hogwarts au

[keythatconnects]

Sora was fifteen and it was his first day at Hogwarts. Students usually had their first days when they were eleven, but Sora had been taught by teachers back home. He had only transferred to Hogwarts the moment it was possible. He knew it would take some getting used to, but it was worth it to see more of the world. England was so utterly different than the Islands.

He felt like he was doing well, though, all things considered. He was even managing being away from his dearest friends once everyone retired to their common rooms. At least the Hufflepuff common room was cozy and comfortable and everyone had made him feel welcome.

The morning he had caught up with his friends before heading to his first class.

He was trying to find the potions room now, and he felt completely lost. He knew the class was in the dungeons, but the whole castle felt like a maze. He was probably going to be late, and that made him feel frustrated. He was terrible at potions, it required too much patience, and he was going to give the professor reason to dislike him right off the bat by being late.

Maybe someone nearby would be willing to give him directions?

Comments

[keythatconnects]

"I wasn't thanks to you! I barely made it in time, but I probably would have been late if you hadn't shown up." He leans a little closer to Riku then, still ignoring the fact that this is considered pretty abnormal. "I might have lost points for being terrible at potions though. Is is always like that?" His voice is low, because he doesn't want to get caught dragging a professor on his first day.

"It doesn't seem like the best way to teach..."

[findingheart]

Dragging a professor who happens to be the Head of House for Slytherin. Whose table Sora happens to be sitting at. Riku huffs a laugh, shaking his head.

"I'd say no, but I'd probably be lying. He's effective, at least... For the most part."

He nods over to the Hufflepuff table that Sora had just come from. "I'm not keeping you from socializing with your housemates, am I?" Ignoring the fact that Sora had come over here to talk to him.

[keythatconnects]

Sora looks over that the Hufflepuffs and then back to Riku. "You know, I don't get why everyone acts like the Houses can't get along. Back home, on my islands, everyone learns together. I know there's way more people here so they can't do that, and having a bit of friendly competition between the Houses can help everyone strive to be their best, but we're all still going to Hogwarts right? We're all in the same boat - or castle, I guess. If I want to come over here and talk to the cool Slytherin who helped me earlier in the day I should be able to, right?"

Then, after a moment, a thought seems to come to him. "In fact! If I want to eat supper with you instead of over there, I should be able to do that too, right?" He turns his body, swinging his legs over the bench to sit on it properly. Then he seems to realize how bold that action is.

"Unless... you don't want me to?"

[findingheart]

It's not a particularly common thought- most people tend to socialize with their own House around mealtimes, save for a few exceptions. Slytherins? Almost never.

"Yeah, I guess so." Still, Riku smirks at that and nods, passing a plate over to him. Sora is bold, and he likes that. Hell, he's a little embarrassed he didn't think of it first. Not that he'd even been looking too hard for him.

"Nah, I didn't say that." There might be a bit of gawking and side-eyeing from further down the table, but it's pretty easy for Riku to ignore. He doesn't buy into all of the Pure Blood stuff that a lot of the other kids are into.

[keythatconnects]

Sora takes the plate and starts piling a variety of food onto it. "Great!" He relaxes again and settles into being at Riku's side.

Somehow, it feels natural for him to be there. "There's a lot of stuff I have to get used to about this place, it will be nice to have a friend to help me through it."

It's also natural for him to call Riku a friend.

[findingheart]

It's odd to him, how nice it feels to have someone sitting next to him so at ease with everything and oblivious to the tension. It makes his own shoulders relax a bit- not that he cares about whatever perceived slight his other classmates feel he's made. The word 'friend' makes him start, glancing at Sora with surprise.

He doesn't have very many of those- not ones that attend Hogwarts, anyway. He's got classmates he gets along with, sure, but friend? It feels.. good.

"Yeah? Like what?" He pushes down that pesky warm feeling to decode later on.

[keythatconnects]

"Things like..." He takes a bite as he thinks about how to word it and swallows in a hurry. "Things like this fuss about Muggles and magical folk. The islands are wholly a magical community. I've never even met someone who wasn't aware of magic before. So, uh, what exactly happens if I mess up and someone who shouldn't see my magic happens to see it?"

The Statute of Secrecy was explained to him in detail when he first transferred but some of that information had basically floated in one ear and out the other.

[findingheart]

That concept seems absolutely unreal to Riku. While most of his family are gifted with magic, some relatives married Muggles, or witches and wizards from non-magic families. So being in a community of only full of magic? It's boggling.

"The United Kingdom is big enough that not everyone is from a magic family. A lot of the students here are from Muggle families who were born with magic. Using it outside of school until you're seventeen is illegal, so I wouldn't recommend it. The Ministry of Magic takes care of most of those situations. It depends on the severity of the spell, though. Some things can be explained away. Other things? Not so easy."

It's something that's preached growing up, but he's never personally run into that.

[keythatconnects]

Sora can't help but be curious about these witches and wizards from Muggle families. He wants to learn everything he can about the world. That drive was the whole reason he was here.

"So what I'm hearing is that I should be extra careful if we ever get around Muggles," he smiles as he relaxes a bit. "Fat chance of that happening though, right? I mean, I'm going to be stuck in the castle while I'm here. Oh! Except Hogsmeade! I got permission to go there. I guess that place is safe to do magic in too, huh?"

[findingheart]

"There shouldn't be a reason to worry during the school year. Hogsmeade is a magical community, too. If you're curious, plenty of your housemates are Muggle-born."

Which sounds more rude than he means it, though it's true. A lot of Hufflepuffs tend to be Muggleborn. Less so in Slytherin, though not all. It's never truly one way or the other, since it comes down to personality more than anything. The Sorting Hat knows more about them than they do.

[keythatconnects]

"Phew, what a relief," Sora says. He doesn't seem to catch that the implication might be rude. He just breathes out and then slumps a bit so that his body gently presses against Riku's side for a moment.

"I was seriously worried about messing up and getting arrested. The mayor of the town I grew up in made it sound like you guys were locking people up and throwing them to dementors all of the time." He pulls away and offers Riku a sheepish grin.

"But then he was probably trying to scare me off from coming here."

[findingheart]

The comment about the dementors makes him genuinely laugh, and he has to shake his head.

"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't allow that. Especially dementors near the school. We're students, not convicts."

[keythatconnects]

Sora feels that laugh as if it vibrates his whole body, right down to his toes. He grins happily at the sound.

"I've heard so many great things about Dumbledore. Even on the islands we know a bit about him. He came to my home personally to work out the agreement with our mayor, you know!" He glances up towards the teacher's table as if he'll be able to catch sight of Dumbledore, but he appears to be taking supper somewhere else.

"Do you think I'll ever be able to have a beard like that?" He strokes his chin as if he can will the facial hair into existence.

[findingheart]

"I wouldn't count on it. He's probably had it since birth."

It doesn't surprise him to hear that Dumbledore had something to do with the transfer- he gets into things when he can, but he's a busy man. Though Riku has noticed that the man always happens to be the place that he's needed most at any given time, even if it's not where he's meant to be.

[keythatconnects]

Sora laughs at that, the sound bright and airy. "Oh now I'm picturing a baby with that awesome of a beard and his little tiny glasses and I don't know if that's the worst or best thing I've ever imagined."

He nudges Riku's arm lightly with his arm in a teasing, joking kind of way. There was also a certain level of desire to touch and be tactical with Riku that felt as natural as speaking with him. "Thanks for that, Riku."

[findingheart]

"Maybe a little of both?" It's a terrifying thought, really, but everyone has their theories.

The physical nature is something Riku isn't really used to with friends. There's a respectable distance that's usually kept, and he's not too physically affectionate with most of his family.

"Yeah, sure." How hard is it to say you're welcome, Riku? Honestly.

[keythatconnects]

Sora focuses on eating for a little while now, though halfway through the meal he ends up kind of half leaning on Riku, almost as if he's too lazy to sit up properly or because he still wants to touch Riku for as long as they are near one another.

"So what classes do you have tomorrow?" he asks after that moment of silence.

[findingheart]

Riku mostly picks at his own food, not minding that he's being used as a leaning post. His side is warm, and that's kind of nice. He finishes chewing the roasted potato in his mouth before replying.

"Double Transfiguration, Magical Theory, Divination, Potions.. and a free study period..You?"

[keythatconnects]

"Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, and Muggle Studies." He knew it was probably unrealistic to hope that they might have a class together. Riku seemed older, they were probably in different years.

"It should be a pretty easy day for me. Maybe that's to make up for how horrible today was." Then, after a moment, because he doesn't want to dwell on memories of the dungeon and how terrible he was at Potions. "Say, can I ask you a favor that you can totally say no to if you don't want to do it?"

[findingheart]

"Some days are easier than others, depending on what classes are happening and for what year. Tuesdays are usually my light days, though I have Quidditch practice in the afternoon."

Riku sits up straighter, looking at Sora quizzically. "Sure?"

[keythatconnects]

Sora's face brightened a bit. "That's exactly what I wanted to ask you about," he confessed. "Quidditch, I mean. It's really popular here isn't it? But I've never seen a game. I don't even know if I fully understand the rules." He wasn't sure why that felt embarrassing, but here he was smiling in a slightly embarrassed way and rubbing the back of his head.

"Do you think... Could you teach me?"

[findingheart]

"The rules are pretty simple. There's a game between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw over the weekend. I can explain them there. It's easier to explain it when everything is in play."

He doesn't mind, really. For those who aren't familiar with it, it can be confusing, but Riku honestly loves it. He feels at home on a broomstick, flying the field.

[keythatconnects]

"So I'll meet you before the game and we can sit together?" Sora asks, feeling pleased with the idea that he has a plan on how to deal with missing something that seems so important to others.

"You won't mind if I ask a lot of questions?"

[findingheart]

"Answering a lot of questions comes with the territory, I'm used to it."

Not simply about quidditch, but in general about a lot of things. It can't be his approachable face, because it's generally a sour expression. It's good that Sora isn't put off by that.

[keythatconnects]

Sora seems beyond pleased with how willing Riku is to help him. "Thank you, Riku," he says with a smile. "I can't tell you how much I feel like I've been missing out when people talk about it. I know it's a really big deal, but my island has been pretty closed off for generations now.

We're lucky we even have brooms. You'd think they would have banned them for fear that we'd use them to fly away."