For the Greater Good! Finally, Hogwarts!

"Our little group is full of sunshine, and its purpose is very clear. It's also truly grand! And that is...," Cro deliberately paused, noticing the curiosity in the eyes of both girls. He smiled before continuing, "For the greater good!! Not only is this our purpose, but it's also our slogan!" Cro pumped his fist in the air with a big grin.

Hermione and Cassandra hesitated for a moment but soon joined him, mimicking his gesture with small fist pumps of their own. Seeing them, Cro's face broke into a mischievous smile. He couldn't help but wonder—if Old Dumbledore heard this slogan, what kind of reward chest would the system grant him? Diamond or something even better?

"So, what's the name of our little group? The 'Interest Group'? And what exactly are we after? Galleons?" Hermione looked at Cro, a bit uncertain, while Cassandra also nodded in agreement. She, too, was a bit confused. Why did this slogan sound so familiar? Yet, she couldn't quite remember where she had heard it.

"Interest can mean many things. It's not just money; it can be spells, power, magical creatures...," Cro explained, leaning on the table with a smile. "And also those magical books that can't be found in the outside world!"

"Are you talking about... restricted books? That's... not right, is it?" Hermione and Cassandra exchanged a glance, clearly intrigued but hesitant. Those were forbidden books! Who wouldn't be curious about what's inside them? Could it be dark magic with terrifying power? Secret investigations of the wizarding world? Mysterious and unknown ancient magic?

"There's no good or bad in power, only whether you want it. Power itself has no morality; it's the wielder who decides whether it's used for good or evil," Cro said confidently, clenching his fist. "For the greater good—this will be the motto of our group, our guiding principle. As for the group's name... we'll think of something later."

He waved his hand dismissively. Coming up with a name didn't really matter, as the group was just a ploy for Dumbledore. Spending time choosing a name would be pointless. If anything, it could be called "Treasure Girl Group!" or... "The Harem Headquarters!"

The two girls exchanged speechless glances before silently grabbing some snacks and eating. They realized now that this so-called group was entirely Cro's spur-of-the-moment idea, something that had never even existed.

[Detected intense feelings of exasperation!]

...

At the Hogwarts platform, Hagrid held a lantern, watching as the Hogwarts Express slowly approached. He quickly tidied his clothes and tried to show what he believed was a friendly smile.

Brrrrr—the train arrived.

Students poured out of the train with their luggage, both upperclassmen and first-years. However, none of the first-years had smiles on their faces. Instead, they wore expressions of despair. Hagrid frowned in confusion.

"First-years, over here! First-years, gather here with me!" Hagrid's booming voice echoed across the platform, drawing everyone's attention. Under the dim light, Hagrid's massive figure came into view.

The first-years held their breath.

"Waaaaa! There's a troll! Mom, I want to go home! I don't want to fight a troll!" one student screamed.

"Help! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have eaten that Chocolate Frog! Merlin save me!" cried another.

"I don't want to be a wizard anymore! I want to go home!" came another wail.

The platform was filled with the sound of crying children, and Hagrid's friendly smile froze instantly. He took a step back, bewildered. Usually, people only gave him strange looks, but this year, the kids were crying! And it wasn't just one!

Hagrid touched his face, questioning everything.

Just then, Cro approached with Hermione and Cassandra. "Hi, Hagrid! I didn't expect you to be here to welcome the first-years. It's great to see you again!" Cro rubbed his hands excitedly. "You know, just thinking about seeing those magical creatures makes me so eager!"

After all, the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts was home to eight-eyed spiders, centaurs, Thestrals, unicorns... Imagine catching a few Thestrals as mounts, or maybe even a unicorn. That would definitely turn heads at Hogwarts! And the system rewards would just keep coming! Who wouldn't want to ride a Thestral?

...

"Oh, it's you, Cro, Hermione, and... I'm glad to see you again. But was I really that scary today? Why are the kids crying so much?" Hagrid scratched his head, confused. "What do they mean by 'fighting a troll'? Are there trolls at Hogwarts? I've never encountered any."

Hermione and Cassandra glared at Cro, clearly knowing who was behind this misunderstanding.

"It's not your fault, Hagrid. It's Cro—" Hermione started, but Cro quickly interrupted her.

"They're just too excited, Hagrid. You know how thrilling it is to finally arrive at Hogwarts. Sometimes, they can't control what they say in the heat of the moment," Cro explained with a sincere look, completely ignoring the wailing of the first-years in the background.

Hermione and Cassandra, though irritated, shared a glance and rolled their eyes, deciding not to press the issue further.

"Oh, I see! Yes, getting into Hogwarts is indeed an exciting event," Hagrid said, nodding as if he understood.

"Come along, first-years! Gather with me!" Hagrid called out again.

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T/N:

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