Chapter 34 – On the Hogwarts Express
For Dudley, the weight of the luggage was nothing at all, and he easily lifted it onto the train. The three of them found an empty compartment and sat down. The Hogwarts carriages were divided according to year, and each student could only sit in the section for their year.
As soon as they boarded, Dudley and Hermione pulled out their textbooks and began studying. No one spoke, and to pass the time Harry reluctantly took out a book as well.
To be honest, he was quite interested in the magical textbooks, and he didn't mind flipping through them on his own. But to study at the same intensity as Dudley and Hermione — that, he simply couldn't do.
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, freckled boy poked his head in. "Everywhere else is full…"
Then he saw Dudley. He froze and quickly said, "Sorry, I must be in the wrong place. I thought this was the first-year carriage."
He was about to leave for another compartment.
Dudley stopped him. "You didn't make a mistake. This is the first-year carriage."
He had tried to keep his voice down, but to the boy it still sounded like a loud blast.
"But…"
Hearing this, the red-haired boy still looked doubtful, casting wary glances at Dudley.
Helpless, Dudley pointed to himself. "I'm a first-year too."
That only made the boy hesitate more.
He wanted to be sure it wasn't a prank — his older brothers loved playing tricks like this.
Seeing his awkward hesitation, Hermione and Harry covered their mouths, stifling laughter. Finally Harry explained, and only then did the boy believe.
Even so, once he sat down he still kept sneaking glances at Dudley.
"Hi, what's your name?"
Harry, sitting beside him, broke the silence. They were about to start at Hogwarts, a brand-new magical school, and he was too excited to focus on reading.
"Ron. Ron Weasley." The boy introduced himself.
Hearing his surname, Dudley instinctively looked up at him — just as Ron was sneaking glances at Dudley. Their eyes met, and Ron shivered involuntarily, shrinking toward the edge of his seat.
That was the usual first reaction of any child meeting Dudley for the first time. His reputation for scaring little children wasn't for nothing. But soon Ron's attention was captured entirely by Harry's words.
"Nice to meet you, Ron. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
At that, Ron's eyes went wide with disbelief, forgetting even his fear.
"Y-you're Harry Potter?"
Ron couldn't help slipping into a tone of respect.
Harry felt uncomfortable. "No need for that, Ron. Just call me Harry."
"Then you really… you know…" Ron faltered, pointing at Harry's forehead.
To be honest, it was a rude gesture.
But Harry, good-natured as always, brushed aside his fringe to reveal the lightning-shaped scar.
Ron's eyes widened until they nearly popped out.
Before he could say anything, Harry quickly let his hair fall back into place.
Dudley had warned him before: unless absolutely necessary, don't show the scar.
"That's from You-Know-Who, isn't it?"
Ron asked. Though framed as a question, his tone carried certainty.
"Sorry." Harry shook his head. "I don't remember."
"Not at all?" Ron pressed.
Unfortunately, Ron didn't notice Harry's reluctance and kept asking eagerly.
"Ahem… Ronald, I think Harry doesn't want to talk about that right now. And you've got a smudge on your nose."
Hermione cut in before Dudley could, sensing that he was growing impatient.
But her blunt, matter-of-fact way of speaking made Ron a little uncomfortable. Yes, Hermione was brilliant, but she wasn't good at conversation — her words often carried an air of superiority. What was meant kindly could easily be misunderstood.
In fact, when Hermione had first learned Harry's identity, she had been just as shocked as anyone. After all, this was the famous Boy Who Lived.
But once she spent more time with him, she realized Harry wasn't nearly as extraordinary as the books claimed. He was simply a boy her own age, and so she treated him as Dudley's cousin and nothing more.
Ron, however, was different. He had grown up hearing stories about Harry Potter. Now, with the legendary figure sitting right in front of him, how could he not be curious?
"And who are you?" Ron asked, glancing at Hermione with some displeasure.
"Hermione. Hermione Granger," she replied curtly, like a proud little hen.
Harry quickly remembered his manners and said, "And this is my cousin Dudley. Dudley Dursley."
"Ah… h-hello," Ron stammered when he realized who Dudley was.
The pressure Dudley gave off was intense. From a distance he looked honest and good-natured, but the closer one got, the stronger the invisible force pressing down. Face-to-face, anyone with a weaker will would find it hard to endure.
"Just call me Dudley," Dudley said, lowering his book and looking at Ron.
He had decided he couldn't act like a bully as he had back at St. George's Primary. At this new school, he wanted to get along with his classmates. So he made the rare effort to show what he thought was a friendly smile.
But Ron nearly froze on the spot, his heart skipping a beat, and managed only a twisted smile that looked more like he was about to cry.
Just as Ron was wondering whether he should make an excuse to leave the compartment, there was a gentle knock at the door. A timid voice sounded from outside.
"E-excuse me, have you… seen my Trevor?"
The door slid open to reveal a shy, round-faced boy standing awkwardly, on the verge of tears.
"And you are?" Harry asked gently.
"I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom," the boy replied.
Through his halting explanation, they understood that his pet toad, Trevor, had gone missing.
"I've been looking everywhere but can't find him. Could you help me?"
Neville looked at them with pleading eyes.
But when his gaze fell on Dudley, his body instinctively recoiled, and he nearly stepped back out — the same reflex almost every child had when seeing Dudley for the first time.
(End of Chapter)
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