19 Back to Hogwarts
Saturday, 1st September 1990
Matthew woke up early in the morning, his mother prepared a nice breakfast before they left for the Kings Cross Station. After passing through the barrier between platforms nine and ten they reached Plattform nine three-quarters. The platform was already filled with students and their families even half an hour before departure.
He said goodbye to his parents and entered the Hogwarts Express without any trouble since his trunk hung shrunken and almost weightless around his neck. After searching the whole train for any of his friends he entered an empty compartment since he didn't find them. While waiting he mentally commanded the AI Chip, 'Show me my stats since I didn't check them the whole month.'
[Beep! Status updated.] [ Matthew Mason, Wizard(Rank 1), Strength: 1.6, Agility: 1.7, Vitality: 1.7, Mystical Energy: 14.7, Status: Healthy]
'My Physical stats are growing nicely, although I am approaching my body's natural limit until only my normal growth remains. Unfortunately, I found no permanent body enhancement potions in any potion books, so I am on my own. In my experiments, during the summer I only found a few useful reagents, but not enough to create a Potion. Maybe I should check out the Forest this year and gather a few materials myself, some blood samples of creatures so I could study their genetics during next summer. My Mystical Energy grew very slowly during the summer. The high concentration in Hogwarts is effective. I should find ways to increase the natural concentration of mystical energy around me so I can grow even more. Since I found absolutely nothing in potions book about them, not even a temporary increase.' He mused while waiting for departure.
His friends arrived one by one after a while. They started talking about their summer break while waiting for the Hogwarts express to start. As the Clock approached elven a clock he heard a loud female voice outside, " Hurry up children, enter the train we are late. Fred, George I don't want any letters from Professor McGonagall this year about you causing trouble. Percy, Charlie keep an eye on them!", commanded an older, chubby red-headed woman, Matthew recognized as Molly Weasley.
Traditionally the Weasleys arrived arrived also this year at the last moment before departure. Ron and Ginny weren't with them, he discovered with disappointment. Shortly after the Weasleys boarded the train, they departed in direction of Hogwarts.
Not much happened during the journey, a few short visits from acquaintances like the Weasley Twins and their friend Lee Jordan. They spent most of the time chatting about their summers and the upcoming year while enjoying magical sweets from the food cart. After a few hours, they arrived at the dark Hogsmeade Plattform. Like last year Hagrid arrived and took the new first-years onto the traditional ride over the Black Lake.
While the older students, including Matthew and his friends, left the platform over another exit where black carriages, with a headlamp at the front, waited for them. The Carriages had no roofs today since the weather was fair and the night sky looked beautiful. For most students, it seemed as if they were driving by themselves.
But Matthew for some reason saw the big skeletal winged horses that pulled the Carriages, Thestrals animals that only could be seen by people who saw death, 'Why can I see the Thestrals?' wondered Matthew, 'I never saw someone die. I didn't kill the gang during my nightly activity last summer. At least I didn't see them die. AI Chip do you register something unusual about the Horses?' he asked while he started to pet the Thestarl at the front.
[Beep! Scan of new Lifeform complete! Registering a Mystic Energy field around the Thestral. The field is combined with a new unidentified type of radiation which should be responsible for the invisibility. The current hypothesis, the unknown energy radiation is related to death. Further data and experiments are necessary. Host saw his death, so condition to see the Thestrals fulfilled.]
'So that's how it is. My death allows me to see them. What sad creature they are, even though they are so docile and nice.' He thought until Harold started to ask, "Why are you petting the air, Matthew?"
"So you can't see them? The Carriage is pulled by Thestrals. Big, skeletal, winged horses that can be only seen by People who saw death, at least that's what I read last year. I once saw a car crash where someone died while walking to school so I can see them now." He explained while making up a small excuse, as they entered the Carriage.
The Carriage started to move in direction of the School as all of them sat down. They passed Hogsmeade, the great forest, and approached the large Gate of Hogwarts after a while. At the gates, they left the carriage while Matthew patted the Thestral for a moment before they entered the great entrance hall of Hogwarts and walked up to the Great Hall. Where a lot of students were already taking place.
As the hall filled up and the Students chatted and greeted their friends and Housemates, they waited for the arrival of the first years. The Professor already sat at the High-Table and also waited for the arrival of the first-years. The same personal like last year was present only the DADA Professor, Mark Williams was replaced by a young dark red-headed woman. Also, Professor Quirell wasn't present, and on his place sat a dark-haired man with a Van Dyck beard. After a while, Professor McGonagall stood up and left the hall.
A few minutes later she placed the Sorting hat on a chair before the High-Table and brought the first-years in front of it. After they arrived the hat sang again his song which had the same text as last year. After that episode the Sorting began, one after another they sat on the chair and wore the sorting hat. The only notable sortings were Katie Bell the future Gryffindor Chaser and Cormac McLaggen that arrogant guy from the books into Gryffindor, and Cho Chang the beautiful, well at the moment cute Asian descended witch, and Maria Edgecomb her future big-mouthed friend into my house, Ravenclaw. The rest were not important in Canon may be mentioned.
Dumbledore opened the feast after the Sorting and everyone started to enjoy the food. Matthew sat on the far right of his friends, directly beside the new first years. Beside him sat the young Cho Chang, "Welcome to Ravenclaw, my name is Matthew Mason." He began to chat with her.
"Hello, my name is Cho, Cho Chang." She introduced herself a bit shy. During the feast, they chatted about a lot of stuff, where they were from, Hogwarts, Classes, and more. For example, she is a Quidditch fan since she is 6 years old and cheered for the Tutshill Tornados. Her family is an old pure-blood family from Kathmandu, Nepal. But they came to Britain a few Generations ago because they were more aligned to wand magic than the type of magic they practiced there.
So he spend the feast in pleasant new Company, as they finished Dumbledore started his traditional beginning of the year instructions, "Before we leave for bed, I have a few start-of-term notices to give. First of all, let's welcome Professor Arif Sikander as the new Muggle Studies teacher, he replaced Professor Quirell who left for a one-year sabbatical. Professor Mark Williams retired again because his high age doesn't allow him to teach for another year, he is replaced by Professor Claire Vermount, she takes a one year break from her Curse breaker duties in Greece.". Introduced Dumbledore.
"As always the Forbidden Forest is called forbidden for a reason, so students aren't allowed to enter it. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. He also hung a list of forbidden items outside of his Office, because of last year's increase in pranks and chaos." He explained while staring at the twins with his twinkling eyes.
"And now before we go to bed let's sing our traditional school song" he exclaimed happily.
After that awkward experience was over, Matthew and his friends left for the Ravenclaw tower while the first years were guided by this year's new perfect. They entered their new second-year sleeping dorm and played a few rounds exploding snap before unpacking their trunks and going to sleep for the day.
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