Daphne frowned slightly. This was a different experience for her. Usually with boys her age, their attention was on her, and they did their best to draw her into conversation. This stranger's responses might have mirrored her own if the positions were flipped. She had her cold and remote "Ice Queen" persona well crafted. It kept her aloof and apart from most of the politics of Slytherin House. And here was someone who was turning it around on her. The boy across from her seemed to be honestly lost in thought.
"Well, if you're not willing to share it. I'm not going to indulge your childish need for me to give you attention by asking for it." Daphne said. She kept her voice slightly chilly, with the slightest hint of recrimination in it. Her mother had long ago taught her how to get responses out of people.
Harry's response was an utterly apathetic shrug. He didn't care if he'd offended her or that she'd called him childish. At the moment his mind was only aware of her vaguely, once he'd dismissed her aloofness and attitude he turned his attention to other things. He was thinking about the castle wards, to keep himself from concentrating and worrying about the sorting ceremony, and whether or not he could get the hat not to say anything about who he really was.
Daphne blinked in surprise to his response. She had, in effect demanded his name, but by accusing him of being childish, she had implied that his actions were that of a boy. And if there was one thing that men, especially teenagers, didn't want; it was to be accused of acting like a boy. But the other occupant of the carriage didn't seem to care at all. And worst of all, by her own statement, she couldn't follow up with a question because she had categorically stated that she wasn't going to ask.
Any further thought on the matter was cut off by movement in the sky. Daphne shifted her attention from the stranger to the sky in time to see a pastel blue coach pulled by large winged horses. Daphne counted 12 of them. The horses were golden, though she also noted they had crimson eyes. She followed the coach with her eyes as it flew in and landed on a straight patch of land where Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper had to dive out of the way or be landed on by the carriage. Daphne could see the coach settle in. Daphne had turned her puzzled expression away from the carriage and back to the stranger sharing a compartment with her, and was about to make a comment when she saw his attention was on the lake. Daphne glanced in the direction of his gaze, wondering if he had caught a glimpse of the giant squid that inhabited the lake. Instead her attention was drawn by a pole moving through the water. After a few moments, the pole jerked and an enormous blood red sailing vessel emerged from the water to rest gently on the surface of the lake. Daphne's eyes widened in surprise, even as the carriage they were in jerked to a stop, signaling arrival at the castle.
Harry smoothly got out of his seat, already moving before the carriage had stopped. He hopped to the ground, walking toward the castle entrance purposefully. His path was unimpeded since most people were looking at the carriage or the boat and talking excitedly amongst themselves. Though neither had opened to disembark anyone yet. Harry hoped to find a professor who could direct him where to go. He really wasn't keen on joining all the first years in a line waiting for a sorting. He'd hoped the sorting could be done privately beforehand.
Daphne watched, astounded as the stranger bounded from the carriage without a backward glance. She had never been dismissed so utterly before and her eyes narrowed before her own aloof mask slipped into place. Daphne had no idea who he was but she made a mental note to find out and then to make him pay appropriately for the social snub.
She wasn't going to let him bother her as she got out of the carriage to look for her sister and return her book. Then she was going to find her best friend Tracey and see what Tracey might know about any of it. Daphne didn't know anything about the mysterious carriage or the ship in the black lake. Nor did she know anything of the mystery person she had just shared a cabin with. Tracey tended to keep her ears more firmly to the ground for gossip and if anyone would know the goings on, it would be her.
Harry took a moment to make sure his appearance was intact. His long hair was held in a ponytail and felt a little bit odd. But the ponytail kept it from turning into a crow's nest. While Harry wasn't particularly concerned with his looks, he didn't want anyone to draw conclusions. Further, it kept his hair in such a way that it obscured the area where his faded lightning bolt scar remained on his head. Perenelle had further helped him with a charm that they applied to the skin where the scar was. It was apparently an advanced charm but one that a few skilled adult females were capable of doing. It was a small and localized combination of glamour and notice-me-not. Apparently women who were skilled spellcasters had used it for years to hide unwanted facial blemishes. So if he were careless enough with his hair, it would still hide the scar. He had no interest in people seeing a faded scar and drawing comparisons to Iris Potter.
Harry looked around and saw Professor McGonagall walking slowly toward the docks where the first years would arrive. He steeled himself before calling out "Professor?" as he quickly stepped a few paces to draw even with her. Minerva McGonagall was drawn out of her musing by the call for a professor. She turned to see a boy who looked oddly familiar but she was sure she didn't recognize him, and he wasn't wearing any house affiliation. "Yes? Can I help you?"
Harry nodded a little, meeting her eyes. "I was hoping you might direct me where to go."
Minerva frowned and tilted her head curiously. "You should be with your school delegation, because they're all supposed to come in together." She looked like she was preparing to direct him to the ship or the carriage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you enjoy reading? Visit my site on Tiendup! There you will find the advanced chapter in PDF format, ready for your convenience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
https://fictiontopia.tiendup.com/