The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 14 The Hogwarts Express

Parting is always a sad thing.

September 1st arrived. Ian woke up early that morning, got out of bed, dressed, and moved around a bit to fully wake himself up.

After washing up and checking my luggage one last time, I opened the door to my cubicle, stepped out of the cozy room where I had only stayed for a short time, and slowly walked downstairs.

After saying goodbye to the busy old Tom, I carried my luggage and left the Leaky Cauldron alone. Unfamiliar with the city's transportation, I had no choice but to take a taxi.

After enduring half an hour of the driver's nagging, we finally arrived at our destination, King's Cross Station, a major railway terminus in central London. It opened in 1852 and has a very large daily passenger flow.

Ian wandered around, enjoying the scenery of this foreign land, and savoring a good breakfast at the station restaurant. Although it was the usual British cuisine, he still tasted happiness on this special day.

After all, for a Harry Potter fan, is there anything more exciting than boarding the Hogwarts Express?

It's worth mentioning that even though Ian had tried to keep a low profile, his incredibly handsome appearance still attracted the attention of countless young women (or perhaps older women?). After rejecting five women who tried to chat him up, he finally managed to reach the wall between platforms nine and ten.

As soon as he got close, he clearly noticed that the gazes of passersby who were looking at him disappeared instantly. It was obviously the effect of the Muggle banishment spell. He entered Platform 9¾ without any major incident.

The medieval-style platform, the old steam locomotives, and the mottled red and black bodies exude a strong sense of history. At this moment, the platform is filled with countless little wizards carrying luggage.

The anticipation of the start of school and the sadness of parting were intertwined. Various pets made inexplicable noises, which, combined with the sounds of playing and frolicking, created a constant stream of noise.

Ian naively thought that he would be free from interference once he entered the station, but it turned out that he was too young and underestimated his own charm.

While it didn't cause as much of a sensation as it had with the formal attire of the past, their every word and action was still silently observed. Perhaps due to the presence of their parents, the girls were somewhat reserved, and how they behaved on the train remains unknown.

Seeing the several girls who clearly had "ill intentions," and even more girls with their eyes darting around as if they were determined to win, Ian became somewhat alert and quickly boarded the train.

He thought he could avoid it this way, but little did he know that this was exactly what they wanted. As Ian hurriedly got into the car, the girls collectively showed expressions of prey caught in a cage.

Carrying his ordinary suitcase, Ian strolled along the train; there was still a long time before 11 o'clock. Although the carriage was somewhat empty, Ian still planned to find a compartment towards the back.

Preferring a low-key and quiet lifestyle, he finally found a suitable cubicle in one of the last two carriages. After settling his luggage, he casually closed the door.

I sat down by the window, and through the half-open window, I could clearly see the platform. As time passed, I don't know how much time had gone by, but the number of passengers on the platform increased. And unfortunately, it started to drizzle at that moment.

"When I watched movies before, I always felt that the Hogwarts Express would be embarrassed to depart unless it rained a little when the main characters rode it."

Ian couldn't help but complain that he felt it was right to come early.

On the platform, some wizards had already opened their umbrellas, while students hurriedly said goodbye to their families in the misty rain. Although they looked a little disheveled, the scene was incredibly heartwarming. Ian watched this picturesque scene in silence.

"drop……"

The jarring sound of an old locomotive breaking the silence, and thick white smoke billowed above the platform, as if reminding the students who were still dawdling to hurry up and board the train.

However, all of this is irrelevant to Ian. From the beginning, he had planned his own enrollment, ensuring that he would not have too much to do with Harry. It is believed that after receiving the script from him, director Dumbledore will further refine the path of the savior's growth.

As time passed, the train sped past the somewhat desolate fields, followed by a forest, a winding river, and dark green hills.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier. Ian closed the window a little tighter. As long as he wasn't getting wet in the rain, he didn't hate the rain.

The corridor in the front carriages gradually became lively, but this did not affect Ian at the back of the train for the time being; the rain in England in September still had a slight chill in the air.

He casually pulled a blanket from his suitcase and covered himself with it. He opened "The Power of Darkness: A Guide to Self-Defense" and slowly flipped through it. In fact, after buying the book yesterday, Ian tried to use a few simple spells from it, and unsurprisingly, he failed.

However, he understood the principle of accumulating knowledge and experience before making a breakthrough, so he cherished the time he could spend reading quietly.

"Excuse me, is this room taken? All the other rooms are full..."

Ian had to look away from his book because someone was knocking on the door. Turning his head to look outside the private room, he saw a little girl with fluffy brown hair, fair and delicate skin, wearing a simple knit sweater and jeans, struggling to drag a large suitcase, standing in the aisle with a slightly uneasy expression.

"As you can see, there are still plenty of empty seats here, please feel free to use them."

Ian recognized the somewhat disheveled girl at first glance and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. It was good that she wasn't Black; while it wasn't exactly discrimination, he still found it hard to accept that Miss Know-It-All was Black.

Seeing the handsome, tall senior in front of her casually place her heavy suitcase on the shelf at the top of the cubicle, Hermione quickly said thank you.

As a young wizard born into a Muggle family, she leaves her parents and embarks alone on her journey to study at the mysterious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione appears outwardly very strong, and often uses a slightly arrogant tone to disguise herself, but deep down, she too harbors a trace of fear and trepidation.

After all, she was only eleven years old.

Although she will be twelve years old in eighteen days, at twelve she is still just a little girl traveling far away alone for the first time.

At this moment, on this train to Hogwarts, she encountered the only person who offered to help her. Looking at the handsome, angular senior sitting opposite her, who resembled an ancient Roman sculpture, she suddenly felt a sense of peace.

"My name is Hermione Granger, a first-year student at Hogwarts."

Hermione mustered her courage and extended her right hand.

Looking at the fair, soft, boneless hand in front of him, Ian was stunned for a moment, then reached out and gently shook it, gazing intently into Hermione's eyes.

He smiled and said, "Ian Titus. You can call me Ian. I'm also a new student at Hogwarts, since I delayed my enrollment for a few years due to other matters."

"You can also call me Hermione." Hermione's face suddenly turned slightly red.

He looked at the reserved girl in front of him speechlessly. Why was she blushing when it was just a greeting?

Although he had become a little shy, Ian was well aware of Hermione's magical talent; she had taught herself most of the basic spells in just one month before school started.

She must have unique insights into magic, and I'm sure I'll gain something from exchanging ideas and learning from her. That's why he tried to curry favor and make his presence known from the start.

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(End of this chapter)