Jerry, Hermione, and Neville

As they chatted, Hermione gradually realized that Jerry was actually a kindred spirit. Although he had not memorized as many textbooks as she had, he had plenty of his own insights into Magical Theory and various spells.

Her interest was immediately piqued, and she felt even more approving of Jerry.

As the saying went, "If words don't resonate, half a sentence is too much; when drinking with a kindred spirit, a thousand cups are too few!"

Jerry and Hermione grew more animated the longer they talked, becoming increasingly absorbed. Before they knew it, the Hogwarts Express had already pulled out of the station, yet they had not noticed at all.

"H-hello, is anyone sitting here? Everywhere else is full!"

Just then, a somewhat stammering voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Jerry and Hermione's magical discussion.

In the corridor outside the compartment stood a round-faced, slightly chubby Little Wizard. He held a Golden-backed Toad in his left arm and pulled a suitcase with his right hand, his eyes occasionally darting toward the empty seats opposite Jerry and Hermione.

"No one. You can sit across from us!"

Jerry replied with a smile.

The boy immediately shoved his suitcase into the corner of the compartment in delight, then sat down while holding the toad.

"I... I'm Neville Longbottom. I'm a first-year student this year. You can call me Neville!"

After sitting down, the boy introduced himself nervously.

"Jerry Carmen!"

"Hermione Granger!"

Jerry and Hermione exchanged a glance. They could see that the boy opposite them was nervous, so they both smiled as they introduced themselves.

Perhaps sensing the kindness in Jerry and Hermione's voices, the boy gradually relaxed and joined their conversation.

However, since Neville had not previewed any of the textbooks, the three no longer discussed magic. Instead, they began talking about their backgrounds and families.

Once the topic turned to his family, Neville, who had originally been somewhat nervous, became much less reserved.

"I was raised by my grandmother, but for all these years, my family always treated me like a Muggle. My Uncle Algie was always trying to catch me off guard and force me to show some magic."

Neville then recounted his painful experiences of nearly drowning after Uncle Algie threw him into the Black Lake, and nearly being killed after being thrown from upstairs.

Jerry and Hermione could only exclaim that the elders of pure-blood Wizard families really knew how to have fun.

As far as Jerry knew, Neville's parents both seemed to have been Aurors. During the First Wizarding War, they had been captured by Death Eaters and tortured into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse, eventually being sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

In order to make one-year-old Neville forget the cruel sight of his parents being tortured, his grandmother had cast Obliviate on him. Perhaps because Neville had been too young at the time, the spell had caused side effects, damaging his mind and making him especially forgetful.

That said, could a one-year-old child really remember anything?

Jerry had also heard people say that Neville was actually the child of prophecy from Professor Trelawney's prophecy. After all, Neville's parents had both been Aurors—the Wizarding World's police—and had defied Voldemort at least three times. Neville had also been born in July.

He had even been able to use magic to wrap his blanket more tightly around himself right after he was born.

If not for the aftereffects of Obliviate damaging his mind and leaving him unable to properly control the magic within him, Neville's magical talent might not have been inferior to Voldemort's.

However, none of that was particularly important to Jerry. He did not care who the child of prophecy was.

What he needed to consider was how to use his knowledge of the general plot to gain benefits and strengthen himself.

After Neville finished rambling, Hermione began talking about the amusing stories from her childhood before receiving her acceptance letter, as well as the changes after she received it.

Unlike Neville, who came from a pure-blood Wizard family, Hermione lived in the outskirts of London. Her parents were both dentists, an ordinary Muggle couple who knew nothing about magic.

Perhaps it was precisely because she had not been born into a Wizard family that Hermione had always wanted so badly to prove herself.

However, dentists earned a considerable income, and her family was happy and harmonious, so she had actually had a very happy childhood.

After the two finished speaking, they both turned their eyes toward Jerry.

Jerry froze for a moment, then immediately understood.

"I'm an orphan. I was abandoned at an orphanage when I was little. I don't know whether my parents were Wizards or Muggles. I only learned magic existed after receiving my Hogwarts acceptance letter!"

"An orphan!"

Sympathy gradually appeared in Neville and Hermione's eyes as they looked at Jerry.

Although Neville's parents were in the hospital, he at least had a grandmother, uncle, and aunt who loved him. He had not really suffered much growing up.

And although Hermione had been born into a Muggle family, she was an only child and had been the treasured darling of the household since childhood. Her childhood could not have been happier.

By comparison, Jerry's identity in this world was indeed rather miserable.

"I never thought Jerry's background would be so tragic, yet he can still face life with a smile and remain so positive and optimistic. He's truly brave and strong!"

When Hermione saw that Jerry showed none of the sadness or pain one might expect while speaking of his background, but instead radiated a carefree, sunny openness, she felt both sympathy and admiration.

"Dear, would you like something to eat?"

Just then, a clattering commotion suddenly came from the corridor. A smiling, dimpled woman pushed open the door to their compartment.

The three had been chatting so enthusiastically that, without realizing it, noon had already passed.

Seeing the cart packed with all kinds of snacks, all three suddenly felt their stomachs begin to growl.

"I want Chocolate Frogs!"

Neville was the first to leap up and run toward the cart.

Hermione and Jerry also stood up at the same time, following close behind as they began selecting things from the cart.

In the end, Neville returned to his seat with an armful of Chocolate Frogs. Hermione only took a Cauldron Cake, while Jerry bought three pumpkin pasties and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

The financial aid Hogwarts gave Jerry was one hundred Gold Galleons per year. After buying all the necessities, he still had four or five Gold Galleons left, more than enough for a year of daily expenses.

After all, food and lodging at Hogwarts were free, and these magical snacks were not expensive either.

Jerry had only spent one Silver Sickle and fifteen Bronze Knuts on three pumpkin pasties and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

The three pumpkin pasties were for himself to fill his stomach. Compared to all those random snacks, he preferred staple foods like pumpkin pasties.

As for the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, he planned to save it and give it to his younger sister Elsa when he returned.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans were a famous product of the jelly bean company in this world. It was said that they came in more than seven hundred different flavors.

There were ordinary flavors like chocolate, strawberry, mint, and marmalade; unusual ones like spinach, liver, and tripe; and even heavy flavors like vomit, earwax, and boogers. They had everything.

His little sister would surely love such a magical snack!