With Dudley's help, the luggage's weight was no trouble at all. They easily got their things onto the train, and the three of them found an empty compartment to settle into. The Hogwarts Express compartments were arranged by year, and students were only allowed to enter the cars for their specific year.
As soon as they were on the train, Dudley and Hermione pulled out their textbooks and started studying. With no one talking, Harry, wanting to pass the time, was forced to take out his book as well. To be honest, he was quite interested in the books about the wizarding world and was happy to read them on his own, but he wasn't about to study with the same intensity as Dudley and Hermione. The only sound in the compartment was the turning of pages.
"Can I sit here?"
The door slid open, breaking the silence. A red-haired boy with freckles poked his head in. "Everywhere else is full..." he trailed off.
Then he saw Dudley and quickly said, "Sorry, I must have the wrong compartment. I thought this was for first years." He turned to run to another carriage.
Dudley stopped him. "You haven't made a mistake. This is a first-year compartment." He tried to keep his voice down, but to the boy, it still sounded like a loud trumpet call.
"But..." Hearing Dudley's words, the red-haired boy hesitated, sizing up Dudley.
Dudley sighed. "I'm a first-year student too."
His words only made the red-haired boy even more hesitant. He really wanted to know if this was a prank; his two older brothers loved playing tricks like this. Seeing his conflicted expression, Hermione and Harry stifled a laugh. Finally, Harry spoke up and explained, which convinced the boy to come in. Even so, he kept glancing nervously at Dudley.
"Hello, what's your name?" Harry said, trying to break the ice with the boy sitting next to him. He was about to go to Hogwarts, a new school, and a magical one at that! He was too excited to focus on his book.
"Ron, Ron Weasley," the boy introduced himself.
Hearing his last name, Dudley involuntarily looked up. Ron was also secretly peeking at Dudley, and their eyes met. Ron shivered and tried to shrink towards the edge of his seat. This was basically the first reaction for any kid meeting Dudley for the first time; his reputation for being able to "cure children's night terrors" was no joke. But he was soon distracted by what Harry was saying.
"It's nice to meet you, Ron. I'm Harry, Harry Potter."
Hearing Harry's name, Ron's eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, he even forgot to be afraid.
"You're... you're Harry Potter?" Ron asked, unconsciously adding a touch of reverence.
Harry looked a little uncomfortable. "You don't have to be so formal, Ron. Just call me Harry."
"But... do you really... you know..." Ron struggled to find the words, unconsciously pointing to Harry's forehead. It was a rude gesture, but Harry was good-natured and didn't mind. He brushed his fringe aside, revealing the lightning-bolt scar.
Ron's eyes were so wide they looked like they might pop out of his head. Before he could say anything, Harry covered the scar back up. Before they left, Dudley had told him not to show the scar unless he absolutely had to.
"Is that what You-Know-Who did?" Ron pressed, though it was more of a statement than a question.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, wanting to change the subject. "I don't remember."
"Not even a little bit?" Ron asked eagerly, missing the hint.
"Ahem... Mr. Ronald, I think Harry doesn't want to discuss this right now," Hermione interrupted, jumping in before Dudley could. She could sense Dudley's impatience. Her abrupt and direct way of speaking made Ron a little uncomfortable.
Yes, while Hermione was very smart, she wasn't good at social interactions. She often came across as arrogant, and her good intentions were sometimes misunderstood. When Hermione first learned Harry's identity, she was shocked—he was the famous Harry Potter, the saviour of the wizarding world! But after spending more time with him, she realized he wasn't as extraordinary as the books made him out to be. He was just a wizard of her own age, and she now treated him as Dudley's younger brother.
But Ron was different. He had grown up listening to stories about Harry Potter, and with such a famous person sitting right in front of him, he couldn't help but be curious.
"Who are you?" Ron asked, giving Hermione a slightly annoyed look.
"Hermione, Hermione Granger," she introduced herself curtly, like a proud little hen.
At that moment, Harry remembered and introduced his other friend. "And this is my cousin, Dudley, Dudley Dursley."
"H-hello," Ron stammered when he saw Dudley. Dudley's presence was a bit intimidating. How could he describe it? From a distance, he looked like a simple, honest guy, but the closer you got, the more you could feel an invisible pressure. Someone with a weaker mind would have a hard time sitting across from him.
"You can just call me Dudley," Dudley said, putting down his book and looking at Ron. He decided he wouldn't act like a bully at this new school. He needed to get along with his new classmates, so he offered a smile he thought was friendly.
When Ron saw that smile, his heart nearly stopped. He returned a smile that looked more like a grimace.
Just as Ron was considering finding an excuse to leave the compartment, there was a gentle knock on the door, and a timid voice was heard outside.
"Excuse me... have you seen my Trevor?"
The door slid open to reveal a shy, round-faced boy. He stood there anxiously, looking as if he was about to cry.
"Are you...?" Harry asked.
"I'm... Neville, Neville Longbottom."
From Neville's stuttered explanation, they learned that he had lost his pet toad, Trevor.
"I've been looking for him for ages and can't find him. Can you help me, please?" Neville pleaded, looking at the group. When his gaze landed on Dudley, his body involuntarily flinched. His first instinct was to back away, the same reaction that almost every child had when they first met Dudley.
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