Chapter 7: On Hogwarts Express Train

The relaxed days are over and it's time for school once again.

"I really don't want our baby to leave," Narcissa said, tears streaming down her face as she stood with Lucius and Draco at King's Cross Station, waiting for the bus.

"Mother, I think you should be happy. I'll be able to make more new friends at school," Draco reassured her.

"Remember not to get too close to those muggle-borns," Lucius reminded him once again.

"There's no place for discrimination in the future!" Draco said with frustration. Despite this, he still obediently added, "Yes, father."

"Our time is up," Draco said as he checked his watch.

"I think I should go catch the bus now," Draco told his parents.

"Go ahead," Lucius said, his face pale as usual. Despite his reluctance, he tightly grasped the luggage rod.

Narcissa was more composed and gave her son a heartfelt hug.

"Don't forget to write to us with an owl," Narcissa reminded him.

"I won't forget," Draco said before slowly walking towards a red steam locomotive.

The steam locomotive's thick smoke hung in the air amidst the chatting crowd, and cats of various colors wove through the crowd. The chatter of the crowd and the sound of dragging luggage was accompanied by the piercing chirping of an owl.

The train was crowded with students, some of whom were hanging out of the windows to talk to their families and others making noise in their seats.

When Draco got on the train, he immediately found his seat and looked around the compartment, shaking his head in disapproval.

He said to himself, "It's a privilege, it's really disgusting." It was clear that Draco had used his connections to get a single compartment reserved for seniors only.

"Oh, I just want a good night's sleep and then go to school," Draco said to himself. He had instructed his two followers not to follow him, hoping to avoid the noise of their snoring.

To pass the time,Draco pulled out a new magazine he had bought before getting on the train. Despite not feeling particularly tired, he knew he had a long journey ahead of him and wanted to find ways to occupy himself.

As the train rolled on, it eventually reached lunchtime. However, Draco didn't have much appetite for the food provided by the train crew.

After eating a few snacks, Draco tried to relax and close his eyes, knowing that there would likely be many activities at night. However, he found it difficult to do so.

Suddenly, a little girl with long, thick brown hair and a pair of front teeth burst into the compartment where Draco was seated. "Have any of you seen a toad? Neville lost a toad," she said loudly. A little boy with a round face followed her, looking worried.

The little girl's voice was very loud and her words seemed straightforward.

"It's always like this," Draco said with a sigh as he looked at the little girl. To be honest, he didn't want to have too much interaction with the "Iron Triangle" (presumably referring to Neville, Hermione, and the little boy).

An adult's mind will naturally not be as naive as Draco in the original timeline, and will not engage in petty provocations. Draco hoped to keep a low profile and avoid trouble, but it seemed he was destined to be disappointe

Hermione, who had just entered the compartment, was clearly confused upon seeing Draco alone in the compartment. It was clear that Draco, being the same age, would not qualify for a senior's compartment, but here he was with one all to himself.

Oh, why you are the only one here." Hermione, who entered the compartment, was obviously confused. It was clear that Draco of the same age would not be the rank of senior, but he still had a separate compartment.

"I don't think it's any of your business why I have a separate compartment," Draco said haughtily. "Before asking someone for help, it's polite to introduce yourself. I think that's one of the most basic courtesies." He tried to change the subject, knowing that his privileged status might not be well-received.

"My name is Hermione Granger, and you can call me Hermione," the girl replied. She gestured to the round-faced boy and said, "This is Neville Longbottom. He lost his toad."

"I heard my parents talk about your parents, Neville. They're both amazing Aurors," Draco said. Although Lucius and Narcissa probably didn't care about their previous rivals, Draco himself had a deep respect for those who had sacrificed their own well-being for the greater good.

Neville, who had been looking down, suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining. It was the first time he had heard a positive evaluation of himself, even if it was just about his parents.

"Okay, Neville, let's think about where your toad might be," Draco said. "Maybe we can try using a flying charm to look for it?"

As Hermione was about to speak, Draco continued, "Oh no, I don't think Neville knows exactly where his toad is at the moment, so we should start by looking for places where the toad is likely to be based on its habits."m

Hermione had just wanted to ask him how a freshman could master a somewhat difficult spell, but she didn't get the chance.

Suddenly, a voice came from outside the compartment, interrupting Draco. "Hey, Neville, Hermione, we haven't seen your toad in the car."

"Here we go, the 'Iron Triangle' is arriving," Draco thought to himself. "As they say, there's a will in God, and it seems that the entanglement of these four people is inevitable."

As soon as the words left Draco's mouth, two boys entered the compartment, making it feel crowded. One was Ron, whom Draco was already familiar with, and the other had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead and wore glasses. It was none other than the famous Harry Potter.

Harry politely greeted Draco and asked, "Hello, are you also helping to find Neville's toad?" But he obviously didn't notice that Ron's face was not looking happy.

"I believe you're Harry Potter," Draco said, trying to sound normal. "It's an honor to meet the person who defeated the Dark Lord. It's a great honor to meet you."

"I saw you in Madam Malkin's shop," Harry said suddenly, as if remembering something.

"Then it seems we're destined to meet. I think we should be able to be friends. My name is Draco," Draco said, extending his hand with a smile to show his friendliness.

Harry was just about to shake his hand when Ron whispered in Harry's ear, "His parents were former Death Eaters, and his family is Slytherin, the college where the Dark Lord was. Almost all dark wizards come from there."

Upon hearing Ron's words, Harry's hand stopped in mid-air, not moving forward or back. Hermione took a step back subconsciously. Compared to Harry and Ron, Hermione had a more detailed and profound understanding of the history of Slytherin and its reputation due to her extensive reading.

"By the way, their family still believes in the superiority of pure-blood wizards and hates mixed-blood or Muggle-born wizards the most. To be honest, Hermione, I think it's dangerous for you to stay here now," Ron added.

Upon hearing this, Hermione took another step back, almost backing into the corner, and her face turned pale. It was clear that sometimes it was not a good thing to know too much, as she had seen firsthand how pure-blood wizards could abuse Muggle-borns.

"Oh," Draco said coldly as he withdrew his hand. "It seems that I am not welcome by some people. In that case, please leave this place. I need to rest."

Harry looked a bit embarrassed. He seemed to realize that he had done something wrong, but he didn't seem particularly sorry or willing to apologize.

"I think when you look at others with a narrow-minded view, you may not expect to be treated the same way one day," Draco said as the group was about to leave the compartment. He was looking at Hermione as he spoke.

Hermione pressed her lips tightly together and didn't say a word, clearly feeling that Draco's words were directed at he

"Hey, I think we can be friends. As a token of our friendship, I want to give you a suggestion. After you get off the train, you may be in for a surprise on the boat," Draco said, addressing Neville.

Unlike Ron's provocation and Harry and Hermione's withdrawal, Neville had simply stood there without reacting to Draco.

Harry and his friends left the compartment, and it was clear that the meeting had not gone well for most of them.

"It seems that something is meant to be. Is this what they call fate?" Draco said with a hint of emotion as he watched the group leave.

There was a loud noise as Ron kicked the corner after leaving the compartment.

Harry and Hermione both had unhappy looks on their faces.