The sun rose higher, bathing the train station in golden light.
From his window, Harry listened to Mrs. Weasley nagging Ron and George about behaving themselves.
It was honestly hilarious.
When George joked about bringing her a Hogwarts toilet seat as a souvenir,
Harry could only sigh:
"Absolute legends..."
As the temperature climbed, more and more students boarded the train.
Harry checked his watch—It was almost eleven.
The train would be leaving soon.
For the past few minutes, Harry had been scanning the crowd outside,
Trying to spot Hermione.
But there were too many people—
And without knowing exactly what she looked like,
It was impossible to tell if she was already on board.
"WHOOO—"
A long whistle echoed across the platform, pulling Harry from his thoughts.
A cloud of white steam billowed from the train's engine, drifting through the platform.
That long whistle signaled only one thing—
The train was about to depart.
The last few students still on the platform hurriedly hugged their parents goodbye.
Parents gave their final reminders—words they'd already repeated dozens of times.
After all, their children were leaving home for the first time,
Gone for four to five months.
For some, this was the longest they'd ever been apart.
Others stood next to the train, shouting last-minute advice to their kids who were already on board.
Inside the Train
Harry found an empty compartment and closed the sliding door behind him.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, so he pulled the curtains shut.
Then, he stretched out on the soft cushioned seat, sighing in relaxation.
"Good thing these aren't wooden benches,"
He thought to himself.
The compartment had a small wooden table in the center, with two long seats on either side.
The opposite seat was empty.
Outside, the train let out another whistle—
"WHOOO—"
Then, with a jolt, the train shuddered—
And Harry felt himself lean back slightly.
The rhythmic "clunk-clunk, clunk-clunk" of the wheels against the tracks began.
Through the gap in the curtains, Harry could see the scenery rushing past.
First, a few buildings zipped by—
Then, nothing but green.
The train tracks seemed to cut through a forest,
Tall trees rose and fell on either side,
The lush green stretching for miles.
In the distance, the faint outlines of rolling mountains dotted the horizon.
Looking up, Harry spotted Optimus Pr—cough—Hedwig soaring high above, keeping pace with the train.
A Lost Toad
Just then, a chubby boy entered a different compartment, looking defeated.
Hermione's large brown eyes blinked.
"Still no luck finding your toad?"
She asked.
Neville shook his head sadly.
"No..."
Hermione frowned.
"You didn't even check the other compartments, did you?"
Neville's cheeks flushed red.
He looked down, embarrassed.
Even though they had just met, Hermione already understood what kind of person Neville was:
Kind, shy, lacking confidence, terrible at socializing.
"I should have guessed."
Hermione sighed.
"Come on, I'll help you look."
For her, there was never a question—
Of course, she would help a friend in need.
A Heartless Encounter
"Knock, knock, knock."
"Hello, have you seen a toad—?"
"No? Okay, thanks!"
Next compartment.
"Hello, we're looking for a lost—"
"No? Thank you anyway."
Next compartment.
"Excuse me, have you—"
"Oh... Never mind."
As Hermione stepped out of another compartment, she saw three boys walking down the corridor.
The one in front had platinum-blond hair, while the two behind him looked like his bodyguards.
Hermione stepped forward.
"Excuse me, have you seen a toad?"
The blond boy barely glanced at her, his expression arrogant.
"Who are you?"
He sneered.
"My name is Hermione Granger. We're looking for—"
She began.
But the boy cut her off.
His face twisted in disgust.
"Oh, so you're a filthy Muggle-born."
"Get out of my way."
Hermione's eyes widened.
Tears immediately welled up, blurring her vision.
Her mind went blank.
She had no idea what to say.
The word "Muggle" was the worst insult a non-magical-born could hear.
It carried the same weight as being called a "filthy beggar" or an "unworthy rat."
Hermione felt cold all over.
She wanted to argue back—to stand up for herself.
But she didn't know what to say.
Besides—
Wouldn't crying just make her look pathetic?
Her breathing became shallow.
Her head spun.
Her legs trembled, as if they were about to step aside.
"Why?"
"Why should I move?"
"Why should I let this arrogant jerk win?"
Her heart screamed in frustration.
She wanted to shout.
She wanted to fight back.
She wanted to cry out in anger.
"This is so humiliating!"
But just then, a voice rang out—
A voice that felt like warm sunlight on her frozen heart.
"Oh wow, what do we have here?"
"I see our little Prince Draco acting all high and mighty—"
"—while picking on a girl."
The voice was light and teasing,
But to Hermione, it felt like a lifeline.
She didn't even care what "Prince Draco" meant.
All she knew was—
This voice made her feel safe.
A Warm Smile
A tall figure stepped forward, standing between her and Malfoy.
Hermione glanced up at him, and in that moment—
She was captivated.
His smile was warm and reassuring,
Like a ray of sunshine.
But why was he staring at her so intently?
He didn't even spare Malfoy a glance.
His bright green eyes were focused only on her.
"Hello, beautiful lady."
The boy greeted her, his voice gentle.
"May I have the honor of knowing your name?"
He asked, never breaking eye contact.
"I... I'm Hermione Granger..."
She stammered.
"Well then—"
The boy smiled even brighter.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Granger."
(Narrator: And that was the moment Hermione's heart skipped a beat.)