“I’m glad you’re alright.” Once Alvin was certain she hadn’t been injured, the tension finally drained from his shoulders.
Then he smiled.
“I don’t think we’ve actually introduced ourselves.” The girl brushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
“Cho Chang.” Her voice was soft but confident.
“I’m a second-year at Hogwarts.” Curiosity flickered across her face as she studied him.
“I don’t remember seeing you before.
Are you starting this year?” “Alvin Gaunt.” He extended a hand.
“First year.” Although he’d already guessed who she was, hearing the name still caught him off guard.
The films had not done her justice.
Not even remotely.
The difference was so dramatic that Alvin suddenly felt cheated by the casting department of his previous life.
No wonder Harry had fallen for her.
Cho Chang was undeniably one of the most beautiful students Hogwarts had produced.
“Sorry again,” Alvin said sincerely.
“I’d only just received my wand.
My magic got a little out of control.” “A little?” Cho laughed.
“A giant phoenix nearly flew through my face.” Alvin winced.
“When you put it that way, it sounds much worse.” “It probably was.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
“But it was beautiful.” She glanced toward the wand still resting in his hand.
“And you don’t have to call me Miss Chang.” A small smile touched her lips.
“Cho is fine.” Across the shop, Ollivander silently watched the exchange.
For some reason, the elderly wandmaker felt even fuller than before.
Children these days truly had no consideration for their elders.
“Right.” Alvin cleared his throat after noticing Ollivander’s increasingly strange expression.
“Mr.
Ollivander, I think we’ve found the wand.” “I don’t believe further testing is necessary.” “Quite.” Ollivander nodded immediately.
“The phoenix manifestation was more than sufficient confirmation.” He carefully accepted the wand and placed it inside an elegant case.
“This wand will serve you exceptionally well, Mr.
Gaunt.” With a casual flick of his own wand, the chaos inside the shop vanished.
Boxes returned to their proper shelves.
Dust disappeared.
The damaged wall repaired itself.
Within seconds, the store looked as though nothing had happened.
Only then did Ollivander turn his attention to Cho.
“And what may I do for you today, Miss Chang?” “My wand’s fine,” she replied.
“I just need a maintenance kit.” “A wise investment.” A few minutes later, both students found themselves back outside beneath the summer sun.
Diagon Alley bustled with activity around them.
Cho stood nearby in a simple white dress that contrasted beautifully with her dark hair.
For a brief moment, Alvin considered his options.
Then he made a decision.
Harry Potter could find someone else.
“Cho.” He smiled.
“To properly apologize for nearly introducing you to an early cremation, how about I buy you some ice cream at Florean Fortescue’s?” Cho hesitated.
“You really don’t need to do that.” Then her eyes drifted toward the famous ice cream shop further down the street.
A thoughtful pause followed.
“But…
the ice cream there is very good.” Alvin accepted that as a complete victory.
“Excellent.” The two headed off together.
What was supposed to be a quick apology somehow stretched into more than an hour.
Between bites of ice cream, they talked about school, magic, favorite subjects, and life outside Hogwarts.
Alvin occasionally slipped in jokes from another world.
Most of them landed surprisingly well.
Cho laughed often.
A bright, genuine laugh that made people around her smile without realizing it.
The longer they talked, the easier the conversation became.
By the time they finally parted ways, they no longer felt like strangers.
Before leaving, Cho offered him an invitation.
“When school starts, come find me on the Hogwarts Express.” She smiled.
“I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.” Alvin accepted immediately.
Time passed quickly.
Before he knew it, September 1st had arrived.
Standing in his living room, Alvin looked down at the ordinary-looking suitcase beside him.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
“Extension Charms are wonderful.” “Dragging half your house across the country is overrated.” A few days earlier, one of his Daily Free Draws had rewarded him with an Extension Charm.
His mastery remained relatively basic, but it was more than enough for practical use.
From the outside, the suitcase appeared completely normal.
Inside, it contained everything he needed for school and still had room to spare.
Magic was amazing.
After hailing a taxi, Alvin headed for King’s Cross Station.
The Muggle portion of the journey was uneventful.
The magical portion was considerably more interesting.
As he approached the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten, he spotted several witches and wizards casually walking straight into a solid brick wall.
And emerging on the other side.
Alvin followed their example.
The moment he crossed through the barrier, the world changed.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters stretched out before him.
Steam billowed from the scarlet Hogwarts Express.
Families crowded the platform.
Parents offered last-minute advice.
Children dragged trunks, birdcages, and oversized suitcases.
Owls hooted.
Cats meowed.
The air buzzed with excitement and anticipation.
For a moment, Alvin simply stood there taking it all in.
A smile appeared on his face.
This was it.
The beginning of his Hogwarts journey.
He boarded the train and claimed an empty compartment.
Rather than immediately searching for Cho, he decided to wait until departure.
The train was still crowded with students and parents.
Finding someone now would be a nightmare.
Sure enough, once the Hogwarts Express finally pulled away from the station, locating her became much easier.
A short walk through several compartments later, he found her.
“Cho.” He knocked lightly against the doorframe.
“Long time no see.” Cho looked up.
The moment she recognized him, her face brightened.
“Alvin!” The smile that appeared was immediate and completely genuine.
Despite not meeting in person for nearly a month, they had exchanged letters regularly throughout August.
Most of those letters had been delivered by Fury.
When Cho learned Alvin owned a phoenix, she’d spent nearly three entire letters asking questions about her.
Alvin stepped inside and took a seat beside her.
Across from them sat another girl with curly hair and freckles.
“Are you going to introduce me?” Cho laughed.
“Right.” She gestured toward her companion.
“This is Marietta Edgecombe.
One of my best friends.” Then she pointed at Alvin.
“Marietta, this is Alvin Gaunt.” Marietta blinked.
“Gaunt?” Recognition immediately flashed across her face.
“As in the Gaunts?” “My mum said that family disappeared from British wizarding society years ago.” “I thought only distant relatives were left overseas.” Alvin shrugged.
“As far as I know, that’s mostly true.” “I didn’t even know who my family was until Professor Snape visited me.” He spoke casually.
“As a child, I grew up in a Muggle orphanage.” The compartment fell quiet.
Marietta immediately looked uncomfortable.
“Sorry.” “No need.” Alvin waved dismissively.
“I had a good childhood.” That part was true.
The orphanage director had treated him well, and he’d never lacked for opportunities.
Cho, however, looked visibly affected.
Her expression softened.
The cheerful, confident Alvin she knew didn’t match the lonely image that suddenly formed in her mind.
Before he could react, she reached out and gently took his hand.
The gesture was hesitant.
Almost shy.
Yet entirely sincere.
As though she wanted to comfort him somehow.
Alvin blinked.
Then smiled.
The concern in her eyes was impossible to miss.
Truthfully, he’d never been particularly bothered by growing up in an orphanage.
He certainly wasn’t eager to start calling strangers Mum and Dad.
Still…
Being cared about felt nice.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Cho’s cheeks immediately turned pink.
Neither of them let go.
Across the compartment, Marietta suddenly became fascinated by the scenery outside the window.
The rolling countryside had apparently never looked so interesting.
Fortunately, Alvin had no intention of letting Cho spend the rest of the journey feeling sorry for him.
He changed the subject before the atmosphere could become too awkward.
“Speaking of Hogwarts, how’s Quidditch?” The effect was immediate.
Cho’s eyes lit up.
Like someone had flipped a switch.
“It’s amazing!” For the next several minutes, she launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
Teams.
Players.
House rivalries.
Famous matches.
Future tryouts.
The topic was clearly one of her favorites.
Alvin listened with genuine interest.
Honestly, Quidditch sounded incredible.
Back in his previous life, watching people race through the sky on broomsticks had always looked exciting.
Now he would have the chance to experience it himself.
Besides, one of his recent card draws had granted him Basic Flying Experience.
After some practice, he was confident he wouldn’t embarrass himself.
Their conversation continued until the compartment door finally slid open.
A smiling witch pushed a trolley into view.
“Anything from the trolley, dears?” Alvin’s eyes immediately lit up.
His curiosity about wizarding sweets had been building for weeks.
Without hesitation, he pointed at nearly everything.
“One of each.” The Trolley Witch looked delighted.
Several minutes later, the compartment table had vanished beneath an impressive mountain of magical snacks.
Chocolate Frogs.
Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.
Cauldron Cakes.
Pumpkin Pasties.
Licorice Wands.
And plenty more besides.
Alvin surveyed the pile.
“I’m beginning to suspect I may have overestimated my appetite.” “Just a little,” Marietta said dryly.
Cho laughed.
“Only a little?” “Help yourselves.” Neither girl objected.
The three students spent the remainder of the journey sharing sweets, exchanging stories, and talking about Hogwarts while the countryside rolled past outside the windows.
And as the scarlet Hogwarts Express raced northward through the fading afternoon light, the ancient castle waiting beyond the horizon drew steadily closer.