The Door to Chaos

Chapter 3 - It's an Animal Thing

Riddick did not speak again to the kids in his compartment, even when the girl with the bushy hair - Hermione Granger - and the tall red-haired kid with the puppy eyes - Ronald Weasley - joined them. He barely returned their greeting with a nod before going back to his brooding.

In all his life, he had never felt more out of place than on this train, surrounded by chattering and laughing teenagers whose main preoccupations in life were revolving around magic in all its forms. Magic lessons, magic spells, hex, curses, magic sweets and pranks bought at strange places called 'Zonko's' or 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes', magic or cursed items (the red-haired boy told the other kids a totally unbelievable tale, where his father had been called this very summer to a Muggle house in order to rescue some old lady from her biting and spitting vacuum cleaner).

Then they started talking about a ballgame played on brooms. Quidditch. Riddick got bored REALLY fast with that. That and the wary looks they kept throwing at him, as if he might yank his shivs out any moment and gut them where they sat. Not that he wasn't tempted a couple of times.

But however strongly he tried to ignore them, his heightened instincts for danger could not help sensing a deep undercurrent fear in all of them. He picked up the unease beneath the over-bright remarks; he noticed the pointedly cheery answers. Everybody here was playing a role in a theatre piece and nobody had handed him his lines. After a couple hours, tired of the looks he was getting, he just faked falling asleep.

The kids kept up their pretence of inane chatter for another half hour. Then some old lady with a tray passed and sold them some sweets and drinks - magical of course.

Then they began to talk in earnest. They whispered about mysterious disappearances, Dark Marks, sightings of Giants and Dementors, they commented new Ministry measures and regulations. They wondered if their school would stay open until the end of term, if there would be another attack from Death Eaters, what the security measures would be. They wondered where their old potion teacher - Snape - had taken a boy called Draco Malfoy.

Most of the time the bushy haired girl brought up new subjects and Riddick was starting to feel grudging admiration and gratitude for her extended knowledge. Each new subject triggered new memories from the Sirius Black guy and by the time the train started to slow down, Riddick was acutely aware of the reason of his presence in this world now.

They had a major magical badass problem with the name Voldemort, and he and that Potter kid were their final solution.

Lucky them. After going through a Necromonger army in order to off their commander, ghosting a bad wizard sounds like fucking vacation. I'll do it too. If they pay my price.

Something about that thought made him uneasy; he felt he had forgotten some important data linked to the Necromongers. Oh well, he would figure it out. He always did.

He made a show of "waking up", stretching and standing. His head nearly brushed the ceiling.

Glad to get off the Dwarf train.

When he stepped out off the railway station, a new surprise was waiting for him. About a hundred carriages were waiting for the students along a rough, mud road. Obviously the train had not been the only mechanical pre-antigrav transport he had to take for this school. The carriages were pulled by the most beautiful creatures Riddick had seen yet on this world.

He prowled over to the nearest one and looked it over. The huge, winged horse turned its milky shining eyes to him and pricked its ears forward. Riddick ran a caressing finger along its dragonish face and black neck and hummed to it.

"Mmmmmmm you're a beauty, ain't ya? A bit on the thin side though. There. Good girl."

He noticed that several kids were staring at him as if he had gone mad. Then the black haired kid, Harry, suddenly stood at his side.

"You can see the Thestrals, Professor?"

"Nope. I'm petting my imagination."

Riddick noticed Harry's look and gave him his trademark deadpan expression, enjoying the confusion in the teen's face.

"Sure can. Would be a shame not to look at them."

What an odd remark to make. They are hard to miss, right?

The silky feeling of the feverish hot coat under his fingers was incredible. He could go on stroking this beautiful animal forever.

"It seems to like you." Harry looked curiously at the Thestral pushing against Riddick's chest for attention.

"It's an animal thing." Riddick smiled one of his rare smiles. He looked entranced into the Thestral's eyes, he could swear he nearly heard the beast talking to him.

"You know, not everybody can see them," Harry said conversationally.

"No?" Riddick reluctantly stopped petting the winged horse and turned to the teenager.

That explains why the other kids keep staring at us then.

"No. Only people who have seen somebody die can."

Harry turned and started to climb into the carriage.

Riddick stood for a moment without moving, then a loud bark of laughter escaped him. Harry froze mid-step at the sound, as if in pain, then he took a seat in the carriage and waited for his friends to join him.

The Thestral started to lick Riddick's neck where he had cut himself while shaving this morning.

And they like blood. My kind of animal.