As the whistle blew again, the red steam train moved along the tracks, slowly departing from King's Cross Station.
The carriage was filled with excited whispers and laughter.
The scenery outside gradually shifted from the tall buildings of the city to the green fields and rolling hills of the English countryside.
"Why is everything full?" After boarding the train, Hoare swapped to Henry William's head and walked through the ancient train with his suitcase.
He had just boarded when the train's whistle blew again, departing promptly at eleven o'clock.
Hoare searched for an empty compartment, wanting some peace to count his money. All thirty books in his suitcase had sold out, and he wanted to see how much he had earned.
"Have you seen Trevor?" A girl with messy brown curls blocked Hoare's path, her chin raised. "Trevor, Neville's toad, have you seen it?"
"No." Hoare immediately recognized her as Hermione Granger, the know-it-all from Gryffindor.
The Granger family were dentists, a lucrative profession in England, and surely they wouldn't skimp on pocket money for their only child away from home.
Hoare's mind flashed with information about Granger; he remembered she was a Gryffindor obsessed with learning, constantly shuttling between classrooms, and the paths at Hogwarts were not friendly.
Hoare smiled kindly, forgiving Granger's rudeness at the moment, grateful for the inspiration she sparked in him.
He thought of the Marauder's Map he had secretly taken from George and Fred's drawer.
Hopefully, Granger would pay him a satisfactory reward when the time came.
"Alright, if you see it, please let me know." Granger, chin raised, pulled Neville along and continued to knock on the next door.
Hoare shook his head, ready to move forward, then saw a familiar face through the door Granger had opened. Hoare raised an eyebrow, deciding not to look for a separate compartment.
Granger had finished her inquiry and was pulling Neville along to continue searching for Trevor.
I'm witnessing the trio's first meeting, Hoare thought to himself.
The Potter family's inheritance is quite substantial.
Hoare's mind flashed back to when he first saw Harry Potter, the pile of glittering Galleons in the Potter family vault at Gringotts, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.
Hoare stepped forward to stop Granger from closing the door, "Hello, I'm Henry William. I haven't found an empty seat yet. May I sit here?"
"Of course, please sit. I'm Ron Weasley."
"I'm Harry Potter."
Hearing the name Harry Potter, Hoare couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "The Potter?" he asked.
"Yes, that Potter," Harry replied helplessly, having answered this question many times today.
Hoare thought to himself, The big spender has appeared. If I don't take advantage, I won't be at ease!
The newly arrived Harry Potter was filled with fear of everything, terrified of being sent back to 4 Privet Drive. Let me guide him a bit and earn some pocket money.
"This is your first time coming here, right?" Hoare lowered his voice, speaking with certainty.
Harry nodded.
"Do you know how many houses there are at Hogwarts?
Do you know who the head of each house is?
Do you know which house is closest to the kitchen and which is best for adventures?
Do you know which candy shop often has discounts?
Do you know which fish in the Great Lake tastes best when grilled?"
Harry shook his head.
What is this person talking about?
Is it a language only understood in the wizarding world?
Harry glanced at Ron, who also seemed bewildered, thinking that if Ron didn't understand either, it wasn't his problem.
He sensed that this person meant no harm.
Hoare entered the compartment, closed the door, and sat next to Harry.
"None of that is important," Hoare said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Then what's important?" Harry and Ron exchanged puzzled looks, and Harry asked.
"The important thing is, the fish in the Great Lake is truly delicious!" Hoare declared emphatically.
"What?"
"What!? You want to eat the fish from Hogwarts?" Harry and Ron looked at Hoare in disbelief.
Ron knew where the Great Lake was and thought, Goodness, he hasn't even started school yet and is already thinking about the school's fish!
And if he remembered correctly, there were mermaids in the Great Lake!
Harry was utterly confused. What was the Great Lake? But since it was a lake, wasn't it normal for there to be fish? Why did Ron look so shocked?
He hesitantly asked, "Excuse me..."
"Can't you eat the fish from the Great Lake?"
"Of course not!" Ron replied urgently, afraid Harry would be led astray by this strange person. "The Great Lake is Hogwarts' lake, and mermaids live there!"
"Mermaids eat fish too; that's what the mermaid told me," Hoare said. Before school started, he had used Polyjuice Potion to visit Knockturn Alley and chatted with a mermaid on display there.
Hoare looked at Harry with a calm, reassuring gaze. "Harry, you can ask me anything you don't understand about the wizarding world."
"Then, how many houses are there at Hogwarts, and how do we get in?" Harry asked cautiously, not really interested in whether the fish in the Great Lake tasted good.
Harry had been worrying that if he couldn't get into a house, he'd be sent back to Privet Drive to wear that stinky school uniform.
"There are four houses at Hogwarts," Ron answered quickly. "Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff."
Ron answered quickly, displeased that Hoare had captured Harry's attention.
"Our whole family is in Gryffindor, and I will be too."
"Gryffindor, brave, kind, and just. Dumbledore graduated from Gryffindor; it's the best house," Ron said proudly.
"Really?" Harry's eyes were filled with longing. Brave, kind, and just—wouldn't that mean no one would bully him? Could he really get in?
"Of course, you're Harry Potter," Ron said, head held high, already imagining the glory of being in the same house as Harry. That was Harry Potter!
"What about the other houses? What if I'm sorted into another house?" Harry asked anxiously.
Hoare raised an eyebrow, analyzing internally. The current Harry Potter was just a poor kid bullied by his cousin, hesitant and insecure, used to denying all good things.
Hoare thought for two seconds; only the heartwarming Patronus Charm could dispel such worries.
[Host: Hoare Weasley]
[Available Galleons: 400 Galleons, 21 Knuts]
"Purchase spell talent, learn the Patronus Charm," Hoare said in his mind.
[Ding]
[Panel Updated]
[C-Level Ability: Spells (Patronus Charm)]
[Available Galleons: 290 Galleons, 21 Knuts]
"That's no big deal. As far as I know, the Potter family also had ancestors in Slytherin," Hoare's words sparked Ron's anger.
Hoare genuinely thought it was no big deal; the era of the Dark Lord had long passed.
"Harry could never go to Slytherin!" Ron exclaimed angrily, his fiery red hair matching his temper.
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Harry asked, seeing Ron's anger and quickly inquiring.
"Slytherin, they like cunning, ambitious students and only pure-blood wizards," Ron lowered his voice. "You-Know-Who and many of his followers graduated from there."
Mentioning You-Know-Who, Ron shivered involuntarily; that was a terrifying existence.
"The Weasley family almost never gets sorted into Slytherin; we lean towards Gryffindor."
Ron's description made Harry feel repelled; it sounded like the kind of place Dudley would fit into.
"I want to go to Gryffindor too," Harry said anxiously. "But how do we get sorted?"
Ron hesitated, "George and Fred said you have to fight a troll to get into Gryffindor."
Seeing Harry and Ron's troubled faces, Hoare knew it was time for him to step in.
He lowered his voice, leaned close to Harry's ear, and spoke in a tone only they could hear, "I have a way to help you, to ensure you get into Gryffindor."
"Really?" Harry's emerald eyes sparkled with hope.
"But..." Hoare smiled slightly, "it'll cost extra."
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan