Heading On Back To Hogwarts (Ge Chen)

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Teddy was a bit sad to say good-bye to his foster parents for another round of months. He wouldn't see them again until the Christmas Holidays. It had been a wonderful summer, but a short one as well. Teddy was looking forward to seeing his friends again though. There was so much fun to be had in the year to come, especially if the band got to play some gigs.

Viona was equally sad to say farewell to her mum and dad. With as many hugs and kisses that could be given at the train station platform, she finally parted ways, holding Gusifus close. But like Teddy, she was also looking forward to a fun new year. She was finally taking her Care of Magical Creatures course, and there was also the club too.

As Teddy boarded he greeted some people before finding an empty compartment. He sat down and thought a bit to himself before Viona peeked in.

"Hello," she said. "May I sit with you? Compartments are starting to get full."

"Of course, Viona!" smiled Teddy. "Good to see you again" He then exchanged a hug with the sweet girl from his year.

"It's lovely to see you as well, Teddy," she said. "You remember Gusifus, right?."

"Of course," said Teddy, petting the rabbit a little. "Simon's resting in his cage with some of the other pets." Simon was Teddy's pet hamster.

@shava44

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As always, the train station was full and it took quite some time for all his family to get through the barrier, but soon all fourteen children and two parents were through in a big gang. His youngest sister was starting her first year and up on his oldest's brother's shoulders so she could see everything. In addition, his oldest siblings all had their families with them so the gathering crowd took on a section that seemed to all be Chinese people (thirty five at all count) for seven on their way to school. Hugs, cheerful jokes in Cantonese, and many last minute advice and warnings from both adults and older students before the kids were hoisted to the train. Quite a few other families stared at the mixed crowd, still surprised at how many were in one family.

The children immediately gathered at the windows in the aisle waving and chattering out the window at the adults saying goodbye as one of the older kids secured an empty cabin for them all. After all the trunks were settled inside and one volunteered to wait with the youngest in there, they mostly scattered across the train looking for friends. Shen limped slightly along till he saw a familiar face of Viona, followed by Teddy when he took another step. Opening the door he waved saying "Hello Viona and Teddy. May I join you both? My family has all our trunks together already..." He shrugged, not exactly embarrassed about his family size, but knowing it still made others sometimes stunned about it.

Stepping in, his jeans came over the top of his boot, but the lacy plastic showed under the very bottom edge above the foot laced into his tennis shoe. He was never fast but he wasn't much for physical sport either so it didn't bother him much. Choosing a seat near Teddy, Shen sat down saying "How are you both doing? Anything happen over the summer that was different?" As always his crickets were in their cricket tube in his small bag for the train, a messenger bag. If one listened you could hear their chirping to each other from it softly. Holding out a hand to Gusifus saying "And hi there, Gusifus, you look healthy and happy." He always spoke to animals as if they were people, but that was the way he had always used his animal affinity as well

[Deleted]

Both Teddy and Viona turned and smiled at Ge Shen when he popped in.

"Oh course, Shen!" said Teddy.

"That would be lovely," said Viona, who ran over and hugged the boy. "It's so wonderful to see you!"

Teddy then smiled again and offered his hand to shake as Shen sat next to him.

"It is great to see you, mate," he said.

When Shen asked about anything that happened over the Summer, Teddy shrugged.

"Not really," he said. "The band practiced a bit, and some mates and I went to the beach. It was wicked fun though. Wish you could have come along, but next time for sure, eh?"

"I mainly just helped me dad during the summer," said Viona. "Oh, but me family and I did get to go to Scotland. We had a great time there."

Viona then moved Gusifus over to Shen so he could pet the rabbit.

"What about you, mate?" asked Teddy to Shen. "Did you get to do anything fun this summer?"

The trolley came by and the kind elderly lady asked if they wanted anything.

"Pixie Wishes for me please," said Viona.

"I'll have a Cauldron Cake please," said Teddy.

The lady smiled at them, handed them the treats, and then looked at Shen.

"Anything for you, dear?" she asked.

@shava44

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With a chuckle (though soft) Shen held out his arms to Viona when she came over, knowing how expressive she could be and hugged her back. He smiled at Teddy for the greeting and sat. Being in the same classes they knew each other well, but teddy was also his dorm mate and so they saw each other a bit more often. Of course the Hufflepuff dorm felt particularly safe and inviting so it would have matter what year they were in they would have known each other well. Hufflepuff was like an extended family, more so then the other dorms in some ways. "It's good to see you both! It was a long summer away from school."

"Odd, isn't it? That school has such an effect on us all..." He did think there was some magic at work beyond magic they were taught. As if Hogwarts changed them in ways they would not have found other places. He had thought about it each summer since the beginning, but never been able to put his finger on exactly what happened. When Teddy mentioned the beach Shen smiled, but doubted he would be there much himself. "Well that's good! Glad you had fun!" Taking his leg off in front of people he didn't like doing much, though Teddy had probably seen it several times by then.

Going in the water with it was of course not happening.

"You have family there, right Viona? Did you get to see all of them? I don't think I would like having so many of my family that far away. I'm not sure how you do it!" At the question about fun he nodded. "We had a family free for all when my sister Qi managed to get us all water guns. It's a muggle thing, but we spent three days chasing each other in a park because my father wouldn't let us bring them in the house. Fourteen person tag is a rather chaotic way to play I think..." Shen shook his head at the lady when she asked, patting his bag.

"Thank you, but I'm fine." Turning his head back to the others he asked "Has anyone heard anything about any changes this year at school? Or is it 'normal' like usual?"

@teddyeastbooth

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As Teddy:

Teddy nodded about the school.

"It really does, and I've enjoyed my time there," he said. "I didn't have a lot of friends before I came to Hogwarts, but now I have loads of them. And in just four years, I've already had so many wonderful memories. I can't wait to see what the next three years have in store for us!"

Teddy then laughed about the water guns.

"That sounds like wicked fun!" he said. "Maybe my family and I should buy some next summer."

As Viona:

Viona just listened until Shen asked about her family in Scotland.

"Aye, me whole family lives there," she said. "Well except for me mum, dad, and I of course. It was really nice seeing them."

She also laughed about the water guns.

"I've never used a water gun, but me dad and I have had some really fun water balloon fights," she said.

She then watched as Shen turned down candy from the trolley. She wasn't sure why, but she decided to offer a piece of her own candy.

"Would you like one of me Pixie Wishes, Shen?" she said. "They're really good. Not too sweet."

(I made up Pixie Wishes. They're basically hard fruit candy like Jolly Ranchers.)

@shava44

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Shen turned his head at Teddy thinking it wasn't right he hadn't had friends before; Teddy was all right. "Well, we are your friends now and I don't think you can get rid of either of us," he said with a smile motioning his head at Viona. He tilted his head to one side and added "I think I can guarantee the next three will have lots of homework." And then Shen chuckled. As to Viona having her family so far away he frowned. He was glad she had a good visit, but he wondered what it would be like to only see his family every couple of years for a few weeks.

He doubted he would be happy about that at all.

"My family have always been close. I doubt I would be happy about only seeing them every once in awhile. I can't imagine it is easy for you Viona. What is it like working in a bakery? Do you find yourself tempted to eat the food all the time?" When his mother made dumplings he always found it hard to stay out of them! Of course, Chinese and Slavic cooking was not something most people ever did at home he understood. When they laughed about the water guns he smiled again, feeling glad they liked the sound of it. It was a lot of fun! "I should have brought some with me for the school year but maybe I can ask my mother to send some for us so you can try them."

When she offered he shook his head with a smile. "No it's okay! My mother sent me with some steamed dumplings. I'll be good till supper, really." He loved dumplings and did not mention the other thing hidden in his bag which most Westerners could not stand the sight of. But they were so tasty! "Enjoy your candy, I shall enjoy my own treat. I won't taste my mother's cooking again for awhile..."

@teddyeastbooth

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As Teddy:

Teddy smiled when Shen said he had friends now. Teddy was very grateful for that, as well as the life his Pureblood foster parents provided. He wouldn't go on about this to Shen, but it had been tough for him after his Muggle parents had abandoned him when they found out he was a wizard. Even after Albert and Candace Eastbooth found him and took him in as their own son, he had trouble getting over the heartbreak of his real parents' betrayal. It made him a bit anti-social until he started attending Hogwarts.

"Thanks, mate," he said. "And homework's not so bad when you have people to work on it with in the Library and Common Room."

As Viona:

Viona smiled when Shen turned down the candy. She was perfectly cool with that.

"No worries, mate," she smiled. "I bet your mum's a really good cook. And working in a bakery's fun. You get used to the smells after a while, so it's easier and easier to avoid eating the things there." Viona giggled at that.

As Teddy:

Teddy patted Shen on the shoulder.

"Cheer up, mate," he said. "It will be Christmas Holidays before you know it!" Teddy then looked at them both. "So are you both joining any clubs this year? I'll be in the Choir again but I might check out some of the other clubs."

@shava44

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Shen nodded and patted Teddy on the shoulder. "Always, mate. And anytime you need it, Viona, too. Though we can't bring you into the dorm we can always go somewhere else if need be." Truthfully up till now their homework had never been a disaster thankfully so there were no issues there at least. He had heard that fifth year was particularly a difficult year however and he felt constrained to point that out. "And this is supposed to be a harder year then most with OWLS at the end of it so we might need it truthfully."

Nodding at her compliment to his mother he smiled softly adding "I'm sure she makes things neither of you have ever seen before you mean, but yes, she is a great cook. I'm sure eat stuff at home I would think strange too. There are several dishes at the table at supper at school I still don't know what they are!" And he still wasn't sure that a haggis counted as food. Oatmeal still tasted of screwed up rice turned gummy to him. He could understand about getting used to the smell, but his mother's cooking he smelled all the time and it still smelled good.

"Hmm, I guess. Still, it does make getting desserts easier I bet."

Christmas. That was another thing that felt odd to him. While his family lightly celebrated, it was more to fit in then through belief. "Oh I hope not!" he exclaimed before adding "I mean, I want to remember a lot more of what happens with you all before that!" He smiled. Clubs. Shen wasn't entirely sure any of them fit him to begin with. "I'm not sure. I'd have to think about it. Surely homework will be more then enough?"

@teddyeastbooth

[Deleted]

As Viona...

Viona smiled when Shen offered to let her into the Puff Common Room.

"I think it would be okay for me to come in there as long as it's early," she said. "Me friend Nina from your House comes in to tutor me in the Gryffindor Room all the time. She's really sweet."

Viona then giggled about Shen not knowing what some of the Great Hall Dishes were.

"Some times I don't know either," she joked. "Does your mum make any vegetarian dishes? My whole family is vegetarian, so we of course eat them all the time."

Viona then looked at Teddy.

"I'll be back in the Care of Magical Creatures Club again, but that might be it," she said.

As Teddy...

Teddy agreed about the OWLs deal.

"I'm sure we'll do fine if we work hard at it," said Teddy, exemplifying one of the traits of the Hufflepuff.

Teddy then grinned about the desserts.

"I'm glad I'm active," he said. "Otherwise I'd gain a lot of weight with all the desserts I eat at Hogwarts. They're so good!"

Teddy then shook his head and laughed a little.

"No worries, mate," he said to Shen. "We'll make lots of memories between now and Christmas. Hopefully you both can come and hear my band when we get a gig in Hogsmeade."

@shava44

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He hadn't realized they could do that, but Shen instantly liked the idea. "Oh really? That would be great then! We could all help each other out getting stuff done." He glanced at Teddy nodding in agreement that they would work hard. "And we can take breaks together to keep each other on track. I think this sounds like a good plan." At her words he nodded and patted his bag again where his dumplings sat in their box. "Oh sure, we eat both, but she uses a lot of veggies in every dish. And we often have large breads, but mom says they have to be homemade usually."

While he wasn't a big cook, everyone chipped in on meals. "She and dad both say that for the flavors to be right one has to make them by hand." He shrugged, not quite sure if it was completely true. "I'm usually on chopping so I don't know all the details, but they share the cooking between them." Shen grinned at teddy's enthusiasm for desserts, but didn't have quite the same sweet tooth as most kids. And teddy was active, but he never paid attention to things like weight Shen was fairly sure. "You never seem to stop moving, Teddy. I think I'm almost used to it now," he said with a chuckle.

Hmm. Magic creatures club. That might be possible. But Shen was unsure if he wanted to put any time to clubs at all. He liked the ability to go and sit and be just...still. Sure some of it was meditation and energy study, but just thinking was a good thing to do. it kept his Shen-ness very solidly grounded. "I'll have to think about it. I sort of like my alone time too, at least when someone isn't constantly playing with guitar wires while humming and singing random outbursts..." He nudged Teddy's side slightly with a small grin, teasingly.

@teddyeastbooth

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As Viona...

Viona beamed at the sound of Shen's mother's cooking.

"Maybe some time your mum and me own mum can meet and cook some dishes together," she said. "And you and I could reap the benefits." She giggled at that. "Oh, and Teddy can come too if he wants."

As Teddy...

Teddy chuckled at Viona.

"Thanks Viona," he said. "My mum's a pretty good cook too."

He then shrugged when Shen spoke of him moving so much.

"I can't stay rested for too long," he said. "If I'm not singing, I'm out playing sports or other things outdoors."

Teddy chuckled at Shen's teasing.

"No worries, mate," he said. "Just whenever you feel like it. I'm going to talk to the Three Broomsticks and see if we can get a Saturday night gig there, and I also hope we can play at some of the school dances. It would certainly help the Staff and all. You know, then not having to search for a band."

As Viona...

"I'd love to hear your music, Teddy," said Viona. "I dance like a total loonbag, but it's still fun when the music is really good." Gusifus was now sleeping in her lap as he tended to do on a moving train.

@shava44

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Nodding he said "We could send them each the other's address and let them talk about dishes maybe? Oooh maybe we should talk about dishes we both like and see if there are some we can get them to each think about trying? That might work..." He winked at Teddy to say his mother was of course included as well. "What kind of food does your mother make, Teddy? Can she help me understand which dishes are English on the table?" Scottish, English, Chinese, and Slavic. Well this would be interesting.

Shen would leave the sporting to Teddy, he'd never been that into the physical except for when getting his hands in the earth for planting or exploring. He practiced tai chi every single morning and night and that was good enough for him. It rather amused him as one of the other boys in the dorm had seen him and tried to copy him. And hurt himself, having to go to the nurse later. He might not exercise, but Shen was more flexible then the majority of the school outside his family. "It's okay Teddy," he said laughing softly, "I'm just teasing, but you do sport more then me and Viona combined I think."

So it was really close? Having only ever heard the practices with no sound but teddy's voice he wasn't sure how close he had been getting to being a real band or not. Silent guitar strings didn't really help to put the music in your head if you weren't a musician. "Oh be sure and tell us! We'll come, won't we, Viona? I'd love to hear you and your group!" And he was sure they would, mostly just because of Teddy whether he sounded good or not, but Shen of course hoped he would. His eyes grew wider and he looked at Viona totally puzzled. "Viona...what is a loonbag?"

@teddyeastbooth

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As Teddy...

Teddy shrugged when Shen asked about what dishes his mother made.

"Mostly English dishes- Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, Steak and Kidney Pie, Fish and Chips, things like that," he said. "But they're wonderful."

Teddy then smiled about Shen coming to see them perform.

"Awesome!" he said. "I would love to see you both there rocking out to our new song!"

As Viona...

Viona liked the idea of the mothers getting in contact.

"We could have a party!" she said. "And make all kinds of dishes and desserts, and invite friends! It will be lovely!"

Viona then nodded about going to see Teddy.

"I'd love to!" she said. "It will be wicked fun!"

Viona then giggled when Shen asked what a loonbag was.

"You've never heard of a loonbag?" she asked in surprise. "A loonbag is a mad person, someone who acts totally bonkers. Oh, and they dance like this..." She put her rabbit down, rose and began doing her goofy dance. This cause Teddy to almost fall out of his seat laughing before he applauded. Viona then bowed and sat back down, putting her sleeping rabbit back into her lap.

"I'm a bit of a loonbag meself," she said with a proud smile.

@shava44

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The idea of trying other dishes appealed to Shen. Lucky for Teddy he came from a culture that ate nearly everything and would not be bothered by the English habit of using organs in a lot of dishes. "AH good, I need some hep understanding some of those dishes. You and I need to sit together first dinner..." Thinking of food, Shen pulled out his steam box and got his chopsticks out. Cracking open the box he deftly inserted the chopsticks and speared a dumpling, popping it in his mouth and then getting some rice in a pork sauce next. As he chewed he heard Viona's idea and his eyes lit up some more.

"Like an international dinner type of thing? Good idea! We could ask others and see if we can't some other cultures in to! That way everyone can go around and sample each dish and we can learn new things. Nice addition Viona," Teddy's comment about rocking made Shen laugh and lift his fake leg slightly to emphasize he wasn't very mobile. "From the waist up most assuredly!" It was then that Viona made an explanation of the word and Shen actually paused, a dumpling only halfway to his mouth in surprise as teddy lost it. Shen's face went from amused wonder to grin as she finished and then he finished with his food, as if just remembering it.

He was more impressed at her sense of self enough she had no fears of being made fun of then for the dance itself which Teddy was applauding.

"Well done, Viona! Always be proud of what you are." He hesitated for a moment before he chose the chance. "Speaking of which if you have not already heard from others in my family, Viona, if you ever see me start singing, put your hands over your ears, okay? I try not to ever, but accidents happen." Picking up a few carrots he ate those too, licking his lips.

@teddyeastbooth

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As Teddy...

Teddy nodded about them getting together about the dishes.

"Well we'll sit together anyway, right?" said Teddy. "We're mates and all. But I'll help you with them, and I can't wait to try your mum's cooking!"

Teddy smiled when Shen said he's rock from the waist up. Teddy never once showed pity for Shen having an artificial leg. He treated Shen with love and respect because Shen was a wonderful person and friend.

"As long as you enjoy yourself, mate," he said. "That's what our music is all about after all... people having fun while listening to it."

As Viona...

"Me mum makes vegetarian lasagna and Eggplant Parmesan," said Viona. "Well other things too, but those two are me favorites. We actually don't make a lot of Scottish dishes at our house."

She was beaming about the party idea though.

"We'll have so much fun!" she said.

Viona giggled about the dancing and then walked over and hugged Shen again when he spoke of how bad his singing was.

"If you enjoy singing, you should sing," she said. "You don't have to be good at something to find joy in it. I'm a terrible dancer, but I have wicked fun."

She then rose with Gusifus and headed back to her own seat. The rabbit was stirring a bit, and Viona prepared some carrot sticks of her own for him.

@shava44