Ivan opened his eyes slowly, blinking through the groggy haze of sleep that stubbornly clung to his consciousness. The gentle sway beneath him was rhythmic, almost soothing, yet entirely foreign. His heart began beating faster, a growing sense of unease overtaking the peaceful disorientation of waking. The last thing he remembered was collapsing into his own bed after a long, exhausting day studying for his college finals. Yet now, instead of the cluttered dorm room he shared with his roommate, Ivan found himself completely alone, seated on a plush seat within what appeared to be an antique train compartment.
The compartment itself was richly paneled with deep mahogany wood, polished to a gleam, but showing clear signs of age. The upholstery was a checkered mix of blue and faded green, feeling soft and comforting beneath his fingertips. Brass fixtures gleamed in the pale sunlight filtering through the windows, their reflections dancing hypnotically across the compartment walls.
Ivan's mind raced with confusion, his heart thrumming nervously. He stood abruptly, nearly stumbling forward as the train gently rocked around a bend, his hand flying instinctively to grasp the edge of the window frame. The view beyond the glass did little to settle his nerves. Rolling green fields, lush and seemingly endless, flashed past at an impressive speed, dotted occasionally by clusters of trees and small houses. None of this looked remotely familiar to him.
'Where the fuck am I and how the fuck did I get here?' The question lingered in his mind as he looked around.
Glancing down, Ivan realized with growing perplexity that his clothes had changed. Instead of the comfortable joggers and t-shirt he'd worn to bed, he now wore a weird-looking long, flowing robe—dark and oddly distinct. A tie around his neck drew his attention next; dull grey with thin black stripes, an unimaginative choice of colors that seemed to reflect his confusion and anxiety perfectly.
His heart skipped a beat when his eyes fell upon an old trunk resting on the opposite seat. Carved meticulously onto its weathered wood surface was his name: Ivan Carter. His stomach twisted into knots. Gingerly, almost hesitantly, he stepped forward and touched the trunk, running his fingers over the grooves of his engraved name. It felt cool, real, undeniably solid under his fingertips, cementing the unsettling realization that this was not a dream.
'This seems too elaborate for a prank...' But his mind was already making the connections.
He hesitated only briefly before flicking open the brass latches, the satisfying click barely audible over the rhythmic clatter of the wheels on the rails. Inside, Ivan found neatly folded clothing similar to what he wore, some heavy books bound in worn leather, and a wand resting carefully on top of them. His breath hitched. A whirlwind of emotions was coursing through his mind as he looked at it. A wand—something he had only seen in fantasy stories and that one franchise—lay starkly real in front of him.
'No way, right? But then why the trunk and the train?' He thought.
He lifted the wand gently, and instantly, something within him resonated with it. Feeling a peculiar warmth radiate from within him, his hand curled around its smooth, polished handle. A sense of comfort washed over him, easing his panic just slightly, as though the wand itself recognized him somehow. This was beyond rational explanation. Ivan had always taken pride in his logical and rational nature, favoring science and reason over superstition and fantasy. Yet, here he was, clutching a wooden stick that inexplicably filled him with a sense of belonging.
'Fucking Harry Potter world? Am I dreaming about being here?' He suppressed a curse, and before he could think or do anything, two sharp noises drew his attention.
A couple of knocks at the compartment door snapped him from his reverie, causing Ivan to whirl around sharply, clutching the wand defensively, an instinctual reaction that somehow felt right. The door slid open, revealing a young woman around his age, her vibrant red hair cascading down her shoulders in loose curls. Her robes were similar, though her tie was blue with silver stripes. She smiled warmly, though her eyes studied him curiously.
"Oh, hi! I didn't mean to startle you," she said, voice bright and welcoming. "I'm Rose, Rose Ashcroft. Mind if I join you? All the other compartments are a bit full, and I don't want to go too far to search for an empty one. I barely made it onto the train as is..."
Ivan swallowed hard, lowering the wand cautiously, hoping she hadn't noticed how tightly he gripped it, entirely caught off guard by this situation. "Yeah, sure," he mumbled, gesturing toward the empty seats.
Rose sat gracefully, glancing around the compartment appreciatively before settling her curious gaze back on him. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Ivan laughed weakly, sitting down opposite her and placing the wand carefully next to him. "Something like that. This... it's all a bit strange to me."
"Muggle-born?" she asked sympathetically, noticing his confusion.
"Muggle..." Ivan echoed, the familiar word feeling strange on his tongue. It was bizarre to incorporate his jokes about being a wizard and his obsession with the wizarding franchise into a conversation with a stranger.
She nodded knowingly. "Means you grew up without magic. I'm sure Prof. McGonagall should have explained that to your parents. It can be a bit shocking at first. You must've just turned eighteen, right? That's usually when the magic stabilizes enough to come to Hogwarts."
'18...now that you mention it.' He paused at her words. From his knowledge about the world, Hogwarts starts at 11, which is why it took him a moment to connect the dots. Ivan stared at her blankly, though. Hogwarts. Magic. His logical mind reeled from these words, yet the wand at his side radiated a gentle heat, reassuringly solidifying the improbable reality.
'What else is different if students start at 18? Then the whole timeline would be a mess, won't it?'
"Yeah," he admitted softly, his voice hesitant. "I woke up just now. This feels a bit surreal..."
"Sounds like quite the magical shock," Rose smiled sympathetically, her eyes sparkling with gentle humor. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it quickly. Hogwarts is wonderful, even if it is a bit overwhelming at first."
The train suddenly jolted slightly, causing Ivan to tense again, gripping the seat edges instinctively.
Rose laughed softly, eyes kind. "Relax, just a bump on the track. Happens sometimes."
Taking a deep breath, Ivan forced himself to relax slightly, the absurdity of his situation gradually sinking in. "Magic, huh? It all sounds so…"
"Impossible?" Rose suggested with a knowing grin. "Yeah, I thought so too at first. But it's real, and it's amazing. You'll see."
Her assurance was oddly comforting. Ivan felt his heart rate slow down slightly, and curiosity began to override his fear. "What about these ties? Yours is different from mine."
'At least keep my act together as a clueless muggleborn as I figure it out. What cosmic entity made this blunder that I arrived here of all places? I mean, here is still better than some of the other worlds, right? Imagine waking up in some other world, like Naruto or Attack on Titan.' Ivan thought as he suppressed a shudder.
"House colors," she explained patiently. "I'm Ravenclaw. You must be new and unsorted yet—that's why yours is plain. You'll find out your house at the Sorting Ceremony."
Ivan nodded slowly, digesting the new information carefully. "What if I don't belong in any house? What if they made a mistake?"
'That was Harry's worry, right? But then again, should I have the same worry? I'm 18, not an insecure 11?' He thought. This acting business was a lot harder than he thought it would be.
"They don't," Rose said firmly, leaning forward earnestly. "The magic in you is already strong enough that you've been chosen for Hogwarts rather than some other low-tier school. Everyone belongs somewhere in those four houses."
Ivan leaned back, letting the reassurance sink in, making it look like he needed a rest as he digested his own thoughts. Despite his confusion and anxiety, he couldn't deny the excitement beginning to spark within him. The mystery of magic and Hogwarts was tantalizingly intriguing. Perhaps, just perhaps, this strange twist of fate was exactly what he needed—a fresh start, something extraordinary beyond his ordinary life, worrying about finding a mundane job after college was not an exciting prospect.
The landscape beyond the window shifted subtly, the rolling hills giving way to distant mountains, dark forests edging closer. Rose followed his gaze, eyes brightening.
"We're nearly there," she said softly, excitement evident in her voice.
Ivan peered out the window once more, hoping to see the castle, but it seemed like it was far enough from Hogsmeade that he wouldn't see it for now. The twilight sky twinkled as the sun faded away on the horizon.
'Hogwarts, not exactly the safest place, but as long as I keep my distance, it should be enough...'
For the first time since awakening in this strange, magical scenario, Ivan smiled. Perhaps this unexpected journey wasn't a mistake after all—perhaps, indeed, he was exactly where he was meant to be.
'I can't wait to get started...'
---