For Penelope Crivat, today had been a lucky day. First, she had been unable to find the way into the station and received kind help from a family. Then, once aboard the train, she had run into that same family again.
The family had many children, each with red hair. Penelope learned that one of them, a boy named Percy Weasley, was also a new student at Hogwarts.
Percy warmly invited Penelope to a compartment at the end of the train, even rushing to help her carry her suitcase.
Percy carried his own suitcase in his left hand and Penelope's in his right, talking to her over his shoulder as he walked ahead.
"The compartments at the end are always empty. Those kids always swarm toward the crowded compartments. New students are always full of energy."
Actually, his brother Charlie Weasley had told him all that. Percy believed saying such things made him seem mature.
For some reason, the moment Percy saw Penelope, he wanted to protect the freckled brown-haired girl. She reminded him of his sister Ginny.
Penelope looked at Percy's slightly flushed face and smiled as she nodded. "The train is about to leave. Let's hurry."
When she noticed that Percy's steps had become somewhat unsteady, she said apologetically, "My dad knew I was coming to Hogwarts to study magic, so he gave me so many things. Um... I mean, I'd better carry my own suitcase."
Percy shook his head like a rattle drum, but Penelope insisted on carrying it herself, declaring that she had already received plenty of help.
However, when Percy saw that the final compartment was just ahead, he ran over with a thump-thump-thump, dropped the two large suitcases onto the floor with a bang, yanked open the compartment door, and turned back to Penelope with a proud grin. "See? We're here."
Penelope peered into the compartment and found a gray-haired boy watching them calmly.
The gray-haired boy was Moriarty. At that moment, warm sunlight streamed through the window directly opposite the door, tinting his gray hair with a layer of gold.
Penelope met Moriarty's eyes for an instant, then hurriedly looked away in panic. In that brief moment, she had felt as if she were being drawn into those gray eyes.
Percy turned around as well, his forehead covered in sweat. Seeing that the compartment was not quite as empty as he had claimed, he gave an awkward laugh. "At least there's only one person here..."
Penelope nodded too and looked at Moriarty. "May we sit here?"
It was clear that Percy was very particular about manners. He quickly realized how rash his earlier behavior had been and offered Moriarty an apologetic smile as well.
"I apologize for my earlier rude behavior, sir.
I was indeed too hasty. You know, the compartments ahead are packed with new students. Those children really are a headache."
Moriarty curled his lips. Listening to Percy speak was rather amusing at times. Watching a little brat pretend to be mature could always amuse a real adult.
"There's no one else in the compartment besides me. Please, have a seat, both of you."
With Moriarty's permission, Penelope put away her suitcase and sat by the window on the other side, directly opposite Moriarty.
Percy really wanted to sit beside Penelope, but he was too embarrassed, so he sat next to Moriarty instead.
"Actually, you don't need to apologize to me," Moriarty told Percy as soon as he sat down. "Helping this young lady is what a gentleman should do. I think you did very well."
Moriarty winked at Percy. Percy's face instantly turned red. "It's wonderful that you understand me. No one at home understands me... especially my two younger brothers. They always make fun of my politeness."
Percy's voice grew softer. Perhaps thinking of his brothers, the corners of his mouth rose involuntarily. "Oh, I mean, they're very naughty! But I don't blame them..."
After saying all that, Percy noticed that Moriarty and Penelope were both silently watching him. He gave another awkward laugh. "Am I talking too much? Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself.
"My name is Percy Weasley! I hope I can become a Gryffindor prefect. Thank you!"
Percy held out his hand to Moriarty. The moment the subject turned to prefects, mature Percy had returned.
Moriarty reached out and gave his hand a light shake. "Hello, Weasley. I'm Moriarty Slytherin."
Percy frowned. The surname sounded especially familiar. A figure flashed through his mind, but it was too vague to make out.
Moriarty, meanwhile, looked toward Penelope.
In fact, he had recognized Percy at first glance—the Weasley children were simply too distinctive. Yet he knew nothing at all about this brown-haired girl.
"My name is Penelope, Penelope Crivat! My parents are both ordinary people, but I will become a qualified witch."
She gave Moriarty a slight smile. The freckles around her nose seemed to ripple with it, but Penelope did not care in the slightest.
"I firmly believe that. Of course you can do it, Miss Crivat."
Moriarty nodded as he met Penelope's gaze. Who could have imagined that this freckled little girl, not yet fully grown, would one day become Ravenclaw's poised, capable, shrewd female prefect?
Just then, the whistle sounded, and the train began to move.
Penelope looked out the window with fascination. "I've ridden trains in London, but I've never ridden a magical train! When my parents found out I'd been accepted by Hogwarts, they were absolutely stunned. I don't think I'll ever forget their expressions!"
"Once you get to Hogwarts, you'll discover that a student's background has nothing to do with how they are judged."
Moriarty could tell that Penelope was somewhat nervous because of her Muggle background.
"Really?" Penelope's azure eyes stared unblinkingly at Moriarty. "I want to be an excellent student, just like I was at school in London..."
Her gaze lowered slightly, and she noticed the thick book in Moriarty's hands. Yet she did not recognize a single word on its cover.
"Huh, your book... So this is a magic book?" Penelope pouted, her eyes filled with longing.
"Yes, Magical Theory!" Moriarty glanced at the book and pursed his lips. "I thought that if Runic Script and Alchemy were applied together to a mode of transportation with a large-scale Memory Charm cast on it, it could create magical transportation with the same functions as the Hogwarts Express. But apparently, it isn't that simple."
Nine months of study had allowed Moriarty to experience 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 being applied together to what? Her fantasies had been shattered. Magic was so difficult.
Perhaps Moriarty's words overlapped with the vague figure in Percy's memory. Realization finally struck him. "You're that Mr. Slytherin—oh no, Mr. Moriarty, aren't you!
"You're the only new student who can understand such advanced magic. I heard Charlie say that Ancient Runes is an elective that starts in the third year."
Although Moriarty's name had spread throughout Britain's magical world over the past few months,
Percy could not afford Lockhart's novels, and he spent all day pestering Charlie for advice on how to become a prefect. Naturally, he was not familiar with Moriarty.
Percy looked at Moriarty with complicated feelings. The moment he thought of Moriarty being in the same year as him, crushing pressure descended upon him.
Penelope did her best to steer the conversation toward something familiar to her. She said to Moriarty, "Weasley calls you Mr. Moriarty? Wow, cool! I mean, do you remember Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes? He was the big boss!"
Moriarty could read the longing in Penelope's eyes. This Muggle-born girl longed to find someone like herself.
Moriarty was just trying to find a less hurtful way to explain it to Penelope.
Then, with a swish, the compartment door was pulled open again.
This time, a girl entered. Her eyes were bright and black, her skin fair, and her figure tall and slender. Soft golden hair fell over her shoulders, giving off a faint fragrance. Moriarty recognized it—it was the scent of Cockatrice Yolk Shampoo.
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