Alan on his way home.

While coming to Hogwarts Express, Alan saw Selena giving him a wave. She came without any luggage and that meant only one thing – he is going back alone.

"Aunt, you are staying here?" - she nodded and stuffed a key to her house inside his pocket.

"I have many things to do here and much to prepare. You know, DADA courses prior to me were a bit of a mess and I need to set it right." - she said and ruffled Alans hair. - "While I'm gone don't blow up a flat please. I still remember your burning bird quite vividly!"

Just as he was about to say something between 'no promises' and 'I can afford it' the feeling of Selena's deathly stare made him swallow the words and nod.

"Go. At most it will take couple of days." - she nudged him to the train and smiled. Something felt fishy, but Alan just sighed about becoming paranoid over every minor thing. And even if it is, Selena is an adult with a punch that can bare a ton. What can possibly happen?

"See you later. Oh, and check mailbox for your letters. You, brat, forgot to buy an owl." - she said in a voice loud enough for him to hear while already half step on a train.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me and do your stuff, I'll manage like I always did." - Alan gave her a smile and boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"Like you always did..." - she murmured feeling very bad in her heart.

Actually Alan never meant it in a negative way, he just mentioned it in context of what he has been through and still being fine. But Selena read something between the lines that was never there.

He found a cabin with no people, shamelessly boarding it like his own. Well, Cedric broke his lonely happiness.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." - nodded Alan in response.

"Is it free?" - came form nowhere.

"Are you kidding me?" - Alan looked at him. After a year of living together in one room they got quite close and can be considered friends. Cedric was just that type of person - social and likable. - "I got it, you are doing it again. Come here honey I will pat your head and give you candy, just don't pout and cry, okay?"

"Get lost!" - Cedric already slumped down on a seat and make himself comfortable.

"So, who is she?" - Alan grinned at antics of the boy. That guy was akin to a stormy cloud before the Christmas, but after transformed into mister sunshine.

"Who?" - he shifted his eyes sideways.

"Oh, come on. I might not like to talk much, but I'm no blind fool." - Alan smiled.

"Well... you just don't get mad." - Cedric said with some difficulty. - "It is Jessica."

"Oh." - seeing lack of reaction Cedric felt something wrong. Meanwhile their cabin shook for a moment and express started to move. Alan looked at the window for something that was never there. - "I guess you needed it. Great that you got together."

"Are you upset?" - Cedric asked carefully.

"Me? You think I like her? No, not at all, she is a good friend, that's it. But, isn't it too early to think about it?" - Alan thought it was somewhat strange on Cedric part, even if he himself said it, but it was more like a joke. He never actually thought that a boy and a girl of eleven to twelve years old will start something like that. It was simply... how should he put it... not in their age interest group or something? But whatever. They were about to continue talking when a door was rudely opened and three hurricanes went in.

Well, more precisely it was hurricane Grace dragging two other unsuspecting victims Sheron and Jessica into the fray.

"Tch. Here goes trouble." - Alan looked at the window.

"You said something, Alan Viol Salvatore-Skymorne?" - after the yell of his aunt that was amplified by a non-verbal charm of loudspeaking, nearly every student in Hogwarts knew about his adventures. It was talk of the school for weeks, especially his last catch phrase that many used to jinx their beloved.

Check for holes and tears they say.

"No, nothing." - deciding to be smart and opting to a great move known as tactical retreat, Alan admitted defeat without fighting, minding how overly cheerful that girl can be. Her 'cheerfulness' can kick a ton of a headache and nonstop verbal torrent. Not his cup of tea at all.

"That's more like it, Wandless." - and that goes to another talk of the school and Alan nickname among students. Nothing bad actually, more than half use it in rather admiring tone. After all to cast wandless and non-verbal charms at first year and do it with a real firepower to boot is quite a feat. No, that is an understatement. It is insane, yeah.

Actually Grace was one of them. She might be rude, but in heart very much appreciated talent Alan has in magic.

Jessica quietly sat near Cedric and even took his hand in hers. Alan smiled and shook his head in silence, but the two girls were different. They just can't stop talking over this, making Cedric and Jessica crimson like blood colored sunset. Even their hands seems to turn red.

They spent a trip back with talks about magic and mostly charms and potions. In that conversations Alan really shined, making even Grace with her 'unimpressed by bookworms, but by captains of quidditch team' attitude shift a bit to appreciation.

As for Sheron, the girl was... well... natural Ravenclaw. Her untamed thirst for knowledge broke out in a flood of question about this and that and soon the duo entered their own world of magic discussion. Theoretically speaking Alan knowledge were way above her, so it was him mainly explaining things, but Sheron was a bright mind indeed and in terms of enthusiasm in learning not even famous Hermione can lit a candle, so sometimes she had very innovative ideas which she shared with readiness.

During this short interaction Alan actually had several knots in his mind undone about how to progress with Isu spells. It is surprising how explaining something basic can make one learn more himself.

Grace got bored by the coalition of study maniacs. She was born to the wizard family and although magic fascinated her it was nowhere near the amazement a regular person will have. Actually it caused a funny phenomenon that even gave birth to a rule to minimize children exposure to magic before the age of enrollment to school.

It was necessary so children study well instead of finding magic boring and everyday stuff.

Soon conversation shifted to magical beasts and their unique traits. They even fantasized about finding a way to acquire such abilities and that made even Alan thoughtful. After all magic is very mysterious, where the real core and origin of magic beasts abilities lie?

Alan looked at his wrist and smiled. Amu all these months was sleeping nearly twenty hours per day, only eating with energy. As far as he knew, it will persist like that for some time, about couple of years or so. Well, he doesn't know how much her biology changed after his manipulations, but Amu is a real Primordial beast like Avy.

Speaking of the later he suddenly remembered the girl with striking sky blue eyes and blond, nearly white hair with angelic face. It's being awhile since they met, but it seems it has to stay that way for a while.

"Hey, see you in september!" - Cedric waved his hand and went to his parents. Amos gave Alan a nod with a smile while leaving.

"We are going too." - Jess, Grace and Sheron walked away with a bunch of siblings. Surprisingly Grace had two younger brothers. Perhaps they will be another menace of Hogwarts in near future.

He was left alone and with a sigh left the platform, entering muggle subway.

London was... London. Crowded, with ancient looking paving of streets and intricacies of buildings design. Alan made his way to the flat, meeting Ms. Krook on the staircase. She was a particular old lady with a very high demand for inner peace.

"Good afternoon." - he tried to be polite, but was ignored. She just entered her own flat. What can one say, she disliked Selena because of often noise she made during apparating here and there.

Alan opened the door with keys and entered, switching the light on. Looks like the first thing he needs to do is some cleaning. Making way to the living room he threw a look and found some rag in the corner.

Well, here goes downside of being a wizard with wandless and non-verbal spells. He raised his hand in usual manner and mechanically apparated it into his hand.

"Crap." - Alan facepalmed over himself. How he will explain to the Ministry, that apparating a rag across a room was a matter of life and death for him? - "This is really hilarious! I got myself into juvenile magic misuse over... Accio for a rag form a dusty corner!"

"Why are you cursing yourself again, little one. It is not like this primitive Trace charm can track Isu magic." - Amalgal appeared in his mind with a slightly bored look.

"What? Are you serious?" - Alan registered what was said with great surprise.

"Yes." - gramps gave him a look of 'doubting your intelligence of a human being level'. - "You can even easily remove that Trace charm, but it will be noticed by the ones who placed it and they will give you endless trouble. So just train and convert more spells into Isu system and be done with it."

"Hey, why don't you train me directly in Isu spells?"

"I find it unnecessary for starters and I can't." - came a simple answer.

"And if I say please?" - Alan gave him radiant smile.

"I might find it necessary, but still will be unable to break the restriction put on myself." - he gave him unimpressed look. - "Little one, the path you are treading right now is a sufficient one for the start of magic learning. Don't be hasty. Our spells and skills... they are a bit different. Once I teach you them you will understand, but for now don't ask. They just can't be performed by you without serious harm. And I'm telling you, it is not some mere pain. It is really serious issues."

It is pointless to ask Amalgal if he already decided on the matter. Plus Alan trusted gramps and knew he won't do anything that will harm him. He started to tend to the house to the best of his abilities and after being satisfied sat down to look through mail. He sorted them and find one from Hogwarts under his name, but it was sent here when he still attended the school.

He opened it and started to read and the more he read the more his face became dark and heart raged.