Years of training had made Cassian faster than the man in black before him. He flicked his right wrist, and his wand was already out. The man had only managed to draw his wand halfway.
The man in black paused. His eyes darted from side to side, as though he were trying to pick a direction to rush in from. After all, there were carriages on both sides, and Cassian could only block one end.
Just then, a snack trolley trundled over at an unhurried pace, completely blocking the passage on the man's other side.
"Anything for the journey? Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Licorice Wands, Pumpkin Juice..." The trolley witch was a woman in her thirties, her sales pitch ringing out in a long, steady stream.
"Hello, Mrs. Witherspoon." Cassian gave a slight nod and shifted his stance again, blocking the other end of the passage.
"Oh, it's you, Cassian. Trouble always seems to follow you around." As Winnie Witherspoon spoke, her eyes remained fixed on the man in black.
To the man in black, Mrs. Witherspoon seemed even more imposing than the young man. She seemed even more dangerous.
The man in black sighed and raised his hands. "All right, I'll get off."
He turned and opened the train door. Cassian hesitated, wondering whether he should stop him while he had the advantage. Then Winnie said, "Let him go. I know. He's here for Rosier."
The man in black pulled open the door and leaped from the speeding train (well, speeding relative to a bicycle).
"Rosier? Which Rosier?"
"Elizabeth Rosier," Winnie said. "She ran away from home this year to attend Hogwarts. Dumbledore agreed to take her."
"Fine, then. Dumbledore can worry about it."
"By the way, Cassian, why has the Department of Mysteries sent you out again? Is something big going on?"
"Not really. This year, they've found unusual surges of magic in various places. The department asked me to check on the young wizards. Besides, Harry Potter's starting school this year."
"And what have you found?"
Cassian instinctively touched the ticket checker in his pocket. "Well, there have been quite a few surprises. More than I expected." He didn't elaborate.
Winnie didn't press him. "Ever since you joined the Department of Mysteries, you've become so secretive." She pushed her trolley along. "All right, stop blocking the passage. I've got business to do."
"Chocolate Frogs! Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! Licorice Wands! Pumpkin Juice..."
Back in the last carriage.
Yulian's attempt to calm them had done nothing to settle Lyria and Rosier. The two were still glaring at each other, their magic surging through the cramped compartment. The temperature swung between hot and cold, and a thin layer of frost had even formed on the window.
Suddenly, a "croak" broke the tense silence, making everyone jump.
A golden toad had somehow hopped out from between the suitcases in the corner of the compartment. Its round body landed in the middle of the floor, and it puffed out its cheeks and croaked twice more.
Lyria instinctively stepped back. A flicker of surprise crossed her icy blue eyes, and her grip on the wand glowing with a cold blue light loosened.
Rosier also stared for a moment. The faint light at the tip of her wand dimmed. She watched the toad tilt its head at them, her brows drawing together before slowly relaxing.
"Oh, could that be Neville's toad?" Yulian realized first and bent down to catch it, but the toad hopped nimbly toward Lyria's feet and croaked again.
"Who's Neville?" the two girls asked at the same time, then fell silent at the same time.
Lyria looked down at the little creature by her feet. Her tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and her voice softened. "There are no toads like this in the Eternal Night Forest in the Northlands. There are only glowing moss and cold-resistant snow wolves."
She sat down slowly, her fingertips lightly brushing the feather trim on her cloak. "I come from the Nordic Ice and Snow Tribe. My people survive through ancient natural magic and guard the magical stone tablet. We protect it to honor an agreement—an agreement with Dumbledore."
"I wasn't even born when the Rosiers came after us." Her voice trembled slightly. "They wanted to take the tablet for Grindelwald. My grandmother used the last of her magic to block the curse and protect the tribe, but she never woke up again. So the Rosiers were invaders. They were thieves!" As she spoke, Lyria's voice rose again, and she seemed close to losing control of her emotions.
But Rosier didn't explode this time. She stayed silent for a long while, unconsciously rubbing her serpent brooch, her eyes reddening.
"Because of my parents' business, I was born at an estate in Belgium, not in our family home in Germany. I was taught Pure-blood Supremacy from a young age. I've seen members of my family use Dark Magic to hurt Muggle merchants."
She looked up sharply, her gaze resolute. "But I hate those dark dealings. I secretly hid the magical notes my mother left behind, and this summer, while my family was in turmoil, I ran away to London and applied to Hogwarts. Because Dumbledore is here."
She turned to Lyria. "I didn't know about what you just told me. But my family's history has never been something to be proud of. It's been a shackle." She met Lyria's eyes, her voice apologetic. "I didn't know your tribe had suffered through all that. I can't deny what those people did. But I'll never become like them."
Lyria pressed her lips together and said nothing, but she gave a slight shake of her head. Most of the hostility had faded from her eyes.
Just then, the compartment door was flung open. The brown-haired girl was back, her face full of worry. Her eyes lit up when she saw the toad on the floor, then landed on Yulian. Her expression instantly shifted to one of surprise, delight, and wounded reproach.
"Yulian!" She hurried inside and grabbed his arm. "You... you... you're a wizard too! We can go to class together again!"
"Wait! Did you know all along?" No wonder Yulian had never told her what secondary school he planned to apply to, and had said something about a surprise coming at just the right time.
So... this guy...
At the thought, her eyes reddened and the tip of her nose twitched. "But why didn't you tell me? You didn't tell me at St. George's Primary School, or when the letter came. We're on the same train, and you still didn't come find me right away!"
The more she spoke, the more hurt she sounded, until her voice turned tearful. "I thought... I thought you didn't want to be friends anymore. Especially after you found out I was going to Hogwarts. I was worried I'd never see you again."
The toad seemed to sense Hermione's distress. It croaked and hopped over to rub against her feet.
Seeing Hermione's reddened eyes, Yulian hurried to explain. "I wasn't trying to keep it from you. My grandfather said I had to keep it secret, and I wanted to find you as soon as I arrived. It's just that..."
He glanced at Lyria and Rosier. "There was a bit of a mishap here."
"Hmph! Jerk!" Rosier and Lyria said at the same time. They looked at each other, then turned their heads away.
Yet both had the faintest smile of mockery for Yulian at the corners of their mouths. At last, the tension in the compartment completely faded, and the scenery of the Scottish Highlands outside the window seemed brighter than ever.
Before you continue