Tom had agreed to help, sure—but that didn't mean he personally wanted to.
Hannah, on the other hand, was absolutely going to help Neville find his toad whether Tom liked it or not. If he refused to come along, she'd have to decide which snacks to leave for him.
As for leaving all of them?
He'd definitely eat every last one. Absolutely. (￣▽￣)~
She didn't know whether Tom would actually do that, but if she were in his place, she'd lose to the power of snacks instantly.
"What a big cat! Is he your pet?"
Only then did Neville finally notice the large cat standing beside Hannah. He didn't even have time to wipe his tears before curiosity took over.
[Do I really look that much like a pet?!]
Tom didn't understand this at all. Hannah mistaking him before was one thing—he'd been following Luna around at the time, which did make him look a bit pet-like.
But now?
He was wearing a wizard's robe.
"Have you ever read The Quibbler? A recent issue mentioned a cat starting school this year. Tom is that new student!"
Hannah hurried to explain. She'd made that mistake once and wasn't about to let someone else repeat it.
"Huh? A student?!" Σ(°口°)
Neville couldn't wrap his head around it. How did the words "cat" and "student" even fit in the same sentence?
As for The Quibbler, he had heard his grandmother mention it—
but wasn't that magazine full of absurd nonsense?
Since when did it publish real news?
[Right? Did you not see the wizard robe on me?!]
Tom finally couldn't hold it in. He was honestly speechless. Poor memory was one thing, but Neville's eyesight had to be just as bad.
What kind of wizard puts a robe on their pet?
"S-sorry… I didn't notice…"
Neville lowered his head, his voice getting softer and softer.
Looking at the timid boy in front of him, Tom spread his paws helplessly.
What else could he say?
The future sword-wielding hero of Gryffindor was, for now, still a hesitant, insecure kid.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet ran off, right? I'll help you look for it.]
"Really? Thank you!"
Ignoring Neville's excitement, Tom began thinking about how to track down the missing toad.
His memories of Harry Potter were blurry—he couldn't remember where Neville eventually found Trevor in the original story.
(Though even if he remembered, it wouldn't matter—Trevor was actually found by Hagrid on the boat in the book.)
And magic?
Tom still wasn't even sure how his magic worked. Even if he could cast properly, Accio was a fourth-year spell. No way he could use it now.
Hannah, though slightly salty about Tom's "special treatment" of Neville, held back her complaints. They needed to focus on finding the toad. She watched Tom curiously, wondering what kind of trick this unusual classmate had up his sleeve.
A moment later, Tom's eyes lit up. He clenched his little paw into a fist and smacked it into his other paw.
[I think… I've figured out how to find Trevor!]
He couldn't find the toad—
but someone else could.
"You know where to help… uh…"
Halfway through speaking, Hannah realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward him.
"Neville. Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
His voice was small, but he sounded a bit happy.
"Oh right! So, did Tom figure out where Trevor is?"
Hannah leaned forward eagerly. She knew this magical cat had more hidden abilities.
[I have no idea!]
Tom answered confidently—while pulling out a small slip of paper.
"(・_・)? Then what was that 'I have an idea' about?"
[I mean, I know how we're going to find him.]
Under their confused stares, Tom scribbled a few quick marks on the paper… then reached into his robe and pulled out a large birdcage—with a very done-with-life owl inside.
"Meow~
(George, buddy, deliver this letter to Trevor~)"
Yes.
That was Tom's master plan.
If they couldn't find the tiny toad on a moving train, then it was time to call in a professional.
Nobody knew how they did it, but owls—one of the magical world's most mysterious creatures—were unmatched at finding people and delivering letters. As long as the target wasn't actively hiding, they could pinpoint their location perfectly.
Tom wasn't sure if this worked on animals too, but trying cost nothing.
And who knew—maybe it'd work.
Hannah & Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
George shot Tom a very annoyed glare, grabbed the paper, and flew off down the corridor.
"W-wait—owls can be used like that?!"
Hannah was stunned.
Sure, owls were for mail… but finding animals?
Was that even a thing?!
[We'll find out soon enough~ Follow me!]
Tom happily hopped out of the compartment, chasing after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Neville, equally bewildered, hurried after them. Like Tom said—
even if it didn't work, it was better than stumbling around blindly.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
Hannah glanced at the snacks on the table… then at the rapidly disappearing cat and boy.
She hesitated for just one second before scooping up all the snacks and sprinting after them.
…
Soon, under George's guidance, they found a toad in the restroom.
The moment George spotted it, he swooped down, dropped the paper squarely onto the toad's head, then glided back to Tom, landing neatly with one foot on each of Tom's shoulders.
"Trevor!"
Neville rushed forward, scooping up his toad and rubbing his head against it in pure relief.
"Thank you! If I didn't find him, I wouldn't know how to face Grandpa Algernon…"
[You're welcome. But honestly? You should get Trevor a proper terrarium with water.]
Listening to the toad's despairing croaks and watching it struggle, Tom couldn't help but feel complicated.
No wonder Trevor kept running away.
Being squeezed in Neville's hand all day must've been torture.
Toads needed a damp, dark environment—
which Neville clearly did not have.
"So Trevor ran away because… it was my fault?"
Neville looked devastated. Everyone else had normal pets—why was his so troublesome?
Thankfully, he wasn't stubborn. Realizing he'd been taking care of Trevor wrong, he immediately started reflecting on how to give his toad a more comfortable environment.
Except…
"But I can't get a terrarium for him right now…"
Holding the squirming Trevor, Neville looked troubled.
[($ω$) Leave that to me!]
Seeing Neville's expression, Tom smelled profit. His eyes practically turned into dollar signs.
Neville needed a portable tank big enough for Trevor.
And as long as the payment was right, there was nothing Tom couldn't craft.
A small fish tank? Easy.
With enough money, he could hand-craft a customized luxury terrarium set.
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