Chapter 15. The Newly Enrolled Rookie
In the new student's booth, only one boy sat.
His smooth silver hair was striking, and his skin was so pale it almost looked unhealthy.
A book sat on the table; though the cover wasn't visible, Lynn glanced at the contents and knew it was the Charms textbook, *Standard Spells, Beginner*.
Lynn's greeting went unanswered; the boy merely glanced at him expressionlessly with his blue eyes before refocusing on his book.
Luckily, Lynn's thick skin didn't bother him. He tried to start a conversation,
"The Healing Charm is indeed a very convenient spell." He noticed the spell the boy was reading and tried to find common ground.
"But this spell seems to be a later-stage course in first year. I've tried it many times at home according to the textbook, but I haven't succeeded once."
The boy looked up from his book, his expression indifferent.
"Please be quiet when others are reading."
Having been met with a cold shoulder, Lynn lost all interest in further conversation.
He silently scoffed at what a cocky kid this was, and shrugged.
"Alright, if you're not in the mood for conversation, I'll be quiet, of course."
The boy continued looking at his spellbook, while Lynn stared blankly out the window, bored.
Even though they'd only been apart for less than three hours, he suddenly missed Hermione.
The chattering little girl was infinitely more adorable than this little boy.
After that, the two didn't exchange another word.
Lynn didn't bother changing boxes and just sat there with the unknown boy opposite him.
At noon, a witch came by selling sweets from a cart. Although Lynn loved sweets, he didn't buy anything.
Mrs. Weasley gave him a sandwich before he got on the train, which was enough for his lunch.
The aloof boy seemed to have no appetite, eating nothing for lunch.
Even as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness fell, the bright lights in the compartment illuminated the room, and the two remained silent.
The boy was engrossed in his spellbook, reading slowly, as if he were reading a single page three times. After all this time, he had only finished half of the spellbook.
Five minutes before arriving at Hogwarts, the boy closed the book, stuffed it into his suitcase, and then took out his Hogwarts robes to change into.
Lynn wasn't idle either; he changed into his robes and then stepped out of the compartment after the train had come to a complete stop.
The train stopped at a small, shabby platform.
The breeze was slightly chilly, but the weather was beautiful that night; the sky was cloudless, and the twinkling stars and bright crescent moon were clearly visible.
Students of all ages disembarked from the train; the older students chatted and laughed, while the new students stood nervously, unsure of their next move.
Just then, a loud voice rang out.
"First-year students! Come over here."
Lynn looked in the direction of the voice and saw a giant with a large beard standing among a group of tiny figures, holding a pink umbrella that contrasted sharply with his size.
Because the landmark was very obvious, the freshmen quickly gathered around Hagrid.
At this moment, a girl standing next to Lynn suddenly looked up at the sky.
"Is it raining?"
Lynn was a little confused. "It's unlikely to rain today."
"Then why is that person holding an umbrella?"
Lynn looked in the direction she was pointing and, sure enough, saw a large black umbrella open among the freshmen.
The freshmen around the umbrella were already somewhat uneasy, and the sudden appearance of an oddball holding an umbrella on a sunny day made them scatter like a flock of startled chicks, keeping a distance from the boy under the black umbrella.
The silver-haired boy holding the black umbrella seemed completely oblivious to the reactions of those around him. He remained standing there with a cold, pale face and a calm gaze.
Hagrid roughly counted the number of people, and after confirming that no one was missing, he raised an eyebrow at the silver-haired boy.
"Kid, are you so nervous you've lost your mind? It's a rare beautiful day; you don't need an umbrella."
"Not for shelter from the rain, but for something else." The boy's voice was stiff, sounding less like an explanation.
Hagrid didn't mind; he'd seen countless new students, and encountering a few oddballs wasn't unusual.
"Since you insist, fine. Listen, children, from now on, stick close to me and don't fall behind. I'll lead you into Hogwarts."
Lynn glanced at the boy completely shrouded in a black umbrella, then silently followed behind Hagrid.
The wizarding world wasn't exactly peaceful, and even Hogwarts wasn't entirely safe, so Lynn had no intention of prying into other people's secrets.
Curiosity was understandable, but he wouldn't let it cause trouble.
The new students followed Hagrid, separating from the upperclassmen at the platform, and entered a path through the woods.
The path was somewhat rugged, and even though Hagrid deliberately slowed his pace, it was still quite difficult for a group of eleven-year-olds to keep up with his large strides.
The dense foliage of the forest blocked out the starlight and moonlight.
As they ventured deeper, Lynn could no longer even see whether the path on either side was still part of the forest. Besides the hurried footsteps and breathing of the new students, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze and the calls of what sounded like owls.
They walked like this, heads down, for an unknown amount of time. After rounding a sharp bend, Hagrid suddenly stopped, and a young wizard following behind him nearly bumped into him.
"See that? That's Hogwarts, where you'll be living for the next seven years,"
Hagrid said proudly, pointing to a colossal structure ahead.
The new students then realized that the path ahead was no longer a dark forest trail.
The narrow road opened up before them, revealing a vast lake.
The black surface of the lake was calm and still, reflecting the stars and the waning moon like a mirror embedded in the earth.
Behind the lake stood a colossal castle nestled between two mountains, its walls adorned with countless turrets and towers.
The soaring rooftops resembled wizards' pointed hats, seemingly brimming with knowledge and unknown mysteries.
Many young wizards gasped in awe at this magnificent sight.
Even Lynn, gazing at the ancient castle nestled in the mountains, was lost in thought. He was
n't just awestruck by this structure, which he'd only ever seen in movies; a series of system notifications echoed in his mind.
[Main Quest Completed!]
[Map Unlocked: Hogwarts Castle]
[Reward: Your Brain Sealed, Issued]
[Title Obtained: Newcomer]
[Newcomer: 1. When wearing this title, students who consider themselves superior will subconsciously make things difficult for you.
2. Teachers will show you double the attention.
3. Your learning efficiency in basic magic will triple.
Note 1: This title's effect only applies while worn.
Note 2: This title will disappear upon entering your second year.]
We've entered Hogwarts !
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(End of Chapter)