Trip to Hogwarts Again.

"So, whats the deal with that Isu sphere?" - Alan was making his way through the platform 9 ¾ to board Hogwarts Express in silence and alone. Selena never came back home, but she was safe and sound, as Dumbledore, figuring out the whole situation, didn't turn his back on her, contrary to that, he stand adamant to protect a former special auror of Verga team.

"Deal? No deal little one, I can let you use it only when there is no other way. It is too dangerous. I still can't help but feel reverence over your luck. Thank the Maker I was able to replace it in time with a counterfeit. One can only imagine how much destruction it can bring in wrong hands."

"I can tell." - said Alan with sigh. Who would have thought that the artifact inside the box would be this annoying apple? It is such a piece of work alright and here it is, right under his nose, in this world. - "So will you just seal it? Is it safe?"

"More than safe. After I used it last time I know first hand that it can't be used for something good. It's power is too tempting and devastating. Anyway, little kid, it is not your pain in the neck. At least for now. Oh, that necklace of yours, it has tremendous power inside, you are quite lucky." - Alan touched wings of steel with slight confusion still lingering in his heart, but chose to trust his instincts and believe in Fleur.

"Power? What sort?" - Alan asked.

"Not saying because the answer is too obvious and you are annoying not to figure it out, useless little kid."

"Whatever." - said Alan with zero interest in listening to old man's grumbling and entered the train with several people making their way for him with irritated looks.

'Speaking of which, in a week will be her birthday. It is quite cold in France and she hates to be cold.'

"Hoo, what do we have here?" - suddenly two people entered like a storm and seated on the bench. - "Hey there, Alan aka Wandless. Sorry, never had a chance to introduce myself, I'm Fred and this ugly duck out there is although incomparable to handsome me, but still worth introductions, George."

"Hey, how about you stick to business here, man? Listen," - George leaned closer to Alan. - "we have... a problem here. You see, we were like walking on the platform and in express and saw it was all not really positive..."

"You know, the same colors all around and no fun... meh. So we decided to change style."

"Yeah, change style." - they said in unison and nodded to each other.

"Last time we did great, striking a dungboombang into Slytherin compartments, alright!" - Fred said.

"Well, striking like in bowling... you know this muggle game... throw a ball, it rolls aaaaand strike and you are best man on the floor. You see, last time our dungboombang did a good job..." - George continued. How are they even doing this? It is so hilarious, like a premeditated play, but Alan new that not the case, as they were quite famous in Hogwarts for their strange manner of speech since the first year.

"Yeah, a splendid one!" - nodded Fred, taking the tale over.

"Wait, I have a question. How a shit bomb suppose to help with colorful atmosphere?"

The duo looked at each other in dismay, obviously guessing that they got themselves into talk with a reasonable one. Just their luck.

"That's not the point, man!" - still they persisted like true battle wizards of old, saying it in unison straight at his face.

"Sure it isn't." - sighed Alan unimpressed.

"The point is this time we created something that will do... well inner renovating if you know what I mean." - George winked at Alan, who looked at them with expression clearly saying he is out of the theme.

"Listen, you are Hufflepuff! You need to save us... we kind of got in trouble with one of your insane legion. You are all friendly, right, we just wanted to do some 'renovating' in Slytherin quarters and found a guy there. But we didn't know..."

"Yeah, man, who knew he will transform into hot chick with violent tendencies and hair always changing colors. Man, she should be from Hufflepuff, right? Just talk to her, okay?" - oh man, out of all people in the train they just have to go and provoke Tonks.

'For goodness sake, you can't just gather three most notorious disasters in my cabin.'

"Hey, I finally found you." - Cedric walked in with Jess in tow.

"We should get out of here asap, Cedric, it is a calamity, I tell you." - Alan stood up.

"No man, please, save us, please."

"Look at them, maybe we can help? They seem in trouble." - Cedric looked at the Weasley brothers and sighed, ready to help with a smirk on his face. - "It is necessary to offer a hand to people in need."

"They pissed off Tonks." - simply said Alan seeing through everything on aura level.

"Yeah, you are right, lets get out of here asap." - Cedric shifted attitude this instant like changing hats, but not one of the Alan and Jess duo thought something is wrong, on the contrary, they found it reasonable and logical!

"So much for loyalty." - scoffed twins.

"Hey, if you want me to have a go with bunch of Death Eaters, I'm all in. Even if you want my help to fight a dragon I will just ask to point a leg I need to hold... but Tonks is of limits. Seriously, she is the second person from the top in my list who I will never dare to piss off." - Cedric elaborated.

"Wow, than the first should be You-Know-Who, right?" - Fred caught a glimpse of a story.

"Who the hell You-Know-Who is? Do I know him? No, the first person is him." - and with that Cedric sold out his friend with glee on the face and a wink.

'That girl... is being too playful. Hmm.'

Than Alan rolled his eyes and laughed a bit.

"Oh come on, seriously? Where is he?" - Alan asked Cedric and the later seems to understand. - "He is undergoing inner renovation."

What can he say to this bunch of jinxes?

Only one thing.

"Run, Weasleys, run!" - cried Alan and immediately took off, dragging Jess with himself out of the compartment.

"Ya cutie grow up a bit and got a promotion to handsome, not bad!" - laughed Nimphadora Tonks and hurled a rainbow fireworks under her feet, disappearing like a cloud of smoke. - "See ya, bunch of newbies!"

The next moment it went off, painting nearly half of the wagon in all colors of rainbow. It was beautiful in it's own sense. Alan stopped at the edge and looked back. Looks like he and Jess avoided being hit and Tonks even more so. She was so experienced in that stuff, that Weasleys showing their skills were like a kid posing in front of a master.

"What the..." - twins were standing in the doorway of a compartment with flabbergasted faces. - "She... she... she is so damn cool!"

Their eyes sparkled with worship.

"Yeah, she is our Sensei! Our Guru!" - said Fred with thick admiration.

"Right, right, simply perfection on the path of pranks law!" - added George with appreciation.

"This disease is incurable. They are mental." - sighed Alan and turned to Jess, who has shocked expression. - "Now the problem is... Where the hell is real Cedric?"

"Fred! George! Weasleys!" - came a roar from the toilet. - "I won't forget it!"

"There he is." - facepalmed Alan and sent Cedric a heads up of where they are going, but he doubted that inner renovation by the trio will end anytime soon, or they really will lose all face. - "Okay, I need a quite place."

He and Jess went to another wing with first years. There they will be safe from metamorphmagus menace Dora and Twin Red Head Disaster Weasleys. Eventually the search lead them through half of the soon to be students wagon to the room with three people.

Two girls and one boy.

They were not someone with strict opinions and easily let the duo to stay inside until the train stopped and eventually second years were guided to the carriages.

Alan looked at the horses and thought that they look quite intimidating, with slick scales all over coupled with dragon like head they indeed looked more like small lizards in a shape of a horse. That is if not for overall gray skin and slender build as if they were skeletons of an animal, not the animal itself.

But what made him frown is green eyes, burning with an emerald flame like lanterns. These pair of eyes looked very unusual, cold even. It took Alan in, making him stare at them in futile attempts to find meaning behind this particular attraction.

The coachman turned around and saw Alan looking at supposedly empty space, but he knew better to know what is going on.

Thestrals, a Death Horse.

They can only be seen by the ones who saw death. If one is capable of seeing them is not Alan, than no one is.

"My condolences, little one." - said the old man only to receive a polite but hollow smile. Yes, exactly that smile of someone still remembering but not willing to recall.

"Hey, what is the old guy talking about?" - Cedric sat near Alan with a puzzled look, as for the later, he wasn't keen to elaborate, partly because it will be troublesome matter to explain that he saw the death of his parents. - "And why are you looking at the empty front? Aren't this carriages just driven by magic?"

"T-They are not." - said Sheron in quite voice, but that was just knowledge, she clearly can't see them too. Well, no big deal.

"Thestrals. Horses of Death. Can be seen by the ones who saw death themselves. Normally it is not spread, that such dangerous and mysterious magical beasts are the driving force of carriages." - Alan said without looking anywhere in particular. - "Ah, they are quite fast as expected."

Previously it took about half an hour to get to Hogwarts through boats, but now couple of minutes and they already were disembarking from comfortable seats to slightly cold and windy weather.

"Hey, you okay?" - Cedric came up with a pat on Alan's shoulder.

"Yeah. It has been long ago, so don't fret, I'm fine." - partly lied he in response, cursing eidetic memory. He locked all images away on purpose, otherwise it is easy to go insane. - "I'll go look around, we still have two hours until sleep time."

Cedric wanted to tag along, but Alan didn't have a mood for company, so a couple of words about Jess was enough to dissuade him. He went out, thinking of finding Selena, he missed her very much, but he already knew that she wasn't here. Dumbledore arranged her a transfer to his friend's academy in USA, Ilvelmorny. Perhaps Alan will have a chance to go meet her some other time, but for now he will use easier way of communication – letters.

He went out of the castle and made his way to the lake. There one can find a little animal track between rocks, that slithered all the way through the forest to a secluded sand shore encompassed by cliffs to the side of a little pool.

Alan found this place accidentally but loved it from the very beginning.

He sat by the tree, leaning on it with tired smile. His thoughts again ran away to Fleur and their separation.

'I really am not myself these days, I miss her a bit too much. Ah... forget it. Her intent is quite obvious, I shouldn't contact her myself.'

He sighed and looked sideways.

"You have been following me for quite a while now, why not come out?" - finally said Alan, turning to the side of the road.