Worthy Of Magic

Part 18 - Dead...or...not

Nineteen June nineteen ninety-three; Hogwarts Express.

"Do you know where you're going to stay this summer?" Daphne asked Harry.

She had been curious about his home a couple of weeks back and managed to extract the fact that Harry was technically homeless. The revelation he had spent months in a desert was mind blowing. She hadn't believed him and he had shrugged in response leading Daphne to wrap her pretty head around the fact that it could very possibly be true! The boy was completely obsessed with deserts after what she had seen him constantly research in the library.

Daphne couldn't understand why he was pouring over texts and making notes on how to turn objects into sand. Transfiguration was what she had suggested to him when she was looking over his shoulder at the notes he was making.

Harry had given her dirty look like she had suggested eating shit. He was equally obsessed with runes as well, Daphne realised at that moment.

"Donno," Harry replied irritably. He was constantly pushing his hair out of his face. It had grown wild and fell all over his ears and eyes. He had never needed a haircut in his life and now after the desert his hair had grown and he didn't know how to make it short again. He made a note to do research on runes to shorten hair but hadn't gotten around to it. He had turned against using spells after his desert experience. He found them too weak, boring and simple. They lacked the mesmerising quality of using magic with runes. It had caused him quite a bit of trouble in classes where using spells was necessary. It had gotten him to make a visit to the headmaster where he was simply informed that if he didn't turn in assignments and did the necessary spell work, he would be issued a warning letter. Further disregard for the rules, he would be expelled.

Harry had scowled and complied. He felt it weird he cared enough for Hogwarts that he didn't want to be expelled. The emotion had confused him for weeks until he gave up and buried in that ever growing pit of unwanted emotions.

"You don't know?" Daphne said perplexed. "What do you mean you don't know? We are on a train Harry," she said exasperatedly. "Where are you going to go when we reach Kings Cross?! Please don't say the desert."

Why did she chatter so much, Harry thought with an internal scowl. "Dumbledore will be there at the station," Harry said, his voice soft and laced with venom.

Daphne didn't know if the venom was directed at her or Dumbledore.

She opened her mouth to offer him to stay at her place but his glare confirmed the venom was directed at her.

The compartment door opened and Tracey Davis walked in. She was accompanied by Susan Bones and Zacharias Smith.

"Hey Daphne!" Tracey said cheerfully. "Hey Harry."

Harry ignored everyone and tuned them out in favour of focusing on the book of Chakras he had found in the mystic section of the Library. According to Indian spirituality; there were seven chakras in a human body and Harry found them remarkably similar to what he was seeing and feeling with the colours.

"What a weirdo," Smith scoffed and took a seat next to Harry. "Hey Potter, stop being such a nerd will ya!"

"Err... Zac," Daphne said warily. She sensed the air of murder growing around Harry. She had been in Harry's presence long enough to know it. "Please don't talk to him."

"Why!"

"Because you'll regret it."

Zacharias balked. "What? He what will he do? Kill me?" he laughed. "Do you even know how to kill Potter?" he joked.

"Zac!" Daphne shouted in panic.

Harry was clutching the ends of his book.

Smith looked at her, surprised at the tone of her voice.