A New Year Ahead (III) (CH - 69)

The rhythmic hum of the engine filled the air as the Hogwarts Express moved steadily along the tracks toward its destination.

Two hours had passed, and the students were now settled, each engaged in their own activities. The older students were busy catching up with their friends, while the first-years were enthusiastically making new ones.

While most cabins buzzed with lively chatter, a few were quieter, with some occupants engrossed in books and others taking naps, lulled by the soothing rhythm of the train.

In one of the rear cabins, four people shared the space, seated two by two across from one another.

On one side, a girl quietly read a book, while her companion rested her head on her shoulder, seemingly asleep. Across from them, a young man and a boy were each immersed in their own reading.

But then, the peaceful atmosphere was abruptly shattered as the door slid open with a loud thud, startling the half-asleep girl upright from her comfortable position.

The intruder, oblivious to the rudeness of their actions and the impact on the occupants, stepped in as if it were their own room and almost demanded, "Has anyone here seen a toad?" while looking at the four of them.

Maverick glanced at the small figure out of the corner of his eye. His Magical Sense had already alerted him to the girl's approach, so her sudden and abrupt entry didn't catch him off guard.

Bushy brown hair, a slightly round face, and some very noticeable front teeth. Yes, he was 99 percent certain this was the know-it-all lioness, and she looked much more like the Hermione Granger described in the books than Emma Watson from the movies.

The memory of this exact moment from the film flickered in his mind—the girl barging into a cabin, asking about a toad, only back then, it was the protagonist and her future husband she confronted.

The cabin remained silent as the new occupant stood there, seemingly unable to read the room.

"Listen here, girl..." Tracy's patience seemed to have run out as she reprimanded her, her tone laced with clear annoyance. "Next time you decide to enter other people's cabins like that, at least knock... don't just barge in as if we owe you something."

Maverick didn't intervene, letting the children handle it themselves. He too felt a twinge of annoyance but reminded himself that this was just an eleven-year-old girl.

He watched as she stared at Tracy with wide eyes while being scolded, her expression slowly crumpling. Before long, her eyes welled up with tears, which began to spill down her cheeks. Maverick couldn't help but wonder what had given her the audacity to act so boldly earlier, if she was this timid to begin with.

Without a word, the future Minister of Magic—at least in the original work—turned and ran out as if she had just received a scolding from her mother, leaving the three students staring after her, baffled by the sudden turn of events.

The little episode passed in under a minute, and the peaceful atmosphere once again returned to the cabin.

Daphne huffed and returned to her book, while Roger shrugged and resumed his reading.

Tracy, however, seemed to have lost her sleepiness, though she now appeared more confused than tired, still processing what had just happened. Her scolding came from being startled and annoyed, but she hadn't intended to teach the culprit a lesson harsh enough to make her shed tears.

She glanced at the most senior among them, as if hoping he could make sense of the situation.

Maverick sighed as he felt her gaze fall on him.

"She's likely a witch new to all things magic... new to all of us," he said, explaining as best he could. "You didn't say anything wrong, and you shouldn't worry just because she cried after your... advice."

"Witch or Muggle, doesn't excuse her blatantly rude behavior," Daphne added, glancing at Maverick after his comment.

Maverick raised his hands and shrugged. "We learn from our mistakes..."

"You sound like my dad," Tracy interrupted with a chuckle. "How old are you anyway, senior?" she asked.

Maverick smiled back. "I'll be 21 this November," he said, then closed his book, sending it to his storage ring, then pulled out a stack of cards. "Wanna play a card game to pass the time?" He darted his gaze between all three of them.

Tracy agreed first without hesitation, and then Maverick noticed Roger close his book as well, seemingly agreeing to the suggestion.

Maverick then glanced at the Greengrass heiress, and both Tracy and Roger followed his gaze.

He saw her let out a sigh before closing her book and making it disappear into her heir's ring.

"Wonderful..." Maverick smiled, then began sorting the cards equally while explaining the game he had in mind.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Just as they were about to start playing, there was another tap at the cabin door. With a flick of his finger, Maverick repeated his earlier motion, sliding the door open.

"Good morning, children. Would you like to buy some sweets?" asked a cheerful lady, standing behind a cart loaded with magical snacks.

Maverick didn't let any of the children pay, instead waving his hand to buy enough snacks for all four of them. He noticed Daphne's reluctant expression—likely due to her pride as the Greengrass heiress—but he politely insisted they accept his gesture.

Fortunately, they were only children, so it didn't take much convincing before they relented. Soon, the four of them were enjoying the snacks while playing the card game Maverick had taught them.

"Interesting piece of alchemy," Maverick remarked, holding up a box containing what appeared to be a frog—a chocolate frog.

"Most people buy them to collect the cards," Tracy said, glancing at him as he studied the small box. "You get one card in each pack."

Maverick didn't open the box, nor did he feel like eating it—it just felt odd to him. Instead, he handed it to Roger, who accepted it with a grin.

The game continued as they chatted about various topics. Maverick spoke about Ilvermorny, carefully wording his stories to avoid revealing too much about his background or the fact that he had been Edward's student. Although his mentorship wasn't exactly a secret, he wasn't ready to discuss it here and now.

Roger shared stories about Hogwarts, mostly about Quidditch, but at Maverick's suggestion, he held back from spoiling too much for the two first-years.

"By the way, I heard the Savior is starting school this year too," Tracy said, throwing in a comment as the conversation flowed.

"He should be on board right now, in another cabin," Daphne added, tossing a card onto the table.

"The Boy Who Lived, huh?" The third-year Ravenclaw paused thoughtfully before joining in, "I wonder which house he'll be sorted into."

"He's heir to House Potter, so probably Gryffindor... like his parents," Daphne replied, showing off her knowledge.

"How'd you know?" Roger asked, giving her a curious look before it hit him that she was the heiress of one of the oldest and most ancient magical families in the country. As the Greengrass heiress, it was obvious she would know such things.

"My father told me," she explained, not offended by the question. "I've been taught about world politics and the ancient families, both local and foreign, since I started learning to read."

Roger nodded, looking thoughtful before his gaze fixed on the girl again, though he seemed unable to voice what was on his mind.

The smart, blonde little witch noticed his hesitation right away, looking at his face. "Say what's on your mind, senior."

Maverick watched their little interaction and noted how polite and unusually mature the eleven-year-old Greengrass girl's speech was for her age.

Her parents must have carefully educated her from a very early age, he thought to himself.

"Well..." Roger finally said. "You're probably the first pureblood I've seen being this friendly with me, a half-blood. Spending the entire journey... I mean, that's very rare." He paused, as if remembering something, and added with a little chuckle, "The Weasley twins don't count."

Daphne huffed, though not rudely, just a little shy. "My best friend is a half-blood like yourself. Besides, my family isn't like those idiots who value blood over facts."

Tracy, sitting beside her, smiled and hugged her from the side, making the already shy little blonde's face flush even more.

"Well, it was really nice meeting you both. And you too, senior... I mean, teacher. Professor assistant..." Roger scratched his head, smiling embarrassedly after stumbling over his words, making the three inside chuckle at him.

He glanced back at the two girls once more and added confidently, "I mean, if you two freshmen need any help, you can come and find me any time. Regardless of which house you're sorted into..."

Maverick watched quietly, not adding anything to the children's conversation, his expression pleased. This was one of his main goals for the school, and by coincidence or not, he had somehow come across and gotten to know some very like-minded children on the very first day.

His mind worked quickly, and right then and there, he made plans for the three of them to take on more active roles in the new events that would take place this year.

The conversation continued, along with the card game they were playing, accompanied by shared stories, laughter, and the occasional snack.

Even the cautious-looking Greengrass witch eventually relaxed her composure as the four of them grew more comfortable with one another. Before they knew it, hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the sun began its descent toward the west.

As the sky began to darken, an announcement echoed through the train, instructing students to get ready, put on their uniforms, and prepare for their arrival at Hogsmeade Station.

Daphne, Tracy, and Roger left to change into their robes, while Maverick stayed behind since he had no need for a uniform.

"Senior, aren't you going to change into—" Tracy blurted out as soon as she returned to the cabin, but stopped halfway, realizing he didn't have to. "Ah, I forgot you weren't exactly a student."

A moment later, Daphne returned, dressed and ready, while the boy took the longest. A few minutes after that, Roger returned as well and saw the three of them arching a brow at him, which left him confused about what had happened.

"Took your time... did you put on makeup?" Sure enough, the little witch Tracy couldn't help but jab, making Maverick chuckle lightly, and even the blonde sitting beside Tracy smirked.

"What? Why would I?"

Apparently, the third-year in the house of the smarts didn't catch the freshmen's sarcasm.

Fortunately, Maverick spared him from any embarrassment. "Did you meet some friends? You took a while after going to change."

"Oh..." Roger had a look of realization before adding, "I did. They thought I hadn't boarded the train because I didn't find them." He chuckled while explaining.

They settled once again and waited, until finally, just before it grew completely dark, the train let out a loud whistle and came to a stop, signaling the end of their journey.

The senior students in the other cabins rushed to get out first, quickly making the aisle outside noisy.

The four of them waited in theirs for a while at Maverick's suggestion, only getting up from their seats when the bustling sounds of students walking down the train's narrow walkway began to calm down.

As they made their way toward the exit, some students eyed the group—well, they were looking at Maverick—as if he were something completely out of place, not wearing the Hogwarts uniform or anything resembling magical attire. But Maverick didn't mind the stares and steadily followed behind the three little ones.

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Author's Note:

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 103 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic