Friends

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

What was it like to ride a train packed full of students?

Allen had only one thought: It was too noisy!

The sounds of farewells to parents, friends roughhousing and playing, people rushing to stow their luggage...

"Allen, Harry..." A crisp voice, brimming with surprise and delight. It was Flag.

"Flag." Harry waved enthusiastically, especially happy to see him.

"Make way, please, make way... thank you." Flag dragged his trunk through the crowd.

"I never expected all of us to receive admission letters from Hogwarts. When my parents and I were traveling in France, we thought it was some bad person's prank. It was only when Madam Hooch came to notify us in person that my parents believed it. Madam Hooch teaches Flying Class at Hogwarts. She's incredibly cool!" Flag was as articulate as ever.

"Me too. Vernon tried every possible way to keep me from getting the letter, but luckily Hagrid came to pick me up." Harry was thrilled to be reunited with his friends.

"How about we find an empty compartment and sit down to talk?" Allen gestured at the large trunk in his hands.

The three of them walked all the way to the rear half of the train before finding an empty compartment.

After helping each other put away their luggage, Flag could not help asking, "When did you find out you were a wizard? When my parents met Madam Hooch, they thought she was a con artist. It was only after Madam Hooch flew around in front of them on a broomstick—and my dad looked everywhere for some kind of mechanism—that they believed I was a wizard. Once they accepted it, they were thrilled that a wizard had appeared in the family. My sister was so jealous. She thought being a wizard was much cooler than being a lawyer."

"I only found out I was a wizard this summer too, but Allen grew up in a wizarding family." Harry shared the happy life he had spent at Allen's home with Flag.

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

"Of course. Harry, I'll invite you too." Looking at the two pairs of shining, expectant eyes, Allen agreed without hesitation.

Next, Flag launched into a lengthy account of what he had seen in France. "My favorite food is Flame Mussels. Fresh mussels are placed on a wooden board with four nails in the center, arranged neatly around the nails in concentric circles that spread outward, packed tightly together like dominoes. Then they are covered with pine needles. Pine needles burn easily, and the burning needles give the mussels a distinctive pine fragrance and unique smoky flavor. Once they have burned out, you brush away the pine ash covering the cooked mussels, add some butter, and they're ready to eat..."

Allen felt that Flag had a particular talent for describing food. Even he, who had traveled through a kingdom of delicacies, found himself deeply tempted by the description.

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

As he talked, Flag made himself hungry too.

It was just noon, and the three of them looked at one another. The conversation could not continue.

"I'm hungry." Frank Flag was the first to say it.

"Me too." Harry held his stomach pitifully. Although Mrs. Harris had given him three extra helpings that morning, his stomach somehow felt completely empty now.

"I'll go take a look. There should be food for sale on the train." Allen stood up. He was a man of action.

"Sure, sure." Harry and Flag nodded together.

The moment he pulled open the door, Allen was knocked into by a tall, thin red-haired boy.

"Ron?" Allen hurriedly steadied Ron.

"Allen, great! I was looking for you. Did you know? I heard Harry Potter is on this train. I really hope I get to meet him." Ron was as talkative as ever.

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

The two equally talkative boys had equally bright red hair, except one was tall and the other short.

To Allen, the sight of them staring at each other and grinning foolishly was extremely amusing.

"Ron, this is Flag. You two will become very good friends. And this is the Harry Potter you've been dying to meet." Allen introduced Ron to his two companions.

"Hello, Flag. I'm Ron Weasley." Ron held out his hand and introduced himself like an adult.

The two of them were like old friends the moment they met. Perhaps having the same hair color helped deepen their bond? Allen was not quite sure.

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

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

"Did You-Know-Who do that?"

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

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

"Um—I only remember lots of green light. I don't remember anything else."

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

"What are you talking about? What's wrong with Harry's scar?" Flag's curiosity was completely aroused.

"Aren't you hungry?" Allen did not want Harry to dwell on those memories again, so he interrupted.

"When I was coming over just now, I saw someone selling food, pushing a cart through the compartments. She should be here soon," Ron said matter-of-factly.

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

A smiling, dimpled woman pushed open the compartment door and asked, "Dear, would you like to buy anything to eat on the train?"

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

Seeing this, Harry immediately jumped up too. He went into the corridor and stopped Allen's hand just as he was about to pay.

"Allen, I've eaten quite a lot of food from you and Flag before. How about I treat everyone this time?" Afraid Allen would not 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.

"Okay." Allen smiled and winked.

The cart carried Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and all sorts of strange foods Harry had never seen before.

Harry bought some of every single kind, paying the saleswoman eleven Silver Sickles and seven Bronze Knuts.

Ron stared as Harry and Allen carried the food they had bought into the compartment and dumped it all onto the empty seat.

"You're hungry?"

"Starving." Harry took a huge bite of a Pumpkin Pasty.

"Flag, try some. It's from Harry." Allen called out to Flag, who had been about to go out and buy something.

The three of them shared food and chatted. It felt wonderful.