#notreallythatnormal

The night of the Yule ball, what most students had been looking forward to for months, but it was another story for a few. One of which had just been practically handicapped, being dragged down by his new appendage. Luckily, a certain Slytherin was helping him get ready, keeping him on his feet while they got dressed. They were supposed to meet Aradia when it started, but they were already late. Hiccup had chosen dark emerald dress robes, resembling his eyes most, while Jack’s were just a cerulean color. Although they hadn’t dressed in their house colors, which didn’t matter much, they had chosen their colors for their ties.

On the way down the steps, to which Jack had to practically carry his friend down, they spoke of their expectations for the night. “I’m not going to dance you know.” The Hufflepuff said stubbornly, hating to walk on this blasted leg. His friend just rolled his eyes, sloppily throwing an arm around his shoulders which almost send him flying down the steps. “Relax, I’ll lead when we do, okay? I know you want to dance with my anyways.” Jack teased, helping him stand straight when they got to the Great Hall. They were supposed to be going as a group, Jack wanting to spend the night with both of them, but of course he had other intentions for his male companion. They were never going to admit it to each other, they’d die before one took the submissive part in it.

“Your ties crooked.” The brunette stated, shifting to try to get it back into position. “Odin’s beard, Jack, how do you even accomplish this?” He scolded, having to completely undo it and tie it up again. Loud clacking of heels interrupted his concentration, looking back to see Aradia walking towards them. On impulse, the smaller of the two ran forward to catch her if she did take a spill, almost taking one himself. Jack steadied him, putting his freckled hand on the banister to keep him steady. “Ma’Lady.” The white haired teen greeted, kissing the top of her hand and snickering when she made a repulsed face. “The skirt look suits you, huh?”

She rolled her eyes, grumbling something about getting it over with and signaling for them to go in. Hiccup took a seat at the table, intently watching those who danced in front of him. It almost broke his heart that he was stuck here, his leg was killing him enough as it was. His shoes made his walk uneven, making him walk like Mad-Eye Moody. Jack invited Aradia to dance, the song having a more upbeat feel to it. Whilst he watched them, chin resting on his hands, Cedric noticed him alone and held out his palm. Although he had invited Cho, that didn’t mean he couldn’t cheer up his favorite fourth year.

“Dance with me?” The teen said, albeit cockily. Hiccup rolled his eyes, taking it and hobbling onto the floor with him. Cedric practically carried him around the floor, holding him up to his chest and letting his toes scrape the floor.

After the embarrassment of everyone giggling at the odd couple, a rather dirty look from Draco Malfoy, he was sat back down in the chair. Cho had dragged Cedric off, and Jack was shoved next to him by Aradia. “Go dance you two, he wants to be carrying you off tonight anyways.” She said with a wink, leaving to get a drink while a slow song came on. Jack had a little bit of trouble with carrying him to the floor, but they managed. Not without a little bit of Hiccup stepping on his toe, though. When the song was over, the Weird Sisters began to play, Aradia dragging both of her boys to the floor to dance again. Hiccup was tired out, his leg was aching and he just wanted to take it off right then. After several more slow dances(Hiccup and Jack were forced and Aradia had been invited by Harry with prodding from Hiccup) and all several glasses of punch, the night was over. They were on the way back to the dorm, Jack trying to get Hiccup to “spend the night” in the Slytherin dorm room that night, Marcus Flint and the rest of the team were going back to. “Lookie ‘ere! Whit’s got her own band of freaks, she’s even got a pirate! ‘E’s got a metal leg from trustin’ a dragon! Not only a freak, but a fool!”

Draco had a sneer on his face, even though he was trying to get on Jack’s good side, and went along with it. Aradia ran forward, wand raised and firing spells at Flint, the brunette desperately trying to stop her, holding onto her arm. “Dia, Dia it’s fine, I don’t care.” Jack bit his lip, wanting to scream at his teammates but he’d get suspended from Quidditch. Instead he tried to stop her, getting shot with a jinx when he got in the way. He had Hiccup free him of course, and teachers were soon there to reprimand them. McGonagall was there first, scolding the girl and calling over her house leader to take her back. Hiccup called out an “I’m sorry!” to her, even though it wasn’t truly her fault. Marcus sneered at her and all she yelled back was a simple ‘bite me’.

After receiving her sentence of detention, the Weasley boys high-fiving her for it, she met up with the two boys who were seated in the Slytherin commons. Hiccup was a little mad at her, she did make them lose Jack’s captain and that meant that Quidditch would be suspended for a while. Although for the third event the field would be closed, and they wouldn’t be able to play for a while as it stood. The brunette shot a glare from his forced position that was half on Jack’s lap(it was his idea that they shared a chair together), clicking his tongue in an annoyed fashion. Jack only grinned, giving her a thumbs up, but the teen gave him a mean look too. His expression fell, but he laughed a little.

“You know you lost my captain, right?”

Ever since he was little, he always had a certain interest in dragons.

And finally he had his chance. The first event for the Triwizard Tournament(Technically with 4 people) was fighting a dragon. The teen counted down the days until he was able to see one, live and in person. There were rumors about where they kept them, but he didn’t dare go after one. Of course he knew all about them, their history and the types, but that also came with the knowledge that they’d kill him in an instant.

But one night, Professor Sprout had asked him to go out to the greenhouse, check on her plants for tomorrow’s herbology lesson. On his way across the yard, he saw fire coming from the forbidden forest, screams and shouts following shortly after. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it didn’t sound good. But he had to ignore it, even if it meant ignoring the dragons that he loved so much. After a routine check with the greenhouse, picking out his reward that Professor Sprout had promised him for every time he did his rounds. It was a special herb that Aradia loved, it went well with her morning tea.

As he was walking back, bottle clutched in his palm, a loud roar-like call sounded behind him. Before he had a chance to think, he was nose-to-nose with a Chinese Fireball, his favorite type of dragon mind that. Green hues widened, wanting to back up but he couldn’t move. Any sudden movement would guarantee him being dead within minutes. He slowly lifted up a hand, placing it on the snout of the dragon, it accepting his touch within seconds. It allowed him to pet his snout, pupils eventually dilating to large circles in its own green eyes.

Suddenly it hit him, he would need a name right? “Calcifer…” He mused, it was the God of Fire after all, perfect for a Fireball. Shouts, human this time, were heard in the distance, the dragon letting out another roar in their direction. The Hufflepuff was scooped up onto the dragon’s neck, backing up and giving another deafening growl to those who were trying to wrangle him back in his cage. They came with ropes, wands, you name it, anything to protect themselves against it.

“Don’t hurt him!” The brunette tried to scream, the adults only crying out more, thinking the boy was in danger. Calcifer wouldn’t hurt him, would he? After all, he had just made a truce with the teen, and even he felt safe. Suddenly the dragon took flight, leaving Hiccup clinging onto him for dear life. Spells were shot at them, making the dragon call out in despair. A spell locked the dragon’s muscles, teen falling out of the sky first and to the ground. The Fireball saw his new friend falling, and in desperation shot fire out at the “tamers” which a certain Charlie Weasley sent a spell back at, trying to repel it but the boy was caught in the cross fire. He felt fire lick his skin, screaming out in agony as he fell, hitting the ground left-leg first. A snap was all that could be heard, his groaning having stopped a long time ago.

While the rest of the adults herded the dragon, tying a rope around his neck to hold him still, Calcifer still ran for his Hufflepuff, roaring out in despair at the fallen rider. Charlie picked up the teen, taking him to the infirmary immediately.

Days later, the first event passed, the boy was still unconscious. When he awoke, Jack and Aradia were gripping onto his hands and staring intently at him. A small chuckle was let out of his lips, sounding more choked and forced than intended. Both of the pair that was sitting by his bed exchanged a look, worry etched into their expressions. “Did Potter win?” Was the first thing he asked, he was rooting for both Cedric(Who was like a brother to him these days) and The Boy Who Lived, since they were both from Hogwarts. He’d be proud if either of them had won, and he was rooting for them from the start. Besides, he didn’t fancy picking sides in tournaments like this. His friends laughed, nodding and patting his hands, which were covered in little burns. “Potter defeated his and so did Diggory.” Jack answered, giving a warm smile to his injured friend. “How d’ ya feel?” Aradia asked, more worried about his being than the tournament now. “Upset I missed the first event, but overall just sore. Am I allowed to walk around for a while, I can barely feel my legs.” The teen said, chuckling nervously. His friends exchanged another look, looking to Madam Pomfrey to see what she thought. With a heavy heart, she nodded to the three of them, helping them pull back the sheets.

That’s when he noticed.

It was gone, his leg was gone. A metal appendage was there, now, the fire had burned his leg and it had probably snapped with his fall. He was at a loss for words, eyes as wide as saucers now, brimming with tears. His friends were ready to pull him back into bed, to let him rest more. Aradia’s hand flew to his arm, ready to lead him back onto the bed. A shake of his head was his answer, brushing the hand off of him. “I should congratulate Cedric  and Harry, they deserve a nice well done, don’t you think?” He said, smiling to both of them. “Don’t you wanna get dressed first?” Jack questioned, gesturing to his dark green pajama top and white bottoms, but he only got a shake of his head. They helped Hiccup hobble to the door, holding onto the handle when he took a rest. “Before we go….What happened to the dragon?” He said, voice barely a whisper. Madam Pomfrey couldn’t hear them now, as the three were at the door, so they could freely talk.  “Charlie said he’d take him back to Romania, to take care of him o’ course.” Aradia said with a smile, they’d probably kill the poor thing for harming a student, but it was best to keep it light.

The teen took the excuse though, making it out the door and being led back to his common room. Cedric was already there, surrounded by a crowd that was already congratulating him. All voices turned to silence when they saw the three, Cedric slowly standing to look at what was left of his “fourth year pet”. The older Hufflepuff enveloped him in a hug, his best friends backing up to give him room. Eventually tears came from the younger’s eyes, openly crying for his own loss, not wanting to believe this was real himself. Everyone in the commons, including Aradia and Jack, joined in their moment, squeezing the two teens in the middle.

Stories of him being a hero made their way around the campus, first years swearing they saw him ride a dragon throughout the campus. Hiccup just answered with “Dragons aren’t as dangerous as they seem, and one day I’m going to prove it. He didn’t harm me, he was provoked by people trying to hurt him…”

“He wouldn’t hurt me.”

First, there was a girl. Born Aradia Whit, mud blood by wizard standards. Her parents thought of her weird, confused and afraid of her abilities. When the day for her letter to arrive came, the whole family would agree it was a Godsend. She went to Hogwarts and was sorted into Ravenclaw for her quick thinking and wit. Years passed, she was picked on by the other children. Saying her hair color was odd or she was just different. Two years later, she would meet two boys who would change her life.

Secondly, there was a wintry haired boy, with peppery eyebrows and almost splotchy skin. His parents died when he was young, being slaughtered by the late followers of the Dark Lord. His poor mother, who was a muggle, getting caught in the crossfire with his dad. He almost had a sister, but she was adopted when they were put in the orphanage. He still loves with who he calls his "Guardians", North being his legal one. At age eleven he too would join the class at Hogwarts, a proud Slytherin later.  This is where he meets a best friend and a love, but we haven't mentioned him yet.

Lastly, there was a freckled boy, pureblood and a sickly child. Most didn't think he would make it, but he proved them all wrong. At the age of four, his mother passed, his father who could never connect to him raising the boy. But there was a time when he was so proud of him, the day he received his own letter. To show his adoration, his father bought a cat for him, the same day his robes were purchased.

If it hadn't been for him going to collect his things that day, he'd never have met a best friend. The brunette had been going to pay for his robes, when a tall, white haired boy ran straight into him, sending them both to the floor. He was holding a cage, a multi-colored owl inside(A gift from his guardian Toothiana, one of her birds to remember them by) which clattered to the floor. After helping him up, our littler of the two introduce himself.

"Hiccup Haddock, and you? Let me guess, you've never been around here, have you?" It was true, ever since his parents died, he didn't have anything to do with wizards anymore. The letter was a surprise to everyone, and clearly he had no idea what to do. "Jack. Jack Frost, and shopping isn't my strong suit." The boy said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. And so, the freckled boy and his father took Jack under their wing, from buying cauldrons to picking a wand. They were both unaware that the very boy who lived, who was to begin his first year too, was in Madam Malkins that very same day.

On September 1st, our heroes met at Platform 9 3/4, sitting on the train together to begin the long journey. At this same time, our heroine was riding with her fellow Ravenclaws, not knowing that two people mere meters away were going to be her lifeline. They talked as they rode, forming a connection immediately, laughing over experiences they had and then moving to pets. Hiccup owned a ink black cat with vivid green eyes, named Toothless for its one broken tooth. Jack had named his owl "Baby Tooth" since it was one of Toothiana's little babies practically.

Those two were connected at the hip all through orientation, only separating when Hic was put into Hufflepuff, Jack into Slytherin. The white haired took a seat next to the one and only "Draco Malfoy", Hic taking his place next to a "Hannah Abbott". When the feast ended, the boys met up again, talking as they were supposed to be following their prefects. Hiccup's eye caught a pink haired girl getting pushed by a dark haired one, nasty things being spouted off. Sure she was older, but that didn't mean he couldn't help. Suddenly not interested in Jack's commentary on sledding, the boy wandered over to the Ravenclaws, speaking in a loud tone to adress them all. "Excuse me, mind leaving her alone?"

They snickered, after all they'd nothing to fear of a first year Hufflepuff of all houses. He puffed out his cheeks, giving a huff. His friend joined him, speaking louder to the girls. "Hey, he said leave 'er be. You guys deaf or something?" One of the boys in the group approached him, getting in his face to clearly say, "What if I don't?" Immediately there was a fight, children dispersing from it faster than light. Brave little Hic cut in the middle, forcing them apart as prefects ran over to help.  Once the two were hauled off, he turned to the girl, giving a gentle smile. "Are you okay? Sorry bout the whole uh, deal there. Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm just in case?" The first year asked, the pink haired girl laughed first, beginning to walk towards him.

"I'd like that, 'm Aradia by the way." She said, leading the way back. "Hiccup and that was Jack, we're first years, if you couldn't tell already." He said lightly, eyes lighting up. The first older kid who was nice to him, what a nice change. "Second year. Thanks for saving me back there, you and him've got balls to stand up to them, I might just take you under my wing around here." She said, only half teasing. "He was alright, for a Slytherin anyways, and you're pretty cool for a puff."

His freckled face split in half with a smile, they'd already reached the dormitory. "I'd like that, and I'm sure he would too."