"Journey to the Muggle World"
N/A: I'll write a few filler-style chapters just to bridge the transition between school years. After all, what do students do during the months they're not at Hogwarts? In the books, the story just suddenly jumps to the new year and picks up from there—more or less.
...
The only time Einar had ventured into the Muggle world was that night when they helped rescue Mad-Eye. But even then, he hadn't seen much. The place where they found him was so remote there was barely any trace of technology.
The only thing that caught his attention that time was a large metal cart that moved without horses. Although, considering all the magic in this world, it didn't seem too strange to him.
But now… now it was different.
He was in the very heart of the city, surrounded by hundreds of those "automobiles," all moving without a single wizard guiding them. Some emitted flashing lights, others loud noises. All moved quickly, obeying signals he didn't understand.
"Einar, you should take off the mask," Harry said in a low voice. "You're drawing way too much attention… or worse, someone might mistake you for a thief."
Even with the stealth magic activated, his presence was still noticeable. That kind of spell only made someone less noticeable, not invisible. And with his unusual appearance, strange clothes, and mask covering his face, it didn't take much to attract attention.
That's why Einar wore his magical pendant, the one that helped modulate his voice. As he removed the mask, his eyes remained fixed on the vehicles passing in front of him. His usually calm expression now showed a hint of surprise.
"Wow, this is odd… We've never seen it like this before, have we?" Sirius commented with a teasing smile.
"Well, Professor Einar has never really gone out into the Muggle world," Harry replied, almost as if defending his teacher's honor.
"So… are we heading straight to Egypt by Portkey, or do you want to try the Muggle way?" Sirius asked.
Einar narrowed his eyes, thoughtful.
"Now that I think about it… I haven't even explored the kingdom I'm currently in. Let's change plans. Before going to Egypt, I want to know more about this place."
"Well… uh…" Sirius laughed awkwardly. "I don't know much about this 'kingdom' as you call it. What about you, Harry?"
"I live here, but I don't know it well either. You know… my aunt and uncle weren't exactly fond of taking me places."
"Then we'll need a guide," said Sirius.
"I know the perfect person," Harry declared.
What he did next was lead them to one of those public phone booths. After a brief explanation on how it worked and inserting a few coins, he dialed a number.
Einar watched everything with genuine interest.
"Why doesn't the magical world use things like this?" he asked Sirius.
In Skyrim, sending messages was a whole ordeal. Either they used messengers—who might die or get lost—or they relied on caravans, which was far too expensive just to deliver a note. Here, even without magic, communication was instantaneous.
"Electrical devices tend to break down when magic is nearby," Sirius explained, shrugging. "And even though we could replicate them with magic or alchemy, most wizards are so old-fashioned they don't even try. They hate imitating Muggles."
"That's quite stupid," Einar said seriously.
"Tell me about it," Sirius laughed. "My family still cooked with coal and firewood. You should've seen their faces when I built a Muggle motorcycle. I think that's when they officially disowned me."
"We need to go to this address," said Harry after hanging up.
"We'll take the Knight Bus," Sirius informed them. "I can't Apparate there—I've never been—and you still have the trace on your wand. If we use magic near you, the Ministry will think it was you."
Harry's permission to use magic outside of Hogwarts hadn't been approved yet. They claimed it was to protect minors, but everyone knew that rule only applied to those living in the Muggle world. Just another hypocrisy from the Ministry.
Sirius raised his wand, and within seconds, the Knight Bus suddenly appeared in front of them. The three of them boarded.
…
When they got off, Harry looked dizzy. Sirius wore a grimace of discomfort, while Einar stepped down with complete calm. Nothing that vehicle could do compared to riding the back of a dragon at full speed.
Before them stood a lovely house. As soon as they approached, the door opened and Hermione came out smiling. She ran to hug Harry, then warmly greeted Sirius and Einar.
"I'm so glad you came! Harry told me you needed a guide," she said enthusiastically.
"Yes, your beloved professor wants to explore interesting places in case he finds a hidden dungeon," Sirius said in a teasing tone. "He was going to Egypt, but changed his mind after realizing he knows nothing about the Muggle world."
Hermione blushed slightly, but quickly regained her composure.
"That's perfect! My mum agreed to let me join you on one condition—I have to call her every day."
She was visibly excited about the idea of going on an adventure with Einar… and Harry. And well, Sirius too.
At that moment, the Grangers stepped into the hallway just in time to hear the conversation. Mrs. Granger looked at Einar with curiosity, then at her daughter, and finally at her husband's grim face. Both seemed to reach the same conclusion.
"Dad, this is Professor Einar. Our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Hermione.
Both adults were surprised. They didn't expect that such a serious-looking young man could really be a professor. From their daughter's stories, they always imagined someone older, like Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall. And although they wouldn't say it out loud, they didn't like the way Hermione's eyes lit up when she spoke about him.
Because they knew that glow wasn't academic.
Well… Mr. Granger knew.
Mrs. Granger, on the other hand, was fascinated.
Mrs. Granger elbowed her husband because of his expression, then approached warmly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Hermione has told us a lot about you," she said with a smile.
"Likewise. I didn't bring a gift, so I'll give you this instead," Einar said as he pulled out two staffs that glowed with enchantments, surprising Hermione's parents.
"Professor, they're not wizards," she said softly.
"I know. These staffs have their own magical charge, good for ten uses," Einar replied.
He was well aware of what had been unleashed in the magical world. And even if he wasn't sure whether it would target Muggles, since Hermione was a witch, her parents might not be so safe.
One of the staffs was a restoration staff, able to heal any injury. The other was a conjuration staff that summoned a pack of astral wolves.
Sirius quickly understood what Einar was doing. In the last war, many families of Muggle-born wizards had been murdered. Although he was surprised by a staff that could be used to perform magic without being a wizard, he thought it was a good thing.
Mr. Granger, as a man, was immediately interested, though also a bit conflicted—it looked quite expensive.
"Don't worry. I can craft them with just a piece of wood and a soul stone," Einar said, noticing what was holding him back.
Although… about the soul stone—it was probably impossible to find here. Or rather, it didn't exist in this world. Fortunately, Einar—or rather, Dren—had many stored away. He was the one who usually gathered and filled them for Einar.
"Alright then. How about we have something to eat before you head off on your adventure?" said Mrs. Granger, glancing at her husband, who had already lost the urge to protect his daughter after seeing a magical staff.
As they talked about the trip and asked where they were going…
"Wait, did you say you're riding a dragon?" said Mr. Granger, his eyes wide with surprise.
They had seen photos of the dragons from the Triwizard Tournament that their daughter had shown them.
"Well, I have a carriage, but I think it would draw a lot of attention around here," Einar said.
"Otherwise, we could take the Knight Bus," Sirius added.
"How long will your trip last?" Mr. Granger asked seriously.
"If there's nothing to explore, just a couple of days. Though we'll have to ask our guide about the places we'll be visiting," Einar replied with a smile.
Hermione quickly picked up on this and stepped forward with a map, which she spread on the table with several locations marked.
"I chose five places—well, the most well-known ones. I don't know how fast we'll travel, but a week should be enough," Hermione said with a smile.
Even though Mr. Granger wanted to stop his daughter from traveling with two young men and an adult, it was also a grand adventure for her. Stopping her didn't make much sense either.
"Would you like to come with us?" Einar asked, understanding Mr. Granger's fatherly thoughts.
Mr. Granger was surprised by the sudden invitation.
"Are you sure? This is a trip for wizards... and I'm not one," he said quickly.
"You give too much credit to the wizards here. Where I come from, ten-year-old kids could beat them up—even without magic in their bodies," Einar said calmly.
"Hey!" said Sirius, feeling insulted.
That made everyone laugh, while Mr. Granger glanced at his wife.
"I know you want to go. Ever since we discovered the world Hermione is now part of, you've been dreaming of an adventure. Go ahead. Don't worry, I'll take care of the dental clinic," she said affectionately to her husband.
"Then I'd love to join your adventure," said Mr. Granger with a friendly smile.