HPSU Chapter 04 (Patreon)

Harry Potter’s Point of View

The train trip was very eventful. I knew Draco and Dudley, they got along like beans and toast. It made my relationship with my cousin fall to the side as they worked together to get up to mischief. They moved to their own separate train cabin. It also meant I was left with the odd Weasley boy. I knew my family was supposed to get along with them but the boy just kept talking about his scar.

My cousin Pansy entered the cabin and sat down only stating ‘Potter’ before opening a book. Neville was next to sit down. He told me about his trip to America with his parents over the holidays. They just got back before he had to go to school. Another few people came and greeted me before going to their own cabins. 

I was about to ignore the Weasley and crack open a book myself before another girl came in and asked if there was room for her. I looked at her, she didn’t take very good care of herself. A frizzy mess of tangled hair, thick hair covering her face. She had big buck teeth she kept chewing her bottom lip with. She was talking but her frizzy hair was too distracting for me to listen. I could only ask. “Do you mind if I use a few spells on you?”

Before she could answer I cast the basic appearance charm on her and her hair full of knots was rapidly cleaned and untangled. Another spell to flatten her hair giving it a sheen as if she had freshly shampooed it and another to get rid of the smell coming from the Weasley. Whatever he had in the bag stunk a little. A shopping cart passed and the miss asked. “Anything from the trolley dearies?”

They look around before I answer. “Five cauldron cakes, chocolate frogs, pumpkin pastries, and blowing gum, please.” I handed over two galleons before starting. “Keep the knuts but can I get the two sickles back please?” She handed me my food and I began to portion it out before putting the sickles back in my money pouch. Everyone happily ate their food quietly before Ron asked again.

“Can I see your scar again?” I pulled up my hair showing the scar underneath allowing Ron and Hermione to see it. I had grown used to showing it off, so much so that the two acquaintances didn’t even bother looking up as one ate and the other played with his frog. The terrible two approached our cabin halfway through the ride.

Both had wide grins on their faces as Malfoy spoke. “We’re starting a soccer team for Hogwarts Potter. Are you in?” I couldn’t help but smile. “Of course, as long as I get to be captain.” Malfoy just sneers at me. “Someone whose favorite ninja turtle is Leonardo clearly has thinking problems and shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions.” 

I couldn’t help but banter back with him as Dudley smiled at his two new friends. I recognize one, me and uncle Tommy went to his house a few times… Goyle. “Oh, you think someone whose favorite turtle is Raphael should be the leader? You’d be too busy starting fights than making plans. At least Dudley likes Michelangelo. The party dude is way better than the reckless idiot. Also hi Goyle.”

He waved at me most likely not even understanding what we were talking about. He was from a wizard family so the only people who knew about soccer were the ones I introduced it to. Even when we were playing with blocks I could tell he wasn’t all there, not a mentally handicapped person but fairly close. Malfoy just smiled back at me. “Well, since we’ll be in different houses then we should each make our own teams to see who has the best. I bet you ten galleons mine is better than yours by the end of the school year.”

We make a wizard's bet on it before he goes off on another tangent about something else. Something came up about Malfoy most likely being placed in Slytherin and Ron couldn’t help but exclaim. “But aren’t all Slytherin bad guys?” Most of the compartment was taken aback by his statement. I couldn’t help but ask befuddled. “What!?”

He went on the elaborate. “My dad said all Slytherin’s are evil.” I couldn’t help but laugh and as I did the heavy tension broke as everyone else began to laugh as well. I could barely get out a sentence between the laughs. “If all Slytherins are evil why would they still exist? Voldefarts was a Slytherin but so were half the people fighting him. My uncle who fought the hardest against Moldyvort was a Slytherin. I’d most likely be a Slytherin if I wasn’t trying to follow in my mother and father's footsteps.”

He asked again. “Why are you calling Voldemort names that aren’t his.” My smile faded as I spoke. “Because his name is jinxed. Anyone who says it can bring attention to them from any Death Eaters still walking around. Calling him anything but his real name is the smarter decision… But Voldemort’s army has been mostly dismantled. So it should be fine saying his name now.”

We got back to talking as they entered the cabin and left it feeling very packed. Ron seemed to have gotten over being in the same area as a Slytherin quickly as Dudley got along with him. They talked about who their favorite quidditch teams were and it took him no effort to convince Ron that he needed to start playing soccer with us. He always had a ball with him and could dribble it on his head a few times before scoring a goal.

If he went into muggle society he would quickly become a professional soccer player in the future. Fast, strong, and accurate, any team Dudley was on had a star player… Which meant I needed to find teammates who could rapidly understand and get better at the game. Dudley did his best to draw attention to himself. Ever since we were mobbed by a group of fans during a trip to Florean Fortescue’s ice cream shop he always tried to draw attention away from me. 

We practiced spells that could be cast in a crowded cabin and even Hermoine got in on the casting. She was picking up spells that were beyond the first level and even when me and Malfoy started silent casting she asked a million questions about how it was possible. “Intent. Silent casting is about intent, it takes more mental effort.” I already knew how to wandless cast the accio charm as well.

My uncle put him through hellish training making my body and mind stronger. Both Dudley and I looked a year or two older than they were from the special nourishing food, herbs, and potions to increase their growth. Magic power was proven to be related to the physical body. If he knew that, why didn’t everyone else? All the eleven and twelve-year-olds looked like that, they looked like eleven and twelve-year-olds. 

We talked back to our favorite ninja turtles. “How can you not like Leonardo, he’s the leader.” Draco just smirked at me. “Yeah, but that’s all he is. Raph is the better fighter, if they weren’t a team Raph would be the strongest out of them.” As we spoke Ron managed to sneakily take the chocolate frog off Pansy before eating it as he looked confused at our argument. Dudley just smiled as he said. “Who cares about that stuff? Michelangelo is the party guy. He’s the coolest.” Quietly, almost too soft no one heard her in between Dudley’s laughing. Hermoine spoke. “I like Donatello.”

As if the dam burst we all began to ask how much she knew about the ninja turtles.