Feast on the Hogwarts Express

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters appeared before Su Yu.

The Hogwarts Express stood there, a deep red steam train. The platform was crowded with people—students in wizard robes, parents pushing trolleys, new students carrying owl cages, and boys and girls who looked like older students chatting in small groups. Owls hooted in their cages, toads kicked restlessly in people's palms, and a ginger cat leaped from someone's arms, darted across the platform, and vanished into the crowd.

Su Yu took a deep breath. The air was thick with coal smoke, old wood, and some indescribable magical scent.

"Su Yu!"

Hermione's voice carried through the crowd. She stood at the door of one carriage, waving hard at him. Her fluffy curls had become even fluffier in the steam, making her look like a cloud blown beside the train.

"This way! There are still seats here! Hurry over!"

Su Yu pushed his trolley over. Hermione had already moved her own luggage onto the train and was trying to help Su Yu lift his trunks—but she clearly was not strong enough. She had only managed to drag one trunk halfway off the trolley before it got stuck in the gap between the carriage door and the platform.

"I'll do it." Su Yu walked over, lifted the trunk with one hand, easily raised it above his head, and set it inside the carriage. Then came the second trunk, the third trunk, and the Luan Bird cage.

Hermione stood beside him, watching Su Yu carry those impossibly heavy-looking trunks aboard as though they were toys. Her expression shifted from surprise to admiration.

"You're really amazing," she said with such sincerity that there was not a trace of flattery in her voice. "Do you train regularly? Or does Eastern Continent magic make people stronger?"

"Both," Su Yu said. "And my trunks aren't as heavy as they look."

That was not entirely true—his trunks really were heavier than ordinary ones, but his physical strength was indeed far greater than that of children his age, thanks to Kurama. Ever since he had formed a symbiotic bond with that fox, his body had been quietly strengthened.

After they had settled their luggage, the two walked down the carriage corridor in search of an empty compartment. Hermione walked ahead, peering into every compartment they passed while talking nonstop—about the magic books she had read, her expectations for Hogwarts, and the "not very successful" magical experiments she had conducted at home. She spoke as fast as a machine gun, with plenty of ammunition and absolutely no sign of stopping.

Kurama let out a long, pained sigh in the soul space.

"She's still talking," Kurama said, her voice filled with incredulous despair. "From the platform until we got on the train, she's said... I've lost count of how many things she's said. Does she not know there's something in this world called 'silence'?"

"She's just excited," Su Yu replied inwardly. "It's her first time going to a magic school. No one used to talk to her at school."

Kurama fell silent for a moment.

"...No one talked to her?"

"Yeah. That's what the book said. She was isolated by her classmates at her old school."

Kurama was silent again for a while. Then she gave a huff—but this one was different from her earlier disdain. It carried an awkward softness she did not want to admit to.

"That still doesn't mean she has to be this loud."

Su Yu did not expose her.

"Here!" Hermione finally found an empty compartment and pushed open the door. "There's no one here! Let's sit here!"

The compartment was small but clean. Deep red upholstered benches lined both sides, with a fixed table in the middle and a luggage rack above the window. Outside, the crowd on the platform was still surging. Steam condensed into tiny droplets on the glass and slowly slid down the frame.

Su Yu walked in and lay directly across one of the benches. His movements were smooth and natural, as though the train bench had been custom-made as his bed—in fact, at his height, it was just long enough for him to lie flat, though his feet hung off the end a little.

Hermione sat on the bench opposite him, Hogwarts: A History resting on her lap, but she did not open it—because she was still talking.

"Have you really studied Eastern Continent magic? Did your father teach you? You said Eastern Continent magic doesn't need wands. Is that true? How do they do it? With hand signs? Or with—"

"My father taught me some," Su Yu answered with his eyes closed. "But I learned most of it myself. Eastern Continent magic can indeed be used without a wand, but it requires a long time to cultivate. They call that power 'qi' or 'spiritual energy.' It's a little different from our magic. As for hand signs—"

He held out a hand, palm up. His fingertips glowed faintly—a light unlike wandlight, softer and warmer, like a sliver of moonlight held in his palm. The light flickered at his fingertips, then turned into a tiny golden lotus that slowly spun above his hand.

Hermione's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. This time, she was not trying to speak—she was simply stunned.

"This is—"

"A very basic little trick." Su Yu withdrew the light, and the lotus dissolved into the air, leaving behind a faint golden afterglow. "Children on the Eastern Continent can all do it."

"That's incredible!" Hermione's voice was full of genuine amazement. "I've never read about anything like that in any book! You have to teach me! I mean, if you have time, if you're willing—"

"I can," Su Yu said. "But it takes a lot of patience."

"I have patience!" Hermione said at once. "I have a great deal of patience! When I was home, I could sit in the library all day just to figure out the principles behind a formula!"

Just as Hermione was preparing to ask even more questions, the compartment door slid open.

A round-faced boy stood in the doorway. He had light blond hair, was slightly chubby, and was not very tall—just a little shorter than Hermione. His face wore a timid expression.

"My name is Neville Longbottom," he said quietly. "There aren't any seats up front, so... so could I sit here...?"

Hermione reacted instantly. She patted the empty seat beside her. "Of course! Sit here! What was your name again? Neville? Come in!"

A relieved smile appeared on Neville's face. He entered the compartment and carefully sat beside Hermione.

"Thank you," Neville said, a little louder than before, though his voice was still timid. "My... my grandmother told me to find an empty compartment on the train, but I checked several and they were all full. Then I saw yours, but I was afraid of disturbing you..."

"You're not disturbing us," Hermione said, speeding up again. "You came at just the right time. We were discussing magic. Can you do magic too? What kind of wand do you use? Is everyone in your family a wizard?"

Neville was left a little overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. His face reddened slightly, and his hands nervously rubbed against his knees.

"I... I can do a little. My wand belonged to my dad. My grandmother is a witch, and my mum and dad... they..." His voice grew quieter, as though something had caught in his throat. "They... used to be wizards too..."

Hermione keenly noticed something strange in Neville's tone. She did not press him further.

At that moment, Neville took out a box of biscuits to thank them.

"These are butter biscuits my grandmother made," Neville said, with a hint of pride in his voice. "She always makes a lot whenever she bakes. Would you like some?"

"Of course!" Hermione took one without hesitation and stuffed it into her mouth. "Mmm—so good! The butter flavor is so rich!"

Su Yu lay on the bench and reached out, feeling across the table—his eyes were still closed. His fingers touched the box, then slipped past it.

Neville quickly pushed the box closer to Su Yu's hand. Su Yu's fingers found the box, felt for a biscuit, picked one up, and put it into his mouth.

The buttery flavor melted across his tongue, rich and sweet, with a faint hint of vanilla.

Kurama let out a satisfied sigh in the soul space.

"This is good," Kurama said, all disdain gone from her voice and replaced by genuine pleasure. "It's no worse than cheesecake. That boy Neville's grandmother is quite skilled."

"You're very easy to get along with when you're eating," Su Yu replied inwardly.

"I'm easy to get along with even when I'm not eating. You just never listen."

The three shared the biscuits, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed. Neville began to talk more as well—about his grandmother, about how he had accidentally broken one of her vases as a child, and about Trevor, the first toad he had raised. Hermione listened with great interest, occasionally asking a question or making an amazed sound. Su Yu lay on the bench with his eyes closed, occasionally humming to show that he was still listening.

The scenery outside began to change. London gradually receded, replaced by rolling fields and hills. In the distance, they could occasionally see a flock of sheep or a solitary farmhouse with thin white smoke rising from its chimney.

"Ding-ding—"

A crisp bell rang out from the corridor. The compartment door opened, and a smiling witch stood at the entrance, pushing a trolley. It was piled high with all kinds of snacks—Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands...

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" the witch asked warmly.

Before Su Yu could answer, Kurama's voice exploded in his mind.

"Cheesecake! Do they have cheesecake? No—Chocolate Frogs! I want Chocolate Frogs! And Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! And that—what is that—Pumpkin Pasties are fine too! I want everything! I want it all!"

Su Yu sat upright. He moved so quickly that Hermione and Neville both jumped—it was the first time they had seen Su Yu react so fast all day.

"I'll take everything," Su Yu told the vendor. He pulled out a handful of Galleons from his pocket—pocket money Carson had prepared for him in advance, stored in a small pouch with a note attached that read "snack expenses"—and placed them on the trolley.

The vendor froze. "Everything? Dear, do you mean..."

"Everything," Su Yu repeated. He began taking snacks off the trolley—Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands, Pepper Imps, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Fizzing Whizzbees, Ice Mice, Acid Pops—setting them on the table one by one until they quickly formed a small mountain.

Hermione and Neville both stared wide-eyed.

"Su Yu," Hermione said in disbelief, "can you... can you finish all that?"

"You bought... everything?" Neville's voice was even quieter, but he was no less shocked than Hermione. "How... how much did that cost?"

"It's fine." Su Yu opened a Pumpkin Pasty and took a bite—more precisely, Kurama made him take a bite. "I can eat a lot. And I'm treating. Help yourselves."

Hermione's eyes lit up as though someone had turned on a lamp inside them. A brilliant smile blossomed across her face.

"Really?" Her voice trembled slightly with excitement. "You're really treating us? I can eat whatever I want?"

"Whatever you want."

"Oh my God! Thank you!" Hermione immediately grabbed a Chocolate Frog and unwrapped it. "My mum never lets me eat this much candy. She says too much sugar is bad for your teeth and your brain. But—but—this is a Chocolate Frog! I read about them in History of Magic! Do they really jump?"

The instant she finished speaking, the Chocolate Frog leaped from her hand onto the table, only for Su Yu to pin it down with lightning-fast reflexes.

"They jump." Su Yu handed the Chocolate Frog back to her.

Hermione took it and smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.

Neville also picked up a Pumpkin Pasty and carefully took a bite. His expression changed from restrained to relaxed, then from relaxed to happy.

"Thank you, Su Yu," Neville said, a little louder than before. "You're really nice."

"It's nothing." Su Yu lay back down, still chewing his Pumpkin Pasty. "Eat."

The compartment filled with the sweet scent of snacks. Hermione kept talking as she ate—but this time, she was no longer asking serious academic questions. Instead, she shared amusing stories from her childhood, told them about discovering her magical talent for the first time, about finding Hogwarts: A History in a bookshop, and about spinning around the living room three times in excitement when she received her acceptance letter. Neville shared some stories too—about how his grandmother taught him his first spell, the singing flowers he grew in the garden at home, and how Trevor always liked to wander off.

"—Speaking of Trevor," Neville suddenly stopped moving. The smile on his face froze, then was swiftly replaced by panic. "Where's Trevor?"

He lowered his head and looked beneath the seat. Then he raised it again and scanned the whole compartment. His face grew paler and paler, and his voice became increasingly frantic.

"Trevor's gone! I just—I just put him on the table! He must have hopped away! Oh no, I can't find him!"

"Don't panic." Hermione set down her biscuit, her tone turning serious. "We'll help you look. When did he disappear?"

"I don't know—I was eating and I didn't notice—"

"Then he might still be in this carriage. Let's go look."

Hermione stood up, brushed biscuit crumbs from her robes, and turned toward Su Yu.

"Su Yu, are you coming?"

Su Yu lay on the bench with his eyes half-open, looking like a cat softened by the sun.

"No," he said lazily. "You go. I'll wait here."

Hermione seemed to have expected that answer. She nodded and pulled Neville out by the hand—Neville was still clutching half a Pumpkin Pasty, his expression on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry," Hermione's voice called from the corridor, full of confidence. "We'll definitely find Trevor!"

Then their footsteps gradually faded away.

The compartment fell silent.

Su Yu lay on the bench, listening to the rhythmic sound of the train wheels rolling over the tracks.

Kurama also fell quiet in the soul space. The fox lay on her chakra, her nine tails curled into a soft cushion beneath her chin, her eyes half-closed.

The train continued onward. Outside, the sky grew darker and darker.

Who knew how long passed—perhaps half an hour, perhaps an hour—before footsteps and voices sounded in the corridor. Hermione's voice was clear and urgent, while Neville's was low and dejected. Their voices intertwined like strands of different-colored thread twisted together.

The compartment door slid open.

Hermione entered, followed by Neville. Disappointment was written all over Neville's face. His hands were empty, with no sign of Trevor.

"We searched several carriages and still couldn't find him," Hermione said as she sat down, a trace of unwillingness in her voice. "We asked a lot of people, but no one saw a toad."

Neville sat in his seat with his head lowered.

"My grandmother is definitely going to be angry," he said so quietly that he was almost inaudible. "She says I'm a big idiot, always forgetting this and forgetting that..."

"You're not a big idiot," Hermione said immediately. "Toads just like running all over the place. Look, his name is Trevor. It sounds like the name of a restless toad."

Neville looked up and forced a small smile. "Thank you, Hermione. But..."

"No buts." Hermione patted his shoulder. "We'll look again once we get to school. Maybe he's already gone to Hogwarts on his own. Toads always know the way home."

Su Yu woke up at that moment.

He sat up, rubbed his waist, and gave a huge stretch.

"Neville," Su Yu said, his voice still a little hoarse, "don't worry."

He reached out and patted Neville on the shoulder.

"He probably just wandered off somewhere," Su Yu said, his tone calm but certain. "Those destined to meet will meet again. Maybe he'll show up on his own in a little while."

Neville looked at him, his lips moving as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only nodded.

The train began to slow down.

"We're almost there!" Hermione's voice became excited again. She pressed herself to the window, trying to make out the scenery outside.

The train traveled for a few more minutes, slowing more and more. Then, with a long whistle and a shriek of grinding metal, the Hogwarts Express slowly came to a stop.

"First-years! This way! First-years!"

A booming voice came from the platform, cutting through the steam and darkness and reaching every carriage clearly.

Su Yu rose from his seat and followed Hermione and Neville off the train. The air on the platform was much colder than inside the carriage.

A huge figure stood at the front of the platform, holding a lantern. The lantern looked like a toy in his hand—because his hand was so enormous that it could grip the whole thing. He was at least over two meters tall—no, three? His face was covered in thick beard, his hair resembled a mass of black bushes, and his eyes gleamed beneath the lantern light.

That was Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts's Keeper of Keys and Grounds.

"First-years! This way! Don't be afraid! Just follow me!" Hagrid's voice echoed across the platform, carrying an irresistible warmth. "Come on, come on—watch your step! The path's a bit steep!"

Su Yu, Hermione, and Neville followed the crowd in the direction Hagrid indicated. Beyond the platform was a steep, narrow trail with dark bushes on both sides. The ground was uneven, covered in stones and roots. Hermione walked carefully, holding up the hem of her robes with one hand while unconsciously clutching Su Yu's sleeve with the other. Neville walked on Su Yu's other side, stumbling a little but barely managing to keep up.

At the end of the path was a black lake. In the darkness, its waters looked deep and mysterious, like an enormous black mirror reflecting the starry sky above and the silhouette of a distant castle—Hogwarts Castle, standing on the cliffs across the lake.

"Four to a boat!" Hagrid shouted from the lakeside, lantern in hand. "No more than four! Four to a boat! Come on, come on—"

He jumped into a boat first. It rocked under his weight, then quickly steadied. Hagrid sat at the bow, the lantern resting on his knees, its light making his great beard look like a mass of golden flame.

Su Yu looked at Hermione, then at Neville.

But the other new students were busy finding boats and getting aboard. No one noticed that the three of them still lacked a fourth person.

"Forget it," Su Yu said. "Three is fine. Let's go."

He climbed into the boat first, then held out his hand and helped Hermione and Neville aboard one at a time. Once the three of them were seated, their boat was far steadier than Hagrid's.

Hagrid shouted something from the bow, and then—all the boats began moving at once.

They had no oars, no sails, and no visible source of power.

Hermione sat opposite Su Yu, gripping the edge of the boat tightly with both hands. Her face was a mix of excitement and nerves.

Neville sat beside Su Yu, and his nervousness was even more obvious than Hermione's.

The fleet crossed the lake and reached a small dock beneath the castle. Moss covered the stone steps, dampened by lake water and a little slippery underfoot. Hagrid was the first to jump onto the dock. He then turned and used his enormous hands to pull each boat ashore, helping the children aboard safely disembark.

"This way! This way!" Hagrid's voice echoed through the cave. "Watch your step! Follow me!"

"We'll wait in the boathouse until everyone gets up!"

Su Yu leaned against the boathouse wall with his hands in his pockets, looking as though he were daydreaming. Hermione stood beside him, still clutching her book tightly, her lips moving slightly as though she were silently reciting something. Neville stood on Su Yu's other side, his face still carrying the disappointment of failing to find Trevor.

Just then, a booming voice came from outside the boathouse.

"—Who lost a toad?"

It was Hagrid's voice.

Neville lit up all at once.

He jerked his head up. The dejection vanished from his face, replaced by almost ecstatic excitement. His mouth fell open, one hand shot into the air, and his voice was so loud that even he seemed unable to believe it.

"It's mine! That's my toad!"

Hagrid appeared in the boathouse doorway. A toad rested in his huge hand.

"Trevor!" Neville rushed over, carefully taking his toad from Hagrid's hand and hugging him tightly against his chest. "Trevor! Where did you go? I've been looking for you all day!"

Trevor puffed out his eyes and gave a deeply satisfied croak.

Hermione stood nearby, watching Neville hold Trevor. Her smile was warm and bright. Then she turned to look at Su Yu.

Su Yu was still leaning against the wall.

"Those destined to meet will meet again," Hermione said, imitating Su Yu's tone before laughing. "You really were right."

Su Yu shrugged.