"You'll be fine."
Seeing that the girl before him was merely startled, Erwin couldn't help but sigh in relief before asking immediately, "I don't know your name yet. You are?"
She took a second and then replied.
"Cho Chang. My name is Cho Chang, and I'm a second-year student at Hogwarts. I haven't seen you at school before. Are you a first-year?"
"Hello, my name is Erwin Gaunt. I'm a first-year, yes."
Seeing the girl before him, Erwin had already suspected her identity, but he was still somewhat surprised.
The Cho standing before him was even someone who could fascinate the Boy Who Lived, an absolute top-tier beauty at Hogwarts.
"I'm truly sorry, Miss Chang. I just received my wand and didn't control my magic properly."
Erwin apologized repeatedly.
Although the wand didn't officially belong to him yet, he'd already decided after witnessing that phoenix manifestation, this was the one.
"It's alright. That was a beautiful phoenix. And please, you can call me Cho." The girl spoke with a crisp, pleasant voice.
Ollivander watched silently from the side, feeling oddly like a third wheel as the two young people began chatting as if he weren't even there.
"Ahem."
Erwin noticed Ollivander's pointed look and coughed lightly.
"Mr. Ollivander, I believe this wand suits me perfectly. I don't think I need to try any others."
"Of course, Mr. Gaunt. The phoenix just now was the best proof possible. This wand will be your finest companion."
Ollivander agreed readily, then waved his wand to restore the messy shelves to perfect order.
He turned his attention to Cho.
"Miss Chang, what brings you to my shop today?"
"Nothing's wrong with my wand, Mr. Ollivander. It's in excellent condition. I just wanted to purchase a care kit to maintain it properly."
Cho responded with a smile.
A few minutes later, Erwin and Cho, who'd purchased her maintenance supplies, walked out the door together.
Standing outside, Erwin looked at Cho in her white dress and extended an invitation.
"To express my apologies properly, may I treat you to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour?"
Looking at the girl before him, Erwin decided to stake his claim early.
As for the Savior? Well, he could perhaps pursue a Weasley instead.
"You really don't need to apologize, Erwin, but the ice cream there is quite good."
Cho didn't refuse his invitation.
The two made their way to Florean Fortescue's and enjoyed cold treats together.
During their time there, Erwin had Cho laughing continuously with jokes and stories, and the rapport between them deepened considerably.
When they parted ways, Cho invited him to share her compartment on the Hogwarts Express and promised to introduce him to her friends.
****
Time passed swiftly, and soon it was August 31st.
Erwin packed his belongings and looked at the small trunk before him with satisfaction.
"The Undetectable Extension Charm is incredibly useful. Going to school with multiple bags would be rather undignified."
During his daily free draws over the past few days, Erwin had been fortunate enough to obtain the [Undetectable Extension Charm] (Purple) and had successfully modified a suitcase. Though his mastery was only at the entry level, the space inside was sufficient to hold all his luggage comfortably.
Calling for a taxi, Erwin arrived at King's Cross Station.
Walking slowly toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, he observed someone casually lean against the pillar and pass straight through.
Following their example, Erwin did the same.
The moment he crossed through, his vision opened up dramatically.
An old-fashioned steam engine sat waiting beside the platform, surrounded by parents and children chatting enthusiastically in small groups.
The scene was wonderfully lively.
Erwin walked briskly into one of the carriages, found an empty compartment, and settled in to wait for the train's departure.
Once they were moving, he planned to search for Cho.
Soon, the train departed, and Erwin began checking compartments one by one.
Fortune favored him; he found Cho after searching only two carriages forward.
"Cho, it's good to see you again."
Standing at the compartment door, Erwin greeted Cho, who sat by the window.
A freckled girl occupied the seat opposite her.
"Erwin! You made it."
Cho looked genuinely pleased.
Though they hadn't seen each other for nearly a month, they'd maintained regular correspondence through letters, so there was no awkwardness between them.
When Cho had first seen Velora delivering a letter, she'd been tremendously surprised, and her responses had been filled with questions about phoenixes.
Erwin sat down beside Cho and nodded politely to the girl across from them.
"Cho, won't you introduce us?"
"Of course! Erwin, this is Marietta Edgecombe, a good friend of mine."
"Marietta, this is Erwin Gaunt."
Cho introduced them to each other.
"Gaunt? As in the Gaunt family from the Sacred Twenty-Eight? My mother said that the family disappeared from the British wizarding world, with only the American branch remaining."
"Yes, that Gaunt family. I didn't know anything about these matters until Professor Snape came to my door. You see, I was raised in a Muggle orphanage."
Erwin's expression remained unchanged, as though he were discussing someone else's childhood rather than his own.
Marietta immediately apologized, while Cho felt a wave of sympathy wash over her.
She hadn't expected this cheerful boy to have experienced such a difficult upbringing.
Unable to help herself, Cho reached out and took Erwin's hand in her own pale, delicate grip, as if by doing so, she could convey courage and encouragement to him.
Erwin's heart warmed at the gesture.
Despite her obvious shyness, the girl before him still held his hand tightly.
Though Erwin privately felt his orphanage upbringing hadn't been particularly difficult, after all, he'd had no desire to call strangers "mother" and "father", Cho's genuine concern still touched him deeply.
The atmosphere between them grew noticeably warmer as their relationship deepened in this quiet, meaningful moment.
Not wanting Cho to worry about him further, Erwin quickly changed the subject and began discussing her favorite topic: Quidditch.
As expected of Ravenclaw's future Seeker, once the conversation turned to Quidditch, Cho's enthusiasm became unstoppable.
She could have talked about it for hours.
But Erwin didn't mind in the slightest.
When he'd watched the films in his previous life, he'd thought flying and racing through the sky looked incredibly thrilling.
Why shouldn't he try it in this life?
Moreover, during his recent daily free card draws, he'd obtained the blue [Flight Experience] card.
He felt confident he could play the game competently after some practice.
After a while, a smiling refreshment trolley attendant slid open their compartment door.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?"
Erwin was curious about the magical world's snacks, so he ordered one of everything.
The attendant's smile grew impossibly wider as she quickly loaded the small table with an impressive array of treats.
Looking at the table now groaning under the weight of sweets and snacks, Erwin gestured to Cho and Marietta.
"I bought far too much. Please, help yourselves."
After spending more time together, the three had grown comfortable with one another.
"Thanks,"
"Thank you, Erwin,"
Marietta didn't stand on ceremony, and soon all three were eating and chatting animatedly once more.