Chapter 388: Transfer Student

The holiday passed in a flash.

This holiday seemed to have seen a lot happen, yet also seemed as if nothing had happened.

The biggest thing was John's death.

Dumbledore held a grand funeral for John, burying him in a valley not far from Hogwarts, with his name and birth and death years engraved on the tombstone.

On the day of the funeral, many people came to pay their respects.

Among them, Titus, Ryan, and Ethan all came.

Ryan and Ethan's faces were filled with sorrow and unwillingness, while Titus had lost a whole circle of weight, showing no expression on his face.

They were John's best friends.

But precisely because of that, they could not be told the truth.

If John's death were fake, Voldemort would eventually notice something from their reactions.

Hermione did not attend the funeral.

It was announced that Hermione was too grief-stricken and unwell.

In truth, Hermione did not want to see John's tombstone; even knowing it was fake, she would still feel heartbroken.

So it was better not to go.

In short, after the funeral, the wizarding world tacitly accepted John's death.

Until the new term began.

On Platform 9¾, students bustled about, discussing their summer experiences.

Ryan and Ethan stood side by side in a corner of the platform.

Although nearly a month had passed since the funeral, the gloom on their faces had not lifted.

Because at this time, he should have been here to see that familiar figure.

John, who used to join them in their crazy antics.

"Hey..."

A weak, listless voice came from Titus.

The two turned their heads and were both stunned.

Because the person before them bore no resemblance to the Titus they remembered.

He used to be always energetic, smiling proudly, a chubby fellow.

Now he had become a melancholy young man.

Although a hint of roundness could still be seen, at most he could be considered slightly plump.

To be fair, compared to his former chubby self, Titus now looks noticeably more handsome.

And in some ways, this appearance is much healthier than before.

But Ryan and Ethan both knew this was not a good thing.

"How... how did you get so thin?" Ryan still couldn't help asking worriedly.

Titus tugged at the corner of his mouth, managing a smile: "I don't know; I'm still eating three meals a day, but I just don't gain weight."

"It also fulfills my mother's wish, letting me lose weight..."

He waved his hand, not continuing, his voice growing softer: "Forget it, let's not talk about this. How was your summer, you two?"

"... Just like that."

The two answered in unison, their tone equally heavy.

"Me too." Titus lowered his head, lightly kicking the ground with his toes.

The three remained silent like that.

Until Luna walked over.

"Hello." Luna's voice was the same as before, carrying an ethereal and calm tone.

But it lacked that usual lightheartedness.

"Luna sister." Upon seeing Luna, they all called out.

Luna nodded, her gaze sweeping over the three faces, finally resting on Titus for a moment, yet she said nothing more.

She knew what these three boys hid in their hearts; some wounds cannot be soothed by words, and she was well aware of that.

But they could not stay like this, sinking forever.

She gently patted Titus's shoulder, her voice soft yet carrying an undeniable force: "John would not want to see you like this."

They all fell silent, naturally understanding the reasoning.

Yet they felt breathless, exhausted, unwilling to move or laugh, even unable to pretend to be lighthearted.

Luna also did not urge them further, merely standing quietly beside them, waiting for the train together.

A gentle breeze blew across the platform, bringing the characteristic late-summer mugginess and a faint hint of floral scent.

In the distance, the rumble of an approaching train broke the heavy silence.

"Let's go." Luna said softly, taking the first step.

The three boys exchanged a glance and silently followed behind her.

They found a compartment, stowed their luggage, and each took a seat.

The train slowly started, and the platform outside the window began to slide backward.

Just as they sat in silence, a knock sounded on the door.

They all turned their eyes to the glass window of the compartment door.

A girl with short hair and East Asian features stood outside the door, waving at them.

She pushed the door open and poked her head inside.

「Hello, there's no space elsewhere, may I sit here? 」

「Of course. 」 Luna responded gently.

Upon hearing that, the girl beamed and walked in.

After she entered, they realized the girl was wearing a neat male outfit.

With her short hair and delicate features, she gave off a bit of a tomboy vibe.

「Hi there, I'm Yueer Green. 」

「I'm a transfer student who enrolled at Hogwarts this year. 」

After Yueer sat down, she introduced herself to the few people.

Her tone carried familiarity, as if she had known them for a long time.

「Transfer student? 」 Upon hearing that self-introduction, the few people were all taken aback.

I didn't expect there to be such a thing as a transfer student.

「Yes, I previously lived in the mountains, learning magic from my family. 」

「Until a month ago, when Headmaster Dumbledore happened to see me and found out I had never attended a proper magic school, he let me come to Hogwarts. 」

Hearing this explanation, although they were a bit surprised, they didn't ask further.

「That's pretty good. 」 Ethan smiled politely, his tone flat yet sincere, 「Hogwarts is a nice place. 」

「Right, I think so too. 」

Yueer laughed brightly, her eyes curving into crescents.

She seemed to naturally carry a relaxing magic, even the stuffy air in the compartment loosened a bit.

Along the way, Yueer's chatter didn't stop as she chatted with the few people.

From her, they learned that Yueer was coming to Hogwarts this year to study in Third Year.

She more or less knows the magic taught before Third Year.

She even knows more than that.

Just as the train drove into the boundless fields, Yueer suddenly stopped talking and looked out the window.

At some point, the sky outside grew dark.

Titus and the others also sensed something odd.

The air gradually turned cold, an intangible sense of oppression seeping in from outside.

Titus watched this scene, inexplicably feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

Hiss!!

A piercing metallic screech sounded, the carriage shook violently, and even the lights went out.

The train came to a stop.

The few people jolted and quickly steadied themselves.

Titus also finally recalled that when he first enrolled in first year, he had experienced a similar situation.

「It's a Dementor attack!! 」 Titus exclaimed, looking out the window.

In the sky, at some point, hundreds of Dementors had appeared, swarming densely above the train.

Then, they all dove down together...