After bidding fairwell to a crying Astoria, Axel and Daphne began walking along the platform, looking for a less crowded place to board the train.
"Oh, by the way, congratulations for the exams!" said Daphne, her cheeks still flushed for some reason.
"Oh... thanks," replied Axel, not at all concerned about the results.
"I must have passed," he muttered. That's all that matters.
"Passed?" Daphne shook her head in exasperation. "Mr. Caveman, you did more than just that!" she said in annoyance, showing him the results that seemed to have been posted on Hogwarts Forums.
"Damn...," muttered Axel, looking at the results. Looks like he overdid it a bit.
Since he had quit his studies years ago, he had no idea how good he'll have to do to get average ranking.
Turns out, he had managed to get the highest scores in Dueling, History of Magic, and Charms.
Rose was at the top in Transfiguration and flying while Daphne had the highest in Herbology and Potions.
"Top of the class in three subjects... you were the dark horse this year!" said Daphne, shaking her head in wonder as she looked at the scores.
The curious students who had checked the Girl-Who-Lived's results were surprised to see someone else getting the top marks in three subjects.
Though it was understandable since even Daphne herself was surprised. She had never seen him ever studying any course material. Heck, even all of his homework was done by her. Thus, the forums had blown up with discussion, with everyone expressing their surprise and curiosity over the news.
"Bye!" Waving a final goodbye, Daphne boarded the train with Axel.
As Axel looked at the students clamouring around in the Hogwarts Express, he couldn't help but notice that something seemed different than the last time he was here. For one, it was a lot more noisy than it was the last time.
"What's all the hubbub about? Why does the atmosphere seem so different from last year?" He asked Daphne as they searched for a compartment.
Daphne, who was looking quite excited herself, looked at him in confusion. "Duh, of course they'd be different. This year has so many different things happening. Lockhart aside, I think we're going to learn a lot this year from the exchange program."
"Oh…" muttered Axel with a nod.
"Wait…." said Daphne, looking at him in resignation. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"
"Nope." said Axel, getting into an empty compartment followed by Daphne.
"Alright, Mr. Caveman. I'll tell you," she said, shutting the door. "I don't think you'll be interested in other things. But the exchange program is something I think you'll like."
Axel raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
Daphne nodded excitedly, "Yep, we're having an exchange program with another magical school. They're sending some of their students and teachers here to study and learn about our magical practices while also teaching us about theirs. There's even going to be a few friendly competitions as well, so everyone is just too eager to earn fame and prove Hogwarts superiority."
Axel nodded in understanding, "Well, that would explain all the excitement," he muttered, looking at the students clamouring about through their compartment door.
Daphne shook her head with a sigh at his lack of awareness, "Not all of it. Seriously, do you have no one to talk to? And why the fuck could I not contact you over the summer?"
Axel shrugged as he took out his Magi-mirror and turned it on again, "I was busy,"
He had turned it off two months ago when he was making his life saving potion and he hadn't turned it on ever since. As for the owls? That was another matter altogether.
"What about the owls? Why couldn't they reach you?" She asked.
"Well, I just blocked them."
Daphne didn't seem to understand, "Wait, that's possible as well?"
"Of course it is. If it wasn't then there won't be any criminal on the run. All you'd have to do is write a letter to the criminal and follow the owl," he said, making Daphne have an enlightened look on her face.
"Fuck... I'd make a terrible criminal, won't I?" she asked.
Axel shrugged, "Well, it's not exactly common knowledge either."
At least for the common people. Criminals need to have this knowledge. So he had also found out about it through the system.
"Though, I wonder how the owls detect us..." said Daphne thoughtfully.
Axel also didn't know the answer.
'System? Can you tell me?'
[Affirmative. The magical owls, though now used throughout the world, are a species which originated from Britain, from an owl which was Merlin's familiar. All of this owl's descendants are able to inherit it's gift of sight, an ability that essentially allows them to find any person just by knowing their name. This is how the species of Magical owls came to be.]
"Oh, you're here!"
While Axel was listening to the system, their compartment door was slid open as Susan Bones invited herself in, followed by the rest of the golden gang.
"Look! That's her!"
"Yeah! The Girl-Who-Played!"
"Yeah man. I heard she might get scouted for a league team..."
"She beat the Slytherins!"
Students were quick to recognize her with her increasing fame. Rose quickly shut the door as soon as all the gang was in.
"...."
Upon having the peaceful atmosphere destroyed, Axel realised a bit too late that he should have drawn the blinds in the beginning. But Daphne seemed all too happy upon meeting her friends.
After Daphne hugged all of them, they finally noticed Axel who was not too happy with their arrival as he lowered his presence and wodere if he should leave or not let them come in. After all, he didn't get along well with them. But, since they were Daphne's friends, he decided to just let it be.
Hannah, who was the first one to notice him, let out a squeak as she hid behind Rose.
?!!
Rose also jumped in surprise when she saw him, "You?!"
Rose was having a great time since she was enjoying all the fame she was getting for something she did instead of the usual Girl-Who-Lived bullshit. But seeing Axel just soured her mood. She already hated him for various reasons., but he had given her two more reasons to hate him reason to hate him over the summer.
First of all, when Daphne was injured last time, he didn't even come to visit. The poor girl seemed so sad during that time. And then she got even more annoyed when she saw the results.
This guy had somehow managed to beat her in three subjects. Rose wouldn't have minded if it was someone else, but why did it have to be him?
Axel shrugged,
"Yeah, me. Is that a problem?" He still hadn't forgotten that this girl had tried to bully him using her fame in the beginning of last year. Now that he was healed, he had a score to settle with her.
"Axel?! Our Topper is here!" Exclaimed Susan, taking a closer look at him, "Blimey! Have you become more handsome?!" She asked, destroying the hostile atmosphere.
Rose scoffed, "Cheater," she muttered, before settling down.
Daphne frowned, "Rose, what is your problem with him?" While she and Rose were great friends, she wouldn't just sit by if she behaves so unreasonably. This wasn't even the first time she was witnessing Rose being hostile to Axel for no reason.
Rose looked at Daphne in surprise,
"You too? So even you are going to take his side now? Did you forget that you did all of his homework last year? And what did he do in return? He didn't even come to see you while you were attacked by a freaking Lethifold!"
Seriously, what kind of dark magic does he trap everyone in?!" She questioned. "It's obvious that he cheated. How many times have you seen him in the library? I never did,"
"I didn't either!" Added Neville.
Rose ignored him as she kept her attention on Daphne.
"And don't tell me you didn't do all of his homework because I know you did." she ranted.
Axel slowly stood up as he towered over Rose, making her take a step back unconsciously. He looked down at Rose, still looking quite calm, "Even if I cheated, what can you do about it? Just be grateful I left out some things for you," he said dismissively. His favorability of her was dropping to dangerous levels. If she didn't stop being so annoying, she might have to suffer.
'I should have left earlier,' he thought as he turned to leave. He didn't want to actively antagonize these kids since they were Daphne's friends.
Rose didn't say anything as she looked to the side, seemingly cowed. But Neville seemed to have grown a backbone.
"Y-You are saying you left them for Rose to win? L-Like you can do better than Rose at those things with that crippled body?" He asked, looking at Axel's hands which were still in his pockets out of habit. While Neville was nervous as he said that, he still knew that his father would be proud seeing him standing up for Rose.
*Gasp*
Hannah gasped in horror while Susan aimed a kick at Neville's shin, making him yelp in pain.
Meanwhile, Daphne looked at Neville coldly. These two Gryffindors would piss their pants if they knew Axel was already healed.
Axel just gave a smile that was not a smile. If he had still been crippled, he might have taken offense, but as it was, the situation seemed quite amusing to him.
He cast a disdainful look at Neville.
"Simp," he muttered in disgust as he left the compartment. At this moment, Neville Longbottom wasn't worthy enough to get his attention.
"Ouch!" A stinging hex struck Neville on his fatbottom.
"What was that for?!" He asked in indignation, his eyes watering from the pain as he looked back at Daphne.
Daphne looked at him expressionlessly. "You're lucky that's all you got. Keep your stupid mouth shut in front of him from next time," she told him coldly before she also left the compartment.
The four friends looked at the departing girl in shock.
"She must have been really pissed," commented Susan and no one disagreed.
Because…the way she just spoke and that expression… that was exactly the old Daphne before her father's death, The ice princess.
…
Axel walked out of the compartment to search for another compartment. The train's horns sounded, causing him infinite irritation due to his misophonia.
The sound meant the train was ready for departure, which meant that all the compartments should be filled by now.
Seriously, if they weren't Daphne's friends he'd have kicked them out instead of leaving himself but he figured she'd like to hangout with her childhood friends more than him. He couldn't have lowered his presence further either, or Daphne would know about his ability and his stealth abilities must remain absolutely secret. In the end, leaving by himself was the best option.
As he walked through the corridor, looking into different compartments, another pair of footsteps joined him in his search. Axel turned to look at Daphne in puzzlement.
"Why are you here?"
Daphne shrugged, "Need you even ask? I'd rather be with you."
"If that's ok with you," she added.
Axel once again began to look for compartments. Though this time, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
"Doesn't look like there's any empty compartment left. And those with space would have annoying people inside," observed Daphne as they walked. She had other friends but Axel wouldn't like them one bit.
Axel stopped in front of a particular compartment that everyone was purposefully avoiding.
"This would have to do for today," he muttered.
Daphne followed his gaze and froze for a moment as she saw Martina Valentino. Martina wasn't alone though. There were also Hermione Granger and another cute girl with dirty blonde hair.
"Wait! But you said you didn't have any relation with her?"
Axel frowned.
"I didn't at the time. Though we're on friendly terms now. Why do you ask?"
"...." When did that happen? Axel accepting they are on friendly terms is equivalent to being bosom buddies for normal people. That can't be possible, right?
Without giving her much time to think, Axel opened Martina's compartment door as he entered.
"Sup?"
"Axel?"
Martina stood up in pleasant surprise. "You've… changed...so much!" she muttered, observing him.
"Yeah, that I have," Axel agreed, taking a seat.
Martina then turned to Daphne as she smiled, "Heiress Greengrass. It's good to see you again," she said politely.
Daphne returned the courtesy, "Likewise, Princess Valentino," she said stiffly, still quite surprised at Axel who had casually entered without any knocking and sat down like he owned the compartment.
Looking at the two girls, Axel frowned. 'What was up with these two? Why are they suddenly pretending to be all prim and proper?' He wondered.
Daphne usually curses like a gangster and purposefully ignores most of the rules. While Martina? He'd seen her scream like a little girl in front of a dementor, act like a little girl in front of her parents and fall like a little girl right in front of him. Both have pretty much forgotten formalities in front of him, so he found their act quite annoying.
"You surprisingly don't have a single wrackspurt infesting you. This train has lots of people who have loads." Came a dreamy voice, distracting him.
Axel turned his head to look at the small girl with dirty blonde hair who'd been here.
"What did you say?"
Martina coughed, "Axel, meet my new friend, Luna Lovegood. She is a bit eccentric so you might not understand whatever she says," she told him as she turned to Luna.
"Luna, this is Axel Hunt and this is Daphne Greengrass."
Luna nodded. "You're… Axel Hunt?" She asked, looking at Axel with interest. "I've never seen you," she revealed. After that, she turned to Daphne. "Nice to meet you,"
Axel agreed with Martina's words.
'Yep, this girl was eccentric alright.'
…
The rest of the train ride was peaceful. Martina and Daphne were still formal to each other and Axel had just decided to focus on continuing with his training.
[Legilimency
Stage 1
Progress: 20%]
Yep, after reaching the first stage of Occlumency, he'd unlocked Legilimency, the art of entering someone's mind. He finds this skill really useful hence he's been investing a lot of time in mastering it.
They took the carriages to Hogwarts while Luna followed Hagrid to take the boats.
As he went to sit at the familiar Slytherin table in the Great hall, he saw that the students who'd always turned away from him were now looking at him invitingly. Feeling weirded out, Axel ignored them as he went to sit at his staple corner seat. He looked at Draco, expecting to see the boy to come at him any time, but Axel found him sitting properly like a good little boy, trying to make polite conversation.
Axel shrugged. He then looked at the professor's table and frowned as he couldn't find the professor he was looking for. Axel furrowed his brows in confusion. But since it was time for Sorting, he sealed his ears for the ceremony as he resumed his Legilimency training. By the time the Sorting was over and he unsealed his ears, he had a girl sitting beside him, looking at him curiously with her half asleep dreamy eyes.
"This place is infested with wrackspurts but you don't have any. I was curious," she informed him as she looked around at the other Slytherin students.
????
He looked at the girl whom Martina seemed to like very much and then looked at Martina who was already looking in his direction with a worried gaze.
Axel sighed as he began taking out his food to eat. It would seem that another declaration on the forums from the Mafia Princess was in order. He better not bully this little girl.
"Why are you eating that?" Asked the girl. Luna seems to be her name.
Axel began eating his extremely unsavory and expensive meal consistent of precious materials.
"Because it makes me strong?"
Luna surveyed him as she pressed his bicep which was as hard as rock. "You are indeed strong,"
"But did you wash the ingredients properly? Daddy once wrote an article on the sicoscepts on terminite root."
Axel paused. She had at least recognized one of the ingredients correctly. The girl didn't stop talking to him the whole dinner until Dumbledore finally stood up, making Axel relieved.
Dumbledore spread his hands wide in his classic gesture.
"Welcome my dear Students, to another year at Hogwarts!"
*Applause*
"But this year is going to be especially thrilling, informative and invigorating for us! Because this year, Hogwarts is holding an exchange program!"
*CHEERS*
Dumbledore raised his hand, silencing the crowd. "Now, some of you might be wondering, which school is coming? And why specifically that school? All of your doubts will be cleared momentarily but I have a few other announcements to make first," he said, making the students disappointed.
"First of all, Let us welcome our new Defense against the dark arts professor, Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy né Black, who has graciously offered to teach the students in Professor Umbridge's absence.
There was a loud cheer for Mrs. Malfoy, and few whistles from the older students as well for the beautiful woman. But Professor Narcissa didn't seem affected.
"And for the next announcement, with a heavy heart I have to announce that Professor Jakub Gorski has had to leave due to an emergency…"
"AWWWW"
There was a collective protest and lamentation at that news as no one seemed to be happy with that news. And the most depressed one was, of course, Axel.
'Fuck…there goes plan B.' he cursed.
Of course, his plan B to find out about the organization was to simply ask Gorski about it. For obvious reasons, it hadn't been his first choice since he'd have to risk revealing that he knew about the organisation and that Jakub was a member. And he especially didn't want to forcefully take out the information. But nevertheless, it was an easier alternative than the last plan.
Now, he only has plan C left. This plan was the easiest of the three plans, but also the most dangerous.
Since he can't find the organization, why not let the organization find him? Since even Gorski had already warned him that the Organization would come after him once they see his name and appearance, he just has to spread his name far and wide enough that the organization would find out about him. And when they come, he'll be waiting.
Risky?
Yes, it was fucking risky. But…
Axel looked at the huge amount of SP that he had gotten after stealing the fake Philosopher's stone and the system shop interface.
When they come, he'll be waiting, prepared.
….
A.N.: POWERSTONES!!!
There were two polls after this chapter on Pàtreon. Go check them out, I'll made them public. One of the votes was on which school you want it to be? Another one is concerning Luna. The title is, 'How would you prefer your Luna?'
: The Exchange Program
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