Chapter 1: Just got off the train, and I have to go to Azkaban!

London,

King's Cross Station,

Platform 7.

In the late summer, with continuous drizzle, pouring down on the eaves, slender streams of water flowed down the gutters.

In the distance, a green steam train decelerated and approached, accompanied by the sound of a whistle, eventually coming to a slow stop at the platform.

After the train stopped, a young boy walked down: Golden hair, deep blue eyes, gentle features, extraordinarily handsome... resembling a young Leonardo DiCaprio.

He carried a small, exquisite black leather suitcase.

Braving the rain, the boy walked out of the platform, passed through a thick wall, and entered the King's Cross Station hall amidst the crowd.

After taking just a few steps, he was intercepted by a group of black-clad men wearing sunglasses.

This scene caught the attention of many wizards... Such a grand lineup, could it be the young master of some pure-blooded family returning home?

But upon inquiring, it turned out to be the capture of a suspected criminal by the Ministry of Magic, and everyone immediately dispersed.

The boy stopped in his tracks, looking at the black-clad men surrounding him, squinting his deep blue eyes and tightening his grip on the small black leather suitcase in his hand.

A path was cleared by the black-clad men, and a ruddy-faced official from the Ministry of Magic approached, pulling out an identification card from his pocket and gently waving it in the air.

The man spoke in a gentle tone, seemingly afraid of frightening the young "suspect."

"Hello, I'm Amos Diggory, working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"Hello, I'm Scamander... Rolf Scamander." The boy nodded politely, with a slightly puzzled tone, and asked, "Mr. Diggory, do you have something to discuss with me?"

Amos Diggory looked Rolf up and down, and said in a deep voice, "According to Article 73 of the Secrecy Act, all wizards traveling across borders must undergo routine checks... Please cooperate!"

Rolf tightened his grip on the small black suitcase in his hand, appearing somewhat nervous. However, he still smiled brightly, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, looking harmless.

"Of course, no problem."

The boy took out his passport from his pocket and handed it to Diggory. In that instant, his pupils dilated, and his heart nearly stopped.

It turned out that the lock on the black suitcase suddenly popped open, and a beak emerged through the crack, quietly probing out.

Fortunately, it was just a Fwoopers beak, pressing against the box like a black cloth strip, and Diggory didn't notice anything unusual.

Rolf calmly pushed the beak back into the suitcase, closed the lock without changing his expression, as if nothing had happened.

After inspecting the passport and returning it to Rolf, Diggory pondered for a moment and said, "So, Mr. Scamander, what is the purpose of your return?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry starts today." Rolf's gaze tried to remain calm as he softly said, "I'm a first-year student."

Or so he thought.

He added silently in his mind.

Rolf was indeed a first-year student, but he hadn't received his acceptance letter from Hogwarts!

Diggory squinted his hazel eyes, examining Rolf, seemingly trying to glean something from his face. But the young boy, looking up at him with a slight smile, had clear eyes, like a pristine spring.

"Did you stay at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary all summer?" Diggory asked.

"I also took a trip to the forests of Albania." Rolf quickly added, "With my grandfather."

"The forests of Albania?"

"Yes, there were many mysterious deaths of magical creatures there. Rumors say it was the work of vampires or Acromantulas." Rolf shrugged, "The Albanian Ministry of Magic invited my grandfather to investigate, and he's an expert in this field!"

Diggory made a sound of acknowledgment, not delving further into the small incident that occurred in distant Albania. He seemed entirely focused on the young boy.

Or more accurately... on the box in Scamander's hands!

According to the sealed records of the Ministry of Magic, it was highly likely that the box contained countless dangerous magical creatures, enough to wreak havoc in all of London.

A danger level of five stars!!

Rolf remained composed on the surface, but inwardly, he wasn't as relaxed as he appeared.

He felt like a criminal being stopped by a traffic police officer for a strict drunk-driving check... the key question was whether he had actually "drunk" or had a "hearty drink."

Diggory glanced at the box in Rolf's hands, stroked his reddish-brown beard, and spoke slowly, "Mr. Scamander, I hope you haven't brought any prohibited items?"

Rolf unconsciously rubbed his thumb and forefinger against the box he was holding, and he replied with a slightly confused tone, "Such as?"

"The dragons from the Romanian Sanctuary, or perhaps... the vampires from the Albanian forest?" Diggory asked.

"..."

"Mr. Diggory, I'm only eleven years old. How could I possibly be carrying those things with me? You have quite the sense of humor!" Rolf blinked his blue eyes, revealing a touch of well-placed grievance. Coupled with his innocent appearance, he looked even more pitiable.

Smuggling dragons and vampires were no small offenses.

Once confirmed, he wouldn't need to go to Hogwarts but could directly book a one-way ticket to Azkaban... to continue his "higher education" there.

The female Ministry of Magic official accompanying them also seemed somewhat displeased, feeling that her superior's brain wasn't functioning properly.

How could a smuggler look this good... ahem, she meant a suspected smuggler? How could he have such innocent eyes!

Watching Rolf's innocent and puzzled expression, the witch's maternal instincts overflowed, making her want to embrace him and shower him with affection.

He's so good-looking!

Diggory remained unmoved, persistently asking, "What's inside the box?"

"Nothing... just everyday items."

"Can I open it?"

"Sorry, this concerns my personal privacy, and you have no right... um, I mean, since it's a request from the Ministry of Magic, of course, you can."

Seeing Diggory patting his wand at his waist, Rolf quickly changed the subject and handed over the box.

In the moment of handing it over, he discreetly pressed a button on the box.

Diggory took the box and immediately opened the lock, lifting the lid. Inside, he saw clothes, notebooks, maps, an alarm clock, a watch...

He checked repeatedly, and the black-clad men behind him performed various detection spells, but they found nothing, no trace of the Concealment Charm or the rumored dangerous magical creatures.

Diggory muttered with a hint of disappointment, as if his prospects of promotion and salary raise had slipped away.

"Apologies, Mr. Scamander, the inspection is complete... Welcome back to London, and I wish you a pleasant Sorting ceremony tonight."

Rolf breathed a sigh of relief. After thanking him with a pleasant smile, he waved his hand and said, "Goodbye, Mr. Diggory, and everyone from the Ministry of Magic."

He took a few quick steps, and his previously solemn footsteps finally became light. Fortunately, he had reinforced the box with magic in advance, making it impervious to any magical detection. Otherwise...

Just got off the train, and I have to go to Azkaban!

Rolf felt a tinge of gratitude as he carried the small black suitcase, striding towards Platform 9 ¾. When he was only a dozen meters away, he stopped once again.

Not far away, a brown-haired girl stood alone in front of a wall, with bags and luggage placed side by side, effectively blocking the entrance to the platform.

The girl crossed her arms, raised her head, and stared blankly for a moment. Then she cautiously pulled out a wand, waving it in the air and muttering an incantation.

"Alohomora!"

But there was no response.

The girl immediately chanted other spells rapidly, but none of them had any effect.

She angrily scratched her head, making her already tousled curls even messier, like a bank vault just raided by a Fwooper.

A voice suddenly sounded. "Are you performing an impromptu act?"

The brown-haired girl was momentarily stunned, turned her head towards the source of the voice, and saw a smiling young boy with attractive features, the epitome of good looks.

He carried a small black suitcase and, with his speaking blue eyes, observed her with keen interest.

The girl hesitated and asked tentatively, "Are you a wizard too?"

"Yes, I'm a first-year student." Rolf adjusted his clothes, revealing the most radiant smile on his face, and walked towards the girl.

He wanted to make a good impression on his new classmate!

"Are you performing wand dancing? It's been a while since I've been back to England, is this the latest trend in the wizarding world? Quite interesting..."

The brown-haired girl's face turned red. "I'm using magic to find the entrance to Platform 9 ¾!"

"..."

"Sorry, I thought you were performing... street art." Rolf apologized quickly.

The girl glared at him in annoyance. How could he mistake her proper wand movements for some kind of street performance?

"That being said, have you found the entrance?" Rolf asked again.

The girl hesitated for a moment, raised her fair chin, and replied with a slight nod, "Almost!"

Rolf looked at her with suspicion. After all the wand-waving she did, it seemed like she was directing traffic... Was she really sure she had found the entrance?

"Give me a little more time, and I'll find it soon." The girl seemed confident. She stretched her neck, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Let me tell you, based on my deduction... the entrance to Platform 9 ¾ has deliberately been concealed by the school. To enter, one must pass a series of tests."

Tests... Rolf paused for two seconds, looking at the girl with her confident expression, and he began to doubt himself.

Could he have remembered incorrectly? Wasn't the entrance to Platform 9 ¾ right through this wall?

"Hmm... Why would the school do that?" Rolf raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, it's to test the new students and sort them into houses... You know about the Sorting ceremony, right?" The brown-haired girl said with a serious expression, "I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History.' Every new student has to be sorted into a house."

"If you can use magic to find the entrance to Platform 9 ¾, it probably means you've done well and can be sorted into the best house!"

Seeing the skeptical look on the boy's face, the girl furrowed her brows and confidently said, "Don't doubt it. I just performed magic to showcase my studying during the summer... I practiced some simple spells at home, just for practice, and they all worked!"

She raised her chin, exuding an air of pride, as if she were a great swan. She rattled off a string of words, seemingly eager to prove herself:

She wasn't a foolish performer of "wand dancing," but an outstanding new student who understood the school's intentions and aimed to complete the tests!

After listening to the girl's enthusiastic ramblings, Rolf said meaningfully, "Could you be overthinking things?"

"What do you mean overthinking?" The girl pouted, "I bought many magic books during the holidays, and I've memorized all the textbooks!"

"Wow... You're amazing." Rolf nodded slightly. "But what does that have to do with finding the entrance?"

"..."

The brown-haired girl pursed her lips, puffed her cheeks, clenched her fist, and her tone couldn't help but be a little frustrated. She was itching to hit someone!

Rolf saw her frustrated expression and hurriedly said, "I think I've found the entrance."

The girl looked at him skeptically.

"Really, Miss... Name unknown, care to make a galleon bet?" Rolf lifted his leg, crossed over the girl's luggage, and walked towards the wall. Under her gaze, he passed straight through the wall.

The brown-haired girl widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief. The last time she had this expression was when she received an acceptance letter delivered by an owl.

Moments later, Rolf passed through the wall again, only showing his head.

"You lost, so kindly lend me one galleon." He grinned, "By the way, I forgot to ask, this classmate... what's your name?"

The girl's expression was somewhat dazed, and after a moment, she whispered softly, "Hermione Granger."

Rolf, holding the black suitcase, was momentarily stunned. He squinted his deep blue eyes and the smile on his lips became more pronounced.

"Hello, I'm Rolf Scamander!" Rolf extended his hand, holding it up in front of the girl.

"Nice to meet you, welcome to the wizarding world!"

Hermione also extended her hand, gently shaking it. In Rolf's mind, there was a sudden "ding" sound.

[Detected a young witch, triggering side quest 1:

Capture Hermione Granger, reward:

Envious Hair Growth, protecting you from the terrible curse of male pattern baldness among British men.

Side quest 2:

Achieve full bonding with Hermione Granger, reward:

Exceptional memory talent.

(Quest incomplete)]