With the help of the cat team, the toad let out a “Ribbit!” cry.
“Found it!” Harry cried out in pleasant surprise, kneeling down to look beneath the seat.
“It really is down there!”
Ron also hurriedly dropped to the floor, awkwardly rushing to grab the struggling toad.
“Trevor! Don’t run!”
After a flurry of chaos, Ron finally stood up, his clothes covered in dust.
“Thank you!” He cradled the toad carefully.
“Neville will be so happy.”
Hermione smiled and took credit on Nox’s behalf.
“It was Nox’s credit!”
Ron looked at Nox, his eyes carrying a hint of envy.
“It’s amazing… way better than my Scabbers.”
As he spoke, he pulled a sickly-looking rat out of his pocket.
“Look, all it knows how to do all day is sleep.”
Nox suddenly pricked up its ears, its amber eyes locked onto the rat, its tail raised dangerously and its body slightly arched, entirely taking on the posture of having targeted its prey.
Vera keenly noticed this change and called out softly, “Nox, come here.”
Only then did Nox reluctantly return to her side, but its eyes remained fixed on the rat in Ron’s hand.
Ron seemed not to notice this detail, and was still rambling endlessly about the “glorious history” of his Scabbers.
“… It’s been in our family for eleven years, originally my brother Percy’s pet, and now it’s given to me…”
Hermione widened her eyes in astonishment.
“Eleven years? Ordinary rats don’t live that long!”
Ron shrugged.
“Mum says it might have eaten some magical food.”
Vera glanced at the rat, gently stroking Nox’s fur to gradually calm it down.
Soon, a round-faced boy poked his head in timidly.
“Ron? Did you find Trevor?”
“Right here, Neville!” Ron held up the toad in his hand. This story is hosted at g.com.
“Thanks to this smart cat.”
A look of relief instantly blossomed on Neville’s face.
“Thank you so much! I’ve already checked six compartments…”
His gaze swept across everyone inside the compartment, visibly pausing when he saw Harry, and then noticing Vera’s wheelchair, his expression becoming even more nervous.
“Uh… hello, I’m Neville Longbottom,” he introduced himself quietly.
Hermione greeted him warmly, conveniently making introductions for both Vera and Harry as well.
Only, unexpectedly, when he first heard Harry Potter, Neville had been somewhat excited just like Ron, but upon hearing Vera’s last name, his complexion suddenly turned pale.
“Bl-Black?” He instinctively took a step back, his lips trembling slightly.
“My grandmother said… the one locked up in Azkaban…”
His words suddenly caught in his throat, and his face turned even paler.
The atmosphere inside the compartment instantly grew somewhat heavy.
Vera’s eyelashes fluttered slightly; she remembered that Neville’s parents had been tortured to madness by Bellatrix using the Crucio.
Coupled with Sirius still locked up in prison, and her cheap biological father Regulus…
If Lord Voldemort were still around, she would simply be a standard Death Eater reserve recruit.
Neville having this kind of reaction was the most normal thing in the world.
“The affairs of the rest of the Black Family have nothing to do with me.”
Her voice was very soft, and Nox let out a low purr on her lap, seeming to support her master’s statement.
Ron scratched his head and glanced awkwardly at Neville.
Neville stood there at a loss, his face turning bright red: “I-I didn’t mean that.”
“No need to apologize, this isn’t your fault.”
Vera shook her head gently, sunlight dancing through the glass on her long silver-gray hair: “It’s getting late, you should go back to your own compartment for lunch.”
This obvious dismissal made Ron and Neville feel as if they had received a pardon, and the two hurriedly said goodbye and left the compartment.
After the compartment door closed, Hermione cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly: “I think they didn’t mean it…”
Harry immediately sat next to Vera, her green eyes filled with worry: “Vera, are you okay?”
Vera withdrew her gaze and said softly: “I’m fine.”
After all, it was the sin committed by Bellatrix, and as her relative…
Feeling the low pressure in the compartment, Hermione held the book in her hands and quickly changed the subject: “By the way, which House do you think we’ll be sorted into? I checked the information, Hogwarts has four Houses, namely Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.”
Harry was immediately attracted by this topic: “I have no idea what the differences are between these houses… Hagrid said Gryffindor is the best, but he didn’t explain clearly how the sorting ceremony is actually conducted.”
“The books don’t seem to have a detailed description either.”
Hermione frowned nervously: “To be honest, in order to prepare for the sorting, I learned several simple magic spells in advance, I just don’t know if they’ll be enough.”
“Ron… um, when I came in with them at the platform,” Harry suddenly remembered something, her expression looking a bit unpleasant as she said, “I heard his brothers say that during the sorting, we might have to fight a Troll.”
Hermione gasped, her face turning pale instantly: “What? We’re only first-years!”
Vera watched them quietly from the side without speaking.
To give new students a good experience, most Wizards deliberately keep the sorting ceremony a secret.
Vera didn’t plan to reveal it here either.
“Fine,” Hermione swallowed nervously, “regardless of the method—which House do you plan to get into?”
Harry shook her head: “I only know that my parents were both in Gryffindor.”
“The family tradition of the Black,” Vera said indifferently, her gaze shifting to the flying scenery outside the window, “except for a few individuals, generations have been in Slytherin.”
As for the so-called “few individuals”, it was naturally Sirius.
Harry’s expression visibly dimmed for a moment.
Keenly sensing Harry’s emotional change, Vera sighed and said softly: “Actually… not necessarily, sometimes personal will is more important.”
This sentence seemed to give Harry some comfort; she suddenly raised her head, her green eyes lighting up again.
Vera was stunned for a moment, turning her head away to look out the window with some discomfort.
As they spoke, the aroma of food drifted into the compartment, and the Witch pushing the snack trolley knocked on their door: “Dear, would you like to buy some snacks?”
Harry’s eyes immediately lit up, and she looked at Vera: “Want to buy something? My treat!”
Vera shook her head: “I’m not hungry.”
But Harry had already excitedly pulled a few silver Sickles from her pocket: “I want this! And that! Oh, that Chocolate Frog looks good too!”
She returned to her seat holding a pile of snacks, placed them on the empty seat, and shared them generously.
Vera looked at the various snacks piled up like a small mountain in front of her and raised an eyebrow: “You bought this much?”
Harry scratched her hair sheepishly: “Actually, this is the first time I can decide for myself what snacks to buy; my aunt and uncle never allowed me to eat these.”
Frowning uncontrollably, Vera tried hard to calm herself down: “Now, you can eat whatever you like as you please.”