Reunion with Hermione

Cassian's years of training made his movements faster than the man in black before him. With a flick of his right wrist, his wand was drawn. The man in black had only managed to draw his wand halfway.

The man in black paused. He scanned left and right with his eyes, as if trying to find the right direction for a surprise attack. After all, there were carriages on both sides, and Cassian could only block one end.

Just then, a trolley was pushed along at a leisurely pace, completely blocking one of the man in black's escape routes.

"Need snacks? Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Licorice Wands, Pumpkin Juice..." The vendor was a middle-aged woman in her thirties, her calls echoing with a long breath.

"Hello, Mrs. Witherspoon," Cassian nodded slightly, shifting his body again to block the other end of the passage.

"Oh, it's young Cassian. Where you are, things are never peaceful," Winnie Witherspoon said, her eyes fixed on the man in black.

In the man in black's eyes, Mrs. Witherspoon's presence was even more imposing than the young man's, as if she were more dangerous.

The man in black sighed and raised his hands. "Alright, I'll get off."

He then turned and opened the train door. Cassian hesitated, realizing the advantage was now his, and wondered if he should stop him. Winnie's voice cut through his thoughts, "Let him go, it's fine. I know. He's looking for Rosier."

After the man in black pulled open the door, he leaped from the speeding train (at least, compared to a bicycle's speed).

"Rosier? Which Rosier?"

"Elizabeth Rosier," Winnie said. "She ran away from home this year to attend Hogwarts. Dumbledore agreed."

"Alright, then Dumbledore can worry about this."

"By the way, Cassian, why did the Department of Mysteries send you out again? Is something big happening?"

"It's nothing much, really. We've detected abnormal magical fluctuations in various places this year. The department asked me to check on the young wizards, and besides, Harry Potter is starting school this year."

"So, have you found anything?"

Cassian subconsciously touched the ticket inspector in his pocket. "Hmm, there have been quite a few surprises, indeed. More than I expected." He didn't elaborate.

Winnie Witherspoon didn't press further. "You've become quite cryptic since joining the Department of Mysteries." With that, she pushed her trolley away. "Alright, don't block the way, I need to do business."

"Chocolate Frogs~, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans~, Licorice Wands~, Pumpkin Juice~..."

Back in the last carriage.

Yulian's attempts at dissuasion did not calm Lyria and Rosier. The two continued to glare at each other, their magic clashing in the confined space. The temperature in the compartment fluctuated wildly, and a thin layer of frost even formed on the windowpane.

Suddenly, a "croak" broke the tense silence, startling everyone.

A golden toad had somehow hopped out from a gap in a luggage case in the corner of the compartment. Its plump body landed in the center of the floor, and it puffed out its cheeks, croaking twice more.

Lyria instinctively took half a step back, a flicker of surprise in her ice-blue eyes. Her hand, holding a wand emitting a faint blue glow, loosened unconsciously.

Rosier also froze for a moment. The faint light at the tip of her wand dimmed as she stared at the toad tilting its head at them, her brow furrowing and then slowly relaxing.

"Oh, this must be... Neville's toad?" Yulian was the first to react, bending down to grab it. However, the toad nimbly hopped to Lyria's feet and croaked again.

"Who is Neville?" the two girls asked simultaneously, then fell silent simultaneously.

Lyria looked at the small creature at her feet, her tense shoulders slowly relaxing. Her voice softened slightly. "There are no toads like this in the Evernight Forest of the North. There, we only have glowing moss and hardy snow wolves."

She slowly sat down, her fingertips gently brushing the feather decorations on her cloak. "I come from the Nordic Ice and Snow Tribe. My people survive on ancient nature magic, guarding the magic stone tablet, and also upholding a contract, a contract with Dumbledore."

"When people from House Rosier came looking for me, I wasn't even born yet," her voice trembled slightly. "They wanted the stone tablet for Grindelwald. My grandmother used her last bit of magic to block the curse to protect the tribe, but she never woke up again. So, people from House Rosier are invaders, they are bandits!" As she spoke, Lyria's voice grew louder, as if she were about to lose control of her emotions again.

However, Rosier did not erupt this time. She was silent for a long time, unconsciously rubbing the snake brooch with her fingertips, her eyes reddening.

"Because of my parents' business, I was born in a manor in Belgium, not in our ancestral home in Germany. I was taught 'blood purity above all' from a young age. I personally witnessed family members using Dark Magic to harm Muggle merchants."

She suddenly looked up, her eyes firm. "But I detested those dark dealings. I secretly hid my mother's magic notes and, during the family's chaos this summer, I snuck to London to apply to Hogwarts because Dumbledore is here."

She then turned to Lyria. "I don't know about what you said. But the history of my family has never been a source of pride for me, but a shackle." She looked into Lyria's eyes, her tone carrying an apology. "I didn't know... your tribe had gone through that. I cannot deny the evil deeds of those people. But I will never become like them."

Lyria pursed her lips, remaining silent, but she gently shook her head. The hostility in her eyes had largely dissipated.

Just then, the compartment door was pushed open abruptly. It was the same girl with curly brown hair, her face full of anxiety. Her eyes lit up when she saw the toad on the floor, then her gaze fell on Yulian, instantly shifting to an expression of surprise, joy, and grievance.

"Yulian!" she strode in, grabbing Yulian's arm. "You... you... you're a Wizard too! We can attend classes together again!"

"No! You knew all along, didn't you!" No wonder she thought of Yulian always being vague about which middle school he was applying to, and saying things like time would bring surprises.

So... this guy...

Thinking of this, her eyes turned red, and her nose twitched slightly. "But why didn't you tell me? You didn't say anything at St. George's Primary School, nor when I received my acceptance letter. We were on the same train, and you didn't even find me right away!"

The more she spoke, the more wronged she felt, her voice breaking into sobs. "I thought... I thought you didn't want to be friends with me anymore. Especially after knowing I was going to Hogwarts, I was worried I'd never see you again."

The toad seemed to sense Hermione's emotions, croaking again and hopping to her feet to nuzzle her.

Yulian looked at Hermione's reddening eyes and quickly explained, "I didn't mean to hide it from you. My grandfather said it had to be kept secret, and I wanted to find you as soon as I arrived, but here..."

He glanced at Lyria and Rosier. "Things got a bit complicated here."

"Hmph! Scumbag!" Rosier and Lyria said simultaneously again. They exchanged glances, then turned their heads away again.

However, a faint smile of mockery for Yulian curved the corners of both their lips. The atmosphere in the compartment finally eased completely, and the Scottish Highlands scenery outside the window seemed exceptionally bright.