"You'll be fine."
Seeing that the girl in front of him was just startled, Alvin couldn't help but sigh in relief and immediately asked, "I don't know your name yet."
"Cho Chang, my name is Cho Chang. I'm a second-year student at Hogwarts. I haven't seen you there before. Are you a freshman this year?"
"Hello, my name is Alvin Gaunt, and yes, I'm a freshman this year."
Seeing the Asian girl in front of him, Alvin had already guessed it but was still shocked. The European aesthetic in the movie had chosen Cho through a British audition, and he hadn't expected her to be so different in person.
It's simply a case of expectations versus reality.
The Cho Chang in front of him was indeed someone who could captivate Mr. Savior, an absolute T0-level presence at Hogwarts.
"I'm really sorry, Cho. I just got my wand and didn't control my magic power."
Alvin apologized repeatedly. Although the wand wasn't officially his yet, he had already decided on the one that had produced the mimetic phoenix.
"It's okay, the phoenix was very beautiful. Don't call me Miss Chang, just Cho," the girl said crisply.
Ollivander: ...
The two young people didn't seem to care about formalities and started chatting casually in front of the old man.
"Ahem."
Alvin noticed Ollivander's gaze and coughed lightly.
"Mr. Ollivander, I think this wand suits me very well, and I don't think I need to try any others."
"Of course, Mr. Gaunt. The phoenix just now is the best proof. This wand will be your best partner."
Ollivander agreed, then waved his wand to tidy up the messy shelves. He then turned to Cho.
"Miss Chang, is there something wrong with your wand this time?"
"No, Mr. Ollivander, my wand is in good condition. I just want to buy a set of care kits and take care of it more often."
Cho Chang responded with a smile.
Then, Alvin and Cho, who bought a set of care tools, walked out the door.
Standing at the entrance, Alvin invited Cho, who was in a white dress, "To express my apologies, I'd like to invite you to Florin's Ice Cream Parlour."
Looking at Cho in front of him, Alvin decided to seize the opportunity early. As for Mr. Savior, he could go to his Weasleys.
"It's alright, Alvin, you don't have to do that. But the ice cream there is really good."
Cho did not refuse Alvin's invitation.
The two then went to Florin's Ice Cream Parlour and enjoyed a cold treat. During this time, Alvin made Cho laugh with jokes from his previous life, and the relationship between the two improved significantly.
When they parted, Cho also invited him to join her in a compartment on the Hogwarts train and introduced him to her good friend.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was August 31st.
Alvin packed his bags and looked at a small suitcase in front of him, nodding with satisfaction.
"The Undetectable Extension Charm is really handy. It's not suitable for me to go to school with a big bag or a small bag."
In the daily free draw over the past few days, Alvin had been lucky enough to draw the Undetectable Extension Charm (purple) and successfully modified a suitcase.
Although it was only entry-level, there was enough space inside to hold all his belongings.
Calling for a taxi, Alvin arrived at King's Cross.
When he walked slowly onto platform nine and three-quarters, he saw someone pretending to inadvertently bump into the barrier and go straight through. Alvin followed suit.
Entering the barrier, his vision suddenly opened up. Next to an old-fashioned steam train, parents and children chatted enthusiastically. The scene was very lively.
Alvin briskly walked into the train, found a random compartment to sit in, and waited for the train to start before preparing to look for Cho.
Soon, the train set off, and Alvin searched the carriages one by one. He was lucky and found Cho after just a couple of carriages.
"Cho, long time no see."
Standing at the door, Alvin greeted Cho, who was sitting inside. A freckled girl sat opposite her.
"Alvin, you're here!"
Cho was also very happy. Although the two hadn't seen each other for nearly a month, they often communicated through letters, so they didn't feel unfamiliar.
At the time, when Cho saw Fury delivering the letter, she was also very surprised, and her letters were filled with questions about the phoenix.
Alvin sat next to Cho and nodded to the girl opposite.
"Cho, won't you introduce me?"
"Yes, Alvin, this is Marietta Edgecombe, a good friend of mine."
"Marietta, this is Alvin Gaunt."
Cho introduced the two to each other.
"Gaunt, as in the Gaunt of the Sacred Twenty-Eight? My mother said that family had disappeared from the British wizarding world, leaving only a branch in the States."
"Yes, it's that Gaunt. I didn't know these things until Professor Snape came to the door. You must know, I was raised in an orphanage in the Muggle world."
Alvin looked as calm as ever, as if it wasn't him who had grown up in an orphanage.
Marietta immediately apologized. As for Cho, she truly felt sorry for Alvin. She didn't expect this very cheerful boy to have had such a tough upbringing.
In sympathy, Cho extended her small, white hand and held Alvin's, as if to convey her courage and encouragement to him.
Alvin's heart warmed, seeing the girl in front of him, although shy, still holding his hand tightly.
Although Alvin felt it was good to grow up in an orphanage, since he didn't have to call anyone parents, Cho's concern and worry still touched him deeply.
He held Cho's hand back, feeling it was very soft. The relationship between the two quickly warmed in this wonderful atmosphere (I really don't know how to write romance scenes, so let's just start somewhere.).
Not wanting to see Cho worrying about him, Alvin quickly changed the subject and chatted with Cho about her favorite subject: Quidditch.
As expected of a future Ravenclaw Seeker, when it came to Quidditch, Cho seemed to have opened a floodgate and couldn't stop talking.
But Alvin didn't mind. When he was watching movies in his previous life, he thought it would be cool to fly and dash through the sky, so why not try it in this life?
What's more, in the daily card draw a while ago, he had also drawn the blue flying experience. He felt he could play the game after getting familiar with it.
After a while, a smiling food trolley lady pushed open the compartment door and asked, "Do you have any food you need, my dears?"
Alvin was curious about the snacks in the magical world, so he ordered a portion of each snack directly, and the smiling trolley lady couldn't hide her delight. She quickly placed the food on the table.
Looking at the table full of snacks, Alvin invited Cho and Marietta, "I bought more than enough, let's eat together."
After a while, the three of them became more familiar with each other, and Marietta was no longer shy around Alvin. The three of them ate and chatted together.