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"Magical alchemy, I definitely need to study it thoroughly in the future."
In less than twenty minutes, the magical car stopped outside King's Cross Station. Declining Tonks' offer to escort him inside, George pushed his trolley while thinking to himself.
The journey from the Leaky Cauldron to King's Cross hadn't gone smoothly, as they hit traffic. However, the car from the Ministry of Magic was clearly enhanced with high-level spatial magic. Aldo pressed a button, and the car seemed to compress itself, easily squeezing through gaps between cars that were barely wide enough for a person.
The magic of this world is amazing, and the magical items crafted through alchemy are equally astonishing.
Once George masters magical alchemy, he could transform the mutant school into a wondrous magical castle, similar to Hogwarts. Without his permission, no ordinary person would be able to breach it.
"Ninth and Three-Quarters Station."
Arriving at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, George pushed his trolley straight toward it.
Then something miraculous happened. It felt as though he and the trolley were passing through a transparent curtain of water, entering the platform without any hindrance.
The scene shifted, revealing a very unique platform before him.
The most eye-catching sight was the deep red steam engine with the sign that read: "Hogwarts Express, Departure at 11 o'clock."
George had read about this magical train in special history books.
If he wanted to fully understand the magic of this world and navigate the wizarding community with ease, mastering magical history was crucial.
Many magical spells and methods for breaking enchantments could be found in history.
That's why he spent time every day studying various historical books he had bought.
The Hogwarts Express was built in the early 19th century, a joint effort between a Muggle engineer, many Muggle railway workers, and most of the wizards from the Ministry of Magic at the time.
This magical railway was also the largest use of memory charms and Muggle-repelling spells in history.
It all started when the then-Minister for Magic, Ottaline Gambol, felt that using Portkeys to transport young wizards to Hogwarts was unsafe and uncomfortable. Every year, several students were lost due to improper Portkey use.
Inspired by Muggle steam trains, she initiated the construction of the Hogwarts Express and the long railway route.
It is said that this move was met with protests from some pureblood families, but the Minister quelled the opposition by declaring that if they refused to take the train, they wouldn't be admitted to Hogwarts.
The magical steam engine travels between Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station in London and Hogsmeade Station six times a year.
There's one trip for the start of term on September 1st, four trips for Christmas and Easter, and one at the end of term in June.
At this moment, thick smoke from the steam engine filled the air above the platform. Since George had arrived early, there weren't many young wizards or their families present yet, making the station quiet.
Pushing his trolley into the carriage marked for first years, George found an empty compartment, quickly stored his luggage on the overhead rack, and placed the cage holding his owl, Paige, in the corner by his side.
"Sleep well and don't screech, or you'll scare the young wizards coming later."
After giving Paige a quick instruction, George pulled out a book titled On the Importance of Basic Magical Theory and began reading intently.
The trip from London to Hogwarts would take about five to six hours, and he didn't want to waste any time.
As time passed, more and more witches and wizards of all sizes appeared on the platform, accompanied by various magical pets. Inside the train, young wizards began to fill the carriages.
"Wow, is this your pet? That's one big owl!"
A small boy with a magical camera hanging around his neck was pushing his trolley past George's compartment when he was drawn in by the sight of the huge owl, Paige. Unable to resist, he entered the compartment.
He placed his luggage in the corner, picked up his magical camera, and excitedly snapped a few photos. Then, he introduced himself to George.
"Hi, I'm Colin Creevey."
"Just call me George," George replied.
He glanced at the boy and smiled, nodding. The name sounded familiar—Colin was a huge fan of Harry Potter, known for constantly taking pictures of his idol.
"George, I—"
Colin, full of energy and quite the chatterbox, sat down next to George without hesitation and began talking non-stop.
George, seeing no way around it, put away his book and indulged him in conversation for a while.
Through their chat, George learned that Colin came from a Muggle family and had a younger brother named Dennis Creevey.
Colin loved photography, and when he saw the magical camera in Diagon Alley, he spent the money meant for buying a pet on the camera instead.
His biggest hero was none other than Harry Potter, whom he'd read about in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, and Great Magical Events of the Twentieth Century. Despite being only a year older than him, Harry had defeated the notorious Dark Lord, Voldemort, whom the wizarding world feared.
"By the way, George, I've been talking so much, but you haven't said anything about yourself," Colin suddenly realized.
Not wanting to prolong the conversation, George smiled and replied, "I'm an orphan. Never met my parents, and I have no family, so there's not much to tell."
Colin froze for a moment, a look of sympathy flashing across his face. Quickly, he changed the subject. "Oh! Your owl is so big. What does it usually eat?"
"That's a Eurasian eagle-owl," came a dreamy voice from the compartment doorway before George could answer.
Both George and Colin turned to see a small girl with silver eyes and dark golden-brown hair. Her skin was pale, her large eyes unfocused, giving her an ethereal, slightly odd appearance.
"Eurasian eagle-owls usually live in regions across Europe, Asia, and Africa," she continued. "They prefer mountainous forests, plains, wilderness, forest edges, and scrublands. They also inhabit barren highlands and cliffs. Their diet consists mainly of field mice, hares, and pheasants, but they sometimes eat frogs, snakes, and lizards.
It's said that this type of owl is one of the few creatures immune to the gaze of a basilisk. The other is the legendary phoenix."
George was startled and looked at the girl in surprise. "An eagle-owl immune to a basilisk's stare? I don't recall reading anything like that in my research."
Since he had chosen an eagle-owl as his pet, George had thoroughly researched the species, and everything the girl said matched his findings—except for that last part.
However, the validity of that final piece of information was crucial. This year, a basilisk would indeed appear at Hogwarts—a thousand-year-old one, no less.
He couldn't afford not to confirm it.
(End of Chapter)