Platform 9¾

Before he could say anything else, Autumn Zhang pulled his wrist. Her palm carried a faint scent of gardenia. "Don't be scared. Just follow my rhythm and think of Hogwarts," she said, dragging her suitcase as she walked towards the brick wall first.

Yulian could feel the strength in her fingertips, warm and firm. He followed obediently, watching Autumn Zhang's figure pass through the brick wall without any obstruction. The wheels of her silver-gray suitcase left a brief, hazy afterimage on the wall before disappearing.

He took a deep breath and followed closely, passing through the thin magical barrier. The Northern girl shot a glance at the front, then also followed with her bundle.

The scene instantly changed. The red Hogwarts Express was billowing thick steam, the white mist from its chimney intermingling with the sunlight to form golden shafts of light.

The platform was crowded with wizarding families. Some children were already wearing black wizard robes, excitedly greeting each other. The hooting of owls, the croaking of toads, and the parents' instructions blended into a lively symphony.

"Goodbye! I'm going to find my classmates," Autumn Zhang said with a smile, waving at the two of them. "I hope you two end up in Ravenclaw."

"Welcome to Platform 9¾," Yulian said with a suppressed smile of excitement to the Northern girl beside him.

The Northern girl stood still, staring blankly at everything before her, her ice-blue eyes filled with shock.

"Thank you," the girl's voice was still cool, but with a hint of sincerity. "My name is Lyria."

"Shilam Yulian Black, just call me Yulian," Yulian said, pointing at her bundle. "Your belongings are very unusual."

Lyria instinctively clutched it tighter, as if it were her only support. "It's very important."

Just as the two were about to board the train, a young man in a neat uniform and a bowler hat stopped them. He was handsome, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and his right little finger was empty.

He held what looked like an ordinary ticket puncher, but Yulian keenly noticed that runes were subtly flowing along the edge of the puncher.

"New students?" the man's voice was steady and professional. "Please show me your tickets."

Did the Harry Potter novels have a ticket-checking segment? I don't think so. But it probably doesn't matter.

Yulian didn't think much of it and took out his ticket along with Lyria's.

After a careful inspection, the man's gaze lingered on Lyria for a few extra seconds, especially on the beast-skin bundle in her arms.

"First time on the Hogwarts Express?" he asked Lyria, his tone unreadable.

"Yes," Lyria replied briefly, instinctively feeling a sense of unease towards the man.

"We're both new students, so of course it's our first time," Yulian said, finding it a bit strange.

"Have a pleasant journey," the man handed back the tickets, nodded slightly without saying anything else, and then turned to the next group of students. His figure quickly disappeared into the steam and the crowd.

"Who was that?" Lyria asked Yulian in a low voice.

"I don't know, maybe a ticket inspector," Yulian shook his head, but a ripple went through his heart. The man's demeanor didn't feel like an ordinary conductor, but more like... some kind of overseer.

"Don't worry about him," Yulian patted Lyria's shoulder. "Let's find a compartment to sit in first. By the way, do you know which house you're going to?"

Lyria shook her head, a flicker of confusion in her ice-blue eyes. "I don't know. It doesn't matter to me... which house it is."

The Hogwarts Express let out a long, clear whistle, as if urging those who hadn't boarded yet to hurry.

The platform was noisy. Owls flapped their wings, toads hopped restlessly in their cages, parents gave final instructions, hugs, and some were even secretly wiping away tears.

Yulian sat by the compartment window, his gaze piercing through the swirling white mist to the family with red hair not far away. It had to be the Weasley family. Otherwise, he wouldn't see such a large wizarding family gathered together.

Mrs. Weasley was adjusting the collar of her youngest son, who looked embarrassed and impatient. Two tall, identical boys were laughing and roughhousing, while the youngest girl looked around, her face filled with excitement.

Further away, a tall, straight-backed young man was walking slowly along the platform. He had light brown curly hair, a face so handsome it was almost perfect, and a gentle, confident smile on his lips.

Behind him, Autumn Zhang, whom he had just met, was talking quietly with a few Ravenclaw girls, occasionally stealing glances at his back, her cheeks flushed.

Yulian understood: Cedric Diggory, the pride of Hufflepuff.

"He certainly has a striking appearance," the usually cold Lyria spoke for the first time.

Yulian noticed that Lyria's gaze was also following Cedric's profile.

"Indeed. Doesn't he look like a vampire?"

"Hmph," Lyria snorted and shot Yulian another glance, falling silent.

Suddenly, Yulian's attention was drawn to several suspicious-looking adults at the edge of the platform.

They wore dark, long trench coats that seemed out of place, their eyes sharp as falcons, scanning the crowd back and forth as if searching for a specific target.

Even more alarming was the fact that the ticket inspector with the missing finger from earlier was standing in the shadows of the Platform 9¾ entrance, his gaze like a knife, fixed on those individuals. His right hand was constantly resting at his waist, suggesting that whatever he might draw would be far from an ordinary ticket puncher.

"Who are they looking for?" Lyria's voice came from behind him, as cold as frost.

Yulian didn't answer, just shook his head slightly.

Just then, his gaze caught sight of a small figure—Harry Potter, dragging a worn-out suitcase, standing at the edge of the crowd, looking somewhat flustered and uneasy.

Yulian's heart warmed, and he instinctively wanted to push open the compartment door to greet him. But as soon as he pulled the door open, he found the corridor completely blocked by a throng of little wizards pouring in.

Some were fighting for window seats, others were showing off newly bought Chocolate Frog cards, and the noise was so loud it could almost shake the roof of the carriage.

"Never mind, I'll say hello after the train starts moving," Yulian murmured to himself, turning back to his seat.

The compartment was small, with only two facing soft seats. Lyria sat by the window opposite Yulian, carefully placing the long object wrapped in beast skin on her lap, her hands clasped around it as if it were a precious treasure.

Her cloak was still wrapped tightly around her, revealing only a pale, delicate face. Her ice-blue eyes flickered with wariness and distance.

"Are you from very far north?" Yulian asked tentatively.

"The Norwegian side, and further north is the land of the eternal night," Lyria replied briefly, her voice like a stream beneath ice, but she didn't specify a location.

As they were chatting casually, the compartment door was suddenly gently pushed open.

A figure agilely darted inside, moving as quickly as a cat. She quickly closed the door, leaned against it, and cautiously peered out into the corridor for a few seconds. After confirming no one was following, she let out a long sigh of relief.