Lumos

"Noah..." She shook him again. "Wake up, come on!" She pleaded with a pitiful expression. They were already late for breakfast, for the boy wouldn't wake up no matter what she did.

"Are you still trying Mary?" Juniper asked the chubby blonde as she came out from the bathroom. "I already told you, quit being so gentle with him." She sat beside Noah, who didn't even botter with their loud voices.

"Here, let me show you how it is done..." She smiled gently at her friend.

"WAKE UP!" She slapped him across the face, awakening him in a startle.

"...what? ...Where are the others?" He looked around clearly disoriented while caressing his cheeks.

'Why is my face aching?'

'And why is Mary looking so guilty right now?' He wondered before going to the bathroom to change his clothes.

Later, they walked through the hallways trying to find the great hall, occasionally losing themselves in the maze that was Hogwarts. Noah didn't care about losing breakfast though, his mind was in another place altogether. The same couldn't be said for his friends.

"Noah, why are you so absent-minded today?" Juniper asked while snapping her fingers to get his attention.

"Oh..." His eyes came back to focus. "It is nothing." He had a silly smile on his face.

'Did I hit him too hard?' She asked herself with worry.

"We are going to lose breakfast." Mary murmured from behind the two, almost going unnoticed by them.

"Don't worry, we just need to follow straight, go right, left, straight again, and we arrive there in a minute." Noah comforted her.

"I guess you were lost on your thoughts back there, but I will get this shortly..." Juniper retorted as a scary grin permeated her face. "Everything, and I really mean everything, moves in this school. Stairs, pathways, doors, fake doors, and irritating portraits as the cherry on the top. There is just no way we will find our way in time!" She bellowed.

"Trust me on this one, okay?"

"Fine." She relented.

5 minutes later and they were sitting on their house's table.

"How?" She stared at him.

"Well, you said everything in here moves around, right?" She nodded. "You see, the trick is simple actually. You just have to find out the pattern to the movement." He stated as a matter of fact.

"You are saying then..." She said slowly, making sure he followed her reasoning. "That you discovered a pattern to all the pathways, doors and stairs?"

"Yes, why are you two looking at me like that? It's basic arithmetic and a little bit of calculus." He stared back at them. "We were walking 20 minutes nonstop around, sooner or later someone would have guessed." He shrugged his shoulders.

They didn't say anything, choosing to ignore his strangeness for the time being.

***

"Hello? Noah, are you in there?" Juniper poked him.

"Yeah, you two can go ahead of me. I catch up on you at the potions class." He mumbled while eating.

"Are you sure? It is almost time."

We also won't find our way without you. She thought.

"Don't worry about it!" He smiled at her, but all he got back was a conflicted grin.

They exited the hall with heavy steps, wondering whether or not they would arrive on time. Minutes later Noah got out as well, his steps were light instead, almost like they were under the effect of Wingardium Leviosa.

His head was just as light when remembering the dream he had that day.

'It is wonderful, and I will make it become a reality.'

As he turned right at a corner, his daydreaming was interrupted by 3 kids.

One on the floor, the other 2 pointing their wands while maniacally laughing.

"You Slytherin scum!" A guy with glasses yelled as he kicked the kid across the floor. A whimper was heard through the corridor, but the one in question didn't get up to defend himself. There was no reaction, he just took the pain.

"Where are your seniors to protect you now, huh?" The other raised him by the shirt. "You should be careful, you know? These halls are soulless during these hours." He let go of the shirt, dropping the boy to the floor. "Now, it will be quite annoying if a teacher hears about this, so I hope this becomes our little secret. Are we understood, Nicolas?"

The boy reluctantly nodded before whipping the blood on his lips with his sleeve.

Meanwhile, Noah hid behind a column.

'Hum... A great opportunity.'

He analyzed the situation again, heart beating faster.

'Normally I don't intrude myself in other's fights. But... this might be the start of my plan. Of my dream.'

Sweat ran his forehead.

'I only need to defeat two old students without getting identified, and I have just the perfect idea.'

"Good. Anyway, we need some galleons...and you have some." He continued slowly. "Will you help the ones in need Nicolas?" His wand trembled of excitement in his hand, waiting for the boy's next words.

"But... I don't have much!" He blurted out.

His grin went wild, all he wanted to hear were those words.

"Then bear the consequences! Cru-" An excruciating red light came from his right, blinding him.

"Argh!" He kneeled on the floor.

'Where did this come from?!' He rubbed his eyes in pain.

"Who is there?!" His friend demanded while stepping forward. A rumble went on his back. Turning around he only found a normal pen on the floor.

"Wha-" He looked around once more only to be blinded as well, this time however by a flash of yellow light.

Nicolas was left speechless, not knowing what to do. Noah came running towards him the next second, wand in hand.

"Who the hell are you?!" The bullies hissed as he came closer, albeit all they could do was to throw spells at random, trying a literal shot into the dark.

Noah didn't exchange words with Nicolas, not wanting to expose how his voice sounded. He just forcefully took his hand and ran out of there. 5 minutes later they were reaching the potions classroom.

"Stop! Wait." Nicolas said. "I still don't know your name, and why you helped me." He said while catching his breath.

"Name is Noah, pleasured to meet you." He shook hands with him. Nicolas had trimmed black hair, and a fragile body, almost like he had just exited the hospital. His small black eyes shook in contempt. "Why did you help me?"

"Ehrm... let's say I am investing. You see... today I had a dream!" He exclaimed while walking. "I dreamed of creating great things, wonderful spells." He looked back at Nicolas. "Problem is, the more I invented, the more people feared me. Feared and envied my success. Well, what happened I ask you, my friend?" He asked slowly, waiting for a conclusion.

"What?"

"I was chased and persecuted, all so they could discover my secrets. But all I wanted was to create in the first place!" He dropped his hands in surrender. "These wizards are a tricky bunch you know? It happened before, I can tell you!" He grumbled like an old man.

'You are a strange fellow mate.' Nicolas remarked.

"Alright, enough of my grumbling. Point is, I want allie- friends I can trust. As simple as that." He stopped at the door.

"And here we are! Are you having potion classes as well?" The door opened at his words. A tall and thin figure walked out while glaring at them.

"Unfortunately yes." The man whispered. "Perhaps it is a trend to arrive late these days." His frizzled gray hair swayed magically in the air. "From where I come from, even bumbling idiots arrive on time. The punishment on those lands would be quite helpful to Hogwarts."

"You have two options... do you two want to test them... or enter ALREADY?!" He snapped, his fury was as great as the laugher inside the class.

"SILENCE!" They went quiet in an instant. "Now, where is your equipment? Do you think your hands will be enough?" He bellowed.

"I have them inside this, Professor-" Noah took out his shrunken trunk in a fast motion.

"Sir Faefilus." He sneered.

"Pardon Sir Faefilus." Noah bowed slightly.

"I have my gloves under the robe, Sir." Nicolas stuttered, gaining another round of chuckles.

'I can't pronounce his name!' He thought.

"Marvelous, I see the class already has its clowns." Faefilus spoke.

"Wonderful, I see the school already has its old fart." Noah rebuked. Faefilus's eyes trembled in shock, those weren't words he expected from an 11-year-old brat.

As a death sentence, there they stood, staring at each other.