Seeing Goku step forward, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Get out of the way, you little runt," Goyle sneered, reaching out with one beefy hand to shove Goku aside so he could snatch the snacks off the table.
However, when his hand hit Goku's shoulder, he found that no matter how hard he pushed, the boy wouldn't budge an inch.
"You're so weak!"
Goku looked up at Goyle, his face falling with genuine disappointment. An opponent this weak wouldn't help him improve at all.
Lifting a finger, Goku gave Goyle's stomach a light flick. The larger boy was sent flying out of the compartment, slamming hard against the metal wall of the corridor. As he slid to the floor, Goyle let out a loud, pathetic wail. Despite his size, he was still just a child, and when things actually hurt, he cried just like anyone else.
Crabbe, who had been about to join the fray, froze in terror and scrambled backward. Malfoy was equally shaken, though he tried his best to maintain his composure.
"You... you're just a brute! A proper wizard's duel is fought with magic, not fists. We'll settle this once we get to school."
Malfoy turned and beat a hasty retreat, clearly afraid that if he lingered, he would be the next one flying through the air.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst into laughter.
"With magic?" Hermione giggled once she caught her breath. "I'm afraid Goku would just blast him to smithereens."
With the excitement over, Hermione left to continue helping Neville with his toad. Ron and Harry began pulling on their school robes.
"Goku, hurry up and change! I can feel the train slowing down."
"Why do I have to wear this? I don't like it," Goku grumbled, eyeing the long black robe with suspicion. He felt like the heavy fabric would get in the way during a fight.
"You have to! It's the rule at Hogwarts; everyone has to wear them," Ron insisted. He and Harry practically had to dress Goku themselves, draped the robe over his shoulders.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately," a voice echoed through the carriage.
Harry and Ron looked increasingly nervous, but Goku's eyes lit up with excitement. They were finally here. He was finally going to meet the "Strongest Wizard" and test his limits.
...
When the train came to a full stop, the trio followed the crowd onto the dark platform.
"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!"
A familiar, booming voice cut through the chatter. Goku turned and saw Hagrid, the giant man they'd met in Diagon Alley.
"Hagrid!" Harry called out, waving happily.
"Harry! Over here! You doin' alright?" Hagrid beamed at them.
Once the first-years had gathered, Hagrid led them down a steep, narrow path that opened up to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starlit sky, sat a vast, sprawling castle with many turrets and towers.
"That's a huge lake... I bet there are some big fish in there!" Goku licked his lips. The turkeys and snacks from earlier had barely touched the sides; he was already hungry again. If he still had his tail, he'd have probably dangled it over the side of the boat to see what he could catch.
"Four to a boat! Everyone line up!" Hagrid directed them toward a fleet of small boats.
With no wind and no oars, the boats glided across the glassy surface toward the castle. While the other students stared in awe at the majestic architecture, Goku spent the entire trip leaning over the side, staring intently into the dark water. His instincts told him there were monsters—and more importantly, *food*—down there.
"Are we going to see Dumbledore soon?" Goku asked Ron as they climbed a stone passage toward the castle. If Hogwarts didn't have the free dinner Nymphadora promised, he figured he could always run back to the lake and grab a snack after his fight.
"Soon, definitely," Ron nodded. He assumed Goku was just a massive fan of Dumbledore, which made sense—most wizards were.
They reached a grassy area in front of the castle's massive oak doors, where Hagrid handed them over to a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes. She led them into a small chamber off the Great Hall and explained the four Houses and the Sorting Ceremony.
Goku listened, though he was mostly confused. He finally realized that Hogwarts was a "school" and these kids were here to learn "magic." In his mind, it was just like a dojo. Harry and Ron were here to apprentice under a master, just like he had with Grandpa Roshi. It was basically a magical version of the Shaolin Temple where Krillin used to train.
He wasn't here to be a student, though. He was here for a duel. He realized everyone else seemed to have the wrong idea about why he was there, but he didn't mind. As long as he got to find Dumbledore, it was fine.
"The Sorting Ceremony will begin in five minutes," the witch said, her eyes sweeping over the nervous children. "I suggest you all smarten yourselves up. I shall return for you shortly."
"Do you know how they sort us?" Hermione whispered nervously. "I want to be in Gryffindor because Dumbledore was in that house. Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad either..."
"George said it's some kind of test that hurts a lot," Ron muttered, looking pale. "But he might be joking. He usually is."
"I hope it's Gryffindor," Harry added. Both his new friends wanted to go there, and he wanted to be with them. "Anywhere but Slytherin. I heard that's where all the Dark Wizards come from."
"Goku, what about you?"
"Me? I'm not going to any House," Goku said honestly. "Once I'm done challenging Dumbledore and showing you guys how to train, I'm going to head back out to continue my own training."
The others stared at him. They assumed he was just cracking a joke to ease the tension. No one believed a twelve-year-old was actually going to challenge Albus Dumbledore.
"We're ready for you now," the witch in green returned. She led them through the massive doors and into the Great Hall.
The moment Goku stepped inside, his eyes locked onto the elderly man sitting in the center of the staff table at the front of the hall. Without a second's hesitation, Goku kicked off the ground. He leaped high over the heads of the startled students and landed gracefully right on the table in front of the old man.
"Hi! My name's Son Goku. Excuse me, but will you duel me?"
***
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