Hogwarts: The Dark Prodigy

He closed his case and glanced at the old cage on the side. Inside sat an owl with brown and white feathers, scarred from the years but still standing upright. Phobos was his father's old owl. He ran his finger lightly along the wires of the cage.

"I think we'll make this journey together," he murmured.

Just then he heard someone shuffling in from inside. Vippy ran towards him excitedly.

"Sir! Vippy is ready to take you to the station, yes yes yes!"

The house-elf couldn't sit still, his big eyes were shining. He clapped his tiny hands together excitedly. "Mr. Dante is going to Hogwarts! So exciting, so wonderful!"

Dante sighed. "Yes, very wonderful," he said reluctantly. Then he grabbed his suitcase and picked up Phobos' cage. "Can you take me there, Vippy?"

"Of course, sir! Hold on tight!"

Before Dante was quite ready, Vippy snapped his fingers and the world went blurry.

King's Cross Station

A few seconds later, Dante landed hard, barely keeping his balance. Next to him, Phobos' cage shook slightly, but the old owl didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're just in time!" squealed Vippy, rubbing his hands together in excitement.

Dante looked up and around. King's Cross Station was as crowded as ever, people hurrying through, the sound of announcements, the smell of steam and coal in the air. But searching his eyes a little more carefully, he noticed something different - yes, there were other students on their way to Hogwarts.

Children who had come with their parents.

Dante paused for a moment.

Most of the students were with their parents. Mothers were straightening their children's cloaks, fathers were giving them a final lecture. Younger siblings were admiring their older brothers and sisters on their way to Hogwarts, hugging each other tightly as their parents said goodbye.

Dante was alone.

He had no one to say goodbye to. He had come here accompanied by a house-elf.

Vippy was still looking around excitedly. "Sir, Hogwarts is a beautiful place, yes yes yes, it will be wonderful! Vippy believes in you!"

Dante smiled slightly. "Thank you, Vippy."

He made his way through the crowd, heading for Platform 9¾. As he approached the gate, he noticed a family of wizards walking beside him. A small boy was holding his mother's hand in fear, looking as if he was afraid of running into a wall. His mother smiled at him and shook her head. "Don't be afraid, just keep walking."

Dante sighed and stepped into the passageway, even more aware of the fact that he had no family.

Platform 9¾ and the Hogwarts Express

The moment he stepped over the wall, he entered a completely different world.

The Hogwarts Express, its red hull towering over the station, steam rising from its chimney. The crowd was even larger here. Children were laughing, owls were hooting, suitcases were being carried, steam from the locomotive filled the air.

Dante felt his loneliness again as he walked among the people. No one waved at him, no one hugged him goodbye. He was alone in the crowd.

As he approached the carriages, he noticed a few girls looking at him intently. Three girls were standing in front of him. They had stopped talking and were looking straight at him.

Dante frowned slightly, an involuntary question mark on his face.

One of the girls - a girl with long black hair and a sharp gaze - tilted her head slightly to the side. The other two whispered but kept their eyes on him.

Dante looked at his coat, his hands, his face. Was he wearing something? Why were they looking at him like that?

But he did not want to question the situation any further. With a sigh, he lowered his head and walked quickly towards the train.

As he entered the Hogwarts Express, he looked down the long, narrow corridor at the overcrowded compartments. Many students were already seated. Laughter, conversation, children waving to their parents from the windows.

Dante moved silently, looking for an empty seat. He soon found one at the rear of the train, completely empty. He went in, put his suitcase on top, and sat by the window, Phobos' cage on his knees.

As he felt the train begin to move, his eyes fell on the people on the platform. Families saying goodbye to their children, mothers waving one last time.

And then, through the window, Dante saw the girls again.

They were still there. Still looking at him.

Dante frowned. What were these girls? Why were they paying so much attention to him? Was there something strange about their clothes or their faces?

He stared at them for a while, but finally lost interest and looked away. Maybe it was just him.

He leaned back and touched Phobos' cage lightly. The old owl tilted his head slightly to the side and looked at Dante.

"You know what I think, don't you?" he whispered.

The owl didn't answer, of course, but Dante felt something comforting in its understanding gaze.

He closed his eyes and decided to spend the rest of the journey to Hogwarts buried in his thoughts.

Dante closed his eyes to the rhythmic motion of the train. The ride to Hogwarts made him feel strange inside. He had come here alone and he thought he would be alone at Hogwarts. He didn't know what he would experience there, but he had a feeling that everything would be very different from the world he knew.

Just as he was lost in these thoughts, he felt a slight pressure on his wrist. At first he wondered if he had accidentally put pressure on it by leaning against the train. But then the pressure became stronger and stronger. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and rested his head on his arm.

He saw the black snake wrapped around his arm, looking at him with its bright eyes.

He had almost forgotten that the snake was there. It had been so silent that it had moved with him like a shadow. Now its slender body was wrapped around his arm, its head slightly raised, looking at him.

Dante stopped for a moment. He realized that he had completely forgotten to give it a name. Frowning slightly, he studied the snake's shiny scales. Its jet black skin shimmered with a faint silver sheen. It was mesmerizing, yet frightening.

He thought for a while. Then he murmured:

"Nyx..."

The snake curled slightly.

"Do you like it?" Dante asked, smiling slightly.

Nyx nodded her head slightly.

She didn't know if it was a way to show that she liked it or if it was just a coincidence. But it seemed to be a good enough answer for Dante.

At that moment, however, the pressure on his wrist increased again. The snake's body contracted slightly. Dante blinked slightly.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Nyx's thin tongue slipped out and back in.

Dante reached into his suitcase and pulled out a small bag. Inside were the little mice he had bought for Nyx. He had planned to feed them to her before he got to Hogwarts, but when Nyx made it clear that she was hungry, he decided to give her some now.

He took one out and held it in front of Nyx. Without a second's hesitation, the snake pounced on its prey. As Dante watched it catch its prey, he realized once again how agile and deadly the snake was.

As Nyx ate, Dante looked out the window. He had cleansed his hands with a simple spell.

The trees passed quickly, and hills appeared in the distance. The journey continued... and Dante got closer to Hogwarts by the second.

He had just closed his eyes again when the door suddenly opened. He looked up to see who it was and saw the boy come in.

He was about her height, but a little broader shouldered. His hair was red, but not quite bright red, but a darker shade of chestnut. His face was freckled and his eyes were a bright blue. When he smiled, it was friendly, but a little mischievous.

"Is this compartment empty?" the boy asked cheerfully. "Looks like the other compartments are full."

Dante shrugged. "I guess so. You can sit down."

The boy continued talking as he set his suitcase down. "Thanks. You know, the Hogwarts Express is more crowded than I thought. Luckily, I found a seat." After putting his suitcase down, he sat down across from him and held out his hand. "I'm Charlie Weasley."

Dante hesitated for a moment and then shook his hand. "Dante."

Charlie bowed his head slightly. "No last name?"

Dante thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Let's call it that."

Charlie looked a little surprised by the answer, but didn't press him. Instead, he continued the conversation. "Can I ask what year it is, are you a freshman?"

Dante nodded. "Yes, and you?"

Charlie's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Me too! I can't wait to get to Hogwarts! Have you thought about which building you want to go into?"

Dante shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

Charlie's eyes widened when he heard that. "Doesn't matter? How does it not matter? It matters which building!"

Dante laughed easily. "I guess it matters to you."

Charlie leaned further into the seat and spoke seriously. "Of course it does! Gryffindor is a great house! Courage, loyalty, adventure... Many of Hogwarts' greatest heroes have come from Gryffindor! I'm sure you'll fit in there too."

Dante smiled slightly at Charlie's enthusiasm. "Let's see what the Sorting Hat has to say."

Charlie frowned. "The Sorting Hat will listen to you! It'll put you in Gryffindor if you want it bad enough."

Dante shrugged and looked out the window. "Maybe."

Charlie thought for a few seconds, then shrugged and changed the subject. "So how much do you know about Hogwarts? Did anyone in your family go there?"

Dante's face clouded, but he tried not to show it. "No. I don't know anyone who went to Hogwarts."

Charlie shook his head. "Then this is all new to you. A lot of people in my family have been to Hogwarts, so I have a little more of an idea. But going there will be a completely different experience."

Dante smiled slightly. "It will be."

The compartment began to fill with Charlie's conversation. Dante couldn't resist his energy as he excitedly told what he knew about Hogwarts and was slowly drawn into the conversation. As the Hogwarts Express sped off into a magical world, Dante felt he was off to a warmer start than he had imagined.

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