**September 1, 1991, King's Cross Station.**
"Remember to pay attention to safety on the road."
"And don't forget to write to grandpa!"
Handing his luggage to Adam, Mr. and Mrs. Robert watched as he boarded the Hogwarts Express.
"I understand. Goodbye, Grandma and Grandpa!"
After waving farewell to his grandparents, Adam patted his suitcase, picked up his lighter luggage, and walked down the aisle. He passed through two cars before finding an unoccupied compartment.
"Phew! I could barely breathe in there!"
As soon as Adam stowed his luggage and sat down, Mark's little head popped out of his pocket.
"Thank you for all your help, Mark... and Sibi."
Adam lifted Mark out of his pocket, cradling him in his arms while scratching under his chin. Mark's eyes narrowed in delight.
After practicing a few spells he learned to pronounce correctly, Adam refrained from experimenting further for fear of mispronouncing a syllable and accidentally summoning something unexpected. He instead focused on the magic from the Clow card.
After all, with the magic stone in his possession, he could cast any spell he learned without worrying about its energy cost.
Now, both Mark and Sibi were imbued with the magic they learned from the Magic and Harmony Cards. To others, they appeared as ordinary kittens, their meows hiding the fact that they were communicating intelligently with Adam.
"I still can't believe wizards have to take a train to school..." Sibi muttered as he flew out of Adam's other pocket, flapping his tiny wings. He landed on the table and looked out the window at the families saying their goodbyes.
"Well, Mark, I just want to double-check. Are you sure the shield spell will work against the Sorting Hat?"
"Relax, Adam. The shield is protective magic, covering both physical and mental defenses."
Mark ruffled his wings as Adam rubbed the base of his feathers.
"To break through the shield, the caster's resolve would have to waver, or the attacker would need magic power far beyond the caster's. Otherwise, the shield is unbreakable."
Adam let out a breath of relief. He had just remembered the Sorting Hat. There were too many things in his mind that he didn't want others to know...
Even though the Sorting Hat, being Godric Gryffindor's, shouldn't use Legilimency on students during the ceremony, what if something went wrong?
Satisfied with Mark's confirmation, Adam relaxed, took a book out of his backpack, and began reading.
He had been engrossed in the book for an unknown amount of time when the compartment door suddenly slid open.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?"
"Sure, there's no one else."
Adam looked up from his book and froze for a moment.
Isn't this Hermione?
She looked exactly like she did in the movie... so is the plot following the film?
Although the differences between the book and movie aren't huge, there are still a few key distinctions in certain details.
Hermione, oblivious to Adam's surprise, moved her luggage in and sat down across from him, exhaling deeply.
"They really need to organize things better outside platform nine and three-quarters. I had to wait a while before I figured out how to get through! If I hadn't seen others walking straight into the wall…"
As she trailed off, Hermione's eyes fell on the book in Adam's hands.
"Oh, are you a senior? Is that this year's textbook? I'm a first-year student. I've read all the books on the list, but I don't remember seeing that one."
Adam smiled and shook his head.
"I hate to disappoint you, but I'm a first-year too."
He held up the book so Hermione could see the cover.
"'One Hundred Household Charms You Must Master'? What's that?"
"It's a collection of spells for daily use—cleaning, fixing things, that sort of stuff."
"Like the Repair Spell? I saw that in *Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1* and tried it on a broken glass at home."
Hermione's eyes lit up, glancing around as though looking for something to fix.
"Yes, the Repair Spell is versatile, but there are times when you need to tweak it for specific situations."
Adam flipped through the pages and pointed out a section.
"Like when floors get damaged by potions. And cleaning spells—there's a general one, but when it comes to delicate things like gowns, you'll need more specialized methods."
"Wow! I never thought of that!"
Hermione's face lit up with excitement.
"What's the name of this book again? 'One Hundred Household Charms You Must Master'... Got it, I'll remember that!"
She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then added, "I really missed a lot by only buying the required textbooks. There were so many other useful books at Flourish and Blotts!"
Before Adam could respond, Hermione's eyes widened as if recalling something.
"Oh! By the way, when I was getting on the train, I heard a few first-years talking about a Sorting Ceremony. Do you know what that's about?"
Adam opened his mouth to answer but quickly paused. He suddenly remembered something important.
"I'm not entirely sure. It seems that parents and older students have kept quiet about the details."
He wasn't trying to be evasive, but he realized if he explained the Sorting Hat, he'd also have to talk about the characteristics of the four houses.
If Hermione learned about Ravenclaw beforehand, she might insist on being sorted there. After all, if the Hat saw her academic ambition, it could be swayed by her personal desire.
But without Hermione in Gryffindor, the trio wouldn't form as it should. Despite the fan joke about "Hermione and her two useless friends," Adam knew how crucial each member of the trio was. Without one, defeating Voldemort might be impossible.
Then again, the prophecy in this world was likely the kind that couldn't be avoided once made. Voldemort would still fall to either Harry or Neville, but the process could become chaotic and unpredictable.
Adam, aware of the plot, knew it was best not to meddle in the savior's business until he had the power to protect himself. It was better to stay on the sidelines for now.
With that thought, Adam gave Hermione a vague response and turned his attention back to his book. Hermione, noticing his focus, respectfully stayed quiet.
After a while, there was a knock on the compartment door. A small boy with a sad expression peered inside.
"Excuse me… Have you seen… my toad? His name is Leif, but I can't find him anywhere..."
Feeling helpful, Hermione jumped up to assist him in searching, while Adam quietly closed the compartment door after they left.
He chuckled to himself.
Just a badger passing through. Savior? Voldemort? Nope, Badger Adam knows nothing.
( End of the chapter )
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