Hiss—
The sound of steam erupting came from the crimson Hogwarts Express engine, white smoke billowed, and the crowd was bustling.
Children were saying their final goodbyes to their families, or had already reunited with their companions, recounting interesting things that happened during the holidays.
"Oh, Neville! You left Trevor here!" An old woman, carrying a bag and holding a fat toad, hurried to the train.
A chubby boy with a round face poked his head out of the train window: "Oh, Grandma, you scared me, I thought it had run away again."
"You lost it, it didn't run away!" The old woman corrected him. Then she added, "When you get to school, remember to take good care of yourself."
"I will!" Neville nodded.
"No, you won't! I mean, if something happens, remember to find a teacher, don't be foolish like a headless chicken."
"Oh… alright…"
The train gradually started moving. Mothers waved at the train, their younger siblings cried and laughed, running alongside the train until it sped up. She was left behind, still waving at her older siblings going to Hogwarts.
"Alright, don't worry anymore." Howl looked at Chris, who had lowered his arm.
"I can't help it. As soon as I think about not seeing the child until Christmas, my heart feels empty." Chris said with a smile, his gaze still lingering on where the train had disappeared.
Then his expression dimmed slightly, and he waved his hand: "She's never been this far before."
After speaking, he shook his head: "Forget it, let's go. Want to grab a drink?"
"Alcohol or coffee?" Howl asked: "I think it's alcohol."
"I still have to drive." Chris said, changing the subject: "Aren't you worried? Speaking of which, it's a neighbor who brought Peter, not his family."
"I'm not worried." Howl shook his head: "I'm also going to Hogwarts soon."
"What?"
"That's right, the Principal of Hogwarts said there was a casual position for me, and I accepted it." Howl nodded, walking out of King's Cross Station with Chris: "So I said, don't worry too much."
A weight was lifted from Chris's heart: "Alright, I'll feel more at ease with you there."
"The teachers at Hogwarts are all very good, even if I'm not there, you can still rest assured."
"It's always different when you have an acquaintance there."
...On the train, Harry and Hermione found an empty compartment. After entering, Harry first placed his suitcase on the rack, then helped Hermione put her luggage up one by one.
"Harry, is this all your luggage?" Hermione looked curiously at Harry's case. It looked like an ordinary suitcase, brown, leather, with brass clasps.
It was exactly like the one her father used every day.
"This was a gift I received last Christmas, from a friend of Uncle Howl's." Harry explained: "Some spells have been cast inside, so it can hold a lot of things."
"Oh, alright, I thought all your clothes were in that small cloth bag." Hermione said.
"No, I only put some personal belongings in it now."
Harry didn't want to say too much about this, as it might make him seem like he was showing off. And for these things given by others, unrelated to his own abilities, he felt there was nothing to show off about.
If he were to show off, it should be about things he earned through his own abilities.
The two sat opposite each other in the compartment, chatting idly. They were both very nervous about their upcoming journey to Hogwarts.
Although all the books said that the difference between Little Wizards from ordinary families and Little Wizards from the Wizarding World wouldn't be too great, neither of them quite believed it.
Not much difference? Unless these peers in the Wizarding World learned nothing from birth until now!
Is that possible?!
"By the way, Hermione. I suggest not using the word Muggle." Harry suddenly said seriously: "Uncle Howl told me that Muggle is actually a derogatory term used by Wizards for non-spellcasters, it's just become normalized now."
Hermione immediately closed her mouth. She had just used the word Muggle.
With Harry's reminder, she immediately remembered what that fellow at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions had called her father that day.
"Alright, Harry, you're right." Hermione was a bit annoyed: "I saw those books all calling them Muggles… so I also…"
"It's nothing, Uncle Howl usually calls them ordinary people or non-spellcasters." Harry said, recalling the scene when Howl first told him this.
"Don't use the word Muggle" was the first thing Uncle Howl had ever said to him so seriously.
Clang—
The compartment door was roughly pulled open, and a familiar, annoying face appeared in the doorway.
Thin cheeks, blonde hair combed back, and that annoying arrogant expression still on his face.
And, his fashion sense was a bit outdated.
"Harry Potter, I finally found you." Draco slowly walked into the compartment, with two short, chubby, and particularly ugly guys standing behind him on either side. They stood on both sides of Draco, like bodyguards.
"Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle." Draco introduced casually.
"I've been looking for you since I got on the train."
Harry stood up, blocking the compartment and said: "Are you here to give a gift? No need, I've already accepted your apology."
Red veins immediately appeared on Malfoy's pale face, and he nodded somewhat through gritted teeth: "Good, good, good!! That's right, I'm here to give you a gift. To give you a—lesson!"
After he finished speaking, Crabbe and Goyle pounced from left and right.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.
Draco said triumphantly: "I want to tell you, don't think you can go against the Malfoy family just because you're the famous Potter."
Bang—
The next moment, scarlet blood splattered on Draco's pale face.
Harry punched Crabbe in the nose, and he immediately reeled back in pain, blood splattering.
Harry's strength wasn't that great, but similarly, these two chubby boys weren't particularly fierce.
However, Goyle's fist also came flying. Harry blocked it with his forearms, feeling a bit of pain. What followed in return was a hook to the waist and abdomen.
In the blink of an eye, the two chubby boys were rolling on the ground and wailing.
Malfoy wiped the blood from his face, then came back to his senses, his expression turning even paler. He staggered backward, quickly squatting down to help the two guys up.
The three of them nearly stumbled and crawled out of the compartment.
Hermione hadn't even reacted yet. She had only seen the two boys rush at Harry, and she had just stood up to help, when the two guys fell down.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Everything's fine." Harry said reassuringly, rubbing his forearm, then sat back down on the compartment sofa.
Seeing that Harry was fine, the anxiety on Hermione's face did not fade: "Oh my goodness, you made them bleed. That violates school rules, this… they won't send you back, will they?"
"No, it's fine." Harry said casually: "Don't worry, even if it really does violate some school rules, they wouldn't send a Little Wizard back."