Hermione shot a glare at Harvey, who loved to play tricks. "That joke wasn't funny at all."
Then she greeted the pudgy boy warmly.
"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger, a first-year. Nice to meet you. As a wizard, you could actually use the Summoning Charm to bring your pet back."
The boy scratched his head. "Hello, I'm... N-Neville Longbottom. I'm also a first-year, but I h-haven't learned the Summoning Charm yet."
"I'm Harry Potter, a first-year. Nice to meet you, Neville," Harry said with a simple greeting.
Harvey was about to introduce himself when Hermione interrupted: "Wait, are you also a wizard from a Muggle family?"
Hermione looked at him in disbelief.
Neville shook his head and continued to stutter, "I... I'm from a Pure-blood family. B-but I've been forgetful since I was little, and I d-don't speak very well..."
"Many great figures had very difficult childhoods, Neville. As long as you overcome the fear in your heart, you will surely become a world-renowned wizard."
Harvey, having read the script of their lives, offered Neville some encouragement.
Hearing this, Neville's eyes seemed to light up, and his stuttering seemed to vanish for a brief moment.
"Thank you for the blessing! Oh, wait, what did I come in here to ask again?"
Harvey: "..."
Hermione asked tentatively, "Did you... forget that you were looking for your lost pet?"
Neville slapped his forehead and realized, "R-right! I'm looking for... Trevor... have you... have you seen Trevor?"
Harvey wanted to point at Harry's snacks again for another joke.
Instead, Hermione rolled her eyes at him, pulled out her wand, and gave it a gentle wave.
"Accio Trevor!"
A few seconds later, a palm-sized toad flew in from the window of the carriage.
"Trevor! It's my Trevor! Are you okay? I thought I'd never see you again... boohoo..."
Neville was so excited he cradled the toad as if it were a precious treasure, checking it for injuries.
Seeing this touching scene of pet-owner bond, Harvey made a suggestion.
"Maybe you should put him in a cage, so you won't lose him so easily next time."
Neville shook his head like a rattle.
"I... I will... n-never... put Trevor in a cage..."
"Say no more, I get it," Harvey interrupted, seeing how much effort it took for him to speak.
Hermione said seriously, "Pets are a wizard's best partners. Just like my Crookshanks, I wouldn't want to lock him in a cage either."
Hearing this, Harvey became a bit curious.
"By the way, why didn't you bring Crookshanks to school?"
Hermione shot back a look as if he were an idiot.
"The school doesn't strictly recommend bringing pets, and I'll be busy studying every day. How would I have time to keep him company?"
"Fair enough." Knowing Hermione was a little witch who loved magic and studying, Harvey understood.
As the four of them chatted, time flew by.
By the time Harvey was bored enough to start dozing off, the Hogwarts Express finally began to slow down.
Harry Potter pointed out the window in surprise. "Look! I think we've arrived!"
Everyone turned to look in the direction Harry was pointing.
The train was slowly pulling into a village and came to a stop beside a small, dim platform.
Under the fading sunset, one could faintly see a magnificent, towering castle perched atop the layered peaks of the Scottish Highlands.
"Is that Hogwarts Castle?"
Hermione whispered to herself.
As the train's steam chimney let out a "hiss" and came to a total stop.
One by one, young wizards began pouring out of the carriages.
"We should go too."
Harvey cast the Levitation Charm on the trunks again and was the first to step out of the carriage.
Standing on the platform, waiting for Hermione and Harry, he happened to see the older students.
They were skillfully boarding carriages pulled by Thestrals, soaring into the air toward Hogwarts Castle on the cliffside.
Thestrals had sharp facial features and looked like horses, but they possessed a pair of black bat-like wings; they were a very unique type of magical creature.
They were unique because only those who have witnessed death can see their physical forms.
Hermione suddenly appeared behind him and tapped his shoulder.
"What are you looking at?"
Looking in the direction of Harvey's gaze, Hermione realized, "Self-flying carriages? I suppose that isn't too unusual, is it?"
Harvey smiled and didn't explain. "I'm just jealous of the older students, being able to take a carriage straight to the castle."
Hermione was confused. "Can't we take a flying carriage?"
Harvey shook his head and was about to explain when a booming voice rang out in everyone's ears.
"Firs' years!"
"Firs' years over here!"
Hermione looked left and right, unable to find the source of the voice for a moment.
Until Harry Potter, finally dragging his trunk out of the carriage, pointed to a three-meter-tall giant not far down the platform.
"I know him. That's Hagrid, the Half-Giant and Gamekeeper of Hogwarts. He took me to Diagon Alley."
Harvey nodded. "Let's head over then."
Hermione, while shocked by the giant's height, followed Harvey forward.
Neville dragged his trunk behind Harry Potter.
Soon, thirty or forty young wizards gathered around the tall giant, who was holding a dim lantern.
"All firs' years here? Stick together now, min' yer step, the path's a bit steep."
By now, the sun was only half-visible on the horizon, and the light at Hogsmeade Station was very dim.
The young wizards had to huddle close to the giant just to see the path beneath their feet.
"Lumos!"
Harvey used the Wand-Lighting Charm, raising his wand to illuminate a large area nearby.
Hagrid couldn't help but cast a surprised glance over.
"Us'n magic before school's even started? This little wizard's a sharp one!"
Harvey continued walking with a blank expression, as if the praise was beneath him.
But the slight, inadvertent curve of his lips showed he was quite smug inside.
Hermione followed closely behind Harvey. The group left Hogsmeade Station and walked along a dirt path for several hundred meters until they reached a lake adjacent to a cliff.
Hagrid pointed at the small boats already docked at the shore and commanded loudly:
"No more'n four to a boat! An' keep yer hands inside, dears; there's plenty of dangerous things in the Black Lake."
After the safety warning, the students obediently boarded the boats.
With a shout from Hagrid, "Forward!"
The dozen or so boats moved on their own without wind, rowing toward the cliff on the opposite side of the lake.
Once the slow-moving boats reached the dock at the foot of the steep cliff.
Hagrid stepped off and led the way forward, entering a subterranean tunnel paved with cobblestones.
They crossed a flat, damp patch of grass and climbed a long set of stairs that felt like a ladder to heaven.
The exhausted young wizards finally came to a halt before a massive oak door.