Hermione and Neville probably walked through the entire train, but they didn't find the escaped toad. Fortunately, Neville had already moved past his sadness over his pet's escape—or perhaps not, as he was still gloomy, but at least he wasn't crying anymore.
Hermione was surprised to see a pile of snacks on the table when she entered the compartment. "What are these?" she asked.
"A lady selling snacks just passed by," Wade indicated. "Look, I bought a lot—strawberry cream jellies, chocolate balls, pumpkin tarts, cauldron cakes, and sherbet. Let's eat together. Oh, Neville, would you like to try this Mint Toad?"
Neville took it, muttering "Trevor" as he took a bite, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "It's delicious."
Hermione didn't decline either, sitting down freely and taking a piece of cake. "Thanks, I'm hungry too. By the way, you won't believe it, Harry Potter is in a compartment less than ten meters from us—do you know Harry Potter?"
"Of course, his name is mentioned in Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century," Wade said, unwrapping a chocolate frog. "But I think it's better not to disturb him—he also lost his parents on the night he became a hero. If it were me, I'd rather not have that kind of honour."
Hermione paused. "You—you're right—I hadn't thought of that..."
Neville lowered his head, his hand clutching the Mint Toad tightening slightly.
The Potters' sacrifice and honour were world-renowned, but not many knew that during that time, the Death Eaters, searching for the vanished Voldemort, had captured and driven Neville's parents mad.
The boy kept these dark matters hidden in his heart, and the three of them ate their fill.
Wade had expected to have many leftover snacks, but the train "clackety-clacked" on for a long time, and even when it grew dark, they still hadn't reached their destination. All the snacks on the table had been eaten, the trolly witch was nowhere to be seen, and they had no dinner in sight.
"Is Hogwarts not in Britain?" Hermione stood up indignantly. "I'm going to the front of the train to ask the driver when we'll arrive."
"Let's go together."
This time, Wade stood up. He was also a bit curious about the train driver who might only work four times a year, wondering who held that job.
Neville followed along; he still wanted to look for his pet again.
The train driver was an unremarkable brown-haired man, smoking a pipe, with a stubbled face, but a very good temper. Facing the "interrogation" of the three young wizards, he chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, we'll be there soon. You'll eat dinner in Hogwarts Castle."
Hermione returned satisfied.
Passing by numerous compartments, Wade casually observed them. They were all unfamiliar faces; he only recognized the Weasley twins—their compartment was incredibly lively, with cheers and laughter heard from afar, playing who knew what interesting tricks.
Before they even reached their compartment, they suddenly heard a scream. Three children stumbled past in the corridor; one blond boy even pushed Neville, shouting, "Get out of the way! Don't block the path!"
"Hey!" Hermione couldn't stop them and angrily stomped her foot. "How rude!"
Wade reached out and steadied Neville, who had almost fallen.
"Thank you," Neville said gratefully.
Wade shook his head and said to Hermione, "You go change into your robes first; we'll wait outside."
Hermione nodded, swallowed her anger, and stomped into the compartment. After locking the door and drawing the curtains, she quickly changed. Then it was Neville's turn. Just as the three of them had packed away everything on their seats into their trunks, they heard the driver's voice echoing through the train—
"Five minutes until Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; we will deliver it to the school for you."
The train slowed down and stopped at the station. Hundreds of students poured out like bees from a hive, the dark, small platform swarming with people. Hermione and Neville both followed closely behind Wade, their faces subtly pale.
"First-years! First-years follow me! Mind your step!" Not far off, a large man with a lamp called out in a booming voice.
Wade and the others pushed through the crowd. They noticed that the older students were heading in a different direction, but in the face of Hagrid the gamekeeper's enormous size, no one dared to question him.
The group followed a dark, narrow path through the woods and finally saw a majestic castle in the distance. Countless windows glowed with light, their radiance reflected by the inky black, mirror-like lake, making the castle appear exceptionally grand and magnificent.
"Wow—" The first-years exclaimed in unison.
Under Hagrid's direction, everyone boarded small boats and crossed the Black Lake, finally arriving beneath the castle. Hagrid even found Neville's toad in one of the boats. Neville joyfully took his beloved toad, while Hagrid knocked three times on the castle door.
The grand doors swung open, revealing a stern-faced Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said.
The Sorting Ceremony began.
Hogwarts had four Houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Students were sorted into them by a talking hat based on their talents and qualities, as Wade knew from his past life.
Having transmigrated to this world eleven years ago, he had actually forgotten many plot points from the novels or movies. But after discovering he was in the world of Harry Potter, he diligently recalled many memorable scenes and recorded them in his own unique way.
Before the sorting, Wade had, of course, carefully considered which House he wanted to be in—the Sorting Hat valued talent, but it also considered the student's own wishes.
First, he definitely ruled out Slytherin—neither of his parents were wizards, and in Slytherin, which valued blood and family, he would likely be ostracised by other students. While Wade wasn't afraid of those teenagers, he also wasn't interested in challenging a difficult environment.
Gryffindor?
Wade deliberated, but still decided against it.
With Harry Potter there, Gryffindor would be a gathering point for storms; all eyes would be on them. Moreover, in the plot, most Gryffindors were a bit brainless, repeatedly incited by rumours, isolating and ostracising Harry Potter even when he hadn't done anything wrong, leaving a very bad impression on Wade.
Similarly, Ravenclaw also seemed to have had instances of bullying, mocking and teasing classmates (Luna Lovegood).
Hufflepuff wouldn't be like that. Although most Hufflepuff students had average grades, they were sincere, kind, and trustworthy. And what if they were considered silly? Wade believed his mind wouldn't change because of his House.
With his decision made, Wade appeared much more composed than the other young wizards who thought they were about to wrestle trolls. After the Sorting Hat sang a song, Professor McGonagall took a long list and sorted each new student into their respective Houses. Some were sorted quickly, while others took a moment of hesitation. Suddenly, Wade heard a familiar name—
"Hermione Granger!" Professor McGonagall called out loudly.
Hermione ran up and hastily put on the hat.
A moment later, the Sorting Hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the Gryffindor table.
Then—
"Wade Gray!"