September 1st.
The Wicks family brought their son to King's Cross Station.
Watson, dressed in a suit, repeatedly checked the address in his hand, wanting to make sure he wasn't mistaken.
"Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?"
Having lived in the UK for so long, Watson had never heard of such a platform at King's Cross Station.
The family wandered around for quite some time without finding it.
John glanced at the enthusiastic Watson, too lazy to expose his pretense of volunteering just to see the legendary wizard train.
As a Muggle, curiosity about magical matters was inevitable.
Having watched the story unfold, John naturally knew where to go and found the third pillar between the ninth and tenth platforms.
John turned back to wave goodbye to his father. To his father's astonished gaze, he charged headfirst into the pillar.
…
Carrying quite a bit of luggage, John accidentally bumped into a little girl as he passed through the platform.
"Ouch."
Their luggage collided.
Years of training paid off in that moment.
He planted his feet firmly, as steady as a rock.
The weakling wizard he bumped into wasn't so lucky, getting knocked dizzy.
Her luggage fell to the ground, scattering books everywhere.
Strength vs. Magic, round one.
Strength wins.
"Are you okay?"
Seeing that he had bumped into someone, John hurried over to help the little wizard who had fallen.
At the same time, he helped pick up the scattered books.
While picking up the books, he looked up at the little wizard's face.
She was already wearing her wizard robes, her brown hair thick and bushy, her brown eyes bright and lively, but most noticeable were her two large front teeth.
John's only virtue was his honesty, and he exclaimed.
"Your front teeth are really big."
Originally intending to say it was nothing, Hermione's face instantly darkened at his words.
As the daughter of dentists, her front teeth were larger than other kids', something she most hated being pointed out.
This person had bumped into her and now mocked her teeth; Hermione didn't want to give John a good look.
John didn't realize he had bumped into Hermione, one of the trio, since Hermione in the Harry Potter movies had been beautified.
After so many years, he could only remember some plot points due to the immense popularity of Harry Potter in his previous life.
But to recall some details was asking too much of him.
Unknowingly offending her, John stacked the scattered books back together, showing a smile, thinking he was quite gentlemanly.
But Hermione had no good impression.
"Thank you."
After a hurried thank you, she didn't want to talk to him anymore, pushing her luggage and quickly walking away.
John thought she was just shy, brushed his hair back, and narcissistically sighed, "My damn charm."
…
On the train.
John arrived early, and there were still many empty compartments on the train.
He entered a compartment randomly and sat down, staring idly out the window.
In his memory, today was supposed to be the day the Weasleys would meet the Savior for the first time.
However, he didn't get to witness this iconic scene.
"Excuse me, can I sit here?"
A boy's somewhat hesitant voice sounded.
His round face was freckled, and his expression was timid and uneasy, as if afraid John would say no.
It was clear this was not a confident child.
Compared to the big fat Dudley, this little chubby boy seemed much slimmer.
John smiled and said, "Please, have a seat."
Hearing these words, Neville felt a wave of relief. After entering the compartment, he realized the boy in front of him looked rather intimidating.
With a delicate appearance, he wore a brown woolen sweater, and his wand twirled nimbly between his fingers like a docile little snake.
It felt like a cowboy sitting opposite, playing ostentatiously with a revolver in his hand.
The timid Neville shrank into a ball, pressing tightly against the window, trying to minimize his presence.
"Ribbit."
"Trevor."
Neville's pet toad jumped out, and he hurried to grab Trevor.
Afraid of annoying the boy opposite, he glanced nervously at John.
John was also looking at him, which made Neville quickly lower his head, thinking he had angered him.
Little did he know, John was staring at the toad, which stirred up memories.
"A toad? I think there was someone in Harry Potter who had a pet like that."
In the few plot points John remembered, besides the main trio, there weren't many memorable characters.
Among the few he did remember, the title of "Hogwarts Sword Saint" was definitely one.
So he extended his hand and introduced himself with a smile, "Hello, I'm John Wick."
"I-I-I'm Neville Longbottom," Neville stuttered in response.
Hearing this name, John thought to himself, "As expected."
The future Hogwarts Sword Saint, a true Gryffindor.
Some said Neville was the Child of the Prophecy, a statement that had brainwashed many on internet platforms in his previous life.
John preferred the idea of dual saviors, as Harry Potter couldn't have won without Neville destroying the Horcrux.
Without Harry's "welding"—no, the duel—Neville killing the snake would only have brought anger.
Both were indispensable, and Neville's kindness meant that even if he knew the truth, he couldn't kill Harry, who was the seventh Horcrux.
So the concept of dual saviors seemed more reliable.
Neville saw John fall silent after hearing his name and thought he might need to find another compartment.
The Longbottoms didn't have a good reputation among pure-blood families, similar to the Weasleys.
After the atmosphere quieted down, a domineering voice came from outside.
"Can I sit here?"
With curly hair and oversized front teeth, the know-it-all Hermione Granger had arrived.
Neville thought having another person might reduce the pressure, and quickly said, "There's no one here."
After speaking, he glanced secretly at John.
Hermione slightly raised her head, a habitual gesture.
As a top student in school, she had always been the teachers' favorite.
But after sitting down, she realized the boy opposite was the one she had met earlier that morning.
Thinking of how he had commented on her large front teeth today, her face darkened.
Neville had been happy to have someone to share the pressure but now saw Hermione's darkened face and thought he might have done something wrong again.
The atmosphere fell silent again.
Eventually, Hermione broke the silence, extending her hand to Neville, her voice much softer, "Hermione Granger."
"Neville Longbottom." Neville sighed in relief; the silence had made him wonder if he could survive until school.
John also responded, "John Wick."
He then realized that the girl whose teeth he had commented on was Hermione, one of the main trio.
Hermione didn't hold a grudge for long, as she was inherently a kind-hearted girl.
Upon learning that Neville's parents were wizards, she became interested.
"So, can you do magic?"
"Kids from magical families must have been exposed to magic early on. Can you show me something?"
Neville stammered, unable to speak, while Hermione's mouth ran nonstop, like a sewing machine.
Seeing this, John smiled knowingly. Miss Know-It-All was certainly inquisitive.
Putting down his wand, he rescued Neville, saying, "Talent varies from person to person. Just like my family are all Muggles, but I am a wizard."
Hearing John was also from a Muggle family, Hermione felt less upset and more connected.
The two began chatting about the wonders of the magical world, occasionally asking Neville, the local resident.
The compartment's atmosphere improved, but after chatting, Neville found his toad had disappeared.
Hermione, always willing to help, volunteered to help Neville find Trevor. Before leaving, she asked if John wanted to join.
John, feeling lazy, hesitated over where to bite into his newly bought Chocolate Frog and waved them off, saying, "I'll stay here and hold the fort; otherwise, someone might think it's empty and take the seat."
Hermione found this reasonable and took Neville to search for the toad throughout the train.