Chapter 136: 15
Chapter 15: Cassandra's Declaration
"Can we sit in here?"
The door opened again, and Hermione appeared with her thick, unkempt brown hair and prominent front teeth, followed by a round-faced boy who looked timid and uneasy.
Cassandra didn't even look up this time, showing her disinterest.
Ethan could only nod and invite them in. Although the little witch opposite entered the compartment first, anyone had the right to sit there; the compartment did not belong to any individual.
Looking at Ethan in the carriage, Hermione felt a bit embarrassed because their earlier encounter hadn't been pleasant.
But since she had already spoken, she came in, put away her things, and Neville sat down next to Ethan, while Hermione sat next to the little witch.
Hermione had met Neville by chance. When she asked the station staff about Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and was told there was no such platform, she was at a loss. Fortunately, Neville's grandmother helped her.
After entering the platform, Neville was pulled aside by his grandmother for a chat, while Hermione was still fuming over Hogwarts' lack of guidance for Muggle-born students. After all, how would they know how to enter without help?
Just before Hermione left, Ethan bumped into her from behind.
Hermione, already in a bad mood, walked forward with her luggage and met Neville again as he said goodbye to his grandmother. They found the compartment together. If they had known earlier, they would have walked further back.
The atmosphere was really awkward. Ethan, the little witch, and Hermione were all engrossed in their magic books. Only Neville sat timidly aside, trying to reduce his presence. There was no communication throughout.
Neville already regretted following Hermione into this compartment. Even if there were no seats, it would be better to sit on his suitcase in the corridor than to be in this compartment.
"Your toad ran out!"
The quiet of the compartment was broken by Ethan.
"What?"
Neville turned around and looked at Ethan in a daze, a little at a loss.
Even the two little witches looked up and stared at Ethan.
What had he said just now?
"Your toad ran out."
Okay! He had spoken in a dialect out of excitement.
Ethan took a deep breath, pointed under the table, and repeated it in clear words.
Ethan, who had been reading a book, felt something on his shoes. He looked down and saw that it was a toad. Immediately, he felt uneasy. Sure enough, his animal affinity attracted some unwanted attention.
The toad was trying to jump onto Ethan's legs. If Ethan hadn't known it was Neville's pet, he might have kicked it away.
"Ah, Trevor!"
Neville shouted in surprise and looked under the table.
Seeing Trevor squatting on Ethan's foot, Neville immediately leaned down and grabbed him.
The toad in Neville's hand struggled, trying to escape Neville's grip.
Neville had no choice but to stuff it into his pocket and cover it tightly.
Ethan could clearly see the curiosity in Hermione's eyes and the disdain in Cassandra's.
"Why did you bring a toad? Is this popular in the wizarding world?"
Hermione finally asked, eager to know more about the wizarding world. Her knowledge so far was only from books.
"No, this is not popular in the wizarding world!"
"He is just an exception."
Cassandra, sitting next to Hermione, put down her book to defend the wizarding world. Wizards typically looked down on Muggles, and she couldn't let this fool tarnish the reputation of pure-blood wizards.
She had recognized the round-faced boy. Among pure-blood families, Neville's reputation was notable, though not positive.
"Sorry, Trevor is a gift from my uncle when I was eight years old..."
Neville recounted his challenging history of awakening magic. He had almost died several times but succeeded in the end and received Trevor as a reward.
Hermione was stunned. She didn't expect the wizarding world to be so wild.
"Are you sure your uncle gave you a toad out of happiness, not for other reasons?"
Ethan was curious.
Although toads were allowed as pets at Hogwarts, they weren't a popular choice.
Owls, toads, and rats were permitted at Hogwarts. Toads had medicinal uses, and rats were for experiments in spells and potions.
Only a few kept them as pets because they weren't dangerous.
The Weasley family kept rats because they couldn't afford other pets. If they could, they would choose owls. Percy, upon becoming a prefect, got an owl and gave his rat to Ron.
The Weasley family was poor, but the Longbottom family was not. The Remembrall Neville's grandmother sent him was an expensive alchemical product, likely customized for him.
"I think so! I've been clumsy since I was a child. Maybe Hogwarts will send me back this time..."
Neville fell into a depressed state, feeling inferior and thinking he had no talent. He feared none of the four houses would want him.
Hermione looked at Ethan, speechless, as if to say, "Look at what you've done."
And Cassandra scratched her forehead, feeling the pride of pure-blood wizards was being defeated by Neville.
"Since you received the acceptance letter, you won't be sent back."
Ethan reassured him, speaking the truth.
If Neville hadn't been hit by the Obliviate curse, he would be an excellent wizard. The prophecy of the savior wasn't just about Harry; it was for two people.[Obliviate is a charm that can erase specific memories from a person's mind, so it could have been used on a young Neville to erase the memory of his parents being tortured, though he was still told what happened to them. This could also explain why he had such bad memory growing up]
Without Neville's sword killing Nagini at the critical moment, Harry wouldn't have won the final victory. Both were indispensable.
"Really?"
Neville perked up a bit.
"Of course, have you ever heard of anyone who failed to enroll after receiving an acceptance letter?"
Ethan shrugged.
The only person Ethan knew who had been expelled from Hogwarts was a Squib. He hadn't received an acceptance letter but had broken into Hogwarts on the enrollment day and grabbed the Sorting Hat. The Sorting Hat told him he had no magical talent and couldn't become a student of Hogwarts.
"Neville Longbottom!"
Facing Ethan, Neville solemnly introduced himself.
Over the years, all the peers he had met laughed at and despised him. Only a few offered kind words of comfort.
"Ethan Adrian!"
Ethan responded.
"Hermione Granger!"
Hermione added with a smile.
"Cassandra Wallace, the pride of Slytherin in the future!"
Cassandra raised her head proudly and declared.
"Are you a senior from Slytherin?"
Hermione asked hesitantly.
She had thought everyone present was her age and, based on her knowledge from wizard books, didn't like Slytherin.
"No, I am also a first-year, but I will definitely be in Slytherin."
Cassandra was certain.
It turned out to be her!
A character in the game, but the era seemed a little off.
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