Before Julien could say anything else, Cho Chang had already grabbed his wrist. Her palm carried the faint scent of gardenia. "Don't worry—just follow my pace and picture Hogwarts in your mind." She tugged her suitcase forward and walked straight at the brick wall.
Julien felt the steady warmth of her grip and followed without hesitation. Cho slipped through the barrier as if it were nothing more than mist. Her silver-grey suitcase left a brief ghostly trail on the bricks before vanishing.
He took a deep breath and stepped after her. The northern girl shot one last doubtful glance at the wall, then clutched her bundle tighter and followed.
The world changed in an instant.
The scarlet Hogwarts Express stood waiting, thick white steam rolling from its chimney and catching the sunlight in golden shafts. The platform was packed with wizarding families. Children in brand-new black robes called excitedly to one another while owls hooted, toads croaked, and parents gave last-minute instructions. The whole scene hummed like a lively orchestra.
"See you later! I'm off to find my friends," Cho said with a bright smile, waving to them both. "Hope you both end up in Ravenclaw!"
"Welcome to platform 9¾," Julien said, smiling at the northern girl beside him.
She stood frozen, ice-blue eyes wide with awe as she took in the scarlet train and the swirling steam.
"Thank you." Her voice stayed cool, but there was real gratitude in it now. "I'm Liriya."
"Caelum Julien Black—call me Julien." He nodded at the hide-wrapped bundle in her arms. "That looks important."
Liriya hugged it a little tighter, as if it were her only anchor. "It is."
They were just about to board when a young man in a neat uniform and bowler hat stepped in front of them. He was handsome, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, and his right little finger was missing.
He carried what looked like an ordinary ticket punch, but Julien noticed faint runes shimmering along its edge.
"First-years?" The man's voice was calm and professional. "Tickets, please."
Julien and Liriya handed theirs over. The man examined them carefully, his gaze lingering on Liriya—and especially on the bundle she carried.
"First time on the Hogwarts Express?" he asked her, tone perfectly neutral.
"Yes," Liriya answered shortly. She instinctively felt uneasy around him.
"We're both first-years, so obviously," Julien added, puzzled.
"Have a pleasant journey." The man returned the tickets with a small nod and moved on to the next group. His figure quickly disappeared into the steam and crowd.
"Who was that?" Liriya asked quietly once he was gone.
"No idea. Ticket inspector, I guess." Julien shook his head, but a faint ripple of unease stirred inside him. The man hadn't felt like ordinary staff—he had felt like a watcher.
"Never mind him," Julien said, giving her shoulder a light pat. "Let's find a compartment. By the way, do you know which house you're hoping for?"
Liriya shook her head. Her ice-blue eyes flickered with quiet uncertainty. "I don't know… and it doesn't really matter to me."
The Hogwarts Express whistle blew—long and clear—urging the last stragglers aboard.
The platform was chaos: owls flapping, toads jumping in cages, parents calling final goodbyes, some wiping away tears.
Julien settled by the window in their compartment and peered through the steam. Not far away he spotted a large red-haired family—the Weasleys, no question. Mrs Weasley was straightening the youngest boy's collar while he squirmed. Two identical tall twins were roughhousing, and the little girl gazed around with pure excitement.
Farther down the platform, a tall, handsome boy with light brown curls strolled past, wearing a gentle, confident smile. Cho and a few Ravenclaw girls were whispering nearby, stealing glances at his back, cheeks faintly pink.
Cedric Diggory—Hufflepuff's golden boy.
"Not bad-looking," Liriya said, the first time she had spoken first.
Julien noticed her gaze tracking Cedric's profile too.
"Yeah, he looks like a vampire, doesn't he?"
"Hmph." Liriya shot him another icy glare and went quiet.
Suddenly Julien's attention sharpened. At the edge of the platform stood several suspicious-looking adults in dark overcoats, eyes scanning the crowd like hawks.
Even more alarming, the one-fingered ticket inspector lingered in the shadows near the barrier, staring hard at those men, his hand resting on his hip—ready to draw something far more dangerous than a ticket punch.
"Who are they looking for?" Liriya asked from behind him, voice cold as frost.
Julien didn't answer. He only shook his head.
Then his eyes found a small, skinny figure at the platform's edge—Harry Potter, dragging a battered trunk and looking awkward and alone.
Julien's heart gave a quick tug. He started to open the compartment door to go say hello, but the corridor was already jammed with excited first-years fighting for window seats and showing off Chocolate Frog cards. The noise was deafening.
"Never mind," he muttered. "I'll catch him once the train starts moving."
The compartment was small—just two facing bench seats. Liriya sat opposite him by the window, still clutching her long hide-wrapped bundle like treasure, arms wrapped protectively around it. Her cloak stayed tightly drawn, revealing only her pale, delicate face and those wary ice-blue eyes.
"You're from somewhere really far north, aren't you?" Julien asked gently.
"Norway—farther north than that is the land of endless night," Liriya answered shortly, offering no more details.
They were chatting quietly when the compartment door slid open without warning.
A figure slipped inside like a cat, closed the door fast, and pressed her back against it. She peered cautiously into the corridor, checking for followers. Only when she was sure no one had followed did she let out a long, relieved breath.