The morning mist lingered over King's Cross Station, curling through the air as steam from the Hogwarts Express billowed around the scarlet train. Families bustled everywhere — trunks, owls, and laughter filling the platform.
At the hidden barrier of Platform 9¾, a tall figure stepped through — Roy Valvas, his posture calm, his silver eyes scanning the crowd.
"Roy!"
Turning, he saw Cedric Diggory and the Weasley twins waving from near the train.
"Cedric, Fred, George," Roy greeted with a grin. "Ready for another year of chaos?"
Fred smirked. "Always, mate. Especially when you're around."George added, "You've got a habit of making every year interesting."
Roy chuckled. "Can't promise this one will be quiet either."
They laughed and boarded together, but soon Roy excused himself — his eyes already searching for a certain group.
The Girls' Compartment
Walking through the corridor, Roy finally found the compartment filled with familiar faces: Hermione, Daphne, Astoria, Cassandra Vole, Penelope Clearwater, Cho Chang, and Ginny Weasley.
He leaned casually against the doorframe. "What did I miss?"
Cho looked up from her seat, smiling. "Oh, nothing much — just the latest gossip from Diagon Alley. You wouldn't believe what my friend told me!"
Roy slid into the seat beside her, amused. "Oh? Enlighten me."
Cho began telling an exaggerated tale of a wizarding couple who had accidentally bewitched their own wedding cake into attacking the guests. Each part of the story was more absurd than the last, and Roy found himself raising his eyebrows, surprised and laughing quietly at the right moments.
But as the laughter continued, he noticed Astoria Greengrass — the youngest — yawning softly beside her sister. Her eyes drooped with sleep.
Without a word, Roy gently guided her to rest her head against his shoulder. He shifted, letting her stretch out across the seat, and soon Astoria's head was on his shoulder while her legs rested across his lap.
He smiled faintly and began to caress her hair, brushing it away from her face. Within minutes, she was fast asleep, breathing softly.
The other girls fell silent for a moment, watching.
Hermione whispered to Daphne, "He's spoiling her again."Daphne sighed, though her lips twitched into a smile. "She's the youngest… but still."Ginny muttered under her breath, "Lucky little snake."Cho and Cassandra exchanged amused looks, both fighting a blush.
Roy caught their whispers and smirked. "Jealous, are we?"
Every one of them flushed. Hermione huffed and looked away, while Cho gave a light-hearted glare. "In your dreams.""Maybe," Roy teased softly, chuckling as he continued to stroke Astoria's hair.
The soft rhythm of the train lulled the compartment into peace — until the lights flickered.
The Cold of Despair
A chill swept through the train. The laughter faded. Frost began to form on the windows, spreading like thin white fingers of ice.
Hermione shivered. "Wh-what's happening?"
Roy's expression turned serious in an instant. He felt it — a dark, oppressive magic drawing near.
Dementors.
He closed his eyes briefly, sensing the despair rolling closer through the corridors. In another compartment, he could faintly sense Harry Potter's fear — the telltale sign of a mind touched by trauma.
Astoria stirred in her sleep, whimpering softly at the sudden cold. Roy whispered, "Shh… sleep. I'll handle it."
The Phoenix Rises
As the compartment door rattled, Roy stood, his aura flaring. The air around him shimmered with violet energy, waves of power pulsing like a heartbeat.
He raised his wand slowly. "Expecto Patronum."
A burst of brilliant violet light erupted from his wand — swirling, condensing — until a majestic phoenix of pure light and flame exploded forth. Its wings stretched wide, brushing the ceiling of the train.
With a powerful cry, it burst through the compartment wall — not breaking it, but passing through it like fire through mist.
The entire train was bathed in violet and gold.
Screams of despair turned into gasps of awe as students from every compartment saw the phoenix soar down the corridor, scattering dozens of Dementors like shadows before sunlight. Wherever it passed, warmth returned — courage, hope, and safety filling hearts once frozen by fear.
The Dementors fled into the storm, their forms dissolving as the phoenix circled once, then vanished into violet embers.
The silence that followed was stunned and reverent.
Hermione exhaled shakily. "That was… that was incredible."Cho, eyes wide, whispered, "A phoenix… I've never seen a Patronus like that before."Ginny clutched her chest, feeling warmth flood back into her. "It was beautiful."
Roy sat down again, calm as if nothing had happened. He glanced at Astoria — she had barely stirred and was already asleep again.
He smiled gently. "All solved. Nothing to worry about."
The others watched him in quiet amazement.
Arrival at Hogwarts
By the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station, news of the violet phoenix Patronus had spread across every carriage. Students whispered excitedly, retelling the moment again and again.
At dinner in the Great Hall that night, the chatter was unstoppable.
"Did you see it?""It was like fire — but made of magic!""Who cast it?""I heard it was Roy Valvas!"
Even some professors looked curious. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled knowingly at the High Table.
Meanwhile, Ron Weasley sat at the Gryffindor table, glaring across the hall toward Roy. His expression was colder than before — his usual goofy demeanor replaced by something darker, his tone short and irritable.
The corruption of Tom Riddle's diary had already begun to twist his mind.
But Roy, seated at the Slytherin table beside Daphne and Cassandra, simply smiled faintly — aware, but unconcerned.
Let the darkness move as it will, he thought, glancing at the enchanted ceiling glowing with stars. I have my own path to walk.
And as the phoenix of violet light flickered faintly in his memory, Roy knew — this year at Hogwarts would be far from ordinary.