The journey from London to Hogwarts was rather long.
Scott and Roger did not chat for long before leaning back against their seats and falling asleep.
By the time Scott woke up, the sky outside the train window had already grown quite dark.
“We will be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes.
Please leave your luggage on the train, and we will take it to the school for you.”
The conductor’s voice travelled through every carriage.
The speeding train was gradually slowing down, and its final destination, Hogsmeade Station, was about to arrive.
Hearing the conductor’s reminder, Scott took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
At this moment, Roger was also awakened by the conductor’s voice.
He sat in his seat and looked through the glass window at the lights of Hogsmeade in the distance.
“Let’s go, Roger.”
Scott called out to him, stood up, and pushed open the compartment door.
Roger stood up and casually tugged at his robe, then the two of them walked to the carriage door to wait.
With a long whistle, the train slowly stopped, and the students sitting in the other compartments also came out one after another.
The carriage door opened, and Scott and Roger were the first to get off.
They crossed the platform and walked towards a row of old carriages parked outside it.
At this moment, Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, was standing on the other side of the platform.
As in previous years, he called out loudly to the new students entering school that year, “First years!
First years, over here!”
His unusually large build made him stand out clearly among the crowd.
He held a magical lamp in his hand high above his head, and to the new students who knew nothing, he looked like a beacon showing them the way.
“Look at those little fellows.
Hagrid looks like a mother duck leading a group of ducklings.” Roger laughed as he pointed at the stumbling new students.
“I remember you were once one of those ducklings,” Scott said irritably.
Although he said that, he also began to laugh.
After all, Roger’s comparison was rather accurate.
The surrounding students were also amused by Roger’s words.
Scott naturally turned his head and greeted the girl walking behind them.
“Hello, Penelope.”
Penelope Clearwater was a sixth-year Ravenclaw student.
She had beautiful long, wavy brown hair and was a clever and attractive prefect.
“Good evening, Scott.” Penelope covered her mouth and laughed a few more times.
“Oh, and Roger, you made me laugh.”
“Of course.
Thank you for the compliment, Miss Clearwater.”
Roger put on an exaggerated and extremely proud expression, making Penelope laugh without stopping.
The three of them climbed into the same carriage and sat down.
Before the carriage started moving, another figure suddenly climbed in quickly.
“Good…
evening, Penelope.”
After boarding, the tall and thin red-haired boy sat directly beside Penelope and greeted her quietly.
Both Scott and Roger heard the nervousness in his voice.
“Good evening, Percy.”
Penelope behaved much more naturally than he did.
Percy Weasley was a Gryffindor student in the same year as Penelope.
[There is definitely something going on between those two!]
Roger waggled his eyebrows at Scott.
[You don’t need to tell me.]
Scott returned a calm look.
Percy Weasley seemed to notice the other two people inside the carriage only then.
He raised his head slightly and said with some reserve, “Hello, Davies, Trollope.”
“Hello, Weasley.”
Scott and Roger responded without much warmth.
At this moment, the carriage started moving.
Percy withdrew his gaze and leaned closer to Penelope to whisper with her.
Scott and Roger, who had almost been ignored, looked at each other, then began discussing the elective subjects they had each chosen for the new school year.
Beginning in his third year, Scott had chosen Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures, and he did not plan to make any changes in the new school year.
Roger, though, was hesitating over whether to give up one subject.
“I regret it.
I don’t think I should have chosen Divination,” Roger said in distress.
“Just as Professor Trelawney said, I completely lack the ‘Inner Eye.'”
Roger had originally chosen Divination because he was interested in it, but this subject was far too unusual.
Someone without the gift of prophecy would never achieve anything through hard study alone.
“Perhaps you should drop the subject,” Scott suggested.
“Go and speak with Professor Flitwick.
He should agree to your request.”
“All right, I will.” Roger accepted his suggestion.
“Oh, are you talking about Divination?” Percy suddenly interrupted.
“Professor McGonagall said that Professor Trelawney is a fraud.
Still, it is easy to receive high marks in this subject.
During the exam, you only need to ‘predict’ your own miserable future for Professor Trelawney.
Of course, the more miserable, the better.”
After saying this, he looked at the two boys with some pride.
Scott and Roger exchanged a glance, but neither spoke.
At this moment, Percy added, “You should know that I received twelve certificates in last school year’s O.W.L.s.”
“Oh, I know you’re excellent, Percy.”
Penelope looked at Scott and Roger with some embarrassment, then began talking about a few interesting experiences from her summer holiday to draw Percy’s attention away.
Scott and Roger did not speak again.
When the carriage stopped in front of the entrance to Hogwarts Castle, the two of them hurried to jump down first.
They quickened their pace towards the Great Hall, and Roger sighed quietly, “The beautiful Miss Clearwater does not have particularly good taste.
I understand that Weasley wanted to give us some useful advice, but he truly does not know how to speak, does he?”
Scott smiled without answering and turned his head to look behind them.
A slightly plump boy was walking quickly towards them from behind.
He squeezed directly between Scott and Roger and said excitedly, “Good evening.
Scott always seems to be able to notice people outside his field of vision.
Will you tell me how you do it?
Oh, right, were you talking about Penelope’s boyfriend, Percy Weasley?”
Roger was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, “Eddie, you are always so sensitive to gossip, and I can never help suspecting that you have far more than two ears and one mouth.”
“Oh, thank you for the compliment, Roger.”
Eddie proudly raised his head.
“I happen to have the latest explosive news!”
With a self-satisfied expression, he pulled a newspaper from his robe and shook it.
“Did you know that Potter and his friend Weasley missed today’s train back to school?
I suspect they are coming to school in a flying car.”
“A flying car?”
Roger reached out and snatched the newspaper from Eddie’s hand.
It was a freshly printed copy of the Evening Prophet.
Scott leaned over and took a look.
The front-page headline of the newspaper read, “Flying Ford Anglia Mystifies Muggles.”
As he walked, Roger read aloud, “Two Muggles in London were convinced that they saw an old car flying over the Post Office Tower…
At noon in Norfolk, Mrs Hetty Bayliss was hanging out her washing…
Mr Angus Fleet of Peebles reported to the police…”
At this moment, the surrounding students also crowded closer and strained their ears to listen as Roger read the newspaper.
Roger quickly finished reading the report and stuffed the newspaper back into Eddie’s hand.
“Eddie, the newspaper does not say that Potter and Weasley were driving the flying car.”
“But I think it was them,” Eddie said with complete confidence.
“Is this true, Weasley?
Is your younger brother coming to school in a flying car?” someone in the crowd asked Percy.
Before Percy could answer, Scott sharply raised his head.
Eddie followed Scott’s gaze and happened to see a Ford Anglia falling from the sky, flying past the outer wall of Hogwarts Castle.
“Look, the flying car is here!” Eddie immediately shouted in excitement.
(End of Chapter)
Power Stones?