Arriving at Hogwarts

Chapter 6: Arriving at Hogwarts

Hermione and Neville had probably searched the entire train, but they still hadn't found the escaped toad. Fortunately, Neville had recovered from the sorrow of losing his pet—or perhaps not, since he was still dejected, but at least he wasn't crying anymore.

Hermione was startled to see a pile of snacks on the table when she entered. "What are these?"

"A lady selling snacks came by earlier." Wade gestured at the table. "Look, I bought a lot—strawberry-and-cream ice cream, chocolate balls, pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, and fruit juice. Let's eat together. Oh, Neville, would you like to try this peppermint toad?"

Neville took it, murmuring, "Leif," as he bit into it. His eyes suddenly lit up. "It's delicious."

Hermione did not refuse either. She sat down openly and took a piece of cake. "Thanks, I was hungry too. By the way, you'll never believe this—Harry Potter is in a compartment less than ten meters away from us. Do you know Harry Potter?"

"Of course. His name was mentioned in Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century." Wade unwrapped a packet of chocolate beans as he spoke. "But I think we'd better not disturb him—he lost his parents on the night he became a hero. If it were me, I'd rather not have that kind of honor."

Hermione froze. "You—you're right—I hadn't thought of that..."

Neville lowered his head, his grip on the peppermint toad tightening slightly.

The Potters' sacrifice and honor were famous throughout the world, but few people knew that, while searching for the missing Voldemort, the Death Eaters had captured Neville's parents and tortured them into madness.

The boy hid those dark matters in his heart as the group ate their fill.

Wade had thought there would definitely be plenty of snacks left over, but after the train rattled along for a long time, night had fallen and they still had not reached their destination. The three of them had already eaten every last snack on the table, the Witch Trolley was nowhere to be seen, and they still had no dinner.

"Isn't Hogwarts in Britain?" Hermione stood up indignantly. "I'm going to the front of the train and ask the Train Driver exactly when we'll arrive."

"Let's go together."

This time, Wade got to his feet. He was also curious about the Train Driver, who might only work four times a year, and wondered what kind of person held such a job.

Neville followed as well. He still wanted to search for his pet.

The Train Driver was an utterly ordinary Brown-haired Man. He had a pipe in his mouth, a face full of stubble, and a remarkably good temper. Facing the "interrogation" of the three Young Wizards, he replied with a smile, "Don't worry, you'll be there soon. You'll have dinner in Hogwarts Castle."

Hermione returned, fully satisfied.

As they passed numerous compartments along the way, Wade casually observed the students inside. They were all unfamiliar faces; the only ones he recognized were the Weasley Twins. Their compartment was especially lively—he could hear cheers and laughter from far away, though he had no idea what amusing prank they were playing.

Before they reached their compartment, they suddenly heard screams. Three children stumbled down the corridor, and one blond boy even shoved Neville, shouting, "Move! Don't block the way!"

"Hey!" Hermione failed to stop them and stamped her foot furiously. "What rude jerks!"

Wade reached out and steadied Neville, who had nearly fallen.

"Thank you," Neville said gratefully.

Wade shook his head and said to Hermione, "Go change into your school robes first. We'll wait outside."

Hermione nodded, swallowing her anger as she stomped into the compartment. After locking the door and drawing the curtain, she quickly changed her clothes. Then it was Neville's turn. Just as the three of them finished packing everything from their seats into their trunks, the Train Driver's voice echoed through the train—

"Five minutes until we arrive at Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; we will deliver it to the school for you."

The train slowed and stopped at the platform. Hundreds of students poured out like bees leaving a hive, and the dark, narrow platform was crowded with heads. Hermione and Neville both followed closely behind Wade, their faces faintly pale.

"First-years! First-years, follow me! Watch your step!" In the distance, a large man held up a lantern and called out in a booming voice.

Wade and the others squeezed through the crowd. They noticed that the older students were all heading in another direction, but before the enormous figure of Hagrid, the gamekeeper, no one dared raise any objections.

The group followed a dark path through the woods and finally saw a towering castle in the distance. Countless windows glowed with light, reflected on the pitch-black, mirrorlike surface of the lake, making the castle appear especially majestic and magnificent.

"Wow—" the new students gasped in unison.

Under Hagrid's direction, they crossed the Black Lake in small boats and finally arrived beneath the castle. Hagrid even found Neville's toad in one of the boats. Neville ecstatically accepted his beloved toad, while Hagrid knocked three times on the castle doors.

The doors swung open, and Professor McGonagall stood before them with a stern expression.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said.

The Sorting Ceremony began.

Hogwarts had four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. A talking hat sorted students according to their talents and qualities. Wade had known this in his previous life.

Eleven years after transmigrating into this world, he had actually forgotten many details from the novels and films. But after realizing he had come to the world of Harry Potter, he had thought back carefully, recalled quite a few memorable plot points, and recorded them in his own unique way.

Before enrolling, Wade had naturally considered carefully which house he wanted to join—the Sorting Hat valued talent, but it also took the student's own wishes into account.

First, Slytherin was naturally out of the question. Neither of his parents was a wizard, and in Slytherin, where bloodline and family background were prized, he would probably be ostracized by the other students. Wade was not afraid of children in their teens, but he had no interest in taking on a high-difficulty challenge.

Gryffindor?

After weighing it repeatedly, Wade still felt it would not do.

With Harry Potter there, Gryffindor was bound to become the center of every storm, with all eyes fixed on them. Besides, in the story, most Gryffindors seemed somewhat brainless. They had repeatedly been whipped up by rumors into isolating and excluding Harry Potter when he had done nothing wrong, leaving Wade with a very poor impression.

Likewise, Ravenclaw seemed to have had incidents of bullying too—mocking and teasing classmates, such as Luna Lovegood.

Hufflepuff would not be like that. Most Hufflepuff students might have only average grades, but they were sincere, kind, and trustworthy. So what if others considered them fools? Wade believed his mind would not change because of his house.

Having made his decision, Wade seemed calmer than the Young Wizards who thought they were about to fight a troll. After the Sorting Hat sang a song, Professor McGonagall held a long list and assigned the new students to their respective houses. Some were sorted quickly, while others required a moment of hesitation. Then Wade suddenly heard a familiar name—

"Hermione Granger!" Professor McGonagall called out.

Hermione ran over and hurriedly put on the hat.

A moment later, the Sorting Hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the Gryffindor table.

Then—

"Wade Grey!"