Hogwarts

Teaching Malfoy a lesson was just a small matter to Vaughn.

But for Hermione, it filled her heart with a strange feeling.

It was unfamiliar, something she had never felt before...

Watching Vaughn walk over, she had prepared countless words of thanks, but for some reason, when they left her mouth, they turned into stammering admonishment. "Y-you shouldn't have used spells to attack them. What if they report you to the school..."

Before she could finish, Hermione already regretted it a little.

But Vaughn did not seem to care. He merely smiled. "At least they won't dare come bother us for the next few hours. I'm going back to the compartment to rest. See you, Miss Granger!"

Merlin!

Hermione Granger, what on earth was wrong with your brain?

Hermione practically wanted to punch herself in the head. Seeing Vaughn leave, she finally tried to make up for it. "Thank you for just now. Y-you can call me Hermione!"

Vaughn nodded. "All right, Hermione. You can call me Vaughn too."

As he spoke, he raised his Wand again. Just like when they had first met many days ago, a little trick brushed over the girl's hair.

But this time, it did not float up. Instead, it became smooth and fell softly around her cheeks.

He smiled at her and added, "Don't listen to Malfoy's nonsense. You're actually very pretty~"

"..."

Hermione felt that, in that instant, the temperature inside her skull must have shot up by a hundred degrees. Her face burned fiercely.

After teasing the Young Girl, Vaughn, whose mood had been spoiled by Draco Malfoy, became cheerful again and hummed a tune all the way back to the compartment.

Before he even entered, he heard Ron boasting, "...I found out that Vaughn was the one who taught Malfoy a lesson. I bet he used some kind of Jinx on them. Did you see it? Malfoy's teeth grew like a warthog's tusks. Maybe he'll never be able to cure them."

Harry's trembling yet excited whisper followed. "What kind of Jinx is that powerful?"

"Who knows? Vaughn always knows all sorts of strange things, and his personality is terrible. I wouldn't even be surprised if he used an Unforgivable Curse on Malfoy!"

Vaughn rolled his eyes, pushed open the door, and, beneath the two boys' stunned gazes, pulled out his Wand and pointed it at Ron.

"Ah—"

Ron screamed in fright, startling Harry as well. Before Harry could react, Ron had already shrunk behind him.

The movement was so practiced it was almost pitiful. But... why was Harry being used as a shield?

After scaring his little brother, Vaughn could not be bothered with him anymore. He returned to his seat, found a Potions Book, and began reading with great interest.

Harry covered his mouth and snickered as he looked at Ron, whose face was as pale as Malfoy's.

Ron felt a little embarrassed, but he did not dare say anything. He could only glare angrily at Harry.

But soon, the two new friends huddled together again and quietly discussed topics that interested them.

Nothing else happened afterward. Only the Twins came by for a visit, and the two of them clearly knew how to please their Patron.

After greeting Harry, they said they had borrowed a camera from an older student and were preparing to photograph Draco Malfoy's miserable state, then distribute the pictures to every student in the school for free.

All to publicize "their dear little brother's glorious achievement."

By evening, the Hogwarts Express finally began to slow down. When the sky had completely darkened, it came to a stop, and a voice echoed through the train. "Hogwarts has arrived. New students, please change into your robes as soon as possible and leave your luggage on the train. We will deliver it to your dormitories..."

More than ten minutes earlier, Vaughn had already helped Harry and Ron change their clothes.

The two stood nervously behind Vaughn. Harry kept rubbing his hands against his legs, while even Ron's freckles had turned pale. All sorts of rumors about the sorting conjured terrifying scenes in their little minds.

When the train finally stopped, Harry and Ron followed behind Vaughn almost out of instinct, utterly unable to think.

It was not until everyone shoved their way down onto a dark, tiny platform that the cold wind cleared their heads somewhat.

Hogwarts's groundskeeper, Hagrid, held up a lantern and waved it over the new students' heads. "First Years, any more First Years? Come over here... Oh, Harry, are you all right?"

Not even Hagrid's smile could make Harry feel warm. He saw Ron clutching Vaughn's robes tightly, so he grabbed on as well.

Vaughn looked back at the two of them and said quietly, "Don't hold on so tightly!"

The two shook their heads desperately.

The older students soon left. After shouting a few more times and confirming that all the new students had arrived, Hagrid raised his lantern and began leading the way.

It was a steep, narrow path, pitch-black all around. Nothing could be seen, and no one dared speak.

Everyone could only see a lamp swaying ahead of them, stumbling after it so they would not fall behind, until Vaughn raised his Wand high.

"Lumos!"

A soft glow instantly scattered the darkness. The fuzzy heads of the Young Wizards around them seemed like chicks that had found their mother hen, wriggling their way around Vaughn.

They walked in silence for a while longer. Then, after turning a corner, the cramped view suddenly opened up.

At the end of the path before them lay a stretch of black water, vast as an ocean, extending all the way to the foot of distant mountains. Upon those mountains stood a towering castle, its stone walls rising and falling, its spires clustered together, and its windows glowing with warm light in the night.

Looking at the distant sight, Vaughn had to admit that it was rather breathtaking.

Hagrid led everyone to the lakeshore and pointed at a row of small boats moored there. "Four people to a boat. Don't overcrowd them, and don't go over!"

Vaughn brought Harry and Ron aboard one of the boats, and the little chicks around them wanted to squeeze in too.

Unfortunately, Vaughn called out loudly, "Hermione? Hermione! Come here!"

Thank goodness it was night, so no one could see that Hermione's face had nearly turned completely red. She tried her best to look nonchalant as she jogged over and climbed aboard.

Ron glared at her throughout the whole process, but Harry was quite happy. Everyone in the boat was someone he knew.

Once all the Young Wizards had boarded, Hagrid gave a loud shout, and the boats formed a line before automatically gliding across the still lake.

As they moved forward, they drew ever closer to the mountain and the towering castle beneath the night sky. By the time they reached the cliff beneath the castle, everything overhead seemed to hang in the sky. The visual impact made everyone hold their breath. No one spoke.

Hagrid led them off the boats, through a Pebble path and up a flight of stone steps, until they reached a great door. He knocked on it several times with his enormous fist.

A moment later, the door opened, revealing a familiar figure to Vaughn.

"First Year students, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. Leave them to me!"

Professor McGonagall still wore that same stern expression. Under her severe gaze, every new student unconsciously stopped fidgeting and obediently followed behind her.

Only Vaughn looked around, observing his surroundings. They first passed through an archway with plain stone walls lined with many torches. Reliefs and statues like shrines rose along the walls toward a vaulting ceiling too high to see.

It looked mysterious and solemn.

But after passing through there, they found themselves facing a vast, magnificent hall ablaze with light. Marble staircases spiraled upward, connecting to the shadowy depths of the castle above.