London. King's Cross Station.
"Where exactly is Platform Nine and Three-Quarters? Oh my God, are we going to be late on our very first day?" Hermione asked, her voice tinged with anxiety as she looked around.
As a model student, she could hardly imagine the consequences of being late on the first day of school.
Cro chuckled and patted her on the head. "Can you guess why we can't find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters? Our little genius might have forgotten something."
"Forgotten something? I brought Crookshanks, my spell books... what could I have missed?" Hermione frowned, confused.
"Have you ever considered that Platform Nine and Three-Quarters might not just be a simple name for a place?"
Before Hermione could ask more questions, Cro walked towards Platform 9 with a playful smile.
[Detecting a strong sense of curiosity!]
[Reward: Silver Chest!]
.
[Detecting two strong feelings of confusion!]
[Reward: Two Bronze Chests!]
...
Hearing the system's voice, Cro couldn't help but grin. Over the past two weeks, Hermione and her parents had contributed a fair number of treasure chests. Hermione alone had given him five gold chests and thirteen silver chests. Even the Grangers had added over twenty bronze chests. Though not much, every bit counted!
In those two weeks, Cro hadn't gone back to Diagon Alley for more chests, but thanks to his photographic memory, he had read through most of the books they had bought. He'd even learned a few practical spells, such as the Repairing Charm.
Cro's eyes gleamed with excitement. "System, open my panel!"
[Host: Cro Wells!]
[Professions: Wizard, Dark Wizard, Master of Magical Creatures!]
[Talents: Exceptional Dark Magic Aptitude, Exceptional Transfiguration Aptitude, Exceptional Magical Creature Affinity...]
[Spells: Stupefy Lv1, Tarantallegra Lv1, Expelliarmus Lv1...]
[Pets: Eve, Nagini!]
[Items: Wand, Magical Creature Ball (Nagini), 300 Galleons...]
[Chests: Bronze Chests: 26, Silver Chests: 14, Gold Chests: 5!]
...
"It's not exactly luxurious, but it's more than enough to kick the butts of those little Gryffindors and Slytherins," Cro thought, raising an eyebrow.
"My top priority now is to learn Occlumency. Otherwise, my identity will be too easily exposed. And the best candidate for that..." Cro smirked. "I think Professor Snape would really love to see Lily again, don't you?"
A mischievous grin spread across Cro's face.
"What are you grinning about? Weren't we heading to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters? Why did you stop at Platform Nine..." Hermione's words trailed off as her eyes widened in surprise.
Not far away, several people were pushing their luggage carts straight into the third column between Platforms Nine and Ten. Their round faces and owl cages made them stand out.
"Mhm~ Let's go. If we're late, we might not get a good seat," Cro said, turning and giving Hermione's parents a sincere look.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Hermione. I'd stake my life on making sure she stays safe," Cro said with a half-smile, glancing at Hermione. "After all, she's my... saviour~"
Cro's grin deepened. Don't worry, he thought, in a few years, I'll bring your beloved grandchildren back to visit. Several of them!
...
"Make sure you take care of yourselves at school. If anything happens, don't act rashly—talk it over with each other, and listen to others' opinions," Mrs. Granger said, her voice full of concern.
"Dear, they're just going to school, not heading into battle," Mr. Granger reassured her gently.
"Hermione, Cro, you're both smart kids. Take care of yourselves at school, and if you can, send a letter home every now and then with that, uh... fat chicken."
Eve, sitting in her cage, silently turned her head away, muttering to herself, Not listening, not listening, you old nag!
"Dad, Mom, we're not little kids anymore. We'll be fine," Hermione said with a pout. But after speaking, she couldn't help but throw herself into her parents' arms.
She had never experienced being apart from her parents before. Although her heart was filled with curiosity about the magical world, she also felt the sadness of leaving her family behind.
The Grangers hugged Hermione tightly. Hogwarts wasn't an ordinary school, and as Muggles, it was a luxury for them even to visit their daughter there.
Cro took hold of their luggage carts, standing quietly nearby, watching the touching scene unfold.
"Alright, you're a big girl now. Cro is waiting for you. Don't keep him waiting too long!" Mrs. Granger said, urging Hermione to let go.
With a final reluctant glance at her parents, Hermione turned to see Cro waiting for her. The thought of the new world she was about to enter filled her with renewed excitement.
"We'd better get going. If we're any later, we might miss the train," Hermione said, waving to her parents as she pushed her luggage cart.
Cro nodded to the Grangers before following Hermione towards the platform. He was even more determined to repay the Granger family for their kindness.
A drop of kindness must be repaid a hundredfold. He vowed to make sure they would have grandchildren and experience the joy—and pain—that comes with it!
"Remember to send letters home with the fat-faced chicken!" Mr. Granger called after them.
Eve: ...
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T/N:
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