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Chapter 18: Bet
🕑 Added 2025-08-29 02:28:01 +0000 UTCThe train ended its journey at Hogsmeade Station.
The locomotive whistled one last time and came to a stop with a long, weary groan. Outside, the air was cold, damp, and carried that particular scent only country nights could preserve: wet earth and old wood.
Hogsmeade Station, the only one that connected directly to Hogwarts, wasn’t especially large, but what it lacked in size it made up for in atmosphere. Floating lamps lit the edges of the platform, and beyond, the mist drifted like a ghostly veil, barely concealing the carriages that awaited students from second to seventh year.
First-years, as always, would be guided toward the boats.
'Maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of Hagrid…' Ryan thought as he stood up. He hadn’t seen him yet, but the very idea made him smile.
Meanwhile, he leaned down to place his owl’s cage, Ingrid, on top of his trunk. The small fastening strap fit perfectly. Ingrid gave a soft flap inside the cage, protesting the movement.
It was his first time seeing Hogwarts with his own eyes. Not through the memories of the former Ryan, not through his fanboy recollections. His.
And because of that, his chest throbbed as though he were an eleven-year-old on his first trip to the castle.
That excitement didn’t blur his sight, though. He noticed Pandora struggling with her luggage.
Her trunk had wheels, and she had placed one of her cages on top, probably her cat’s. The problem was the second cage, the owl’s, which she tried to hold with one hand while pushing the trunk with the other. The narrow train corridor and the need to keep her balance made everything more complicated.
Ryan didn’t hesitate.
“Give me that,” he said, already reaching out for the owl’s cage.
Pandora looked at him for just a second, assessed the situation, and handed it over without protest.
“Thanks,” she said in a calm tone, a faint grateful smile on her lips, offering no resistance this time.
Ryan carefully settled the cage in his left hand. With his right, he pushed his own trunk without much trouble. He had trained strength for something, it just hadn’t occurred to him it would come in handy here.
Freed of the extra weight, Pandora now pushed her trunk with both hands, far more comfortable.
Behind them, Emmeline had already left the compartment, pushing her own trunk. She hadn’t brought pets, so she was moving with ease.
The three made their way down the corridor between compartments, following other students. The murmur of conversations, the rattling of trunks over the enchanted floor, and the occasional screech of a restless pet filled the air.
Finally, they reached one of the train’s exits.
As they stepped down onto the platform, the fresh air brushed their faces. A damp current tousled their hair. Ryan breathed in the night air: forest, wet earth… and magic… or maybe he was exaggerating.
Hogsmeade Station was lit by hanging magical lanterns. The shadows of pointed rooftops and stone walls stretched across the cobblestones, welcoming the students with that blend of mystery and nostalgia only Hogwarts could inspire.
A tall prefect, shiny badge pinned to his chest and a sour expression on his face, pointed the way with a monotonous voice:
“Carriages to the left. First years to the right. Hagrid is waiting.”
Ryan, Pandora, and Emmeline turned to the left.
And that’s when he saw them.
Through the drifting mist, dimly lit by the lanterns, the carriages weren’t empty or magically drawn as many believed… but pulled by creatures.
Thestrals.
They were imposing.
Thin to the point of looking spectral, their black skin clung to the bone like taut leather over a skeletal frame. Membranous wings, bat-like, folded against their bodies at rest. Their white, pupil-less eyes seemed to see beyond the visible.
And yet… there was nothing frightening about them.
Ryan stopped. Not out of fear, but out of fascination.
He stood staring at the nearest creature, which moved its head slowly, as if sensing his attention. A perfect mix between his geekish fanaticism for everything they represented… and the real connection he felt seeing them for the first time.
“Do you see them?” asked Emmeline, who had stopped beside him, noticing his prolonged gaze.
Ryan didn’t take his eyes off the creature. He nodded slowly.
“Yes. Since recently,” Ryan answered in a normal tone.
Pandora turned toward them, listening to the exchange. “Thestrals?” she said. “I can’t see them, but I know they’re the ones pulling the carriages. I read about them.”
Ryan nodded solemnly and turned to Emmeline. “Do you see them?”
“Since third year,” Emmeline replied without hesitation. Her tone was neutral. Not cold, but not inviting further questions either.
Ryan looked at Pandora.
“I don’t,” she said simply, though her expression was thoughtful. As if torn between curiosity and respect. In the end, she didn’t ask more.
But he noticed she wanted to.
So, in his typical sarcastic tone, Ryan raised an eyebrow and said, “Want to hear my tragic backstory about how I ended up seeing them? I can add in plenty of drama and epic flair to make it more entertaining.”
Emmeline let out an elegant little huff and climbed into the carriage without another word, as if she already knew him well enough to ignore the theatrics.
Pandora chuckled softly and followed her, shaking her head with a smile that, though small, was genuine.
Ryan watched them for a moment, then shrugged, arranging the trunks and cages atop the carriage before climbing in with them.
The carriage was already moving when they heard quick steps crunching over the gravel.
“Excuse me, this carriage still has room!” said a firm voice from outside.
The door opened decisively and Alicia Fortescue climbed in with composed confidence. Her robe was perfectly pressed, her hair neatly tied back, and, of course, her prefect badge gleamed on her chest as if it were a natural extension of her personality.
“Good evening,” she said, looking at everyone present. Her eyes lingered a second longer than necessary on Emmeline, one of her roommates since first year, and then on Pandora, before finally settling on Ryan. The stiffness remained, but something in her jaw seemed to tighten slightly.
Ryan raised an eyebrow. Internally, he recognized a small chance for entertainment. Outwardly, he put on his best neutral expression with a touch of theatrics.
“An honor to travel with you, Prefect Fortescue,” he said, with an almost imperceptible bow of the head, just shy of mocking, but delivered with feigned seriousness.
Alicia gave him a look that seemed to say don’t start, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she made a small grimace, a mix of annoyance, resignation, and, deep down, satisfaction. She had noticed Ryan’s glance at her badge. She had recognized it. That was enough for now.
“Aren’t you going in the carriage with Marlene and Dorcas?” Emmeline asked.
Alicia settled into the seat with near-military precision. She smoothed her robe, adjusted her cloak, and answered without preamble:
“I was doing my prefect duties,” she replied. “I helped organize the first-years on the platform and then checked the compartments of the train. By the time I got back to the carriage, Marlene and Dorcas had already gone in… with three other Gryffindor girls. There wasn’t any space left.”
Emmeline nodded silently, asking nothing further. But that was precisely what pushed Alicia to continue. Years of sharing a dormitory, classes, breakfasts… and still, Emmeline always maintained an invisible barrier. Cordial, yes. Kind, too. But distant.
“Why did you leave our compartment on the train?” she asked bluntly, though without hostility. “We’ve shared a room for four years, was it really so hard to talk to us for an entire train ride?”
'Oh… roommate trouble,' thought Ryan, listening intently.
Pandora watched in silence. She only knew Alicia by name, barely at all. Word was, she was very strict and studious.
Emmeline wasn’t upset. Nor surprised. She simply replied calmly, as if she had already prepared the answer long ago:
“It’s not that. It was too noisy. I wanted to read in peace. And I found a quieter compartment. That’s all.”
Alicia frowned, still processing.
“And you found a quiet compartment… with Ryan?” she asked, with a mix of skepticism and genuine doubt.
“Hey,” Ryan cut in, clutching his chest as if stabbed, “That’s how little credit you give me, Fortescue?”
Emmeline raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. Pandora only smiled faintly, knowing what was coming.
“I wasn’t talking about broomsticks or Quidditch like Marlene. Nor spreading gossip like Dorcas…” Ryan went on in his theatrical tone, “I let Emmeline read in peace. I was a gentleman, an example of civility and decorum. Practically a Ravenclaw.”
“I don’t believe you,” said Alicia, folding her arms.
“Emmeline,” Ryan said, turning to the girl who still wore her unshakable expression.
“What?” Emmeline asked.
“Clear my name.”
Emmeline sighed and looked at Alicia with the same serenity as always. “As surprising as it sounds, he behaved. He didn’t bother me. I could read in peace.”
Alicia raised an eyebrow. And though she didn’t say anything, she accepted the verdict. It was clear she struggled to process the information, as if the world had stopped spinning for a few seconds.
Then her gaze slid toward Pandora, whom she hadn’t fully placed yet. She vaguely recognized her… from classes? From the corridors?
Ryan, ever alert to silent cues, intervened with a presenter’s air:
“Let me introduce you to Pandora, of Ravenclaw. Fifth year. My new friend.”
Pandora let out a soft, resigned laugh. That word: friend. During the train ride, Ryan had tossed it out like a stone into a lake, not fully measuring how far the ripples would go. And she still didn’t know if he had meant it seriously or as a joke.
“Pandora Rosemary,” she said, without denying Ryan’s claim, extending her hand to Alicia with a smile that bordered on ironic. “Pleasure.”
“Alicia Fortescue,” the prefect replied, shaking her hand. “the pleasure is mine."
Then she turned to Ryan with a critical look, narrowing her eyes as though inspecting a mischief. Her expression flicked subtly toward Pandora, as if to say if you were forced into this, blink twice and I’ll save you.
“Friend, really?” Alicia asked, with the carefully concealed incredulity of someone who never expected such an association.
“Not yet,” Pandora replied. “But we’re on the way. I think.”
The answer was so direct it threw Alicia off. A blink. A slight tension in her jaw. Nothing obvious… except to Emmeline, who glanced at her sideways without saying a word.
Ryan, satisfied, leaned back against the seat. “I knew I’d manage to make you my friend, or at least on the way there,” he murmured with a half-smile.
The carriage, wrapped in mist, began to move.
A few seconds of calm passed until Ryan, still in his relaxed tone, turned to Emmeline.
“And you? Are you my friend?” he asked as if talking about the weather.
“No,” Emmeline replied with automatic dryness, not lifting her gaze from the misty landscape beyond the window.
“Brutal,” Ryan commented, turning back to Pandora. “With her I have fewer chances than a prisoner in Azkaban befriending a Dementor.”
Pandora let out a quiet laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. That kind of absurd, dark humor, she loved it.
“Want to make a little bet?” Ryan asked suddenly, lowering his voice a bit and leaning slightly closer to her.
Pandora turned toward him, intrigued. Her eyes glimmered with amusement, as if she already knew she would say yes. “I’m listening.”
“Let’s bet which house will have the most new students this year. You can bet on your house, or whichever you think will win,” Ryan proposed, crossing his arms.
Pandora raised an eyebrow, as if weighing the statistical probability before answering. “And what would the prize be?”
“The loser does the other’s homework for the subject they hate most,” Ryan answered without hesitation. “Just for a week. I’m no exploiter.”
“Hm… tempting,” said Pandora, narrowing her eyes as if calibrating the risk.
“All right, I accept,” Pandora finally said, extending her hand.
Ryan extended his, and for the first time their hands touched.
“Good. Which house do you think will get the most recruits this year?” Ryan asked.
“Let me think…” Pandora murmured, touching her chin with her index finger in an exaggerated gesture. “I’d say Ravenclaw, but that would be too biased. Gryffindor has the charisma, Slytherin has the ambition, but… this year I have a hunch.”
“Yeah?”
“Hufflepuff,” she declared. “I’ll bet on them. This year will be theirs.”
“I respect that. I, obviously, go with Gryffindor.” He placed a hand over his heart like a medieval knight. “The brave don’t just lead battles, they also lead enrollment lists.”
“We’ll see about that,” Pandora said, amused.
Emmeline, who had been watching the exchange, rested an elbow on the edge of her seat and asked, “Can I join the bet?”
Ryan and Pandora turned toward her. Pandora raised her eyebrows, surprised but entertained. Ryan, for his part, looked at her with a mix of genuine interest and something harder to read. As if he had been waiting for exactly that.
Emmeline wasn’t doing it for fun or competitiveness. She couldn’t have cared less which house would have the most new students. But seeing Ryan enjoying himself so much with Pandora, sharing that game, those smiles, was… striking.
It clashed with the usual image he projected. And that stirred a certain discomfort in her. Not annoyance. Just… a silent urge to intrude. To test, perhaps, if she could upset the balance of the board he had set up himself.
Much to her frustration, Ryan didn’t seem bothered by her interruption. On the contrary.
“I’d be delighted to have you join my little bet,” he replied with an undisguised smile. “But tell me, Emmeline Vance… if you win, will you really allow me to do your homework?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation, though her tone was so neutral it was impossible to tell if she meant it or was just keeping up the façade.
Before she could go on, another voice cut in unexpectedly:
“I’m joining too.”
The carriage seemed to stop for an instant.
Everyone turned to Alicia, who had been silent for the last few minutes. The prefect sat straight in her seat, robe without a single wrinkle, expression serene. But the words had been spoken without irony.
“You?” Ryan asked, poorly suppressing a grin. “Prefect Fortescue betting? Won’t that make the whole magical system collapse?”
“Just because I’m organized doesn’t mean I can’t compete. Besides, if all the Gryffindors in the carriage are in, I’m not going to be the only one left out,” Alicia replied calmly.
“All right then,” Ryan declared. “Pandora bet on Hufflepuff. I chose Gryffindor. Who are you betting on?”
“Can we repeat a house?” Emmeline asked.
“Yes, but… if more than one person bets on the same house, we have to adjust,” Ryan explained, raising a finger like a teacher. “If a house gets more than one vote, each bettor for that house must give a number of new students they think will be sorted there. Whoever is closest to the actual number wins. For example: if you bet on Gryffindor, I say eighteen and you say twenty-one. If the final number is sixteen, I win. If it’s twenty-three, you win. Clear?”
Everyone nodded.
“Good. Emmeline, your house.”
“Gryffindor, twenty,” Emmeline replied.
“Bold,” Pandora murmured with amusement.
“I’ll stick with Gryffindor and say there will be seventeen new students,” said Ryan.
“Slytherin,” Alicia said clearly. And since she was the only one betting on that house, she didn’t need to give a number.
Ryan looked at her in surprise. “Slytherin, huh? Out of preference or strategy?”
“Neither. Just a hunch,” Alicia said with a shrug.
“All right, we all have our bets. Now, one last clarification. Since there will be more than one loser, that doesn’t mean the winner gets three people to exploit. That’d be too much, I don’t know how to be Minister of Magic. So the winner gets to choose one of the three losers to do the homerwork of their choice,” Ryan clarified.
“And does it have to be done properly?” Pandora asked with feigned innocence.
“Obviously. Done well, no copying and pasting. And different from your own work so it’s not plagiarism,” Ryan said. “I want creativity in this exploitation.”
The three girls nodded without hesitation.
“Perfect,” Ryan said.
But before he could settle back again, Pandora glanced at him sideways and declared with a soft smile, “If I win, I pick you to do my Potions homework. Bores me.”
“Astronomy for me,” added Alicia, as if she were already signing the order.
“Herbology. If I’m lucky, I’ll enjoy watching you deal with plants and dirt,” Emmeline commented in her neutral tone, though clearly amused.
Ryan blinked. “Wait a minute… are all of you going to pick me if you win?”
“Of course,” the three said, almost at the same time.
“But why?” Ryan protested, throwing his arms open in indignation. “It’s unfair to me.”
“Precisely because of that,” said Alicia, unfazed.
“Because it would be funny,” added Pandora.
“You’re the one who set up the game,” Emmeline concluded.
Ryan slumped back in his seat as if they had just pronounced his death sentence. “I’m lost.”
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