𝑨𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒕 - ʜᴊᴘ x ᴏᴄ [𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆&𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆]

𝟑

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The station was a madhouse. Kids yelling, parents fussing, luggage tripping up unsuspecting travelers—it was chaos, and Cassiopeia Black loved it. She stood beside her aunt, Aurora, casually leaning on her trolley, eyes fixed on the barrier between platforms nine and ten. To a Muggle, it was just a boring old brick wall. To her? The gateway to something far more interesting.

"Alright, remind me how this works?" Cassie asked, raising an eyebrow. "I just hurl myself at solid rock and hope for the best? Sounds brilliant."

Aurora smirked, tucking a loose strand of golden-brown hair behind her ear. "That's the spirit. Just run at it like you're late for a duel. No stopping, no second-guessing. You've got this."

Cassie rolled her eyes but took a deep breath, gripping her trolley like a knight bracing for battle. "Right. Here goes nothing."

She pushed off, charging straight for the barrier, half-expecting to crash face-first into the bricks. Instead, the wall rippled like disturbed water, and suddenly, she was through.

The mundane station melted away, replaced by the warm hum of Platform 9¾. The Hogwarts Express loomed before her, scarlet and gleaming, steam curling lazily into the sky.

A moment later, Aurora stepped through behind her, brushing nonexistent dust off her robes. "Still in one piece?" she teased, adjusting Cassie's collar with that overly fussy, motherly touch.

"Unfortunately for my enemies, yes."

Aurora huffed out a laugh, but her eyes shimmered with something more tender. "Do you have everything?"

"Yes, Aurie," Cassie deadpanned. "All limbs accounted for. Trunk? Check. Wand? Check. Dramatic exit line for when I inevitably storm out of class? Work in progress."

Aurora's lips wobbled between amusement and sentiment. "Just... write me, okay? Let me know where you end up."

Cassie chuckled, though the lump in her throat was harder to ignore now. "Aurie, please. I know I'm basically the most spectacular niece to ever exist, but tears? Bit much."

Aurora laughed through a sniffle, dabbing at her eyes. "Just humor me, alright?"

"Alright, alright." Cassie sighed, then added, "I hope I get Slytherin."

Aurora's smile softened. "I don't care what house you're in, Cass. You'll be brilliant no matter what."

Cassie glanced around, spotting a few familiar family faces she had no desire to engage with. "Grandfather does."

Aurora's expression darkened. "Yeah, well, he's got the emotional range of a teaspoon, so who cares?"

Cassie let out a bark of laughter before pulling Aurora into a tight hug. "Love you, Aurie."

"Love you too, Cass." Aurora squeezed her back. "Now go, before I embarrass you even more."

Cassie was just about to board when she caught sight of something—or rather, someone. A boy with messy black hair and those ridiculous glasses, pushing a trolley like he had something to prove. He looked familiar, and before she could stop herself, she turned back to Aurora.

"Wait here a sec. I've got something to do."

Weaving through the crowd, she caught up with the boy. "Oi, Glasses!"

He turned, blinking in surprise before recognition dawned. "Oh, hey, Blondie."

Cassie folded her arms. "So are you ever gonna tell me your name, or do I just keep calling you Glasses forever?"

"Harry. Harry Potter."

Cassie blinked. "Wait—you're the Harry Potter?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Er—yeah?"

"Huh. Thought you'd be taller."

He huffed a laugh. "And I thought you'd be less annoying."

Cassie grinned. "Guess we're both disappointed."

Before Harry could come up with a retort, she grabbed his sleeve. "Come on, meet my aunt. She'll want to see you."

Aurora was mid-conversation with a red-haired woman when they approached. The moment her eyes landed on Harry, she froze. The laughter in her face gave way to something softer, something sad.

"Harry?"

Harry frowned. "Uh... yeah? How do you know my name?"

Aurora hesitated, as if sorting through a thousand old memories. "I knew your father. We were... friends."

"Oh." Harry shifted awkwardly, clearly not sure how to respond.

Aurora shook it off, her smile returning. "You two go on, have a wonderful term."

Cassie let Aurora hug her one more time before she and Harry climbed aboard. The train smelled of polished wood, warm chocolate, and that faint metallic tinge of adventure. They finally found an empty compartment near the back, squeezing in with their trunks.

Harry struggled to heave his onto the rack, and before Cassie could help, two identical red-haired boys appeared at the door.

"Need a hand?" one of them asked.

"Fred, George," Cassie greeted with a grin. "Yes, we're tragically incompetent and require immediate assistance."

The twins hoisted the trunk with practiced ease before vanishing as quickly as they came. Once alone, Cassie slumped into the seat, stretching her legs out across from Harry.

"So," she said, tapping her fingers against the armrest. "What house are you hoping for?"

Harry hesitated. "Dunno. I don't really know much about them."

Cassie sighed dramatically. "Alright, let's break it down. Gryffindor? Bunch of reckless adrenaline junkies who think jumping off a moving broom is a personality trait. Ravenclaw? Smart, but half of them would forget their own wands if they weren't attached to their robes. Hufflepuff? Weirdly obsessed with snacks and morally superior about it. Slytherin? Ambitious, cunning, probably plotting world domination before breakfast."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And where do you fit into all that?"

Cassie chuckled. "Oh, I'm a Slytherin through and through. Obviously. Grandfather and Grandmother practically demanded it. Said if I wasn't sorted there, I'd be a disgrace to the family."

Harry watched her for a moment, then grinned. "Yeah, that checks out."

Cassie leaned back, crossing her arms behind her head. "Good answer, Potter. You might just survive this train ride after all."

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Wow, this chapter ended up way longer than I expected—whoops. Cassie and Harry's dynamic is already so much fun to write, and yes, I am absolutely throwing her into every important moment. Also, writing first-years is still a struggle, but we're rolling with it :)

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