Chapter 15: Neville Longbottom

Luke's sudden question caught Hermione off guard. Her understanding of the four houses was still fairly shallow, even after Luke's explanations, and she hesitated, struggling to make a decision.

Watching Hermione purse her lips and furrow her brows in thought, Luke smiled softly.

"No need to rush," he said reassuringly. "We won't arrive at Hogwarts until this evening, so you have plenty of time to think it over. And I can share a valuable piece of advice with you."

As expected, Hermione immediately looked up, curious.

"The Sorting is done with a magical item called the Sorting Hat," he explained. "It can analyze your personality, communicate with you mentally, and assign you to a house. But if you strongly wish to be in a certain house, just tell it in your mind—it usually respects your choice."

"Also, I'll rule out one house for you right now: Slytherin. Given its current environment, it wouldn't be the best fit."

Luke's expression grew more serious, and Hermione could see he was genuinely concerned.

Though she could be stubborn, she knew when to heed sound advice.

"I understand," she nodded, then asked, "What about you? Which house do you want to join?"

Luke chuckled.

"Slytherin."

Just as Hermione was about to ask more, their compartment door swung open.

A tall, round-faced boy appeared, looking somewhat frantic. "Trevor… have you seen my Trevor?"

At first, Luke didn't recognize the boy, but hearing him mention "Trevor" made it clear.

Standing before him was none other than the future Gryffindor sword master, the next head of Gryffindor House, and, according to some fans, Luna Lovegood's potential match.

'Neville Longbottom!'

Luke recognized him immediately. Having taken a special interest in Neville due to his connection with Luna, he also knew that in the original story, Neville eventually married Hannah Abbott from the Abbott family. Knowing this, Luke held no hostility toward him.

"Uh, who's Trevor? And shouldn't you at least introduce yourself first?"

Hermione, looking a bit exasperated at Neville's hurried and confused state, tried to get some order into the conversation.

"Trevor! Trevor's my toad! And I'm Neville—Neville Longbottom!"

Neville was on the verge of tears, which made Hermione feel a bit sympathetic. She wanted to help him find his toad, but she was also worried about missing anything Luke might say about Hogwarts.

So, she instinctively looked at Luke for his reaction.

To her surprise, Luke was already getting to his feet, placing Booker down carefully.

"Hello, Mr. Longbottom. I'm Luke Gaunt. But you can call me Luke. I've heard of your parents—they were truly brave fighters and nobles worthy of respect."

Saying this, Luke extended his hand toward Neville in a formal greeting.

Seeing Luke's formal gesture, Neville's flustered expression eased. He straightened his clothes, took Luke's hand, and replied, "Hello, Luke. You can call me Neville, and thank you for what you said about my parents. They're my pride. I actually heard your name about a month ago."

Despite being a bit timid and hesitant, Neville still managed to respond in a standard manner. His grandmother had clearly not neglected these necessary etiquettes.

For a moment, Hermione felt she was seeing two different sides of Neville: one like a bit of a crybaby and the other carrying a subtle sense of dignity, much like Luke.

"So, Luke! Will you help me find my Trevor?"

Neville asked eagerly, his voice full of hope.

Hermione thought she must have imagined that hint of nobility she'd seen in him just a moment before.

"Let's go, Hermione. We can look around and maybe find some other fun along the way," Luke said with a grin.

In truth, he'd been itching to explore. While there was certainly enjoyment in impressing others, Luke was even more curious to encounter characters he'd only seen in movies or read about in the original story.

Hermione seemed a bit taken aback by Luke's choice of words, especially "fun." It reminded her that despite his composed demeanor, Luke was still a boy about her age.

She nodded, holding back a small smile of her own.

"Alright then! Let's go look around!"

As the three stepped out of the compartment, Luke asked, "Neville, which direction did you search already?"

Luke vaguely recalled that Trevor turned up when they arrived at Hogwarts. However, he also remembered hearing from a friend that, according to the books, this particular toad didn't show up until the end of the semester.

Neville pointed toward the front of the train. "I started from that end, but there are still a few compartments over there I haven't searched yet!"

Luke nodded and suggested, "Why don't you keep checking toward the front, while Hermione and I look toward the back."

Neville agreed, nodding earnestly before hurrying in his chosen direction.

"He looked like he was about to cry just now"

Hermione murmured, watching Neville's retreating figure.

"Well, the year he was born, his parents were tortured into insanity by Voldemort's followers," Luke said calmly. "They're likely still in St. Mungo's Hospital. He's been raised by other relatives, so being timid and sensitive is probably to be expected."

Hearing Neville's story, Hermione's eyes filled with surprise and a trace of empathy.

"The wizarding world isn't as ideal as you might think, Hermione," Luke continued as they walked. "Dark magic, racial oppression, bloodline prejudice, even enslavement and violence—they're part of its reality."

Hermione nodded, feeling a weight settle in her chest. Though Luke's words painted a darker picture than what she'd observed so far, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that he might be right.

"If it's that flawed, then we'll just have to change it"

Hermione replied softly, but with determined resolve.

Luke gave a slight nod and turned to the next compartment. He opened the door, smiling warmly at the occupants inside. "Hello! I was wondering if you've happened to see a toad around?"

Inside, four girls looked back, momentarily stunned by Luke's presence. After a brief pause, one girl with distinctly East Asian features smiled and replied, "No, we haven't seen a toad. The only animal we've come across so far is that little cat at your feet."