Alea Iacta Est PV | Theo A.

Monday, 09.01.2025

~10:15 a.m.

WC: 3,209

Dialogue:

Theodore: #008245

Elias: #2e41d1

Isabelle: #7e3dff

Vincent: #cc7504

Reducio

Theodore's Outfit:

I woke up to my alarm at six o’clock in the morning. It was Monday, the first day of September. It was a special day, for today I was going to take a nine hour journey aboard the Hogwarts Express before arriving at Hogwarts where I would be sorted into one of four houses. Which one, I had no idea, though I was hoping to get into Slytherin like my parents. Either way, I would know which house I was in by the day’s end. Before the trip however, I had quite a few things to do, starting off with preparing myself to go. I started off by saying a morning prayer, doing a quick workout, and then taking a nice, hot shower, after which I began dressing up in the very clothes I had laid out for myself yesterday. First came a pair of socks, then a cotton vest followed by a crisp white dress shirt which I took my time to button down. After this, I slid on a pair of freshly pressed grey trousers, part of a three-piece suit, and attached some braces to keep them in place. After this, I carefully put on a pair of square cuff links, and once that was finished, I placed upon my left wrist a silver watch with a black face, one of my favourites.

After this, there were but a few things left, such as a black tie with silver polka dots that I worked around my neck into a double Windsor knot, and after this I was ready to place on a waistcoat to match my trousers, and after that, a charcoal blazer, leaving only a single article of clothing to place on, a beautiful pair of brown oxfords to complete the outfit. When all was said and done, I turned in the direction of the floor mirror across from me where I took a good look at myself. The suit appeared to hug me tight, which was not at all surprising. Every crease was perfect, every detail accounted for, and after spraying some cologne on myself, I was ready to move on and look over my luggage one final time. I had quite a bit of it after all, three suitcases to be precise, all waiting patiently for me in the corner where I had placed them yesterday night.

I took the first one and placed it on my bed before opening up the brass fittings and taking a look inside. It carried all of my school supplies which included my textbooks, protective gloves, cauldron, scales, phials, telescope, and of course, my wand. Ten and a half inches of cherry wood powered by a core of unicorn hair, with a pliable flexibility, resting in its velvet lined box like something precious, which it was, even if it was completely useless in the present moment. Besides this, I had plenty of other belongings including a chess set I had received for my sixth birthday, several decks of cards, eight standard, four gimmicked, along with a bag of spare coins I did not mind losing, along with my favourite coin, a ’69 fifty pence sitting in its very own case. In addition to this, I had a folder of sheet music that I was hoping to play at Hogwarts, and finally, my black, leather bound Bible which I had owned since a young age. Once I was satisfied that everything was in its place, I closed the suitcase shut and placed it aside so that I could review the rest of my luggage.

The second suitcase was rather large as well, which made sense given that it carried my everyday wardrobe. Inside of it, I had seven bespoke three-piece suits of varying colours, along with an array of various dress shirts, ties, and pocket squares for every occasion, and that was without mentioning all the braces and the various pairs of shoes I had included. When I was happy with this suitcase, I snapped it shut and moved it next to its brother in the corner while I went on to examine the third and final suitcase.

This one was just as large as the other two and was split into three sections. The first section on the first side contained casual clothing, the kind one would wear while working out or while attending an informal party. I rarely wore these, save for my morning workouts and select few other instances. The second section on the same side contained my jewelry: All of my watches and cuff links, and though I had plenty of each, they both fit comfortably in the small space that they had. The third and final section, located on the other side of the suitcase, was for all of my toiletries and essentials; hair spray, body wash, deodorant, you get the point. It was a pretty big section too, which was not surprising given that I had two towels, along with a myriad of other products in there. When my analysis of this suitcase was complete, I moved it to the rest with the other two, which allowed me to take the next step of taking them down stairs and loading them into the car.

I took the first two suitcases at once, lifting one in my right hand, and the other in my left. They were quite heavy, but I could manage. I walked out of my room and down the corridor before taking the stairs down to the entrance lobby where I dropped them off and went to collect my third suitcase. Once that was downstairs, I opened the key drawer and took a look at my options: A red 2003 Enzo, a silver 2005 Volante, a few more cars, and ooh... a black 2022 Escalade. It was armoured, which was a funny decision to be made by my father. To be fair, it was less out of practicality and more so because he could than anything else. After all, there were no guns here in the UK, and it’s not like he was a target of any kind. It didn’t take much consideration to choose the Escalade given that it had the most boot space of all my options, and it was one of the few that had more than two seats and could actually seat my parents and I.

With my vehicle of the day selected, I summoned Vincent to whom I tossed the keys and ordered “Vincent, please take this suitcase and follow me.”, to which Vincent responded with “Yes Master Theodore.” before obeying my command. I myself took suitcases number two and three and stepped out the door which Vincent had propped open for me. It was about a minute’s walk to the single floor parking garage down the driveway, which was stupid. There was literally zero need to enchant a house to the point where nothing worked in or nearby it! The problem wasn’t even remotely as bad at our other properties, so that was literal proof that we didn’t need it. Well, I was quite honest, there were actually plenty of reasons to enchant the residence to hell and back such as to keep it safe from uninvited guests, to make it invisible to muggles, to ensure that it was protected from the dark arts in case Voldemort 2.0 came along, etc. Really, I could see the logic behind it, and I would definitely enchant my own mansion in such a way, but I would be lying if I said that the electronics issue wasn’t at all annoying with how magic and electronics mixed.

The minute’s walk however, was extended to two with how heavy the luggage was, though I didn’t mind taking my time, especially on a morning as beautiful as this. Vincent and I walked slowly to the car, and once we were within sufficient range, he unlocked the boot and placed my suitcase inside, and once I came over, I too loaded the suitcases into the back. When I was sure that the suitcases were comfortable enough to be left alone, we locked the car and turned back towards the mansion, where I was going to eat breakfast with my parents before departing on a nearly three hour trip to King’s Cross Station in London. When we stepped inside, I could already smell the breakfast our cook was making, the rich aroma of sizzling bacon and freshly baked sourdough filling the air. Walking forward and turning into the dining room, I saw the sunlight streaming in through the tall windows and spilling onto the polished mahogany table, which was mostly set for breakfast by now, the sun’s rays casting a warm glow over the silver cutlery and fine china.

I took a seat, and my father entered not too long after, wearing a nice black pinstripe suit, with a green pattern tie and a golden watch, hair neatly combed to the side. “Good morning Theo.” He greeted with a kiss on my cheek. “Good morning father.” I said. “Looking great for your first day at Hogwarts.” “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” I replied. He took a seat at the table, and at that point, we were just waiting on my mother, who came in not soon after, wearing a tan overcoat and just the right amount of makeup. Her curly blonde hair flowed down her shoulders, and her hazel eyes sparkled in the morning sun. “Morning Theodore.” She said, voice melodic as ever. “Looking sharp.” she complimented, to which I responded with a polite “Thank you.” We didn’t have to wait much longer to receive our breakfast, and when it was unloaded onto our plates, I felt a smile forming on my face.

The kitchen staff had simply outdone themselves. Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration, given that this was simply a Full English Breakfast, but oh how good it smelled. In the middle of my plate sat a pile of baked beans, to the side of that, poached eggs sitting atop toasted sourdough, accompanied by some crispy bacon. Obviously, there were also a few sausages, fresh off the grill, along with some heirloom tomatoes made in the same way, and of course, some sautéed mushrooms. For drinks, my mother and I requested some Earl Grey tea, whilst my father got himself some black coffee, the rich scent wafting from his cup. When breakfast was ready, we bowed our heads before praying, “Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.” and digging in.

The first bite of egg was warm, silky, and comforting, the sort of thing one could eat in silence for an hour without complaint. My father murmured his approval of the bacon’s crispness, while my mother, always one to worry, asked if I double-checked my bags to make sure I packed everything. I assured her I had, and that my luggage was already resting in the Escalade. Between bites, I found myself cataloguing the little details; the faint clink of silver on china, the steam rising lazily from my tea, the low murmur of staff moving in the adjoining kitchen. As I ate, it dawned upon me that for all my excitement, this quiet family morning was one of the things I would soon come to miss.

When we finished eating, our plates spotless and our teacups containing the remnants of our drinks that were too stubborn to exit their home, it was a bit past seven. The drive ahead of us was long, and my father and I made sure to grab our trench coats on the way out. Vincent was to be our chauffeur for today, and given that he had practically raised me, it was nice to know that he would also get the chance to send me off. We took our seats in the dark SUV, my father in the passenger seat, with my mother and I in the second row. The scent of my mother’s perfume mixed faintly with that of my own cologne and I leaned back as I felt the engine at work. As Vincent started us down the long drive, I noticed the morning sun spilling across the fields, catching on dew-tipped grass, and the road narrowing between old hedgerows.

“So how do you feel about taking an extended vacation away from us?” my father joked over his shoulder. “Not too bad, I’ve been waiting for this my whole life, haven’t I?” “True.” he replied before my mother chimed in. “It’s funny how fast time flies. I remember you when you were still an infant, and look at you now! Ready to take on Hogwarts. Slytherin will be lucky to have you.” “That’s right,” my father agreed. “Slytherin has produced some of the best folk around, and you’ll be no exception. Besides, you’re about as ambitious as they come.” I chuckled at this. “Seriously, I am going to miss you guys.” I said as I looked out the window at the passing scenery. “Seeing you only during the holidays won’t be the same.” “On that we agree.” my mother said. “But you’ll be sending us letters every so often, won’t you?” “Of course I will.” “Good. You should really look into getting yourself an owl, you know?”

“Your mother’s right, son, it’s always better to be using your own owl. Besides, owning one isn’t too bad. You should know that.” “I’ll get one eventually.” I said. “Perhaps over Christmas.” “Perhaps.” my father replied. “Well, either way, at least you know what you’re getting into. Just… be careful not to burn yourself out. I know how you try your best to be perfect, but the reality is, Hogwarts is tough, son.” “Yeah,” my mother agreed. “I know only one person in our class who never got anything below an O through all our time there, so don’t stress yourself. Just focus on having fun, and you’ll be a great wizard before you know it.”

Before I knew it, we had arrived at King’s Cross Station from where I would be departing today. Vincent parked in one of the available spots, and we all got out of the car before unloading the back and placing my suitcases on a trolley, the faint scent of diesel and pastries from the nearby café wafting through the air. We walked around for a bit before we found the entrance to Platform 9¾. “Now remember, son,” my mother started, “run as fast as you can and don’t be scared of crashing into the wall.” “Thanks for the reminder.” I said as I braced myself before beginning to run at the solid brick mass, trolley right in front of me. The wheels rattled over the worn station tiles, my grip on the trolley tightening as a small part of me doubted that I would actually pass through the wall.

I had no need to worry though, having have glided right through the barrier as intended and onto a nearly empty platform with no incident. The shift was immediate. The air here was warmer and carried the distinct smell of smoke . There was little traffic, which was to be expected given that it was only a little past ten right now. As I slowed, my parents and butler came running through as well, and in the very next moment, we were all standing right next to each other. “So, this is it.” I said, taking in the full length and glory of the train. The scarlet carriages stretched further than I expected, gleaming under the high, enchanted ceiling. I picked a carriage to sit in and went in with Vincent to place my suitcases away, after which we came outside to stand next to my parents. As I stood and marvelled, I heard my mother breaking into a sob, an action I had only seen her take on one other occasion, and when I turned around, she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into herself, tears rolling down her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re really going,” she said through her tears, and I felt one escaping my eye as well. “you’ll be gone for so long!” At this point, tears were streaming down my face as well as I silently cried into her overcoat.

“There, there,” my father said, “he’s not going away forever.” Despite his very much correct words, I could hear his voice quivering, betraying his own emotions. My mother kneeled down next to me. “Be safe Theo, we don’t want you to end up in a hospital.” “That's right.” my father agreed. “Don’t mess around in class.” “I won’t,” I said. “I promise.” I had little motivation to do so anyways as I had heard plenty of horror stories from various people, of witches and wizards who learnt the hard way why it was a bad idea to be reckless with magic. I wasn’t going to repeat their mistakes. Taking a step back, I took a look at both my parents, and Vincent, who all looked saddened by the fact of my departure. I gave them a smile. “Come on, guys, cheer up! It won’t be that awful, having me gone.” I said, trying to make my voice sound light and cheery, but the words caught slightly in my throat. The truth was, part of me wasn’t ready to walk away from them just yet. It was clear that my father was of the same opinion, given that he said “Yeah, sure, tell me that when your child is going off to Hogwarts.” We all chuckled at that.

“Well…” I said as I looked back at my carriage, “I best go get settled in.” My parents nodded in understanding. “Yes, it’s best you do that.” my father said. “Before you go, it was my pleasure to serve you Master Theodore.” Vincent said. “Thank you Vincent. And it was my pleasure to work with you.” I replied. Then, I gave him a hug, before doing the same to both of my parents. When I pulled away, taking a look at my send-off party, I noticed my mother blowing her nose into a handkerchief, my father’s arm wrapped around her in comfort, and Vincent already taking hold of my trolley to push it back. “You be good Theo.” my mother said. “I’ll be sure to.” I said before turning around and boarding the train, from where I watched my parents and our butler exit back into Muggle London.

When they disappeared into the wall, I turned into the corridor and passed a few carriages until I reached the one I was occupying. I opened the door and stepped inside before closing it shut behind me. I was still wearing my trench coat, so I took that off and placed it atop one of my suitcases before taking out a Sudoku puzzle book and a gel pen and sitting down on one of the extremely comfortable seats provided by the carriage. Opening up the book and flipping a few pages until I found an empty puzzle, I began to work on it, and from there, the only thing left to do was to wait for the train to depart.

Mentioning @Jane Song

Monday, 09.01.2025

~11:00 a.m.

WC: 765

Dialogue:

Theodore: #008245

Jane: #cc7bbd

Reducio

Theodore’s Outfit:

Time passed rather quickly as I sat in the compartment waiting for the train to depart, and by the time the Hogwarts Express began to leave, I had thus far only solved one puzzle. Sudoku was a fairly simple game, the only objective being that no row, column, or square contained more than one of the same digit. You were given a few hints to start out, and the rest was on you. The book I was playing was composed of harder puzzles that took longer to solve, and as I thought, I alternated between moving my pen in and out of sight, in such motion that it appeared to vanish, and then reappear once I summoned it. Whenever I had figured out the next number to add, my pen would touch down upon the paper and trace a figure as dictated by me, leaving a trail of shiny black in that I had so satisfyingly placed down.

It was a few minutes after I had begun my second game when I heard the train give one final whistle before it started to move, leaving the rest of London behind us. It was evident from the noise coming outside my compartment that there were students that were still getting settled in, an unfortunate event that was likely not their fault. Personally, I couldn’t see why one couldn’t just plan ahead to arrive a bit early, so that by the time it was time for the train to leave the platform, their child would be long settled in to their compartment instead of having to look for one that would accept them. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even be surprised if someone entered my compartment because they didn’t have the time to settle in properly before the train left.

My hunch was correct, because within moments of that thought occurring to me, the door shielding me from the chaos outside slid open, and I heard a distinctly female voice politely ask “Is this seat taken?”. I looked up to see who made the inquiry and saw a young girl that was about my age, perhaps a little a bit older, though there was no mistaking the fact that she was of Asian descent. If I perceived correctly, she was a few inches shorter than me, although her skin tone was slightly lighter than mine. She had long black hair, dark, brown eyes, and a manner of dress that made me nearly confident that she came from money. She was wearing a blue pleated midi dress with navy suede Chelsea boots, a double-breasted beige trench coat on top of that, and a navy wool beret with a leather band. Wrapped around her neck was a dark blue cashmere scarf, covering her hands were a pair of navy gloves, and a navy handbag resting in one of her hands completed the look.

It was obvious that the girl had put effort into her appearance, for nothing was out of place, and everything flowed together like a well-rehearsed symphony. But looks weren’t everything; I had met more than a few children whose character was quite the opposite of their appearance. Some would prattle on about themselves, never taking into consideration the others around them. Even worse were those who’d fabricate such preposterous falsehoods, it was a wonder they could keep a straight face while doing so. “I docked the yacht in Antibes myself!” But of course. As one does, between Latin homework and lights-out. Worst of all were those who legitimately thought that everyone was beneath them. They expected special treatment wherever they went, simply because they were rich. Mind you, they themselves were never rich, their parents were. They had simply never heard the word ‘no’.

Hopefully this girl was neither of those. Best case scenario, she was a respectable pure-blood who was not an embarrassment to her family. “No, it’s just me in here.” I said to answer her question. “Come on in, make yourself comfortable. Need any help with your luggage?” It was a polite gesture, and the least I could do to get our relationship off on the right foot immediately. If the girl agreed to receive help, I’d set aside puzzle book and cleanly palm the pen before standing up and helping her put her luggage onto the overhead racks after which I would resume my seat and get back to solving my puzzle, pen in hand. If she declined, then I would set my mind back on the puzzle and pay her no heed unless she gave me to do otherwise.

Mentioning @Jane Song