Lynn stirred from a killer nap, groggy as hell. Today's pillow felt extra plush—soft, sweet-smelling, bouncy like memory foam on steroids.
Eyes still shut, he caught Harley and Cho yapping about houses.
"Lynn, you up?"
Cho's voice hit his ears. He cracked an eye—she was peering down, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Dude was sprawed on the carpet, head parked on her thigh.
"Comfy snooze?"
"No clue how this happened, but… thanks?"
"Heh~" She giggled. "No prob. Weird thing—you started floating in your sleep. Looked uncomfortable on the floor, so I loaned you a lap."
"For real?" Lynn scratched his messy hair, legit shocked. "News to me."
Probably his telekinesis leveling up—leaking juice while he dreamed, or just auto-floating for comfort when there's no pillow.
"We were chatting houses. Got a fave?"
"Hufflepuff's my vibe." Lynn pushed up, fixed his bedhead with a scrunchie.
"Figured you'd gun for Ravenclaw. Harley says you're a book nerd with mad knowledge."
"Our common room's got its own library—books even the main one doesn't have."
Cho propped her chin, tilting her head. She was low-key rooting for a Ravenclaw trio.
"Damn, tempting. But houses are up to the school, right?"
"Yup. You gotta survive a brutal entrance exam."
She deadpanned, hyping the horror. Harley across from her went wide-eyed.
"W-what if we flunk?"
Harley grabbed Cho's hand, nervous as hell.
"Then obviously—" Cho dragged it out… then cracked, bursting into giggles.
"Okay, okay, my bad. Shouldn't mess with you."
"It's the Sorting Hat. Slap it on, it talks in your head, boom—house assigned."
Cho was too sweet for pranks; she sucked at the follow-through.
"Fooled Harley, not me."
She pouted, a lil bummed.
"You're a shitty liar. Saw it coming a mile away."
"Yeah?"
"Street life? Met pros way slicker than you. None got past me."
"Isn't being out there… dangerous?"
Cho knew about his homeless years—felt bad, but curious AF about that grind.
"Eh, I'm good. Got the tent—safe as houses. Others on the streets? Not so much."
He dropped a few tame stories. Even the mild ones had the girls clutching pearls.
Sun dipped fast. Golden-red light flooded the tent through the train windows.
"Robes time. Half hour till Hogwarts."
Cho knew the drill from last year. "Train could haul ass, but first day? Crawls. We hit the Great Hall around 9 PM."
They ducked out, yanked robes from luggage. Just pull-over deals—no changing clothes, no awkwardness.
Sun vanished behind mountains. Night swallowed everything. Hogwarts Express chugged slow under stars, chatter buzzing—kids hyped to get back to magic bullshit.
Train screeched in. Hallways jammed. Lynn led, telekinesis gently shoving the crowd so he and the girls glued to his back didn't get trampled. They spilled onto a damp, freezing platform.
Hogsmeade Station—lake breeze made it arctic.
Harley and Cho shivered, breath fogging.
"Freezing."
Cho rubbed her hands, linking arms with Harley. "We split here. I take carriages. You two—"
"FIRST-YEARS! FIRST-YEARS OVER HERE!"
A booming yell cut the night.
"Hagrid. Follow him. See you in the Hall."
Cho hugged them quick, waved, and bounced with the upperclassmen.
"Later, Cho!"
Harley eyed Lynn, grabbed his arm, headed for Hagrid. She and the giant went way back—Diagon Alley vibes.
"Hagrid!" She beamed, waving. "Loved the birthday gift!"
"Harley." His bushy face lit up. "Glad ya like it, hah!"
"C'mon over. You too, Lynn."
"Evening, Hagrid."
Soon all the noobs clustered. Upper years peeled off to thestral carriages.
"Follow me."
Hagrid hoisted a massive lantern, leading. "Mind your step, firsties!"
They stumbled down a path to the Black Lake dock, piled into wobbly boats—four to a skiff.
Lynn's boat: him, Harley, a chubby dude who'd clearly been crying, and a girl with beaver-bright teeth.
"You okay?" Harley whispered, all heart.
"Neville lost his toad." The girl piped up—teeth glowing in the dark.
"Asked around the train. You guys the curtained compartment?"
"Hermione, btw."
This motor-mouth was clearly a helper at heart.
"Yeah, but no toad sighting."
Harley nodded, sorry-eyed at Neville.
"Lynn, any tricks?"
"Was about to say."
Lynn wasn't stingy with help when it fit.
"Props are useless here, though."
Doraemon pocket had search gadgets, but his? Owner stickers—needed pre-application.
"Accio time?"
"That's fourth-year stuff. You know it?" Hermione squinted, suspicious. She'd memorized the textbooks.
"Tried basic spells at home—worked. Accio, though…"
"Shh." Lynn finger-to-lips. "Gotta try to know."
"I suck at casting, tho." He eyed Harley. "You're gifted. I'll coach—you cast."
"Me?" Harley pointed at herself. "For real?"
"Trust me?"
"Hell yeah. Just… no faith in myself."
"Neville—describe Trevor. Name?"
"Y-yeah!" Neville nodded hard, stammering details.
"Close your eyes, Harley. Picture him?"
Pause.
"Got it."
"Wand out."
Lynn guided her hand. "Accio chant—"
"Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4." Hermione butted in. "Summoning Charm can't do buildings or most living things—Flobberworms exempt. It's not teleport; it flies. Lethal to critters."
"Thanks, Hermione." Lynn nodded. "But Accio ≠ Summoning Charm. They're cousins, not twins."
"Summoning's ancient—brute force magic. One wizard yanked his tower; caused a Category 20 shitstorm. Died in it."
"Accio? 1860 brainchild, polished by Newt Scamander. Debuted in Fantastic Beasts revised edition—with Nifflers."
"Gentler, bio-safe, slower flight—dodges obstacles. Summoning's near-lightspeed, pseudo-teleport with force-field."
"Food summons? Spatial branch, like mini-Apparition."
"Miranda Goshawk's books? Based on 1776 ancestor's tome. Solid system, but outdated—1965 pub missed Newt's Accio."
Hermione flushed crimson. "Sorry… didn't know."
"All good. Magic's an ocean. I barely skim."
"Alright, Harley—chant and pauses. You're a natural."
"Wand motion: pull-hook. Vivid image = precision."
"Unfamiliar target? Add specifiers."
"Repeat: Neville's toad Trevor, Accio."
"Neville's toad Trevor, Accio."
She swung—nothing.
"Keep going. You got this."
Neville watched, hopeful.
Tries two, three…
Suddenly—gasp from another boat.
A chubby toad zoomed from the back, plop at Harley's feet.
"Ribbit~"
Dizzy toad wobbled.
Neville scooped it.
"TREVOR!!!"
Kid nearly bawled, snot bubble and all. Thank-yous on repeat.
"Happy to help." Harley beamed at Lynn.
"Nailed it."
He ruffled her hair. "Killer Accio."
"Hehe~"
She nuzzled his palm, chest puffed like a boss.