It took quite some time after the train started for the two to return.
"Oh my God, John, you absolutely won't believe who I saw," Neville said, somewhat incoherently, confusing John.
Hermione, with a clearer and more confident tone, informed John, "Harry Potter, the Savior from the story, he's on the train too."
Thinking of the unimpressive Savior she had seen, Hermione proudly lifted her chin, saying, "The Savior isn't that impressive."
Neville retorted, "But my grandmother said Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord and saved the wizarding world."
The two began to argue.
Only then did John realize what he had missed.
The epic meeting of the trio happened right on the train.
John regretted it a bit, wondering how he could have forgotten about it.
After several hours of travel, the train finally arrived at Hogwarts as night fell.
With Hermione's reminder, John changed into his school robes. With his good looks, the robes added an extra touch of mystery to his aura.
Before getting off the train, John spotted Hagrid's enormous figure through the window.
Hagrid, holding a lantern, was quite conspicuous in the dark.
As the young wizards disembarked, they marveled at Hagrid's size. The older students, led by the prefects, left in an orderly fashion.
John noticed a red-haired boy next to Harry. With that characteristic red hair, it was hard not to recognize him as a Weasley.
The new students followed Hagrid to Hogwarts.
While on the boat crossing the Black Lake, John reminded Neville, "Neville, did you find your toad?"
Neville's round face froze. Seeing Harry had made him forget all about it.
But now that they were on the boat, and Trevor was still missing, Neville was on the verge of tears.
As the instigator of all this, John wasn't worried at all.
He remembered that Neville's toad would eventually show up at Hogwarts' entrance.
He had always been curious about where Neville's toad had hidden. It disappeared on the train only to reappear at Hogwarts.
Could it have some magical creature bloodline?
Magical creatures were a vital part of the magical world, adding color and diversity to it.
…
"Lower your heads," Hagrid's booming voice called out. Hermione and Neville quickly ducked, but John didn't.
After passing the obstacle, they realized there was no need to duck, or perhaps only someone Hagrid's size needed to.
After crossing the Black Lake, the young wizards formally stepped into Hogwarts.
This thousand-year-old magical school, looking like a castle, was shrouded in mystery in the night.
The young wizards trod the ancient steps steeped in history.
At the entrance, a stern-faced Professor McGonagall awaited them.
Unlike her last visit to the Wicks' house, this time Professor McGonagall wore a black pointed wizard's hat, adding to her formidable presence.
Nodding slightly to Hagrid, the unsmiling Professor McGonagall said, "Welcome to Hogwarts."
[Ding! Initiate Hogwarts Phase 1 Quest: Survive the first year as a magic apprentice. Quest rewards: +1 Mana Blood, +2 Any Points.]
(Note: Triggering relevant quests can grant quest reward bonuses.)
As Professor McGonagall spoke, John received a system notification.
He blanked out, his gaze unfocused as if daydreaming in class.
In front of him, a transparent panel like a screen appeared.
The panel was simple, with only four sections.
…
[Mana: Level 1 (0/100)]
[Spell: Alohomora (Level 3)]
[Skills: Short Weapons Mastery (Level 7), Long Weapons Mastery (Level 6), Heavy Weapons Mastery (Level 3), Firearms Mastery (Level 1)]
[Attributes: Physical Fitness, Quick Attack, Precision]
…
John blinked his dry eyes.
After returning from Diagon Alley, he had studied magic, spending a month to level up the unlocking charm to level 3, gaining a magic attribute.
At level 1, Alohomora could only unlock simple latches. At level 2, it could open door locks. By level 3, he had managed to open the safe his dad secretly kept from his mom.
Thanks to that, he had also touched the handgun in the safe, earning a level 1 in Firearms Mastery.
Professor McGonagall continued to introduce the four houses.
John knew all this and wasn't paying much attention.
Neville saw Trevor on the steps and, overjoyed, shouted and rushed out.
This scene caused many young wizards to chuckle, leaving Neville awkwardly and timidly returning to the group.
Once McGonagall turned to prepare for the Sorting Ceremony, a young Draco Malfoy, sporting slicked-back hair, began his love-hate relationship with the Savior, Harry Potter.
"It seems what they said on the train is true, Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts," Malfoy announced proudly, flanked by his ever-present cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. He stepped forward on the steps and introduced himself to Harry Potter, "Draco Malfoy."
His character was evident: the arrogance and pride of a pure-blood aristocrat.
This arrogance was exactly what the Weasleys despised, and Ron couldn't help but snicker at Malfoy's peacock-like display.
The sound was soft but loud enough for Malfoy to hear.
Malfoy turned to scrutinize Ron. Recognizing him as a Weasley, Malfoy sneered without any attempt to hide his disdain, "Red hair, hand-me-down robes, you must be a Weasley."
Ron, hit where it hurt, felt deeply embarrassed.
The Weasley family, with its seven children, had to be frugal, meaning Ron often had to use his older brothers' old things.
After mocking Ron, Malfoy turned to Harry, attempting to draw him in.
"You'll soon find that some wizarding families are much better than others. Potter, you don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
For Malfoy to extend such an invitation showed he genuinely wanted to be friends with Harry.
John frowned at this. Although he had found Malfoy's arrogance annoying when watching the movies, hearing it in person was even more aggravating.
Malfoy's words belittled anyone who wasn't a pure-blood, making John want to punch that smug face.
But Malfoy seemed to forget one crucial thing: Harry was friends with Ron, and no one likes their friends being insulted.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry rejected Malfoy's offer decisively, leaving Malfoy visibly displeased.
While Harry and Malfoy exchanged intense looks (or something like that), John couldn't help but shake his head.
"Malfoy, that's not how you make friends," John thought as he quietly stepped forward, positioning himself next to Neville. Hermione followed, thinking John was angry at Malfoy's words. She worried that if he got into a fight on the first day, it would be bad, wizarding school or not.
Her concern was unnecessary. Shortly after, Professor McGonagall returned and led them inside.
The Great Hall's enchanted ceiling mirrored the night sky, hundreds of candles floating above, illuminating the hall.
Four long tables, filled with students, had differently colored trims on their robes, representing the four houses:
Red and gold for Gryffindor.
Blue and silver for Ravenclaw.
Green and silver for Slytherin.
Yellow and black for Hufflepuff.
In the hall, four giant hourglasses represented the house points.
Upper-year students watched the first years enter, while Hermione enthusiastically rambled about "Hogwarts: A History," making John's head ache.
No wonder the other two-thirds of the trio initially disliked Hermione. With kids' strong sense of pride, having a friend constantly flaunt superior knowledge could be quite annoying.
However, John, not being a child, didn't dislike Hermione.
His attention was more on the kind-looking old man with a long white beard. This was not just the headmaster of Hogwarts but also the magical world's most formidable wizard, feared by two successive Dark Lords, and the magical world's anchor: Albus Dumbledore, the White Wizard.
John's curious gaze caught Dumbledore's attention. The elderly wizard, always patient with students, playfully winked at John.
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