The three of them were eating snacks and chatting in their train compartment.
Most of the conversation was led by Ron, as Kevin and Harry didn't know as much about the wizarding world as the pure-blood families did.
Kevin only knew a few plot directions, which didn't mean he fully understood everything.
Suddenly, a mouse jumped out of Ron's arms.
Ron happily introduced his pet: Scabbers.
Kevin, curious, reached out to the mouse. What he didn't know was that Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew, one of Voldemort's supporters in disguise—a small, ugly, wretched man.
Kevin examined the mouse carefully. On a whim, he flicked Scabbers' tiny paws.
"Eeek!"
The mouse squeaked in protest, twisting frantically to get free.
"Oh my God, Kevin! What are you doing?" Ron exclaimed.
"Haha! Sorry, I couldn't resist," Kevin laughed.
Ron hesitated but decided to let it go. "It's okay. Scabbers is fine, just play gently next time."
Scabbers huddled against Ron's robes, shivering, unsure whether he was scared or in pain.
The conversation resumed until a small, cute girl with long, curly brown hair peeked into the compartment.
"Has anyone seen a toad? A classmate's pet," she asked.
Harry and Ron shook their heads.
Kevin studied the girl carefully—Hermione Granger. She seemed prouder and more confident than Harry, though a little younger.
Hermione's gaze shifted to Kevin, silently asking him to respond.
"I haven't seen it either," Kevin said casually. "But magical pets tend to appear when you least expect them, so there's no need to rush, right, Ron, Harry?"
Hermione's curiosity immediately turned to Harry. "Are you the Harry Potter who defeated You-Know-Who?"
Harry lifted his bangs, showing the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Hermione's eyes widened in recognition.
"I'm Hermione Granger, from a Muggle family," she said proudly, holding her head high.
The others introduced themselves. Hermione noticed that Kevin didn't mention a last name but didn't press further.
"Harry, can you do magic?" Hermione asked.
"No…" Harry admitted.
"Oh, I can show you a little," Hermione said, pulling out her wand. She pointed it at Harry's glasses. With a pop, they gleamed like new.
"Wow!" Harry exclaimed.
Kevin observed Hermione carefully, impressed by her skill. "Amazing! Did you learn this from a beginner's spell book?"
"Yes! I can teach you if you want," Hermione said, clearly pleased by his praise.
Kevin smiled. "Okay, then teach me."
Hermione agreed readily. "We can practice once we reach Hogwarts. The train will be arriving soon."
The three of them changed into their school uniforms as the train approached Hogwarts. Kevin thought they looked impressive in their robes.
When they reached the platform, a giant man holding a large lantern called out, "First-years, over here!"
"It's Hagrid," Harry said excitedly.
The three ran to meet him. Hagrid towered over them—easily three meters tall. He greeted Harry warmly and winked.
"Hi Harry! How are yeh?"
Harry introduced Ron and Kevin. Hagrid nodded in acknowledgment, then apologized that he needed to greet other students before guiding them to the lake.
In small boats, they crossed the lake, the massive castle gradually looming before them. It was magical and imposing, signaling the start of their Hogwarts journey.
Kevin felt a sudden surge of clarity as they entered the castle.
[Ding! Detection: The host has successfully enrolled in Hogwarts. Novice mission completed!]
Intelligence +10
Kevin blinked in awe as his mind seemed to expand. Knowledge that had been unclear suddenly became vivid.
[Name: Kevin]
Attributes:
Constitution: 15
Mana: 7
Intelligence: 20
Inventory: None
Available Attribute Points: 0
Harry and Ron noticed Kevin's unusual behavior and asked if he was okay. He smiled and followed them into the castle.
Professor McGonagall awaited them at the entrance. Kevin stepped forward confidently.
"Professor McGonagall, nice to see you again!" he said.
The stern professor softened for a moment. "Welcome, Kevin."
She then addressed all the students. "Welcome to Hogwarts! Soon, you will enter the Great Hall and be sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Your house will be your home while at Hogwarts. Good behavior earns points, violations lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the House Cup."
A sudden croak interrupted her—Neville's toad had escaped under her feet. The young Gryffindor quickly retrieved it.
Points to Gryffindor for bravery.
Professor McGonagall gave brief instructions, then entered the hall, leaving the first-years to follow.
Kevin, Ron, and Harry exchanged glances. Their Hogwarts adventure had officially begun.