บท 12: Chapter 12: Knowing There Are Tigers in the Mountains, Yet Walking Towards Them
"I hope this month's manuscript doesn't get changed too much."
Andrew carefully tied the manuscript to the owl's leg, bidding farewell to his bird, Rose, as if saying goodbye to a ticking time bomb. (This owl had ruined a blooming rose bush while hunting for mice, and after being scolded by Andrew for half a day, it accepted the name "Rose" in defiance.)
Still, Andrew knew he had no choice.
He firmly refused to receive any forwarded reader letters from the editorial office, and he also refused to change the protagonist's name. In the version he submitted, the protagonist was Gryffindor, and if anything went wrong, he hoped the second author would take the blame—although this was idealistic, it was the only bit of independence he could ensure.
Fortunately, the people at Magical Legends magazine had a talent for dancing along the edge of trouble. Based on the issues Andrew had secretly bought, both localization and grammar were well adjusted.
This gave him peace of mind—or at least, that's what he told himself.
The manuscript he had just delivered was for the September issue, and the number nine carried a particular significance—Hogwarts was about to start.
If the issue came out on the usual publication date, the seventh, he would already be at Hogwarts by then.
Yes, reading the headmaster's unauthorized biography while being at Hogwarts—how thrilling.
With that in mind, going to Hogwarts seemed far less exciting.
Still, he was glad to have submitted the manuscript before the deadline—he didn't want an editor Apparating with a wand, demanding the script. All of his distancing efforts would be pointless then...
Packing his luggage and bidding farewell to everyone at the orphanage, time quickly moved to August 31st.
Although theoretically, he could catch a train on the day itself, Andrew opted to take an afternoon train to London the day before—at this point in time, anyone who still trusted trains to be punctual was a fool.
As he expected, the train arrived in London in the morning, and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was already open early.
Yawning after the overnight journey, Andrew entered the platform just as the Hogwarts Express was being cleaned.
After politely greeting the attendants, Andrew found a compartment that wasn't the best but also wasn't the worst. He pulled a blanket from his luggage, wrapped it around himself, and soon drifted off to sleep.
When he received his ticket, he had studied it carefully. It was a special train with no fixed seating, and it made no sense not to get there early to grab a decent spot—especially since he didn't have anyone to see him off.
It wasn't until noises from outside the compartment woke him that he realized it was already half-past nine. Looking out the window, parents and students were slowly trickling onto the platform.
Leaving his luggage on the seat and draping the blanket to show the compartment was taken, Andrew set off to find the trolley witch.
Even if he got caught for his fabricated stories at Hogwarts, he was determined to try some of the snacks—though all his previous attempts had ended in disappointment, both at the orphanage and the Leaky Cauldron.
Luckily, the trolley had enough variety for him to try his luck again. With a mindset that it would be a shame if he got exposed without tasting these treats, he bought one of everything and even asked about the trolley's route for future refills.
Unexpectedly, when Andrew returned, there was already someone in his compartment—a senior student, no less.
Considering the compartment he chose wasn't one of the best, there should have still been better spots available at this time.
"Hello, I'm a first-year," Andrew said, putting down his snacks and extending his hand. From the robes, it was clear the other boy was from Hufflepuff, which meant he was likely approachable. "My name is Andrew—Andrew Taylor."
"Hey, Andrew," the older student shook his hand. "I'm Cisse—Cisse Weir, Hufflepuff, third year."
"Want some snacks?"
Andrew pushed the pile of snacks to the center of the table. "I come from a Muggle background, so it's my first time seeing these."
"You're in for a treat," Cisse said, seeing that Andrew wasn't just being polite. He grabbed a Chocolate Frog. "Without a doubt, Chocolate Frogs are the best choice. Watch closely—you have to open them like this, so you don't damage the card inside. Those cards are valuable among students."
"Oh, not great," Cisse showed Andrew the card. "It's Dumbledore."
The pentagonal card made Andrew feel uneasy. He opened a package of his own, his stomach sinking—it was the same familiar face he had just seen.
"This card has no trade value..."
Cisse handed the card to Andrew. "You'll want to start collecting cards. Even moderately rare cards can earn you a homework pass, and the rarest ones can get you out of half a month's worth of assignments."
...
It didn't sound any different from kids collecting trading cards back in primary school...
"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans are something to try when you have time, but don't mix them with other foods. If you get an earwax-flavored one, it will ruin everything."
"Licorice Wands aren't a great choice, if you ask me. They should source a better batch from Honeydukes."
"Cauldron Cakes are good for filling you up, and so are Pumpkin Pasties—but don't overdo it. Dinner at Hogwarts is even better than you'd expect, though maybe not as good as in our House."
Cisse casually munched on a bean, sharing all this information with Andrew.
"After third year, you can go to Hogsmeade. The snacks there are much better. Alternatively, you could use owl delivery—that's another trick for keeping a supply."
"If you ever miss a meal, you could also try the kitchens. The house-elves can whip up something tasty anytime."
"Just be careful of the portraits..."
"Speaking of portraits, that knight portrait is ridiculous. Every time I pass it..."
...
It seemed Cisse's chatterbox had been opened, and he ended up sharing a lot of information with Andrew, until someone came by to call him away.
"Don't share a compartment with a first-year! The prefects said they need to mingle and talk amongst themselves, especially about the Sorting!"
The boy who had come to fetch him was also in Hufflepuff, and he spoke with a smile. Cisse seemed to snap out of it, slapped his forehead, and hurriedly excused himself. He even declined the two Chocolate Frogs Andrew offered as thanks.
"There's a rule like that?"
It didn't matter, though, because soon enough, the compartment was filled with first-year kids.
Even before they introduced themselves, Andrew could easily tell they were all first-years—it was just too obvious. As much as he tried to blend in as a new student, he simply couldn't imitate that wide-eyed curiosity, where everything seemed worth poking with a wand.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง