Time flew by, and soon, it was a season full of vibrant spring energy. At King's Cross Station, Augustus, dressed in a white robe, arrived alone, leisurely pulling his luggage.
The station was already teeming with people. Amidst the bustling crowd, Augustus strolled calmly along the stone-paved platform. Bright sunlight streamed past the wires that sliced the sky, bathing the busy station in a warm glow. An eastern falcon perched on Augustus's shoulder, its sharp eyes sweeping indifferently over the other owls carried by passersby.
"Pig, stop running around!" came an exasperated voice. A red-haired boy dashed towards Augustus, flustered. Above them, a tiny, fluttering owl was flapping its wings erratically before crashing into Augustus.
The falcon let out a displeased screech as the owl fell to the ground, struggling to stand and chirping pitifully. The red-haired boy muttered an apology, picking up the dazed owl from the ground. He then turned to Augustus, saying, "Thanks! Pig's always like this. He's so wild that if I don't keep him caged, he never settles down."
"Ah!" The boy's expression shifted into one of surprise. "Mr. Augustus? Is it really you?"
Augustus smiled faintly. "I heard you've been made a prefect. Congratulations are in order."
The boy scratched his head awkwardly. "Honestly, I thought Harry would get it. I have no idea why they picked me. You know, having Percy in the family was already enough pressure."
"Ron, what are you doing? The train's about to leave!" Hermione's voice called out from nearby, carrying a tone of urgency.
On the platform, Hermione and Harry were making their way over with their luggage.
"Mr. Augustus!" Hermione's sharp eyes had already spotted Augustus standing calmly beside Ron.
"Hermione, Harry, how are you? How was your break?" Augustus asked with a gentle smile, his demeanor radiating warmth.
A small smile appeared on Hermione's delicate face. "I never got a proper chance to thank you for saving my parents that day."
Augustus casually waved it off. "It was nothing. Those ogres were quite clumsy. Honestly, even if I hadn't been there, with your intelligence, you'd likely have found a way out."
Hermione's lips curved upward slightly, though she quickly lowered her voice. "If you hadn't been there that day, I honestly don't know what I would have done."
The train let out a sharp whistle. "We should get going. If we don't board soon, Ron might have to play chauffeur again," Harry reminded them, glancing at the now-emptying platform.
The four of them boarded the train with their luggage.
In the corridor, Hermione and Ron exchanged a look.
"Uh," Ron began.
"Well—we—Ron and I need to head to the prefects' compartment," Hermione said awkwardly.
"Mr. Augustus, will you be joining us this year?" Hermione asked, looking at Augustus.
Augustus shook his head lightly. "In theory, I should, but I'm not fond of overly formal settings. You two go ahead. I'll find a compartment with Harry."
"I doubt we'll spend the whole journey there," Hermione quickly added. "The letter said we'd get instructions from the head boy and girl, but we're also supposed to patrol the train periodically."
After the group split, Augustus and Harry found an empty compartment.
As they settled in, there was a knock on the door.
Three unexpected individuals stood at the entrance: Neville, Ginny, and Luna.
"Mr. Augustus?" Ginny asked hesitantly, her tone tinged with shyness as she glanced at Augustus, who was seated by the window. "Can we sit here?"
Augustus gestured for them to come in.
"Thank you," Ginny said politely.
"It's been a while, Luna," Augustus said to the elf-like girl at the door, a soft smile forming on his lips.
"Here, this is your book!" Luna handed him an old, yellowed book. "I've been meaning to return it, but I never had the chance. I hope you don't mind the delay?"
Augustus chuckled lightly. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I'd have forgotten. If you like it, you can keep it."
Luna shook her head. "The knowledge from a book stays with you once it's read. There's no need to keep the book itself. Words preserved in memory are the greatest treasure."
She lifted her upside-down magazine to cover her face, lapsing into silence. Harry and Neville exchanged glances, raising their eyebrows, while Augustus chuckled wryly. Ginny, meanwhile, burst into laughter.
The train whistled loudly as it sped forward, carrying them into the open countryside. The weather outside was erratic and unpredictable; one moment, the compartment was bathed in sunlight, and the next, dark clouds loomed ominously overhead.
"Guess what I got for my birthday?" Neville asked.
Augustus looked at him curiously. "A new Remembrall?"
"No," Neville replied. "One's enough, even though I lost my old one ages ago. No, look at this—"
From his bag, Neville pulled out a peculiar, lumpy plant in a small jar. It resembled a cactus but was covered in bumps instead of spines.
"A Mimbulus mimbletonia," Neville announced proudly.
"What does it… uh… do?" Harry asked.
"It spits!" Neville said enthusiastically. "It's got this amazing defense mechanism. Here, hold Trevor for me."
He handed his toad to Harry and rummaged through his bag for a large quill. Augustus suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
Neville brought the plant close to his face, bit his tongue in concentration, and jabbed it with the quill.
The plant erupted, spraying a foul-smelling, dark green sap everywhere. It splattered on the ceiling and windows. A translucent yellow barrier appeared in front of Augustus, catching the liquid before it fell harmlessly to the floor. Ginny shielded her face with her arm, ending up with a sticky green "hat." Harry, however, wasn't as lucky and got a face full of the noxious goo, which smelled like rotten fertilizer.
At that moment, the compartment door opened.
"Uh, Mr. Augustus," an uncertain voice said. "Am I interrupting something?"
Cho Chang's serene face appeared in the doorway.
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