Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

The next morning, Silas slept until he woke up naturally. He had a leisurely breakfast at home (the food at home had improved a lot at his strong insistence) and then, under the slightly worried yet amused gazes of his parents, prepared to leave.

He wore his dark blue mage robe and his crimson Levitating Cloak. Other than that, he brought nothing – all his luggage had already been sent to his Hogwarts dormitory via Portal. He only held the cage containing the Niffler. The little creature, peering through the bars, its small eyes darting around, was eyeing everything shiny with predatory intent.

"I'm off, Mom and Dad!" Silas waved, and before his parents could offer any more advice, he raised his hand, drew a circle in the air, and directly opened a Portal to a relatively secluded corner of King's Cross Station.

The station was bustling with noise and crowds. Silas's attire immediately drew quite a few stares. Especially the Niffler in his arms; its flat snout and black fur caused some curious Muggles to whisper, "Look at that kid, is he holding a platypus?" "What a strange outfit…"

Silas felt incredibly uncomfortable under their gazes. He quickened his pace, searching for the dividing wall between platforms nine and ten. Based on the descriptions from his mother Pella (from a Muggle perspective) and from books, he had a general idea of the location.

"Hmm… this should be the wall, right?" He stood before an ordinary-looking load-bearing wall, muttering to himself uncertainly. He recalled the scenes from the movies, took a deep breath, lowered his head, and pushed his luggage cart (even though he had no luggage) straight towards the wall – he thought the Niffler in the cage could count as "luggage."

THUMP!

A dull thud. The expected sensation of passing through didn't happen. Instead, he felt a solid impact on his forehead and saw stars. He was knocked back two steps, clutching his forehead and grimacing.

"Ouch! Not this wall?"

The Muggles waiting for trains around them were drawn by the commotion. Seeing the strangely dressed child push an empty cart (with only an animal cage) into the wall, then cry out in pain while holding his head, they cast even stranger, even pitying glances (thinking the child might not be quite right in the head). Some whispered, others pointed.

Silas rubbed his reddening forehead, and anger flared up inside him. He was already reluctant to take the train, and now he had publicly embarrassed himself, being treated like an idiot!

"Enough!" he cursed under his breath, fed up with this awkward and inefficient way of searching.

He looked around. The moment no one was paying him particular attention, he quickly raised both hands and drew a perfect circle in front of him!

CRACKLE—

Golden sparks erupted, and a Portal, with a stable edge and a clear view of a steam engine and bustling wizarding crowds within, instantly opened before him. The rich smell of coal smoke and the calls of owls drifted from the other side.

Silas didn't hesitate. Holding the Niffler cage, he stepped through in one stride.

The Portal closed rapidly behind him, disappearing without a trace.

All that remained were a few Muggles who happened to glimpse the scene, rubbing their eyes in disbelief, wondering if they were hallucinating. Meanwhile, Silas had already firmly planted himself on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, surrounded by noisy wizarding families, floating luggage, and the deep red Hogwarts Express puffing white steam.

"Should have done this from the start," Silas muttered, dusting off imaginary specks from his robe. He ignored the few young wizards around him who froze in surprise at his sudden appearance and began looking for an empty compartment. All he wanted was a quiet corner to catch up on sleep.

Holding the Niffler cage, he walked down the noisy train corridor, oblivious to the curious and astonished glances from the young wizards around him. He just wanted some peace. Soon, he found an empty compartment towards the back of the train.

"Perfect."

He pulled open the compartment door, slipped inside, and shut it behind him, largely shutting out the noise from outside. He placed the Niffler cage on the seat opposite (the little creature immediately started pawing at the cage door, trying to get out and explore). He then walked to the long sofa by the window, flicked his Levitating Cloak back, and with a soft thud, collapsed onto it like a puddle of mud, finding a comfortable angle to rest his head on the slightly stiff velvet cushion.

A strong wave of sleepiness (mainly from waking up early and the frustration of hitting the wall earlier) washed over him instantly. Even before losing consciousness, he managed to issue a command to the System in his mind:

"System… set an alarm… wake me up in two hours…"

[Received, Host. Two-hour hibernation mode activated.] The System's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

Almost the next second after the command was given, faint and even snores emanated from Silas. He curled up on the sofa, his cloak draped over him like a blanket, sleeping soundly. The Niffler in the cage fussed for a while, found it couldn't get out, yawned, curled into a black furball, and fell asleep too.

The entire compartment fell silent, save for the rhythmic clatter of the train and Silas's breathing.

A few minutes later, the train had started moving, leaving the London city limits. The compartment door was gently knocked on, then a crack was opened.

A little girl with a thick, fluffy brown hairstyle and slightly large front teeth poked her head in. She was holding a book so thick it could be used as a brick (a new hardcover edition of Hogwarts: A History). It was Hermione Granger.

She glanced at the empty compartment, then at the boy sleeping soundly on the opposite sofa, holding a strange animal and wearing a peculiar dark blue robe. Her brow furrowed slightly, as if she were weighing the pros and cons of sharing a compartment with a stranger/someone sleeping.

She whispered, with a hint of hesitation, to herself, "Is… anyone here?"

Her only answer was Silas's snores and the Niffler's faint purrs.

Hermione's brow smoothed out, as if she had reached a conclusion. She carefully entered the compartment, trying not to make a sound, and sat down in the farthest corner from Silas, gently closing the door.

"Okay," she said in a low voice, as if convincing herself, "at least it's quiet here, and no one will bother me while I read."

She immediately opened the thick Hogwarts: A History and immersed herself in the ocean of knowledge, her eyes occasionally lighting up at an interesting detail, or her gaze flicking with slight displeasure towards Silas when his snoring suddenly intensified.

One compartment, two entirely different states: on one side, a studious bookworm, eager for knowledge and full of nervous anticipation for the future; on the other, a sleeper who treated the journey to school as an opportunity to catch up on sleep. The first encounter on the Hogwarts Express began quietly, in such an unequal, even comical atmosphere. And Silas's System alarm was silently counting down.

Two hours passed by in the clatter of the train and the rustling of Hermione turning pages.

[Ding—! Wake up, bro! The sun's shining on your butt!] The System's slightly playful alarm sound exploded in Silas's mind right on time.

Silas jolted up from the sofa as if electrocuted, rubbing his eyes groggily. "So noisy… how long have I been asleep…"

[Also, I have good news for you,] the System's tone was cheerful, [During your two hours of deep sleep, your body and mental strength have been fully rested and integrated. The proficiency of your two main skills, 'Claws of Denak' and 'Ring of the Ragaddor,' has just been maxed out, automatically upgrading to LV5! Congratulations, you've officially unlocked four new spells on the third tier of the Vishanti Origin skill tree!]

Silas's sleepiness was instantly dispelled by the good news. "This is too coincidental… I leveled up just by sleeping?" He couldn't wait to bring up the skill tree interface to see what new abilities he had unlocked.

But just then, his peripheral vision caught sight of the opposite corner. A little girl with fluffy brown hair was holding a terrifyingly thick book, looking at him with a gaze mixed with curiosity, surprise, and a hint of disapproval.

Silas finally woke up completely, realizing he wasn't alone in the compartment. "…Wait, who's that person across from me?"

Seeing that Silas had finally woken up and noticed her, Hermione closed her book, straightened her back, and introduced herself in a clear, slightly nervous tone: "Hello. I'm Hermione Granger."

Silas blinked, quickly making the connection in his mind – the future "Miss Know-It-All," the intellectual pillar of the Harry Potter Trio. He adjusted his posture and replied politely, "Hello, Granger. I'm Silas A. Kirill."

Just then, the Niffler in the cage had somehow opened the cage door on its own (this little guy's lock-picking talent was maxed out). It slipped out and was sniffing curiously at the buckle of Hermione's luggage at her feet with its long nose. Its little paws were already restlessly trying to pry it open, clearly attracted by any shiny objects that might be inside.

Silas reacted quickly (or rather, too lazy to get up) and snapped his fingers crisply.

An invisible force instantly enveloped the sneaky Niffler, lifting it gently. It floated as if held by an unseen hand, steadily returning to Silas's outstretched palm. The Niffler squirmed unhappily in his hand.

"Sorry about that," Silas said, stuffing the Niffler back into the cage and reinforcing the door with a simple sealing spell, "this guy is being mischievous again. He has absolutely no resistance to shiny things."

However, Hermione's attention was no longer on the Niffler. Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape. She pointed at the hand Silas had used to snap his fingers, her voice rising an octave in shock:

"Wait! Wait! What was that just now… was that a Levitation Charm? 'Wingardium Leviosa'? But you didn't say the incantation! And more importantly—you didn't even use a wand!"

She sounded like she'd discovered a new continent, her words tumbling out like popping beans: "The book says that wandless and wordless spellcasting is an extremely advanced magical technique! Only very powerful wizards can master it! You… how could you possibly…"

Silas was a bit stunned by her rapid-fire questions and casually replied, "Uh, this… it's nothing, just a little trick…" He thought to himself, compared to Vishanti Magic, this was truly like a tiny pebble next to a majestic mountain.

His understated remark was like a bucket of cold water thrown over Hermione's head. The shock on the young girl's face was quickly replaced by a sense of frustration and anxiety. She slammed shut Hogwarts: A History on her knees, her voice tinged with grievance and urgency:

"I knew it! Wizards from wizarding families must have been exposed to magic since childhood, it's bound to be different from me! Oh my god, I spent the entire summer just memorizing the theories in the textbooks, and I thought I was well-prepared… only to find out I'm so far behind!"

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Silas felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. He quickly clarified, "Ahem, ahem… Granger, I think you've misunderstood. I'm not from a wizarding family at all, I'm Muggle-born."

"Muggle-born?" Hermione's head shot up, her eyes widening even further. The frustration instantly vanished, replaced by immense confusion and deeper anxiety. "You're Muggle-born too? Then… how could you… then doesn't that mean I'm… even more screwed?!"

She logically deduced a conclusion that made her even more despairing: they were both Muggle-born, yet he could already cast spells without a wand or incantation, while she was still stuck reciting theories! The gap was like an unbridgeable chasm!

Silas looked at Hermione, whose worldview seemed to be collapsing, making her want to shut down. He opened his mouth, unsure of how to explain. Should he tell her, "Actually, I'm cheating, don't compare yourself to me"? That sounded even more hurtful.

The atmosphere in the compartment suddenly became a bit awkward. Silas scratched his head, deciding it was more practical to check his newly unlocked skills. Meanwhile, Hermione was lost in deep self-doubt and the panic of "falling behind from the start of school," and began flipping through her thick copy of Hogwarts: A History even more frantically, trying to find a shred of comfort.