Hogwarts Express

Percy's face had gone black as a pot. The others chatted and laughed, while Lyon deliberately ignored Ron.

It definitely wasn't for any other reason. It was simply because Ron had stepped into the station with his left foot first.

Yes, that was absolutely why.

"So this is little Ginny? Are you starting school next year?"

Lyon looked at the last person. Seeing Lyon's handsome suit and his naturally confident, outstanding bearing, Ginny's little face flushed red as she stepped forward and shook his hand.

Her small hand was bonelessly soft, her fingers slender.

After letting go, Lyon suddenly felt someone poke him in the back.

He turned around and found Hermione. When she saw his puzzled gaze, she puffed out her cheeks without saying anything.

Lyon smiled and rubbed Hermione's head. At that moment, the train was about to depart.

Lyon and the others boarded the train. Before leaving, Mrs. Weasley reminded Lyon and Harry that they absolutely had to visit the Burrow for Christmas.

They quickly found an empty compartment, and Lyon and Hermione went inside.

Bill and Fred followed behind, still imitating Percy's solemn manner as they entered the compartment.

"Oh, Merlin's arse, may I sit in this compartment? Here, let me kowtow to you."

Everyone burst into laughter. The train gradually started moving, and Lyon watched London grow more distant through the window.

"Lyon, do you know Hogwarts has a Sorting Ceremony?"

Lyon and Hermione were seated right beside each other. Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, I know. First-years have to fight trolls, then they're assigned based on their scores!"

George was playing wizard chess with Fred nearby. Hearing this, he spoke with a terrified expression, and Fred immediately joined in.

"Indeed. I was almost drowned in troll drool last year. It was horrifying."

Lyon smiled as well. "I heard the Sorting Hat can sort students into the different houses. There are four houses in total..."

"Oh, that's so boring. How did you know about that?"

George looked disappointed. Lowering his head, he used the chattering white pawn in his hand to capture Fred's black queen.

Keeping the Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony secret had always been an old Hogwarts tradition. He hadn't expected Lyon to know about it.

"Oh, excuse me."

Suddenly, the compartment door opened. Ron stood in the doorway, with Harry and a round-faced little boy behind him.

The moment the door opened, Ron saw Hermione sitting close beside Lyon. Lyon's well-fitted suit and exceptional bearing, along with the fact that Lyon had deliberately ignored him at the station, made the smile vanish from Ron's face.

"Have you seen Neville's toad?"

Ron stared fixedly at Lyon, as if he had decided Neville's toad must be on him.

"No."

Lyon did not look at Ron and continued talking to Hermione, but Ron spoke again.

"How could that be? I've searched all the other compartments. It has to be in this one."

Ron's voice was somewhat grating. Lyon glanced at him and waved a hand as though dismissing a subordinate. "I don't have it."

George and Fred noticed that something was wrong. They exchanged a glance. "Ron, what are you trying to do?"

"I've searched all the other compartments, and Neville's toad isn't there. That means it has to be here."

Neville looked worried and tugged at Ron's clothes. "Ron, forget it. If he says he doesn't have it, then he doesn't have it."

Harry nodded as well. In his impression, Lyon had always been an open and straightforward person.

Besides, Lyon seemed far more mature than most people their age. Harry even felt he was much steadier than Percy had been, so how could he possibly steal Neville's toad?

Ron frowned. "We've checked every compartment already. I need to look in this one."

"Ron, stop making trouble. Lyon wouldn't take Neville's toad."

Fred and George both spoke up for him, but Ron ignored them. "If you didn't take it, stand up and let me search this place."

Lyon finally looked at Ron, his gaze icy. "Can't you understand what I'm saying?"

"That's enough. Don't make trouble in my compartment. Get out."

His cold tone carried an unconscious sense of authority, making Ron take a step back without realizing it. But that step seemed to wound Ron's pride.

"Why are you being so rude? I just want to make sure Neville's toad is here!"

Ron raised his voice, as though trying to bolster his courage. People from several nearby compartments began gathering at the door to watch the show.

"What's going on?"

"I heard Neville's toad went missing, and Ron wants to search in here."

"Huh? Who's that handsome guy in the Muggle suit?"

"No idea, but I remember seeing him shake hands with Malfoy's father at the station. They seemed to have a very pleasant conversation."

The surrounding whispers soon reached Ron's ears. He pointed at Lyon.

"I saw you talking to Malfoy's father at the station too! You're definitely an evil Slytherin!"

Lyon suddenly smiled. If this had not been on a train but outside, Ron would already have been reduced to ashes.

Hermione looked worried and grabbed Lyon's hand with her small one. "Lyon, just let him search. He means well, after all."

"Lyon, I think something may be wrong with my brother's brain today. Don't get angry with him." George was worried as well. Though he did not particularly like this younger brother, he wanted even less to see him get into a fight here.

Everyone around them watched expectantly. They would have loved nothing more than to see Lyon start fighting.

After all, it was the first day of school. Nothing beat watching a spectacle.

Lyon turned around, his expression softening from coldness to gentleness. He rubbed Hermione's head, then turned to Neville.

"Neville, what's your toad's name?"

"Trevor."

Neville looked at Lyon timidly. The moment Lyon stood up, Neville could feel a powerful aura from him, making even his words stumble.

Lyon nodded and raised a finger.

He did not take out a wand, nor did he chant an incantation.

Suddenly, something seemed to fly rapidly toward them.

Thud!

Ribbit!

A green object suddenly floated in the air inside the compartment!

It was Neville's toad!

Behind him, little Hermione froze as she tugged lightly at Lyon's clothes, staring incredulously at the floating toad.

She remembered that she and Lyon had bought their school supplies together last month. At the time, neither of them had known any magic.

Then she recalled that Lyon had not chanted an incantation just now, nor had he even taken out a wand.

"Lyon, how did you do that magic just now?"

Hermione suddenly remembered the magic books she had read over the past month. They seemed to mention this kind of casting method.

"Wandless, silent casting—the highest realm of spellcasting. I heard the next step is master level!"

George's voice rang out in the compartment. Everyone around looked at him curiously. Many of them were first-years and knew little about magical proficiency.

Seeing everyone look at him, George deliberately spoke in a solemn tone.

"As everyone knows, casting spells has many stages. The beginner stage is when you're capable of casting spells at all."

"Mastery means you can cast a spell with a hundred percent success rate. Silent and wandless casting mean exactly what they sound like: casting without speaking and casting without a wand. Meow!"

George deliberately added a meow at the end. The older students present burst into laughter, all knowing he was referring to Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall was an Animagus who could transform into a cat, though George and Fred privately liked to call her the old cat lady.

"Also, progressing from mastery to silent casting and then to wandless casting is as difficult as climbing to heaven at every stage. It depends entirely on talent. After reaching the wandless stage, only wizards with formidable magic and astonishing comprehension can generally reach the next stage..."

"The master stage. At that level, you can even create spells directly, modify spells, and so on."

After George finished explaining, everyone's eyes widened. There were many second-years present as well, and they knew just how difficult wandless, silent casting was.

Lyon was only a first-year, yet he could already cast magic without a wand!