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*****
"The history of basilisks is ancient, and the Ministry of Magic banned their breeding long ago. That's why most books don't mention it, but that doesn't mean they don't exist," the girl tilted her head and answered.
"It's like the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Wizards don't believe this magical creature exists, but my father was lucky enough to see one in Sweden," she continued.
"What's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack?" Colin asked, his face full of curiosity.
The girl explained, "It's a magical creature with long, twisted horns, but it can't fly."
"Alright, that sounds like a Nundu," George interjected, realizing he had figured out the girl's identity—Luna Lovegood.
Her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, was the editor of The Quibbler magazine, and her mother, Pandora Lovegood, had tragically died when Luna was nine while experimenting with spells.
This made it clear to George that without a solid foundation in magical theory, creating new spells could be incredibly dangerous.
Luna's vast knowledge came from her upbringing, so what she said about the eagle-owl was probably true. However, the Crumple-Horned Snorkack was something he knew Xenophilius had made up to amuse his daughter. The so-called Crumple-Horned Snorkack was actually a Nundu, and its horns were notorious for being explosive.
"There's a seat here. Let me help you put your luggage on the rack," George said, standing up and offering to help Luna place her bags on the overhead shelf.
"Thank you, I'm Luna Lovegood," she replied.
Luna had an interest in the eagle-owl, so she didn't refuse George's help. But seeing how slim he was, she was surprised at how effortlessly he lifted her luggage onto the high shelf.
"You're really strong!" she exclaimed.
After Luna sat down, the three of them resumed their conversation. Mostly, it was Colin, curious as always, asking questions while Luna answered. George stayed quiet, only chiming in when something piqued his interest.
The long whistle of the train echoed through the station as it prepared to depart.
Just then, the sliding door of the compartment opened. A girl with thick, fiery red hair, bright brown eyes, and a face as cute as a porcelain doll walked in.
"Is this seat taken?" she asked, pointing to the seat next to Luna. "Everywhere else is full."
"No, you can sit here," Luna replied with a warm smile.
The girl visibly relaxed at Luna's words. Thanks to her brothers' forgetfulness (though she wouldn't admit that she had nearly forgotten her magical notebook herself), she had boarded the train at the last minute.
"Little Ginny, we're here to help!" Two identical red-haired twin boys entered the compartment, laughing as they helped their sister with her luggage.
After some playful teasing and being shooed away by their annoyed sister, the twins left, still goofing around.
"Hi, everyone! I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley," the girl introduced herself confidently once the chaos subsided. She wasn't shy, except when Harry was around.
"Luna Lovegood," Luna said.
"Colin Creevey," Colin added.
"George," George said with a nod.
"George? You have the same name as one of my brothers—he was one of the twins who just helped me. George Weasley," Ginny said, intrigued. "What's your last name?"
"Just call me George," he replied with a smile, not offering further explanation.
Though their names sounded the same, George knew there was a fundamental difference between him and George Weasley.
George Weasley's name, in fact, had a different story behind it. He was often assumed to share his full name with the infamous prankster from the Weasley family, but this was not the case. His real name was Zhi Qiao—last name Qiao, first name Zhi (meaning "to govern"). His father had named him with the hope that one day, George would grow up to be a leader, governing with wisdom and fairness. But because he felt the name "Zhi Qiao" sounded awkward when introduced in casual settings, he chose to go by "George," which had a familiar and comfortable ring to it in everyday interactions.
"How many brothers do you have, Ginny?" Colin suddenly asked, trying to shift the conversation. He sensed that George, as an orphan, might not want to share too much about his family background.
Ginny didn't think too much of it and cheerfully held up her hands, bending down four fingers.
"I've got six older brothers! Bill works as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts in Egypt, Charlie's in Romania handling dragons, Percy's in his sixth year, and George and Fred—you just saw them—they're in their fourth year. And then there's Ron."
"That's a lot!" Colin and Luna's eyes widened at the thought of so many siblings. Such a large family was rare, not just in wizarding households but even among Muggles.
As Ginny talked, George shifted his gaze away from her luggage and mused to himself. If all wizarding families had as many children as the Weasleys, wizards might have already taken over the world, leaving no place for Muggles.
The train whistled as it finally began to move, departing King's Cross Station and speeding through the fields, heading toward Scotland.
This was the first time any of them had traveled so far from home, and the destination—Hogwarts—was nothing short of legendary. Even Luna, the quietest of the group, felt the excitement bubbling inside her, and so their conversation carried on without pause.
However, as the discussion turned more personal—about their childhoods and families—George gradually withdrew from the conversation. He opened a book and began to read quietly, letting the others chat.
Around half-past twelve, a smiling witch with dimples slid open the compartment door and asked, "Anything off the trolley, dears? We've got Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands..."
Faced with a cart full of magical sweets, the three of them shook their heads in unison.
Colin, coming from a Muggle family, didn't have much money to spare—he had already spent all his remaining savings on his magical camera. Ginny, though from a pure-blood family, faced financial struggles. Her father had been disowned by his family for being too fond of Muggles and their artifacts, and the entire household relied on her father's meager salary from the Ministry of Magic. With so many children to care for, and the extra burden of buying expensive Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks this year, most of her school supplies were second-hand, leaving no extra money for treats. As for Luna, while she wasn't short of money, she didn't seem particularly interested in sweets.
"I'll take one of each, thanks," George said, standing up and handing over twelve silver Sickles and five bronze Knuts to the trolley witch. He took one of everything and placed it on the table.
"By the way, Ginny, you mentioned earlier that you know a hex called the Bat-Bogey Hex. Would you mind teaching me sometime?" George asked, sliding a quarter of the snacks toward her. Ginny's eyes lit up, and she eagerly nodded.
"Of course! That's one of my best spells. Even Fred and George have fallen victim to it."
"Luna, I'd like to ask you about some magical creatures," George continued, pushing another quarter of the treats toward Luna.
Luna smiled softly and nodded, not refusing the offer.
Finally, George set aside his portion and slid the remaining quarter toward Colin.
"Think you could take a magical photo of me sometime? I'd like to have something to remember this by."
(End of Chapter)