place. That I belonged somewhere."
His tone wasn't sad. It was steady, calm. Like someone who had made peace with the broken parts of himself.
"And now you're going to Hogwarts," I commented. "Isn't it strange to think about? How much life can change in such a short time?"
Lucian smiled. A small, but real smile.
"It is strange. But… good. For the first time, I'm excited about what's ahead."
We sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the landscape roll by the window. The sky was blue, clouds racing over green fields.
As the train sped through the English countryside, the comfortable silence remained for several minutes. Only the rhythmic sound of wheels on rails filled the space between words. Lucian watched the scenery through the window, eyes fixed on something beyond what was visible.
"You seem like someone who thinks too much," I said, half-laughing. "Trying to predict what'll happen when we get there ?"
He turned from the window and gave me that subtle, contained smile I was already beginning to recognize as his trademark.
"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just waiting for this train to derail so we have to fight a mountain lion before even getting to the castle."
I laughed. "You have a dark imagination."
"It's one way to prepare for the worst," he replied with a shrug. "If you expect chaos… anything less is a relief."
There was something in the way he said it that rang truer than just a joke. A quiet weight, but not oppressive. Lucian didn't seem to carry self-pity — just… realism.
"Have you always been like that ?" I asked, curious.
"Like what ?" he answered, not defensively.
"Calm. Reserved. Kind of… strategic."
He gave a soft chuckle. "Most of the time, yeah. In the orphanage, if you talk too much, you're a target. If you talk too little, same thing. I learned to listen more than speak. And to understand people before trusting them."
I nodded slowly, respecting his space. "Makes sense. And now, going to a school full of loud teenagers and mysterious teachers… you must be thrilled just thinking about the social chaos."
He finally let out a freer laugh. "Honestly, I'm curious to see how it goes. I've never been around so many people who are… the same. Like, everyone there is a wizard, right ? No one's going to call me a freak for making a lamp explode without touching it."
"Or for making a rat float," I added. "Happened to me when I was five. The thing flew down the hallway for three minutes. Korvus nearly had a heart attack."
"Korvus ?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Our house-elf," I replied, smiling. "He's a bit dramatic, but he makes the best apple pies on the planet."
"Sounds like someone I'd like to meet."
"You probably will — he'll try to stuff you with food until you implode."
Lucian smiled. This time, longer. "You know… it's weird. I thought this train ride would be just another journey. But you… you're not the kind of person you meet by chance."
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Are you analyzing me, Lucian ?"
"Of course I am. That's what I do," he said, leaning back in his seat. "You introduce yourself as Aurelius — strong, classical name. You speak clearly, seem like you were raised by someone with old-fashioned and high standards… and you use minor spells without blinking, like they're second nature. But your posture shows you don't like seeming arrogant. That intrigues me."
I stayed silent for a moment, somewhere between surprised and impressed.
"And you ?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I think you hide behind your silence. But you hear everything. Think about everything. You seem like someone who's two steps ahead of most… but doesn't want anyone to notice."
Lucian stared at me for a few seconds. Then he smiled — truly, openly, the first genuine smile I'd seen from him since I entered the compartment.
"Maybe you're not someone met by chance either."
That strange feeling of familiarity washed over me again. Like we'd been placed in the same compartment for more than coincidence.
"It's going to be a long journey, huh ?" I said, looking out the window. The sky was already starting to change color, signaling that evening was near.
"Yeah. But now… it feels like it'll be a good one."
The train slowed, gently rocking before coming to a full stop.
"We've arrived," I murmured, standing and grabbing my trunk.
Lucian stood beside me, eyes curious at the movement.
The doors opened, and the cold night air swept into the corridors. The sky was overcast with clouds, and a light mist rose from the ground, wrapping the Hogsmeade platform in a silvery veil. Floating lanterns hovered around, lighting the path of uneven stones.
Then a booming voice cut through the air:
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here !"
A huge man with wild hair and beard and a warm smile waved a lantern. His name rippled in excited whispers: Hagrid.
Lucian and I exchanged a glance before joining the group. We followed a narrow, damp path until we reached a small dock on the edge of a lake as black as obsidian. The waters were calm, reflecting the stars beginning to peek through the clouds.
"Four to a boat !" Hagrid called.
We got in the same boat. Lucian beside me; in front, two girls too busy looking around to speak much.
When the boats began to move on their own, I looked up.
That's when I saw it.
Hogwarts.
The school stood atop the cliffs, imposing, ancient, and alive. Tall towers pierced the night sky, windows glowed like watchful eyes, and the torchlight reflected off the lake's surface.
"Wow…" Lucian whispered, and for the first time, I saw him truly in awe.
The approach to the castle was silent, reverent. When the boats docked under a stone archway, we climbed a staircase and were led to a wide antechamber where we waited for the call to the Great Hall.
The doors opened slowly.
The Great Hall was even more majestic than the books described. Floating candles, a ceiling enchanted to reflect the starry sky, four long tables full of uniformed students, and at the front, the staff table — and at its center, him.
Albus Dumbledore.
His blue eyes sparkled behind half-moon glasses. And the moment we entered, his gaze fixed on me… and Lucian.
It was as if he were reading invisible pages.
Lucian paused for a second, as if he felt it too. I exchanged a brief look with him. The air felt heavier, like something ancient was about to begin.
"When your name is called, come forward and sit on the stool. The Sorting Hat will decide your house," announced Professor Minerva McGonagall.
The names began to be called.
Each student walked up to the stool, the Hat was placed on their head, and soon after came the decision.
"Abbott, Florence !"
"Hufflepuff !"
"Carmichael, Hugo !"
"Ravenclaw !"
When the name "Slytherin, Lucian" was said, the whole hall held its breath.
Silence.
A chill swept through the room.
Lucian took a deep breath and walked calmly to the stool. When the Hat touched his head, he barely had time to sit.
"Slytherin !" the Hat boomed loudly, as if it had always known.
The Slytherin table exploded in thunderous cheers, clapping and pounding the table, but part of the hall still stared in shock. Slytherin, a Slytherin… in Slytherin.
There was something too symbolic about it. But Lucian just walked to the table serenely, as if he'd expected it.
"Gryffindor, Aurelius !"
My name echoed through the hall, and silence fell again.
I felt all eyes on me.
I swallowed hard, walked to the stool, and sat.
The Hat dropped over my eyes, blocking my vision.
And then, an ancient, whispering voice echoed in my mind.
'Ah… interesting. Very interesting.'
'First a Slytherin, now a Gryffindor ! It's been a long time since I've seen one — I hope you bring some order to that house.'
'Uh… what ?' I thought, a bit uncomfortable.
'You're clever, very clever. Ravenclaw would welcome you with honor. You have ambition too… and the power to achieve it. Slytherin would be natural. But…'
'But ?' I asked, trying to hide my anxiety.
'But your heart… is fiery. Proud, impulsive, brave… and just. Like a true Gryffindor.'
'My grandfather trained me to be the best. I'm not afraid. Not of what's coming, not of what I left behind. I want to build something… that goes beyond the name I carry.'
The Hat seemed to laugh, a low chuckle like distant thunder.
'Then you've already chosen, haven't you ? You chose the fire. And it has chosen you too.'
"GRYFFINDOR !"
The word echoed like a roar, and the Gryffindor table erupted in applause and cheers so loud I thought the windows might shatter.
I stood, my heart pounding like war drums.
I walked to my new house, but before sitting, I glanced at the Slytherin table. Lucian was watching me — not with surprise or envy. Just with that calm, attentive look… and a slight nod.
I nodded back.