The moment he met her, Albert's first thoughts weren't about strategy, cultivation, or any of the other concepts he had imagined endlessly. Instead, he found himself wondering: why was the "Harry Potter" series so wildly popular in his own world?
It had been written as a novel, adapted into a movie—and yet, here she was. The girl standing before him looked so much like the real-life Hermione Granger. Similar, yes. But not quite identical.
Albert didn't believe the "Harry Potter" universe was created because of the novels and films. On the contrary, he leaned toward another theory: that the world of "Harry Potter" had somehow influenced his own, inspiring the books and movies that became so beloved.
He couldn't prove this—at least not yet. But he believed that through studying magic and advancing his understanding of time and space, he would eventually uncover the truth. Plane-travel, time-travel—he was confident that in his journey across dimensions, the answers would come.
Snapping back to the present moment, Albert turned his attention to the girl standing before him—the girl who was already famous in his world.
She had the proud posture of a swan, stretching her neck slightly upward. From appearance alone, she was adorable—and clearly a beauty in the making.
"Is this cat yours?" she asked without any greeting or introduction. "Can I pet it?"
"Meow~" Feiju whimpered and retreated into Albert's backpack, leaving only her bright eyes peeking out from inside to observe.
"Definitely not. You scared Feiju," Albert raised his eyebrows, speechless. What had the girl done to startle Feiju like that?
"Feiju? Why did you name your cat that? Is it some kind of magical term?" Hermione asked curiously, her attention already diverted.
"No, it's Japanese. 'Feiju' means flying chrysanthemum," Albert replied.
"Oh. So you're Japanese?"
"No, I'm from Huxia."
"Then why name your cat in Japanese?"
"Because I like it."
Hermione's relentless questioning left Albert a bit overwhelmed. He hadn't expected Hermione to be this curious. Fortunately, she soon shifted the conversation to another topic.
"My name's Hermione Granger," she said, finally introducing herself. "I come from a Muggle family. No one in my family knows magic, so when I got my acceptance letter, I was shocked—but really excited.
I mean, this is the best wizarding school I've ever heard of. I've already memorized all the textbooks just to keep up—so, what's your name?"
She rattled off her introduction in one breath, fast and fluent, like she was reciting an answer in class. She clearly took the chance to show off her memory and diligence.
"What a kid," Albert thought to himself. Then, aloud, he replied, "I'm Albert. I grew up in a Muggle orphanage, so I don't know whether I have any magical ancestry."
Then he gestured toward the seat across from him. "Want to sit down?"
The invitation wasn't just out of politeness. Albert was curious—and he also wanted to experiment. Could the so-called "plot" be changed? Could he alter the original story? He decided to begin the experiment with Hermione.
His plan was simple: influence her enough so she'd choose Ravenclaw over Gryffindor.
Such a shift would cause massive ripple effects through the original story. Perhaps things would even become unrecognizable down the line. But Albert truly believed Hermione's brilliance and studiousness suited Ravenclaw far more than the reckless valor of Gryffindor.
And if he could get her into Ravenclaw first… well, being the first to strike had its advantages.
When Hermione learned Albert was from the Muggle world, she seemed to warm up to him instantly. The shared background made her feel an instant connection. She happily accepted his invitation and sat down opposite him.
Soon, the two of them were deep in conversation about the magical world that had so suddenly appeared in their lives.
Naturally, Albert—who had read the original "Harry Potter" series—knew far more about the magical world than Hermione. Combined with his extraordinary learning ability, he soon made it clear that he was a formidable intellectual opponent.
Hermione, for all her pride, found it hard to keep up.
"We've met our match," she thought, half-frustrated and half-impressed. Still, she acknowledged that Albert was the first peer she had ever met who could actually rival her in academics.
Just then, there was a knock at the compartment door.
Albert stood up and slid it open.
Outside stood two girls, both slightly older than Hermione. One had brown hair dotted with freckles and wore a bold expression. The other had long, black hair, delicate features, and a reserved demeanor—a clear sign of her shyness. She looked like an Eastern beauty in the making, still a young bud.
They were both carrying luggage, clearly having searched for an open seat.
"Hi there! I'm Marietta," the brown-haired girl said brightly. "This is my best friend, Elisa. She's from Huxia. We saw that you're also from the East, so we thought we'd say hi."
"Hello," Elisa said, offering a soft nod in greeting.
Albert introduced himself and Hermione to Marietta, then turned to Elisa and switched to Huxia dialect:
"Hello, Elisa. My name is Albert."
The effect was immediate. Elisa's eyes widened with surprise.
"Hello... I didn't expect you to be from Huxia, too," she said in awe, as if she'd just found a friend in a foreign land.
The two quickly struck up a conversation in their native tongue, happily exchanging greetings and stories.
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While the girls settled in and chatted, Hermione looked slightly puzzled, unable to understand the language they were speaking. Still, she smiled politely, realizing that Albert was forming fast connections.
Marietta, always the talkative one, turned her attention to Hermione and asked, "So, is this your first year too?"
"Yes," Hermione answered. "Everything's still a bit surreal. I mean, just a few weeks ago, I thought magic was made-up."
"I know what you mean," Marietta nodded. "My aunt's a witch, so I'd heard stories, but even so, Hogwarts feels… different."
As the conversation flowed, the compartment felt warmer, more filled with life. Four young students from different backgrounds—Muggle-born, half-blood, Eastern, Western—each connected by the strange thread of fate that brought them to Hogwarts.
Albert, watching them all, quietly evaluated each new interaction. The story he remembered from his world was beginning to unravel—slightly, subtly—but enough to spark hope.
For instance, in the original story, Hermione and Elisa had little interaction. Yet here, they were all sitting in the same compartment, chatting before the train even arrived. If this much had changed already, then perhaps even more could be rewritten.
Maybe friendships could form differently. Rivalries, too. Perhaps destinies were not so fixed.
For the next hour, the conversation drifted between magic and non-magic life. Hermione and Albert debated spell theory. Marietta tried out a few silly incantations she'd overheard from her aunt. Elisa, though quiet, listened attentively and occasionally asked questions that showed her depth of thinking.
In this small, swaying train compartment, a new story was already beginning—one very different from the one Albert had read years ago.
He glanced once more at Hermione, already laughing at something Marietta had said, and then at Elisa, who was looking out the window, a soft smile on her lips.
"Yes," he thought, "this is the real beginning."
And somewhere deep inside him, he knew that things were already changing. Not by accident. But because he had arrived.
Because he was now part of the story.