Not long after, Cedric and Cho also came over, and the compartment became much livelier.
Meeting again after two months, everyone was very happy.
Kael wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Cho seemed slightly taller than before. As soon as she entered the compartment, she placed a large package on the table.
Inside it were the gifts she brought, some snacks from the Muggle world.
To Cho, Kael, Cedric, and Conna, all of whom came from wizard families, would surely be unfamiliar with Muggle snacks, and this was a good opportunity for them to try something new.
She spent half a day specially selecting what she considered the tastiest items.
Everyone else was quite interested in what she brought.
Cedric particularly liked a kind of black drink. Though at first, he found it a bit odd, he gradually realized that its unique taste was much better than pumpkin juice, and drinking it brought an inexplicable joy.
If he hadn't known it was a Muggle drink, he'd have thought it contained a Joyful Potion.
Conna preferred a triangular corn chip and those berry-filled biscuits.
Midway through, the Weasley Brothers and Lee Jordan also came by; the three of them were more fond of a kind of candy that "exploded" in their mouths.
"Honestly, I've just come up with a brilliant idea."
Fred licked the packaging thoughtfully and said, "We could try developing an exploding candy."
"And then place it on the Slytherin table."
George laughed and said, "Maybe that would keep Marcus quiet for a few days… I just found out that guy's become the Slytherin Quidditch Captain this year."
"That might be difficult."
Cedric opened the last bottle of soda and shook his head, "People in Slytherin probably won't eat candy from an unknown source."
"How about putting the candy in the kitchen?" Lee Jordan pondered and said, "Let it appear alongside other foods, that way it wouldn't be considered unknown."
"I wouldn't recommend that," Cedric frowned, "The house-elves wouldn't agree, and if something went wrong with the food, they'd get into trouble too."
"Oh… then forget it," Lee Jordan shrugged.
"Maybe you could think about it differently."
At this point, Kael suddenly suggested, "Like having the candy be something that explodes only after being spat out."
Fred and George's eyes lit up simultaneously, and they harmonized:
"Kael, has anyone ever told you..."
"You're a genius!"
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly, "Of course, many people have said that."
"..."
Silence suddenly filled the compartment; everyone looked at Kael with a look of disdain.
But Kael couldn't care less, still calmly eating a piece of chocolate, and through the train window, he saw Neville.
He was looking around on the platform, seemingly searching for something, while Mrs. Longbottom stood next to him, scolding him sternly.
He also saw Mrs. Weasley walking towards the train, with three children following behind.
Ron, Ginny, and a skinny boy with round glasses, his hair a mess, and his bangs cut casually, just covering his forehead.
"Mrs. Weasley." Kael leaned against the window, waving his hand.
"Oh, dear, there you are."
Mrs. Weasley hurried over, "Have you seen Fred and George?"
"We're here, Mom."
The twins answered and headed outside the train.
"By the way, Kael, what were you busy with during the holidays?"
After the two left, Cho picked up a Chocolate Frog and asked, "I sent you a letter in August, and it took you half a month to reply."
Kael said sheepishly, "Uh… something came up, and I had to make a trip."
In fact, he received Cho's letter the second day in Dorset, but at that time he was busy getting into trouble and forgot about replying.
When he finally remembered, he was already back home.
Cho didn't suspect anything, assuming that Kael, like Cedric, had gone traveling.
"I'm so envious of you guys," she said dreamily while eating a Chocolate Frog, "I want to travel abroad too. By the way... how was Paris?"
She addressed the last question to Cedric.
"It was a great trip." Cedric thought for a moment and said, "When we went to listen to the opera, we met an old wizard there who immediately recognized us and introduced us to many interesting places.
If you want to travel there too, I can draw up the route for you later."
"That would be wonderful," Cho exclaimed excitedly, "I've always wanted to see Paris.
By the way, did you visit Beauxbatons Academy of Magic?"
"I did."
Cedric nodded, "But Beauxbatons isn't in Paris; it's in the Pyrenees Mountains in the south. That's what the old wizard told us."
"What was it like there?" Cho asked, curious.
"We didn't go in; we just took a look from outside the school."
Cedric said, "It's a bit smaller than Hogwarts, but the architecture is much more exquisite and beautiful."
Cho's eyes shone with longing; she had no resistance to beautiful architecture.
Especially when these buildings belonged to another famous magic school.
While Cho and Cedric were talking, Kael glanced out the window again.
On the platform, Mrs. Weasley was using a handkerchief to wipe the dust off Ron's nose.
Beside her, the boy with glasses had somehow disappeared, and Percy had taken his place.
George looked at him and suddenly frowned.
"Percy, why is your robe different from ours?"
He gestured at the chest area and said, "They're all new robes, but why don't I have that round badge? Did Madam Malkin skimp on mine?"
"Dear, that's a Prefect Badge, only Prefects have that," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile.
"So it's a Prefect Badge, no wonder you've been wearing it all summer long."
Fred said exaggeratedly, "Honestly, good thing what you got wasn't the Special Award for Services to the School."
"I remember that's a cup," said George.
"You can't pin it on your chest…"
"But you can wear it on your head…"
"Just like wearing a gold hat!"
Fred and George exchanged glances, magically pulling a cup out of their robes and placing it on their heads, then imitating Percy by bowing to each other.
"Shut up!" Percy turned red and looked extremely angry.
...