1 Chapter 1

'Oww.'

My first thought as I slowly drift awake is why was my head hurting as much as it was this early in the morning? Or afternoon? Honestly it could be either. I tend to be quite the night owl and usually on my days off I sleep in quite late.

But back to the pain. That's not normal. One would think maybe hang over but I am not a drinker in any sense of the word. Never have been never will be. The thought of consuming something that could affect my judgement in any way just puts me right off. No thank you.

But then why the pain?

Coming to the view of the ceiling that I would expect to see was not what I was now seeing. No what I was seeing was the underside of what looked to be a bunk bed. A small one at that.

'What?'

Then came the memories.

And the knowledge.

So much knowledge that I think I blacked out because when I opened my eyes next it was to the sound of knocking on the door to the room I was in and the light further up the wall next to it coming in from the window.

'Well shit..'

Mixed feelings were now running through my head with the pain lessening by the second. It would seem that someone or something out there decided to listen to my recent thoughts.

You see, I tend to day dream a lot.

My life would not be something one would consider to be all that exciting. It's honestly a pretty normal life all things considered. Not too bad, or good. Last of four siblings, able to get away with some things but not allowed to do too much growing up. Socially awkward due to many things, some mental disabilities among them. But at the end of the day I had family there for me that loved me.

Not everyone could say the same.

But with that said, it was boring. Doing the same things day in and day out. Wake up, bathroom, eat, work, eat, go home and do some reading or play a game for a bit, bathroom again, sleep, repeat.

And then there was the absolute shit going down in general in the world.

So much hate, suffering, judgement and wars going on in the other parts of the world, not to mention the whole shit show with Covid. The less said about that last one the better.

Most of my free time, especially lately, has been spent just thinking about how much better things would be if the world wasn't the way it currently was. Or more specifically, and selfishly, if I didn't have to deal with any of it.

If only I could live a different, better, life. One with Adventure. Excitement. Fantasy. Power.

I'm a little ashamed to admit that there have been some times recently where I thought about what my life would be like if I was whisked away from this world, to a different one. One where I had the choice to do whatever the hell I wanted. To be FREE. Truely free. Even if that meant going through others to do it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a violent or hateful person. Nor do I think myself above anyone else in that everyone should have a choice to be whoever they want to. Regardless of race, sex, orientation. Anything as long as it's not forced on others.

But sometimes you just want to dream about better things for yourself, regardless of anyone else's opinions.

That brings things to the crux of the current situation I am finding myself in.

I recently started really getting into finding and filling out CYOAs. That would be Choose Your Own Adventure. Specifically interactive ones that make keeping track of your choices easier.

And last night I came across one involving one of my favorite settings.

Harry Potter.

Now not even going into the controversies and it's creator's opinions and statements. The world itself is just fantastic. A world of magic and wonder, with a story that baring some personal nit picks is pretty darn perfect, I'm looking at you RonxHermione, and this particular CYOA just had so many options for you to pick and choose with.

So as it's been the usual as of late, I took some time and slapped out a build that I could almost see playing out in my mind. Something that I could use to just escape from the monotony of my day to day living for a day or two.

Finishing my 'build' and setting it aside in case I decided to alter a few things here and there at a later time, I started to wind down and go to sleep.

And I certainly didn't expect anything to be different when I woke up the next day.

'Well as the great Doakes would say. Surprise MotherFucker!'

It would seem that someone or some 'thing' saw my choices as something to make true. And the bigger part of me was jumping up and down in joy at this opportunity that has been given to me.

That brings things to my current situation. That being the door to my room opening to let two women enter. One I knew very little about, and another that I did. Those being what could kindly be described as a more then slightly religious lady in charge of the orphanage I was apparently now living in, and another that would be almost instantly recognized as either a very well known celebrity or very well known fictional character. And I very much doubt it was Maggie Smith doing a random cosplay for a random orphan.

No I'm quite sure it is Minerva McGonagall the badass, sending Snape a packing, witch herself. Though I admit to being slightly surprised at just how young, but yet still physically similar to her actress, she looked. They weren't kidding about Witches and Wizards living much longer then Muggles.

And what oh what was that I saw she was holding in her hand?

A wand?

One might think, but no.

A letter, and not just any letter, a letter just about anyone would recognize and apparently for me as she slowly walked up to my sitting form and held it out to me.

Mr. Jacob E. Harris

Guess that's my name now? Could be worse I suppose. Although something was niggling in the back of my thoughts about it but before I could be distracted McGonagall spoke up.

"Mr. Harris?" The deputy head mistress calmly spoke to me.

With a small nod and a slight hesitant look to my eyes I reply a small "yes?"

"Please take a moment to read this letter, and when you have finished, if you have any questions let me know."

"Ok?" I reply continuing to give the impression I don't already know everything about what is in said letter.

As she steps back to continue a previous conversation with the matron of the orphanage, I give a quick skim through the parchments and find exactly what I expect to.

An invitation to a world of Magic.

'Well shit, let's do this. I got me some phenomenal cosmic power to start learning, so let's get this show on the road.' Without wasting much time I turn back to Ms. Mc G.

"Magic? Is this a joke or something?" I ask with a bit of skepticism projected to my tone. Can't just be like, Magic? Okay, lets bounce. Gotta play the part of a muggleborn who doesn't know anything about anything of this new world that's coming for me.

"Would a demonstration suffice?" She calmly responds as with a flick of a suddenly appearing piece of wood my, admittedly shoddy, end table is warped into a pig.

I give a moment to show a bit of shock as I slowly nod. "Yeah, that'll do it."

"Splendid. Come along, let's not waste much time. I have quite a few more prospective students to collect later today." She tells me as she turns around to leave the room. "Get ready and meet me quickly at the front doors please."

It doesn't take me long to throw on some worn clothes and rush through my morning tasks before heading to the entrance of the building. Coming up to the previous two women talking about some things while waiting for me to get ready.

Though if I hear things right McGonagall is inquiring about my parents?

"Is there anything known about his mother and father?" She asks Ms. Simmons, the head matron.

"If I remember the records right there wasn't anything about a father, but the mother died shortly after giving birth from some kind of animal attack?" She gives a small shudder as I slow and listen behind a corner.

"It was quite the awful thing I recall, really the reason I remember so well. And such a miracle that young Jacob even survived." She continues. "Even then, the hospital had to deliver him early due to all the wounds that poor woman suffered and she only lasted long enough to give him his name before she passed. Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing." McGonagall responds distractedly. "Just a remarkable resemblance to a former student of mine. Though I'm sure I must be mistaken in the thought."

"The father?"

McGonagall gives what can only be described as a look of sadness. "I can only hope not."

The look of confusion that passes the Matrons face, and most certainly her thoughts, are not resolved as I figure waiting any longer to be unwise.

Coming around the corner halts any further conversation as McGonagall leads me out the front doors.

d(^.^ )

I have to say, Diagon Alley got old pretty quick all things considered.

You wouldn't think it but after a few minutes it just boiled down to being a busy street.

Oh sure, some things here and there drew your attention with a snap and pop but contrary to what is shown in the first movie, the witches and wizards there weren't jumping around the front of every store with a look omg on their face about everything they were seeing.

To most people it was just another Tuesday. Was it even Tuesday?

Anyways McGonagall just had that presence to her as without even trying, just walking down the street almost everyone quickly stepped out of her way as she passed and honestly. I get it. She certainly has that no nonsense look and feel down pat after all the years shes been teaching.

And I'm sure just about everyone here today still remembers her pointed looks and slight scowl if it was ever directed at them.

Following behind her as we walk she continues to inform me about where we are heading and what we are going to get and how we are going to do it all as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As I said, no nonsense.

Entering Gringotts to get some gold I get a good look at my first magical being of this world and I have to say.

'They certainly look like they got beat with the ugly stick.'

Goblins in this world are apparently a warrior race, as the fanon would depict, and took everything seriously. Even that whole 'May your gold continue to grow' and shit. Though they said it with a type of mocking to any non goblin as if they only do it out of habit. And if someone says something similar back to them they just give a sneer and a look as if you are just wasting their time.

'They're polite like that...' Input heavy sarcasm I think.

Thankfully the lines were short and the ride quick cause we were soon out of the bank and onward to do some shopping.

And it seems McGonagall does this as a team effort as she sends me off to get my robes fitted as she gets some of the other shopping out of the way. Multitasking for the win!

In almost no time at all almost everything is accounted for except for a few things.

Which leads to me standing in a small store filled with boxes as McGonagall heads off to finish the last of the list.

'Time to get me a wand!' I giddily think to myself as I rush, I mean, calmly walk up to the counter to get some service.

"Ah, another yo.." A man who I could only assume as being Mr. Ollivander comes around a shelf, starts to say, before the whole shop seems to creek and groan. With a whoosh sound, a bunch of boxes shoot out of one of the shelves as, with a shocked gasp, my hand jumps up to stop what can only be my wand from stabbing me in the face. That could have been awkward.

A loud slap sounds out as a bunch of distortions warble around my hand as a feeling of utter completeness fills my soul.

Words can not describe the feeling that courses through me as a wind picks up and the shelves start to rattle and I'm shamed to admit I lost all meaning of time as I come back to the look of a shit ton of boxes and wands scattered all over the floor and a blank look on a man just staring right at me.

I give a slight cough as I try to play off the entire thing. "So uh, 7 galleons right?" I awkwardly say as I hold out said money given to me earlier.

After a moment Ollivander just gives a swish of his wand as everything floats back to the way it was before.

"Correct." He simply states, the same almost blank look on his face. "Aspen, Phoenix Feather, 12 and 3/4 long, springy."

"Yeah uh, good talk." I mutter out as I turn around to quickly get out of this whole thing.

"I expect I will hear great things about you Mr. Harris, great things indeed." I hear muttered as the door to the shop closes behind me.

'Well that was creepy.' I think with a shudder. 'How the hell did he even know my name? And what was with that emphasis?'

"Finished then?" McGonagall comments as she steps up next to me, causing me to jump slightly.

"Yes." Is my simple answer.

"Very well, here are the rest of your items, along with some literature to go over in your free time on the rules and regulations you are expected to abide by when in the muggle world. Learn it well." She gives a stern glare to finish her statement.

"Yes Ma'am!"

She gives a simple nod as she leads me back to the entrance of the alley to take me home.

d(^.^ )

Time seemed to slip by as I spent the following weeks leading up to the start of term doing everything I could to train.

Thankfully, even though my room had a bunk bed, I did not actually have a roommate. It seemed they used them in the instances that they needed to pair up children and luckily there was no need and most of the children had their own room with only a few having to share.

This gave me plenty of private time to practice my magic and abilities.

The first of which, was the most important in my opinion. Occlumency.

And thankfully I was smart and picked the highest level of it in the options so not only did I already have all the knowledge I needed to complete some pretty amazing barriers, but my mind was quickly set up into a Mind Palace.

The layout itself was essentially a circular tower spanning upwards with a spiral staircase in the center. Rows and rows of curved bookshelves arrayed outwards around said staircase on each level. I admit, I was quite liking the overall aesthetic. Very Fantasy like.

Surprisingly the entire thing only took a couple days, and I'm sure if anyone who knew what I was doing could see the progress I had made would be shocked. This usually was a years long thing. Decades of effort really to usually reach this kind of proficiency drawn down to a couple days? Madness.

After that it was looking into a very specific type of magic that was more centered around a style of battle magic. Doppelganger. AKA, Shadowclones bitch.

Anyone who has seen Naruto would know about this total Hax of an ability and while this version appears to only allow for a couple clones at a time, and only lasting for a short time, the utility can not be denied. After some thorough testing, I was able to push the clones to 10 minutes each with 4 clones total. Though using a smaller amount of clones let them last longer it would seem.

A good start.

Utilizing the clones for all they were worth, I continued on to the rest of my abilities and specialties.

Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Mind Arts, Healing, Enchanting, Spell Creation, Non-verbal casting, Wandless casting. All this knowledge in my now very organized mind was completely at my metaphorical fingertips, just waiting to be put to use.

Not to mention the more rare abilities like being a Metamorphagus. Turns out having the blood of House Black gave me some very good abilities indeed.

Which leads me to a very important matter that should be looked into fully as soon as possible.

My knowledge of the CYOA I filled out was based around being a werewolf, a very unique one at that. Being a true born one and having it mutated into what was called a Beast of Gevaudan, I can only assume in this now very real world this came about from also being a metamorph. This apparently gives me full control of my other half and I can go through the change or not whenever I want to. Seeing as how my scattered memories of my life before fully coming to that there have been no instances of me shifting against my will during full moons, I can take this as solid proof.

Still, never hurts to be thorough in these kinds of things.

Siting on my bed, I hold out my right arm and try to will only that to change.

Quicker and easier than I expected my hand is now a slightly bigger, slightly furrier claw.

'That's kinda trippy.' I think as I observe all the details of my hand, rotating it back and forth slowly.

Changing my hand back and forth a few times I decide to be a little reckless and go for a full change. Standing up and making sure my door is properly locked both mechanically and with magic, wandless for the win, I step to the middle of the room and will a full change.

Just like with my hand, the change itself is over very quickly, seeming to only take a second as my line of sight shifts slightly higher and overall giving a wider view. The level of detail of everything I am seeing has practically doubled and the quickness of my thoughts have jumped astronomically. That's not even mentioning my sense of smell and hearing. Total overall upgrade all around.

My thoughts also seem to still be completely my own, so that's good. Sure would be awkward if I was wrong about that and ended up popping through some walls like a furry kool-aid man.

'Ohh Yeah!' I picture, laughing slightly at the thought.

'Huh.' I pause.

"Can I.. It seems so." I voice, surprised by the fact that I still have working vocal range, even with my voice being quite a bit deeper in tone. That's nice, though a bit awkward with the longer tongue taking a moment to get used to.

'I wonder if I can still use magic in this form?' I decide to test further.

With a wave of my clawed hand I try and transfigure a full length mirror for myself. Might as well kill two birds at once and also get a look at this form. As it happens the answer to my previous thought is correct as the coat hanger by my door shifts into a quite well designed mirror and I walk in front of its frame to get a good look.

Standing about a foot taller than I was before, is the stereotypical look of a werewolf from usual fiction in my last life. Nothing at all like the deformed monstrosities of the magic world. If anything I would compare it to a combination of Lycans in Underworld and Worgens in Warcraft. My muscle definition has increased quite a bit but my face is much more wolf like and my posture is fully upright with no feeling of strain or compulsion to drop down on my hands and feet. Though a quick test proves that shifting down doesn't lower my sense of balance in the slightest.

'All very intuitive as well.' I think as I shift back and forth a few times to get used to the change and to see what it looks like.

'It reminds me a bit like Van Helsing in the movie of the same name.' I point out to myself. 'Though thankfully my clothes seem to shift into myself when I change. Must be Intrinsic Equip coming through for me. Very nice.'

After switching back and forth a few times though, a sudden thought barrels into my head. Something that I believe I had the inkling of when I first came to.

'Wait, I'm a werewolf. Whose name is Jacob E. Harris, but technically that would be Jacob E. Black...'

"Son of a bitch!" I softly shout out as I swear, I swear, I hear an ominous chuckle reverberate in the air around me.

'I swear! If vampires sparkle I am burning the whole world down!' The thought races through my mind at the potential horror being possible.

d(^.^ )

After calming down from, that which must never come to be, and thankfully with some knowledge I was given that there will be no sparkles when it comes to vampires, I continued on with my training, moving onto my one and only elemental affinity, Space. Specifically anything to do with Space, like expansion charms, bags, trunks, things of those nature.

Pseudo inventory get!

By the time I felt comfortable with my learnings I only had a little under a week left before I had to head to King's Cross to board the train, and I decided I might want to find out everything I could about my parents in this new world.

Going to Diagon Alley and finding books about my father was pretty easy and even then the information about him and the events that happened pretty much line up with the knowledge I already knew from the movies/books.

It was learning about my mother that took a bit more time and effort and even then there was very little to learn about. Though confirming her death as a result of a werewolf attack was certainly true. It would seem she was a little over 9 months pregnant when it happened and it was the night of a full moon so she never actually went through the change, thankfully for my brain as the information in the CYOA states that children werewolves born suffer mental damage from all the changes before birth, but also explains the mutation. The curse was in her blood and through that me, but for such a short time it didn't fully take. However CYOA shenanigans and being a metamorph everything combined and here I am today.

You certainly won't find me complaining about the outcome of that dice roll.

By the time I worked all this out it was time for me to set off to Hogwarts and without a single look back I left the orphanage to head to London.

Knowing what I did I was able to make this easy and quick by just using the Knight bus, although I did get a few looks for being alone I wasn't held up and was quickly heading towards the famous 9 and 3/4 entrance. Though it would seem I might be a bit later than I thought as when I started to approach I couldn't help but notice a small girl with a certain owl cage and snowy white owl in it on top of her trolley.

'Oh yeah, that was a thing. Girl-who-Lived not boy.' I think as I debate on whether I want to change things this early or not, and after a short thought I figure just this little bit shouldn't hurt. Walking up to her I give her a short greeting.

"Hello, my name's Jacob. Are you looking for the platform for Hogwarts?" I ask with a small smile.

Having apparently been a little lost in her head, she didn't seem to have noticed my approach as she gives a little start at my voice, and slightly shrinking back from me.

"Um, yes?" She half asks, half answers.

Giving a nod and a gentle smile I gesture with a hand. "I can show you if you want?"

"Oh yes please. Thank you very much. My name is Rose by the way." With a visible pep in her mood she gives a few quick nods almost knocking her glasses off.

Chuckling I comment. "Careful now, those seem important, and it's nice to meet you Rose."

With a nervous chuckle she gives me a look as she stands and grabs her trolley, the entire time Hedwig giving me a solid blank stare. 'Protective.' I think approvingly. 'As it should be.'

Leading her to and through the pillar to the platform, I give her a hand with her things into a compartment before leaving to explore the train and look for other named people.

Coming across quite a few I take the time to do quick passive Legilimency scans to confirm as much as possible with the comings and goings of the students and the school. Though I don't get a lot of any important or new information before the train gives a whistle blow and tug as we start to head out to the school.

Trying to decide if I should try and head back to Rose's compartment or find a different one, I come across who could only be one Hermione Granger, going from compartment to compartment asking about a toad.

'Well this provides an opportunity.'

It should be stated right now, that in the entire series, Hermione is hands down my favorite character. Right from the start she has the most appropriate outlook to this world. Wonder and a thirst to learn everything she could. Just like I, and I would bet anyone else if they were brought to this world would agree, magic is not something that can just be devolved to an everyday normal thing. Magic is not normal. Magic is a wonder and deserves to be treated as such. She also in my opinion grows up to be a very beautiful woman, whether you go off her actress or the descriptions in the books. In this instance she looks like a cross between both as she actually looks a lot like the actress/singer Zendaya, just with very curly hair and the teeth are spot on.

She also did not deserve the ending that she got. Ron Weasley most certainly did not deserve to be with this wonderful girl and I vowed that this was not going to be her fate, whether that was if she ended up with me or not. I was certainly going to try to win her heart, but in the end it'll be her choice, though I will always steer her away from that walking garbage disposal.

"Did you need help with something?" I ask her as I walk up to her as she leaves another compartment.

"Oh! Yes, I'm looking for a lost toad. Another boy misplaced his pet." She responds with a very obvious nervous energy which I can only find adorable.

"Would you like some assistance?" I inquire.

"Yes please!" She responds almost immediately. "My name's Hermione, Hermione Granger."

"Hello Hermione, my name's Jacob Harris. It is a pleasure to meet you." I shake the hand she had held out in greeting.

With a light blush at my smile she continues on as we walk down the corridor. "Are you also a first year?" She asks and continues at my nod. "I just found out this year that I'm a witch, and it's all just so very exciting. First of my family and everything, it's all just a wonder to find out about and I can't wait to..." She starts to go off as I give a chuckle that seems to ramp up her blush.

"It's ok Hermione, take a breath, relax." I give a smile. "It's ok to have such enthusiasm. As far as I know I'm also the first of my family." I lie, as there shouldn't be any reason for me to know the truth at this point in time. "I'm also very excited to learn everything about magic."

"As far as you know?" She asks with a bit of confusion.

"I'm an orphan, my mother dying just after I was born."

"Oh I'm so sorry!" She is quick to offer. "I didn't know!"

I continue to just give her a light smile. "It's ok, there was no way for you to know."

"What about your father?" She inquires further.

"I don't know anything about him, only that I was sent to an orphanage after my mother's death."

"I'm sorry." She reiterates. "I'm sure there's something you can do to find out if you want. I'm sure there's ways to find out."

I nod. "I'm sure I'll find out eventually, though that's talk for another time. We should continue on trying to find this toad you were looking for." I remind her gently.

"Oh! Yes!" She rapidly nods as we head further down to other compartments.

Coming up to what I remember to be Rose's compartment I notice the door open and two heavyset boys standing in the doorway.

'Well this is certainly different.' I think as I'm pretty sure I know where this is going and can't remember if this was a book thing or a part of fanon since the movies had this little introduction done at Hogwarts before the sorting.

"I can help you there." I hear a girl's voice state as I remember the other little change done in the CYOA.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thank you." Rose responds as I come up behind the two other boys standing behind Malfoy.

Seeing this as a good point to step in I calmly place a hand on each of the boys shoulders and lean in between them. "Well you heard the lady, I believe this is the end of the conversation and you three should move along now."

The two boys startle and turn towards me as Malfoy jumps and spins around with a twitch of her hand.

'Try me.' I think as I give her a pointed look at her hand and then back to her eyes, smirking the entire time.

Crabbe and Goyle appear to be uncertain as they look between me and Malfoy with questioning looks.

With a huff she lowers her hand. "Let's go, this compartment is full of mudbloods and I don't want to get sick from the exposure." She tries to push past me but I just calmly move out of her way while giving her a smile, but never once taking my eyes off her and the other two boys until they are much further down the hall.

"Thank you Jacob." Rose gives me a thankful look.

"No problem. Glad to be of assistance." I turn towards her and enter the compartment a little. "Though I have to ask if either of you have seen a toad around? A boy has apparently lost his pet."

A snort rings out of the space as who is clearly Ron Weasley can't help but comment. "What kind of loser would choose to bring a toad as a pet."

"This coming from someone bringing a rat?" I fire right back at him, giving him a pointed look, also noticing an ethereal outline of a man around said rat. 'Peter Pettigrew' I fight to hold back a glare at said rat who despite all the commotion is steadily asleep. 'Glad to see Magic Sight works on animagus.'

"What of it?" He quickly gets defensive and glares my way.

Taking a moment to peer into his mind I get a massive sense of self entitlement and jealousy. Along with a desire to cling to Rose and use her fame for himself. I also take a quick look just to make sure that Rose's scar is just that as while it is extremely faded it's a good idea to make sure it's not still an anchor, and thankfully that appears to be the case. Maybe it never was one to begin with what with the options I chose and it has always just been a scar.

"All I'm saying is one shouldn't mock others choices without being willing to have the same done to them, or preferably not at all." I turn back to Rose, who is giving me an apologetic look. "It would seem there is no toad here. Sorry for intruding, we'll be on our way. Though you might want to change into your school robes soon. We should only be a few more hours away from Hogwarts."

Turning away to lead Hermione away and to continue our search, Rose follows slightly behind us. "I'm sorry about Ron, he can be a little defensive. I'm sure he didn't mean anything bad about it." She apologizes.

"It's ok Rose, I'm not taking anything he said seriously." Giving her shoulder a pat. "Though bit of advice, I have a weird feeling about him, just keep an eye out for yourself ok?"

She gives me a slight offended look for her apparent already friend but it smooths over quickly as she gives me a light nod before turning back to her compartment.

I can only sigh and hope that Ron's many faults are noticed and Rose gets out while she can. Though I'll certainly being keeping an eye for her to make sure.

Turning back to Hermione, who appears to have just silently been taking the entire altercation in, I gesture back down the hallway. "Shall we continue?"

d(^.^ )

Hermione and I step down the steps off the train behind the other students as it arrived in the Hogsmeade station.

The aesthetic is as one would expect of a train station out in the country and the majority of students wander off up a pathway to an opening filled with carriages.

The first years though are being called towards a lower path where a giant of a man has been calling out since the train stopped to begin with.

"First years! First years o'er here!" Hagrid shouts to gather all the first year students.

After everyone is gathered he leads us down towards a long row of boats at the edge of the black lake, shouting out no more then 4 to a boat as he steps into a giant boat that could only be for himself.

Hermione and I are joined by Rose who has Ron following behind her who is giving me a glare, though I notice as we sit down she seems to be slightly sitting farther from him then I would think would be comfortable, almost to the edge of her seat off the boat.

'Either she's taking my words seriously or she is just that adverse to being touched by others. Hopefully it's the first because the second just gives major cause for concern.'

Once it appears that everyone is settled in the boats, Hagrid gives a shout and all the boats start to slowly glide out over the water.

The ride itself is pretty tame except for the time when one of the other boys fall into the water, and a giant tentacle pops out of the water and plops him back on the boat, leaving shrieks to sound out all around. Deciding to be cheeky, I light slap the water next to me and as a tentacle slowly pulls out of the water I hold out my hand for a high five and send a slight thought out of the octopus hoping it'll translate.

To my utter joy he immediately gives me a solid hand slap as I transition to a low five and he follows through with another slap before pulling back under the water.

'Noice.' I think as I turn around to see almost everyone just staring at the entire encounter.

Before anyone can comment on it, we start to come around a bend and Hogwarts in its whole glory is laid out against the background, with the moon shining beautifully behind it, giving all a sense of wonder and feeling of coming home.

Though I startle slightly as what can only been the wards settle around everyone and I can feel a slight sense of playfulness before a feminine giggle sounds out in my head.

'Ominous..'

d(^.^ )