Hogwarts Express

Thick smoke billowed from the steam locomotive, curling above the platform. The crowded throng buzzed and clamored, mingled with the cries of owls, while cats of every color weaved around people's feet.

Fruit Tea crouched atop Vaughn's suitcase, glancing at the backs of its fellow felines with calm composure.

Harry had already vanished. People filled every direction, and who knew where that reckless fellow had run off to. Vaughn did not make any particular effort to look for him. After standing on tiptoe and searching for a while, he finally spotted Fred and George, then squeezed his way over and asked, "Why are only you two here? Where's Percy?"

"Didn't see him. The honorable Prefect Percy is very busy. He disappeared in the blink of an eye."

"Huh? Fred, when did Percy become a prefect? How did I not know?"

"You couldn't possibly not know, George. He's mentioned it at least once... no, twice... no!"

The twins cried in unison, "He talked about it all summer! Hahaha—"

Then Percy appeared, somehow having changed into a new set of robes. With a stern face, he said, "If I were you, Fred, George, and I knew my brother had become a prefect, I would behave myself a little more and not make things difficult for him!"

"Merlin's beard, Fred, I'm terrified!"

"Yeah, George, how frightening. The way he talks, you'd think he'd become Headmaster!"

"You..." Percy took a deep breath and finally decided to stop paying them any attention. He came over and patted Vaughn on the shoulder, flamboyantly shaking his new robes to make sure Vaughn saw the P badge pinned to his chest. "Vaughn, dear brother, if you have any problems after getting to school, remember to come find me!"

Vaughn nodded with a smile. "All right, Percy."

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived with Ginny and Ron. It was almost eleven o'clock, and the white smoke from the steam engine had grown thicker and thicker—the train was about to depart, and Molly had no choice but to say goodbye to each of the children.

When it came to Vaughn and Ron, she sentimentally wiped at the corners of her eyes, as if she wanted nothing more than to hold them both in her arms and never let go. "You've grown so big, and you've never been so far away from home."

"Don't worry, Mum. We're going to school, and Hogwarts is the safest place in the world..." Vaughn comforted her against his conscience, silently adding—

That might not be true in the future!

"Once we get to school, we'll write to you and Dad. And Ginny too, of course."

After comforting his mother, Vaughn hugged Ginny as well. The little girl had already cried herself into a tearful mess, clutching the hem of his clothes and refusing to let go.

"Vaughn, I don't want you to leave..."

"But your brother has to go to school. Besides, Ginny can come to Hogwarts next year too. Then we won't have to be apart."

It took quite a while to finally coax her into calming down. During that time, Ron did not say a single word, because he too was crying so hard that his nose was running.

As Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny waved goodbye, Vaughn and Ron pushed their piles of luggage onto the train, searching for a compartment with empty seats.

They definitely could not go to the front of the train. That area was reserved for upperclassmen, and Percy had previously bragged that there was a prefects-only compartment near the engine.

So the two of them could only search toward the rear.

After much difficulty, they found an empty compartment. The train gave a long whistle and began to move. Ron dropped his luggage and threw himself toward the window, pressing his face tightly against the glass as though he wanted one last look at Mum and Dad seeing them off.

But he saw nothing.

Thick smoke obscured the platform, leaving only the sight of arms waving through the haze. The boy curled up on his seat in disappointment.

Vaughn took out his wand and used the Levitation Charm to put away both their luggage.

Seeing him like that, Vaughn thought for a moment and took out a piece of candy from his pocket.

"Here!"

Ron froze for a moment before taking it. As he unwrapped the candy, he mumbled, "Th... thanks, Vaughn..."

"Call me big brother!"

Vaughn wickedly ruffled his hair, instantly wiping out the small bit of gratitude that had just arisen in Ron's heart.

His face flushed red. Waving his arms about, he tried to break free from Vaughn's hand as he shouted, "In your dreams—"

At that moment, the compartment door slid open. A thin figure dragging a large suitcase stood outside, timid and dazed. "Excuse me... can I sit here?"

Harry Potter felt that today had truly been awful.

First, his aunt and uncle had dumped him at the station, and he had been unable to find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

After finally meeting a kind-hearted woman and successfully getting onto the platform, he had dazedly pushed through the crowd for ages before barely managing to board the train, only to be unable to find a compartment.

At first, he had gone toward the front of the train, only to be driven out by older students wearing little snake badges on their chests.

He had made his way all the way to the rear like that. Nearly every compartment was full, and after wandering around for ages without finding a seat, he saw two red-haired boys.

He knew them.

They were from the kind family that had helped him outside the platform earlier. Their fiery red hair was far too conspicuous, especially the tall boy with reddish-brown eyes like gemstones, the one named Vaughn. He was the most handsome boy Harry had ever seen—even more handsome than the male movie stars Aunt Petunia liked.

Of course, what had left the deepest impression on Harry was the sight, when he had just come over, of Vaughn waving his wand and making the luggage float.

Magic...

Harry did not know what had gotten into him. In a moment of impulse, he had walked over and pushed open the door, but as soon as the question left his mouth, he wanted to retreat again.

He was a stranger who had suddenly appeared before the two brothers. What if they did not like being disturbed? What if they chased him away?

His thoughts were a tangled mess. Having grown up in the Dursley household, he had long become accustomed to being cautious, yielding, and backing down.

At that moment, Vaughn was equally surprised.

Before he spotted Harry Potter, he had assumed Harry had already found a compartment.

He could not help looking at Harry, then at Ron.

There really was such a thing as destiny in the wizarding world; it was part of magic too. Could it be that the Golden Trio was destined to meet?

After giving it some thought and deciding that he could not figure the matter out for now, Vaughan kept his expression neutral and smiled at Harry. "Of course. Come in."

Harry thanked him somewhat awkwardly, then turned to drag in the trunk behind him. Then he heard an incantation:

"Wingardium Leviosa."

His luggage immediately floated up, lifted into the air by some mysterious force.

Hedwig fluttered her wings in panic inside her cage, but it was useless.

Harry hurriedly turned around and saw Vaughan holding a knobby wand, directing his trunk onto the luggage rack. Hedwig's cage, meanwhile, settled onto the small table by the window.

There was also an enormous cat there.

It glanced at Hedwig, then continued staring at the rat in the cage in the corner.

"Uh... uh..." Harry was so dazzled that he could barely speak. After a long while, he finally stammered out, "Thank you, thank you."

"You're welcome. Come in and sit down!" Vaughan said with a smile. "I'm Vaughan Weasley, and this is my younger brother, Ron Weasley. Hello, Harry Potter."

Harry hunched his shoulders as he stepped into the compartment. At that, he immediately replied stiffly, "Hello, Vaughan... huh?" His eyes widened. "How did you know...?"

Vaughan pointed at his forehead. "I saw your scar outside on the platform."

So it wasn't because of magic...

Harry sighed in relief and was about to respond when the freckle-faced boy named Ron Weasley practically sprang to his feet, staring wide-eyed at his forehead.

"Harry Potter?! That Harry Potter?"