Chapter 8: Hogwarts Express

When John pushes the luggage cart and runs through the pillar, his eyes first fall into a short darkness, and then soon open up.

He appears on a platform that doesn't exist on the map, Platform 9¾.

As he gradually moves forward, a red steam train with "Hogwarts Express" marked on the head appears in front of John.

Although it is a steam train, according to the content in the book, this train seems to be magic-driven.

This makes John feel very fresh.

On this platform, there are crew members served by wizards to guide the little wizards who arrive for the first time. Under the guidance of the crew members, John gets on the train.

The ticket for the Hogwarts Express doesn't mark the seat. After asking, he learns that he can pick a place where no one is sitting, except for the prefect compartment at the head of the train.

Perhaps because he came earlier, there are still many empty seats on the train now. John's first choice is, of course, the position in the compartment, so he finds an empty carriage compartment and goes in.

The luggage was taken away by the crew members before getting on the train, with labels on it, and will be sent to Hogwarts Castle uniformly by then.

John only took down the backpack he was carrying and got on the train alone.

Before going out, he had already changed his pants and clothes lining into school uniforms in advance, just to make it convenient to put on a school robe after getting on the train and be done with it.

It just happened that no one was there, so John took off his coat in the compartment and put on the school robe directly. Not to mention, it had a bit of a wizard's taste.

Just put on the school robe, before he had time to sit down, the sliding door of the compartment was pulled open with a "clatter."

"Hello, may I sit here? There are people everywhere else."

A boy with a plump figure and a somewhat reserved look sticks his head in and says.

"Of course, no one is here, sit wherever you want." John nods and says with a smile.

"Thanks."

The boy looks like he is a bit socially anxious, but wants to show his confidence as much as possible.

"Hello, my name is Neville Longbottom, third year. Are you a new student at Hogwarts this year?"

Neville puts down his backpack and takes the initiative to chat with John.

"Yes, my name is John Merick. Very happy to meet you, Senior Longbottom."

"Oh, thanks. No need to be so polite. Just call me Neville."

"Okay, Senior Neville."

"......"

Neville scratches his head, considering it accepting his setting as a senior. Although he was originally a senior, being addressed so respectfully, he is still a bit unaccustomed.

"Senior Neville, this is my first time going to Hogwarts. I've only seen it in books before. Can you tell me what it's like there?"

John sees Neville seems to be a senior who is easy to talk to, so he continues to strike up a conversation, wanting to understand that magic school from Neville's mouth.

Neville naturally won't refuse, and talking to this Junior John doesn't seem to make people feel nervous.

Just nodded and wanted to say something, another student came in at the compartment door.

"Excuse me."

"Can I join you?"

The visitor is a girl with waist-length light blonde hair, but it seems she hasn't taken care of it much, looking a bit messy. She is wearing a pair of radish-shaped earrings.

Her eyes are very big, and the corners of her mouth always carry a faint smile. At first glance, it looks a bit weird, but looking at it for a long time, there is a kind of fairy-like feeling that is not stained with mortal dust?

Neville seems to know this girl. The first reaction after seeing her is to lower his head and dare not look, as if worried about getting involved with her.

"Hello, my name is Luna Lovegood. Can I come in and sit?"

Luna sees no one responding to her, so after introducing herself again, she asks again.

"Of course, please come in, there are still empty seats here." John only then comes back to his senses and says hurriedly.

Although Neville's reaction is very strange, since people are so polite, he can't turn them away, and he has no right to turn them away.

Neville sees Luna coming in, hurriedly gets up and sits with John, leaving the empty seat opposite for Luna.

"Thanks."

Luna smiles and thanks Neville, although it looks like she is hiding from her, it is indeed a gentleman's style.

After Luna sits down, the atmosphere in the compartment is quiet for a while. John and Neville's previous topic is interrupted, and everyone doesn't know what to say for a while.

"Uh, by the way, my name is John Merick, a new student at Hogwarts this year. Please give me more advice in the future."

John really can't stand this awkward atmosphere, so he takes the initiative to introduce himself to Luna.

"Of course, no problem. I look forward to you becoming a classmate in Ravenclaw."

Luna puts her hands on her thighs, her smile is always the same, and she answers John with a smile.

"Ravenclaw, huh? I've seen it in the school history. Senior Neville, which college are you in?"

Hearing Luna talk about the college, John is a bit curious. Following this topic, he continues to learn about Hogwarts from Neville.

"I am in Gryffindor College. I also look forward to you joining Gryffindor. Everyone in the college is very good. Harry Potter is also in our college, and he is also my friend. You will definitely like it there."

Chatting about Gryffindor, Neville's spirit is obviously much more excited, and he starts to introduce the characteristics of their Lion House to John.

Hearing that Harry Potter is also in Gryffindor, John blinks. He didn't expect that someone he met casually would be Harry Potter's friend.

Regarding this protagonist of the world, although John has no intention of making friends, he also has no intention of avoiding him. In his view, everyone is the protagonist of their own life, and everything should follow its natural course.

"What kind of college is Ravenclaw?" John asks Luna curiously.

"That is a scholar's paradise, embracing all exploration of the unknown."

Her words are concise and comprehensive, very objective.

"Oh... okay."

Too brief, so that John doesn't know what to say for a while. After looking at Neville, he decides to continue asking Senior Neville for advice...

Soon it's time for the train to leave. John looks out the window curiously, wanting to see how the train drove from this bustling city to the Scottish Highlands, the Hogwarts Castle that no one discovered.

Their time together on the road is still quite pleasant. Luna takes out a magazine called "The Quibbler" and reads it, while Neville takes out a herbology book called "Intermediate Magical Botany." Listening to Neville's explanation, this is their third-year textbook.

John chats with them from time to time, but spends more time looking out the window. When he took the car in his previous life, because he was carsick, he didn't dare to look at his phone and always leaned against the car window to breathe fresh air while looking at the scenery outside the window.

So he slowly developed this habit, even on long journeys, he wants to look at the scenery outside the window, unless he is sleepy.

However, the weather today is not ideal. Not long after the train left, it started to become overcast outside, and all the scenery seemed to be covered with a layer of gray gauze, dim and lusterless.

After it rained, the sky became even darker, and the magic light sources in the train automatically lit up. John, who was originally a bit sleepy listening to the rain, was dazzled by this light and couldn't sleep again.

So he simply takes out a book and reads it, immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

"... Is he asleep?"

Looking at John, who is sleeping like a dead pig next to him, with a book covering his face, Neville says with some worry.

After a journey together, he is no longer so afraid of this Luna classmate who is called a crazy girl.

Although it is still a bit disgusting.

"Isn't it quite good? A dream is a starry sky that belongs to oneself."

Luna doesn't look up, just flips through the magazine while smiling faintly, her ethereal and empty voice lingering in the compartment.

However, John hasn't slept for long when a harsh braking sound rings out. ===== CHAPTER 9 =====

However, John hadn't been asleep for long when a harsh screech of brakes rang out.