"Whooo—"
After the train had waited at the station for a while, a melodious whistle rang out.
The Hogwarts Express began to move.
The steam from the chimney billowed backward.
The train pulled away from the platform, heading toward the endless fields and plains.
Dylan gazed out the window, taking in the scenery. It was the lively season of spring, and everything appeared full of vitality.
"Hey, little freshman, we're going out to find some friends to hang out with."
"Yeah, you can stay here and read quietly."
"You're so noisy, talking non-stop."
"You're the one who's talking so much, I'm just following your lead."
Dylan ignored the two lively redheads.
The twin brothers quickly darted out of the compartment, seemingly off to find someone to play with.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Dylan pulled out his little wizard robe and put it on.
As the journey continued, he occasionally glanced at the scenery outside the window, then resumed reading the book in his hands.
It wasn't until the Hogwarts Express gradually slowed down that the twins returned to the compartment and began collecting their things.
"Little freshman, is this all the luggage you brought?"
Since it was the end of the holiday and they were heading back to school, the twins hadn't packed much.
But Dylan, as a young wizard, had only this little bit of luggage?
"I've already sent the heavier stuff to the school via an owl post."
After all, he was still just a kid. Carrying too much stuff would only create trouble for himself.
Anything that could be mailed, he wasn't about to handle personally.
In fact, if he weren't worried about revealing his system, he would have packed all his belongings into the system's inventory.
"I see," the twins nodded in understanding.
The three of them left the compartment and stepped off the train.
Immediately, a cold wind hit them.
The chill seeped into Dylan's sleeves.
He shivered involuntarily.
"Why is it so cold here?"
Holding his wand, he gave it a small flick.
"Thermo Enchantia!"
Dylan cast a warm charm on himself.
During his time at home, he'd learned a fair number of spells.
Although they weren't at max level yet, they were still useful.
With the protective warmth of the spell, the surrounding chill seemed to vanish. He felt comfortable and warm.
Seeing this, George and Fred immediately hurried over to Dylan's side.
"Hey! Little freshman, hurry, I want one too!"
"Give me one as well!"
With the two redheads crowding around him, making it a little hard to breathe, Dylan reluctantly flicked his wand again.
"Thermo Enchantia!"
"Thermo Enchantia!"
The twin brothers immediately relaxed as the warmth spells enveloped them.
"Thanks for being so enthusiastic… I'm going to head over to the new student gathering spot now."
"Alright, alright."
"Go ahead, don't forget to come play with us at Hogwarts~"
The red-haired twins dashed off, joining the crowd and showing off their warmth spells.
Dylan shook his head helplessly as he watched them leave and walked toward Hagrid.
"Oh, are all the new students here? Then let's head out."
Hagrid's towering figure was hard to miss.
When Dylan first saw him, he was a little surprised.
As expected of a half-giant, how tall must he be? Almost three meters?
It seemed like Hagrid could easily squash him with a single sit.
He looked around but couldn't spot Harry and the others in the crowd due to the darkness and the number of people.
Hagrid raised the lantern in his hand, turned around, and began leading the group of new students.
The lantern didn't provide enough light for the whole group.
Dylan didn't understand why, in this pitch-black environment, they didn't use more magical lights.
The chubby little wizard in front had already started staggering, almost about to sit down on the ground.
"Lumos!"
He waved his wand, and a soft, non-blinding light blossomed from the tip of his wand.
The surrounding darkness was immediately pushed back.
Since he was at the end of the line, his spell made it much easier for the students behind him to see.
Many people gasped in surprise, then gave him grateful looks.
Under Hagrid's guidance, they passed through a dark forest and reached the shores of an eerily dark lake.
Many of the young wizards looked up.
They stared at the castle across the Black Lake, their eyes wide with awe.
Dylan looked over as well.
From this angle, Hogwarts Castle appeared majestic and imposing, with its towering turrets seeming to pierce the sky.
The stone walls were ancient and thick, and lights glowed from the castle's windows, reflecting the stars in the night sky.
Dylan couldn't help but admit, even though he had been prepared, this moment still left him feeling a little awestruck.
"This is Hogwarts, it really is magnificent..."
A shy voice came from beside him.
Dylan turned and saw a round little face.
"Hello, I… I'm Neville."
He seemed a little embarrassed, his head lowered slightly.
"Um, your Lumos charm really helped me. Otherwise, I might've tripped several times. Thank you so much."
Neville… the one who plays with toads?
Dylan shook his head, offering a friendly smile.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to light my way ahead."
This timid guy seemed like he could one day be the one to pull the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat.
"Though now that I'm here, I wonder if that sword could be of use to me."
Lately, he had been researching how to use spells to control weapons, hoping to achieve something like the "Sword Immortal of Mount Shu."
If he could study the Sword of Gryffindor, that would be perfect.
"What's your name?"
"Dylan."
"Nice to meet you, Dylan."
"…Nice to meet you."
He could tell that the little chubby guy seemed eager to make a friend, or perhaps to team up with him.
But his shy personality made even speaking difficult for him. His round little face even turned red without him realizing.
Dylan was afraid this little guy might suffocate himself from embarrassment.
He quickly spoke up: "Neville, would you like to join me on the same boat? You're the first little wizard I've met."
Neville's eyes lit up at the suggestion.
"Of course! I was just about to say that!"
Dylan smiled.
They continued walking forward with the group.
The Black Lake was ominously dark.
It felt like if you fell in, you'd plunge into the abyss.
The closer they got to the lake, the more nervous Neville became.
Dylan, too, wasn't too comfortable with the deep water, but with his six max-level dark magic spells, he wasn't too afraid of any creatures lurking in the water.
Anyone who dared jump out to scare him would find themselves on the receiving end of a colorless Avada Kedavra, costing him 100 galleons.
"We're up next. Time to board the boat."