Julien recognised her instantly — it was Isabella Rosier, the girl he'd met while buying his wand.
She had changed into an elegant dark-green velvet dress that made her skin look even paler and more flawless. The silver snake brooch on her chest caught the light and flashed.
When she saw him, her eyebrows rose and the corner of her mouth curved in a mocking half-smile. "Well, well — if it isn't Mr Black, the one the wand nearly rejected. Looks like it hasn't blown you up yet."
"What a coincidence, Miss Rosier," Julien replied with a grin. "Didn't expect a proper young lady like you to be sneaking around like a thief."
Isabella gave a light snort and shoved her trunk under the seat. She was about to introduce herself when she noticed Liriya sitting opposite.
Liriya's reaction was explosive. She shot to her feet, cloak slipping off unnoticed, eyes blazing with fury. Her voice trembled with rage. "Rosier! You're a Rosier?!"
Isabella blinked. "You know me?"
"I don't know you," Liriya spat, her voice cold as a northern gale, "but I know your family's filthy reputation! Murderers! Thieves! Your hands are drenched in innocent blood! My grandmother… she died from one of your family's curses!"
The temperature in the compartment seemed to plummet.
Isabella's face went from white to green to red. Raised in pure-blood superiority, she had never been insulted to her face like this.
She sprang up, wand suddenly in her hand and pointed straight at Liriya. "What nonsense are you spouting? I've never seen you before, and I know nothing about any curse! I see now — you're one of those northern savages who love sneaking around with dark tricks!"
"Dark tricks?" Liriya laughed coldly. She raised her hands; a faint blue glow gathered in her palms. "Then let me show you real northern power!"
Just as the two were about to clash, Julien stepped between them. "Stop! This is the Hogwarts Express, not a duelling arena!"
Before he could say more, the train gave a great lurch and began to move.
The platform outside slid backward. The Weasley family grew smaller in the distance; the youngest red-haired girl could just be seen running alongside the tracks, waving frantically.
---
In one of the front compartments, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were happily sharing a bag of Every Flavour Beans. Harry was thrilled — he'd already made a friend on the train.
Suddenly the compartment door was shoved open.
"I heard Harry Potter was on the Hogwarts Express. Looks like it's true."
A boy with sleek platinum-blond hair stood in the doorway, flanked by the hulking figures of Crabbe and Goyle. His usual arrogant smirk was firmly in place.
Harry recognised him instantly — the rude boy from Madam Malkin's who had insulted Hagrid.
"My name is Draco Malfoy," the boy drawled in that peculiar, drawling tone. "This is Crabbe and Goyle. You'll soon learn that some wizards are simply born better than others."
He glanced disdainfully at Ron's red hair. "You'd do well not to mix with the wrong sort — like those wizarding families who can't even afford to feed all their children."
Draco extended his right hand toward Harry.
Ron's face flushed crimson. He started forward, but Harry stopped him, then slapped Draco's hand away. "I think I'll decide for myself who the wrong sort are."
Draco's face turned red. Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward menacingly, waiting for the order. A fight was about to break out.
---
In another corner of the train, the one-fingered ticket inspector stood at the carriage connection, eyes locked on a man in black robes who was heading toward the corridor.
"I don't care who you are or what you're looking for. This is the Hogwarts Express. Either get off or I'll send you straight to Azkaban."
Cassian Thorne had no desire to fight on the train — behind him were hundreds of students, and even the older ones were still just fledglings in his eyes.
"I don't want trouble. I'm only here to find my family's young miss… and ensure her safety," the man replied with a thick German accent.
"I've already made myself clear. The Hogwarts Express is part of Hogwarts. Security here is more than sufficient — except for you. If you don't want trouble, get off the train now!"
Normally, as an elite operative from the Department of Mysteries, Cassian was confident he had a hundred ways to deal with the man — disarm him, Apparate him away. But Apparition was impossible aboard the Hogwarts Express.
"I need to take the young miss with me. She belongs at Durmstrang," the man said, taking a step forward.
"I don't know who this 'young miss' is, but everyone knows a Hogwarts Express ticket is bound to the Hogwarts acceptance letter. That means your young miss has been accepted here. Any questions, take them up with Dumbledore."
The man said nothing more. His right hand slipped into his sleeve.
---
Facing the towering Crabbe and Goyle, Harry and Ron felt their stomachs tighten, but neither backed down.
Harry, used to dealing with Dudley, was already calculating whether to strike first or dodge and go for a low blow.
At that exact moment the compartment door opened again.
"Excuse me, have you seen a toad? Neville's lost his!" A girl with bushy brown curls stood in the doorway, brow furrowed, voice urgent and impatient.
"Er — what on earth are you lot doing? Fighting is not allowed on the train!" Hermione only now registered the tense scene.
Draco glanced at her, then at the nervous, round-faced boy behind her, and sneered. "Look at this, Crabbe, Goyle. Now anyone can get on the Hogwarts Express. The place has become a dumping ground for trash, Squibs, idiots, and Mu—"
He caught himself just in time. "I'll be writing to my father. Hogwarts clearly needs cleaning up."
With the door now open, students from nearby compartments had gathered to watch.
"What's going on? What's going on?" A tall older red-haired boy pushed through. "I'm a prefect! Everyone back to your compartments — no fighting, or I'll report you to Professor McGonagall."
Draco saw the growing crowd, shot the three of them a venomous glare, and stalked off with his cronies.
The bushy-haired girl let out a relieved breath and stepped inside. "Thank goodness — fighting on the train can get you expelled, you know."
Ron scratched his head and muttered, "If you hadn't shown up, I would've punched Goyle's nose flat."
Harry quickly stepped in. "Thanks, you two. I'm Harry Potter. And you are…?"
"Oh, Harry Potter! I know all about you! I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Neville Longbottom. I bought every book that mentioned you… Do you really have the scar?" The words tumbled out of her like machine-gun fire.
Neville stood there speechless, staring at Harry with a mixture of awe and envy. The missing toad was completely forgotten.