At King's Cross Station, Mr. Weasley continued asking Dudley enthusiastic questions about Muggle technology.
The two chatted constantly from the moment they stepped out of the car until reaching the platform.
"Dad must be going crazy. He's actually discussing with Dudley how to modify Muggle objects," Ron said to Harry with obvious concern.
"Dudley seems genuinely interested in the topic, though," Harry observed.
Although the flying car was undeniably impressive, Mr. Weasley worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, which made this conversation somewhat like knowingly breaking the law.
Even if he had deliberately left some loopholes when writing the legislation.
"Hurry up, children, we're going to be late," Mrs. Weasley urged them forward.
It was very close to departure time, and everyone rushed toward Platform 9¾.
Harry and Ron were at the back, following closely behind Fred and George.
Bang!
The next moment, both boys crashed headfirst into solid stone, the loud collision attracting attention from many Muggles at the station.
Harry and Ron, who had tumbled to the ground, were completely bewildered. They stared at the barrier wall before them in complete shock.
"What's happening? Why can't we get through?" Harry asked in panic.
"Damn, the train's about to leave!" Ron exclaimed desperately.
Harry and Ron looked at the impenetrable wall before them with growing despair, their minds going completely blank.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the barrier, Dudley and Mr. Weasley exchanged detailed views on combining Muggle technology with magic, both agreeing that the Ministry's laws were frustratingly restrictive.
"Wait, where are Harry and Ron?" Dudley looked around but didn't see any trace of them.
"They've probably already boarded the train," Mr. Weasley said distractedly.
"Oh, I should go say goodbye to Ginny," he added, hurrying off.
Dudley didn't pursue the matter further. After bidding farewell to the Weasley family, he boarded the Hogwarts Express and headed toward the rear carriages.
Soon, Dudley found an empty compartment at the back of the train and settled in.
"Where are those two?" Dudley muttered, looking left and right but seeing no sign of Ron and Harry.
Dudley sat down first, opened his pet carrier, and let out his large orange cat, stroking it gently while waiting for Harry and the others to arrive.
Soon, with a sharp whistle, the Hogwarts Express began moving.
After several minutes, there was a polite knock on the compartment door.
"Where did you guys disappear to..." Dudley began but stopped mid-sentence when he realized it wasn't Harry and Ron outside the compartment but an unfamiliar little girl.
"Hello, all the other compartments are occupied. May I sit here?" the girl asked with perfect politeness.
"There are people supposed to be here, but... alright, you can sit down," Dudley nodded after a moment's consideration.
"Thank you very much," the little girl smiled and nodded graciously.
Dudley examined the newcomer carefully. She had striking silver eyes, dark golden-brown hair, and protruding eyes that gave her a perpetually surprised expression. Her skin was quite pale, her eyebrows very light, and she wore strange radish-shaped earrings.
"Hello, I'm Luna, Luna Lovegood. I'm a new first-year student," Luna tilted her head and said with a dreamy smile.
"I'm Dudley, Dudley Dursley," he replied politely.
"Second-year Gryffindor student."
Luna's silver eyes stared at Dudley without blinking, which made him increasingly uncomfortable.
Staring at others like this was actually quite rude behavior, especially since this girl seemed rather eccentric.
Suspiciously, Dudley activated his spiritual vision and began examining what might be unusual about the girl across from him.
"No evil aura, no spirit possession; mental power and soul are both normal. Just an ordinary first-year student," Dudley concluded mentally.
"Your eyes are very different," Luna suddenly observed.
"What?" Dudley was startled.
"Your eyes have light in them. I can see it," Luna continued with matter-of-fact certainty.
Dudley was genuinely shocked. This little girl could perceive his spiritual vision?
Impossible! Even Professor Dumbledore couldn't detect it. How could she?
"You must be joking," Dudley said, maintaining his composure.
"People are always like that, blind to some obvious things," Luna said, withdrawing her gaze to look out at the passing countryside.
Dudley's mouth twitched slightly. This little girl was really... unique. He thought for a long time and could only use that word to describe the peculiar girl before him.
"You look somewhat uneasy. Did something happen?" Luna asked, looking back at him.
"Oh right, where are Harry and Ron!" Dudley suddenly realized something was seriously wrong.
The girl's unusual appearance had made him temporarily forget about Harry and Ron. The train had been traveling for quite some time now. Where were they?
Dudley quickly stood up, opened the door, and looked outside into the corridor.
Those two wouldn't have seen him sitting with a girl and gone to another compartment, would they?
There wasn't anyone in the corridor outside. The students had all settled into their compartments.
"Are you waiting for your friends? They disappeared?" Luna stood up and asked perceptively.
"I can help you look for them. Actually, at home I often lose things, but they always reappear before me at exactly the right time. You don't need to be so nervous," Luna said consolingly.
"No, that's not right. They don't seem to be on the train at all," Dudley said, his brow furrowing with growing concern.
He and Harry shared a close bond, and there was a mystical connection between them.
With just slight concentration, Dudley sensed that Harry's presence seemed quite distant from the train.
"What happened?" Dudley's expression changed dramatically.
Harry and Ron weren't on the train. Had they been captured by someone? But he hadn't sensed any dangerous aura. Had his spiritual sensing failed him?
Dudley immediately left the compartment and began checking other compartments systematically.
Seeing his urgency, Luna followed quietly behind.
Soon, Dudley stopped in front of a familiar compartment.
"Hey, Dudley, want to come have some sweets? This is..." Fred saw Dudley and proactively opened the door to invite him in.
"Have you seen Ron?" Dudley asked directly.
"Ron?" Fred and George looked at each other and shook their heads. They hadn't seen their younger brother since boarding.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Seeing Dudley's obviously troubled expression, both twins became nervous.
"Ron and Harry don't seem to be on the train," Dudley said bluntly.
"What?" The other students in the compartment also showed surprised expressions.
"I'll go search for them. Maybe Ron is in Ginny's compartment or with Percy," Fred immediately volunteered.
Although the twins often teased Ron mercilessly, when it truly mattered, they cared deeply about their brother.
After searching the entire train thoroughly, they confirmed that Harry and Ron were genuinely not aboard.
"I'll go find a professor," Dudley decided.
He remembered there had been Professor McGonagall and others on the train during their first year.
"Dudley, there usually aren't professors on the train. Last time was a special exception," George quickly informed him.