"Ah! It's a snake!" Eve cried out, clutching onto Nolan in fear. Her small body trembled as she buried her face against him, eyes squeezed shut.
The Weasley twins exchanged a glance, scratching their heads awkwardly. "Looks like we really scared your little girlfriend," one of them remarked.
Nolan shot them a cold glance and replied indifferently, "She's not my girlfriend. But I am curious—why were you bullying him?"
Lee Jordan chimed in, "Bullying him? Us? Never! Everyone knows Malcolm Bardock sides with the Death Eaters! If he lived ten years ago, he'd have joined the Dark Lord in a heartbeat. The Bardocks are traitors to wizardkind!"
Malcolm, who was curled up in fear of the snake, protested angrily, "My family is not a bunch of traitors! The Weasleys are the real pure-blood traitors! Everyone knows your father is a clown, obsessed with Muggle junk! He probably regrets marrying your pumpkin-shaped pure-blood mother instead of a filthy Mudblood!"
"You shouldn't insult our parents, Bardock," one of the twins said, his tone turning sharp. They held up the fake snake again, making it hiss as they moved it closer to Malcolm's neck.
"Enough!" Nolan snapped irritably, raising his wand. With a swift flick, a Reducto spell shot out, hitting the toy snake.
The snake exploded with a loud bang, but instead of gore, the air filled with colorful confetti, like a magical firecracker.
"You Weasleys dared to scare me with a fake snake?!" Malcolm screamed in humiliation. His face turned crimson as he realized he had peed in his pants.
Being humiliated by two pure-blood traitors with a fake snake would undoubtedly make him the laughingstock among first-years.
"Shut up, you too," Nolan said coldly, flicking his wand again. Malcolm flew backward as if struck by an invisible sledgehammer, crashing out of the compartment and slamming into the carriage wall with a loud thud.
"Whoa!"
"That was awesome!"
The twins let out appreciative whistles, but Nolan had no intention of tolerating any more disruptions to his peace. With a frigid expression, he pointed his wand at them. "You two, as well. Shut up, turn around, and leave my compartment. Now."
The troublesome trio awkwardly chuckled before scurrying off. Once they were gone, Nolan waved his wand and muttered, "Reparo," restoring the compartment door to its original state.
Eve watched Nolan's spellcasting with wide-eyed awe, her gaze full of envy. She asked timidly, "When will I be able to use magic like you?"
Nolan glanced at her briefly. "When you decide to."
By the time Ashley Thatcher returned with a teary-eyed Marietta, the Hogwarts Express was nearing its destination. The young witches and wizards hurriedly changed out of their regular clothes into their school robes.
Nolan's robes, however, stood out dramatically. Custom-made, they were more akin to a coat than traditional robes.
The front of the garment was open, adorned with the silver crest of the Von Draugr family, as well as gothic-style chains and buckles. A hood was attached to the back, cinched at the waist with a belt. The hemline stopped just at his knees, revealing a pair of high-top boots trimmed with silver.
Pockets lined the sides of the coat, where Nolan stored emergency blood packs and his treasured handheld gaming device.
The outfit was undeniably striking, especially when paired with Nolan's unnaturally handsome features.
Even Ashley, who already had a bit of a crush on him, couldn't help sneaking glances. Shy Eve and still-pouting Marietta were also stealing looks.
They had to admit: among the incoming first-years, Nolan was unquestionably the most dazzling of them all.
The train swayed as it gradually slowed down, steam hissing and billowing out before it finally came to a complete stop. First-years jostled their way out of the train, some Gryffindors and Slytherins taking the opportunity to exchange a few shoves or sneaky curses, clearly not on friendly terms.
Not far from the platform, a small, solitary lantern swayed in the mist. Emerging from the fog was a massive figure, towering over the students at more than two and a half meters tall. A gruff voice called out, "First-years! First-years over here! Mind yer step—don't go fallin' into the lake! Follow me! Hey! Little Lockman, I see yeh there! How's yer gran?"
"What is that?" Eve's voice trembled as she clung tightly to Nolan's sleeve, clearly terrified by the sight of the giant-like man. Her silver hair quivered as she nearly burst into tears.
Nolan squinted at the figure and muttered under his breath, "Half-giant... Dumbledore must be mad."
Ashley, not hearing Nolan's quiet comment, said cheerfully, "That's Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts!"
Eve tugged on Nolan's robes nervously. "Is he... dangerous?"
"Judging by the fact that he hasn't been fired yet, probably not," Nolan replied with a touch of dry sarcasm. "I suppose I can trust the old wizard's wisdom and sanity... at least for now." He flicked his wand and whispered, "Lumos," lighting the tip. With a confident stride, he followed the Keeper of Keys into the dark, misty path.
The path ahead grew increasingly dim and the ground wetter with each step.
Above them, a crescent moon hung in the sky, perfectly aligned with the tallest spire of Hogwarts.
And there it was—the castle itself, finally in full view.
It resembled a colossal beast slumbering in the darkness. Even in the enveloping blackness of the night, its sheer presence was palpable. Flickering lights adorned its towers, giving it the appearance of a mighty dragon with sparks of fire dancing along its body.
Hagrid led the group to the edge of a black lake. Nolan glanced into the water and caught glimpses of various creatures—merpeople and grindylows, no doubt part of the welcoming committee. Though they knew the first-years couldn't see much in the dark, the creatures still waved and gestured enthusiastically, trying to make an impression.
Four students were assigned to each small boat, while Hagrid took up one all by himself.
Nolan chose a boat, and Eve, still clutching his robes, naturally followed him on board. Ashley seemed ready to join them, but Marietta grabbed her arm and steered her away. Eventually, two other students—a boy and a girl—climbed into Nolan's boat.
"I'm Miles Bletchley!" the thin, wiry boy introduced himself, grinning as he settled in. He seemed outgoing and chatty, quickly striking up a conversation with Nolan. "Hey, mate, do you know anything about Quidditch?"
The girl introduced herself simply as Alicia, withholding her last name. She seemed quiet and distant, her gaze fixed on the starry sky, as if lost in thought or disinterested in the conversation around her.