so someone mentioned bennett seamus moments on the poll and i decided to call it

ill come up with a title later on

this is probably gonna be based around xingqiu and chongyun since they're like my personal favorite underage characters so well start like 6 years ago when they were 11

oh and can we make the prologue like 2022 just for the heck of it

___

Chongyun scowled. "What the heck?"

"Owls," Xingqiu said dreamily. "Aren't they romantic?"

"Yeah, but why do we have them in the Wanweng Bookhouse-"

"They have letters addressed to us, popsicle boy," Xingqiu pointed out. "Have you never had a letter before?"

"Wait, we have to go to a magic school-? What's the point? It's not like Visions aren't magic-"

Xingqiu opened his letter. "Yeah, but this is magic magic. Like wands and potions."

"Wha-"

Chongyun wrinkled his nose. "Are we expected to go shopping alone-"

Xingqiu batted his boyfriend's arm. "No-"

"Well, it's not like your dad has enough time to-"

"You guys are going shopping? Where? Diagon Alley?" Hu Tao bounced over from out of nowhere, Zhongli following with an exhausted expression.

Chongyun jumped. "When did you get here-"

"I don't know. When did any of us get here? What is here?" Xingqiu was kind of amused by Hu Tao's (really questionable) philosophy. Zhongli buried his head in his hands.

"Hey, Mr. Zhongli! Day off?" Xingqiu asked.

"Xingqiu, it's the end of summer," Chongyun said. "And he doesn't get days off. He's retired."

Fourteen-year-old Hu Tao, who was the heir to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, had also attended Hogwarts. "Ah, first years~~," she said. "Can't wait for the new batch. I wonder if Venti still hangs around the Three Broomsticks?"

"Isn't he like, fifteen?"

"Stupid, he's immortal," Chongyun said, returning Xingqiu's earlier swat.

Zhongli cleared his throat. "Well, since you're all so excited to head to school," he said, "shall we go back-to-school shopping?"

*authors note*( ok so I'm doing this while the scene is transitioning but i still have to do this in secret uhm so since this is six years ago a lot of characters might not show up, everyone younger than yoimiya [who I'm assuming is 17 canonically] won't appear until the chapter with xq/chongyun's second year)

"Ah, Mr. Zhongli!" said Mr. Ollivanders (not the one who sold Harry's wand, this was his grandson), but he still hadn't really learned how to pronounce Zhongli's name, so it really sounded more like "zuh-HOHNG-lee". "Your wand was a nice one. Rowan, 12 inches, dragon heartstring? Rather whippy, though."

"The H is silent," Zhongli said patiently. "And thank you."

"And Hu Tao! Juniper, 10 inches? Phoenix feather core?"

Why do you remember that flashed through Hu Tao's mind.

"And I've never seen these two," Ollivanders said, already taking out a measuring tape. He pointed at Xingqiu. "For this young lady...hmm. Looks fit for charms. Try unicorn hair holly, 11 1/3 inches."

"I'msorrybutdidyoujustcallmyboyfriendagirl-" Chongyun started, but Xingqiu stopped him.

"Aiya, it's a common mistake, it's alright. Calm down, Chongyun. I do hope this does not harm your pride, dear sir, but I am, in fact, a boy," he said, his right eye twitching.

"Oh! I'm sorry, my boy. And for the icy one--hmm. Try this. Oak, dragon heartstring, 11 inches." He ushered the two into a small room labeled TESTING ROOM (because people have modernized over time).

"Just flick it once or twice and see if the pile organizes itself. It's a great way to get fall chores done."

Xingqiu stuck his tongue out at the man as he turned to head out the door. "Misgendering someone. As if that's alright."

Chongyun kicked him. "Hurry up and try your thing."

After a few trial and errors (and Ollivanders continuously mispronouncing Xingqiu's name), Xingqiu was close to summoning his sword and slicing Ollivanders's throat, but he figured that wouldn't look very pretty on his records.

Eventually they got their wands right.

Ollivanders beamed. "There we go! And since it's Mr. Zhongli we're talking about--"

"Zhongli. With the silent H."

"It's on the house."

Hu Tao clapped. "So, since we've got that all good and done, how about we get robes next? Mine are awfully small."

After a fairly long morning shopping with Hu Tao and Xingqiu, which was very tiring for Chongyun and Zhongli ("BOOKS?????") ("MR ZHONGLI I WANNA PLAY CHASER FOR THE TEAM THIS YEAR PLEASE"), they finally went to King's Cross.

"This whole place is like a Mondstadt ripoff," Chongyun muttered.

"Shut up."

Water rippled on one of the pillars between platforms 9 and 10. A train labeled Hogwarts Express could be seen in the water image.

"Mona," Zhongli muttered.

"Oh so that's nine and three-fourths-"

"It's called nine and three-quarters," Xingqiu told Chongyun.

"Who cares?"

"MONA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL THE NON VISION USERS ARE STARING-"

Xingqiu jumped. "Dear Lord, who is that?"

"I'M SORRY LISA-"

Zhongli sighed. Dialing a number, he said quietly into the phone, "Jean please pick up your problem children-"

"Huh?!"

Click.

"Sorry," said an amused voice. "That's my annoying friends. I'm Kaeya. Sixth year Slytherin. Oh, hey, Hu Tao. Newbies?"

"Stop acting cool in front of the first years," said a redheaded boy, around the same age as Kaeya. "It's Diluc. Hello, Mr. Zhongli." He frowned. "If these are what all the firsties are going to be like, I'm going to run away."

Chongyun frowned. "As if anyone would mourn-"

Diluc's expression softened. "On second thought, I like that one."

"Can we go now? The feeling of going through a pillar is really fun. I wanna show the firsts." Hu Tao tugged them through. Zhongli heaved a sigh and followed, Kaeya and Diluc behind them. Lisa and Mona noticed them and sprinted after.

"If you're scared, shut your eyes!" Kaeya teased. Diluc shoved him into the pillar first roughly.

*authors note*(so I really want to put ayato into this but idk how old he is so he's coming later when his full info comes out eventually)

Xiao scowled to himself, waiting for the train's departure.

Technically he was forever a teenager, but he let this be his fourth year because Hu Tao was cool (BECAUSE THEY WOULD TOTALLY BE BEST FRIENDS.). "Hello, Zhongli," he said when he saw him, Hu Tao, Kaeya, Diluc, two first years and a partridge in a pear tree (no it was Hu Tao's cat but Twelve Days of Christmas was stuck in his head).

Zhongli waved. "Xiao."

Hu Tao grinned. "Hey, Xiao!" They did a complex handshake that Hu Tao got off TikTok. (BECAUSE HU TAO WOULD HAVE FORCED XIAO TO LEARN A HANDSHAKE-) Hu Tao immediately slung her arm over Xiao's shoulder. "So, how's it been? Long time no see? You never come around for tea, what's wrong with you?"

Xiao checked his watch. "Ya, the train's bout to leave, let's get on." He finally seemed to notice the two first years. "Newbies?"

Xingqiu was kind of miffed that all the older people were referring to them as just "first years." Chongyun glanced at the other new students. Most were just regular people without Visions, but he recognized Xinyan the rock player and Keqing and Ganyu. Some older people he recognized as well, such as Childe, Zhongli's friend and financial advisor. "What if I like--"

"You are not using magic outside of school," Zhongli said strictly. He waved his own wand, because he was allowed to, and their things loaded into a neat, compact pile.

Hu Tao frowned. "As if you didn't used to--"

"SHUT."

Hu Tao rolled her eyes. "Using your Vision is fine, so long as it doesn't like, destroy the school and everyone in it, is what I like to say, but Zhongli has some...objections."

"I would highly prefer it if you didn't but okay--"

Hu Tao giggled. "Anyway. Come on, I'll find a compartment for us. Keep in touch! Bye, Zhongli!"

"Bye-"

Xiao glanced at Zhongli, and a mutual thought passed through their heads.

Be careful.

*authors note*(idk how old thoma is so I'm just gonna assume he's around the same age as Hu Tao)

"Food? I can--"

"You are not stealing from the food cart again, Hu Tao," Xiao snapped.

"I was about to say I was going to pay but okay-"

Chongyun poked Xingqiu. "I'm not hungry, but are you getting anything?"

"Okay?"

Someone knocked on the door. "Hey, Hu Tao!"

"O~~Hey, Thoma!" Hu Tao opened the door. "What's up?"

The train was racked with shuddering.

"I guess...that?" Thoma pointed down the hall.

The four of them looked.

Down the hall was a horde of hilichurls.

"Aiya, hilichurls? No fun," Hu Tao complained. "But if it's that many...?"

"No magic outside the school," Thoma shouted as the five of them strode down the hall.

"No one said anything abut Visions!"

Thoma scowled. He hated loopholes. They were so hard to clean up.

Xiao, being short, had to almost run to keep up with Hu Tao. He brandished his polearm. Using his Skill, he got there way before the rest, and dealt serious Anemo damage in the process.

"Yeah! Do it again!" Hu Tao cheered, her spear ablaze.

"It's a ten-second cooldown-"

As Hu Tao slashed and burned, she tried to avoid touching the confining walls. Another Vision user, Kazuha, who was a second year, boosted their speed because Elemental Resonance exists.

Xingqiu and Chongyun was a good fighting pair--between Xingqiu's rain swords and Chongyun's frost field (author's note: OPPPPPP), they could freeze opponents. They eventually managed to get the mob all together in one place.

"Whoa- what's going on?"

Hu Tao glanced and realized that people were staring.

Without thinking, Chongyun released his spirit blades.

"Submit to judgment!" he yelled. Three huge swords of ice crushed the enemies, and the people started coming out.

"Are those Vision users?"

"Shut up, it's not like you've never met one."

"Is that allowed?"

The other Anemo user, Kazuha, dusted off his clothes. "Well," he said, sheathing his sword, "no one broke any rules, correct?"

Xingqiu and Chongyun looked at each other. "No one said anything about destroying a horde of monsters while on the train, right?"

"No," Hu Tao said pleasantly. She pushed all of them back to their compartment. "Go change. I'll be in the bathroom."

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ngl idk how often this is gonna update but since my will to live has been boosted imma write chapter 1 and see if i post it today or after tmrw

oh holy seven i wrote a lot more than i expected to