Hermione and Neville had probably walked the entire length of the train but still hadn't found the escaped toad.
Fortunately, Neville had moved on from the sadness of losing his pet—though perhaps not entirely, as he was still somewhat downcast, but at least he had stopped crying.
When Hermione entered the compartment and saw a pile of snacks on the table, she was surprised and asked, "What are these?"
"A lady selling snacks came by earlier," Wade explained, gesturing to the assortment. "Look, I bought a lot—strawberry cream jellies, chocolate balls, pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, and fruit pastes. Let's dig in.
Oh, Neville, would you like to try this mint toad?"
Neville took it, bit into it while saying "Trevor," and his eyes suddenly lit up. "It's really good."
Hermione didn't refuse either. She sat down and took a piece of cake, saying:
"Thanks, I'm hungry too. By the way, you won't believe it, but Harry Potter is in the compartment less than ten meters from us—do you know Harry Potter?"
"Of course. His name is mentioned in 'Significant Magical Events of the 20th Century'," Wade said while unwrapping a chocolate bean.
"But I think it's better not to disturb him—he lost his parents on the night he became a hero. If it were me, I'd rather not have that kind of fame."
Hermione was taken aback. "You—you're right—I hadn't thought of that…"
Neville kept his head down with his hand gripping the mint toad tightening slightly.
The sacrifice and honor of the Potters were world-renowned, but few knew that during that time, Death Eaters had captured and tortured Neville's parents to madness in their search for the missing Voldemort.
The boy kept these dark memories to himself as they all enjoyed their meal.
Wade had initially thought that there would be plenty of snacks left over, but after the train had clattered on for a long time, and it was dark outside with no sign of reaching their destination, the snacks on the table were all gone, and the vendor was nowhere to be seen. They still hadn't had dinner.
"Hogwarts isn't in England, is it?" Hermione said, standing up angrily. "I'm going to the front of the train to ask the driver when we'll get there."
"Let's go together."
This time, Wade stood up as well. He was curious about the driver, who might only work four times a year, and wondered who was doing this job.
Neville followed too, hoping to continue his search for his pet.
The train driver was an unremarkable man with brown hair, a pipe in his mouth, and a face covered in stubble. He had a good temper.
In response to the three young wizards' "inquiries," he cheerfully answered, "Don't worry, we're almost there. You'll have dinner in Hogwarts Castle."
Hermione was satisfied and headed back.
As they passed through various compartments, Wade casually observed, noting unfamiliar faces.
He recognized the Weasley twins—they had a very lively compartment, and from a distance, the sound of cheering and laughter was clearly audible. It was unclear what amusing antics they were up to.
Before they reached the compartment, they suddenly heard a scream. Three kids stumbled down the aisle, one of whom, a blond boy, shoved Neville aside and shouted, "Move! Get out of the way!"
"Hey!" Hermione called out in frustration, stomping her foot. "Rude guys!"
Wade reached out to steady Neville, who had nearly fallen.
"Thank you," Neville said gratefully.
Wade shook his head and said to Hermione, "You go change into your robes first. We'll wait outside."
Hermione nodded, swallowing her anger, and stomped off to the compartment. After locking the door and drawing the curtain, she quickly changed. Then it was Neville's turn. The three of them had just finished stowing their belongings when the driver's voice echoed through the train—
[We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train; we'll take it to the school for you.]
The train slowed down and stopped at the platform. Hundreds of students poured out like bees from a hive, and the dark, small platform was crowded with heads.
Hermione and Neville followed closely behind Wade, and their faces were slightly pale.
"First-year students! First-year students, follow me! Watch your step!" A tall man holding a lantern shouted in a booming voice.
Wade and the others pushed through the crowd, noticing that the older students headed in another direction. No one dared to question Hagrid's massive figure, which loomed large in the grounds.
They followed a dark path through the trees and finally saw a majestic castle in the distance. Countless windows glowed with light, reflected in the mirror-like surface of the lake, making the castle appear even more grand and magnificent.
"Wow—" the first-years exclaimed in awe in unison.
Under Hagrid's guidance, they boarded small boats and crossed the Black Lake, arriving at the base of the castle. Hagrid even found Neville's toad on one of the boats. Neville was overjoyed to receive his precious toad, while Hagrid knocked three times on the castle's large doors.
The doors swung open, and Professor McGonagall, with a stern expression, stood at the entrance.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said.
.........
The Sorting Ceremony began.
Hogwarts has four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. The Sorting Hat, which talks, sorts students based on their talents and qualities, a fact Wade already knew from his past life.
After eleven years in this world, he had forgotten many of the details from the books or movies. However, upon realizing he was in the Harry Potter world, he made an effort to recall and remember many memorable scenes, documenting them in his own unique way.
Before the sorting, Wade had carefully considered which house he would join—the Sorting Hat, while valuing talent, also took the students' preferences into account.
First of all, he ruled out Slytherin—his parents are not wizards, and Slytherin, which values bloodline and heritage, might lead to him being ostracized by other students. Although Wade wasn't afraid of teenage kids, he wasn't interested in taking on such a challenging situation.
Gryffindor?
After much deliberation, Wade decided against it.
With Harry Potter there, Gryffindor would be the center of attention and turmoil, with all eyes focused on them. Moreover, in the story, most Gryffindors seemed a bit reckless. They were easily swayed by rumors and isolated and excluded the faultless Harry Potter, leaving a bad impression on Wade.
Similarly, Ravenclaw also seemed to have had incidents of bullying, with students mocking and teasing their peers (like Luna Lovegood).
Hufflepuff, on the other hand, would not have such issues. Although most Hufflepuff students may have average grades, they are sincere, kind, and trustworthy. So what if people considered them fools? Wade believed his intelligence wouldn't change based on the house he was in.
With his decision made, Wade appeared more composed compared to those young witches and wizards who feared battling trolls.
After the Sorting Hat sang a song, Professor McGonagall took out a long list and began calling out names, sorting each new student into their respective houses.
Some were quickly sorted, while others took a moment to decide. Suddenly, Wade heard a familiar name—
"Hermione Granger!" Professor McGonagall announced.
Hermione hurried over and quickly put on the hat.
A moment later, the Sorting Hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"
There was a burst of enthusiastic applause from the Gryffindor table.
Then—
"Wade Grey!"
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