The holiday passed quickly, and soon it was time to head to King's Cross Station.
Dylan was driven there by his parents.
"Be safe, and once you're there..." Maeve reminded him.
"Do you have everything?" Hubert asked.
"Don't worry, I have all my essentials with me. The rest has already been sent to the school, and I'll be careful," Dylan nodded.
Then, he turned to his parents and said, "You don't have to work so hard or overtime. Once I become a wizard, I'll make plenty of money, so don't overwork yourselves."
"Sweetie, it's not your turn to worry about us yet," Maeve said, ruffling Dylan's hair.
"Alright, don't be late. Go on," Hubert urged.
Dylan nodded gently. "I'll write to you from the school. Keep an eye out for my owl."
"Mommy will," Maeve assured him.
After saying goodbye to his parents, Dylan, carrying only a travel backpack, entered the station.
This wasn't his first time here. His parents had taken him on trips before during their days off, so he quickly found his way to the third pillar between platforms 9 and 10.
As he approached, he noticed that the Muggles around him didn't pay any attention to the spot. Even if they glanced over, they seemed to look away quickly, as if they hadn't seen anything.
Dylan watched as a young wizard dashed into the pillar, and no one around reacted. He took a deep breath.
Running headfirst into a pillar still required a bit of mental preparation.
"Let's go!"
Closing his eyes, Dylan charged straight into the pillar.
In an instant, he felt as though he had entered a void. After a few steps, the sensation disappeared, and his surroundings brightened.
"Choo-choo..."
A scarlet steam train rolled into the station, billowing smoke.
Dylan blinked, his mind briefly comparing it to the nearly silent high-speed trains and even maglev trains he knew of.
"Even though the technology isn't as advanced here, the wizards must have enchanted the train to make it faster, right?"
As he stepped inside, Dylan noticed that the platform was now crowded with children and their parents. He didn't have any family with him, so he didn't need to wait. Once the train came to a stop, he boarded through the nearest door.
The compartments were open for anyone to sit in, and the tickets didn't assign specific seats. Dylan found an empty compartment, stepped inside, and placed his backpack beside him as he sat down by the window.
Glancing outside, Dylan pulled out a book from his inventory. He kept many of his belongings in his inventory to save on shipping costs.
After spending some time studying spells, Dylan realized that mastering magic wasn't just about surface-level understanding. To fully grasp a spell, one had to delve deep into its underlying principles.
He opened the book he had been reading before leaving home—*"Transfiguration: A Concise Guide"*—which Professor McGonagall had recommended to him at the bookstore.
The book explained the principles of Transfiguration and highlighted important considerations for using the spell in various situations. However, some sections covered advanced Transfiguration, which Dylan couldn't fully understand yet since he hadn't attended any classes. Still, the book provided detailed explanations even for beginner-level Transfiguration, making it an excellent resource.
If he could master this book, his Transfiguration skills might reach an advanced level.
"I never realized how effective Transfiguration could be in ambush situations," Dylan muttered as he flipped to the section on practical applications of Transfiguration in combat.
The book described various scenarios where Transfiguration could be used strategically. Dylan thought about the wand-enhancing feature his system provided, and his mind began to conjure up all sorts of sneaky tactics—some even dirtier than the ones described in the book.
"Somehow, the book's combat examples feel a bit lacking. They don't go deep enough into the art of ambush," Dylan thought.
With six max-level spells under his belt, learning new ones came more naturally to him. His two lifetimes of experience had given him a unique perspective, allowing him to think of countless ways to use Transfiguration to outwit others.
*Whoosh.*
The compartment door slid open, and two redheads poked their heads in.
"Hey, hello! Are you alone here?" one of them asked.
"Mind if we join you?" the other added.
"I'm sitting alone. Come on in," Dylan said, glancing at them.
Instantly, two names popped into his head.
The two redheads sat down and immediately started talking.
"Thanks! I'm Fred."
"No, I'm Fred. He's George."
"Who said that? George, I'm Fred!"
The two bickered for a moment before turning back to Dylan.
"So, what's your name?"
"Dylan," he replied casually.
Now that he knew their names, he realized they were the Weasley twins. If they were here, that meant...
"Are you two seniors at the school?"
"Of course!"
"You're a first-year, right? You'll be in the same year as our brother."
"Though it doesn't look like you'll be in the same house."
"Yeah, he's reading a book. Ron would never read."
Ron? So, he was in the same year as Harry Potter? Dylan had read *Harry Potter*, but he didn't remember the exact timeline, only the general plot points.
For example, he knew one of the twins would die in the final battle, but he couldn't remember which one.
"You look like you'll definitely be in Ravenclaw."
"I think so too!"
"It's hard to believe someone would read on the way to school."
"And it's not even a textbook—it's a specialized book."
"Wow, I can already tell which house the Sorting Hat will put you in!"
"I said that earlier!"
"And I agreed!"
(End of Chapter)