Atlas was ecstatic as he dived fully into learning from the magic books he had bought in Diagon Alley. His progress on legilimancy was slow, but he refused to give up. He spent countless hours reading and practicing the techniques he learned from the books. He was determined to master it, even if it meant sacrificing his summer vacation.
Fortunately, his progress in the schoolbooks was great. With the assistance of his mother, he completed the whole course of the third year in just a month. He was proud of himself for this achievement, but he knew he had to keep pushing himself ..
After his mother's incessant nagging, he finally finished packing his stuff two days ago. Tomorrow would be the first of September, the day the Hogwarts Express would bring the students to Hogwarts. He was excited to finally be able to attend the famous wizarding school.
On the day of departure, his father, as always, drove the family in his Austin 1800. The car was packed to the brim, with Atlas struggling to fit his trunk in the back seat. As they arrived at the train station, they could already see some wizards who didn't give a damn about being discreet, running through the Wall to platform 9 3/4.
Atlas was a bit early, but he didn't mind. Officially he wanted to avoid the massive crowd of students and parents that usually gathered at the station. Unofficially he also had a secret fear of meeting Harry Potter. He didn’t want to be the cause of any major change that will keep him guessing who the hero is.
They found a quiet spot near the platform entrance, and Atlas spent his time observing the people around him. He saw wizards and witches from all walks of life, dressed in robes of various colors and styles. Some were accompanied by their parents, while others were traveling alone.
As the departure time approached, Atlas began to feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He had never been away from home for so long, and the thought of living in a castle filled with magical creatures and unknown dangers was both thrilling and terrifying. The looming threat of a multiversal apocalypse didn’t help in that regard.
As they approached the crowd of wizards and witches, Atlas scanned the faces of the people who were entering the platform, hoping to catch a glimpse of the hero from another world. However, he couldn't seem to find anyone who looked out of the “ordinary”.
His father wished him good luck in school and reminded him to make lots of friends, while his mother gave him a hug and told him not to annoy the teachers like he had been annoying her during his studies at home.
As he was about to board the Hogwarts Express, he noticed the Weasley family emerging from the wall that led to platform 9 3/4. They were boisterous and clearly excited for the upcoming school year.
Then, he saw Harry Potter entering the train station. Harry said goodbye to the Weasleys and boarded the train. Atlas observed him closely, trying to see if he could glean any information about the hero's identity. However, he quickly realized that it was unlikely that Harry was the hero. Harry looked disheveled and wore broken glasses, and he needed the Weasleys' help to get to the train. Atlas doubted that the hero would be in such a state, especially if they got a boon to get to the peak of the universe itself.
With this realization, Atlas mentally half crossed Harry Potter off his list of potential heroes. He couldn't afford to waste any more time trying to investigate Harry's background. Instead, he needed to focus on his studies and find another way to identify the hero before it was too late.
As Atlas boarded the train, he felt a sense of excitement and nervousness wash over him. He was going to Hogwarts. He settled into his compartment and began to reflect on his magical studies over the past few weeks. While his progress in legilimency had been slow, he was pleased with how much he had learned from his textbooks.
As the Hogwarts Express began to pull out of the station, Atlas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mind was preoccupied with the pressing question of how he would identify the hero. He began to consider the likely candidates, starting with Harry Potter. However, as he watched Harry enter the train station, he quickly dismissed the idea. Harry seemed disheveled, wearing old clothes and broken glasses. If he was the hero, surely he would be better equipped and more prepared for his role.
Atlas then turned his attention to Draco Malfoy. As the son of wealthy and influential pureblood parents, he certainly had the advantage of power and influence, that could be a boon on its own. But Atlas knew that being a hero meant more than just privilege and status.
Atlas also considered the difficulty of identifying Malfoy as the hero if he chose to behave like the arrogant, entitled person that he was known to be. If he didn't antagonize Harry Potter early on, it could be challenging to determine whether he was truly the hero or just a bratty kid.
As Atlas continued to mull over his thoughts, he realized that he needed to look beyond the obvious candidates and consider other possibilities. He needed to be vigilant and observant, keeping an eye out for any signs or behaviors that might indicate the presence of the hero While he initially assumed it would be a male character, he couldn't completely rule out the possibility of a heroine.
He began to consider the most likely candidates, starting with Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age. With her impressive magical abilities and quick wit and lovely face it wouldn’t surprise him a bit if the multiverse thought she would be a good choice. However, he knew that sometimes the most obvious choice was not always the correct one.
Atlas then considered Luna Lovegood, a quirky and mysterious character who often seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else. Although she didn't have the same level of academic success as Hermione, she was an interesting character that played a vital part in the original story. Luna's unique perspective, quirkiness and weird intuition would be the best ways to cross her of the list of being a heroine.
Lastly, Atlas thought about Ginny Weasley, a fiery and determined young witch who had already proven herself to be a capable fighter in the Battle of Hogwarts. While Ginny had not been as prominent in the earlier years, she still ended up as Harry´s wife. Maybe her interest in Harry could be the giveaway.
As Atlas considered these possibilities, he knew that he couldn't ignore the other female characters entirely. However, he felt that it made more sense to start with the most likely candidates and work his way down the list.
Atlas was deep in thought when the door to his compartment slid open, causing him to jump slightly. In walked a boy with short brown hair and a beaming smile. The boy introduced himself as Seamus Finigan and followed by a taller black boy named Dean Thomas.
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Without missing a beat, Seamus launched into a monologue about himself, his family and his wizarding lineage. He talked about his accidental magic and his Hogwarts house preference with a fervor that would make any Gryffindor proud.
Dean, on the other hand, was more reserved and only spoke when prompted. When Seamus asked him about his accidental magic, he simply replied with a shrug, "I think I turned my uncle's hair green once."
Atlas couldn't help but chuckle at their antics, and before he knew it, he found himself swept up in their conversation. They talked about their hopes and dreams for the upcoming school year, comparing Quidditch and football, which were deans favourite topic and made him almost as talkative as Seamus.
As the train chugged along, Atlas found himself feeling grateful for the unexpected company. He had been so focused on his quest to identify the hero that he had forgotten the joy of making new friends. Atlas quickly crossed the two of them out of his suspect list.
The trio's banter continued well into the evening, occasionally interrupted by the sound of the trolley witch passing by.
As Atlas watched the trolley witch walk by his compartment and remembered something important.
In the original story Hermione went through the whole train to look for Neville's lost toad Trevor. It was odd that he hadn't seen her or Neville yet. He began to worry that something had already changed in their timeline, and wondered if he or the hero caused this.
As Atlas was still pondering about the strange disappearance of Hermione and Neville, he heard a sudden loud popping noise from the direction of Seamus and Dean. Before he could even ask what happened, he saw a small explosion of bright blue smoke coming from their direction, followed by Seamus frantically waving his wand around while Dean was holding a half-eaten chocolate frog. "Oops, sorry about that," Seamus said with a sheepish grin, "I think I added too much of the Fizzing Whizzbees powder in the frog, and it exploded when Dean tried to eat it."
Atlas couldn't help but chuckle at the scene in front of him, and soon enough, Seamus and Dean were both laughing too. Seamus offered Atlas some of the candies he had bought from the trolley, and Atlas gladly accepted, hoping that he wouldn't end up with an exploding candy. As they munched on the sweets, the announcement came for the students to pack up their things and prepare to disembark, as the train approached Hogsmeade. Atlas, Dean, and Seamus quickly gathered their belongings and joined the crowd in the train corridor. They jostled their way through the throng of students until they finally made it to the train doors.
As they stepped out onto the platform, a giant of a man with an unkempt beard and a large lantern caught their attention. He winked at them and bellowed, "First years! Over here!"
Seamus and Dean looked visibly taken aback by the man's size and booming voice, but Atlas recognized him immediately. "That's Hagrid," he explained, "He works for Hogwarts. Don't worry, he's a bit clumsy but really friendly."
As they made their way over to Hagrid, Atlas couldn't help but notice the sheer size of the man. Even at his young age dwarfed a grown man and now he has grown even taller. Hagrid welcomed them warmly, and in his thick Scottish accent, he led them towards a fleet of boats at the edge of the lake.
"Yeh'll be takin' these boats across the lake to Hogwarts," he explained, gesturing to the small fleet of boats. "Four to a boat, and mind yeh don't fall in."
Dean and Seamus looked apprehensive as they climbed into the boat, but Atlas couldn't help but feel excited. Before they could start rowing the boat towards the castle, a fourth person joined them. It was a shy-looking girl with bushy brown hair. Atlas recognized her immediately - it was Hermione Granger. She was relieved that she had made it to Hogwarts safely, and introduced herself to Dean, Seamus and Atlas
Atlas was internally seething with frustration and anger. He had planned out everything meticulously, searching for the hero and carefully observing the behaviors of the students on the train. But now, with Hermione in his boat, all his plans seemed to be going up in smoke.
He couldn't believe his luck. All the work he had done so far was for nothing, as Hermione would inevitably alter the course of events. He was annoyed that he would have to start from scratch and try to figure out what changes she had made. Finding differences in people's behavior when he himself would be the root for change would be nearly impossible. He finnaly realised that he wouldn't be just an observer.
Atlas let out a string of curse words in his head, more than he had ever uttered in his life. He was angry with himself for not anticipating this possibility, and angry with Hermione for ruining his plan. His frustration turned to rage as he realized that he would have to adapt quickly or risk losing the game entirely.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He needed to keep a clear head and come up with a new plan. As much as he wanted to blame Hermione, he knew that he couldn't afford to waste time or energy on anger, and Hermione wasn’t really to blame. It was his fault that he hadn’t thought about the possibility.
The boats glided effortlessly across the dark water, with the lights of Hogwarts castle coming into view in the distance.
As they set off , Seamus decided to lighten the mood by telling jokes and making silly faces He started with a classic knock-knock joke, which elicited a small chuckle from Hermione. He then pretended to be a pirate, waving his arms in the air and shouting "Ahoy mateys!" This made Hermione giggle and even caused Dean to crack a smile.
Seamus continued with his antics, making exaggerated paddling motions and singing a silly song about the Hogwarts castle.
Oh, Hogwarts Castle, so grand and tall,
It's where we come to learn it all,
Oh, Hogwarts castle, so grand and old,
Full of magic, and secrets untold.
The dungeons deep and dark and damp,
Where we'll learn to brew some magic champs,
The Forbidden Forest with its many beasts,
We'll sneak inside and try not to be feasts.
But beware of the ghosts, who roam the halls at night,
Or you might find yourself in a frightful flight.
So come and join us, on this wizarding ride,
And let's explore Hogwarts, with all of its magic and pride!"
He even started splashing water at the other boats, causing some of the other students to join in on the fun.
Atlas, who was still seething with anger at Hermione's presence, couldn't help but let out a small smile at Seamus's silly behavior. As much as he wanted to stay focused on his mission, he couldn't deny the infectious energy that Seamus brought to the boat ride.
Atlas let out a mental sigh and noted with displeasure that his carefully crafted plan, which relied heavily on the established canon of the wizarding world, was quickly falling apart. His displeasure didn’t stop him from splashing back at Harry boat when they started to attack them. Before long, they were all completely soaked to the bone, laughing and screaming.
As the water war continued to escalate, suddenly the surface of the lake began to stir and ripple. The children grew silent, wondering what could possibly be causing the disturbance. Suddenly, a giant tentacle burst forth from the depths of the lake, followed by another, and then another.
The children gasped in amazement as the great Kraken, a legendary sea creature that supposedly lived in the lake, rose from the water. Instead of attacking them, however, the Kraken seemed to be joining in on the fun. Its massive tentacles splashed water onto the students, who were screaming and rowing towards the castle. Hagrid was screaming, “He is harmless, he just wants to play!” while rowing to the castle too.
As they approached the castle, Atlas couldn't contain his exhaustion any longer. "This is it," he exclaimed, "We're finally here!"
Atlas couldn't help but admit to himself that, despite his initial reservations and frustrations, he was having a good time already. As they pulled up to the dock, the dripping Hagrid helped them out of the boats and led them towards the castle's towering entrance. All of them with the exception of the people in Nevilles boat were soaked to the bones and quivering. It seems like Neville rowed in the wrong direction which caused their group to be so far behind that they missed the fight.