Arrival at Hogwarts

Everyone feasted heartily. Cedric sampled a bit of everything, while the twins went all out on Aisling's expensive snacks. Roy not only ate plenty of Cedric and Aisling's snacks, but also wolfed down a large corned beef sandwich Mrs. Weasley had prepared. Aisling, meanwhile, had some of the Muggle-world snacks Roy had brought.

"Aisling, what did you do over the summer?"

Roy was still chewing his sandwich as he asked Aisling indistinctly.

"Nothing much, really. I just practiced magic at home and previewed some of the subjects we'd be studying at school."

Aisling casually described her experiences practicing magic over the summer, as well as some of the difficulties she had encountered.

She happened to mention some problems she had run into while trying to turn animals into inanimate objects.

Cedric could relate deeply. He had faced the same confusion while practicing Transfiguration, and the two of them launched into an endless discussion.

Watching the two of them enthusiastically discuss Transfiguration material that would not be taught until second or third year, Fred and George exchanged looks and complained helplessly.

"Sigh, this is the kind of resonance only good students have. There's already a tragically thick wall between us. Right, Roy?"

Roy did not answer. He simply listened quietly to their conversation.

It seemed Aisling was more skilled. During the exchange, she answered most of Cedric's questions, while Cedric only managed to answer a few of hers.

Cedric sincerely and humbly praised Aisling's abilities.

"I always thought I was fairly good at Transfiguration, but compared to Aisling, I'm still far behind."

Aisling also wore a sincere expression as she praised Cedric.

"No, I learned a great deal too. I'm just better in certain areas."

Listening to the two of them trade compliments, Roy wore a rather meaningful expression. Then he looked at the twins, who seemed to be listening to an incomprehensible scripture, and felt puzzled.

Was there really any need to put on such an act over such simple Transfiguration? Those two idiots being ignorant was one thing, but did addition and subtraction within ten really warrant an academic discussion at the start of term?

"Jiahao," Roy muttered.

"?"

Cedric had not heard what Roy said and looked confused.

"Sigh, I mean, you love studying so much, you'll probably all end up in Ravenclaw."

Aisling had been secretly watching Roy's reactions. It seemed Roy did not care at all about the Transfiguration topics she and Cedric had been discussing. Compared with Roy, Cedric seemed to be the more impressive student.

Does he not know how, or does he think it's too elementary?

Aisling studied Roy's expression as she calculated silently.

That afternoon, after everyone had eaten a mountain of food, the people in the compartment were all drowsy and listless. It was quieter than before. Cedric and Fred discussed Quidditch on and off.

Roy did not understand any of that. Realizing that the quiet Aisling had been secretly watching him, and curious about her as well, Roy took the initiative to ask her a question.

"I heard you're from Germany."

"That's right."

Aisling's reply was concise and clear.

"Is your family rich?"

"You could say that."

Aisling did not deny it.

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

Aisling glanced at the others in the compartment. At the moment, no one was paying attention to their conversation.

Aisling looked at Roy. Their gazes met, and her expression was firm and serious.

"Because you and I are the same kind of person."

"What kind?"

Aisling spoke with certainty, slowly addressing Roy.

"People born with great power."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA—"

After a moment of silence, Roy suddenly burst out laughing, causing the chatting twins and Cedric to stop and look at him.

"I think it's Jiahao. Hahaha!"

Hearing such an embarrassingly melodramatic line delivered in such a solemn tone by such a young wizard, combined with the way Aisling had been carrying herself with such airs, Roy found it utterly ridiculous.

"You're so young, yet you can say something that melodramatic. Hahaha, I certainly don't think I have any great power."

Aisling had not expected Roy to mock her like this. Looking at him laughing uproariously, she felt she had suffered an insult unlike any she had ever endured.

"You, you—you shut up!!!"

Aisling's face turned red.

"Sorry, sorry."

Roy stopped and hurriedly apologized, though an irrepressible smile still lingered at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing Roy struggle to hold back his laughter, his face flushed red, Aisling reddened further. Tears seemed ready to spill from her eyes.

Aisling abruptly stood up, drew her wand, and pointed it at Roy, but could not say a word.

"I was wrong, I was wrong. Please forgive me. Or you can beat me up if you want."

Roy immediately raised both hands in surrender. Seeing how shameless he was, Aisling had nowhere to vent her anger, and tears could not help streaming down her face.

She put away her wand, glared fiercely at Roy, then slammed the door and left the compartment.

The three beside them stared blankly at everything that had happened. After Aisling left, Fred shook his head and slowly spoke to Roy with a disgusted look.

"Too cruel, too cruel, Roy. You'll definitely be sorted into Azkaban."

Cedric, meanwhile, sternly advised Roy.

"You should go apologize to Aisling."

Roy sighed, realizing he had said the wrong thing. He chased after her, leaving Cedric and the twins in the compartment.

"So, do the snacks Aisling gave me still count?"

George quietly asked from inside the compartment.

Roy chased after her, but could not find Aisling. After asking several people, he made his way to the Slytherin compartments.

"Stop. What are you doing?"

Several older Slytherin students blocked Roy's way.

"I'm looking for someone to apologize to."

Blocked by them, Roy craned his neck to look farther inside. He seemed to see several older Slytherin students talking with Aisling.

"I'm looking for her." Roy loudly called out to Aisling farther inside the carriage.

"Sorry, I was wrong. Aisling, listen to my explanation."

Aisling turned to glance at Roy as he shouted, then ignored him and walked deeper into the carriage.

Those older students still would not let Roy pass. Roy was so angry that he wanted to teach them a lesson directly. But to avoid escalating matters, he gave up and slunk back to his original compartment.

"Forget it. I'll apologize after Aisling calms down."

When Roy returned to his compartment and faced the scrutiny of the other three, he shrugged and told them how he had been stopped.

All three of them gave Roy looks of disgust.

Roy was like Uluru looking into a mirror—unwelcome inside and out.

As the sky gradually darkened, the outline of Hogwarts emerged in the distance.

Roy and the other three changed into their robes in the compartment and quietly waited for the train to arrive. At that moment, the compartment door opened, and Aisling entered.

Roy immediately stood and poured out a string of apologies, but Aisling only looked at him coldly.

"Get out. I need to change into my robes."

Aisling's tone was ice-cold.

Roy and the other three could only obediently wait in the corridor.

Once Aisling had changed and emerged, Roy immediately stepped forward again to apologize and beg for forgiveness. Cedric also spoke up beside him on Roy's behalf.

Aisling said nothing. She simply glared viciously at Roy.

"I don't think Roy meant any harm. He just likes making jokes like that..."

Aisling suddenly turned toward Cedric, revealing a terrifying smile.

"This has nothing to do with you, Cedric."

Cedric felt his scalp prickle under Aisling's gaze.

"And you two, these are your snacks."

Aisling smiled very kindly at the twins and stuffed a large pile of expensive snacks into their hands. Then she resumed glaring viciously at Roy without saying a word until she left.

The three patted Roy on the shoulder and gave him looks that said he was on his own.

Roy looked out the window and felt that life was hard.

The train gradually slowed, then came to a stop at the platform.

In an instant, students from every compartment crowded into the corridor. Prefects from every house were squeezed among the crowd, loudly trying to maintain order.

Roy and the other three got off the train amid the bustling crowd. On the platform, Hagrid held up a lantern and shouted loudly.

"First-years, over here!"