16 16. King's Cross Station, All Living Things

In 1786, Richard Arkwright made improvements to the steam engine, marking the beginning of a new era in industrial production.

In 1814, George Stephenson invented the train and named it the Traveler.

Since then, trains have become an essential mode of transportation for people in England. Many individuals rely on trains to commute to and from work in London, often transferring to buses or subways to reach their offices.

In this sense, the Ministry of Magic is keeping up with the trend. Since the 1950s, the Hogwarts Express has been responsible for transporting young wizards between the school and London.

Before the train, students could choose any means of transportation to get to school, resulting in numerous jokes and even some casualties.

It wasn't until the former Minister of Magic, Ottlin Gamble, defied all odds and launched the largest secret operation in the history of the British Ministry of Magic to build the railway. The construction involved a total of one hundred and seventy-six forgetting spells and numerous hidden spellcasting records.

Most of the Muggles responsible for building the railway felt like they had forgotten something important, but couldn't remember it. This issue persisted for a full year until it was resolved.

So, if you ever find yourself unable to remember something, don't doubt it, someone may have cast a forgetting spell on your brain.

September 1st, a special day for students in England, marks the end of the more than two-month summer vacation. Countless students are either happy or disappointed as they embark on their journey back to school. For boarding school students, it means they won't go home until Christmas at the earliest.

King's Cross Station, the terminal station for London Railways, experiences its climax, or rather, peak, on this day. Students and parents carrying bags of all sizes can be seen rushing through the station to their platforms.

Wayne, however, traveled light, only carrying a medium-sized suitcase. It seemed that the suitcase had been enchanted with a Traceless Stretching Charm, although Wayne himself didn't cast the spell.

The Traceless Stretching Spell is a complex magic technique found in the book "Standard Spells: Level 7," only accessible to seventh-grade students.

After spending a morning learning this spell, Wayne cast it on both of his pants pockets. As for the suitcase, he obtained it through connections at the Tuofan Clothing Store, and it cost him one hundred and twenty galleons.

The use of the Invisible Stretch Charm is strictly regulated by the Ministry of Magic and cannot be used for personal purposes. It must be registered and approved to be legal. Although Wayne strongly suspected that this particular law was introduced due to some hidden interests between the Ministry of Magic and the manufacturers of tents and suitcases, he acknowledged that as a newbie, he wasn't qualified to challenge the Ministry of Magic. He believed it was better to do less than to do more.

Wayne observed the crowd around him as he walked towards platform nine and three-quarters. He noticed several men wearing black trench coats and dome hats casually patrolling the area, and he assumed they were staff sent by the Ministry of Magic to maintain order and handle accidents. After all, ordinary people were not fools - they would surely notice if a group of people disappeared after running into a pillar, and the staff would have to come out to clean the floor.

Looking around to ensure nobody was paying attention to him, Wayne pretended to be nonchalant and walked through the third pillar between the ninth and tenth platforms. It felt like crossing a membrane - initially narrow, but after taking dozens of steps, everything suddenly became clear. When the light returned to his eyes, Wayne found himself in a whole new world.

The old-fashioned steam train whistled and buzzed with excitement. Wayne took a glance around and inwardly cursed at J.K. Rowling, who claimed there were only three thousand wizards in the UK, even though there seemed to be at least one or two thousand here alone. Could it be that all the wizards and witches had gathered for an event?

Most of the little wizards were taking their time to say goodbye to their families, and their parents were giving them endless instructions. It was chaotic but filled with warmth. However, there were a few who seemed sad, probably remembering some forgotten homework from the summer vacation.

Wayne didn't linger on the platform for too long. He casually searched for a familiar face before boarding the Hogwarts Express, but he didn't notice Hermione, the only little wizard he knew. Only ten minutes remained before the train started moving, and almost all the carriages in front were already filled. Wayne carried his suitcase and finally found a compartment towards the back of the train with only one person inside.

The door was open, but he still knocked politely before asking, "Excuse me, can I sit here?" The little wizard, who was reading a book, looked up and revealed his handsome face. Both of them were taken aback simultaneously.

"Damn it, this guy is just as handsome as me," Wayne thought to himself.

"Merlin, there's a little wizard who's even more handsome than me," the young people in the room mentally processed.

"Of course, feel free to sit wherever you'd like," the man quickly responded. With a sigh in his heart, he stood up eagerly and helped Wayne place his luggage on the shelf.

Once everything was settled, the two sat across from each other. The little wizard reached out his hand and offered a kind smile.

"Hello, I'm Cedric Diggory, a third-year student from Hufflepuff."

"You must be the new wizard who just enrolled this year, right?"

He said with absolute certainty that even if he didn't remember all the students at the school, the appearance of the little wizard in front of him would surely become famous in Hogwarts. It was hard for him not to know.

Wayne was also taken aback. Surprisingly, this person turned out to be the 'Hogwarts version of someone else's kid'.

Cedric had only appeared in two books, but he was extremely popular.

Wayne also extended his hand, and the two shook hands.

"Hello, my name is Wayne Lawrence, and I am indeed a freshman this year."