As Blake expected, Hagrid arrived last minute. The day before Hogwarts started, the giant arrived at their doorstep - but at least he's getting a nicer welcome, Blake thought. Hagrid was currently sitting on the creaking sofa, downing a large flask of tea and 2 plates of biscuits.
"This is very kind of yer, Ms Renshaw," Hagrid told her through munching on his food.
"Not a problem, Hagrid, it's the least I could do for you watching them," Carol replied kindly.
Connor, meanwhile, was part of the reason Hagrid was taking so long, bombarding him with questions about Hogwarts, many of which Hagrid didn't even have the answers for.
"Connor, let the man eat!" Carol admonished him, while Blake shook his head.
Eventually, after another teary goodbye from their Mum, and promises to write home often and look after each other, Blake and Connor embarked on their journey to Diagon Alley.
Although Blake had a couple of Galleons on him, he still was a Slytherin at heart - I'm not paying for him when there's a fund from Hogwarts for that, he thought. Besides, he'd appreciate treats from the trolley on Hogwarts Express way more.
The trio did the normal rounds, with Connor marvelling at everything on the way. Moving pictures, owls, toads, self-moving textbooks - everything was new and interesting to Connor. But what excited him most of all, however, was getting his first wand.
"Greetings, young Masters Renshaw, and of course, Hagrid."
Ollivander still had that mysterious, almost prophetic atmosphere around him (and also the same slight disdain of Hagrid."
The old man stared at Connor for a while, to the point where Blake could tell his brother was starting to get nervous, but he eventually turned and rummaged through the back of his shop, before returning and producing a sleek wand.
As Ollivander rattled on about the wand and its properties, Blake looked at the amazed expression on Connor's face, especially as he held it and waved it around. Blue sparks were produced, and the boy laughed, ecstatic.
They paid, and turned to leave - but Ollivander had something to say.
"Mr Blake Renshaw?"
Blake tensed before turning around - he'd been half expecting it since his last visit.
"Have you been heeding my warning?"
The second year Slytherin nodded with a slight smile, before turning and leaving, assuring his brother that nothing was amiss. Neither noticed the piercing eyes of a blonde-haired adult pureblood, staring at them with a hateful yet satisfied look in his eyes.
/
The next day, Hagrid took them to the Hogwarts Express. Blake took no small amount of pleasure in pretending not to know where the elusive Platform 9 and ¾ was and seeing the panic on Connor's face, before relenting.
"You have to run at that wall," he bluntly told Connor.
"You think I'm an idiot?" came the reply.
"Shut up, Connor. Look," he said pointing at who he believed to be Cedric Diggory, a fourth year Hufflepuff, running through the wall and disappearing.
"Wow!" Connor marvelled. Without waiting for anyone else, he immediately rushed at the wall, disappearing upon contact. Blake sighed. He's way too trusting and spontaneous. Definitely Gryffindor.
Blake followed the rest of them through the wall and onto the platform, where the Hogwarts Express was already waiting.
"Oi! Blake!" he heard a loud, familiar voice shout, and Blake was grinning before he even turned around.
Tracey, Zabini, and Greengrass were waiting next to one of the train doors.
"Come on then," he told Connor, before going over to meet them.
"It's been a while," Blake said with a smile.
"Yeah," Zabini responded, looking at Connor. "Who's this?"
"This is Connor. He's my little brother," Blake said, ignoring the looks of surprise from the rest of them. "Connor, these are Tracey, Zabini and Greengrass," he said, pointing to each of them.
"I know, you've told me," Connor immediately replied. Stupid Connor, Blake thought, as the three of them looked at him, expressions ranging from confusion to smugness.
"Has he now?" Tracey said smugly. "What's he said?"
"Nothing," Blake quickly interjected. "I just said your-"
"His friends!" Connor produced with glee. "I was surprised - Mum was too. Blake hated making friends in primary school."
"What's primary school?"
Connor looked at Zabini as if he was stupid, but Blake quickly inputted, "Wizards and witches don't have primary school, Connor."
"Ohhh," Connor said. "Wait - so all your friends are purebloods?"
"Yeah - well, Zabini's a halfblood."
"So these are the good ones then!" Connor remarked brightly, and Blake stifled a laugh.
"I guess so," he agreed, but Connor had something else on his mind.
"Wait a second - you said there were four - where's… what's her name? Charlotte?"
At the boy's words, the other three looked downcast - even Greengrass, for a moment. Seeing this, Blake said, "She's already on the train, you can meet her later."
Connor frowned, opening his mouth to object, but luckily-
"Blake!" another familiar voice said. Blake turned, grateful. "What's up, Harry?"
The Boy-Who-Lived grinned.
"Not much, just the usual."
"This must be Connor!" Hermione said brightly. "Hello! How are you?"
"I'm good, how are you?" Connor replied. "You must be Harry, Hermione and Weasley."
Weasley frowned slightly at the use of his last name, but didn't mention it. Blake made a mental note to tell his brother to call Weasley Ron from now on.
"Wait, who're you?" Connor asked a shy ginger girl standing near them.
"I'm Ginny," she said nervously. "Are you-" Ginny's eyes flickered towards Blake for a second.
"I'm Blake, Ginny. Nice to meet you," he said politely, trying to be nice to the already shy girl. And if she's going into Gryffindor in Connor's year, I'd probably better be nice anyway.
Ginny seemed to ease at his words.
"Nice to meet you too," she said, with a small smile. "Are you Blake's little brother?" she asked Connor.
"Yeah," he responded. "Are you joining Hogwarts this year? WIll you be in Gryffindor too?"
As the two first-years spoke, Blake thanked the trio, who had now become known as the Golden Trio (although Malfoy had tried to change the name to the Golden Piss Trio, which even Crabbe and Goyle didn't adopt), for promising to take care of Connor, before he turned back to his Slytherin friends.
"I didn't know you had a little brother," Greengrass remarked casually as they stepped onto the train, but Blake could tell what she was thinking. This is the real reason you wanted to go to Dumbledore so badly before, isn't it?
"Well now you know," Blake responded quickly. "Anyway, that's not important right now."
The other three seemed to tense up as he looked at them expectantly.
"So? Where's Charlotte?"
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