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*****
In front of the door, the bustling crowd at King's Cross Station surged, while behind it, the red locomotive hissed and whistled with steam!
A wall separated two different worlds!
After passing through the magical barrier, the world transformed.
*[Hogwarts Express, 11:00 AM]*
A sign hung from the steam engine, and on one of the columns, it read "Platform 9."
The locomotive's thick smoke swirled above the crowd, and various colorful little cats darted around people's feet.
Harry opened the cage, and Hedwig hopped to the cage's edge. With a powerful push, she spread her wide wings and took flight.
"Tired of being in the cage, Hedwig?"
After circling above the station, Hedwig landed on Harry's arm, standing proudly and striking an impressive pose.
The little cats were startled. Hedwig radiated the aura of a superior predator. Trained by Harry to hunt foxes, rabbits, and squirrels, Hedwig was fierce and far from the typical pet or messenger. She enjoyed being with Harry, who never confined her to a corner but instead took her running, flying, and hunting.
People turned their attention to the majestic snowy owl. Compared to her peers, Hedwig stood out significantly.
And so did her owner.
Harry wore a short-sleeve fitted T-shirt and a sleeveless leather jacket, with a protective arm guard made of horsehide on his left arm. Despite Hedwig's sharp and strong talons, the arm guard still allowed him to feel her power. His short, stylish hair, healthy tan skin, and athletic build made both him and Hedwig exceptionally striking.
Some knowledgeable wizards noticed his black dragon-hide backpack, which was clearly not cheap.
More importantly, Harry carried two wands—one black and one white—causing quite a stir.
Hogwarts had never seen a student like this before, and such talent was clearly evident.
Harry was accustomed to being observed. After winning the boxing match, the cheers and applause from the crowd had been much more intense. Many older girls had shown interest, though they could only admire from a distance.
At 10:30 AM, Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express. As he disappeared into the train, whispers about him began circulating in the crowd.
"That's Harry Potter!"
A little girl exclaimed to her mother.
"My dad is an Auror. He said Harry even saved Captain Jayson and helped knock out the Erumpent!"
"That's so cool!"
"Can I get his autograph later, Mom?" The little girl gazed dreamily, as if imagining a fairy tale where she held hands with a prince.
But Harry was unaware of all this.
There were still plenty of empty seats in the carriage. Harry chose a compartment that was unoccupied and sat down. He reached into his dragon-hide bag for some treats for Hedwig—crispy mouse snacks that he had prepared himself. White mice were easy to buy, clean, and hygienic.
After giving Hedwig a few strokes, Harry took out his wand maintenance toolkit. Mr. Ollivander had advised him to take good care of his wands, and Harry was determined to do so. Though the wands resembled firearms in appearance, their maintenance was quite different. Disassembling them for upkeep wasn't possible, but applying protective magical oils and cleaning the wand's mechanism was.
Following the detailed instructions, Harry diligently maintained his wands, making the ebony and ivory gleam even more after the upkeep.
As he worked the mechanism, he noticed someone nearby intently watching his hands—or rather, his wands.
"Hello," Harry greeted.
"Sorry, hello,"
The onlooker, who was a girl, smiled apologetically at Harry. "Are these all yours?"
She pointed at the ebony and ivory wands with a look of curiosity.
"Yes," Harry nodded, "Ebony and ivory."
"They're beautiful, and you have two wands! Mine is this one."
The girl showed a small Smith & Wesson M36 revolver, its silver body and compact black J-shaped grip making it ideal for someone with smaller hands.
The onlooker was a girl with a head of fluffy, thick hair and two shiny front teeth that gave her a somewhat beaver-like appearance.
"Hermione Granger,"
The girl introduced herself as she pulled her suitcase along.
"Harry Potter."
Harry shook hands with Hermione.
"Indeed! I didn't mistake you. You're Harry! Did you know that everyone in the magical world is talking about you? I've seen at least five or six books about you. You defeated the Dark Lord! It's unbelievable. Who survives the Killing Curse? I never expected to see you in person."
Hermione's rapid-fire speech left Harry momentarily stunned. Her forwardness and curiosity, though not the most charming, were certainly interesting.
"May I sit here?" Hermione asked, pointing to the seat opposite Harry.
"Of course. Would you like me to help with your suitcase?"
"Thank you so much!"
Harry didn't mind Hermione's chattering. In this Hallelujah world of J.K. Rowling, he had no intention of forming a Gryffindor ruckus squad, and he didn't plan to join Gryffindor, either. His journey with Hermione was likely to end with the Hogwarts Express.
The heavy suitcase was easily lifted and placed on the luggage rack, revealing Harry's well-defined abs as he did so. When he sat back down, he noticed Hermione's cheeks had reddened a bit.
However, he wasn't interested in future romantic prospects; he believed in maintaining propriety. "Your owl is really beautiful. Does she have a name?"
Looking at Hedwig, who was munching on mouse treats, Hermione's eyes held a hint of envy. "I bought a lot of the basic textbooks, so I didn't get a pet. If I could, I'd love to have a cat. Hogwarts should allow cats, right?"
"I think so. There are a lot of cats at the station, so many must belong to students."
"Her name is Hedwig. She's a snowy owl," Harry said, petting Hedwig. The little owl rubbed her head against Harry's palm.
"But how do you have two wands? Aren't you supposed to have just one?"
Hermione's curiosity was boundless.
"Well, it's a bit of a mystery. Mr. Ollivander chose them for me. Wands choose wizards, and they both chose me."
"Ebony and ivory," Harry said, twirling his wands before placing them back into their holsters.
Though both Harry and Hermione were relatively new to the magical world, they found plenty to talk about. Most of their conversation revolved around questions and answers, often involving consulting books. Before long, the Hogwarts Express whistled loudly, signaling its imminent departure. The remaining young witches and wizards hurried to board, and parents' farewells became more urgent.
As the Hogwarts Express slowly began to move, the whistle grew fainter. The station receded into the distance, and the red steam engine sped out into the vast world beyond.
The train picked up speed, causing the floor to vibrate slightly. The noise in the corridor began to fade as the young wizards settled into their seats and started chatting with their compartment mates.
Hermione, clutching a thick book titled Hogwarts: A History, eagerly talked to Harry about the four Hogwarts Houses. Harry tried to suppress his rising eyebrows. The more he learned, the more the Hogwarts he envisioned in his mind seemed to fragment.
About five minutes after the train started, there was a knock on their compartment door.
A round-faced boy, flushed and sweating, nervously knocked. When Harry and Hermione turned to look, the somewhat plump boy shrank back a little.
But in the end, he gritted his teeth and opened the door, asking with a slight tremor in his voice, "Excuse me, may I sit here? All the other compartments are full, and I can't find a seat."
"Of course, come on in. Just a moment, I'll move Hedwig's seat."
Harry extended his left hand, and Hedwig immediately hopped up. Harry opened the train window, letting in a gust of wind. Hedwig hopped forward against the wind, then took off from the window ledge, spreading her wings.
Though owls might look cute and naive, they are real birds of prey.
"When Hedwig gets tired of playing, she'll tap on the window herself," Harry said, glancing at where Hedwig had been sitting. He then picked up Neville's suitcase. A plump toad tried to make a getaway but was caught by Harry by the little legs.
"Here, your toad. It was trying to escape."
"Lefou!" The boy grabbed the chubby toad and cradled it in his arms. The toad's fat belly seemed to be squeezed, making it look like it might burst at any moment. It was no wonder it tried to run; it must have been quite mischievous.
"If you squeeze too hard, it'll explode."
After placing the suitcase on the rack, Harry poked Lefou's round belly, noting the pleasant texture.
"Oh, oh!" Upon hearing this, Lefou seemed to realize and relaxed a bit. It looked at Harry with its round eyes, as if thanking the stranger for the help.
"I could really go for some spicy bullfrog right now. The tender, chewy meat is a real delicacy."
Lefou's gratitude vanished instantly, and it let out a hoarse cry, hopping back to hide behind its owner. It ended up cowering in the farthest corner of the seat, trembling with its eyes tightly shut.
"Haha." Harry laughed at the toad's comical reaction, "Toads are poisonous and not edible. I was talking about bullfrogs—farmed ones."
Lefou peered out with one eye, as if asking, 'Really?'
"Really. However, toads can produce toad venom, which is a valuable ingredient in potions."
Startled, Lefou toppled over and sprawled out in the corner, playing dead. This made the boy quite anxious.
"Your pet is quite interesting. It's alright," Harry reassured.
"Harry Potter." Harry extended his hand.
The boy seemed startled, quickly extending his hand to shake Harry's. "Neville Longbottom."
He swallowed nervously, his eyes sparkling. "You're the Harry, right? The one everyone talks about?"
"That's me, though the stories are a bit exaggerated. We're really not that different, Neville."
Harry patted Neville's shoulder. There was another child prophesied to be the savior besides him—Neville, who was born just a day after him, also fulfilled all the conditions of the prophecy.
Neville looked at Harry with gratitude. Few people spoke to him in such a manner, and it made him happy.
"This is Hermione. Aren't you going to say hello?"
Harry tapped Neville's shoulder, jolting him into awareness.
"Hello, hello." Neville awkwardly scratched his head and quickly greeted.
(End of Chapter)