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"But I can't exactly prepare a proper tank for Trevor right now!"
Watching Trevor's continued struggles in his hands, Neville's expression turned helpless.
[($ω$) Leave that to me!]
Observing Neville's predicament, Tom's whiskers twitched as he caught the unmistakable scent of opportunity. His eyes practically transformed into dollar symbols.
All Neville needed was a container large enough for the toad, preferably portable basically a small aquarium! With proper reimbursement, what couldn't Tom produce?
Forget a simple fish tank—give him enough money, and he could hand-craft an entire custom luxury habitat!
She'd agreed to help but that didn't mean Tom had consented to anything.
Though regardless of Tom's willingness, she'd still help Neville track down Trevor. Still, if Tom refused to come along, she'd have to carefully consider which snacks to leave behind for him.
Leave everything? It would all be devoured! Definitely would be! (￣▽￣)~*
She couldn't say for certain whether Tom would actually do such a thing, but if their positions were reversed, she absolutely couldn't resist the temptation of all those treats!
"What a huge cat! Is he your pet?"
Only now did Neville notice the large cat at Hannah's side. He didn't even have time to wipe away his tears before curiosity overtook him, and his questions were tumbling out.
[Do I look like someone's pet?!]
Tom couldn't understand it. Being mistaken by Hannah earlier was one thing—at the time, he'd been trailing after Luna, so the pet assumption made a certain sense. But now? He was wearing wizard robes, for Merlin's sake!
"Have you read The Quibbler?" Hannah hurried to explain, determined to spare others from repeating her earlier mistake. "A recent issue mentioned that a cat would be joining Hogwarts as a first-year this term. Tom here is that new classmate!"
"Eh? Classmate?! Σ(°口°)"
Neville's mind simply couldn't bridge the gap between "cat" and "classmate." The two concepts refused to connect in any logical way.
As for The Quibbler, he'd heard his Gran mention it before, but wasn't that the magazine filled with ridiculous stories and absurd claims? Since when did it publish actual news?
[That's right! Didn't you even notice the wizard robes I'm wearing?!]
Tom finally couldn't restrain himself from retorting. He was truly baffled by Neville. The boy supposedly only suffered from poor memory, right? When had his eyesight become equally terrible? What young wizard would dress their pet in proper wizard robes?
"S-sorry, I didn't notice..."
Neville's voice dropped lower and lower, his head was now bowing.
Watching the timid, anxious boy in front of him, Tom could only spread his paws helplessly. What could he say? The future Gryffindor King Arthur was, at this moment, still just a confused child lacking in confidence.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
"Thank you so much! If I hadn't found him, I wouldn't have known how to face Great Uncle Algie..."
[You're welcome. Though, I have to say—maybe you should get a proper tank with water and keep Trevor in that?]
Listening to the toad's desperate croaking and watching its frantic struggles, Tom's expression grew complicated. He finally understood why this toad kept escaping. Being clutched in Neville's hands all day must be absolute torture for the creature!
Moreover, toads required damp, shadowy environments to thrive. Clearly, Neville lacked any appropriate container.
"So, Trevor running away is actually... my fault?"
After hearing Tom's explanation, Neville looked utterly stricken. Everyone else kept their pets this way, why was his toad so troublesome?
Fortunately, Neville wasn't the type to stubbornly cling to his methods. Recognizing that his 'parenting' approach was flawed, he immediately began reflecting, determined to provide Trevor with more comfortable living conditions. Only...
"But I can't exactly prepare a proper tank for Trevor right now!"
Watching Trevor's continued struggles in his hands, Neville's expression turned helpless.
[($ω$) Leave that to me!]
Observing Neville's predicament, Tom's whiskers twitched as he caught the unmistakable scent of opportunity. His eyes practically transformed into dollar symbols.
All Neville needed was a container large enough for the toad, preferably portable basically a small aquarium! With proper reimbursement, what couldn't Tom produce?
Forget a simple fish tank—give him enough money, and he could hand-craft an entire custom luxury habitat!
She'd agreed to help but that didn't mean Tom had consented to anything.
Though regardless of Tom's willingness, she'd still help Neville track down Trevor. Still, if Tom refused to come along, she'd have to carefully consider which snacks to leave behind for him.
Leave everything? It would all be devoured! Definitely would be! (￣▽￣)~*
She couldn't say for certain whether Tom would actually do such a thing, but if their positions were reversed, she absolutely couldn't resist the temptation of all those treats!
"What a huge cat! Is he your pet?"
Only now did Neville notice the large cat at Hannah's side. He didn't even have time to wipe away his tears before curiosity overtook him, and his questions were tumbling out.
[Do I look like someone's pet?!]
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
Tom couldn't understand it. Being mistaken by Hannah earlier was one thing—at the time, he'd been trailing after Luna, so the pet assumption made a certain sense. But now? He was wearing wizard robes, for Merlin's sake!
"Have you read The Quibbler?" Hannah hurried to explain, determined to spare others from repeating her earlier mistake. "A recent issue mentioned that a cat would be joining Hogwarts as a first-year this term. Tom here is that new classmate!"
"Eh? Classmate?! Σ(°口°)"
Neville's mind simply couldn't bridge the gap between "cat" and "classmate." The two concepts refused to connect in any logical way.
As for The Quibbler, he'd heard his Gran mention it before, but wasn't that the magazine filled with ridiculous stories and absurd claims? Since when did it publish actual news?
[That's right! Didn't you even notice the wizard robes I'm wearing?!]
Tom finally couldn't restrain himself from retorting. He was truly baffled by Neville. The boy supposedly only suffered from poor memory, right? When had his eyesight become equally terrible? What young wizard would dress their pet in proper wizard robes?
"S-sorry, I didn't notice..."
Neville's voice dropped lower and lower, his head was now bowing.
Watching the timid, anxious boy in front of him, Tom could only spread his paws helplessly. What could he say? The future Gryffindor King Arthur was, at this moment, still just a confused child lacking in confidence.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
"Thank you so much! If I hadn't found him, I wouldn't have known how to face Great Uncle Algie..."
[You're welcome. Though, I have to say—maybe you should get a proper tank with water and keep Trevor in that?]
Listening to the toad's desperate croaking and watching its frantic struggles, Tom's expression grew complicated. He finally understood why this toad kept escaping. Being clutched in Neville's hands all day must be absolute torture for the creature!
Moreover, toads required damp, shadowy environments to thrive. Clearly, Neville lacked any appropriate container.
"So, Trevor running away is actually... my fault?"
After hearing Tom's explanation, Neville looked utterly stricken. Everyone else kept their pets this way, why was his toad so troublesome?
Fortunately, Neville wasn't the type to stubbornly cling to his methods. Recognizing that his 'parenting' approach was flawed, he immediately began reflecting, determined to provide Trevor with more comfortable living conditions. Only...
"But I can't exactly prepare a proper tank for Trevor right now!"
Watching Trevor's continued struggles in his hands, Neville's expression turned helpless.
[($ω$) Leave that to me!]
Observing Neville's predicament, Tom's whiskers twitched as he caught the unmistakable scent of opportunity. His eyes practically transformed into dollar symbols.
All Neville needed was a container large enough for the toad, preferably portable basically a small aquarium! With proper reimbursement, what couldn't Tom produce?
Forget a simple fish tank—give him enough money, and he could hand-craft an entire custom luxury habitat!
She'd agreed to help but that didn't mean Tom had consented to anything.
Though regardless of Tom's willingness, she'd still help Neville track down Trevor. Still, if Tom refused to come along, she'd have to carefully consider which snacks to leave behind for him.
Leave everything? It would all be devoured! Definitely would be! (￣▽￣)~*
She couldn't say for certain whether Tom would actually do such a thing, but if their positions were reversed, she absolutely couldn't resist the temptation of all those treats!
"What a huge cat! Is he your pet?"
Only now did Neville notice the large cat at Hannah's side. He didn't even have time to wipe away his tears before curiosity overtook him, and his questions were tumbling out.
[Do I look like someone's pet?!]
Tom couldn't understand it. Being mistaken by Hannah earlier was one thing—at the time, he'd been trailing after Luna, so the pet assumption made a certain sense. But now? He was wearing wizard robes, for Merlin's sake!
"Have you read The Quibbler?" Hannah hurried to explain, determined to spare others from repeating her earlier mistake. "A recent issue mentioned that a cat would be joining Hogwarts as a first-year this term. Tom here is that new classmate!"
"Eh? Classmate?! Σ(°口°)"
Neville's mind simply couldn't bridge the gap between "cat" and "classmate." The two concepts refused to connect in any logical way.
As for The Quibbler, he'd heard his Gran mention it before, but wasn't that the magazine filled with ridiculous stories and absurd claims? Since when did it publish actual news?
[That's right! Didn't you even notice the wizard robes I'm wearing?!]
Tom finally couldn't restrain himself from retorting. He was truly baffled by Neville. The boy supposedly only suffered from poor memory, right? When had his eyesight become equally terrible? What young wizard would dress their pet in proper wizard robes?
"S-sorry, I didn't notice..."
Neville's voice dropped lower and lower, his head was now bowing.
Watching the timid, anxious boy in front of him, Tom could only spread his paws helplessly. What could he say? The future Gryffindor King Arthur was, at this moment, still just a confused child lacking in confidence.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
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Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
"Thank you so much! If I hadn't found him, I wouldn't have known how to face Great Uncle Algie..."
[You're welcome. Though, I have to say—maybe you should get a proper tank with water and keep Trevor in that?]
Listening to the toad's desperate croaking and watching its frantic struggles, Tom's expression grew complicated. He finally understood why this toad kept escaping. Being clutched in Neville's hands all day must be absolute torture for the creature!
Moreover, toads required damp, shadowy environments to thrive. Clearly, Neville lacked any appropriate container.
"So, Trevor running away is actually... my fault?"
After hearing Tom's explanation, Neville looked utterly stricken. Everyone else kept their pets this way, why was his toad so troublesome?
Fortunately, Neville wasn't the type to stubbornly cling to his methods. Recognizing that his 'parenting' approach was flawed, he immediately began reflecting, determined to provide Trevor with more comfortable living conditions. Only...
"But I can't exactly prepare a proper tank for Trevor right now!"
Watching Trevor's continued struggles in his hands, Neville's expression turned helpless.
[($ω$) Leave that to me!]
Observing Neville's predicament, Tom's whiskers twitched as he caught the unmistakable scent of opportunity. His eyes practically transformed into dollar symbols.
All Neville needed was a container large enough for the toad, preferably portable basically a small aquarium! With proper reimbursement, what couldn't Tom produce?
Forget a simple fish tank—give him enough money, and he could hand-craft an entire custom luxury habitat!
She'd agreed to help but that didn't mean Tom had consented to anything.
Though regardless of Tom's willingness, she'd still help Neville track down Trevor. Still, if Tom refused to come along, she'd have to carefully consider which snacks to leave behind for him.
Leave everything? It would all be devoured! Definitely would be! (￣▽￣)~*
She couldn't say for certain whether Tom would actually do such a thing, but if their positions were reversed, she absolutely couldn't resist the temptation of all those treats!
"What a huge cat! Is he your pet?"
Only now did Neville notice the large cat at Hannah's side. He didn't even have time to wipe away his tears before curiosity overtook him, and his questions were tumbling out.
[Do I look like someone's pet?!]
Tom couldn't understand it. Being mistaken by Hannah earlier was one thing—at the time, he'd been trailing after Luna, so the pet assumption made a certain sense. But now? He was wearing wizard robes, for Merlin's sake!
"Have you read The Quibbler?" Hannah hurried to explain, determined to spare others from repeating her earlier mistake. "A recent issue mentioned that a cat would be joining Hogwarts as a first-year this term. Tom here is that new classmate!"
"Eh? Classmate?! Σ(°口°)"
Neville's mind simply couldn't bridge the gap between "cat" and "classmate." The two concepts refused to connect in any logical way.
As for The Quibbler, he'd heard his Gran mention it before, but wasn't that the magazine filled with ridiculous stories and absurd claims? Since when did it publish actual news?
[That's right! Didn't you even notice the wizard robes I'm wearing?!]
Tom finally couldn't restrain himself from retorting. He was truly baffled by Neville. The boy supposedly only suffered from poor memory, right? When had his eyesight become equally terrible? What young wizard would dress their pet in proper wizard robes?
"S-sorry, I didn't notice..."
Neville's voice dropped lower and lower, his head was now bowing.
Watching the timid, anxious boy in front of him, Tom could only spread his paws helplessly. What could he say? The future Gryffindor King Arthur was, at this moment, still just a confused child lacking in confidence.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
"Thank you so much! If I hadn't found him, I wouldn't have known how to face Great Uncle Algie..."
[You're welcome. Though, I have to say—maybe you should get a proper tank with water and keep Trevor in that?]
Listening to the toad's desperate croaking and watching its frantic struggles, Tom's expression grew complicated. He finally understood why this toad kept escaping. Being clutched in Neville's hands all day must be absolute torture for the creature!
Moreover, toads required damp, shadowy environments to thrive. Clearly, Neville lacked any appropriate container.
"So, Trevor running away is actually... my fault?"
After hearing Tom's explanation, Neville looked utterly stricken. Everyone else kept their pets this way, why was his toad so troublesome?
Fortunately, Neville wasn't the type to stubbornly cling to his methods. Recognizing that his 'parenting' approach was flawed, he immediately began reflecting, determined to provide Trevor with more comfortable living conditions. Only...
"But I can't exactly prepare a proper tank for Trevor right now!"
Watching Trevor's continued struggles in his hands, Neville's expression turned helpless.
[($ω$) Leave that to me!]
Observing Neville's predicament, Tom's whiskers twitched as he caught the unmistakable scent of opportunity. His eyes practically transformed into dollar symbols.
All Neville needed was a container large enough for the toad, preferably portable basically a small aquarium! With proper reimbursement, what couldn't Tom produce?
Forget a simple fish tank—give him enough money, and he could hand-craft an entire custom luxury habitat!
She'd agreed to help but that didn't mean Tom had consented to anything.
Though regardless of Tom's willingness, she'd still help Neville track down Trevor. Still, if Tom refused to come along, she'd have to carefully consider which snacks to leave behind for him.
Leave everything? It would all be devoured! Definitely would be! (￣▽￣)~*
She couldn't say for certain whether Tom would actually do such a thing, but if their positions were reversed, she absolutely couldn't resist the temptation of all those treats!
"What a huge cat! Is he your pet?"
Only now did Neville notice the large cat at Hannah's side. He didn't even have time to wipe away his tears before curiosity overtook him, and his questions were tumbling out.
[Do I look like someone's pet?!]
Tom couldn't understand it. Being mistaken by Hannah earlier was one thing—at the time, he'd been trailing after Luna, so the pet assumption made a certain sense. But now? He was wearing wizard robes, for Merlin's sake!
"Have you read The Quibbler?" Hannah hurried to explain, determined to spare others from repeating her earlier mistake. "A recent issue mentioned that a cat would be joining Hogwarts as a first-year this term. Tom here is that new classmate!"
"Eh? Classmate?! Σ(°口°)"
Neville's mind simply couldn't bridge the gap between "cat" and "classmate." The two concepts refused to connect in any logical way.
As for The Quibbler, he'd heard his Gran mention it before, but wasn't that the magazine filled with ridiculous stories and absurd claims? Since when did it publish actual news?
[That's right! Didn't you even notice the wizard robes I'm wearing?!]
Tom finally couldn't restrain himself from retorting. He was truly baffled by Neville. The boy supposedly only suffered from poor memory, right? When had his eyesight become equally terrible? What young wizard would dress their pet in proper wizard robes?
"S-sorry, I didn't notice..."
Neville's voice dropped lower and lower, his head was now bowing.
Watching the timid, anxious boy in front of him, Tom could only spread his paws helplessly. What could he say? The future Gryffindor King Arthur was, at this moment, still just a confused child lacking in confidence.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
"Thank you so much! If I hadn't found him, I wouldn't have known how to face Great Uncle Algie..."
[You're welcome. Though, I have to say—maybe you should get a proper tank with water and keep Trevor in that?]
Listening to the toad's desperate croaking and watching its frantic struggles, Tom's expression grew complicated. He finally understood why this toad kept escaping. Being clutched in Neville's hands all day must be absolute torture for the creature!
Moreover, toads required damp, shadowy environments to thrive. Clearly, Neville lacked any appropriate container.
"So, Trevor running away is actually... my fault?"
After hearing Tom's explanation, Neville looked utterly stricken. Everyone else kept their pets this way, why was his toad so troublesome?
Fortunately, Neville wasn't the type to stubbornly cling to his methods. Recognizing that his 'parenting' approach was flawed, he immediately began reflecting, determined to provide Trevor with more comfortable living conditions. Only...
"But I can't exactly prepare a proper tank for Trevor right now!"
Watching Trevor's continued struggles in his hands, Neville's expression turned helpless.
[($ω$) Leave that to me!]
Observing Neville's predicament, Tom's whiskers twitched as he caught the unmistakable scent of opportunity. His eyes practically transformed into dollar symbols.
All Neville needed was a container large enough for the toad, preferably portable basically a small aquarium! With proper reimbursement, what couldn't Tom produce?
Forget a simple fish tank—give him enough money, and he could hand-craft an entire custom luxury habitat!
She'd agreed to help but that didn't mean Tom had consented to anything.
Though regardless of Tom's willingness, she'd still help Neville track down Trevor. Still, if Tom refused to come along, she'd have to carefully consider which snacks to leave behind for him.
Leave everything? It would all be devoured! Definitely would be! (￣▽￣)~*
She couldn't say for certain whether Tom would actually do such a thing, but if their positions were reversed, she absolutely couldn't resist the temptation of all those treats!
"What a huge cat! Is he your pet?"
Only now did Neville notice the large cat at Hannah's side. He didn't even have time to wipe away his tears before curiosity overtook him, and his questions were tumbling out.
[Do I look like someone's pet?!]
Tom couldn't understand it. Being mistaken by Hannah earlier was one thing—at the time, he'd been trailing after Luna, so the pet assumption made a certain sense. But now? He was wearing wizard robes, for Merlin's sake!
"Have you read The Quibbler?" Hannah hurried to explain, determined to spare others from repeating her earlier mistake. "A recent issue mentioned that a cat would be joining Hogwarts as a first-year this term. Tom here is that new classmate!"
"Eh? Classmate?! Σ(°口°)"
Neville's mind simply couldn't bridge the gap between "cat" and "classmate." The two concepts refused to connect in any logical way.
As for The Quibbler, he'd heard his Gran mention it before, but wasn't that the magazine filled with ridiculous stories and absurd claims? Since when did it publish actual news?
[That's right! Didn't you even notice the wizard robes I'm wearing?!]
Tom finally couldn't restrain himself from retorting. He was truly baffled by Neville. The boy supposedly only suffered from poor memory, right? When had his eyesight become equally terrible? What young wizard would dress their pet in proper wizard robes?
"S-sorry, I didn't notice..."
Neville's voice dropped lower and lower, his head was now bowing.
Watching the timid, anxious boy in front of him, Tom could only spread his paws helplessly. What could he say? The future Gryffindor King Arthur was, at this moment, still just a confused child lacking in confidence.
[Forget it, I forgive you. Your pet's gone missing, right? I'll help you search for it too!]
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Ignoring Neville's excited gratitude, Tom shook his head and began contemplating how to locate the escaped toad.
His memories of the Harry Potter books had grown frustratingly hazy. He couldn't recall where in the original story Neville had eventually found Trevor.
(In truth, even if he'd remembered, it wouldn't have helped—in canon, Hagrid had ultimately found Trevor on the boats.)
As for using magic? Setting aside the fact that Tom was still fumbling with how to actually cast spells, even if he could perform magic properly, the Summoning Charm, a fourth-year spell was far beyond his current capabilities.
Beside him, Hannah felt a slight pang at Tom's "differential treatment," but considering they were supposed to be helping Neville find Trevor, she said nothing. Instead, she watched Tom with open curiosity, wondering if this remarkable classmate had some special method up his sleeve.
After a moment's consideration, Tom's eyes brightened. His paw curled into a fist, striking his other paw with sudden realization:
[Wait—I think I know how we can find Trevor!]
He might not be able to locate Trevor himself, but that didn't mean no one else could!
"Do you know where we should go to help..."
Halfway through her sentence, Hannah suddenly realized she didn't actually know the boy's name. She quickly turned toward the boy standing in the corridor doorway.
"Neville. I'm Neville Longbottom. Just call me Neville."
Neville's voice emerged quietly, though a thread of cautious pleasure wove through his tone.
"Oh, right—to help Neville find Trevor?"
Hannah's curiosity practically bubbled over. She knew it! This magical cat definitely had hidden talents she hadn't discovered yet!
[I have no idea!]
Tom responded with complete seriousness even as he fished a small slip of parchment from somewhere within his robes.
"(・_・)? Then what exactly do you mean by 'having a way'?"
[Obviously I know where to go to find Trevor!]
Under their bewildered stares, Tom casually sketched a few strokes on the parchment before producing a birdcage from his robes inside which perched an owl radiating profound resignation with existence itself.
"Meow~" (George, be a good boy and deliver this message to Trevor for me~)
Precisely! This was Tom's solution! Since they couldn't locate one small toad aboard the entire Hogwarts Express, they'd let a professional handle it!
Though Tom didn't fully understand the mechanics, as one of this world's most remarkable creatures, owls possessed absolutely maxed-out talents for finding people and navigating routes! Unless someone deliberately concealed themselves, owls could deliver letters with pinpoint precision directly into the recipient's hands.
Tom wasn't entirely certain whether this ability extended to non-human creatures, but trying costs nothing. What if it actually worked?
Hannah and Neville: (○´･д･)ﾉ
Under their watchful gazes, George shot Tom a distinctly disgruntled glare before seizing the parchment slip in his beak and winging off in a particular direction.
"Y-you can use owls like that?!"
Hannah was completely flabbergasted. Wait, was this even reasonable? Weren't owls supposed to deliver mail? Could they really track down people, or rather, animals? Was this actually reliable?!
[Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying, won't we? Come on!]
With evident delight, Tom sprang from the compartment and bounded after George.
"W-wait for me!"
Seeing Tom depart, an equally reality-questioning Neville hastily followed. Just as Tom said regardless of whether this method worked, it had to be better than wandering aimlessly like a headless Grindylow, bumping into dead ends at every turn!
"Wait for me too!"
Hannah glanced between the snacks scattered across the table and the two retreating figures. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly gathered up the treats and dashed after them.
Before long, guided by George's unerring navigation, the group discovered a toad in the train's washroom.
The instant George spotted the toad, he swooped down onto its head, deposited the parchment slip directly atop its skull, then rolled around with precision and glided back to Tom. He perched with one talon on each of Tom's shoulders, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Trevor!"
At the sight of his toad, Neville rushed forward and scooped it up, nuzzling his head against it with joy radiating from every movement.
"Thank you so much! If I hadn't found him, I wouldn't have known how to face Great Uncle Algie..."
[You're welcome. Though, I have to say—maybe you should get a proper tank with water and keep Trevor in that?]
Listening to the toad's desperate croaking and watching its frantic struggles, Tom's expression grew complicated. He finally understood why this toad kept escaping. Being clutched in Neville's hands all day must be absolute torture for the creature!
Moreover, toads required damp, shadowy environments to thrive. Clearly, Neville lacked any appropriate container.
"So, Trevor running away is actually... my fault?"
After hearing Tom's explanation, Neville looked utterly stricken. Everyone else kept their pets this way, why was his toad so troublesome?
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