Chapter 12: Journey to the Unknown
The morning dawned misty and gray, the kind of quiet that clung to your clothes and whispered secrets in the fog. Luna stood near the hearth, her wand tucked into a slender wooden case wrapped in a thin layer of runic cloth. Her bags—though fewer than the average Hogwarts student—stood packed with essentials: handwoven robes, parchment rolls, dream journals, enchanted hairpins, a small cage for an owl named Nebula, and a set of color-coded runestones her mother had gifted her.
Pandora adjusted Luna's cloak, her fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary. "Are you ready, sweetling?"
Luna nodded, eyes bright but distant. "The train is part of the current," she murmured. "It moves people, but also time."
Pandora smiled, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind Luna's ear. Xenophilius chuckled from the other side of the room. "She's speaking in tides again. That means she's ready."
They Apparated to the edge of King's Cross Station, away from Muggle eyes. The platform buzzed with early morning chaos. Trolleys clattered. Owls hooted from cages. Children shouted to one another. A red steam engine hissed behind the shimmering barrier that marked Platform 9 ¾.
Pandora and Xenophilius both kissed Luna on the forehead before she stepped through the wall alone. She emerged onto the platform with a sense of surreal wonder, her system interface pulsing faintly in her peripheral vision.
System Notification: Magical Transit Node Detected.
Current Timeline Alignment: Earth-199999 (Marvel Baseline)
Temporal Drift Stabilizing... Dream-Thread Analysis: Coherent
She blinked. Earth-199999.
A faint memory flickered—heroic figures in metal and shadow, timelines crossing, galaxies colliding.
Not yet, she reminded herself. That part of the current still sleeps.
The train loomed ahead like a vessel bound for the stars. Luna walked slowly, her senses drinking in the colors and noise. Her wand case shimmered faintly, reacting to the atmospheric magic of so many young witches and wizards gathered in one place.
She found an empty compartment near the end of the train and settled in, setting her belongings neatly beside her. Nebula, her snowy owl, blinked at her from the cage before nuzzling into sleep.
Moments later, the door creaked open.
Neville Longbottom peeked in. "Um, do you mind if I sit here?"
Luna shook her head. "The seat's dreaming of being filled. You're perfect."
Neville looked confused, but smiled and sat.
Then came another.
Hermione Granger knocked once before sliding the door open. "Everywhere else is full. May I join you?"
Luna nodded again. "Books like company. You have good energy."
Hermione blinked, slightly flustered. "Thanks... I think."
System Update: Social Interaction Analysis In Progress...
Hermione Granger - Affinity Score: 21% (Potential Friend)
Neville Longbottom - Affinity Score: 34% (Dream-Aligned Companion)
As the train lurched forward, Luna pressed her palm against the cool window. Trees blurred. Fields passed. The current began.
Inside her mind, dreams stirred.
System Memory Retrieval:
Recovered Dream Fragment: Year 2012, Manhattan Battle. Technology Level: High. Magic-Science Fusion Detected.
Stored in Long-Term Archive. No Immediate Action Required.
Luna's eyes shimmered faintly.
The wand in her lap twitched, responding to the swirl of power within her.
Wand Interface Detected: Adaptive Core (Threaded Hair Essence)
Compatibility: 97.2% — Soul Resonance Achieved
Reactive Channeling Enabled. Wand may self-adjust based on emotional flux.
"You've got a lovely wand," Hermione noted, glancing curiously. "Where did you get it?"
Luna tilted her head. "I didn't. It was born from me. My hair. Mother helped craft it."
Hermione looked like she wanted to ask more but hesitated.
Neville leaned forward. "Do you think Hogwarts will be scary?"
Luna smiled gently. "Only if you forget how to dream."
The three sat in thoughtful silence as the train raced forward. Outside, the landscape began to change—forests growing thicker, magic thickening in the air.
System Log: Dream-State Stable. Emotional Aura Balanced. Target Destination Approaching...
A castle loomed in the distance, barely visible through fog and dusk.
Luna's heart stirred.
She was ready.
End of Chapter 12: Journey to the Unknown
.