"They said they were under the Imperius Curse, but my dad didn't believe it at all," said Ron. "He said that Malfoy's father didn't even bother to make excuses and easily sided with the Dark forces."
Hearing that the Malfoy family was connected to the Dark Lord, Harry's face showed disgust, and Hermione looked a bit scared.
The little witch came from a society governed by law.
In her opinion, the Malfoy family was like street bullies, always picking on ordinary people.
She was afraid that the Malfoy family might cause trouble for them and didn't want Ivan to be dragged into it either. "It's okay," Ivan said with a smile. "Hogwarts is the 'safest' place in all of England.
There, the power of the Malfoy family is meaningless."
As for Lucius Malfoy being a school governor?
That meant nothing.
Everyone in England knew that Hogwarts was Dumbledore's domain. Only someone like Malfoy, spoiled by his parents, would think he could do whatever he wanted at Hogwarts. "Exactly!" Ron added. "Ivan's so strong, he beat Malfoy and his goons in just a few moves.
They should be the ones afraid of him."
Ivan's effortless handling of Malfoy and his friends made Ron like him even more.
"No fighting!"
Hermione interrupted firmly. "We should follow Hogwarts' rules, study hard, and go to the teachers when we have problems, instead of solving things in such a barbaric way."
After that, Hermione looked at Ron with a wary expression, worried that Ivan might be led astray by this rude barbarian.
She had already decided to keep her distance from Ron.
And to protect Ivan, too.
Hermione felt that it was her duty to shield Ivan from bad influences.
Malfoy's words, while cruel, weren't entirely wrong.
As the saying goes, "If you associate with red, you will be red; if you associate with black, you will be black."
Hermione had already labeled Ron as "stupid, a poor student, and reckless" and was determined not to let Ivan befriend someone like that. "..."
Ron and Harry were both taken aback by Hermione's words.
One of them had lived in a cupboard under the stairs all his life, and the other had only received basic family education before turning 11.
How could they possibly understand Hermione's mindset?
"Is she your girlfriend?"
Ron asked, looking at Ivan for help, and even Harry glanced at Ivan with a pleading look.
They just couldn't keep up with Hermione's way of thinking and didn't understand her idea of being a good student.
"What?!"
Hermione jumped up, her face turning red as she glared at Ron fiercely.
"The train will arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, and we will take you to the school."
At this moment, the train began to announce its arrival at the station.
"Ivan, we should head back."
Hermione, who was still flustered from being called "girlfriend," quickly grabbed Ivan's hand and prepared to leave. Before going, she reminded him, "You should also change into your wizard robes quickly—don't wait until we're getting off the train to rush."
Ivan gave Harry and Ron a helpless look before returning to his compartment with Hermione, leaving Harry and Ron staring at each other.
"I think they might be a couple."
Ron munched on a candy, and Harry nodded. "Ivan really is amazing."
Not only was he skilled in magic, but he also had a girlfriend.
Although the two boys didn't fully understand what a girlfriend was, they knew it was cool to have one.
"And Ivan is so unlucky."
Ron said with frustration, "That Miss Know-It-All with the big front teeth—she looked at us just now like we were idiots."
Harry actually wanted to point out that Hermione only treated Ron like an idiot and had been quite kind to him.
But Ron was Harry's first friend, and he didn't want to risk damaging their friendship.
"Aren't you two done yet?"
At some point, Hermione had reappeared outside the carriage. She seemed to have overheard Ron calling her "Miss Know-It-All" and was now staring at him coldly.
"I forgot to ask—are you both ready for the Hogwarts entrance test? It'll determine which house we get sorted into."
Hearing this, not only Ron but even Harry's expression changed suddenly.
Especially Ron, who had been frightened by his brothers before coming to Hogwarts.
For a moment, Harry felt so nervous that his stomach churned, and he noticed that Ron's face had gone pale beneath his freckles.
The two hurriedly stuffed the remaining candies into their pockets and started changing.
"What's wrong with them?"
Ivan, who had already changed into his wizard robes, saw Hermione return and noticed the anxious looks on Harry and Ron's faces. He didn't understand what was going on.
"Nothing."
Hermione hadn't intended to scare them, though even she was a little nervous herself. "Ivan, do you know what the entrance test is?"
"This."
Ivan nodded with a smile. "I've heard a bit about it."
"What is it? Is it hard?"
Hermione hadn't expected Ivan to actually know. "Where did you learn it? I looked through Hogwarts: A History, but the details of the Sorting Ceremony were only briefly mentioned."
Ivan understood the vagueness surrounding the ceremony—it was just the adult wizards having some fun.
"With your ability, Hermione, you should be thinking more about which house you want to be in, rather than worrying about passing."
The two had discussed this before. Ivan wasn't particularly concerned, while Hermione was torn between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.
"What about you, Ivan?"
"I'm fine with either."
Ivan didn't want to interfere with the Sorting Ceremony, which only happens once in a lifetime. If this experience were influenced by scheming or manipulation, it would taint his journey at Hogwarts.
Therefore, Ivan's mindset was relaxed—he would let the Sorting Hat decide.
Whatever the outcome, Ivan was ready to accept it.
"My gran wants me to be in Gryffindor," said Neville, who had been quietly following behind the two like a shadow. "But I just hope I pass the Sorting Ceremony. As long as I don't end up in Slytherin, I'll be fine."
The train slowed down and finally came to a stop.
The young wizards pushed and jostled as they rushed to the door and stepped out onto a small, dark platform.
The cold night air made everyone shiver. Hermione subconsciously moved closer to Ivan, as if being near him would make her feel warmer.
"First-year students! First-years, over here!"
"Harry, come on, are you okay?"
Accompanied by a booming voice from the front, Ivan and Hermione looked up.
A towering, bearded man holding a large oil lamp stood before them. It was Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.