In the days before school started, Andy didn't continue practicing magic. Instead, he spent time with his family and had two great days with Isabel.
September 1st.
Andy slept in as usual but was jolted awake by Helen's angry voice and forcibly dragged out of bed by his little sister, Isabel.
Walking downstairs in his pajamas, Andy greeted his family with sleepy eyes: "Good morning."
"Andy, you can't keep doing this," Kyle remarked, having already finished his breakfast. "If you keep sleeping in like this at Hogwarts, you'll be late for class."
Sitting dazed at the dining table, Andy patted his face to wake himself up a little. "Don't worry, I brought an alarm clock."
Sleeping in, was Andy's favorite pastime in his previous life, and it had become a habit in this one.
"Being late will be his own fault," Helen said unhappily. "The professors will discipline him." If there was one thing Helen disliked about her son, it was his tendency to oversleep.
After breakfast, Andy showered and changed into clean clothes. He double-checked his packed luggage and carried his suitcase downstairs.
Kyle, who had taken the morning off, sat on the sofa reading the newspaper. This was Andy's first time going to school, and Kyle didn't want to miss such an important moment.
"Didn't Gringotts get robbed?" Andy glanced at the paper. "It's been so long, and the Daily Prophet hasn't reported it yet."
Kyle flipped through the newspaper with a knowing tone. "That, son, is the power of gold Galleons."
Cornelius Fudge had become Minister of Magic just last year, largely supported by Dumbledore, making him seem like Dumbledore's puppet. Andy couldn't help but wonder if Dumbledore had made a mistake.
Suddenly thinking of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Andy pondered whether Dumbledore was getting too old. After all, he was over 100 years old. In the Muggle world, people retired at 60, yet Dumbledore still insisted on working. What perseverance!
After lingering at home until after 10 o'clock, Andy and his family of four took the Knight Bus to King's Cross Station. The Knight Bus was an exciting experience, feeling more like a rollercoaster ride as it sped through mountains and fields.
Once they arrived at the station, Andy and his family approached the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. With Isabel's hand in hers, Helen followed Andy and Kyle through the magical barrier.
The other side revealed a completely different world—one that the Muggles could never imagine existed alongside their own.
The Hogwarts Express, an old-fashioned crimson steam train from the Victorian era, looked more nostalgic than fast. Andy couldn't imagine how it could be considered an "express" train.
The platform was packed with parents sending their children off to school. The crowd was dressed in all sorts of peculiar outfits, and Andy noticed some wizards even brought pets, including one round-faced boy with a toad. Who brings a toad as a pet? Andy thought incredulously.
"Hurry up and get on the train," Helen urged. "There should still be plenty of empty compartments."
"Remember to write when you arrive!" she added.
"Got it! Goodbye, Dad, Mom, Isa. See you at Christmas."
Andy waved goodbye to his family, flicked his wand at his suitcase, and cast a spell. "Wingardium Leviosa." The suitcase floated, following him onto the train. He walked down the corridor and found an empty compartment.
After settling in, Andy opened the window to say one last goodbye. "You should head back now. I'm going to take a nap—I got up way too early today."
Helen, slightly annoyed, called out, "How long are you going to sleep for? Do you want us to wait for you with empty stomachs?"
Kyle chuckled. "We'll be going now. See you at Christmas."
"Bye, Andy!" Isabel added, looking reluctant. "Make sure you write to me!"
"I will, I promise!" Andy assured her.
Once his family had left, Andy closed the window and dozed off.
Suddenly, the door to his compartment slid open. A brown-haired girl carrying a large suitcase stood at the entrance.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Without waiting for a response, the girl introduced herself: "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. Who are you?"
Caught off guard, Andy replied, "Please, have a seat. I'm the only one here. Oh, and I'm Andy—Andy Collins."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Collins," Hermione said as she moved into the compartment.
"You can just call me Andy," he suggested, watching as she struggled with her heavy suitcase. Without hesitation, he pulled out his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa."
Casting spells had become second nature to Andy after months of practice. His wand was his first solution to any problem.
"That was a perfect Levitation Charm, thank you," Hermione said, sitting across from him. "You can call me Hermione."
Proudly, she continued, "Are you a first-year too?"
Before Andy could respond, Hermione launched into a rapid-fire monologue: "I've been practicing spells at home, and they all worked. My family doesn't know anything about magic, so when I got my letter, I was so surprised but thrilled. I've memorized all the textbooks, of course. I just hope it's enough."
When Andy heard her mention memorizing all the textbooks, he realized he had met his match.
The rumors about Hermione being a know-it-all seemed true after all.
Andy smiled sincerely. "You're amazing. I could never memorize all that. I've just been practicing spells—thousands of times each. I hope that pays off."
(End of Chapter).