The School Year Begins
Harry said goodbye to Sirius, who greeted him with a proud smile, and then boarded the train with the others. Einar, on the other hand, simply stepped onto the Hogwarts Express without hurry. He didn't need to keep watch every moment; after all, the train was a safe place. No one would dare attack a train full of Hogwarts students... and if someone tried, well, that would be their biggest mistake.
Hermione quickly followed him, wearing a slight smile, excited to travel alongside her professor. But as soon as they entered the carriage, she remembered she had to stop by the prefects' compartment first.
"Professor, you go ahead with Neville and Ginny. Harry and I will go and come back quickly," Hermione said briskly, giving Harry a look that urged him to hurry.
Ron, meanwhile, drifted away as soon as he got on the train. He had been acting strange for a while—talking less with Harry and Hermione, sometimes not even looking at them. His behavior was unsettling. Even Einar cast a quick glance at him before Ron disappeared down the corridor.
Einar walked calmly while Neville and Ginny followed him. They stopped before a compartment that seemed empty, but when he looked inside, he saw several spectral wolves, some of them flaming, sitting in a row. A young blonde woman, with a peaceful smile, was reading a newspaper, seemingly unfazed by the surrounding noise.
Einar opened the door, confident about who he would find.
"Hello, little dragon professor," Luna greeted with a calm smile, while the five wolves fixed their steady gaze on him.
"Hello," Einar replied with interest, studying the beasts. Some were wolves summoned by the conjure familiar spell, but two were flaming wolves; those exploded when attacking and, from the energy he sensed, were quite powerful. They could cause significant damage if they lost control and attacked the students.
"It's fine that you like to have your... pets out, but please don't do it when there are many students around," Einar said in a serious teacher's tone. He knew summoning magic well and understood that no beast, no matter how friendly it seemed, was truly docile. They barely respected their masters.
"Mm, well," Luna nodded calmly. The wolves, with a mix of disdain, cast one last look at Einar before vanishing with a spell.
Ginny and Neville then entered, sitting beside him. Ginny greeted Luna with a friendly smile, while Neville simply followed Einar silently.
"Looks like you've kept up with your assignments," Einar commented calmly, impressed by the number of spectral wolves Luna could summon—clear evidence of her dedication and effort.
"No, I just summon them and let them accompany me during the day. When I feel like I can call another, I do," Luna explained softly.
Ginny and Neville froze, recalling the effort they themselves had put in to be under Einar's tutelage, especially in recent weeks. Even Einar fell silent for a moment before saying, "Then it's good that you enjoy it."
"Quack," suddenly broke the atmosphere.
Everyone turned to Neville, from whose clothes poked a small red head holding a green toad in its mouth.
Neville's eyes widened in surprise.
"Viing, drop Trevor!" he exclaimed, trying to open the little dragon's mouth. But although Viing was small, its jaws were steel strong.
The dragon wasn't about to release its prey. But when its eyes met Einar's cold gaze, it quickly opened its mouth, dropping the toad. Then it floated toward Einar, flapping its tiny wings as if to prove who the real dragon king was.
Einar watched calmly and raised his hand. Viing bit it, causing Neville to look at his dragon with a mix of surprise and fear.
The little one kept nibbling on Einar's hand, throwing glances as if they were locked in an epic battle for dominance.
Neville quickly stood up and said seriously, "Viing, come here."
But Einar stopped him with a gesture.
"Alright, better that he gets distracted this way than making a mess and hurting someone," he said firmly.
It seemed those words struck a chord with Viing, who released Einar's hand. A small flame glowed deep in its mouth, ready to launch an attack... but Einar, lightning fast, closed his hand over the dragon's snout.
Only two small flames escaped Viing's nostrils as it shook its head and let out soft snorts.
Einar gave it a steady look.
"Be careful where you use your fire. You could hurt the students," he warned in a low but authoritative voice.
The dragon froze for a moment, then recovered its composure, still ready for a hundred more battles. It continued biting Einar's hand, but without flames this time.
Just then, Harry and Hermione arrived, looking like they had been running, though Harry's expression showed he had been dragged along hurriedly.
"Professor Einar, we're back. It was a quick meeting," Hermione said with a smile, trying to keep things normal.
Harry had a lot to say, but it was better to stay silent. Their eyes quickly fixed on the little dragon locked in a life-or-death battle with Einar's fingers, though the professor remained unfazed.
Then a noise caught Viir's attention, Harry's small black dragon, who peeked out from his clothes. Seeing Einar for a moment, Viir jumped, fluttering his wings as he flew toward him. Unlike Viing, who still nibbled at him, Viir simply settled calmly on Einar's lap, as if that was now his designated place.
Harry and Hermione exchanged surprised looks. Viir never strayed far from Harry, while Viing was known to be restless.
Einar watched both dragons with quiet interest, thinking silently about what might cause such strange behavior. He had a slight suspicion but wasn't sure yet.
Hermione and Harry joined in and began talking calmly, while Einar stayed focused on the dragons, a faint smile barely visible on his lips.
…
"First years, please follow me," announced a professor who had taken Hagrid's place—a fact Harry noticed immediately and found strange.
"Professor Einar, where is Hagrid?" he asked.
"Hagrid was sent by Dumbledore to speak with the giants," Einar replied calmly, not bothering to hide the secret mission.
"The giants?" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "Aren't they supposed to be dangerous?"
"I suppose so," Einar answered serenely. "Don't worry. I gave Hagrid special armor. He'll be fine. If he gets hurt, it'll be more because of his own pacifism than a lack of protection. Besides, I put an enchantment on him to help if things get complicated."
"Then I'll hurry," Einar said. "You take the cart with the winged horses." Without waiting for a reply, he started walking quickly toward the castle.
"Winged horses?" Neville asked, puzzled.
"Yes, the ones that pull the carts," Harry answered calmly, while Hermione nodded slightly.
Luna, meanwhile, looked at both of them for a moment before averting her gaze.
"The carts have always moved by themselves. Since when are they pulled by winged horses?" Neville asked, confused.
"What are you talking about, Neville? Since last year, they've been pulled by them. Don't you remember?" Hermione replied, equally puzzled.
"That's because Thestrals can't be seen by just anyone. Only someone who has witnessed death can see them," Luna explained in her ethereal voice. "It seems you saw someone die last year, so you can see them. I've seen them since I arrived at Hogwarts." Saying this, she calmly walked toward the carts and climbed aboard without hurry.
Hermione was surprised. She had assumed the horses had been added last year and hadn't given it much thought, since Harry, Ron, and the twins had also seen them without anyone questioning it.
"Wait… last year, during the Quidditch match…" Harry muttered, thinking of some death he might have witnessed.
Hermione, along with the entire Weasley family and Harry, followed Einar as he used his bow to take down the Death Eaters.
"All right, better hurry," Hermione concluded, sharing the same thought. Neville and the others climbed into the carriage; the winged horse began to walk, carrying them toward the castle.
…
Upon entering the Great Hall, the first thing that caught Harry's attention was a plump woman dressed in pink, wearing a proud smile and an annoyed expression that seemed familiar. There was no doubt: it was the same woman who spoke during his trial at the Ministry—Dolores Umbridge.
Meanwhile, Hermione had barely stepped inside when she noticed a platinum blonde woman sitting near Einar, chatting with him and wearing a radiant, confident smile. That simple detail was enough to crush Hermione's mood completely, which until then had been slightly cheerful about traveling with Einar.
"What is she doing here?" Hermione asked, her voice tinged with venom and confusion.
"I don't know… maybe Fudge sent her," Harry replied.
"What? Why would the Minister send Fleur Delacour here?" Hermione frowned, puzzled.
"Fleur?" Harry shifted his gaze and spotted the woman Hermione was talking about. "I was talking about that lady. I think her name is Dolores Umbridge," he said quickly, trying to clarify.
"Who cares about her? I want to know why Fleur is here, and with Professor Einar," Hermione said, brushing it off.
Harry sighed, then remembered something Einar had once told him:
"If another man—or woman—looks at what you desire, don't respond with jealousy. Respond with greatness. A man's heart isn't won with dark looks, but with actions that make her look at you."
Harry scratched the back of his neck, confused, as if those words were too big for him.
Hermione turned around, raised an eyebrow, and said with a hint of irritation in her voice,
"Shut up, it's better if we just sit down." And without another word, she took a seat, clearly annoyed.
Harry just shrugged to himself, thinking that, without a doubt, understanding the heart of women was a mystery far more complicated than any spell.