Hogwarts Express

Thick smoke from the steam engine drifted above the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wove between people's feet. Amid the buzz of conversation and the clatter of heavy luggage being dragged along, owls shrieked harshly to one another.

To keep Raven from causing trouble, Tierra had no choice but to buy a small birdcage for him. Otherwise, in a scene this chaotic, there was no telling where the mischievous Raven would fly off to wreak havoc.

Even with the cage, Raven kept pecking at the lock with his beak, seemingly trying to make Tierra let him out. He loved scenes like this best, where he could take advantage of the confusion to snatch his favorite shiny trinkets from wizards' pockets.

The first few carriages were already packed with students. Some leaned out the windows to talk to their families, while others roughhoused in their seats. Harry pushed his trolley along the platform, looking for an empty compartment.

As they passed, a round-faced boy said, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh, Neville..." he heard an Old Lady sigh in exasperation.

"Need a hand?" The ones speaking were the Weasley Twins they had met outside. They had clearly been waiting here for their little brother, who was just starting school.

After helping their own brother load his luggage onto the train, they turned to help Harry and Tierra, who were following behind Ron.

"Thanks," Harry said, a little embarrassed.

"Hey, Fred, give us a hand."

With the Weasley Twins' help, Harry finally shoved his trunk into the corner of the compartment.

Then they turned to help Tierra.

Tierra had only one small suitcase, containing some essential clothes, paper, and pens.

"Your suitcase is pretty light!" George said.

"I live in London," Tierra said. "My books were sent to the school through Owl Post yesterday. They should arrive by the time we get there."

He had gone to university in his previous life, after all. There was no way he was going to personally haul such heavy books all the way to school.

Besides, sending a book was cheap—just six Knuts. Sending all his books and his potion-brewing cauldron had cost him less than five Sickles.

It could only be said that this truly was the birthplace of capitalism. Even the owls were exploited.

Sure enough, capitalism came into the world with every pore dripping blood and filth.

For some reason, that line had suddenly come to mind when he saw those owls wobbling through the air with his books clutched in their talons, flying toward Hogwarts.

"Very clever," Fred and George said.

"Too clever!" Ron nearly shouted. How had he not thought of that?

Tierra, Harry, and Ron found an empty compartment in the first-years' carriage. The Weasley Twins were taking advantage of the remaining time before the train departed to tease their foolish little brother.

"Hey, clever kid, what's your name?" The Weasley Twins seemed quite interested in Tierra.

Compared to Harry's restraint in such a crowded setting, Tierra's bearing was remarkably at ease.

That made it easier for him to win the other children's favor.

"My name is Tierra Wu. My parents are both Muggles. This is Harry Potter, and we—"

"Harry Potter!" Ron shrieked in the cracking voice of early puberty.

"Y-you have... have that, right? On your forehead..." Ron asked nervously.

"I do." Harry generously lifted his sweat-dampened hair.

"Oh, bloody hell, it really is Harry Potter." The twins, who had been so interested in Tierra a moment ago, immediately abandoned him and crowded around Harry, bombarding him with questions. Their enthusiastic manner made Harry somewhat uncomfortable, but it also stirred a small flicker of delight within him.

It was the delight of being noticed.

Tierra, now being ignored, did not mind. He took a book called "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" from the false bottom of his suitcase and began reading.

Having been a biology nerd in his previous life, Tierra was most interested in the Magical World's diverse and wildly uninhibited fantastic beasts.

In any case, trying to study during the fragmented time on a train was too inefficient. He might as well read something leisurely.

At the same time, Tierra could somewhat understand Ron's feelings during the fourth and seventh years.

Children's likes and dislikes were blunt and unhidden.

When someone beside you was too powerful, too dazzling, even the closest friend might grow jealous and develop a rift.

Fortunately, Tierra was an adult. He knew very clearly what he wanted, and he truly did not care about the little joys and grievances between children.

Perhaps the three Weasley brothers were too excited, because it was not until Mrs. Weasley, standing outside the window, shouted three times that the three mischievous boys finally stuck their heads out.

"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

"You know that black-haired boy who was standing beside us at the station? Do you know who he is?"

"Who?"

"It's Harry! Harry Potter!"

Harry heard a little girl's voice and shyly edged closer to Tierra, so they would not notice him eavesdropping.

He was still a little unused to Mrs. Weasley's excessive enthusiasm.

Instinctively, he moved closer to Tierra, whom he had known longer and who made him feel safer.

"Oh, Mum, can I get on the train and see him? Please, Mum..."

"You've already seen him, Ginny. That poor child isn't an animal in a zoo for you to stare at. Is he really Harry, Fred, George? How do you know?"

"We asked him. We saw his scar. It's really there, like a lightning bolt."

"Oh... that poor child..." Mrs. Weasley's eyes were full of affection. "No wonder he was dressed so thinly, no wonder... What about the other boy? Who's the other black-haired boy?"

"His name is Tierra Wu. He's from a Muggle family."

"You must take good care of Harry and that Muggle boy at school. They've just arrived in an unfamiliar place and must be terrified. Look how polite and sensible they were when they asked for directions. Especially you, George—you are not allowed to bully them, and you are not allowed to use your pranks on them. If I find out you have, I promise you'll never see those prank props you hide under your bed again!"

"We won't, Mum, don't worry. We definitely won't. But Mum, do you think he remembers what Voldemort looked like?"

Their mother, Mrs. Weasley, suddenly darkened.

"You are not to ask him that, Fred! Don't ask! Do you want him to remember that terrible thing on his first day at school?"

"All right, don't get angry, Mum. We won't ask."

A whistle sounded.

"Don't cause trouble at school!" As the train started moving, the three Weasley brothers grew farther and farther away from their mother, forcing Mrs. Weasley to shout. Her fierce voice made the circle of wizards nearby turn to look.

The train gradually picked up speed.

Harry saw the children's mother waving. Their little sister was crying and laughing as she ran alongside the train, until it was moving too fast and she was left far behind, still waving at them.

Harry kept watching the mother and daughter until the train rounded a bend and they vanished from sight. Houses flashed past the window.

Harry felt tremendously excited. He did not know what lay ahead, but at least it had to be better than the past he had left behind.