"Woo—"
After waiting at the platform for a while, the train let out a long, melodious whistle.
The Hogwarts Express began to move.
Steam from the chimney drifted backward.
The train left the platform, heading toward the endless plains and fields.
Dylan gazed at the scenery outside the window. It was the season of vitality, and everything seemed full of life.
"Hey, little junior, we're going out to find some friends to hang out with."
"Yeah, you can stay here and read quietly."
"It's all your fault for being so noisy, talking nonstop."
"No, it's your fault! I was just responding to what you said."
Dylan ignored the two troublemakers.
The two redheads dashed out of the compartment, probably off to find someone to play with.
Dylan took this opportunity to take out his little wizard robe and put it on.
Along the way, he would occasionally glance at the scenery outside before returning to the book in his hands.
Finally, the Hogwarts Express gradually came to a stop.
The Weasley twins re-entered the compartment to grab their belongings.
"Little junior, is that all you have? Just one backpack?"
They were returning to school after the holidays, so they naturally didn't bring much. But Dylan, a young wizard, how could he have so little with him?
"I've already sent the heavier luggage to the school via owl post."
He was just a kid, after all. Carrying so much stuff would only be a hassle for him. If he could mail it, why bother carrying it himself?
In fact, if he weren't worried about exposing the fact that he had a system, he would have stuffed all his belongings into the system's inventory.
"Ah, I see," the twins nodded.
The three of them stepped out of the compartment and off the train.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew.
The chill crept into his sleeves.
Dylan shivered involuntarily.
"Why is it so cold here?"
He raised his wand and gave it a gentle wave.
"Thermo Enchantia!"
Dylan cast a warming charm on himself.
During his time at home, he had learned quite a few spells. Although none of them were mastered to the highest level, they were still somewhat useful.
With the charm in place, the cold seemed to vanish instantly. He felt warm and comfortable.
Seeing this, George and Fred immediately crowded around Dylan.
"Hey, little junior~ Come on, me too!"
"Give me one too!"
Squeezed between the two of them, Dylan, feeling a bit breathless, had no choice but to wave his wand again.
"Thermo Enchantia!"
"Thermo Enchantia!"
Two consecutive spells landed on the redheaded twins.
The two immediately let go of Dylan.
"Thanks for the enthusiasm... I'll head to the first-year gathering point now."
"Sure, sure."
"Go ahead, and remember to come find us at Hogwarts!"
The twins ran off, disappearing into the crowd, likely to show off their warming charms.
Dylan shook his head helplessly as he watched their retreating figures, then made his way toward Hagrid.
"Oh, are all the first-years here? Let's get going then."
Hagrid was massive.
Dylan was a bit startled when he first saw him.
*No wonder he's a half-giant. How tall is he? Nearly three meters?*
*It feels like he could crush me just by sitting on me.*
He glanced around, but it was too dark, and there were too many people. He couldn't spot Harry or the others.
Hagrid raised his lantern and turned to lead the way for the first-years.
The lantern in his hand didn't provide enough light for the entire group.
Dylan couldn't understand why they didn't install some magical lighting. It was pitch black!
The little chubby wizard ahead of him was already stumbling, almost falling on his backside.
"Lumos!"
He waved his wand, and the tip instantly emitted a soft, gentle light.
The darkness around him was dispelled.
Since he was at the back of the group, his light helped the younger wizards behind him see more clearly.
Many of them gasped in surprise, then shot him grateful looks.
Under Hagrid's lead, the first-years passed through a patch of woods and soon found themselves standing on the edge of a pitch-black lake.
Many of the young wizards craned their necks.
They looked across the lake at the castle.
Their eyes widened in awe.
Dylan also looked over.
From this angle, Hogwarts Castle appeared majestic and magnificent, its towering spires seemingly piercing the clouds.
The ancient stone walls were thick and sturdy, with faint lights shining through the castle windows, reflecting the starry sky above.
Dylan had to admit, even though he had mentally prepared himself, he was still somewhat awestruck at this moment.
"This is Hogwarts... It's truly spectacular..."
A shy voice came from beside him.
Dylan turned to see a round, chubby face.
"Hi, I... I'm Neville."
He seemed a bit embarrassed, his head slightly lowered.
"Um, your Lumos spell really helped me out earlier. I might have fallen a few times without it. Thank you so much."
Neville... the one who plays with toads?
Dylan shook his head, a friendly smile on his lips.
"No problem, I just wanted to light my own way."
*This timid guy might actually be the future Sword of Gryffindor, the one who pulls the sword from the Sorting Hat.*
"I wonder if that sword could be of use to me now that I'm here."
He had been researching how to use spells to control weapons, aiming for something like the "Sword Immortals of Shu Mountain." If he could study the Sword of Gryffindor, that would be perfect.
"What's your name?"
"Dylan."
"Hi, Dylan."
"...Hi."
Dylan could tell that this little chubby guy wanted to befriend him or at least share a boat with him. But he was so shy that even speaking seemed difficult for him. His round face was turning red from the effort.
Dylan was genuinely worried the kid might suffocate himself.
He quickly spoke up, "Neville, would you like to share a boat with me? You're the first wizard I've met here."
Neville's eyes lit up.
"Of course! I was just about to ask that."
Dylan smiled.
They continued to follow the group forward.
The Black Lake was terrifyingly dark.
It felt like falling into it would mean sinking into an abyss.
The closer they got to the lake, the more nervous Neville became.
Dylan wasn't too comfortable with deep water either, but with six mastered dark spells under his belt, he wasn't too afraid of the creatures in the lake.
*If anything dares to jump out and scare me, I'll just spend 100 Galleons to make the spell colorless and hit it with an Avada Kedavra!*
"It's our turn. Let's get on the boat."
(End of Chapter)