With his political plans firmly in motion and his network settled within the Ministry of Magic, Roy finally turned his attention to the upcoming school year. No matter how much power he accumulated, Hogwarts remained a place where his presence mattered—and where his friends waited.
On the morning of departure, Roy arrived at Platform 9¾. The platform was lively with excitement, steam billowing from the scarlet train as students hurried about with trunks and owls. Roy's eyes quickly spotted Harry, surrounded by members of the Order of the Phoenix—Moody, Kingsley, Lupin, and others guarding him like a precious artifact.
Then Roy noticed Tonks.
Or rather, a very poor disguise of Tonks.She had transformed herself into a plump, round-faced version of the Fat Lady, complete with frilly dress and dramatic expressions. Roy walked straight toward her with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Nice dress, Tonks," he said innocently, looking her up and down. "Did the Fat Lady lend it to you? Or did you steal it while she was sleeping?"
Tonks turned scarlet—literally. Her hair flashed bright red with embarrassment and irritation.
"R–Roy! Don't tease me when I'm working!" she sputtered, trying to maintain her disguise while flustered.
"Oh, but you're adorable when you're flustered," Roy teased again with an exaggerated sigh.
Tonks's hair flicked to bright pink now, and she stamped her foot as if ready to hex him—but the tiny blush on her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment more than her anger.
The rest of the Order watched in amusement, some shaking their heads, others pretending not to laugh.
Satisfied with the chaos he had caused, Roy waved goodbye to Harry and the guardians before heading toward the train.
The Compartment
As Roy walked down the corridor, he reached a compartment filled with familiar faces—Hermione, Cassandra, Daphne, Astoria, Cho Chang, Ginny, and Luna. The moment he slid the door open, all their heads turned to him.
"Roy!" Hermione greeted warmly.
"Finally," Daphne smirked, folding her arms. "We were wondering when you'd show up."
Astoria beamed. Ginny waved. Cho smiled softly. Cassandra blushed. Luna looked up dreamily and said, "I knew you would come exactly now. The wrackspurts told me."
Roy raised an eyebrow but smiled anyway.
He settled into the seat, and within moments the compartment was filled with laughter and chatter. Roy teased each of them skillfully—just enough to make them blush, pout, or attempt playful revenge spells. The girls grew red-faced more than once, though none of them minded his charm. Their teasing banter continued all the way through the journey, the compartment feeling warm, lively, and full of youthful energy.
Arrival at Hogwarts
When the train screeched to a halt at Hogsmeade Station, everyone gathered their belongings and stepped off. Hagrid stood waiting, waving his giant hand with enthusiasm.
"Roy! Good ter see yeh, lad!" Hagrid called.
Roy walked over and gave him a nod of respect. "Where have you been this time, Hagrid? You look… bruised."
Hagrid scratched the back of his head. "Ah… well… Dumbledore asked me ter visit the giants. Thought we could convince 'em ter help us."
Roy knew immediately what Dumbledore was planning—and what beasts were stirring in the shadows of the magical world. The old man was preparing for a storm that only he could see clearly.
Roy smiled. "Take care of yourself, Hagrid. Giants aren't exactly cuddly."
Hagrid laughed loudly. "I'll be fine, Roy! Yeh worry too much."
With that, Roy said his goodbyes and returned to his friends. Together, Hermione, Cassandra, Daphne, Astoria, Cho, Ginny, Luna, and Roy walked toward the castle—toward Hogwarts, where another year awaited them.
Another year where Roy would shape history.