On the Hogwarts Express (Part Two)

Her repeated apologies improved Jon's impression of her somewhat.

When he had first seen the little snake on her suitcase, he had assumed she was one of those Slytherin pure-blood supremacists who believed themselves noble by birth, so he had not been particularly friendly toward her.

Perhaps only in a place like Europe, with its cramped landmass, widespread inbreeding, and severe religious oppression, could such idiotic ideas as bloodline determining everything and pure-bloods being noble by birth emerge...

On either side of the Pacific Ocean, a single "Are kings and nobles born to their station?" or "All men are created equal" would be enough to choke those pure-blood supremacists to death.

"So, does that mean you're Muggle-born?" Seeing that Jon's expression had softened somewhat, the girl asked quietly.

"Yeah!" Jon frowned slightly when he heard the word Muggle, but he still nodded. "My father is a lawyer, and my mother is a fashion designer!"

"Wow!" Miss Greengrass looked very interested. "So Muggles... ordinary people have jobs like lawyers and fashion designers too! I've never had any contact with them, so I know nothing about their world..."

"Of course. I think ordinary people do a better job than wizards in those areas."

"My parents both work at the Ministry of Magic," Miss Greengrass said casually. "I have an older sister named Daphne, who's in her second year. We got separated when we boarded the train just now. Um, and I have a younger brother too..."

Daphne Greengrass?

The name sounded somewhat familiar, but he had no memories related to it... She must have appeared in the original Harry Potter books, though she had barely any role. Otherwise, with his memory, there was no way he would have forgotten her.

"I don't have any siblings," Jon said as he opened the book in his hands. "Though I've always wished I did!"

That was true. He had been an only child in both lives.

"What are you reading, Mr. Hart?"

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!" Jon showed her the book in his hand. "You can call me Jon, Miss Greengrass!"

"Then you should call me Astoria too." The girl blinked mischievously. "Do you like Magical Creatures too, Jon?"

They quickly became acquainted and began discussing things enthusiastically.

They talked about whether Goblins or Pixies were smarter, whether Kneazles or Graphorns made better pets, and how to earn the trust of a Bowtruckle...

It was clear that Astoria really did know quite a lot about Magical Creatures.

"You know so much!" Astoria said enviously.

Her mother was the director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic, which was why she knew so much about Magical Creatures. Yet compared to a Muggle-born boy her own age like Jon Hart, she seemed somewhat lacking.

Jon smiled. His exceptional memory was one of the few benefits he had gained from transmigrating.

"By the way, Jon!" Astoria suddenly asked, "Which House do you want to go to?"

The question caught Jon off guard for a moment.

"What about you?" he could only ask in return.

"Slytherin!" A hint of pride showed on the girl's face. "Everyone in my family graduated from Slytherin! What about you?"

"I think I'll probably go to Hufflepuff," Jon said after thinking carefully for a moment.

Of the four Houses, Slytherin was the first to be ruled out. After all, as a "lowly" Mudblood, he could never be worthy of that noble pure-blood House. Gryffindor was the second to go; joining Gryffindor would mean getting close to the Golden Trio and Ginny Weasley.

That left Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and Jon did not particularly care which one he ended up in. But if he went to Ravenclaw, he would have to endlessly solve the riddles from the door knocker, which sounded troublesome. Hufflepuff was better...

"Hufflepuff?" Astoria unconsciously raised her voice, her tone turning hesitant. "How could that be... I mean... my sister told me... Hufflepuff has lots of..."

"Hufflepuff has lots of good-for-nothings?" Jon smiled. It seemed Hufflepuff really was at the bottom of Hogwarts' pecking order. "Isn't that because Hufflepuff is the House closest to the Kitchen...? Honestly, I wouldn't mind being a good-for-nothing!"

"I still don't want you to go to Hufflepuff!" Astoria lowered her head.

"I hope you'll come to Slytherin..."

Her last words were so soft they were barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Jon seemed not to have heard her. He was rummaging through his trunk.

Soon, he pulled out a large bag packed full of snacks.

Snacks on trains were always expensive, and that rule held true in the wizarding world as well... A year ago, the two protagonists, Potter and Weasley, had spent nearly two-thirds of a Galleon on snacks here.

Jon, whose family was "poor," naturally would not waste money like that.

Two days before leaving, he had gone to the ASDA supermarket on Eastley Road and bought a huge bag of snacks, enough to last him a week at Hogwarts.

"Are these Muggle... ordinary people's snacks?" Astoria asked curiously.

"Of course. Want some?" As he spoke, Jon tossed over a bottle of Coca-Cola.

"Thanks..." Astoria caught the drink somewhat clumsily.

"But you'd better not open it right away..."

"Why?"

"Bang..."

Astoria twisted open the Coca-Cola bottle, and countless bubbles burst out, spraying all over her!

"Ah... what kind of magic is this?" She smiled happily. "This is so interesting!"

"Uh, you'd better wipe it off. It'll get sticky once it dries." Jon hurriedly handed her some tissues and piled a heap of snacks onto Astoria's seat. There were baked potato chips, raw potato chips, fried potato chips; as well as baked cod, baked trout, baked salmon, and baked flounder...

Just then, a loud clattering commotion came from the corridor.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?"

A smiling, dimple-cheeked woman pushed open the compartment door. Seeing Astoria covered in foam but looking delighted, and Jon beside her holding tissues, she froze for a moment.

"I'll have some!" Astoria's face immediately turned red. She pushed Jon away and ran into the corridor with her head lowered.

But she soon returned, carrying Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chewies Super Bubble Gum, Chocolate Frogs, pumpkin pasties, Cauldron Cakes, liquorice wands, and several strange foods Jon had never seen before.

"Here, half for you!" She pushed half of them across to him.

"Thanks!"

Just as the two of them were eating heartily, the compartment door was pushed open again.

"Astoria, you're actually here!" A shrill voice came from outside the door.