For the rest of the journey, Jeremy found it amusing as he watched the two boys across from him carefully avoid his gaze; whenever they accidentally made eye contact, they would quickly give him an apologetic smile, then sit up straight, afraid to move, worried they might somehow remind him of his painful memories.
After holding back his laughter for a while, Jeremy initiated conversation to ease the awkward atmosphere, and the two children were no match for Jeremy; soon enough, they were chattering away.
"Jeremy, have you thought about which house you want to go to?" Thomas asked casually while eating a Chocolate Frog.
Jim spoke up first:
"I'll definitely be in Hufflepuff, my whole family is; you have no idea, it's lucky my family is low-key and timid; after the Dark Lord rose, the elders decided to move, and I mean we moved constantly, every six months to a year; honestly, my most vivid childhood memory is my mother packing me into a suitcase, and me eating and sleeping inside it."
Thomas continued:
"As for me, maybe Hufflepuff and Gryffindor are fifty-fifty, possibly even Ravenclaw; there's been so much intermarriage with wizards from other houses in my family, it's hard to say. Luckily, though, we've never married anyone from Slytherin. Otherwise..."
Thomas shuddered, not daring to imagine.
Jeremy thought for a moment, then spoke:
"I should be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff; my dad was Ravenclaw, my mom was Hufflepuff; I don't have much ambition or courage either, I just want to complete my studies safely; maybe Hufflepuff is more likely."
Jim and Thomas were quite pleased; the new friend they had just made might end up in the same house as them, which gave them the satisfaction of collecting a card in a game.
Soon, the sky grew dark, and Jeremy looked out the window.
The glass reflected his thin, pale-white cheeks and the straight black hair falling on either side; the gray headband on his forehead securely concealed the Caged Bird.
Jeremy's train of thought drifted slightly; his current situation was a bit like Professor Severus Snape's, both half-bloods, both pale-skinned with black hair, both bearing a soul-bound magical contract that threatened their lives.
He wondered if Snape might see their similar fates and generously help him resolve the curse mark.
Jeremy chuckled softly, snapped back to reality, saw Thomas and Jim already changing into their school robes, and followed suit.
After the train arrived, it was indeed Hagrid who greeted the first-year students.
Seeing him in person was even more huge than in the movies.
Hagrid was perhaps 3.5 meters tall, nearly three times Jeremy's height, and almost 1.5 meters wide; the man was stout and burly, though Jeremy guessed he probably had many things hidden under his clothes.
Hagrid approached with heavy footsteps; based on the experience of his previous life as Jeremy, Jeremy estimated his weight to be at least three hundred kilograms.
Gosh, a polar bear standing up in an Arctic zoo was probably about this size.
Jeremy was genuinely shocked for once.
The new young witches and wizards followed Hagrid to the lake; Jeremy noticed the second-years and above heading in another direction, and he knew they were going to take the carriages, feeling a little envious.
He wondered if he could see Thestrals now; he had witnessed too much death in his previous life.
Jeremy, Thomas, Jim, and an unfamiliar young girl boarded a boat; as the boat glided across the Black Lake, Jeremy remembered the giant squid living in it, grew curious, lowered his head, and activated his Byakugan on the dark lake surface.
The lake surface remained pitch black, but scattered dots of light were visible; Jeremy guessed the stationary ones were lakebed aquatic plants with faint traces of magical energy, while the moving ones, which zipped away in an instant, were magical creatures dwelling at the bottom, such as merpeople, Grindylows, and so on.
Jeremy looked for a long time but didn't see the giant squid; just as he was about to deactivate his Byakugan in disappointment, a vast area of bright white light suddenly burst into the edge of his vision; then, the light mass grew enormous, covering Jeremy's entire field of view.
"Hiss!" Jeremy's eyes stung, and he quickly deactivated his Byakugan, pulling his head back.
"Jeremy, what's wrong? Are your eyes bothering you?" Thomas noticed something amiss and quickly asked.
Jeremy closed his eyes and shook his head; only after the light spots on his retina faded did he open his eyes and explain:
"It's nothing, Thomas. A little fish swam by in the Black Lake, and some lake water splashed into my eye."
Only then did Thomas relax and turn to explain Jeremy's situation to the young girl, who had been startled by the Byakugan.
Seeing the girl's expression shift from fear to sympathy, Jeremy found it a bit speechless.
Soon, the boat reached the shore; just like in the movies he had once seen, Jeremy saw the brilliantly lit Great Hall and the vast starry sky twinkling overhead.
The atmosphere at the Slytherin table was somber; many upper-year wizards looked displeased, with only a few appearing composed, as if unaffected by Voldemort's death.
The Ravenclaw table truly lived up to its reputation as a gathering place for researchers; students huddled together in small groups, speaking quietly, and judging by the parchment and quills in their hands, they were likely discussing academic matters.
The wizards at the Hufflepuff table were all very relaxed; for them, Voldemort's death meant safety, no longer having to live in constant fear.
Of course, the liveliest atmosphere was at the Gryffindor table; after all, the one who defeated Voldemort was the Potter family, from Gryffindor; the main wizards of the Order of the Phoenix, like Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, were also Gryffindors; they whistled and applauded, welcoming the group of new wizards who had just walked in.
Jeremy glanced at the professors' table and indeed recognized many familiar faces.
Among the crowd of new students, all craning their necks and curiously looking around, Jeremy's gaze, fixed intently on the professors' table, stood out; nearly every professor looked back, but no one showed surprise at Jeremy's eyes; instead, they all gave polite smiles.
Even Professor Severus Snape merely glanced away indifferently.
Jeremy understood; Professor McGonagall must have informed them in advance.
At the house tables, some people also noticed Jeremy's eyes, but most paid no attention; occasionally, one or two seemed about to ask, but were stopped by older students nearby.
They had lived through the darkest times and knew the wisdom of not prying or gossiping, showing little interest in probing another's peculiarities.
Professor McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and began the Sorting.
Gryffindor had the most students, followed by Ravenclaw, then Hufflepuff; the house with the fewest was Slytherin.
Thomas and Jim were both sorted into Hufflepuff; the two friends were delighted, as they could be together again.
When it was Jeremy's turn, he sat on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat.
"My word, you don't have much ambition, and you're not one to play with people's hearts; you're a kind, good child. But you don't seem to champion reckless courage. Let me see... you wish to study magic, especially Potions, is that right?"
"Very well, then, RAVENCLAW!"
Jeremy smiled, and applause rose from the Ravenclaw table.
As he was about to take off the Sorting Hat, it quietly spoke again:
"I should mention, learning Potions requires enduring criticism."
Jeremy couldn't help but snicker; Professor Snape hadn't even been here a full year, yet even the Sorting Hat understood his temperament; the young students must be even more devastated.
Seated at the Ravenclaw table, a preceptor leaned over and said:
"Hello, Jeremy Pringle. I'm Henry Sinclair, Ravenclaw prefect, fifth year. Welcome to Ravenclaw."
"Hello, Prefect Sinclair. I am honored to join Ravenclaw," Jeremy replied.
After a few exchanges of greetings, Jeremy was naturally accepted by the Ravenclaw prefects and older students.
Soon, the feast began; a vast array of dishes suddenly appeared on the table, and the Great Hall instantly became lively.
Jeremy ate the roast chicken legs, roast potatoes, and roast sausages on the table; he ate with gusto.
After all, no matter how it was prepared, it was better than soldier pills.