White Scars

House Sorting

Author's notes:

I figured I should try this and see how it goes. Let me know if the new layout of chapters with the single spacing is a bit better on the eyes and the like. If there are any questions then feel free to ask; I will be a bit vague if they come into spoiler territory or cover anything I plan on revealing at a later date.

Finally, apologies for the strange schedule...or well lack of one altogether. From now on there will be at least one new chapter every month (this goes for the four main fics I'm handling: Phantom Masquerade, Scars of White, Class Wars, Piracy!) with the word count increasing to at least 3000 words per chapter. Let me know if that's a change for the better as well.

That and a surprise that I'm looking forward sometime in the near future (Probably next month or the month after), I'm excited for it. But I'll reveal more details with that as it becomes relevant.

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An announcement sounds throughout the speeding locomotive.

"Please depart from the train. Attendants await your journey towards Hogwarts academy. Please ensure all hand luggage has been gathered and the spaces cleaned before leaving the premises. First years please report to grounds man Rubeus Hagrid. Second years and above should find the group of the headless hunt." The voice died down after that, it wasn't quite the static of an intercom like I expected, perhaps the use of magic? Or they actually have modern technology implemented in the train? Though that seems strange to modify the train for that purpose, wouldn't it make more sense to just get a modern train instead? I'm asking too many questions that don't matter...

"Headless hunt? What's that Ron?" Is it something to do with Dullahan maybe? Assuming folklore and mythology are based somewhat on reality would explain a lot. After all the magic and muggle worlds have been interacting infrequently throughout time, it wouldn't be crazy to assume some things have been seen by either side.

"A band of ghosts! All of them were beheaded. Brutal, I'm telling ya." How long have they been around if they were killed by beheading. As far as I'm aware beheading was abolished in the early 19th century and instead hanging was used as a form of capital punishment for crimes of such severity.

"Wait. Ghosts exist?!" Harry exclaimed the shock that couldn't manifest in my own body. I wonder how long they stay around. The number of people that have died throughout all time should mean we should've at least encountered one in our lifetime up to this point. Unless they can decide whether they want to be seen. Or perhaps there are conditions necessary for a ghost to remain clinging to the human world? In media often unresolved desires are the reason for their conviction to stay in the world of the living.

"Yeah. I mean dragons exist. Magic exists, surely ghosts aren't that far-fetched?" Ron stated matter-of-factly. He has a point.

"Whoa! Dragons as well?!" I wonder when the initial magic will rub off. Pun intended. Will there come a day when things just don't surprise me anymore in terms of magic? At this point I can confidently say I doubt it. Who's to say what the future has in store.

"Yeah, actually my brother's been working with them the past year. He's been in Romania studying them." Ron slowly looked down and twiddled with his thumbs, a nervous habit he often exhibited.

"Cool. Have you ever seen one?" A childlike wonder sparkled in Harry's eyes as he continued to interrogate Ron about the magical world.

"Have I hell! Rare creatures dragons, that's actually the reason that Bill's working with them. They have to be specially raised in captivity. They very rarely mate naturally, that and add poaching in the mix. The number's drop rapidly..."