Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or Magi: Labyrinth of Magic. They belong to their respective authors, J.K Rowling and Shinobu Ohtaka. I'm just an obsessed fan of the said series.

Warning: Characters may or not be OOC.

4th Night:

Grey Skies

"You– you…." Malfoy tried to speak but his tongue was all tied up, while Kukulcan was still hissing at him and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville was shocked with his sudden display of power. "You will regret messing with me! Father will hear of this!"

"And you will regret messing with a Magician! Now will you please get out!" Sphintus retorted, he knew he was being harsh but deep inside he knew that he can get egoistical and cocky to others if he wanted to.

Malfoy tried to retort back but he suddenly turned back, leaving the compartment door wide open.

"Sorry for that, Sphintus, he's Draco Malfoy and weren't the best of friends… that's why he's hostile to me and as well to my friends…" Harry trailed off.

"It's all right; I just couldn't stand someone insulting Marga– that word 'mudblood' it's an insult right?" asked Sphintus tiredly, as he sat down.

"Yeah, it's most probably the worst thing you can say to a muggle born-wizard/ witch," Ron stated.

"It's alright; I'm already used to it…" Marga stated indifferently.

"Marga–" Sphintus started, his voice was strangely full of concern but was cut off by the young girl.

"Mister Ron, what does the word 'Muggle' mean?" Marga, suddenly asked her voice full of curiosity.

"Ah, it's a term we Wizards uses to call normal people," Ron replied.

"Ahh– now I understand!" Marga said, smiling as her question was answered by the young wizard.

"So it technically it shares the same meaning with word 'Goi' huh," Sphintus said.

"Goi?" Harry asked.

"Non– Magicians," Sphintus replied rather absently.

"Hey, Sphintus, where did Kukulcan go?" Marga asked.

"Dunno,"

"But I wanna play with him!"

"Marga, Kukulcan is a snake… and snakes don't play with little girls,"

"But I'm not little anymore!" Marga pouted.

Hermione was for once, utterly lost to the surprising turn of events that unfolded right in front of her eyes.

She is definitely amused by the fact that Sphintus managed to tick Malfoy off their compartment without the use of a wand and too much violence; it was also the very reason why she is confused right now.

First, Sphintus managed to use Magic without the aid of a wand. Second, he mentioned about being a "Magician". Third, while Hermione is familiar with about them since there are apparently renowned throughout the Wizarding World, she still knew little about them.

All she knew was that the Magicians are a recluse group of Magic-users capable of using a different form of Magic and are extremely powerful. Living in the Magician's Country known as Magnostadt, they thrived in isolation, even from their fellow Wizarding communities.

So why off all times a Magician, like Sphintus decided to study at Hogwarts?

Especially now that He Who Must Not Be Named returned; it's definitely suspicious, but Hermione immediately shot down the idea of Sphintus being an ally of Voldemort. As Sphintus seems to be really a nice guy and so is Marga. There's no way they were involved with him, right?

But then Sphintus seems to have a cobra as a pet which was odd– very odd.

She sighed.

"I really need to go to the library…"

"Merlin's beard, Hermione–" Ron started, looking very scandalized. "The term hasn't even started yet and you already want to go to the library?"

"Did–" Hermione snapped out of her thoughts, as she began to feel embarrassed. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"I'm afraid you did so, Hermione," Harry said, as he grinned at her.

"Well you must both know that we're already Fifth-Year Students and so were bound to take the O.W.L.s also known as 'Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations', and that test will determine our future careers after we've graduated at Hogwarts, so you guys really need to start studying hard if you want to pass," Hermione scolded the both of them in order to hide her embarrassment.

"Are you saying we're not studying hard Hermione? That hurts my heart you know," Ron dramatically said.

"Oh shut up, Ron," Hermione replied hurriedly and then turned her attention to the white-haired magician, quickly changing the topic. "By the way Sphintus, do you know what year you're going to be in at Hogwarts?"

"Honestly, I don't know– It was Titus who kept in touch with the Headmaster, after all,"

"Titus?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, he's the one who's going to be the new professor at Hogwarts or at least that's what he and the Chancellor told me,"

"Really? So that means he's going to be the new 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' Professor," Hermione stated.

"Dunno, he never specified the subject he was going to teach– but I guess he's capable of teaching any subject, after all he's a powerful Magician," Sphintus replied.

"I read from the Daily Prophet that the Minster appointed the new DADA Professor for Hogwarts this year," Luna suddenly said.

"I haven't read the Prophet for months now, since all they write about is nothing but rubbish articles about Harry and Headmaster Dumbledore," Hermione said, appearing rather surprised at Luna's abrupt reply.

"I haven't been exactly an avid fan of the Prophet; well… there are still some rather sensible articles in there– if you look for it," Luna reasoned out.

"Not everything is black and white as they say," Sphintus commented.

Luna stared at him at a moment, not uttering a single word.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure–" Luna suddenly said "You know Sphintus, I think you would rather fit well in Ravenclaw with that mindset of yours,"

Sphintus went red.

"Wha... what are you saying? I don't even know what Ravenclaw is..?"

Hermione and the others looked at each other with a skeptical expression on their faces.

Marga was happy– definitely happy; she couldn't help but giggle with excitement as she watched Sphintus having a conversation with the young students of Hogwarts and honestly she liked them too from what she could tell so far.

Mister Harry and Ron seem to be good guys. Miss Hermione too and Mister Neville but she the one she liked so far the most is Miss Luna, as she recounted tales about the wizarding world to her.

She smiled, as she recounted the old days, she realized something, not that she is unaware of it but– the way she is living in the present; is really different from the past and she's grateful, very grateful that despite losing her parents at an early age, despite having an incurable illness, despite being treated as an expendable at the 5th Level Authorization District, she able to meet them, Titus, Sphintus and Aladdin.

That is the most important thing to her.

The weather remained undecided as the Hogwarts Express traveled further and further north. Rain spattered the windows in a half-hearted way, and then the sun put in a feeble appearance before dark clouds drifted over it once more.

"Grey skies… huh," Sphintus suddenly said as he stared at the compartment's window.

"Is there something wrong about that?" Hermione curiously asked.

Sphintus shrugged off. "Nah, it reminded me of something– nasty,"

Hermione quirked an eyebrow but decided not to press the subject more, it was pretty obvious the white-haired Magician didn't want to talk about it anymore.

When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag and once again engaged with Marga in a conversation, which definitely pleased the young girl.

At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off. As Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this, they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving Harry and the others to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

They shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they joined the crowd in the corridor. Slowly, they moved towards the doors. Harry could smell the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. He stepped down on to the platform and looked around, listening for the familiar call of "firs'-years over 'ere… firs'-years…"

But it did not come. Instead, a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling out, "First years line up over here, please! All first-years to me!"

A lantern came swinging towards Harry and by its light he saw the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while the previous year. He can't have left, Harry told himself as he shuffled slowly through a narrow doorway on to the road outside with the rest of the crowd.

He's just got a cold or something…

"Is there something wrong, Harry?" Sphintus appeared beside him, looking curious while he carried Marga on his back; Harry was startled at the sight, as it seems that the two were very close. For some reason, Harry began to feel jealous towards them.

"Nothing, I was just looking for Hagrid," Harry replied. Seeing that Sphintus was confused he spoke once again. "Hagrid is the Hogwarts Gamekeeper and it's usually him who escorts the first year students towards the Castle,"

"I see,"

"Ah, Sphintus aren't you going with the first years?" Harry asked, as the white-haired boy has shown no intentions of following the lead of Professor Grubby-Plank, who was surprisingly taking in Hagrid's role as of the moment.

"Nah, I'll just follow you guys… Besides, Titus is supposed to meet us here! That guy is really slacking off, it's alright if I'm only alone but Marga is with me!" Titus complained out loud, startling Harry at his sudden outburst. After a few minutes Sphintus seemed to finally calm down and noticed that Harry's attention was no longer on him but instead was staring into something.

Here stood the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above first year up to the castle. Harry glanced quickly at them with wariness.

The coaches were no longer horseless.

There were creatures standing between the carriage shafts. If he had had to give them a name, he supposed he would have called them horses, though there was something reptilian about them, too. They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither– vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister. Harry could not understand why the coaches were being pulled by these horrible horses when they were quite capable of moving along by themselves.

"Hey Harry, are you all right?" Ron called out to him.

"I… uh yeah, I guess, Ron–" Harry answered back.

"Come on; let's get a carriage together before they all fill up…" Hermione said.

"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron said with panic in his voice, but Hermione was already heading off towards the nearest unoccupied coach.

Harry remained behind with Ron as well as Titus and Marga.

"What are those things, d'you reckon?" he asked Ron, nodding at the horrible horses as the other students surged past them.

"What things?"

"Those horse–"

Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeon's cage in her arms; the tiny owl was twittering excitedly as usual.

"Here you are," she said. "He's a sweet little owl, isn't he?"

"Er… yeah… he's all right," said Ron gruffly. "Well, come on then, let's get in… what were you saying, Harry?"

"I was saying, what are those horse things?" Harry said, as he, Ron, Luna, Titus and Marga made for the carriage in which Hermione sitting.

"What horse things?"

"The horse things pulling the carriages!" said Harry impatiently. They were, after all, about three feet from the nearest one; it was watching them with empty white eyes. Ron, however, gave Harry a perplexed look.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about– look!"

Harry grabbed Ron's arm and wheeled him about so that he was face to face with the winged horse. Ron stared straight at it for a second, and then looked back at Harry.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"At the– there, between the shafts! Harnessed to the coach! It's right there in front– "

But as Ron continued to look bemused, a strange thought occurred to Harry.

"Can't… can't you see them?"

"See what?"

"Can't you see what's pulling the carriages?"

Ron looked seriously alarmed now.

"Are you feeling all right, Harry?"

"I… yeah…"

Harry felt utterly bewildered. The horse was there in front of him, gleaming solidly in the dim light issuing from the station windows behind them, vapor rising from its nostrils in the chilly night air. Yet, unless Ron was faking– and it was a very feeble joke if he was– Ron could not see it at all.

"Shall we get in, then?" said Ron uncertainly, looking at Harry as though worried about him.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, go on…"

"It's alright, Harry. I think I can see them too," said a voice behind him as Ron disappeared within the coach's dark interior.

"Sphintus… can you really see them?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, I can see them– but they're really strange creatures, it seems that they're not visible to everyone," Sphintus commented, Harry also noticed that Marga was looking strangely at those creatures though her mouth remains shut.

"He's right Harry," said a dreamy behind the young wizard and magician, "You're not going mad or anything. I can see them, too."

"Can you?" said Harry desperately, turning to Luna.

He could see the bat-winged horses reflected in her wide silvery eyes.

"Oh, yes," said Luna, "I've been able to see them ever since my first day here. They've always pulled the carriages. Don't worry. You're just as sane as I am"

Sphintus stared at her awkwardly at her statement. Smiling rather widely, she climbed into the musty interior of the carriage after Ron. Not altogether reassured, Harry followed her but not before Sphintus grabbed his shoulder and whispered.

"That wasn't very reassuring, but I'm sure she's telling the truth, Harry and I can see them too so don't stress yourself too much about it,"

Harry just smiled faintly at him.

Preview for the next chapter of Rukh's Magic~

"I wonder where I am now,"

"What do you mean he disappeared?"

"…no matter– that boy has nowhere to go after all,"

"Perhaps it is best, if you yourself the Dark Lord would see the capabilities of a Magi,"

"Then, I shall… though if he fails my standards; I daresay say that you won't be leaving this Manor anymore,"

Author's Note:

Finally, I was able to finish this chapter already months since I last updated, time really flies so fast and college life really hits me so hard …*sighs* The next chapter should be out before New Year but it will be a just a short one.

Anyway has anyone here already seen the glorious cover (finally) featuring Yunan for the Volume 32 of Magi?

Thanks to that, I was inspired to finally finish this chapter.

If you haven't seen it yet, try checking it out cause Yunan looks so cool in that cover!

Word Count: 2,409 words

Thanks for those who followed, hit the favorite button as well for all who read this chapter!

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Reply to Reviews:

Cooliceprincess: Thank you, glad that there aren't much of grammatical errors. Anyway if you spot any errors feel free to say it.

Paradox The Ruler: Thanks! You know, I was really puzzled when you said about those classic Aladdin scenes and only after I got to read Night 312 of the manga and I realized what you meant, I mean how dumb am I for forgetting that 'aspect' of Aladdin, from which I don't know where he got from. I mean neither Sheba nor Solomon have that! Anyway, I'll see what I could do about that request of yours in the future. *grins*

Okami-Taichou: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it so far. Ah, about Yunan's appearance, I do have plans for the Wandering Magi after that feud with that witch at the manga, so yes he'll appear, in the near future chapters. In fact I'm now having an urge to write him down in this chapter hahaha

Little Lady Otaku: Thank you, for your review is also delightful as I read it. Hahaha. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and truth to be told, writing (typing) this fanfiction is also fun and stress-relieving for me. Yeah, Magnostadt Arc is also my favorite and the next one is probably the Alma Torran Arc. Yeah, thinking for a role for Marga is rather challenging considering she isn't old that much and is a Muggle, and I must say your suggestion of her "acting as a voice of reason" well suits her and I got some ideas to further her role in the story… so stay tuned?

percyjacksongreece: Thank you so much for your honest opinion; you know I also really wanted for Titus to make an appearance at the last chapter as well but I got stuck and Titus is not in this chapter too unfortunately…

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions and criticisms (please be kind to me) are welcome thank you.

Ryuu von Einzbern