London in September was shrouded in a thin mist. Beneath the dome of King's Cross Station echoed the roar of steam engines and the clamor of the crowd. Lynn stood before the seemingly impenetrable brick wall between Platforms Nine and Ten, pushing a brand-new trunk filled with magical books and clothes, a gift from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions in Diagon Alley. The Star Stone against his chest gave off a steady warmth, like a tiny, reassuring heart.
Taking a deep breath, he fixed his gaze on a spot on the wall and shoved his trolley forward without hesitation—
Whoosh!
The anticipated collision never came. It felt as though he had passed through a curtain of cool water. The scene before him changed in an instant: a magnificent deep-red train, billowing thick white steam, rested beside the platform, a prominent brass plaque on its engine reading "Hogwarts Express." The platform was packed with students in black school robes and parents seeing them off. Owl cries, the clatter of pet cages, parents' reminders, and children's excited shouts intertwined into a symphony unique to the magical world. The air carried a peculiar blend of coal smoke, pumpkin pasties, and the fur of some magical creature.
Lynn swiftly searched the crowd. A familiar mass of brown curls appeared at an open compartment door not far away. Hermione was standing on tiptoe, half her body leaning out as she anxiously looked around. She had changed into a brand-new dark blue everyday robe, a school-starting gift from Lynn, which made her little face appear even fairer. The instant her eyes caught sight of Lynn, they lit up. She waved her arm vigorously, a brilliant smile blooming across her face like sunlight piercing London's mist.
"Lynn! Over here!" Her clear voice cut through the noise.
Lynn hurried over with his trolley, the corners of his mouth rising unconsciously. Hermione jumped down from the compartment steps and helped him lift the heavy trunk onto the luggage rack by the door. Her fingertips brushed the back of Lynn's hand by accident, and the Star Stone and Moon White Stone against their chests simultaneously sent out a distinct, resonant warmth.
"I was worried you wouldn't find the platform!" Hermione let out a breath, her cheeks slightly flushed from the effort.
"The Star Stone showed me the way." Lynn smiled, his gaze falling on the wand case made from an old scarf that she held in her arms. The end of her Moonlight Grapevine Wand peeked carefully out from it. "Nice handiwork, Miss Granger."
Hermione's face reddened further. She pursed her lips, looking both pleased and embarrassed. "I couldn't just let it stay exposed. What about yours?"
Lynn drew his Star-patterned Fir Wood wand from the inside pocket of his coat. It still had no protection whatsoever. "Looks like I need to learn from a certain handy classmate."
They exchanged a smile, and the atmosphere was easy and natural. Hermione led Lynn into the compartment she had claimed. It was empty, with only the moving scenery of the platform outside the window. Hermione's luggage was piled on the opposite seat; she had clearly saved the window seat for Lynn.
The moment he sat down, Hermione seemed to pull a bulging paper bag out of thin air from her little shoulder bag, which had been cast with an Undetectable Extension Charm and was far larger inside than it looked. An enticing sweet fragrance immediately filled the compartment.
"Blueberry muffins my mum baked! And Chocolate Frogs from Honeydukes!" She placed the paper bag on the little table between them as if presenting a treasure. "Try some!"
Lynn picked up a muffin that was still warm. It was soft and sweet, and the blueberries burst in his mouth with slightly tart juice. Hermione unwrapped a Chocolate Frog and swiftly caught it as it tried to leap out the window. She smugly bit off one of its legs. "Got it this time!"
A bit of chocolate was smeared at the corner of her mouth as she ate. Lynn naturally took out a tissue and handed it to her. Hermione accepted it and wiped herself clean, her fingertips brushing his again. The warmth in her chest returned, and she quickly lowered her head, pretending to study the Dumbledore card that came with the Chocolate Frog. But the faint red at the tips of her ears gave away her feelings.
The train let out a long whistle and slowly began to move. London's scenery started slipping backward, gradually replaced by open countryside. Just as Lynn and Hermione were sharing muffins and discussing theories about the nature of magic from A History of Magic, the compartment door slid open.
A slight black-haired boy with round glasses poked his head inside, looking somewhat reserved and hesitant. A lightning-shaped scar stood out clearly on his forehead. His green eyes carried curiosity and a trace of barely noticeable nervousness as he pushed a rather worn-looking trunk.
"Excuse me... all the other compartments are full... can I sit here?" The boy's voice was quiet and tentative.
"Of course! Come in!" Hermione immediately called out warmly, nudging Lynn with her elbow at the same time. Lynn understood at once. This was Harry Potter.
Harry smiled gratefully and struggled to push his trunk inside. Lynn rose and helped him lift it onto the luggage rack.
"Thanks." Harry sighed in relief and sat opposite Hermione, looking curiously at Lynn and Hermione. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
"I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione introduced herself openly, then looked at Lynn. "This is Lynn Li."
"Hello, Harry." Lynn nodded in greeting, calm and natural, without paying excessive attention to the famous scar like everyone else did.
Harry seemed slightly relieved by that ordinary treatment. He had barely settled in when the compartment door was yanked open again. A tall, freckled boy with flaming red hair rushed in energetically, carrying a bulging paper bag with one cheek stuffed full.
"Harry! Finally found you! Merlin's beard, I nearly got into the wrong compartment... huh?" The red-haired boy—Ron Weasley—froze mid-chew when he saw the two others in the compartment, especially Hermione. A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face as he mumbled, "Hi... I'm Ron, Ron Weasley."
"Hermione Granger, Lynn Li," Hermione introduced them again.
Ron sat beside Harry and pulled a crumpled brown-paper package from his bag. Opening it revealed several sandwiches that did not look particularly fresh. "Mum made corned beef sandwiches. Want some?" He warmly offered one to Harry, then hesitantly looked toward Lynn and Hermione.
"Thanks, we just had muffins." Lynn politely declined. Hermione shook her head politely as well.
Ron shrugged and took a large bite himself. A somewhat awkward silence settled over the compartment. Harry and Ron spoke quietly about what they had seen in Diagon Alley, with Harry mentioning Hagrid. Hermione took out History of Magic and began reading, though Lynn noticed that she kept secretly glancing toward Harry. Clearly, she was full of curiosity about the legendary "Boy Who Lived." Lynn leaned against the window, feeling the steady warmth of the Star Stone as he watched the scenery racing past outside.
Suddenly, the compartment door was pulled open again, this time in obvious panic. A round-faced, rather forgetful-looking boy asked anxiously, his voice close to tears, "Excuse me! Have any of you seen my toad? His name is Trevor, and he's gone again!"
It was Neville Longbottom.
"No," Harry and Ron said, shaking their heads. Hermione put down her book. "Don't worry, Mr. Longbottom. We can help you look. A summoning spell might work..."
Before she could finish, a grayish-green, wet, slimy thing dropped from a gap above the luggage rack with a plop, without warning, and landed with perfect accuracy on the open pages of Hermione's History of Magic!
"Ah!" Hermione cried out and jerked backward, nearly crashing into Lynn. It was a fat toad—Trevor! It stared blankly with bulging eyes, croaked once, and rubbed its hind legs against the precious parchment pages, leaving suspicious wet streaks behind.
"Trevor!" Neville cried out, both delighted and guilty.
Just as Hermione stared at her beloved new book, now ruined, her little face red with anger and her trembling fingers reaching for her wand—apparently intending to cast Scourgify on the rude amphibian or simply drive it away—Lynn moved.
He did not use his wand. He merely reached out like lightning, moving so fast that only an afterimage remained. Before the tip of Hermione's wand had even begun to glow, before Neville's cry could leave his throat, Lynn's long fingers had already firmly gripped Trevor around his cold, slick, warty middle and lifted him off Hermione's book.
"Here, Mr. Longbottom." Lynn's voice was perfectly calm, as if he had merely picked up an ordinary object. He handed the still-kicking Trevor to the stunned Neville. "Make sure you shut the cage door next time." With his other hand, he naturally picked up Hermione's "defiled" copy of History of Magic and lightly brushed his fingers across the pages. There was no spell light, yet the water stains and slime marks vanished at once, as though erased by an invisible rubber. The pages were pristine again.
"Th-thank you!" Neville clumsily caught Trevor and hugged him tightly, his face bright red as he apologized to Lynn and Hermione. "I'm sorry! Miss Granger! I'm really sorry! Thank you, Mr. Li!"
Hermione looked at the restored pages, then at Lynn's calm profile. A distinct warm current flowed from the Moon White Stone on her chest, instantly replacing her fright and irritation with a strange sense of security. She quietly let out a breath and waved at Neville. "Just be more careful next time."
Neville thanked them profusely and left with Trevor in his arms. Calm returned to the compartment, but the atmosphere had changed. Ron stared wide-eyed at Lynn, forgetting even to chew his sandwich. "Cool! How did you do that? Without a wand?"
"Practice makes perfect," Lynn replied vaguely, handing the book back to Hermione. As Hermione took it, her fingertips touched his again. Their eyes met for an instant before quickly parting, a wordless understanding quietly passing between them.
The train continued northward, and the scenery outside took on richer autumn colors. When the Trolley Witch's call as she sold snacks echoed down the corridor, Ron's eyes lit up. Harry generously bought a huge pile of Cauldron Cakes, Every Flavor Beans, and Chocolate Frogs to share with everyone. Hermione initially restrained herself and took only one piece of Every Flavor Beans, but when Lynn offered her a Fizzing Whizzbees, she could not resist accepting it. When her tongue tasted its jumping, faintly sweet electric current, her eyes narrowed with pleasure.
Just as Ron blew a bluebell-blue bubble that covered his whole head, making Harry burst into laughter and even Hermione unable to hold back a smile, the compartment door was opened for the third time. This time, the movement carried a deliberate arrogance.
A boy with pale blond hair and a pointed, pallid face appeared in the doorway. He wore brand-new black school robes pressed without a single crease. Behind him stood two broad, thickset boys, like small mountains—Crabbe and Goyle—completely blocking the corridor's light.
Draco Malfoy's gray-blue eyes swept slowly and appraisingly across the four people in the compartment. His gaze paused briefly on Harry's forehead scar, and a false smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Everyone on the train is saying Harry Potter is in this compartment." His voice was drawn out with affected refinement. "Looks like it's true. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He extended his hand directly toward Harry.
Ron let out a faint, mocking snort. Harry hesitated and did not take the hand at once.
Draco's hand stiffened in midair, and his false smile began to falter. His gray-blue eyes slid past Harry to Ron, openly displaying contempt. "Red hair, old robes. No need to ask who you are. The Weasley family always has a whole litter of children. You probably have to wear robes handed down from your brothers, don't you?" Ron's face instantly turned scarlet.
Draco's gaze turned to Hermione, looking her up and down critically—the new dark blue robe, the thick books in her arms. He gave a light scoff through his nose. "And you, Granger? Mud... oh, sorry, I mean, Muggle-born? Already burying yourself in books this early? How... diligent." The mockery in his tone was undisguised.
Hermione's little face tightened. Her fingers clenched around her books so hard that her knuckles turned white. Lynn could clearly feel the girl beside him stiffen, along with the faint tremor from the Moon White Stone at her chest that represented anger.
Only then did Draco turn his attention to Lynn, who had been sitting quietly by the window. When he saw Lynn's East Asian features and composed bearing, a flicker of barely perceptible surprise—and deeper scrutiny—passed through his eyes, as though he were assessing Lynn's background and worth. "And you... Lynn Li?" He had clearly heard the earlier introduction, but his tone carried condescending curiosity. "An... uncommon name. What does your family do?"
The air in the compartment seemed to freeze. Harry and Ron both watched Lynn nervously. Hermione turned her head in concern, only to find that Lynn's expression had not changed at all. He remained as calm as the waters of a deep pool. He did not even stand; he merely lifted his eyelids slightly, his deep black eyes calmly meeting Draco's provocative gaze.
"My family?" Lynn's voice was not loud, yet it clearly drowned out the rumble of the wheels with a strange penetrating force. Beneath the table, his fingers unconsciously brushed the cool shaft of his Star-patterned Fir Wood wand. "My family is probably at The End of the Star Trail." His tone was as flat as if he were discussing the weather. His gaze passed over Draco's stiffened face and turned toward the layered mountains flashing past outside, dyed gold and crimson by the setting sun, as though he were truly looking toward some unreachable distance. "Hogwarts is where I belong."
The answer was completely beyond Draco's expectations. It was neither an arrogant display nor a humble retreat, but carried an unfathomable detachment and... mystery. Draco's carefully prepared probing, built upon family and bloodline, was like a punch landing on cotton. For a moment, he did not know how to respond. Behind him, Crabbe and Goyle exchanged looks, equally bewildered.
Wooooo—!
At that moment, an even longer, more thunderous whistle tore through the brief standoff. The train began to slow noticeably.
"We're here!" Harry cried in relief, pointing out the window.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn outside.
Beneath the twilight skyline, across the shimmering Black Lake, a towering castle rose from the earth. Countless towers and spires pierced the deep purple night sky. Thousands upon thousands of windows shone with warm, brilliant golden light, like a dazzling Milky Way scattered across the world and reflected in the dark, ink-like lake waters. It was magnificent, mysterious, and breathtaking.
Hogwarts was right before them.
Draco Malfoy's unfinished provocation seemed utterly insignificant before such a soul-stirring sight. He cast one final glance over the four people in the compartment, lingering especially on Lynn, who remained as calm as still water. Then he gave a cold snort and turned away with his two lackeys, the tips of his golden hair disappearing into the dim corridor.
"We're finally here!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, pressing himself against the window. Harry's green eyes were wide with amazement as well.
Hermione quietly let out a breath, and her tense body relaxed. She instinctively looked at Lynn beside her. Lynn was also drawing his gaze back from the castle, and their eyes met softly in the air. The Star Stone and Moon White Stone simultaneously gave off a gentle yet steadfast warmth, as if silently resonating.
The journey's end was also the true beginning of their magical journey. The castle's lights cast a silent summons toward them through the night.
Before you continue