Arrival

Hermione sat nearest the door handle. She pushed open the compartment door, poked her head out for a look, then returned and said expressionlessly:

"Some boys are fighting!"

She had no intention whatsoever of joining the excitement, much less stepping in to stop them. If anything, she thought those boys were unbelievably stupid!

As the magical holy land of the entire world, Hogwarts's entrance test during the Sorting Ceremony had to be extremely strict.

She needed to hurry and review her textbooks. What if she failed the test and was sent home? Wouldn't she forget this precious experience completely and never be able to learn magic again?

Hermione drew her Vinewood Dragon Heartstring Wand, took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and recited the spell:

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

With a flick and a shake of her wand, the luggage Li Wei had placed on the rack floated down.

She took out a large stack of books from her suitcase and set them down beside the seat with a bang. Then she picked one up and began reading as though no one else were there.

Hannah and Neville swallowed at the same time and exchanged a nervous glance.

The two youngsters felt as though they were sitting beside two enormous beasts. They did not dare breathe too heavily, and every moment felt like a year.

Knock! Knock!

After a while, someone suddenly knocked on the compartment's sliding door.

The door opened, and a short, plump old woman with a kindly face pushed in a small snack trolley. Smiling warmly, she asked Li Wei and the others:

"Children, would you like some snacks?"

Hermione frowned slightly at the interruption, but she was indeed hungry. She took three Sickles from her little bag and bought a serving of snacks.

Even before she had taken out her money, Hannah Abbott and Neville Longbottom seemed to finally be able to breathe again and eagerly said:

"Of course, ma'am. Please give me a serving of snacks too!"

Although Li Wei also wanted to taste what magical snacks were like, he restrained himself and took several wooden boxes from his Storage Space.

The moment the boxes appeared, they were steaming hot, carrying the aroma of grilled sausages, fried eggs, and steak!

The instant Hannah Abbott caught that scent, her eyes widened. She asked in astonishment:

"Merlin's belly!"

"How did you do that, Li Wei? Isn't this lunch from the Leaky Cauldron? Why is it still steaming? It should have gone cold ages ago!"

The moment the fragrant lunch appeared, the starving young wizards no longer found the snacks in their hands appealing.

After all, snacks could only tide them over. If they wanted to be full, they needed a lunch packed with meat.

"I packed it from Boss Tom's. As for how I kept it warm, don't ask. The answer is magic!"

"Hannah, want to try some? Boss Tom specifically told me to bring extra portions!"

"And Hermione, Neville, you two should have some as well. I reckon this train won't arrive for quite a while yet. A steam train can't possibly be that fast!"

Hannah Abbott immediately tossed her snacks onto the table and happily accepted the lunch box Li Wei handed her, thanking him with delight.

Hermione and Neville hesitated for a moment, but the scent of Li Wei's lunch was simply too strong, especially that mouthwatering smell of meat.

And when Hannah opened her lunch box, the temptation reached its peak!

After Li Wei's reforms, the Leaky Cauldron's dishes had become a perfect feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, instantly stirring up Hermione and Neville's appetites.

When someone was starving, a hearty lunch full of meat and golden-brown fried eggs was practically the ultimate comfort on a journey!

"Thank you, Li Wei." Hermione accepted the wooden box Li Wei handed over, pushed her snacks toward him, and said awkwardly:

"Let's trade. You should try my snacks too!"

"Thank you, Li Wei. I was hungry a long time ago too!"

Neville accepted Li Wei's wooden box shyly. He eagerly speared a sausage with the fork inside and spoke with his mouth full as he ate.

Like Hermione, he and Hannah also shared some of their snacks with Li Wei.

With a sumptuous lunch before them, the young wizards became talkative again.

The cards that came with the Chocolate Frogs, in particular, became the focus of their discussion.

"...So you mean Muggle portraits, once they're painted, don't move?"

"That's so strange! How do Muggles make portraits stay completely still?"

When Hannah and Neville heard Hermione say that ordinary people's portraits did not move at all, they were utterly amazed.

In their minds, portraits moved around and even visited other portraits.

Making them stay obediently and motionlessly on their original canvas was simply impossible.

"Uh..." Hearing Hannah and Neville's curious questions, Hermione did not know how to explain for the first time.

She could not help looking at Li Wei. Li Wei could only spread his hands. Rather than waste time explaining, he might as well eat another Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

They were quite fun. Every bean had a different flavor, and the manufacturer had deliberately mixed in some terrible ones. Every bean was an adventure.

After lunch, Li Wei and Hermione continued reading, while Hannah and Neville felt that trying hard now would not make any difference, so they simply gave up.

The two huddled together, chatting quietly. Sometimes, they would also watch Nami with amusement as she caught Trevor when he tried to escape.

"Whooo... whooo..."

As the sky gradually darkened, the steam train's whistle sounded mournfully.

Hermione lifted her head from her book and stretched tiredly. As though suddenly remembering something, she said:

"We should be arriving soon. We need to hurry and change into our Wizard's Robes!"

Li Wei also packed up his books and said to Neville:

"Ladies first. Neville, let's go outside first and let Hermione and Hannah change."

Neville nodded and stood up. This time, he did not forget to pick up Trevor, who had already tried to escape several times.