The rest of the ride went by with sweet, sweet silence; Draco didn't even notice when he got up moved to the other bench in the cabin, he just started reading when Lycoris pushed the open book in his direction and leaned onto his shoulder while holding the book open for both of them.

He only made notice of his actions when the notification that they would be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes time; It seemed Lycoris didn't even take notice of it, he tapped her on the shoulder twice before gaining her attention.

"Ms. Radiata, we'll be arriving to Hogwarts in Five-minutes time, now would be a great time to put a bookmark in your book and start to get ready." He spoke with what he hoped was a smooth and suave voice, he had looked away after she giggled and scratched his cheek in Embarrassment.

"Please, call me Lycoris." she put a bookmark in the spine and snapped it shut with a muted *thunk* "We'll be Classmates for the next 7 or so years." She stood up and stretched her arms before she returned her books to her suitcase.

"Alright, Lycoris." He nodded his head and leaned back into his seat, looking out the window into the dark night.

They sat in companionable silence as her pet rested around her shoulders like a scarf, he felt the urge to pet the 'Cath Palug' with how fluffy it looked, he was only stopped because the train had arrived at the Hogsmeade station.

The station was a 'tiny, dark platform' where the Hogwarts Express ended its journey north from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The railway station served both the village of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hagrid's booming voice called out to gather the first years and guide them down the steep and narrow path to the boats that would take them to Hogwarts. The lake was a crystal clear black void in the dead of night, Draco held out his hand to Harriet and helped her into the boat as any good gentleman should.

Draco entered the boat after her, she held Fou in her arms like a stuffed Animal while she sat down. She watched as a young tall, black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes helped another young girl into the boat; she had shoulder-length Brown hair and a hard face, yet she looked pretty and vivacious.

"Malfoy." The boy said in greeting and gave a small head nod to him, the girl just rolled her eyes, "I heard Bulstrode was giving you a bit of trouble on the train." He held a questioning tone, yet it was thinly veiled as such; the girl just punched him the in shoulder, eliciting a quiet 'Ow" from him as he rubbed the spot that was struck by such brutish stren-

"I know what you're thinking Blaise, finish that thought, and you'll be swimming to Hogwarts." She spoke with a sickly sweet tone and smile directed to the boy, she turned to the girl.

"I'm Pansy Parkinson and this strapping young lad is Blaise Zabini," The boy looked like he was about to speak up but was put at bay with a single look, Harriet giggled and held out a hand. "You may call me Lycoris Radiata" and with a handshake, the boats were off to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

The four students talked quietly about everything and nothing on the ride to Hogwarts, although Fou did hear Draco talking about how 'whipped' Blaise was when it came to Pansy, only for that to be rebutted by his friend telling him how 'whipped' he was for Lycoris.

Harriet's hand lingered on the curtain of ivy as they slowly drifted through it, it felt silky smooth and was all the more bitter-sweet when she had to let go; the tunnel they entered was absolutely beautiful as it was only illuminated by the bioluminescence of the algae below the water glittering like gold.

Her hand shifted to the clear water the rippled like liquid clear glass, she raised her hands lightly blew on the algae causing it to float lightly in the air and stick to the damp walls to light the tunnel even more as they came out to an alcove under the school with a staircase leading upwards to presumably the front entrance.

"What do you think of the school Lycoris?" Pansy with an upbeat attitude asked her new female friend a fairly innocent question.

"It's truly a Marvel of construction and Magic, yet it is nothing like the castle back home." She idly noted, and just before Pansy, Draco or Blaise could ask her to elaborate further on that they were rushed ahead by Hagrid's large hands to prevent them from falling behind.

Harriet ignored the spirits as they floated around the first years, all excited to introduce themselves to new students; Draco, Pansy and Blaise all quietly discussed something among themselves that she dismissed as unimportant as the ghosts' conversation with the first years was.

They were all interrupted when Professor McGonagall arrived back into the chamber and shooed the ghosts' away before McGonagall formed the first-years into a line for the sorting ceremony.

Fou had chosen this moment to leave and go explore around the castle that would be his home over the next 7 or so years, a beast had to clear its den of dangers before settling in for the long winter.

Harriet made little note of the four long tables that separated the houses between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The glittering golden plates and goblets were just too tacky for her taste, nor did she like how dim it was in the great hall, being lit only by candlelight.

She glanced up and scoffed at the velvety black ceiling that was dotted with stars, it was obviously magic that was well taken care of, yet she couldn't help but disregard it as worthy of being nothing more than a sleight of hand trick.

She idly heard a bushy haired girl explain to a rather meek and pudgy boy about how the ceiling was enchanted, she let her thoughts wander when the Sorting hat was put onto the stool of sorting that the school used and only came back to reality when 'Abbot, Hannah!' was called.

As Fou was searching around the castle, he came to a suspiciously empty hallway, it was devoid of paintings and armours. It was but a dead end with no doors or windows, it seemed off, as if it wasn't meant to exist.

*Ping*

A chime played out in the hall and Fou searched around, looking at the walls and floors, scanning everything with [Structural Grasp] only to come to the conclusion that he was right. Looking back at where he came in from, he gave it a quick grasp, this time getting the history of the bricks and how many had walked over them and the time they were placed and enchanted.

Yet going back down the hall, there was no history to gleam from these bricks, nothing except a keyhole expertly hidden within the wall at about head height to him, he opened his System window.

"Open Quests." Fou spoke, a bizarre feeling coming over him.

A new category appeared, clicking on it Fou was greeted with a quest he never quite thought he would get, turning around he ran, and ran, and ran. Yet, he was trapped in the corridor until he completed the quest.

A key made of Smouldering Cinders and Ashes dropped in front of Fou, lightly clinking against the ground as it was deposited in front of him. This quest was forced upon him, yet could he truly condemn all of those trapped?

-[POV: FOU]-

Why am I even here? I have no idea what I'm doing, I've spent the past 30 years just cooking and watching others do stuff for me. I didn't train Harriet… Archer, Saber, and Caster did. I wasn't the one who wandered the Earth for hundreds of years following a single bloodline, either.

I look at my paws and don't know what to do with myself, I'm trapped in this hallway, yet I know for a fact that I could break this magic with Rule breaker. Yet, why don't I?

I've done nothing but laze around and Follow Harriet, so why am I here? Even if that god's kid dropped a truck on me, there was nothing special about me, except maybe my looks.

I was nothing more than a dead-end job working guy, trying to do what he loved yet hating every single minute of it. I've made hundreds of blades, yet I've never really done anything.

These paws of mine, this magic I can use, they may be mine… but they aren't MINE! I didn't work myself to the bone to use magic craft, I didn't follow a path to the root. So am I deserving of them?

I've proclaimed myself a companion, yet done nothing but be a burden who lazes around and lets others do the work. Always following another story rather than leading my own.

I'm not deserving of these powers, am I? Why are my paws clenched, then? If all I've ever done is laze around and complain at my job, laze around and let others do the heavy lifting when training Harriet should have been my responsibility…

Why am I moving, then? Why am I picking this key up and sticking it in the lock.

Is it the call of adventure? Or is it me moving before I can think of what I need to do? Another reincarnater fucked over a castle of dreams, and it's in need of a calamity.

I sit here staring into this key, of smouldering cinder and ash. And I think to myself; WHAT AM I!? Am I the dead end worker? Am I the wanderer?

I AM NEITHER!

I AM FOU, THE ULTIMATE FAKER, AND IF I HAVE TO FAKE IT!

*Click*

*RUMBLE*

THEN I'LL FUCKING MAKE IT!

Update: Oct 21st, 2023. (After a Poll I'm uploading this to Scribbile hub, I'm copying this straight from Spacebattles.)