If Hannah Abbott was the undisputed Iron-Hat King of Hogwarts, then the Neville Longbottom currently standing before Ryze could be called the Toad Immortal.
After all, almost every student in the same year as Harry Potter would eventually be asked by him on the train whether they had seen his missing toad.
"I haven't seen your toad," Ryze said calmly as he set his book aside and observed the boy standing in front of him. Much like Harry Potter, Neville possessed the qualities of someone destined for greatness.
However, the Neville of today was still far too immature.
Seeing the anxious expression on Neville's face, Ryze gently patted the seat opposite him.
"The train is about to depart, and this is the most crowded time. If your toad is still on the train, I suggest waiting until the train starts moving and everyone has settled into their seats. It'll be easier to search then."
He gestured toward the empty seat.
"You can sit here and rest for a while."
Neville hesitated for a moment before following Ryze's suggestion. He carefully sat down on the seat, though he remained stiff, placing only half his weight on the cushion as if afraid he might break it.
He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. When the Hogwarts Express slowly began to move, he suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly introduced himself.
"Um… I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom. I—I'm a first-year at Hogwarts this year. Thank you for reminding me and letting me sit here!"
"Ryze White. Also a first-year," Ryze replied casually. "You can relax a bit. There's no need to be so nervous."
He handed Neville a tissue.
Neville gratefully wiped his face and murmured another thank-you.
Ryze then began asking him a few casual questions.
Having grown up in an orphanage, Ryze was very skilled at interacting with children of all personalities. For someone lacking confidence like Neville, it didn't take much effort to make them open up.
All Ryze needed to do was ask simple questions, occasionally echo Neville's responses, and offer small gestures of encouragement.
At one point he even poured Neville a glass of water.
"Don't rush," Ryze said gently. "Take your time."
Encouraged by the relaxed atmosphere, Neville gradually began talking more freely.
Before long, he ended up sharing quite a bit about his family.
Most of it was trivial gossip, and Neville spoke in a rather scattered way, jumping from one topic to another. Still, Ryze managed to piece together the important details.
He finally understood why Neville valued the toad named Trevor so much.
It turned out Trevor had been a gift from Neville's great-uncle, Algie.
Neville had shown no magical talent throughout his childhood, which had made his family extremely worried. But at the age of eight, he had finally displayed accidental magic during a dangerous incident that nearly cost him his life.
To celebrate that long-awaited sign of magical ability, Great-Uncle Algie had given him Trevor as a gift.
For Neville, who had rarely done anything that satisfied his family, that gift held a very special meaning.
"It's just that… Trevor doesn't seem to like me very much," Neville said miserably as he rubbed his messy hair. "He's always trying to run away from me."
As he spoke, Neville suddenly realized something.
He had been chatting with this new friend for nearly an hour.
He quickly stood up in alarm.
"Thank you for talking with me for so long, but I have to go find Trevor now! If he escapes completely, I won't know how to face Great-Uncle Algie!"
Ryze found it quite interesting to hear the background of this character who would eventually grow into a hero.
After all, understanding the untold parts of someone's growth was always worthwhile.
Before Neville could leave, Ryze summoned something.
A faint magical ripple appeared, and a small creature emerged beside him.
"This is my familiar, Ailey," Ryze said. "It's very sensitive to magical auras. I think it should be able to help you locate Trevor."
Neville had never seen a familiar that looked like Ailey before. However, the moment he heard Ryze's words, his eyes instantly became moist again.
"Thank you so much!"
He bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
"As soon as I find Trevor, I'll bring him back right away!"
With that, Neville hurried out of the compartment.
Once he left, the carriage quickly fell silent again.
Ryze calmly returned to reading his book.
When the snack trolley passed by later, he purchased several drinks and sweets he had previously tried in Hogsmeade. Under the attendant's enthusiastic recommendation, he also bought several cakes and pastries that looked particularly delicious.
After all, the train wouldn't reach Hogwarts until evening.
And once they arrived, the Sorting Ceremony would still need to take place.
According to Nymphadora, Hogwarts accepted around one or two hundred new students each year. By the time the Sorting Hat finished its work and the opening feast began, it would probably already be eight or nine at night.
Ryze had no intention of starving himself until then.
Besides, after living here for years, he had already lost most of his expectations for British cuisine.
The so-called grand feast at Hogwarts might not be nearly as appealing as the sweets in front of him.
Meanwhile, on Neville's side, even with Ailey's help, searching through hundreds of compartments on the Hogwarts Express still took quite some time.
By the time Neville finally returned, it was already afternoon.
He looked both exhausted and incredibly excited.
In his hand was the unfortunate Trevor, who appeared utterly miserable as Neville squeezed him tightly in relief.
Behind Neville stood a young girl.
"Thank you so much, Ryze!" Neville said gratefully.
"Trevor actually ran into a Slytherin upperclassman's compartment. If Ailey hadn't helped catch him, I wouldn't have dared to talk to them!"
With tears of relief still in his eyes, Neville held up Trevor while enthusiastically recounting everything that had happened.
He talked about how some Ravenclaw upperclassmen had teased him.
He mentioned the Hufflepuff students who had kindly tried to help.
He even described meeting the famous Boy Who Lived—Harry Potter—in one of the rear compartments.
Neville spoke so quickly that by the time he finished, he was practically out of breath.
"Alright, alright," Ryze said with a small smile. "It's good that you found Trevor."
He glanced at the toad.
"But he looks a little uncomfortable. You don't need to hold him that tightly. He's not going anywhere from here."
Neville loosened his grip slightly in embarrassment.
Ryze then arranged several small cakes and snacks on the table in front of them.
"Sit down and eat something."
"It's already noon, and judging from how busy you've been, you probably haven't eaten yet."
At the same time, Ailey quietly slipped back into the compartment from behind Neville.
The little familiar nimbly returned to Ryze's side and affectionately rubbed against him.
Ryze gently patted its head.
"Good work. Go rest."
Ailey immediately dissolved into a faint glow and disappeared into Ryze's body.
After finishing this, Ryze turned his attention to the young girl standing behind Neville.
She had thick, slightly bushy brown hair, large brown eyes, and prominent front teeth. Despite those features, she had a rather cute appearance.
At that moment, her eyes were wide with amazement as she stared at the exact spot where Ailey had just vanished.
Her expression resembled that of a curious little squirrel that had just watched someone snatch away its favorite pinecone.
"Neville," Ryze asked knowingly, "who is this?"
Before Neville could answer, the girl stepped forward confidently and extended her hand.
"Hermione Granger," she said.
"Like you, I'm also a first-year at Hogwarts this year."
For more chapters
patreon.com/Liamlivingstone