Chapter 10 : Finally At Hogwarts

Soon the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade.

Ron, Rose, Hermione and Neville (who joined the group after Draco left) got ready and wore their uniforms.

Orion too did it but he was not planning to go with them.

He too wanted to experience the famous boat ride to Hogwarts but then considering that he might be marked with the ministry trace.

He quickly changed his mind.

So when his new friends were going out of the train cabin. He intentionally stayed back.

Rather than getting out, he started walking towards the last compartment of the train.

"Red," Orion said after coming out of the train when no one was looking at him.

He saw 6th and 7th-year students gather in one place and hide quickly.

Hogwarts Express is designed in a way that the older years sit at the back of the train, while the kids take the front compartments.

That is how Hagrid can easily spot all the first years.

When it comes to Hagrid, he notices him as well. Then he suddenly rememeber that schools usually do roll calls.

"Shit," Orion almost cursed.

"This might be the right time to see, how much I have progressed," Orion wonders.

So then he focused on Hagrid, waiting for him to look at his place once.

And soon he did. Although the distance was a little too much but still their eyes connected and Orion got the chance to use Legilimency on Hagrid.

Now he is much better in Occulemency, but for an unprotected mind like Hagrid's, it was not hard for Orion to read his mind.

After all, in his free time, even before Professor McGonagall took him to the Diagon Alley, he was learning the mind arts with Merlin.

So no, reading an unprotected mind was not hard for him. What was hard, was to make changes in others' minds.

Even a minor change like tricking the mind in assuming an unimportant character like Orion is present in the roll call.

Well, changing someone's thoughts is a very difficult thing and very few people know about it let alone those who can do it. 

Merlin teaches this to Orion because he has nothing other to teach him with his magic being so weak.

"You are too rigid, relax your mind. Remember what I told you. It's about keeping up with your target's flow of thoughts," Merlin reminded Orion from the sidelines.

Orion nodded and calmed down. He again unconsciously started his Integration Technique out of habit.

Merlin was about to stop him but he noticed Orion's focus skyrocketing suddenly and didn't do anything. 

Orion narrowed his eyes and then suddenly broke the contact.

"You did it," Merlin exclaimed with a little surprise.

He too was not expecting Orion to pull it off in the first go. 

Orion smiled.

Further away, Hagrid who suddenly felt that someone was watching also blinked at the same time.

He who was looking a little further away in the darkness suddenly felt something was wrong but couldn't tell what exactly.

He just shook his head and went back to roll call.

"That was Brilliant" Merlin said, the first time ever giving a compliment to Orion.

"Really ?" Orion asked in excitement.

"Yeah, what you did just now. Took me decades to master. 

You might have that trick of yours to get stronger but that is not the real reason you will get strong my friend. 

You have an uncanny talent for the Arcane Arts. Something which even I didn't possess back then." Merlin said from the bottom of his heart.

Maybe that little technique of Orion works in more ways than one. Which neither he nor Orion understands.

"Red," Orion said once again after the other students went away with Hagrid.

The blush from the praise was already gone. Being good at mind arts has its upsides.

Due to the night, it was difficult to spot his flying friend but maybe it was magic, red came to him.

"Gawk," 

"Good boy," Orion smiled.

He was not sure about his Phoenix gender but out of habit, for his dog, whose name now he has given to the bird. He calls the Phoenix, boy.

"Listen, I need to get to the entrance. Can you fly me there, or better even, teleport me," Orion asked. 

He did try to teleport with his bird before. 

But Red is not as old and skilled as Fawks. He always made mistakes in teleporting. 

Flying, however, is not an issue. And when considering that Phoenix can carry an insane amount of weight. Orion was planning to fly to the entrance, rather than infiltrating into the ranks of older students.

"Gawk," Red chirps.

Orion, still new to having a Phoenix didn't understand what his friends were trying to say but he understood one thing.

One of the two options is possible.

So he just let Red choose.

"Alright, I'm ready," Orion said, closing his eyes.

----

At this time, a student who was sneaking much like Orion for some reason suddenly heard a loud chirp of the bird and looked back.

The boy had green eyes and black hair. Very iconic feature in this world.

 He looked back, a little stunted at the sudden sounds and also the recognition of these sounds. He quickly hid, but after noticing that no one came, he slowly moved forward to find out what was going on.

But the only thing he saw, was a flash of light caused by the sudden eruption of the flames and then there was nothing.

----

When Orion opened his eyes, he found himself on top of a tree. He looked around and found the entrance right in front of his eyes.

"Well that is an improvement from what happened last time," Merlin chimed in.

"Oh, don't remind me that," Orion quickly said.

He remember the last time he tried it, he was teleported right in front of a couple having s*x.

They were so engrossed in their private time that they didn't even see human-sized flames appear out of nowhere and then a boy standing there, admiring their flexibility.

"This life experience makes character," Merlin said with a rather nasty smile. Red too chirped at that.

"I was this near, to losing all my character back then," Orion signed.

So slowly he climbed down.

Making sure that the boats are still yet to arrive.

He then quickly hides, planning on appearing only when the first year are near.'

'Hey, is the trace on me, can you sense anything abnormal ?' Orion thought, asking Merlin.

"I don't sense any magical difference, but some magics are undetectable so there is that. I will tell you a ritual later on to find out," Merlin slowly caressed his long beard which might rival even the lights of Dumbledore, and said.

"Good then," Orion slowly whispered and then waited.

----

"Did any of you see Orion," Rose couldn't help but ask.

Orion by now was the only friend who showed her any care and didn't do it for her simply being the Girl-Who-Lived.

So, she looked around, not finding her first friend.

She travelled there with Hermione, Ron and others.

"No, I never saw him in the roll call," Ron whispered.

"Maybe he got dragged by the older students," Neville added.

But before others can talk more. Orion appeared and said.

"I'm here. Sorry for the delay, I got a little lost,".

Rose blinked at that, she remembered not seeing Orion in any of the boats.

"Where were you, I looked all around and you were nowhere to be found ?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Why, do you miss me ?" Orion had his smile back got a little closer to Rose and asked.

Rose immediately got flustered at this. Not having any friends meant she had never been teased like this before either and thus she had no composure.

She blushed and didn't know how to respond.

'Ah kids, it's so easy to tease them, I will have an excellent year in this school,' Orion smiled like a devil.

But his smile faltered as Mr Trash Can, aka White Hairs, Aka Draco came back.

He was about to open his mouth but looked at Orion staring at him. He stopped.

'Yeah b*tch, now run along and remember to tell that to your father,' Orion internally fist bumps.

It's not very hard to scare an 11-year-old. 

'If you don't like then sue me,' Orion sends a middle finger to the universe.

"Why are you smiling," Rose asked.

"Oh nothing, I just thought that you looked really cute when blushing," Orion said.

*Another critical hit.*

*Another critical hit*

More blushing, more blushing.

Orion 2, Rose 0.

Rose then just huffed and turned away her head.

"You sure are having...." Merlin was about to say something but before that Professor McGonagall came.

"Come inside," She just said this and all the students followed her.

Orion then entered into a big hall. Filled with floating stars and moving pictures.

'Movies didn't do justice to this castle,' Orion truly was in awe.

Only the sheer size of the hall was almost 4 times what he remembered in the movies. 

He and the other students eagerly looked around. Trying to memorise all the little details of the room.

"And this is just a room. The entire castle is yet to be explored," Merlin had a knowing smile on his face.

While Orion with other first-year students were admiring the giant magical hall. Finally, the sorting ceremony started.

It was in the Alphabetical Order.

Orion didn't remember much about the small side characters. 

"Say, if you have a choice between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Which one you will pick." Merlin asked Orion. 

This put Orion into thinking.

He wanted to go for RavenClaw but then considering how the majority of the main cast will be on the Gryffindor. He could not help but think again.

xxx

A/N: And what do my lovely readers think, which house should I put him in?

Who do you think that strange boy with black hair and green eyes is?

Who wants more McxRose

Do you like the light comedic elements I add?

Finally from this point onwards, the story will be speeding up. Sorry for this delay. I hope you like the chapter.

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