"Pfft—"With a steam whistle, the train slowly came to a stop. Both Hermione and Lucas had changed into the wizarding robes they'd bought at Madam Malkin's. As the door opened, the young witches and wizards exited the carriage in an orderly manner, Hermione and Lucas among them. Neither carried their luggage, of course—according to the admission letter, the luggage would be transported separately.
Even though it was September, the night air was still bitterly cold. Hermione tightened the brown scarf around her neck, her bushy hair tucked beneath it.
"Aren't you cold?"She turned to Lucas, who looked a bit underdressed for the chill, and pulled out another scarf—identical to hers—and offered it to him.
"Here, I brought an extra!"
"Thanks," Lucas replied, taking the scarf. He didn't feel the cold much, but accepted it out of politeness.Thanks to his enhanced physique, his resistance to environmental factors had increased considerably. To actually feel cold, he'd probably need to be dropped off at the North or South Pole.
Just then, an oil lamp floated into view in the darkness, held by a towering figure—it was Hagrid, the one leading the first-years.
"Alright, first years, this way!"Hagrid stood by the lake, calling out to the group of nervous students.
"No more than four to a boat! Everyone board in an orderly fashion!"
Unsurprisingly, Hermione and Lucas ended up in the same boat, sitting near the lantern in the center. Two unfamiliar kids sat at the front and back.
Once everyone was aboard, Hagrid called for departure.
Lucas, who had been chatting with Hermione, suddenly felt the boat shudder—then his expression changed.A wave of dizziness hit him. His head spun.Damn... I forgot Dragon Slayers get motion sick!
Wait a minute—why didn't I feel like this on the train?!Before he could think any further, Lucas collapsed sideways into Hermione's arms.
"Lucas?! What's wrong with you?"Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly supported his shoulder.
"I'm fine... just a little seasick," Lucas muttered weakly.Nausea, dizziness—classic symptoms for a Dragon Slayer Mage.
"Really...? That bad?"Hermione looked at him with concern, noting his pale face. She hadn't realized seasickness could be that intense.
"Alright, just rest for now. I'll wake you when we get to the shore."
Lucas didn't argue. His head was spinning too much to think, so he closed his eyes.The vehicle sickness that plagued all Dragon Slayers—first, second, and third generation—was proportional to their strength. The stronger the mage, the worse the effect.He'd nearly forgotten this curse after getting off the train. Who'd have guessed it would hit so hard the moment he stepped into a boat?
"Haha! Look, Goyle, Crabbe! What an idiot—he's seasick!"
The mocking voice came from the next boat. A blonde boy sat there, flanked by two henchmen, one tall and one fat.
"First time I've seen a wizard get seasick!"
"You—!"Hermione, still holding up Lucas, instinctively reached for her wand.
But just then, Lucas opened one blurry, pale-blue eye.
"So noisy..." he murmured.He didn't raise his wand, didn't speak a spell—but a spark of lightning shot out in a flash.
It moved so fast that Malfoy couldn't react.
Crack!The electric shock hit him with a satisfying sizzle. His entire body went numb, and he collapsed in the boat, golden hair standing on end.
"Ababa!"Malfoy tried to shout for help, to get Hagrid's attention, to beg someone to stop the "half-blood freak"—but his mouth wouldn't obey.His limbs twitched uncontrollably under the paralysis.
And just for good measure, the arc of electricity zapped both of his companions too.
All three of them were glowing faintly with crackling static in the dark.Luckily, their boats were near the back, so no one else noticed the incident.
"Lucas..."
"Don't worry," Lucas mumbled, still lying in Hermione's arms. "It'll wear off by the time we get to shore."
As for Malfoy reporting it later—who would believe some orphan wizard had that kind of magic?Besides, with Professor Snape around, Lucas had nothing to fear.
"No, Lucas... that was amazing! When did you learn to cast silent spells like that?""And what was that spell? Will you teach me?" Hermione's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"I guess... you could learn it?" Lucas replied vaguely.His neck was starting to ache from lying in the same position, so he tried to shift—but then felt a hand press gently on his head.
"Don't... move," came a soft, halting voice from above him.
"Oh."Ah. Must've touched something I shouldn't have, Lucas thought.Better to play dead for now.
The Black Lake was bigger than it looked, and the boat ride took over ten minutes.
By the time Lucas stepped onto solid ground again, his dizziness had finally started to fade.
"That took a lot out of me..."Hermione was still supporting him, as he nearly stumbled getting out of the boat.
On the side, the trio who had recovered from the shock also got off.Malfoy's blonde hair was a frizzy mess, his hands still shaking.He glanced nervously at Lucas, who gave him a harmless smile.
"D-Don't come near me!"
The three of them bolted—well, tried to. Malfoy tripped halfway through and faceplanted.
"Pathetic," Lucas muttered, shaking his head.Then he turned to Hermione, who was trying not to smile.
"Let's go—it's time for the Sorting Ceremony!""I hope we get sorted into the same house!" Hermione said excitedly.
Lucas smiled faintly.Wishful thinking. He was bound for Slytherin.And Hermione... wasn't.
Actually, he thought Ravenclaw would suit her better anyway—they were both bookworms, after all.