Friends

Once Harry had recovered from his shock, Allen picked up his trunk and said concisely, "Let's go, Harry."

What is it like to experience a train full of students?

Allen had only one thought: it was too noisy!

The sounds of saying goodbye to parents, the sounds of friends playing and chasing, the sounds of people rushing to stow their luggage...

"Allen, Harry..." A crisp, incredibly surprised voice called out. It was Flag.

"Flag!" Harry waved his hand vigorously, looking especially happy.

"Excuse me, please let me through... thank you." Flag dragged his trunk through the crowd.

"I never expected we'd all receive acceptance letters to Hogwarts. When my parents and I were traveling in France, I thought it was just some prankster's joke. It wasn't until Madam Hooch came to notify us in person that my parents finally believed it. Madam Hooch is the flying instructor at Hogwarts; she's incredibly cool!" Flag was as eloquent as ever.

"Same here. Vernon tried every trick in the book to keep me from getting my letter. It's a good thing Hagrid came to get me." Harry was also thrilled to be reunited with his friend.

"Why don't we go find an empty compartment so we can talk properly?" Allen gestured for his two friends to look at the large trunk he was carrying.

The three of them walked all the way to the back of the train before they found an empty compartment.

After helping each other stow their luggage, Flag couldn't help but ask, "When did you find out you were a wizard? When my parents first met Madam Hooch, they thought she was a fraud until she hopped on a broomstick and flew a lap around them. My dad even checked everywhere for hidden devices before he finally believed I was a wizard. Once they accepted it, they were pleasantly surprised that a wizard had actually appeared in our family. My sister is so envious; she thinks being a wizard is way cooler than being a lawyer."

"I only found out I was a wizard this summer, too, though Allen grew up in a wizarding family." Harry shared the pleasant life he'd experienced at Allen's home.

"Wow, Allen, that's so cool! Can I come visit your house next summer, too?" Flag was extremely envious.

"Of course you can. Harry, I'll invite you as well." Looking at the two pairs of bright, expectant eyes, Allen agreed without hesitation.

Next, Flag talked at length about what he had seen and heard in France: "My favorite food is Flame Mussels. Fresh mussels are placed on a wooden tray with four nails in the center, arranged in concentric circles that spread outward like dominoes, each one nestled against the next. Then, the mussels are covered with pine needles. Pine needles are highly flammable, and the burning needles give the mussels a unique pine fragrance and a distinct smoky flavor. Once they've burned away, you just remove the ash from the cooked mussels, add a little butter, and enjoy..."

Allen felt that Flag had a real talent for describing food; even he, having traveled through the kingdom of gourmet cuisine, found it quite enticing.

Harry's face clearly read: I really want to eat that...

As he spoke, Flag himself began to feel hungry.

It was noon, and the three of them looked at each other; the conversation couldn't continue.

"I'm hungry," the frank Flag was the first to call out.

"Me too." Harry clutched his stomach pitifully. Even though Mrs. Harris had given him three helpings that morning, he now felt completely empty inside.

"I'll go check; there should be food for sale on the train." Allen stood up; he was a man of action.

"Great, great." Harry and Flag nodded in unison.

Just as he pulled the door open, Allen bumped straight into a tall, thin boy with red hair.

"Ron?" Allen quickly steadied him.

"Allen, thank goodness! I was just looking for you. Do you know, I heard Harry Potter is on this train? I really hope to see him." Ron was as talkative as ever.

"Come in first." Allen stepped aside and settled Ron next to Flag.

Two equally talkative people, both with bright red hair—only one was tall and the other short.

The sight of the two of them staring at each other and grinning foolishly was, in Allen's eyes, quite comical.

"Ron, this is Flag; you two will be great friends. And beside me is the Harry Potter you've been longing to meet." Allen introduced his two friends to Ron.

"Hello, Flag. I'm Ron Weasley." Ron reached out his hand, introducing himself like an adult.

The moment they met, they acted like old friends. Perhaps having the same hair color helped deepen the bond? Allen wasn't quite sure.

"Are you really Harry Potter? Then do you really—you know..." Ron pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry brushed aside a lock of hair on his forehead, revealing the lightning-bolt scar. Ron's eyes widened.

"Is this what You-Know-Who did?"

"Yes," Harry said, "but I don't remember it anymore."

"You don't remember it at all?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Well—I only remember a lot of green light, nothing else."

Ron sat there staring at Harry for a long while, as if he had suddenly realized what he was doing, and hurriedly turned his gaze toward the window.

"What are you guys talking about? What's wrong with Harry's scar?" Flag's curiosity was fully piqued.

"Aren't you hungry anymore?" Allen didn't want Harry to keep reminiscing, so he interrupted.

"When I came over just now, I saw someone pushing a cart selling food to each compartment. They should be here in a moment," Ron said matter-of-factly.

"That's great." Just as he spoke, a loud, clattering noise came from the corridor.

A smiling woman with dimples pushed open the compartment door and asked, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Allen stood up immediately, while Ron's ears turned bright red, and he muttered that he had brought sandwiches.

Seeing this, Harry also jumped up and went into the corridor, stopping Allen's hand just as he was about to pay.

"Allen, I've already eaten quite a bit of your and Flag's food; how about I treat this time?" Fearing Allen wouldn't believe him, he quickly added, "My parents left me a large amount of gold at Gringotts." As he spoke, Harry pulled a large handful of gold and silver coins from his pocket.

"Alright." Allen smiled and winked.

On the trolley were Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and several other strange and curious treats Harry had never seen before.

Harry bought a bit of everything, paying the witch eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Ron stared wide-eyed as Harry and Allen carried their haul into the compartment, dumping it all onto the empty seat.

"Hungry?"

"Starving," Harry said, taking a large bite of a Pumpkin Pastie.

"Flag, come try some, this is Harry's treat," Allen called out to Flag, who had been about to head out to buy his own.

The three of them chatted as they shared the food; it was a wonderful feeling.