Chapter 2- The Trunk

Salim retrieved his trunk from the shelf, aligned the ring on his right hand with the card slot on the trunk, and pressed it up. "Click." Then, Salim's right hand turned like a lock, and the lid of the trunk opened.

Hermione stared at the scene with wide eyes. She didn't understand why Salim opened the trunk and revealed a downward staircase. Clearly, this young witch, new to the magical world, couldn't comprehend what was unfolding before her.

"Come on, Neville, and... well, Hermione." Despite Hermione's astonishment, Salim almost called her by the nickname he had given her.

Salim led the way, crossing the compartment and descending the stairs.

"Oh my goodness, what is this? How is this possible? Why is there such a large space in your trunk? My word, there's a bookshelf, and so many books! Oh, there's a door in there!" Miss Fuss was utterly amazed by what she was witnessing.

Standing on the stairs, they could clearly see everything below: a space spanning at least 80 square feet. On the left side beneath the stairs were four rows of tall bookshelves, stocked with books. A reading area was situated near the corner. On the right side of the stairs was a four-poster bed with gauze curtains, and a closed door not far away.

"A permanent traceless stretching spell, but let's not dwell on that for now," Salim interrupted Hermione's inquiries. "Hermione, please keep what you've seen about my trunk to yourself."

Salim guided the two down the stairs to the bookshelf area on the left, the only part with tables and chairs.

"Alright, let's all take a seat," Salim gestured for them to sit down. "Help yourselves to some black tea."

Three cups of black tea were waiting on the table in front of them.

That's what a proper house-elf should do – preparing everything in advance.

"Neville, I know your grandmother wants you in Gryffindor, but what do you think?" Salim focused his attention on Neville.

"I... I also wish to be like my parents." Neville fidgeted, wringing his hands – Salim had instructed him to place his toad in the trunk and had locked it, so there was no escape anyway.

"Neville, I hope this is your choice, not something pressured by your grandmother. Do you understand?"

"I understand, but... but I'm afraid I won't make it into Gryffindor. I know I'm timid, and I'm worried..." Neville appeared on the verge of tears.

Hermione alternated her gaze between Salim and Neville, struggling to comprehend the conversation.

"Just ensure that you genuinely want to be in Gryffindor. Clearly express to the Sorting Hat your desire to be sorted into Gryffindor," Salim took a sip of tea. "Don't fret, you will make it into Gryffindor. You meet the criteria."

"Excuse me, Salim, what's this Sorting Hat you're talking about?" Hermione finally spoke up, feeling like she would suffocate if she kept silent.

"The Sorting Hat – what else would it be for? It sorts young wizards," Salim looked at Hermione, his expression quite casual. "During the sorting ceremony, you wear it, and it determines which house you belong to."

"Can you just tell the Sorting Hat which house you want to be in?" Hermione was a bit confused. If sorting was as per her wishes, what was the point of the Sorting Hat? Wouldn't that be redundant?

"Not exactly. The Sorting Hat places young wizards in the house that suits them best." Salim began to explain to both Hermione and Neville.

Neville may not have been the sharpest, a bit timid and shy, seemingly more fitting for Hufflepuff. But was that accurate? Neville's latent bravery led the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor. However, don't forget, Neville is also a staunch pure-blood.

Slytherin is a possibility – after all, Goyle and Crabbe are Slytherins. The point is, Neville never really considered Slytherin for himself. So, the options for Neville are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. At this juncture, a young wizard's personal wish holds considerable sway. Hence, Salim advised Neville to make his preference for Gryffindor crystal clear to the Sorting Hat.

"So, what you're saying is that a young wizard can choose a house for themselves when given the option, right?"

"Yes, you've got it right. 'A History of Hogwarts' doesn't cover all of these details," Salim glanced at Hermione, who seemed thrilled, and stated.

"Then which house will you choose? Ravenclaw?" Hermione ventured a guess based on Salim's previous demonstration with his hands in the trunk.

"No, I'll be in Slytherin," Salim knew Hermione was about to protest, yet he declared it anyway.

"Slytherin? I've heard rumors about evil dark wizards coming from there. Why would you want to be in Slytherin?" Hermione's expression shifted upon hearing Salim's choice.

"Honestly, Hermione, I'm curious – where did a Muggle-born witch like you hear such baseless comments?" Salim anticipated Hermione's reaction but couldn't help but flip through the pages with a bewildered expression.

Voldemort was undeniably notorious, as was Dumbledore. When people mentioned Gryffindor, the first figure that came to mind was the illustrious Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore – renowned head of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Order of Merlin First Class recipient, and Hogwarts Headmaster.

But what about Slytherins? Who were the prominent wizards from Slytherin? Voldemort! The enigmatic figure! The most terrifying dark wizard ever. Although, perhaps 'ever' could be dropped, as could 'most terrifying'. As an... illegitimate child of a particularly prestigious pure-blood family like the Selwyns, Salim had access to extensive history and historical figures that the average wizard did not. He was certain that Voldemort wasn't the scariest Dark wizard of all time.

Salim was well aware of many wizards who were stronger than Voldemort, or even more powerful. However, most of these wizards met tragic ends – either by crossing some boundary or when they were about to. For those who were not easily killed or inconvenient to kill, they were often sealed away, guarded by a special wizarding organization. This was one of the reasons for Schuyler's School of Magic's establishment – to train and supply manpower for this organization.

"I don't deny that lunatic's influence on Slytherin, but you shouldn't generalize," Salim met Hermione's gaze and carefully chose his words. "While it's true that Slytherin has produced its fair share of dark wizards under that lunatic's sway, are they all truly 'evil' wizards? Frankly, you're giving them too much credit by labeling them as such. Many of them were simply ignorant and arrogant wizards."

Salim then shifted his gaze to Neville and continued, "Slytherin has also produced many Aurors. During the most chaotic years, many of them lost their lives for that lunatic. I'm sure nobody mentioned this to you, did they? And let's not forget, Gryffindor has had its own share of dark wizards. Hermione, you can't just believe in hearsay and assume that all Slytherins are inherently dark wizards. Of course, I'm not denying that there have been unsavory characters from Slytherin, but don't generalize." Salim stood up and walked to a side cabinet, paying no heed to Hermione's stunned expression and Neville's reaction to the word "Auror."

"Neville, here you go." Salim retrieved a slender trunk from the cabinet and placed it in front of Neville. "Open it. This is the one you'll use in the future – cherry wood, unicorn tail hair core. It should suit you."

"I... I'm using my dad's wand," Neville said, glancing at the trunk in front of him, then back up at Salim. "My grandmother insisted."

"This one is meant for you. Listen to me – use this one," Salim tapped the wand trunk on the table with his finger and continued, "Using a wand that doesn't suit you is a waste of time. I understand what your grandmother intends – she hopes to challenge your abilities with an unsuitable wand. However, what you need right now isn't just ability; it's self-confidence."

Trembling, Neville opened the trunk. He had rarely received gifts as a child. One of his toads had been given by his uncle to commemorate his accidental magic, and his mother had given him candy wrappers every time he visited St. Mungo's. He treasured each one. Never before had he received something as valuable as a magic wand, and he could sense the affection from the "little monster" in his uncle's and his grandmother's words, and the warmth from his dependable and responsible cousin.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it," Neville's eyes were slightly teary.

Hermione watched Neville and then glanced at Salim, unsure of what to say.

"After school starts, come to me every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I'll make sure you're up to speed with the school curriculum," Salim said as Neville accepted his new wand. "Once you catch up, I might provide you with some 'extra' materials based on your progress."

Neville had always found Salim's no-nonsense demeanor somewhat inspiring. As an illegitimate child, Salim wasn't financially supported by his family every month. Instead, he had to rely on himself.

Neville's grandmother, recognizing this, had given Salim a substantial sum of Galleons with the expectation that he would train her grandson well. It was true that they were family, but if Neville didn't show improvement, conducting business with his grandmother would prove challenging. With this in mind, Salim had resolved to be tough on Neville.

"Remember, Neville, the person responsible for your parents' suffering, the one who led to your family's current situation, is still imprisoned in Azkaban. That maniac is still alive, and sooner or later, your enemy will resurface. Don't you want to seek justice for your parents with your own hands?" Salim believed that while harboring hatred wasn't healthy, it could serve as a potent motivator.

Neville looked up, his eyes no longer teary, but ablaze with anger.

"Very well, it's settled then. Don't forget – come to me every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evening. Now that you have what you need, let's head back up." Salim stood up. "By the way, Hermione, if you'd like, you can grab a book from the first row of the bookshelf on the left to help pass the time. Of course, you'll need to return it to me after you're done."

There were four rows of bookshelves in Salim's compartment, and the books on the shelf he pointed to were unrelated to magical spells, devoid of magical restrictions.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, nearly bolting towards the bookshelves.

"Alright, Hermione, come on. We should head back up," Salim picked up his teacup and downed its contents in a single gulp.

He led the others back into the compartment, stowed away his trunk, and released the locking spell. As Hermione settled in and began reading, and...

"Neville! Why are you sticking your bottom up in the air?" Salim asked, watching Neville's posterior protruding from under the seat.

"Raf... Raffle is missing!" Neville knocked his head against the table.

"Your toad? That's impossible. The door has remained closed," Salim cast a quick glance out of the window. "The window is shut as well. Let's search for it."

To be honest, Salim couldn't quite comprehend the rationale behind Neville receiving a toad as a gift. Owls could be sent for communication. Or if cost was an issue, a few bags of candy would suffice. The idea of sending a toad struck Salim as peculiar.

"Truly... gone!" Neville rose from the floor, visibly anxious. "I looked on the shelves and the floor. Salim, please help me."

"Hmm? Neville, I locked the door before we went down. When we left, you placed your toad outside. The window hasn't been opened. How could your toad..." Salim found the situation rather perplexing. Could this toad somehow pass through walls?

"Okay, Neville, I'll help you find your toad," Hermione offered, realizing that Neville wouldn't be able to focus on reading until his toad was located. Besides, they were friends, and helping each other out wasn't a big deal.

"Thank you, Hermione," Neville said, his face reddening.

As the two of them exited the compartment's door, Salim shook his head and returned to perusing his tome. "Speaking of which, this marks the first encounter with the Audio-Technica."

If Salim remembered correctly, Neville hadn't found his toad on the train. Instead, it had only appeared once they reached the school. More accurately, it seemed to have materialized at Neville's side. Considering this, Salim speculated that the toad was in the compartment when they first entered, but it had disappeared when they exited. This piqued Salim's curiosity. "When should I study this further? Could it be a unique bloodline or something akin to... that mouse?"

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