First Encounter

Chapter 15 First Encounter

Perhaps the peaceful time I had spent alone before had already been used up.

"Hello... everyone else is full. Is anyone else here? I... I..."

Just then, a slightly stuttering voice suddenly rang out, breaking the somewhat awkward atmosphere in the cubicle.

In the hallway outside, a slightly chubby little wizard with a round face was seen holding a golden toad in his left hand and pulling an old suitcase in his right. His eyes kept glancing at the empty seats next to Ian and Hermione.

Hermione, who had been a little reserved, said after hearing this, "No one's here, you can sit here."

After saying that, he got up, turned around, and sat down next to Ian, giving the bench opposite him to the new little wizard.

Ian looked amusedly at the little witch who had suddenly moved to sit next to him, her face growing increasingly red. Her thoughts were actually quite easy to guess.

On one hand, her previous acts of kindness and good looks earned her considerable goodwill. On the other hand, it was also the little witch's self-protective instinct as she went out alone, subconsciously keeping her distance from strangers.

Based on the principle that it's the same whether you're herding one sheep or a flock, Ian nodded in agreement to the boy's request to enter the cubicle.

"I...I'm Neville Longbottom, a freshman this year. You can call me Neville."

After sitting down, the boy introduced himself, still somewhat nervously.

Looking at the Gryffindor Sword Saint in front of him, the true savior, Ian was not unfamiliar with him at all.

This child's talent and character far surpass Harry's. Born in the same month of July, or even shortly after birth, he was able to use magic to wrap himself in a blanket.

It was just a twist of fate that he was ruined by his grandmother's Oblivion Curse. The aftereffects of the Oblivion Curse damaged his mind, making him unable to use and control the magic power in his body.

Otherwise, his talent wouldn't just surpass Harry's, it might even be no worse than Voldemort's.

Fate is unpredictable, but even so, his performance in the later stages was still remarkable.

"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger!"

"Ian Titus!"

The kind little witch seemed to sense the boy's harmlessness and nervousness, so she smiled and introduced herself with Ian, which was a sign of recognition and acceptance.

Perhaps sensing the goodwill in Ian and Hermione's tone, Neville gradually began to relax.

Perhaps feeling a little awkward, Hermione took the initiative to start a conversation. Because of Ian's presence, she didn't talk about studying or books.

Because in her limited life of eleven years, she had a fixed mindset that older age meant more knowledge. Even though Ian had missed a few years of schooling, he should know much more magic than she did, so they chose to talk about each other's birth and family.

When the topic of family came up, Neville, who was initially tense, became much calmer and even joined the conversation.

"I was raised by my grandmother, but for all these years, my family has always treated me like a dud. My Uncle Algi always tries to catch me off guard and find ways to force me to show off my magic..."

Then, Neville recounted his tragic experiences, including being thrown into a lake by his uncle Algi and nearly drowning, and being pushed off a building and nearly falling to his death.

Hearing this, young Hermione gasped in surprise. Ian, though already aware of these things, was still deeply moved as he listened to Neville recount them firsthand. The elders of pure-blood wizarding families really knew how to play...

Ian wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that Neville spoke somewhat ramblingly. It was like the way the older women at the village entrance narrated stories in a past life—perhaps this was the special talent that a child truly "raised by their grandmother" should possess…

After Neville finished speaking, Hermione began to talk about her interesting childhood before receiving her acceptance letter, as well as her parents' professions.

After the two finished speaking, Ian watched as they both turned their gazes to him. He paused for a moment, then quickly realized it was his turn.

"I had always lived with my mother. Although we lived a relatively frugal life, overall we weren't struggling. This simple and peaceful life lasted until my mother passed away. Because I didn't have any savings or assets, I was left all alone and had no choice but to become a homeless person..."

Until I met Old Tom, oh, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, a very kind gentleman, who allowed me to stay there on credit. And I was lucky enough to find a job in Diagon Alley to make a living... and then I came to school.”

His tone was steady and his voice was calm.

Although Hermione was born into a Muggle family, her keen perception allowed her to discern the hardships Ian had endured in his narration.

Driven by maternal instinct, she felt an urge to hug Ian for comfort. Fortunately, she retained some rationality and refrained from doing so.

Neville, on the other side, also looked at him with sympathy. Compared to Ian, his parents were at least still alive, even if they were in the hospital, and his grandmother and uncle had always been with him. He had never suffered much hardship growing up.

Ian couldn't stand the two children's pitying looks any longer, and slowly said, "Hey, what kind of looks are those? I'm fine, and I'm grateful for the gifts of fate. At least I'm still alive and well."

Hermione looked at Ian before her, and saw no sadness or grief stemming from his past. Instead, he radiated optimism and optimism, and simply gazing at him gave Hermione a warm feeling.

Just then, a series of clicking sounds came from the corridor, followed by a smiling, dimpled middle-aged woman who pushed open the door to their cubicle.

"Honey, would you like to buy some candy?"

As the three chatted, time had unknowingly slipped away and it was almost noon; the rain outside the window had also gradually stopped.

Looking at the cart piled high with all sorts of snacks, the three of them suddenly felt a pang of hunger.

"I want a chocolate frog!"

Neville was the first to get up and walk toward the cart.

Ian and Hermione also got up at the same time and followed suit, picking out snacks that interested them from the trolley.

After much deliberation, Neville returned to his seat carrying a bunch of chocolate frogs, while Hermione only took a crucible-shaped cake.

Ian, on the other hand, ordered two pumpkin pies and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. The former was obviously less strange and could barely fill his stomach, while the latter was because of its "fame" due to its high appearance rate in the original work.

This famous product from World Jelly Beans Company is said to have over 700 different flavors, ranging from common ones like chocolate, strawberry, mint, and marmalade, to unique ones like spinach, pork liver, and tripe, as well as strong flavors like vomit, earwax, and snot.

Aside from those top-tier luxury items, the cost of living in the magical world is not high. Ian only spent 1 Sickle and 3 Nats on two pumpkin pies and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"...Click"

Neville reached out and held down the chocolate frog that had jumped from the box onto the table. Then he opened his mouth wide and put it in his mouth, biting off the frog's head and most of its body in one bite. The two remaining hind legs were still twitching around his mouth.

"You know, when I was little, my uncle threatened me, saying that if I still couldn't cast spells, he'd turn Rafer into a chocolate frog and make me eat him. Rafer was a pet he gave me, a golden-backed toad. Rafer? Wait, where's my Rafer?... "

Seeing Neville's obvious panic, Ian couldn't help but sigh, "The Oblivion Curse is truly harmful..."

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(End of this chapter)