An unusual silence settled over the compartment.
Will paid no attention to the others, his focus entirely on the book in his hands.
“As for the nature of curses, there are many theories within the modern wizarding world. However, the prevailing belief in Egypt is the concept of the ‘legitimacy’ of curses—that every curse possesses a magical purpose or justification.”
“Many believe this authority was bestowed by ancient deities, which is why Egyptian curses can endure for thousands of years, whereas curses found elsewhere are generally far less enduring.”
“Personally, I remain skeptical of the so-called ‘divine bestowal’ theory. Most European scholars believe curses are simply another branch of magic, one that bears a much closer resemblance to ritual magic. Throughout my years as a Curse-Breaker, nearly every master of curses I encountered possessed an exceptional understanding of ritual magic, and many were accomplished ritual practitioners themselves.”
“Likewise, breaking powerful curses often requires performing elaborate magical rituals.”
Will nodded slightly.
Ritual magic was one of the oldest branches of magic, with a long history throughout the world.
Rain-making ceremonies and sacrificial rites in the East were classic examples.
He even recalled examples from A Brief History of Eastern Magic and Mysteries of Asian Magic, including the legend of Zhuge Liang borrowing the east wind, which was essentially a large-scale ritual.
“Grrr…”
Only when his stomach growled did Will finally close the book.
Knowledge was food for the mind.
But eventually, the body demanded to be fed as well.
He reached into his trunk and pulled out several metal lunchboxes.
When he opened them, steam immediately rose into the air.
Curry beef.
Stir-fried snow peas.
Coronation chicken.
And a box of freshly cooked white rice.
The portions weren’t particularly large, but the rich aroma quickly filled the compartment.
The other three stared in astonishment.
Sylvia and Hermione even gasped.
“You brought food?”
“It’s still hot!” Hermione exclaimed.
“Did you use magic?”
Sylvia and Neville were surprised that Will had brought a homemade lunch aboard the train, while Hermione’s attention was entirely on the steaming dishes.
They had been packed all morning in ordinary metal lunchboxes, yet they looked as though they had just come off the stove.
Will took a bite of the curry beef before answering.
“Yes. I heard we wouldn’t arrive at Hogwarts until evening, so I prepared lunch in advance.”
“I put a Warming Charm on the containers.”
“Oh, it’s mentioned in both Feast for a Table and The Magic of Cooking.”
Hearing him casually name books she had never even heard of, Hermione felt another pang of frustration.
Once again, Will had apparently studied far more magical books than she had.
Will looked at the three of them, gave his wand a casual flick, and transformed a handful of nearby toothpicks into spoons.
“Would any of you like some?”
[Someone has developed a favorable impression of you.]
[Charm Experience +1]
[Charm Experience +1]
[Charm Experience +1]
The corners of Will’s mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Even tiny gains were still gains.
“Transfiguration?” Hermione exclaimed.
“You’ve already learned Transfiguration?”
“I followed A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration several times, but I couldn’t get anything to work.”
“How did you do it?”
Her attention was, as always, focused on magic.
Will understood why.
She was afraid of falling behind.
As a Muggle-born, she worried that children from wizarding families had years of magical education before Hogwarts while she was only just entering that world.
In reality, those fears were unnecessary.
The wizarding world had no primary schools.
Children from mixed families often attended Muggle primary schools, while those from wizarding families were usually taught basic knowledge at home.
Wealthier pure-blood families might even hire private tutors, but practical spellcasting before Hogwarts was uncommon.
“It’s not that difficult,” Will replied calmly.
“Are you sure you don’t want to eat?”
Seeing that none of them reached for a spoon, he didn’t insist and simply picked up another piece of Coronation chicken.
Neville sighed miserably.
“Of course it’s difficult.”
“I haven’t mastered a single spell.”
“I haven’t even finished reading those books.”
“Merlin’s beard… what if I get expelled from Hogwarts?”
“I knew I wasn’t talented.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Longbottom,” Sylvia said coolly.
“I’ve never heard of anyone in your family being expelled.”
“In fact, I don’t think anyone has ever been expelled simply because they lacked talent.”
“People are expelled for breaking school rules.”
“For example… Newt Scamander.”
Although Sylvia’s tone remained cool, Neville visibly relaxed.
As a member of the Lestrange family, she had naturally learned about Newt during her upbringing.
“You mean…” Hermione asked in disbelief.
“The famous magizoologist was expelled from Hogwarts?”
In her mind, anyone expelled from school had to be a hopeless failure.
Yet Newt Scamander was one of Britain’s most celebrated magizoologists, a renowned explorer, and the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Hermione suddenly remembered.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was one of Hogwarts’ required textbooks for Care of Magical Creatures.
“So Hogwarts isn’t the absolute authority,” Will said after swallowing a mouthful of food.
“There are still witches and wizards who never attend a magical school. Instead, they study under a single master through an apprenticeship. Of course, that method has its own disadvantages.”
“How do you know so much?” Hermione finally asked the question that had been on her mind all along.
“Are you from a wizarding family too?”
In many ways, Will seemed far more like a child raised in the wizarding world than Neville.
Yet she knew for a fact that he had been her classmate in primary school.
“Of course not,” Will replied calmly.
“Everyone related to me by blood is a Muggle. I simply read more books.”
Hermione suddenly felt an enormous amount of pressure.
Once again…
This classmate had surpassed her.
Quietly, she made up her mind.
She would study even harder.
She refused to let Will stay ahead forever.
“My goodness, Behrens,” Neville said sincerely, “you’re definitely a born Ravenclaw.”
“I’ll probably end up in Hufflepuff.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Hufflepuff,” Will replied.
“Newt Scamander was a Hufflepuff.”
“So was Grogan Stump, who served as Minister for Magic from 1811 to 1819.”
“Professor Silvanus Kettleburn also came from Hufflepuff.”
“And Hengist of Woodcroft, the founder of Hogsmeade, was a Hufflepuff as well.”
“They were all outstanding witches and wizards.”
“Hufflepuffs are honest, dependable, and hardworking. They’re probably the easiest people to become friends with.”
In truth, Will had seriously considered Hufflepuff.
The badgers valued peace and wouldn’t constantly disturb him.
The common room was also close to the kitchens, making it much easier to study and eat whenever he pleased.
Perhaps even his [Charm] skill would level up more quickly there.
Hearing Will’s explanation, Neville looked genuinely moved.
“Maybe… Hufflepuff isn’t bad after all.”
“I still think Gryffindor is the best house,” Hermione said confidently.
“After all, Professor Dumbledore was a Gryffindor.”
She then turned toward the girl opposite her.
“What about you, Sylvia?”
“Most of my family were sorted into Slytherin,” Sylvia replied calmly.
She spoke as though there were never any doubt that she would be sorted there as well.
Hermione smiled.
“So this compartment might end up with one student from each of the four houses.”
Will continued eating his hot rice without commenting.
Even now, he wasn’t entirely sure where the Sorting Hat would place him.
Ravenclaw…
Or Hufflepuff…
One thing was certain.
He had no desire to spend seven years surrounded by the reckless lions of Gryffindor.
As for Slytherin…
He doubted he would get along with many of the arrogant pure-blood families who looked down on Muggle-born witches and wizards.