Newly Enrolled Rookie

Only one boy sat in the compartment.

His smooth silver hair was especially eye-catching, and his skin was so pale that it even looked a little unhealthy.

A book lay on the table. Though Lynn could not see the cover, a glance at the contents was enough for him to recognize it as the Charms textbook, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.

Lynn's greeting received no response. The boy merely looked at him expressionlessly with blue eyes before returning his attention to the book.

Fortunately, Lynn's skin was thick as a castle wall, so he did not feel embarrassed. He tried to find a topic to rebuild the conversation.

"The Repairing Charm really is a useful spell." He noticed the spell the boy was reading about and tried to find some common ground.

"But it seems to be taught rather late in the first year. I tried it many times at home according to the textbook, but I never succeeded even once."

The boy finally looked away from the book, his expression icy.

"Please keep quiet when someone is reading."

After having his warmth met with coldness, Lynn lost any desire to talk.

What an insufferable little brat. He shrugged.

"All right. If you're not in the mood to chat, then of course I'll be quiet."

The boy continued reading his Charms textbook while Lynn boredly stared out the window, lost in thought.

Though they had only been apart for less than three hours, he suddenly missed Hermione.

That chatty little girl was countless times cuter than this little boy.

After that, the two of them did not speak again.

Lynn had no intention of changing compartments, so he simply sat there with the unnamed boy across from him.

At noon, a witch came by pushing a cart full of sweets. Though Lynn had quite a fondness for desserts, he ultimately bought nothing.

Mrs. Weasley had given him a sandwich before he boarded the train, and it was enough for lunch.

The icy boy did not seem to have much appetite either, and he ate nothing for lunch.

By the time the sun had set and the sky had gone completely dark, bright lights had come on in the compartment, yet the two of them still had not exchanged another word.

The boy had been studying that Charms book the entire time. He read very slowly, as though he had to go over every page three times. After all that time, he had only finished half the textbook.

Five minutes before they reached Hogwarts, the boy finally closed the book, stuffed it into his suitcase, and changed into Hogwarts robes.

Lynn did not sit idle either. He changed into his robes as well, then left the compartment after the train came to a complete stop.

The train had stopped at a tiny, shabby platform.

The breeze was slightly chilly, but the weather tonight was excellent. There were no clouds in the sky, and the shining stars and bright crescent moon were clearly visible.

Students of all ages stepped down from the train. The older students chatted and laughed, while the new students stood nervously in place, unsure of what to do next.

At that moment, a booming voice rang out at just the right time.

"First-years! Over here!"

Lynn looked toward the voice and saw a bearded giant standing among a crowd of tiny children, holding a pink umbrella that contrasted sharply with his size.

Since he was such an obvious landmark, the new students quickly gathered around Hagrid.

At that moment, a girl standing beside Lynn suddenly looked up at the sky.

"Is it raining?"

Lynn found the question baffling. "There's no way it'll rain today."

"Then why is that person holding an umbrella?"

Lynn followed the direction of her finger and indeed saw a large black umbrella open among the new students.

The new students around it had already been uneasy. When such an odd person carrying an umbrella on a clear day suddenly appeared among them, they scattered like startled chicks, leaving a wide space between themselves and the boy beneath the black umbrella.

The silver-haired boy holding the black umbrella seemed completely unaware of everyone's reaction. His pale face remained cold as he stood there, his gaze calm.

Hagrid roughly counted the students. Once he confirmed no one was missing, he raised an eyebrow at the silver-haired boy.

"Kid, are you so nervous you've gone muddle-headed? It's a rare fine day. You don't need an umbrella."

"It isn't for rain. It's for something else." The boy's voice was stiff and did not sound like an explanation.

Hagrid did not mind. He had escorted plenty of new students before; the occasional oddball was nothing unusual.

"If you insist, then fine. Listen, children. From here on, stay close to me and don't fall behind. I'll take you into Hogwarts."

Lynn glanced once at the boy completely hidden beneath the black umbrella, then silently followed behind Hagrid.

The wizarding world was hardly a peaceful place. Even Hogwarts did not mean absolute safety, so Lynn had no intention of prying into someone else's secrets.

Of course he was curious, but he would not let that curiosity bring him trouble.

The new students followed Hagrid, separating from the older students on the platform and entering a small path through the woods.

The road was somewhat rugged. Even though Hagrid deliberately slowed his pace, it was still difficult for a group of eleven-year-olds to keep up with his broad strides.

The dense branches and leaves blocked out the starlight and moonlight.

As they went deeper, Lynn could no longer tell whether there were still woods on either side of the path. Other than the hurried footsteps and breathing of the new students, all he could hear was the rustling of leaves in the night breeze and birdcalls that sounded like owls.

They walked with their heads down for an unknown length of time. After rounding a wide bend, Hagrid suddenly stopped, and a young wizard following closely behind nearly crashed into his backside.

"See that? That's Hogwarts, the place where you'll live for the next seven years."

Hagrid proudly pointed at the enormous sight before them.

Only then did the new students realize that the dark forest path no longer lay ahead of them.

The narrow road suddenly opened up, and a vast lake stood before them.

The black lake was as calm as glass, reflecting the stars and crescent moon like a mirror set into the earth.

Beyond the lake stood a massive castle built between two mountains, with countless turrets and towers.

Its soaring roofs resembled a wizard's pointed hat, seemingly filled with knowledge and unknown mysteries.

Many young wizards could not help crying out at the magnificent sight.

Even Lynn stared blankly at the castle in the mountains before him.

It was not merely because he was awestruck by a structure that had once existed only in films, but because a string of system notifications sounded in his mind at the same time.

Main Quest completed!

Map unlocked: Hogwarts Castle.

Reward: Close Your Mind, issued.

Title obtained: Newly Enrolled Rookie.

Newly Enrolled Rookie: 1. While this title is equipped, students who believe their status and standing are higher than yours will subconsciously make things difficult for you.

2. Teachers' concern for you will be doubled.

3. When learning basic magical knowledge, your learning efficiency will increase threefold.

Note 1: This title's effects will only take effect while equipped.

Note 2: This title will disappear upon advancing to the second year.

Now that we've entered Hogwarts, you know the rules—hand over those recommendation votes.