Now, how many chapters will the Chamber of Secrets have?
Now, let's get into Chapter 21.
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September 1, 1992, Hogwarts Express
Leo and Hermione had finished their farewells with their parents, and the train had already started moving. Their compartment was occupied only by Leo and Hermione. Then, there was a knock on the door. When it opened, a red-haired girl stood there.
"Is this seat free? Would it be okay if I joined you?"
"No problem."
"Yes, it's fine."
With their consent, the girl took her seat. Hermione recognized her.
"You, you were with Ron at Diagon Alley, right? Ron's sister, I presume? I'm Hermione Granger, a second-year Gryffindor, just like Ron and the other Weasley brothers. And this is..."
"Leonard Taylor, a second-year Ravenclaw."
"You two are Hermione Granger and Leonard Taylor, huh? I'm the youngest of the Weasley family, named Ginevra but call me Ginny. I've heard a lot about both of you from Ron. Hermione, you're the brightest student in the year, and Leonard, well, Ron says you're just a bookworm.. But I think he's just jealous, so don't mind him."
"A bright student, huh... Leo is much better than me, though. But Ron, he's still saying things like that, huh?"
"It's not like I really care about what he says."
"Leonard seems mature. I wish Ron would learn a thing or two. This year, I'm starting at Hogwarts, and there are so many things I want to ask about, like the sorting and the houses. I hope I get into Gryffindor."
They went on to discuss various aspects of life at Hogwarts. It seemed that she was nervous, probably due to starting school. They bought snacks from the trolley, ate some of Ferris's special box lunch, and time passed.
After finishing lunch and some time had passed, the compartment door opened again. In the doorway stood the mischievous twins from Gryffindor, the Weasley twins. Fred and George, if Leo remembered correctly.
"Ginny, we found you! Never thought we'd find our dear Gryffindor genius and her mentor here."
"I thought Harry and Ron were with you for sure."
"George!"
Ginny's face turned bright red as she shouted at one of the twins.
"I see, so this is George, and that's Fred."
"Well, nice to meet you, Leonard Taylor. I'm Fred, and this is my partner..."
"George. Okay, let's give the genius a problem to solve! Can you answer it?"
The twins left the compartment, only to return seconds later, grinning ear to ear.
"So, which one is which?"
Leo promptly answered, to their astonishment.
"The one on the right is Fred, and the one on the left is George."
The twins were taken aback, they clearly hadn't expected an immediate correct answer.
"What!? Are you serious!? One more time!"
They repeated their antics more than a dozen times, but Leo provided the correct answer every single time.
"How did you know? Even Our Mom gets it wrong sometimes..."
"The quality of magic varies from person to person, you see. It's the same for family members, siblings, it doesn't change. So once you've learned it, it's clear as day, Mr. Fred."
"Ah, You win. You truly are Leonard Taylor. By the way, you can just call us Fred and George. We're already friends! But we won't lose next time! This year, you better watch out for unfortunate accidents in the corridors! See ya!"
The twins made their ominous remarks and left the compartment.
"Sorry about my twins. I think they've taken a liking to you, Leonard. You're bound to be their target for pranks this year."
"Well, I am interested in what kind of pranks they'll pull. If I can learn something from them, it's all good."
"Leo can handle the twins with ease, so don't worry. But I wonder where Harry and Ron are even the twins didn't seem to know. I wonder what's going on?"
After that, various members of the study group came by to greet Leo. The twins tried to play a prank but were promptly escorted away by the Prefect Percy Weasley. The atmosphere was lively, and the train continued its journey.
Leo had noticed some magical formulas in Ginny's bag that he'd never seen before, but he decided not to look too closely. After all, there must be some private items in there.
Before they knew it, they arrived at Hogsmeade Station.
"First-years, over here. Follow me."
Since Hagrid was imprisoned in Azkaban, it seemed that Professor McGonagall was now responsible for escorting the first-years. The steep mountain path had been paved, making it much easier to walk.
Leo and Hermione parted ways with Ginny and traveled by carriage.
"There are no horses pulling this carriage, huh? Is it powered by magic?"
"They're pulled by Thestrals. Thestrals are a type of winged horse that can only be seen by those who have witnessed death. They're a rare breed, so let's observe them closely. Hermione, would you like to see?"
"Well, I'm a little scared, but I'd like to see. But how do you witness death?"
"It's not necessary for the observer to do anything. You just need to modify the Thestrals themselves. Their recognition-inhibiting magic activates based on whether or not the observer recognizes death."
Leo touched the Thestrals and released their recognition inhibitions. Immediately, Hermione could see the Thestrals clearly. They had black fur, skeletal bodies, and wings. Even with the inhibitions released, they behaved calmly, pulling the carriage. Leo continued to observe them carefully until the carriage arrived at Hogwarts.
The sorting ceremony was conducted as usual, and the Sorting Hat's magic was as strong and enchanting as ever. However, Leo noticed some slight differences in the Hat's song. It seemed to change slightly every year.
After the sorting was done, the feast began. Leo ate to his heart's content, and during the meal, he heard rumors. Apparently, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had arrived in a flying car and crashed into the Whomping Willow. They hadn't been seen on the train, and it seemed like quite a dramatic arrival. Perhaps they missed the train, but couldn't they have found another way?
At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy was making a fuss, claiming that Potter was expelled, among other things, and ridiculing Gryffindor once again. He never seemed to get tired of it.
The feast ended, and it was time for the headmaster's speech. Since there was no Philosopher's Stone this year, only basic precautions were mentioned. The introduction of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was also made. Gilderoy Lockhart stood up to give his speech. Just that alone had most of the female students cheering, while almost all the male students, a few female students, and the entire staff watched him with skeptical looks, smiling politely during his introduction.
Leo, unlike other students, headed in a different direction, towards his study room. It had been cleaned as if someone had tidied it up only moments ago, probably the house-elves. He appreciated it.
School would start tomorrow, but he wondered what kind of year it would be. With these thoughts, he fell asleep in his bed.
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Leo became friends with the Weasley twins! (Except for Ron.)
The twins have many things in common with Leo, such as creating original magical objects.
Ginny thinks Ron is in the wrong side because he keeps making nasty comments.
Although Percy and Leo don't interact much, Percy has a favorable impression of Leo, who is a model student and famous for his various research.
If Ginny hadn't taken Tom's diary out of her bag, the Chamber of Secrets might have ended right here.
Hagrid's imprisonment had some impact, albeit small.
So, stay tuned for the next chapter.