With a steam whistle, the train came to a gradual stop. Both Hermione and Luke had changed into the wizarding robes they had purchased at Madam Malkin's clothing store.
As the doors opened, the young wizards disembarked, including Hermione and Luke, who left their luggage on the train. According to the admission notice, their luggage would be taken care of separately.
Although it was September, the night air was chilly. Hermione tightened her brown scarf, and her voluminous hair was tucked under it.
"Aren't you cold?" Hermione asked Luke, who appeared somewhat lightly dressed, and she simultaneously pulled out a scarf of the same style, offering it to him. "I have an extra scarf here, for you."
"Thank you," Luke replied, taking the scarf. Although he didn't feel the cold at the moment, he accepted it graciously.
With his enhanced physique, he had developed increased resistance to various environmental conditions. To make Luke feel cold, he would probably need to be placed in the North or South Poles.
An oil lamp illuminated the dark night, revealing a tall figure: Hagrid, who was in charge of guiding the new students.
"Alright, first-year students, stay close and follow me!" Hagrid called out loudly to the bustling group of young wizards in front of him. "No more than four to a boat, everyone board the boats in an orderly fashion!"
Hermione and Luke found themselves in a boat together, seated in the middle with a chandelier, while two unfamiliar young wizards took the bow and stern positions.
Once everyone was aboard, Hagrid signaled the departure.
However, as the boat began to move, Luke suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and discomfort in his head. He realized that the effects of the Dragon Slayer Magic were taking hold. The motion was making him feel seasick.
He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't experienced this on the train.
Before he could ponder further, the boat shook, and his expression changed dramatically. Nausea and discomfort overwhelmed him, causing him to lean to one side and eventually fall into Hermione's arms.
"What's wrong, Luke?" Hermione exclaimed in concern as she quickly supported him.
"Just...a little seasick," Luke managed to weakly reply.
Nausea, dizziness, all the symptoms of the Dragon Slayer Magic's motion sickness were manifesting.
"Is it...?" Hermione looked worriedly at Luke, finding that apart from looking pale, he didn't seem to be in immediate danger.
She hadn't expected someone to get this seasick.
"Rest for now, I'll wake you when we reach the shore." With that, Luke didn't feign wellness and closed his eyes, his mind too confused to think straight.
The vulnerability of the Dragon Slayer Magic, shared by all three generations, was being incapacitated by motion, especially for those with stronger abilities, the dizziness was more severe.
Luke had almost forgotten about this weakness when he got off the train. Little did he know it would resurface as soon as he boarded the boat.
"Hahaha, look at the seasick fool, Goyle, Crabbe!" came a mocking laugh from a nearby boat. It belonged to a blond-haired boy, accompanied by two smaller companions, one tall and one chubby.
"It's the first time I've seen a wizard get seasick!"
"You—" Hermione, still supporting Luke, was about to reach for her wand when Luke, lying in her arms, half-opened one eye.
His pale blue eyes seemed slightly unfocused.
"You're being quite noisy," Luke uttered softly, and without incantation or spell casting, a bolt of lightning shot rapidly from the tip of his wand towards Malfoy.
The lightning spell struck Malfoy with such speed that he had no time to react.
Crackling!
The electric current crackled pleasantly over Malfoy's body, causing him to go numb. He lost control of his limbs and facial muscles, collapsing in the boat. His golden hair stood on end.
"Ababa!"
Malfoy tried to cry out for help to get Hagrid's attention and have the half-blood wizard responsible for this expelled. However, his mouth was completely paralyzed and his limbs trembled involuntarily under the effects of the paralysis. The same fate befell the two servants in the boat with him; they were all covered in electric lights, which looked dazzling in the dark night.
Although both boats had been at the rear of the group for some time, no one had noticed anything unusual.
"Luke..."
"Don't worry, it's okay. The effects will wear off naturally once we reach the shore," Luke reassured Hermione.
As for lodging a complaint afterward, who would take the word of an orphaned wizard for casting such a spell? Moreover, Professor Snape was standing right behind him, and he had no reason to fear.
"No, Luke, when did you learn that silent spell? It's amazing! And what's the name of the spell you just used? Can you teach me?" Hermione asked with curious excitement, her eyes gleaming as she held Luke in her arms.
"I think... I can teach you," Luke replied weakly after a moment's hesitation.
Maintaining the same position for so long had left his neck a little sore, and when he raised his head slightly, he felt a hand pressing it down.
"No... don't move," a somewhat halting voice sounded from above.
"Okay," Luke replied.
He decided to continue playing dead.
The Black Lake was quite large, and it took over ten minutes to reach the shore. When Luke's feet touched solid ground again, his dizzy head finally cleared.
"The aftereffects are quite strong," he muttered.
Hermione continued to support Luke because he almost fell to the ground when he first landed. Meanwhile, the trio who had lost their numbness also made their way to the shore.
Malfoy's blond hair was disheveled, and his hands were still trembling. He looked at Luke, who gave him a faint smile, with fear in his eyes.
"Don't come near!"
The trio jumped and quickly distanced themselves from Luke's sight. Malfoy, still shaky, even stumbled and fell during their escape.
"This is boring," Luke remarked, shaking his head. He turned to Hermione, whose lips were curled up slightly. "Let's go. It's time for the sorting ceremony."
"I hope we both get into the same house!" Hermione expressed her wish.
However, the likelihood of this happening was slim. Luke was headed to Slytherin, and Hermione was unlikely to be sorted there. In fact, Luke thought it would be best if Hermione ended up in Ravenclaw, as she had a love for learning.
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