Harry Potter: The Legend of Nero Ravenclaw

The familiar hum of lively chatter, the steady rhythmic chug of the locomotive, and the rich blend of warm leather, coal smoke, and a hint of sweet chocolate frogs, it was unmistakable. 

The Hogwarts Express.

Nero stood just outside the scarlet train, gazing at the carriages with a faint smile. 

A year ago, this train had marked the beginning of his official magical journey. 

He had boarded it unaware of the bonds he would forge, the trials he would endure, and the destiny that now stretched before him like an unwritten tale.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.

Inside, the train bustled with life. Students filled the narrow corridors, some embracing after months apart, others chattering excitedly about their summers. 

The air buzzed with the energy of new beginnings, yet Nero's focus was elsewhere. 

He moved with purpose, navigating through the crowd, drawn by an invisible force, a connection that guided him towards a familiar compartment.

"Looks like I'm the last one this time," he murmured to himself, a small smile forming on his lips.

Sliding the door open, he was met with the now usual scene.

"Yo, Nero," Ember greeted lazily from her seat by the window, her smirk ever-present. 

"Did you think about this tracking system when you made our Unbreakable Vow ritual?"

Nero blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. 

Lilith sat with her legs crossed, idly flipping through a book, while Alaric leaned against the opposite seat, arms folded.

"I have to confess," Nero admitted, sitting down, "I didn't expect this."

Ember chuckled. "Yet, it's quite a practical feature, isn't it? Being able to sense where we are when we're nearby?"

Lilith closed her book with a soft thump and said. "It felt strange, especially after spending three days apart."

Alaric nodded. "I know, right? Who would've thought that just one year ago, when we met for the first time in this very train, we'd end up like this?"

A comfortable silence fell over them, each lost in their own reflections.

Then, Nero spoke again. "We owe a great deal to the founders."

"Indeed, they helped us take our first steps in understanding and applying our bloodline abilities," Lilith agreed. "And it's extraordinary how they could keep magical echoes of themselves for a thousand years."

Alaric exhaled. "Yeah… and they even knew about us. They knew we were coming."

Thinking back on it, the sheer magnitude of what the founders had achieved sent shivers down Nero's spine. They weren't just powerful, they were much more than that.

Ember whistled. "Now that I really think about it… aren't their abilities way too scary?"

"Definitely," Alaric muttered.

Lilith smirked. "But we vowed to become better than them, didn't we?"

Nero's eyes sharpened with determination. "Yes. We will make them proud."

The four of them exchanged a look. They had come so far, but their journey was just beginning.

Meanwhile, in a Certain Vault of Gringotts…

Deep within Gringotts, hidden from the prying eyes of the wizarding world, an enchanted vault unlike any other, stood in hushed silence. 

Four spectral figures lingered in the dim golden glow of enchanted torches, their presence neither entirely alive nor wholly gone.

Rowena Ravenclaw was the first to break the silence. "They are gone now…"

There was a wistful quality to her voice, a quiet melancholy that resonated through the chamber.

Godric Gryffindor crossed his arms. "We will get lonely." His usual bravado was softened, as though a weight had settled on him.

Salazar Slytherin smiled. "Yes, but I must say… I am truly glad they are our successors."

A warm chuckle filled the air as Helga Hufflepuff nodded. "I couldn't be prouder of them."

A brief silence followed.

Then, Helga's expression turned slightly troubled. "Did we really need to lie to them? Telling them that our magic would run out after two months?"

Salazar's gaze darkened slightly, his expression turning serious. "Helga, you understand as much as we do why we had to do this."

Rowena sighed, her voice carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom. "Indeed. Guiding their foundational skills regarding their bloodlines was fine. But anything beyond that… and we might have unknowingly limited their potential."

Godric gave a rare, solemn nod. "If we had given them too much, too soon… we wouldn't be creating heirs. We'd be creating replicas of ourselves."

Rowena's expression softened. "And that is not what we want. We want them to surpass us."

Helga smiled faintly. "Yes. They will need to, if they want to defeat our old foe."

Salazar's eyes glinted dangerously. "That wretched being… it still lingers."

Godric clenched his fist. "And they are our only hope. Our bet."

Helga placed a hand over her heart. "For the Right Order."

Salazar smirked once more. "For the Right Order."

Rowena and Godric echoed the same words, their voices filled with conviction.

The four founders, the greatest wizards of their age, had chosen their successors.

And now, the world would witness their rise.

Back on the Hogwarts Express.

The train continued its journey through the countryside, the rhythmic chug of the engine a steady backdrop to their conversation.

Nero stretched his legs out, resting his arms behind his head. "So, what do you think will be different this year?"

Lilith hummed in thought. "With what we've learned over the summer? Everything."

Ember smirked. "Hopefully, no one expects us to cause too much trouble."

Lilith gave her a flat look. "Says the person who hurled her dagger at a crystal just to test its fortitude."

Ember shrugged nonchalantly. "It survived, didn't it?"

Alaric chuckled. "And let's not forget Mrs. Slytherin, who tried to blow it up just to check if it was durable."

Lilith flushed with embarrassment.

Alaric sighed, shaking his head. "I still maintain my approach was the most logical. If a crystal reacts to us, it stands to reason it might possess some form of consciousness."

Nero smirked. "Yes, and you thought negotiating with it would work."

Ember laughed. "You can talk, you bargained with professors over the right to dissect it like some mad scientist."

Lilith grinned. "I heard that Snape's face was priceless. What was it he said again?"

Nero mimicked their professor's dry tone. "'They're walking calamities.'"

Alaric chuckled. "I don't think he's changed his opinion since then."

The four of them exchanged a look before bursting into laughter.

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2nd chapter of the day! (2/3)

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