Light, though popular had zero friends in actual practice. People tended to be shy to approach him, with all his grandeur and good grades and he wasn't inclined to make friends that much. He wouldn't say he was lonely, he just preferred to be alone and communicate with those who matched his intelligence level. Slightly arrogant of him, one might say, but he could care less. He was tired of having to tone his words down to make sense to people. He could still make small talk if someone asked for it, but after leaving the Prefects carriage, they mostly left him alone.

He entered the carriage where he had kept his suitcase, eyebrows rising when he saw the most peculiar boy perched on a seat in a crouch. He had noticed Light as well, and lifted his head up from the Bertie's Every Favour Beans that he had been devouring.

"Ah hello, I found this carriage to be empty, so I had let myself in. The others were too full for my liking. Hope you don't mind."

Even though his obsidian eyes were cool, and his manner betrayed no actual nervousness, Light felt, instinctively that the boy was nervous. It wasn't surprising, most people were nervous of him. He had, however never seen him before, and by his looks, he was sixteen too, his own age. Transfer student then, he realised.

Smiling politely, and pointedly ignoring his lack of etiquette, he sat himself across him and said, "No, it's fine. It's good to have company once in a while, rather than reading in an empty carriage. I haven't seen you here before, you must be new here."

The black haired boy across his nodded, his thumb seeming to press against his mouth, but it was a careless gesture, not a nervous one. Light's eyes narrowed, ever so slightly.

"I am a transfer student from Ilverhorny. Call me Ryuzaki, and you are Light Yagami, I assume?"

Light's eyes narrowed further. It wasn't much to assume that he had known who he say, for to be honest, it would have been surprising if he hadn't known who he was, with the number of people who pointed at him and gasped, "Oh, that's Light Yagami, the topper." It grated on his nerves, but he didn't comment much. His tone implied a sort of arrogance as well. He didn't say that his name was Ryuzaki, he just asked him to call him that. Intended or not, that felt like an order.

However he kept up that smile and nodded.

"So, Ryuzaki, eh? No last name or something?"

The man across him wasn't Japanese even if he had a Japanese name. Adopted, then. But, he claimed to be from Ilverhorny. So, he had spent a part of his life in Japan, then America. Constantly travelling. So, his parents must have a job that forced them to transfer with a moment's notice.

The boy changed to Japanese for no particular reason, or perhaps he had read Light's thoughts. Light shook his head mentally. That wasn't possible. It was very difficult to break through his barrier of Occlumency.

"It's technically Rue Ryuzaki, but I would prefer if you addressed me as such."

Even with his awkward manner and everything, Ryuzaki exuded a certain arrogance. And a certain mystery. In spite of himself, Light found himself getting curious as to his identity.

"Okay then, Ryuzaki."

The boy nodded. Light was desperately trying to figure out how to ask him without sounding suspicious. And to keep the conversation going. Turns out, he didn't actually have to do much.

"So, this is the Hogwarts Express, hmm," Ryuzaki said, looking around with interest. "It is good to experience it for real."

The smile on Light's face felt rather fixed now, so he dropped it, not wanting to look fake.

"Yeah, we have a lot of time before we actually arrive at Hogwarts. Doesn't your leg ache from sitting that way?"

"Not really, it is a most comfortable position for me. And I guessed that. I wonder how it looks like."

The last statement felt phony to Light. But, it had to be true. Ryuzaki had never been there before, he had shifted from America. So, why did the statement feel false? He had never been wrong, but there wasn't any way that Ryuzaki was lying. His voice was more or less monotonous, the dark circles under his eyes painfully pointed out how little he slept. His unnaturally pale skin screamed dark rooms. He must be always cooped up in his house, Light concluded. With his lack of blinking, it showed continuous hours spent in front of a digital screen.

If it was a digital screen, then atleast one of his parents must be a Muggle, because there was no way a wizard could properly utilise a digital screen. So, transferable job, which fitted both of his parents. But, it was strange that they had decided to come to England during these trying times. So, they must have a connection with England. So, what exactly—

"As much as I am impressed, your deductions are a bit faulty."

Light's head snapped up to look at Ryuzaki, who looked amused.

"What are you—"

"When you first entered the carriage, you knew that I was new because you didn't recognise me. When I said that my name is Ryuzaki, your eyes narrowed, ever so slightly, because my appearance didn't scream Japanese to you. Thus you concluded that even if my real parents weren't Japanese, my adoptive ones were. But, then I said that I have transferred from Ilverhorny, which led you to conclude that my adoptive parents had a transferable job. Then you looked back at me, trying to deduce things from my appearance.

"The dark circles under my eyes gave my lack of sleep away, and my skin color must have stood out to you to suggest dark rooms. You then focused on my eyes for a while. You noticed that I wasn't blinking, which led you to conclude that I spent a considerable portion of my time in a dark room, staring at a digital screen, without sleep. Then, it must have struck you, as to why I would come to England during such a dark time, which made you halt, and subconsciously, you kept staring at me, as if to find other clues. You concluded that I have ties to England, which is why I am here.

"But you made an error. You assumed that I have adult looking after me. Adoptive or not. So, here's the thing. I have none. No parents, it's just me and the shenegans I pull. I suppose I would have to tell you, otherwise this would never work, Light-kun.

"I am a detective, known as L. I suppose, this name is no doubt familiar to you?"

Light released the breath he didn't realise he had been holding. Ryuzaki, or rather L, hadn't breached his Occlumency barriers, he would have atleast known. His deductions were thus constructed out of mere brain work. He was astounded. He was, if not better, equal to Light's own mind. However his last words left him a bit winded. Of course he had heard of L, the mysterious detective that his father liked to talk about, who had never shown his face to anyone and all his interactions with public were carried out by his assistant, Watari. But for him to be so young....it felt strange, knowing that the world's best Detective was Light's age, and that too sitting in front of him. He didn't have any reason to doubt him, instinctively, he knew that he was speaking the truth.

However, his brain refused to accept that fact, and thus without proof, he felt at if he was at a crossroads. Even if this man was who he claimed, what was he doing here? That too with Light? For the life of him, he couldn't figure that out.

"You will know the cause for this rather strange meeting tonight. Don't fret, the revelation that you are going to get is much more confusing than the fact that L is a teenager. You will also find proof of my identity there."

Ryuzaki, for as much as he tried Light couldn't call him L, proceeded to devour his chocolate frog. For the world's greatest detective, he was pretty weird. However everyone had their obsessions, Light mused, strange habits. But this entire lack of social etiquette was too much for him, and he found himself shrinking back a bit. Ryuzaki seemed to not notice, content with his chocolate frog for the time being. So, somewhere along the autism spectrum, incredibly introverted, makes sense for not wishing to show his face to the public. Either he multitasked between Ilverhorny and cases, or that statement had been a plain lie.

"It wasn't. I used to attend it, just perhaps in a different fashion than the rest."

Well that was expected. If he went about in the fashion that he does, no doubt he would constantly draw odd looks.

Light's initial irritation at the man constantly being in track with his thoughts had evaporated, replaced by curiosity. His boredom had evaporated, he had finally found someone to match his level.

"I suppose."

They lapsed into silence. Light found himself wishing that Ryuzaki would be sorted into Slytherin. He had to be attending as a student, otherwise he wouldn't be on the train. He was pretty sure that he would be too, but he just had to wait. The Sorting Hat could be a bit cracked after all.

"Well, I assume that we would be in similar houses," Ryuzaki began, taking up a pumpkin pasty. How many sweets could the man eat—

"I believe so too," Light said, trying to not think of what the amount of sugar would do to him if he consumed it.

"Want a chocolate frog?" Ryuzaki asked politely, gesturing to the board of sweets.

Light shrugged and took one, being hungry as well.

"Ack, Albus Dumbledore again," he heard Ryuzaki say as he took up the card from his own frog. Light suddenly felt like laughing. For all he was, Ryuzaki would definitely never be able to figure out which box held which card.

"No, I wouldn't. Even I have to bow down to luck," he said morosely, "And this is the hundredth time I have gotten him," he held the card by his fingers in a strange manner, which Light assumed to be something due to his habit of leaving as less fingerprints as possible due to being a detective.

"I wished I could get Agrippa or Merlin, they are pretty rare," he mumbled, reaching for another chocolate frog.

Light finished his own and took out the card.

Salazar Slytherin.

He examined the card of his House Founder before keeping it aside. He didn't collect chocolate cards. His sister did, and she had been constantly saying that she wished for this particular card. Might as well give it to her. He heard another sound of dismay as Ryuzaki held up another card. This one seemed to be one of Gilderoy Lockhart.

Despite himself he found himself chuckling. Ryuzaki gave the card a look and tossed it away, his disgust of Lockhart showing pretty well. Light and the Hogwarts students knew him to be a fraud, Light having exposed him in his second year. But the world really didn't know and continued to manufacture his cards till today.

Ryuzaki looked at him and snorted.

They were still students after all.