The three friends chatted, snac18ked, and played cards, unaware of how quickly time was passing.
"In five minutes, the train will arrive at Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on board; it will be delivered to the school by designated staff," announced a voice over the train's loudspeaker, signaling their imminent arrival at Hogwarts.
"Good grief, we're finally here! My back's gone numb from this journey," Charles grumbled, stretching as he stood up.
Anduin, meanwhile, tidied up their belongings, packing away the mahjong tiles and leftover snacks.
As the train gradually came to a halt, the trio disembarked into the deepening twilight.
At the station, Hagrid stood holding an oil lamp, shouting, "First-year students! First-year students, over here!"
Drawn by the voice, the crowd began to gather, and Anduin's group slowly moved closer.
"Hagrid, it's been a while! I haven't seen you in ages," Anduin greeted him warmly as he approached.
"Oh, Anduin, it's so good to see you! I heard about that terrible thing that happened. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have..." Hagrid lowered his head, recognizing Anduin. Having heard about the incident in Knockturn Alley from the Order of the Phoenix, he began rambling apologies, convinced that his negligence had nearly led to disaster for the underage wizard.
"It wasn't your fault, Hagrid," Anduin interrupted. "I was just being careless. But I'm perfectly fine now, aren't I?" He had no intention of dwelling on the matter. The scene at the train station had taught him that many Death Eaters' children attended Hogwarts, and he had no idea if any relatives of the Death Eaters he'd taken down that night might seek revenge.
Though he wasn't afraid of trouble, he had no desire to invite it.
"That's wonderful, Anduin! Thank goodness you're safe. Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall heard about what happened too. I got a right telling-off and haven't been allowed back to Diagon Alley since. You can't imagine how guilty I feel." Hagrid, oblivious to Anduin's attempts to change the subject, continued to ramble on.
"You can relax now, Hagrid. I'm about to start school. Aren't you going to congratulate me?" Anduin said weakly, trying to reassure Hagrid while deftly changing the subject again.
"That night?" Charles and Vivian overheard their conversation and couldn't help but grow curious. As more first-year students gathered around, they decided it wasn't the right time to ask directly. They suppressed their questions, planning to find a chance to ask Anduin later what exciting event could have shocked even this giant of a man.
"Hey, big guy over there! What are you standing around for? Hurry up and lead us already! This Young Master is exhausted from the journey. You're big and brainy—don't tell me you're an idiot? Leaving us stranded here like this."
One of the first-year students who had gathered ignored the ongoing conversation and shouted mockingly at Hagrid.
Anduin felt a flicker of annoyance at the rude outburst. He glanced back at the speaker.
The underage wizard was of average height with a well-proportioned build. His dark hair was neatly trimmed, and despite his youth, he wore an air of arrogance, his deep-set eyes radiating a brooding intensity.
"What are you staring at? You're the one wasting time talking to this oaf. And you dare glare at me?"
"Get out of here, Samuel Travers. This is none of your business. If you're looking for a fight, I'll gladly give you one." Charles burst out from behind Anduin, shoving Travers aside and stepping in front of Anduin.
"Well, well, if it isn't MacKinnon's timid little friend. What happened, MacKinnon? Why aren't you hiding behind the adults and crying like you were at the station?" Travers feigned surprise, mocking Charles.
Charles's temper flared. He was about to lunge at Travers when Anduin grabbed his arm.
"Don't let his words provoke you, Charles. He's doing this on purpose. Don't lower yourself to his level." Anduin shot Travers a cold, sidelong glance. From the start, he'd sensed something was off. This Samuel Travers had inexplicably provoked him with rude remarks, likely targeting Charles because they were together.
Just then, a towering figure suddenly stepped between them—Hagrid.
"No fighting outside the school grounds, or I'll send you all straight home. If that happens, you won't be coming to Hogwarts until next year," Hagrid said sternly, his words directed primarily at Samuel Travers.
Hmph, the MacKinnons are all hotheads. Just a little provocation and they'll jump right in. If he dares to throw the first punch in front of everyone, I'll make him regret it. Too bad that kid and this oaf are getting in the way, Samuel Travers thought resentfully, glaring at Charles and Anduin before stepping aside.
"That's Samuel Travers, from the Travers family. Hogwarts shouldn't have let him in. His whole family supports the Dark Lord, and they've definitely got Death Eaters among them. We ran into them at the station this morning, and they even dared to joke about my injured uncle. Disgusting," Charles whispered to Anduin, his eyes burning with hatred as he watched Samuel Travers retreat.
Anduin cursed inwardly. The guy looked like trouble, and he'd already run into it on his first day of school. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. If he doesn't come looking for trouble, fine. But if he dares to provoke me, he'll regret it.
At the same time, Anduin realized that even within the school walls, undercurrents of the war were swirling. His earlier naivety about staying out of it now seemed foolish.
"Don't pay him any mind," Anduin advised Charles. "If you'd charged at him just now, you would have given him ammunition in front of everyone. Even if you weren't expelled, the school would likely punish you. He's deliberately trying to provoke you. Be careful in the future."
"I was too impulsive," Charles admitted, secretly relieved. "Thank you, Anduin."
With Anduin and Vivian's reassurances, Charles gradually calmed down. The trio followed Hagrid down a narrow path until they reached the edge of a lake. Across the water stood Hogwarts, its majestic castle rising from the shore.
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T/N— You can read upto Chapter 50 and get two chapters a day at— Patreon.com/EtherealTL
Details about bonus chapters mentioned in Auxiliary, Chapter 0.