September first dawned with a chill mist hanging over King's Cross Station.
The sky was a low slate-grey, streaked with veins of pale sunlight as if reluctant to wake.
London bustled as always, but for those who walked through the unseen barrier between platforms nine and ten, another world shimmered into view—Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, alive once more with magic, laughter, and the excited chatter of young witches and wizards bound for Hogwarts.
Cassius Snape stood apart from the crowd, as he often did.
Cloaked in dark charcoal robes trimmed in silver thread, his expression was calm.
His trunk rested by his side, rather than in his storage bag, something Sirius made a requirement in carting through the station all the way to the platform.
Cassius simply obliged since it wasnt like he was dealing with it, and as soon as he got on the train it would be going right into his bag.
Meanwhile a sleek black owl watched the crowd from its perch on the trolly handle, having already been released from the cage as soon as Muggle eyes were no longer around.
Sirius Black, beside him in his long coat, leaned against a pillar, smirking at the sight of familiar chaos.
"Every year," he said, shaking his head. "Parents cry, kids forget their wands, and someone inevitably trips over a cat."
This was memory lane for Sirius, but not only that it was something he needed.
For years he had been locked away, and worse, he'd learned things upon his release that made him wish he had been free all along.
His godsons had made the trek initially all alone.
This year he was going to change that, Cassius would be guided, would know even if Lily did not want him, that Sirius did.
Cassius had to fib a little to distract the old wizard from also trying to link up with Harry citing how Lily most likely took him back in after the serious damage he suffered at the end of year last year.
This of course was only partially true as he still wound up back at the dursleys, only to get rescued by Ron and his mischevious older brothers.
~
"Just remember Cassius, you have a duty to uphold once you're back." Sirius grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good luck, kid. Hogwarts won't know what hit it."
Cassius inclined his head, then turned toward the scarlet engine huffing clouds of steam into the air.
"I intend to make sure of that."
He stepped onto the train, the echo of Sirius's laughter following him down the platform.
The Hogwarts Express was, as ever, a cacophony of movement and sound.
Students hurried through the narrow station, calling greetings and dragging overstuffed trunks behind them.
Cassius moved unhurriedly until he reached his chosen compartment near the rear of the train.
Inside, three familiar faces looked up as he entered—Cho Chang, Daphne Greengrass, and Hermione Granger.
"Cassius!" Cho greeted, beaming as she shifted to make space. "We starting to wonder if you'd really just go by Flue like you mentioned last year."
"I thought about it... but my godfather made me," Cassius said evenly, setting his trunk aside before shutting the door with a wave of his wand. The latch clicked audibly. "Something about how the journey was part of the experience."
"Made you?" Hermione repeated, arching a brow.
Cassius took a seat by the window, eyes flicking outside. "Yes. I mentioned him before, he only just got set free, so i felt compelled to let him have some... moments he missed."
The conversation ended there as Cassius focused on a stranger within 'his' compartment, a smaller figure was squeezed in, between Daphne and Cho, clutching a book nearly as large as her head.
Even without askin Cassius could answer who this was.
Astoria Greengrass.
She looked almost like a twin to her sister but since she hadnt attended school last year that made her a first year and probably one year younger than the rest in the cabin.
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Tori. I know you're nervous but you've at least got to introduce yourself."
Astoria ignored her sister's tone, turning to Cassius with a bright smile. "I heard you were riding the train this time, so I wanted to see for myself! My name is Astoria Greengrass!"
Cassius inclined his head politely.
"Then it seems my reputation precedes me."
"You mean your infamy," Daphne muttered, though the faintest smirk tugged at her lips.
Hermione, trying to hide her amusement, flipped through her own notes of the studying she'd done over the summer break.
"So, what did everyone do this summer?"
Cho started first, animatedly describing her time at the Appleby Arrows training camp, honing her skills as an agressive chaser, with another four years of serving on Draconis's team with her nigh unbeatable Aeriusbolt broom.
Daphne followed with a cool summary of family visits to France, and Hermione launched into her account of spending weeks preparing next year's study schedule—complete with color-coded charts.
When the conversation turned toward Cassius, all three looked expectantly at him.
"I spent my summer," Cassius said after a pause, "Alone in the beginning... then getting to know my godfather after he was released"
his mouth twitched "—and winning a prank war against Sirius."
That earned a round of laughter.
"Oh, do tell!" Cho grinned.
Cassius's eyes glinted.
He began regaling the girls with all his pranks, from the simplest at the beginning to the grander ones towards the end.
Even bringing out a hidden photo he captured of the Dark Magician Girl Sirius from near the beginning of the war.
Evidence that if ever was known to Sirius would sure to launch the mother of all World Prank wars upon Cassius, and those who had seen the photo.
Even Daphne couldn't help the small snort that escaped her.
"Merlin, you're terrible."
"I prefer creative," Cassius replied smoothly, leaning back in his seat.
The laughter faded into easy chatter as the train pulled from the station, the rhythmic chug of wheels against track filling the silence between words.
Outside, London blurred into countryside—green fields flashing past under streaks of cloud.
For a time, they spoke of classes, of new teachers (Lockhart's name drew a groan from cassius, while the girls were gushing over him), and of expectations for the year ahead.
Cho hoped for Quidditch glory once more, Daphne for academic recognition as she aspired to reach the top ten students once more to prove her honor as a pure-blooded witch, and Hermione she wished a stable complement of professors this year.
Astoria listened, eyes bright, before asking shyly, "And what about you, Cassius? What do you want from this year?"
Cassius looked out the window, his reflection faint in the glass.
"What do i want..."
Cassius was stumped on how to answer... if he was honest he'd say he wanted power, to grow his house by capturing the young woman before him, as well as the young weasly daughter.
To watch as Dumbledores powerbase fractured even more, while his own continued to flourish.
But he couldn't, it wasnt yet time to reveal all his secrets.
But before he could come up with a suitable answer faintly, from outside the window, came a noise.
A whirring, sputtering, very unmagical noise.
Cassius's expression sharpened.
He leaned closer to the glass.
In the distance—growing nearer by the second—something blue and airborne wobbled through the clouds.
"Oh no," Hermione breathed, following his gaze. "Is that…?"
"It is," Cassius murmured. "A Ford Anglia."
Daphne blinked. "A what?"
"A Muggle car," Hermione said, horrified. "But how—why—"
Cassius's lips curved in silent amusement.
"Because, Miss Granger, our dear friends Potter and Weasley possess the combined intellect of a flobberworm and a teaspoon."
The compartment erupted in laughter as the enchanted car swerved dangerously close to the train, its engine shrieking in protest.
The pair within having only narrowly avoided being run down by the train only to swerve and repeatedly missing close calls running into the passenger carriages until Ron got things under control.
Outside, the blue car wobbled again, barely missing a signal post before the train's whistle screamed like a banshee.
For a moment, the vehicle seemed to hover helplessly in in the air as it gained altitude, still spinning out of control.
At least until one of the doors opened and a figured fell out, clinging to the door itself, as the car righted and tipped to one side.
"Oh sweet Circe, they're going to die!" Hermione cried.
The other girls likewise showed worry on their faces, but Cassius just continued to watch, not even a minute later, Harry had been hauled inside, and the door closed safely behind him.
"See... nothing to worry about... well at least until they try to land."
Seeing that he was right at least for now, the girls resumed their travelling discussions without caring about what was happening outside anymore.