“Can we sit here?”
The door was pulled open again, revealing a mass of thick, unkempt brown hair and buck teeth. It was Hermione, followed by a round-faced, chubby boy who looked rather timid and uneasy.
Cassandra didn't even raise her head this time, appearing completely indifferent.
Ethan could only nod and invite them in. Although the young witch opposite him had entered the carriage first, according to the rules, anyone had the right to enter. The carriage didn’t belong to anyone.
Hermione felt somewhat awkward, as their previous encounter hadn't been pleasant. After all, she had already spoken the words.
She could only enter, put away her luggage. Neville sat down beside Ethan, while Hermione sat next to the young witch.
Hermione and Neville's acquaintance was a coincidence. She had been unsure what to do when she was told by the station staff that there was no Platform 9 3/4. Fortunately, Neville’s grandmother brought her in.
After entering the station, Neville was pulled aside by his grandmother to talk about something, while Hermione remained at the entrance, condemning Hogwarts for its irresponsibility towards Muggle students. After all, how could they expect anyone to find their way in without guidance, given this entry method?
Just as she was about to leave, she was bumped into by Ethan, who had rushed in from behind.
Hermione, feeling gloomy, dragged her luggage forward and encountered Neville who was also bidding farewell to his grandmother. They found this carriage together. They should have gone a little further back.
The atmosphere was quite awkward. Ethan, the young witch, and Hermione were all looking at their magical books, while Neville shrunk into his seat, minimizing his presence, not exchanging a single word the entire time.
Neville was already regretting following Hermione into this carriage. Even if there were no seats, it would be better to sit on his luggage in the hallway than to be in this carriage.
“Your toad has escaped!”
The quiet in the carriage was shattered by Ethan's words.
“What?”
Neville turned around to look at Ethan with a bewildered expression.
Even the two young witches opposite him raised their heads, turning their gazes towards Ethan.
What was he talking about a toad?
“Your toad escaped.”
Ah, well! He had spoken in dialect in a moment of excitement.
Ethan took a deep breath, pointed at the space under the table, and repeated himself in words they could understand.
Just now, as Ethan was reading, he felt something on his shoe. He looked down and saw a toad. Immediately, he felt uneasy. Apparently, his animal affinity had attracted something not so good.
Furthermore, the creature seemed inclined to jump onto Ethan's leg. If he hadn't known it was Neville's pet, Ethan would have kicked it away long ago.
“Ah, Trevor!”
Neville exclaimed, quickly bending down to check the situation.
Seeing Trevor perched on Ethan's foot, Neville immediately leaned forward and grabbed it.
The toad in Neville’s hand continued to struggle, desperately trying to get into the palm of Neville’s hand.
There was no other way. Neville could only stuff it into his pocket and hold it tightly.
Ethan could clearly see the curiosity in Hermione’s eyes, and the disdain of the other young witch.
“Why do you have a toad? Is that a trend in the wizarding world?”
Hermione finally asked. She was eager to learn more about the wizarding world, as she had only encountered it through books so far.
“No, the wizarding world wouldn’t be into that!”
“He’s just an exception.”
The young witch next to Hermione put down her book to defend the wizarding world. The only acceptable scenario is that wizards look down upon Muggles, and this foolish person couldn’t be allowed to taint the reputation of pure-blood wizards.
She had already recognized the chubby boy. In the pure-blood families, Neville's reputation was not small, though not exactly positive.
“Sorry, Trevor is a gift from my uncle. He gave it to me when I was eight…”
Neville recounted his legendary journey of awakening his magic, which involved numerous near-death experiences, but ultimately ended in success, rewarded with the toad, Trevor.
Hermione was astonished to hear this, not expecting the wizarding world to be so wild.
“Are you sure your uncle gave you the toad because he was happy, not because of some other emotion?”
Ethan was curious about this.
Although the creature is called a toad in Britain, it’s not exactly a good choice as a pet.
Hogwarts allows students to bring owls, toads, and rats to school, but toads are primarily used for medicinal purposes. Rats are for spellcasting and potion experiments. Very few are kept as pets. The reason why these are allowed is because they pose no significant danger.
The reason why the Weasleys keep rats as pets is because they’re poor and can't afford other pets. If they could afford an owl, do you think they'd want a rat?
The Longbottoms are not poor. It's clear from the Memory Charm balls Neville’s grandmother sent him that they’re very expensive, possibly even custom-made for Neville.
“I think so! I’m pretty clumsy and I’m probably going to get kicked out of Hogwarts. I…”
Neville fell into an emo state. He always felt inferior, believing he had no talent and that maybe none of the four houses would want him.
Hermione looked at Ethan with a hint of annoyance, as if saying, “Look what you’ve done.”
The other young witch also scratched her forehead, thinking, "He’s going to ruin the glory of pure-blood wizards!"
“If you got the acceptance letter, then you won’t be kicked out.”
Ethan offered a word of comfort, which was also the truth.
Neville, if he hadn’t been subjected to the Forgetfulness Curse, would have been an outstanding wizard, or perhaps the prophecy of the Savior wasn’t about Harry alone, but a prophecy for both of them.
If Neville hadn’t killed Nagini with his sword at a crucial moment, Harry wouldn’t have been able to win in the end. They were both indispensable.
“Really?”
Neville’s spirits lifted a bit.
“Of course. Have you ever heard of anyone who got a letter and then failed to enter?”
Ethan shrugged, unconvinced.
The only person he knew who was unable to enroll and was expelled was a Squib.
He didn’t receive an acceptance letter but entered Hogwarts on the day of the enrollment. He stole the Sorting Hat from other young witches and wizards, but the Sorting Hat informed him that he had no magical talent and could not become a student of Hogwarts.
“Neville Longbottom!”
Facing Ethan, Neville solemnly stated his name.
Over the years, other people his age had mocked and scorned him. He could count on one hand the number of people who had offered him kind words of comfort.
“Ethan, Adrian!”
Ethan finally understood.
“Hermione Granger!”
Hermione smiled slightly as she replied.
“Cassandra Wooler, future pride of Slytherin!”
Cassandra proudly raised her head and declared.
“Are you a Slytherin senior?”
Hermione asked hesitantly.
She had always assumed that everyone present was her age. Also, based on the knowledge she had gained from reading wizarding books during the summer break, she didn't like Slytherin.
“No, I'm also a freshman this year, but I’m definitely going to Slytherin.”
Cassandra was absolutely certain.
So it’s her!
A character from the game, but the era seems a bit off.