On the Hogwarts Express (Part One)

Humming a little tune, Jon Hart quietly pushed his trunk aboard the steam locomotive.

That sideways glance just now had shown him that Hermione Granger was not black.

That was good news!

Though not necessarily. Considering his plans for the future, he probably would not have much contact with Hermione. Maybe it would have been more worthwhile if she were black?

Squeezing through the crowd, he found an empty compartment near the rear of the train and hauled his trunk onto the luggage rack. Though he was only eleven, Jon was far from scrawny. Carrying a few dozen kilograms of luggage was no problem at all.

He then took out Newt Scamander's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them from his trunk, reclined halfway in his seat, and flipped through it at random.

Page 117!

Though he had not made any marks, he had long memorized the page number.

As he turned the pages, he deliberately made his movements gentler so he would not crumple them.

"Basilisk

Ministry of Magic Classification: XXXXX (Extremely Dangerous)

The first Basilisk on record was bred by 'Vile Herpo'—a Greek Dark wizard who could speak Parseltongue. After many experiments, he discovered that placing a chicken egg beneath a toad to hatch would produce a dangerous giant serpent with extraordinary powers. The Basilisk is a dazzling green serpent that can grow up to fifty feet long. Male Basilisks have a bright red feather on their heads. Its fangs are exceptionally venomous, but its most dangerous method of attack is to stare at its target with its large yellow eyes. The instant anyone's gaze meets its own, they will die immediately.

Spiders flee at the sight of a Basilisk, for it is their natural enemy. The only thing that can make a Basilisk flee is the crowing of a rooster, which is fatal to it.

If food is plentiful—Basilisks eat all mammals, birds, and many kinds of reptiles—this snake can live for an extremely long time. It is believed that Vile Herpo's Basilisk lived for nearly nine hundred years.

Aside from its unique magical powers and exceptionally long lifespan, many of the Basilisk's traits stem from its nature as a venomous snake. Like ordinary venomous snakes, Basilisks shed their skins at intervals. Their omnivorous diet is also common among enormous snakes. Though it has not been explicitly stated, Basilisk skin is likely armored like Dragon Hide and can reflect spells cast at it. Only its eyes and mouth are weak points in its defenses.

Since the Middle Ages, creating a Basilisk has always been considered illegal. However, it is easy to conceal, since one need only remove the chicken egg from beneath the toad before the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures arrives. Yet no one can control a Basilisk except through Parseltongue, so they are dangerous not only to others, but also to most Dark wizards.

In Britain, there has been no record of a Basilisk sighting for at least four hundred years."

Taking his eyes off the book, Jon realized that he had read this passage at least twenty times since summer vacation and had already memorized it word for word.

As a Muggle-born wizard, Jon was well aware that... from the moment the Chamber of Secrets was opened on Halloween in 1992, he could be attacked by the Basilisk at any time, completing Tom Riddle's "purification" of Hogwarts bloodlines.

There were quite a few Muggle-born students at Hogwarts, so he might not be chosen. Besides, avoiding going out at night could greatly reduce the chance of being attacked. But it was better to be safe than sorry. He had to prepare for the worst at all times.

Based on the information currently available, Jon had not come up with an effective way to deal with a Basilisk. The only offensive spell he could use easily was the Petrifying Spell. Using the Petrifying Spell against a Basilisk would be like showing off before an expert!

He could only hope that the Realgar Powder and Rooster Alarm Clock would work and scare off the Basilisk in a crisis... Jon also kept a Glory Mirror in his pocket at all times. In the worst-case scenario, he would use it to petrify himself and wait for Mandrake to cure him.

Honestly, Tom Riddle was clearly a half-blood, so why did he turn around and become so ruthless toward Muggles and Muggle-borns? The ancients truly did not deceive me: traitors can be even more vicious than the real enemy.

The compartment's sliding door suddenly opened.

A girl with golden curls, long eyelashes, and a pair of adorable dimples walked in.

"Is anyone sitting here?" She pointed to the seat opposite Jon and asked softly, "Most of the other places are full."

"No one. Go ahead and sit," Jon said casually.

At the same time, he helped the girl lift her handbag onto the luggage rack.

"Thank you!" The girl smiled sweetly and sat opposite Jon. "May I ask who you are?"

"Hart, Jon Hart!" Jon closed the book in his hands. "A first-year at Hogwarts."

"Greengrass. My name is Astoria Greengrass! I'm also a first-year."

Green glasses???

Jon nearly burst out laughing. Why not call yourself Altria Greenhart?

Still, mocking someone's surname was rude in any country, so Jon did not let that impolite expression show on his face.

He searched through the characters who had appeared in Harry Potter in his mind. He did not seem to remember anyone like her... so she probably was not dangerous.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Greengrass!" he greeted politely.

"Likewise, Mr. Hart."

She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes, and her suitcase bore the emblem of a little snake. She appeared to have been born into a pure-blood family.

Jon turned his gaze to the window and saw that Eric and Judy had come over, with Mrs. Longbottom beside them.

Jon hurriedly tapped on the window and waved to them.

"Woo..." With a long whistle, the train began to move slowly.

Eric smiled and waved goodbye to Jon, while Judy wiped away tears as Mrs. Longbottom comforted her.

Until the platform vanished completely from their sight.

"Are you from the Longbottom family?" Miss Greengrass asked softly.

"Of course not. I told you, my surname is Hart..."

"Then... then... were those two Muggles just now your relatives?"

"Of course. They're my parents. Is there a problem?" Jon said coldly.

"Sorry... sorry... I'm so sorry..." Astoria apologized three times in a row.

"I didn't mean any harm!"