Chapter 11
Before long, two more first-years entered the compartment, their wide-eyed expressions betraying a mix of fear and excitement.
They each carried only luggage—no owls, cats, or other magical pets.
Their names were Roger Davis and Ben Stebbins.
They were shy at first, but it didn't take long before everyone was chatting easily. Now and then, they'd glance at Speed in his cage, clearly awed by the falcon's striking appearance.
Speed behaved just as he had back in the Magical Menagerie—aloof. He turned around to glance at the newcomers once, then coolly faced the other way and closed his eyes, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
Ben Stebbins was a blond boy with freckles and an average build—not too tall, not overweight. Roger Davis was a bit taller and leaner.
Neither had reached the age where their voices began to change, so their speech was still high-pitched and sharp.
As Sainz watched them banter and laugh, a thought crossed his mind:
Hogwarts is really small.
This is just a single train compartment, but I've already met two familiar names. Angelina Johnson—if I remember right—ends up on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Roger Davis is a Quidditch player too, and he was Fleur Delacour's date at the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire. The only one I don't recall is Ben Stebbins. No idea which house he ends up in.
Time slipped by as they chatted. Before they knew it, it was well past one in the afternoon.
There was a clattering sound in the corridor, and then the door slid open. A kindly-looking witch, smiling brightly, leaned in.
"Anything off the trolley, dears?"
The three children immediately perked up.
"Oh, I was too excited to eat this morning! I only had a little pumpkin pie," said Angelina. "I'm starving!"
The boys nodded eagerly. They clearly shared the same fate.
The witch's smile widened. "We've got all sorts of goodies today. I'd recommend Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans and the licorice wands. Of course, there's Chocolate Frogs and Sugar Quills for snacking. If you're hungry, we've got pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes. And if you're looking for something a little different, we've even got strawberry vanilla chicken drumsticks…"
Their eyes widened at the choices. But with only a few Sickles to spare, they each bought a couple of cakes and pies. You could tell they'd been raised well—no one wasted their money on chocolate alone.
"Sainz, aren't you hungry?" Angelina asked. "Do you want something? A pumpkin pie, maybe?"
"I wasn't, but now that you mention it, I kind of am." Sainz smiled. "Tell you what—since we're friends now, this one's on me. I'll treat you all to some chocolate."
Turning to the trolley witch, he said, "We'll take a little of everything, please."
The Galleon he handed over practically glowed in the soft compartment light, dazzling the three first-years.
"Wow!!"
"Wow!!"
"Wow!!"
The snacks piled onto the table instantly made their humble pies look less appetizing. They dove into the selection with the giddy enthusiasm only eleven-year-olds could muster, chattering nonstop about their favorites.
With the help of sweets, the bond between them deepened in an instant. To them, Sainz—the tall, mysterious boy from the East—was not just cool, he was awesome.
Collecting Chocolate Frog cards was practically a rite of passage for young witches and wizards. It was a lot like how Muggle kids used to buy instant noodles just to collect the "108 generals."
"Look! I got Cornelius Agrippa! I've never had him before!" Ben Stebbins waved the card proudly.
Sainz took it and examined it. The portrait showed a middle-aged wizard in a flat-topped square hat. He faced sideways most of the time and moved only occasionally.
Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535), a famous German wizard. In his work On Occult Philosophy, he combined ancient Hebrew and Greek texts to argue that the best way to prove the existence of God was through magic. Muggles thought his ideas were dangerous and locked him up. The Church declared him a heretic and banned all his books.
Sainz handed the card back, and Ben took it with a look of obvious relief.
Sainz opened two of his own. One featured Circe, the legendary Greek enchantress. With her long, fiery red hair, she was famed for the spell that turned men into pigs. The other was Cleona, a Druid witch from the Middle Ages who'd discovered a new potion ingredient and could transform into a seabird—or even into a wave.
Turn into a wave? Interesting.
Angelina and Roger weren't quite as into the cards—they were too busy debating Quidditch teams. Loudly.
The train rolled on, the windows slowly dimming as daylight faded into evening.
Eventually, a student wearing a shiny "P" badge on his chest stopped at their compartment. He was chubby, not much taller than Sainz, and clearly not one of the taller upper-years. Still, he had a strong build and a confident voice.
"We're almost at Hogwarts. You need to change into your robes before we arrive. Don't worry about your other luggage or pets—they'll be taken to your dormitories."
Then he headed off to repeat the instructions for the next compartment.
Soon after, the little wizards all around the train began changing into their school uniforms. No matter their year, everyone now wore black robes and cloaks.
The train began to slow until, finally, it stopped with a hiss at a small, dimly lit platform.
"Everyone off! First-years, stay by the platform and follow Hagrid's lead! Older students, make your way to the carriages!"
Senior students wearing house badges were on the platform helping guide the crowd. A few impatient students tried to sneak around but were swiftly intercepted.
"If you don't listen, Blaise Valverde, I will deduct points from your house," one prefect warned coolly.
The boy grumbled but didn't argue. He and his friends climbed into one of the carriages—ones that seemed to move all by themselves.
Sainz knew better. The carriages weren't moving on their own—they were pulled by Thestrals, magical creatures that only those who had witnessed death could see. They were also the source of the core material in his grapevine wand.
"First-years, this way! Over here, first-years!"
A deep, booming voice rang out above the crowd, coming from a large lantern swaying in the darkness. That could only be Hagrid.
As they moved closer, a towering figure came into view. He stood nearly three and a half meters tall, cradling a tiny lantern in a hand the size of a dustbin lid. Its weak glow barely illuminated his broad, bearded face.
His sheer presence stunned the crowd into stillness.
To those who knew him, Hagrid was kind-hearted and emotional. But to the new students, his wild hair and giant frame were enough to make them hesitate in fear.
Among the smaller first-years, Sainz's 1.6-meter height made him stand out. Seeing Hagrid's attempt at friendliness was making things worse, so Sainz stepped forward with his three compartment-mates and led the way up to him.
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