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When they reached Edinburgh city, the weather hadn't improved even a bit. Wild wind wrapped raindrops. Harshly knocked on windows. The train almost seemed to plunge headfirst into a waterfall. Anthony walked back and forth through the train. Reminded students they'd arrive soon. Had everyone gather in the boarding carriage. Checked against the list again whether anyone got left behind.
"Go quickly. You can buy one after getting off," he urged. Collected from students a newspaper some passenger left on a seat. Several students were huddled together. Studying the crossword puzzle with great interest.
The student begged, "We want to take it off the train, Professor."
"No, ladies and gentlemen," Anthony smiled and flatly refused them. "Leave it for the next poor soul boarding the train in this weather."
"Alright, Professor," the student stood up reluctantly. Slowly packed their bag. Walked toward the gathering carriage. Anthony continued checking the next carriage.
When he pulled open the gathering carriage door, Anthony found students had already found another ownerless newspaper there. This time more people studied the crossword. A large group of heads with various hair colors huddled together. Hotly discussed the questions.
"I know! I know!" a student shouted excitedly. "It's Welsh Green!"
The classmate beside him counted on fingers. "No. Welsh Green only has ten letters."
"There's a space in the middle."
"Spaces don't count. Look at words already filled in before," another person pointed at the newspaper to refute. "And the last letter must be D. Because here we already filled FLOOD."
Anthony closed the carriage door. Leaned on the door and unfolded the list. Confirmed again all students were already in this crowded carriage. During this a passenger seemed to want to enter the carriage. But after Anthony moved aside, he saw through the glass a large group of excited teenagers. Immediately walked back holding an umbrella.
In the rushing rain sound, the clanging collision sound of train and rails gradually slowed. They slowly entered the station. They could finally barely see through the water-drop-covered glass the bustling platform. Compared to the small town platform with only one rail when they boarded, Edinburgh's Waverley Station was busy unlike a station from the same world.
"Prepare to get off. Check your bags and pockets. Confirm you brought all personal items," Anthony reminded. "Wallets and such. Also..." He patted his pants pocket. Indicated wand. "Other very important things. Don't leave them on the train."
A rustling sound of rummaging. Students replied one after another, "All good, Professor." "No problems."
"Very good." Anthony glimpsed that student planning to stuff the newspaper in their bag again. But this time he specially pulled out the crossword page. Left other parts on the table. "Ahem, I'm planning to buy a newspaper after getting off. Does anyone else want one?"
The other put the newspaper back on the table. Smiled somewhat embarrassedly. "Me, Professor Anthony."
"I'll remember," Anthony nodded. "I'll buy it right after getting off, I promise... or do you want the crossword from my newspaper?"
"Can I?"
Anthony smiled. "Of course. I'm not that keen on crosswords." His most recent impression of crosswords was just those few drinks he won at that pub beside school when in university. The Leaky Cauldron didn't have many people obsessed with crosswords. At least Anthony never encountered them again.
"Excellent, Professor," the student said joyfully.
Anthony glanced at the title. Remembered which newspaper this was. He suspected if he let this fellow follow him to buy newspapers, then realize in the Muggle world there wasn't just one newspaper, and each had their own crosswords... his three pounds pocket money might go directly to buying newspapers.
While counting students getting off, Anthony turned his head to instruct the new crossword enthusiast. "If you need it, bookstores sell crossword puzzle collections."
"Will we pass a bookstore, Professor Anthony?" the other asked without hesitation.
Anthony tilted his head thinking. Somewhat uncertain. Unlike London, he wasn't familiar with Edinburgh.
"Please, Professor," the student begged.
Anthony nodded with slight regret. "If we don't pass a bookstore, I'll give you mine." He vaguely remembered he should have one. And eighty or ninety percent of the questions inside were blank... like he said, he wasn't that keen on crosswords.
A big smile bloomed on the student's face. "Thank you, Professor!"
Anthony waved his hand. Had him get off quickly. He was blocking classmates behind.
After a last glance at the carriage, confirming no young wizards stayed on the train, Anthony jumped down from the footboard. Then found students waiting in place were continuing to argue about that Welsh Green problem on the surging platform.
But this time they paid attention to lowering voices. Completely unnecessary, Anthony had to say. In this kind of noisy busy train station, few people would pay attention to what others were saying. As long as they didn't push luggage carts running and crash into pillars, no one would care whether they chatted about Welsh Green or Welsh Corgis or big whales painted green.
"It's THUNDERBIRD," a third-year Hufflepuff said quietly but firmly. Tone quite intense. "Eleven letters. Ends in D. Absolutely right."
"Sounds indeed about right..." the classmate beside her pointed out. "But why would this word appear here?"
The train started again. Students in a circle looked up. Saw Anthony watching the road behind them. "Professor? Professor Anthony!"
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Anthony said somewhat absentmindedly. "Let's go. We'll go to the station square." Besides looking for places selling newspapers, he was also looking for phone booths. Rain too heavy. He wanted to call the botanical garden contact.
"Eleven letters. Ends in D. What word?"
Anthony came back to his senses. "Ah, what's the clue?"
"Well..."
"An animal. Quite rare," the student who thought the answer was thunderbird answered him. "What do you think, Professor?"
Anthony led them up the stairs. "Let me think... no other clues? Are there other letters already known?"
"None," another person answered. "The sixth letter's word we're not sure. But we think it should be E."
"Thunderbird," the third-year Hufflepuff repeated quietly. "Thunderbird, thunderbird, thunderbird..."
"Good answer. Sounds quite perfect," Anthony smiled. Thought again. "But, or you could also try snow leopard? SNOWLEOPARD."
Students started counting letters on fingers again. Then a small cheer. "It's snow leopard!"
"I can't be sure," Anthony nodded to that third-year student. "I really like your answer. Maybe this is what the puzzle maker had in mind."
This student grabbed their clothes corner. Rubbed the print at the bottom of their T-shirt ("Do Not Disturb Sleeping Badger," at the very bottom was a badger sleeping soundly surrounded by various flowers and plants, a butterfly landed on its nose). Smiled and said, "I like both."
Anthony handed the newspaper to the waiting student. Asked the shopkeeper if there was a phone to borrow. Then was directed by this gentleman to the red phone booth beside.
Meanwhile, the crossword enthusiast discovered with delight the puzzle collections in the corner. Clinked and clanged finding pounds from Sickles and Knuts. Used them to exchange for carefully selected books and several pence. Pinched coins of different denominations examining front and back.
So under students' eager gaze, Anthony demonstrated once how to use a public phone booth. This group gathered outside the phone booth pointing inevitably made the next person wanting to make a call hesitate. Only left for Anthony calmly talking with the botanical garden director a gaze mixed with confusion and admiration.
"...Thank you very much," Anthony glanced at students outside the phone booth. Said, "We'll wait beside the phone booth."
He hung up. Walked out of the phone booth. Just could hear two students pressed against the glass discussing. "Can that 'Ministry' phone be used?"
"Definitely not," another student said. "We can't use electricity. You forgot?"
"What a pity. I wanted my dad to try."
While leading students to a slightly farther place, Anthony announced, "Our original plan was to walk directly to the botanical garden. I asked. Less than thirty minutes..."
"Then let's go, Professor!" Kenneth Toller shouted loudly. "Just a bit of rain. When we play Quidd—ball we often have this!"
Anthony shook his head. The inventor of Pepperup Potion should receive Order of Merlin First Class. If their era already had such things.
"But the plan temporarily changed. The botanical garden will send people to pick us up," he said.
"How?"
"By car," Anthony said. Saw students' eyes light up. "This is because the person in charge of our visit, Mr. Lind, is a very good person. He kindly asked his colleagues. They'll drive three to four cars over. Let us arrive at the botanical garden as dry as possible."
He emphasized, "I understand some might prefer walking through outside streets, passing these shops and residences, observing this city more carefully..." From students' expressions, almost no one really thought so. Experiencing two Muggle transportation methods at once obviously more interesting. "But now please enjoy this sudden itinerary arrangement. Because we'll scatter into different cars—even though just about ten minutes' drive—I must again request you remember your pre-trip promises."
"If you don't understand, you can quietly discuss with classmates or ask me. But don't immediately directly ask the person involved," Anthony softly repeated. Paid attention watching students. Ensured everyone was listening to him. "If you feel danger around and I'm not beside you, you can use magic. Try not to accidentally hurt others. But I have confidence in you. You shouldn't be people who'd deliberately hurt others. So you have my full trust and approval."
Students nodded seriously. As if the next second they'd discover trolls disguised as botanical garden staff coming to drive for them.
Anthony smiled. "But that's only the most extreme situation. Besides that, please do me a favor: try your best to let me not write more reports, okay? If I must say, I haven't assigned homework until now."
"Don't worry, Professor Anthony," the student closest to him also smiled. Said confidently, "We didn't cause any trouble on the train."
Anthony said, "Quite right. Thank you."
Even though Mr. Lind already promised on the phone they'd drive to pick up this group of Hogwarts students, Anthony still bought everyone a raincoat at the station shop.
He even hesitated whether to buy rain boots. Then realized this belonged to problems solvable by Transfiguration. His Transfiguration might not be good enough to conjure raincoats for everyone under scarce materials. But everyone wore shoes. This greatly reduced Transfiguration difficulty.
Mr. Lind, who hurried over with undried rain on his head and face, assured him he didn't even need to buy raincoats.
"Ah, Mr. Anthony, what weather!" Lind said. Briefly shook hands with him. "I just came from the car. Pants and shoes already soaked!"
"God, you didn't hold an umbrella?" Anthony asked.
Lind shook his head. Led him and students toward the street. "No. You know, Mr. Anthony, wind too strong. I wore a raincoat. But no use. God's grace flows in from neck, sleeves, and all button gaps."
"You are blessed today," Anthony said. Still put on the raincoat. "I'm not that thirsty for His grace."
Lind took the list from his hand. Looked at the group of students neatly wearing raincoats behind. "If you allow me honesty, I'd say I don't want it at all. Quite a few plants should be happy though... Of course, not those particularly delicate ones."
Anthony lowered his head arranging the raincoat. Ensured it covered himself as tightly as possible. "I thought most of those were in greenhouses."
"Well, quite a few indeed," Mr. Lind said. "But our greenhouses can't compare to Professor Sprout's. Those samples she brought over..." He shook his head admiringly. "Not seeing her greenhouse is truly regrettable."
Anthony smiled and looked up. Thought of Professor Sprout's greenhouse vibrant all year round. "That's indeed amazing. Even someone like me who knows nothing about Herbology can feel her professionalism."
He met Mr. Lind's gaze. The other nodded secretly. Confirmed his guess. Just like the garden said, Mr. Lind, their trip's director and guide, was a non-magical person who knew about magic.
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