"Have you seen how they treat people who aren't human around here? Owls have it better."

"I have not, actually, seen that. I'm muggleborn, I only just joined this world. Although A History does paint a fairly bleak picture, if you read between the lines."

"Exactly," says Muninn. "I want none of that. If everybody thinks I'm a chatty owl, I'm safe from that nonsense."

He preens Victor's hair with his beak. "I was going to tell you eventually," he says. "Actually I thought you might've guessed already."

"It... seemed like, if you were smarter than you looked, you must have a good reason for not wanting to look as smart as you were."

"You should probably not reference the French Revolution if you want people not to think you're as smart as you are, but mum's the word."

"Yes, yes, shame on me for assuming an eleven-year-old knows less history than I do," he says.

He attempts not to grin. "To be fair most eleven-year-olds wouldn't, I just had a lot of free time and school is boring so I decided to study something cool instead."

"Good choice!"

"Yeah, but now with magic school I don't know if there'll be anything that's not cool."

"Don't get your hopes up," he advises. "Well, you can if you want."

"Okay, maybe Care of Magical Creatures—" Pause. "You don't hate me!" he speaks the realisation out loud, as if it's the most surprising thing to happen since he walked into the compartment.

"...Am I supposed to?"

"Well literally all other animals do."

"Huh. That doesn't sound like fun."

"It's not very."

"Well, now you're friends with a raven. Congratulations."

"Now don't be sarcastic at me, I'm your king."

The door of the compartment suddenly slides open and an extremely red-haired boy sticks his head in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asks, pointing at a seat opposite Victor. "Everywhere else is full."

"No, no one is sitting there."

He drags his trunk in and sits, then. He has a black mark on his nose.

"I'm Ron. Weasley."

"Dayo."

"Victor. It's nice to meet you."

He notices Muninn. "Are you allowed a raven? I didn't know."

"The person at the owl shop said he was just like an owl and there wouldn't be any trouble over it."

"Okay, I guess," he says, and then—pauses. "Whoa. Wait. Are you...?" he asks, squinting at Victor.