Chapter 95. The Story Begins
This year, apart from growing taller, everyone looked much the same.
Ian, however, was a bit darker.
He said his family took him to the beach for over a month this summer; no wonder he got tanned.
While they were chatting, the door to the private room was suddenly opened from the outside.
"Excuse me, has anyone seen a toad? Neville's toad is lost."
The brown-haired girl peeked in from outside and asked, then exclaimed with delight.
"Oh, Lynn, you're here!"
It was Hermione, whom they hadn't seen for long.
"You're helping someone look for their toad." Lynn opened the door and let her in.
Seeing that there were other people present, she said generously.
"Yes, Neville is a little shy, and I saw he was in a hurry, so I offered to help him look. I can't chat with you anymore; I need to go ask in the next private room."
"Want some snacks?"
"Is that okay?" She tilted her head to look at Lynn's friend.
Cedric and Ian naturally agreed, nodding together.
Then Hermione took a box of chocolate hazelnuts.
After Hermione left, Cedric asked suspiciously,
"Your friend?"
Lynn nodded.
"My neighbor's, a very lively little girl, isn't she?"
"She's quite helpful."
Just then, an owl flapped its wings and flew alongside the train.
Lynn stared at it through the glass for several seconds, then remembered that it was the owl he had bought this summer.
He quickly rolled down the window to let it in.
Lynn's owl looked extremely disheveled, its feathers ruffled as if it had just been ravaged by another owl. As soon as it flew in, it eagerly pecked at the back of Lynn's hand.
Lynn immediately understood what it meant, opened a bag of biscuits, broke them into pieces, and placed them in front of it for it to eat.
He also received a reply from Professor Fox.
Ian was tending to the owl with a towel.
"It seems to have flown back from a very far place,"
Lynn said, opening the letter with wide eyes.
"It really is very far. It flew from England to the border of Eurasia and then back from there,"
Professor Fox explained in his reply. He had already traveled to the Bulgarian border and was just a short distance from Turkey. He also solemnly boasted to Lynn about how delicious the kebab there was, regretting that they couldn't try it together.
Along with the letter were a dozen or so thick sheets of parchment, handwritten materials from Professor Fox based on the conjectures Lynn had proposed in his previous letters.
Lynn didn't rush to read them; there would be plenty of time once they arrived at Hogwarts.
...
The train was approaching its destination, and the young wizards in their compartments began to stir, changing their robes and preparing to disembark.
Lynn and his group were no exception.
"You're second year now, so you'll be taking the Thestrals to school like me." After the train came to a stop, Cedric led them off.
It was still night. Hagrid stood in front of a small, shabby platform, shouting, "First-years, come this way! Hey! Harry, all right?"
Lynn watched him greet the dark-haired, bespectacled boy they'd met in Diagon Alley. Beside him was a red-haired boy who looked somewhat like the Weasley twins; that must be Ron.
Hermione was still mingling with the new students, seemingly comforting Neville who was crying over the lost toad.
The first-years were naturally led by Hagrid, while Lynn and the others followed the prefects to ride in the Thestrals' carriages.
Because the seventh-year students were graduating, this year's prefects were all new. Lynn recognized the Gryffindor prefect—Percy, one of the Weasley brothers, whom he had met at the beginning of the previous year.
The Slytherin prefect had also changed; Betty had graduated, which pleased Lynn greatly—the upperclassman who had been lusting after him was finally gone.
At the edge of the woods, Lynn saw a herd of Thestrals.
They were emaciated, with heads resembling western dragons, or perhaps lizards, and huge bat wings growing from their sides. Their overall color was black, and the wand Lynn was currently using had a core made from the heartstrings of these creatures.
Only those who had witnessed death could see them; of the three, Lynn and Ian could see them, but Cedric could not.
Lynn didn't actually know why he could see them. In both his past and present lives, he hadn't witnessed anyone die before his eyes…
or rather, he had witnessed his own death.
Perhaps that was why he could see the Thestrals.
As for why Ian could see them, everyone understood and no one asked unless he asked, just as no one asked Lynn.
The carriage brought them to the gates of Hogwarts, and then, led by the prefects, they returned to the Great Hall after two months.
Everyone sat at their assigned tables. The professors were mostly seated on the platform, except for Professor McGonagall, who was waiting behind the castle gates for Hagrid to take over the new students.
Lynn chatted idly with the Slytherins at the Slytherin table, his eyes and attention constantly glancing towards the table where the professors sat.
Professor Quirrell sat on the edge of the professors' chair, his head wrapped in a scarf resembling that of an Indian, making him stand out among the professors.
Lynn's expression was strange as he thought, "Such an obvious change, haven't any professors noticed Quirrell's unusual behavior?"
Just as he maliciously speculated which professors had guessed but were pretending not to know, he suddenly felt a gaze directed at him from the platform.
Lynn turned to meet his gaze, feigning nonchalance.
Dumbledore smiled and nodded at him, and Lynn politely grinned back.
*Lyb, don't smile at me! Go smile at your Harry Potter!
* Just as he thought this, Professor McGonagall emerged from a side room next to the Great Hall with a group of new students.
She placed the Sorting Hat on the platform, officially beginning the sorting process.
Along with Professor McGonagall's call, Lynn silently chanted in his mind:
"Hannah, the blacksmith.
" "Hannah Abbott!"
A girl with two small golden braids ran onto the platform; unsurprisingly, she was sorted into Hufflepuff.
There were many familiar faces this year.
Hermione was still sorted into Gryffindor, which didn't surprise Lynn.
Given her personality, only Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were suitable for her at Hogwarts, but if she wanted to be a leader, she would only choose Gryffindor.
And Harry Potter too.
When Professor McGonagall called his name, the young wizards in the Great Hall erupted in commotion.
Countless people were watching to see where he would be sorted.
"Gryffindor!"
the Sorting Hat's booming voice rang out, and the Gryffindor table immediately boiled over.
Lynn couldn't help but smile at the scene.
Normally, this year would be Gryffindor's year of triumph.
If he weren't there.
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(End of Chapter)