Chapter 8: Ferrets Not Allowed
"Maybe control your pet next time?" Violet asked, surprised expression morphing into a single raised eyebrow. She managed that with such ease it surprised Thomas.
"Will do." He replied, and she let go of Bran. The raven instantly scrambled away, pitch-black eyes wide open as he made tiny and confused noises. The bird took shelter in the sleeve of his owner's sweater, diving right in.
Regardless, Thomas ignored Bran's antics, opting to deal with that headache later. Instead, he turned his eyes back at Violet. She still knit her eyebrows together, arms crossed as if trying to look intimidating.
Of course, the image fell well short of its intended purpose. Those pouty lips and thin, willowy body wouldn't intimidate anyone. Even still, Violet stood committed to her pose.
'Some backbone on this one-' He couldn't help but note. 'Did the gender swap make Potter's life in the Dursleys easier or harder? Either way, I can't imagine it's been good.'
Her well-groomed locks of hair stood in sharp contrast to her clothing: an ugly and old-styled dress. The thing would look more at home in the 50s, with its patterned and desaturated flower designs.
Her posture remained guarded, sharp eyes locked onto him. Even though she had lowered her wand, she still held it - fingers tensed and poised for action. It was a reasonable reaction, all things told.
If he were to be chased by a rabid raven like Bran, Thomas would have the same reaction. 'I wonder what's the story behind that anyway. How did she become an animagus?'
He eyed her frail shoulders and thin legs. 'It must have something to do with her home life. Her magic could have done something in response to the Dursleys' neglect and disdain.'
Hermione stood at his side, oblivious to his thoughts and Violet's reservations. So, his sister merely walked into the compartment, looking confused. "Did you see another raven? I could swear-"
"She was it." Thomas interrupted, pointing one single finger at Violet. At Hermione's confused expression, he explained. "She's an animagus. A wizard or witch who can transform into their inner animal form."
Looking at Violet again - body frail and eyes guarded - he couldn't help but feel something slowly boil inside him. He did not know what it was, but it wasn't pleasant.
'Marked for death since birth.' And, of course, he couldn't forget about the lighting-shaped scar she bore on her forehead. Her black locks of hair hid it from view, but he knew it to be there.
The scar was a great sign and reminder of how her life would unfold - one tragedy after another. 'All the things in her life leading up to but one possible conclusion: to either defeat or die at the hands of Voldemort.'
'And if I change too many things about the canon, everything could derail. Violet Potter could be set off-course from her destiny, ultimately failing to defeat Voldemort.'
It was a valid concern to have. Thomas mulled over the possible implications of his actions, his mind going over everything he shouldn't change about canon- 'Yeah, that's not happening.' He immediately decided.
The car accident resurfaced in his memories - how abrupt and random it had been, all of his life plans thrown into the trash. 'Planning out the future is a fool's game. You can only prepare yourself.'
And perhaps he still had some handovers over from the incident. Just thinking about it made his blood boil. 'Fate can go fuck itself where the sun doesn't shine.'
He then took one cursory glance back at the corridor of the Hogwarts Express. In their mad scramble after Bran, he and Hermione left their trolley in the deposit area - which would then be taken to the luggage compartment by the train staff.
Now, they only had their rucksacks in hand, which kept one change of robes for the school uniform and a few books and snacks for the trip. 'Might as well stay in this coach. I can read a book on the way.'
A sharp gasp cut his thoughts in half, and Thomas almost winced at the sound. For some reason, he knew what was about to happen - taking one look to his side, he had his worst fears confirmed.
His sister had that crazed glint in her eyes, the same one she would have whenever she found something she didn't know. Realistically - in the original saga - her thirst for knowledge should have placed her in Ravenclaw.
Thomas could almost see the gears in her mind going into overdrive, eyes wide open. "You can turn- so you were the-! An animagus? I've never seen that term mentioned in any of our books before! I read all of them, of course."
'I can see why she had so much trouble making friends in the first book.' Thomas had to hold in his wry smile. The girl launched a full-on interrogation on a startled Violet Potter. The previous tension in the air all but disappeared.
While he could understand the reason his sister's attitude would annoy other kids, as an adult in all but body, he found it - at most - endearingly irritating. 'I'm sure she is going to outgrow it. Nothing a bit of socializing won't fix.'
Sitting down, Thomas put his rucksack to the side, ignoring Bran as he did so. The raven had peeked his head out from Thomas' sweater, staring up at his owner with baleful wide eyes - like a puppy, but not nearly as cute.
"Three months without those grapes you like." He finally declared, voice but a whisper as he gave the sentence. And Bran, somehow, understood - if one were to judge by his thousand-yard stare.
"Is that something you are born with- or- is it something you can become-" Hermione prattled on, bombarding Violet with questions as Thomas watched on from the sidelines.
The poor girl looked sick - her head couldn't deal with that much chatter. Deciding she had had enough, he intervened with a wry smile. "This is Hermione, my sister, and I'm Thomas. Pleased to meet you."
Instantly, Hermione's cheeks turned bright scarlet as she realized how rude she had been. Blushing a storm, she sat down - thoroughly admonished - to his left and on the opposite side of Violet. "Go- good to meet you."
Violet, too, seemed out of her depths but still replied. "Violet Potter… it's also good to meet you?" She almost asked, unsure of herself. Somehow, when faced with a friendly interaction, her previous spunk seemed to all but vanish into thin air.
'Holy sprouts, this is some awkward energy. And it will only get worse with puberty.' The scene reminded Thomas of too many high school memories he'd rather forget.
'The nights I lost thinking about that one time I-' He shook his head, refusing to dwell on that awkward period in his teens. 'I pity them. Being a teenager is a special kind of hell.'
'Not my hell, though.' He thought, thoroughly amused as he watched two awkward girls try and interact. 'This is comedy gold.'
As if on cue, the Hogwarts Express started moving at that exact moment. It rattled, steam billowing even higher, and only now did Thomas note the parents bidding goodbye outside.
The engines of the train whirred, and a high-pitched whistle sounded. Finally, it promptly left the station behind. And so, a grumbly raven, two awkward girls, and an amused boy departed to Hogwarts.
He couldn't wait to start his studies properly. Now, with no more distractions or overseeing parents- 'Wait- Distractions? In the books, didn't Malfoy and his cronies annoy Potter on the train?'
A hint of gelled-back light blonde hair peeked in from the corner of his vision. As if timed perfectly, the boy appeared in the corridor, Crabbe and Goyle right behind.
'Yup, not dealing with that headache.' Before Draco could notice that Violet Potter - the celebrity - was just to his right, Thomas took out his concealed wand.
Its energy thrummed as he touched it, running along his veins like a live current. The drumming once more echoed in his heart, quickening in intensity.
Just as Draco Malfoy turned around, Thomas cast his spell. 'Colloportus.' He imagined everything about the sliding door locking down - including, specifically, its curtain.
There was a low-sounding click, the door locking itself while its curtain fell, obstructing the view from outside. 'Chantless casting: the fruits of my toil. How good it feels when my efforts are rewarded.'
Even as he smiled to himself, he could feel slightly strained. His head felt stretched at the seams, a sudden urge to lay down and nap surging - but he resisted. 'Casting the Mending Charm earlier without chant took a lot from me.'
'Even if it was to organize some books in a trolley, the difficulty ramps up quite a bit. The spell words hold some power - they help structure the casting. How do they do that, though? I have no idea.'
'Thoughts for later.' He decided, eyeing in amusement as both Hermione and Violet noticed none of what had just transpired. 'They should thank me for saving them from such a headache.'
Thomas now had months of uninterrupted time that he could use to practice, study, and perfect his spell work. 'I have to reach- no, surpass the likes of Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, and Tom Riddle.'
'I won't settle for anything less.' Then, just as he started his light reading, a sudden thought struck him. 'Didn't I tell a former Death Eater to fuck off?'
'I mean, he could be just a blood-supremacist prick, but knowing my luck, I wouldn't bet on that. And the man had a son too, didn't he? Older than me, probably a Slytherin.'
'Eh- no need to worry. It isn't like a muggle-born is getting sorted into Slytherin any time soon. At least, not after the last fiasco.' He shrugged, thoughts going back to his dreams of grandeur. Dueling, fighting, and sublime spell work: he wanted it all.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
DiscountChangeling
DiscountChangeling A bit more on Thomas' thoughts - also first interaction with Violet. Next chapter is the sorting, probably... no promises.
Other than that, thanks so much for the Power Stones! This story doesn't even have enough words to appear in the ranking, but it really motivates me.
Also, thanks for the first review!
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