Ambivalent → Hermione Granger [3] ✔

I 15 I Reckoning

~*~

Alexander settled into the train compartment with Neville, Dean, and Seamus; the familiar sounds of Hogwarts rushed back to him. The rhythmic chattering of the train, the occasional whistle as it chugged along the tracks, and the laughter of his friends filled the air. They were playing exploding snap and Alexander had declined to participate in the action. He should've shared in their joy, but he couldn't. Neville, turning to look at him curiously, nudged his shoulder.

"Alex, are you okay?" he asked in a low whisper, his eyes gentle.

"Fine," muttered Alexander, attempting a smile.

Neville pushed a chocolate frog over to him. "Here, have some of mine, it's alright - you look as if you need some, mate. Cheer up, we'll be at Hogwarts soon." His smile faltered and he shuddered. "Well, I guess I'm not looking forward to those dementors if I'm being honest. They still give me the creeps. I hope they're gone when we're back."

"Thank you, Neville."

Alexander took a bit, satisfying the chubby boy. Neville leaned back against the plush seat, his eyes alight with excitement.

"You know, Alex, you won't believe the adventure I had this summer. Gran took me to visit some distant relatives in the countryside. It was absolutely magical, not in the wizarding sense, of course, but in its own way."

Alexander listened, his gaze shifting from Neville to the passing scenery outside the window. The landscape blurred by in a mosaic of colours, a backdrop to Neville's animated voice.

"We stayed in this old cottage surrounded by rolling hills and forests," Neville continued. "And you wouldn't believe the creatures and plants we encountered! There were these wild rabbits that hopped around the fields like they owned the place, and I swear I saw a fox one evening, sneaking through the trees."

A faint smile tugged at Alexander's lips. It was comforting to hear about the simple joys of life outside the wizarding world, especially after the tumultuous events of the past year. Or the past three years more precisely.

"And oh, let me tell you about Trevor," Neville exclaimed suddenly, his eyes widening. "That little rascal nearly disappeared on me again just before we were about to leave! I thought I'd checked, but somehow he managed to slip out."

Alexander chuckled, picturing Neville's frantic search for his wayward toad. "Your Gran came to the rescue, didn't she?"

Neville nodded vigorously. "Oh, she did, thank goodness! Found him hiding under the sofa of all places. I swear, that toad has a knack for mischief. How was your summer? Get up to anything?"

Alexander's smile faded a tad. "Not really," he shrugged. "It was rather. . . boring."

As the train rattled on, Alexander closed his eyes and leaned against the window, welcoming the cool, wintry sensation against his skin. The clatter of the train tracks outside seemed to soothe his nerves, momentarily distracting him.

His thoughts raced like the train itself, hurtling through a maze of confusion and uncertainty. The absence of his mother weighed heavily on his heart, a wound that seemed to deepen with each passing moment. Several things were now clear to him: his mother must have somehow died trying to take down Voldemort, the same noseless freak that was still alive (whether through a memory or as an ugly deformed shape) and very much trying (and failing) to kill one of his best friends; this 'Prince' guy his mum wrote about might as well be his father as she kept mentioning her strong feelings for him; but, most importantly, his grandfather had some kind of ploy in the horrors of the wizarding war and had perhaps contributed to the very case that his mother died trying to dismantle.