134- The idea of driverless driving is shattered
The Trace...
Rhys squinted his eyes.
This method the Ministry of Magic uses to monitor underage wizards might be some kind of long-lasting magic, but it was more likely a form of contract-based magic.
However, no matter which kind of magic it was, it would require a caster, whether or not that caster was human.
Rhys patted Astoria on the shoulder, reassuring her not to panic. She was sure to get into the house she wanted.
"Really?" A smile appeared on Astoria's pale face. "Then I'm definitely going to Slytherin."
"Why not consider Gryffindor? There's plenty of fun to be had there!" A male voice suddenly came from behind them.
They turned around to see two identical red-headed boys grinning at them.
"Fred, stop teasing the kid! Little Astoria won't end up in any other house—how about your sister Ginny comes to Slytherin instead? I'll give her all my notes from last year!"
Rhys's words made Fred and George's smiles freeze on their faces.
Putting themselves in Daphne's shoes... if their little sister Ginny ended up in Slytherin... no way! The thought alone was terrifying!
So, they quickly changed the subject.
"Remember the bet at the end of last term? Did you just call me Fred? I'll give you another chance. Are you sure you want to stick with your choice?" Fred winked at Rhys.
However, for Rhys, the magical difference between the two was quite obvious, so he didn't waver at all from Fred's words. "Nope~"
"Damn it." Seeing that he hadn't managed to trick Rhys, Fred sighed.
"You're lucky. If there's anything you need us to bring back from Hogsmeade, just let us know." George wrapped his arm around Fred's neck and led him away from the train compartment aisle.
"Weird Weasleys."
That was Astoria's evaluation of Fred and George.
"They just like playing pranks. They're not bad people." Rhys explained in defense of Fred and George, then followed Daphne and the others off the platform.
At this point, Astoria parted ways with them, as Hagrid led the first-year students across the Black Lake by boat. Rhys and the other second-year "veterans" followed the crowd toward the edge of the forest.
In the forest, there were over a hundred carriages parked, and while the yokes of these carriages seemed empty to most people, they weren't actually without creatures pulling them. Instead, they were drawn by magical creatures known as Thestrals.
Only those who have witnessed and understood death can see them.
"So, are these carriages enchanted? Can they move on their own without horses?" Hermione asked, looking curiously at the seemingly empty yokes, her interest in magic piqued.
'Could this be some kind of auto-navigation spell?'
Hermione even started imagining the possibility of applying such a spell to her family's car… thoughts of autonomous driving began to form in her mind.
"Heh~ Wrong answer. If you reach out and feel around here, you'll understand," Rhys mercilessly interrupted Hermione's musings and pointed to a spot, motioning for her to touch it.
He could see clearly that, as Hermione spoke, the Thestrals pulling the carriages all turned their heads in unison, staring at her with their white, pupil-less eyes.
Thestrals were incredibly intelligent magical creatures, even capable of understanding human speech.
Following Rhys' suggestion, Hermione cautiously extended her hand toward the spot he indicated, and soon she felt something hard and solid.
"O..!" It felt like bone, though the surface seemed to be covered by a layer of skin.
"There really is something here!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.
"Oh? What do they look like? Can I touch it?" Daphne, standing to the side, was also intrigued by the creature Rhys had called a Thestral.
It was only when Daphne asked that Rhys realized she couldn't see Thestrals either.
'Perhaps when Quirrell died, Daphne hadn't actually seen it.'
'Or maybe it was because Quirrell wasn't really alive anymore when she encountered him.'
"Of course, come here..." Rhys patiently guided Daphne's hand to rest on the back of the Thestral.
To the witches, the sensation of touching a Thestral was one of thinness—almost as if there was nothing between its bones and skin.
"Ouch!"
Perhaps the Thestral was ticklish, as it swished its tail, flicking Daphne's hand and making her yelp in surprise.
But despite the small warning, Hermione didn't stop. This was a magical creature she had never encountered before, and she was determined to pet it while she had the chance. Who knew if she'd get another opportunity in the future?
"Alright, we need to get going. There's a whole herd of Thestrals living in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid takes good care of them, so maybe one day you can ask him to show you around," Rhys said as he looked around and noticed the other carriages had already started departing. He urged them to get moving.
Daphne nodded, already planning to ask Hagrid not only to show her the Thestrals but also to visit her very own nightmare creature.
During the summer, while Daphne wasn't at Hogwarts, her nightmare creature had been cared for by Hagrid. She thought she should check on it soon, worried that too much time apart might cause it to become unfamiliar with her.
She was the first to board the carriage, with Hermione reluctantly following her, still yearning to pat with the Thestral. Rhys climbed in after Hermione, and just as he was about to close the carriage door, he heard someone shouting.
"Wait, please wait!"
Rhys stuck his head out and saw Neville running toward them, gasping for breath, with his toad, Trevor, clutched in his hands.
"I was looking for Trevor… took me a while. Phew… glad you're still here," Neville said as he climbed into the carriage, panting heavily.
Rhys smiled and shook his head. It seemed that working the whole summer for Lupet hadn't cured Neville of his forgetfulness.
"How was the rest of your summer?" Rhys asked, as the carriage began to creak and move forward. He struck up a conversation with Neville, who sat beside him.
Neville nodded, smiling. "Lupet looked after me well. By the end, she even taught me how to make desserts. I wonder if there's a place in the castle where I could cook. If there is, I could try making some..."
"That sounds fantastic," Rhys replied.
As they continued chatting and laughing, the carriage passed through the gates of Hogwarts.
Since they were all second-year students now, they headed straight to the Great Hall. At the entrance, they spotted Snape speaking with Professor McGonagall.
"Potter… Weasley…" Snape muttered.
"Severus, I need to oversee the Sorting Ceremony. You should go inform Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall said as the four approached. She hurried away just as Snape made his way into the hall.
"Looks like Harry and Ron might have gotten into some trouble again?"
Daphne guessed, piecing things together from the snippets of conversation she overheard.
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