The New Students in the Compartment

For Penelope Crivat, today was a lucky one. First, she couldn't figure out how to get to the station and received kind help from a family. Then, once on the train, she encountered that same family again.

The family had many children, all with red hair. Penelope learned that one of them, a boy named Percy Weasley, was a new student at Hogwarts, just like her.

Percy enthusiastically invited Penelope to a compartment at the end of the train and even rushed to help her with her luggage.

With his own suitcase in his left hand and Penelope's in his right, Percy walked ahead, turning back to talk to her.

"The compartments at the end of the train are always empty. Those kids always prefer to crowd into the busy ones. New students always have so much energy."

In reality, these words were told to him by his older brother, Charlie Weasley. Percy thought saying them would make him seem mature.

For some reason, the first time Percy saw Penelope, he felt an urge to protect the freckled, brown-haired girl. He felt Penelope was just like his sister, Ginny.

Penelope looked at Percy's slightly flushed face and smiled, nodding. "The train is about to leave; let's hurry."

Seeing that Percy's steps were a bit unsteady, she said sheepishly, "Dad got me a lot of things when he knew I was coming to Hogwarts to study magic, um... I mean, it might be better if I carried my own suitcase."

Percy shook his head like a rattle, but Penelope insisted on carrying it herself, claiming she had already received plenty of help.

However, when Percy saw the last compartment just ahead, he dashed towards it, placing both large suitcases on the floor with a "thump." He yanked open the compartment door and turned back to Penelope triumphantly, "See, we're here."

Penelope peered into the compartment and saw a gray-haired boy calmly looking at them.

The gray-haired boy was Moriarty. At that moment, warm sunlight streamed through the window directly opposite the door, casting a golden hue on his gray hair.

Penelope and Moriarty made eye contact, and she hastily averted her gaze. In that instant, she felt as if she had been drawn into those gray eyes.

Percy turned around as well, his forehead beaded with sweat. He realized the situation in the compartment wasn't as he'd described and gave an awkward laugh, "At least there's only one person here..."

Penelope nodded too. She looked at Moriarty, "May we sit in here?"

It was evident that Percy was a rule-follower. He quickly realized how impolite his previous actions had been and offered Moriarty an apologetic smile.

"I apologize for my earlier rudeness, sir. I was indeed too hasty. You see, the compartments ahead are packed with new students. These children are quite a handful."

Moriarty curved his lips. He sometimes found Percy's talk quite amusing. Watching a little brat pretend to be mature could always make a true adult laugh.

"There's no one else in the compartment besides me. Please, sit down, you two."

After receiving Moriarty's permission, Penelope placed her suitcase and sat in the window seat on the other side, directly opposite Moriarty.

Percy wanted to sit next to Penelope, but he felt too shy, so he sat down next to Moriarty.

"Actually, you don't need to apologize to me," Percy heard Moriarty say as soon as he sat down. "Helping this young lady is a gentlemanly act, and I think you did very well."

Moriarty winked at Percy, whose face immediately turned red. "It's wonderful that you understand me. No one in my family understands me... especially my two younger brothers; they always make fun of my politeness."

Percy's voice grew softer. Perhaps thinking of his brothers, his lips unconsciously curved upwards. "Oh, I mean, they're very mischievous! But I don't blame them..."

After saying this, Percy noticed both Moriarty and Penelope looking at him quietly. He chuckled awkwardly again. "Am I talking too much? Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Percy Weasley! I hope to become a prefect for Gryffindor. Thank you!"

Percy extended his hand to Moriarty. As soon as the topic of prefects came up, the mature Percy returned.

Moriarty reached out and gently shook his hand. "Hello, Weasley. I am Moriarty Slytherin."

Percy frowned, finding the surname remarkably familiar. A figure flashed through his mind, but it was indistinct.

Meanwhile, Moriarty looked at Penelope.

In fact, he recognized Percy the moment he saw him – the Weasley children were too distinctive. However, he knew nothing about this brown-haired girl.

"My name is Penelope, Penelope Crivat! My parents are Muggles, but I will become a qualified witch."

She gave Moriarty a slight smile, her freckles around her nose seeming to ripple, but Penelope didn't mind.

"I have no doubt you will, Miss Crivat."

Moriarty nodded, meeting Penelope's gaze. Who could have imagined that this young girl, still growing, with freckles, would one day become the intelligent, capable, and shrewd Ravenclaw prefect!

Just then, the whistle blew, and the train began to move.

Penelope looked out the window with curiosity. "I've taken trains in London, but never a magical one! My parents were so surprised when they found out I was accepted into Hogwarts. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on their faces!"

"When you arrive at Hogwarts, you'll discover that the standards for evaluating students have nothing to do with their background."

Moriarty sensed Penelope's slight nervousness due to her Muggle heritage.

"Really?" Penelope's bright blue eyes stared intently at Moriarty. "I want to be an excellent student, just like when I was at school in London..."

Her gaze shifted slightly, and she noticed Moriarty holding a thick book, but she couldn't recognize any of the words on the cover.

"Huh, your book... so this is a magic book?" Penelope pouted, her eyes full of longing.

"Yes, 'Magical Theory'!" Moriarty glanced at the book and curled his lip. "I thought that by applying Runic Script and Alchemy together to a vehicle enchanted with a complex memory charm, I could create a magical transport tool with the same function as the Hogwarts Express. However, it seems it's not that simple."

Nine months of study had allowed Moriarty to feel the charm of ancient magic. If the Elemental Magic Advancement Path provided by the system was simple and powerful, then ancient magic was profound and mysterious.

But Penelope was stunned. What was applied to what? Her fantasy was shattered; magic was so difficult.

Perhaps it was the overlap between these words and the vague figure in Percy's memory that made him belatedly say, "You're that Mr. Slytherin, oh no, Mr. Moriarty, aren't you! Among the new students, only you can understand such advanced magic. Charlie told me that Ancient Runes is an elective course starting in the third year."

Moriarty's name had spread throughout the British wizarding world in recent months.

But Percy couldn't afford Lockhart's novels, and he pestered Charlie all day long, asking for advice on how to become a prefect, so he naturally wasn't familiar with Moriarty.

Percy looked at Moriarty with a complex expression. The thought that Moriarty was in the same year as him brought on a heavy sense of pressure.

Penelope tried her best to steer the conversation toward familiar territory. She said to Moriarty, "The Weasleys call you Mr. Moriarty? Wow, cool! I mean, do you remember Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes? He's the big boss!"

Moriarty read a longing in Penelope's eyes. This young girl, born to Muggle parents, yearned to find someone like her.

Moriarty was about to find a less hurtful way to explain to Penelope when he heard the compartment door slide open with a "swish."

This time, a girl entered. Her eyes were bright and dark, her skin fair, and she was tall. Her smooth, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, emitting a faint fragrance. Moriarty recognized it as the scent of a Blast-Ended Skrewt egg yolk shampoo.