On September 1, Jerry entered King's Cross Station, pushing his luggage. He had barely taken a few steps when he spotted Hermione and her parents, with Neville and a rather stern-looking elderly woman standing beside them.
"Jerry, you're finally here!" Hermione visibly relaxed when she saw him, having feared he would miss the train again because of something else. "We need to hurry. The train's about to leave—we can't delay any longer."
Jerry jogged over to them, pushing his heavy luggage, his face slightly flushed as he caught his breath. After politely greeting Mr. and Mrs. Granger, he gave Hermione a reassuring look. Then his gaze fell on Augusta Longbottom beside Neville. Her hair was white and her expression stern, lending her an imposing, intimidating air.
"Jerry, this is my grandmother." Neville sounded a little nervous as he carefully introduced her to Jerry. He was clearly afraid of the stern, imposing Augusta Longbottom before him.
Jerry was just about to introduce himself when Augusta Longbottom spoke first.
"You're Jerry Green?" Her tone carried an unmistakable authority as she looked him over.
Jerry nodded, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Augusta Longbottom's scrutiny. He scratched his head awkwardly and glanced at Neville, seemingly seeking help.
Noticing Jerry's discomfort, Neville gently tugged at Augusta Longbottom's clothes and murmured, "Gran..."
"Good luck, child." After a brief silence, Neville's grandmother finally spoke, a barely perceptible hesitation in her voice. Then she gave Neville a gentle push, urging him to hurry to the platform.
Jerry and Hermione exchanged a glance, then looked back at Augusta Longbottom. As they watched her and Neville pass through the barrier between platforms nine and ten, their faces were full of confusion.
"Did anything unusual happen here before I arrived?" Jerry asked Hermione quietly as he pushed his luggage toward the platform