Chapter 25: The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 25: The Hogwarts Express

"Magical alchemy—I'll definitely have to study it in depth later."

Less than twenty minutes later, the magical car stopped outside King's Cross Station. Declining Tonks' offer to accompany him inside, George pushed his cart while lost in thought.

The journey from the Leaky Cauldron to King's Cross Station hadn't been entirely smooth, as they had hit traffic.

However, the Ministry's car was clearly enhanced with advanced spatial magic through alchemy. With the press of a button, the car seemed to compress, allowing it to easily slip through the narrow gaps between vehicles, some of which were less than a person's width apart.

The spells in this world were fascinating, and the magical items created through alchemy were equally extraordinary.

If he mastered magical alchemy, he could transform the mutant school into a magical castle similar to Hogwarts, one that would be nearly impossible for outsiders to enter without his permission.

"Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."

Arriving at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, George pushed his cart straight into the wall.

What happened next was nothing short of magical. He and the cart passed through the barrier as if it were a transparent curtain of water.

In an instant, a unique platform appeared before him.

The most striking feature was the deep red steam engine with the words "Hogwarts Express, departing at 11:00" written on it.

He had read about this magical train in a specialized book on magical history.

To deeply understand the magic of this world and navigate the wizarding world with ease, knowledge of magical history was crucial.

Many spells and their counter-spells could also be found in historical accounts.

So, he made it a point to spend some time each day studying the various history books he had purchased.

The Hogwarts Express was built in the early to mid-19th century by a Muggle engineer, a large number of Muggle railway workers, and most of the wizards from the Ministry of Magic at the time.

This magical railway line also involved the largest-scale use of Memory Charms and Muggle-Repelling Charms in history.

The initiative came from the then-Minister of Magic, Ottaline Gambol, who believed that using Portkeys to transport young wizards to Hogwarts was unsafe and uncomfortable. Every year, some young wizards would go missing due to improper use of Portkeys.

Inspired by Muggle steam trains, the Hogwarts Express and its extensive railway line were born.

It's said that this move faced protests from some pure-blood families, but the Minister of Magic forcefully suppressed them by declaring that those who refused to take the train would not be admitted to Hogwarts.

This magical steam train travels between Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station in London and Hogsmeade Station, making a total of six trips a year.

One trip on September 1st for the start of term, four trips during Christmas and Easter, and one trip in June for the end of term.

At this moment, the platform was filled with the thick smoke from the steam engine. Since George had arrived early, there weren't many young wizards or their families on the platform, and the atmosphere was relatively quiet.

Pushing his cart into the first-year carriage, George found an empty compartment, quickly stowed his luggage on the overhead rack, and placed the owl cage in the corner near him.

"Stay quiet and don't scare the young wizards who'll be boarding soon."

After giving Piggy a quick reminder, George pulled out a book titled *The Importance of Basic Magical Theory* and began reading intently.

The journey from London to Hogwarts would take about five to six hours, and he didn't want to waste that time.

As time passed, the platform outside the train window grew increasingly crowded with wizards of all ages and a variety of magical pets. The compartments also began to fill with young wizards.

"Wow, is that your pet? That's a huge owl!"

A young boy with a magical camera hanging around his neck was pushing his cart past George's compartment when he caught sight of the enormous owl, Piggy. Unable to resist, he stepped inside.

After placing his luggage in the corner, he excitedly snapped a few photos with his magical camera and introduced himself to George:

"Hi, I'm Colin Creevey."

"Call me George."

George looked up at the boy and nodded with a smile.

The name sounded familiar—he seemed to be one of Harry Potter's most enthusiastic fans, always eager to take photos of his idol.

"George, I—"

Colin was lively and talkative, quickly making himself at home as he sat down beside George and began chattering away.

George had no choice but to put his book aside and engage in conversation.

Through their chat, George learned that Colin came from a Muggle family and had a younger brother named Dennis Creevey.

Colin was passionate about photography and had used the money meant for a pet to buy a magical camera in Diagon Alley.

His greatest idol was Harry Potter, who was only a year older than him but had already defeated the terrifying Voldemort, as mentioned in *Modern Magical History*, *The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts*, and *Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century*.

"By the way, George, I've been talking so much, but I don't know anything about you."

After his long monologue, Colin realized he knew nothing about George.

To avoid further chatter, George simply smiled and said:

"I'm an orphan. I've never met my parents, and I have no family, so there's not much to share."

Colin was momentarily stunned, his face showing a hint of sympathy before he quickly changed the subject:

"Anyway, your owl is so big. What does it usually eat?"

"The Eurasian eagle-owl is commonly found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. It primarily inhabits mountainous forests, plains, wilderness, forest edges, shrublands, and exposed highlands and cliffs.

It feeds on field mice, hares, and pheasants, but sometimes also eats frogs, snakes, and lizards.

It's said to be one of the few owl species immune to the gaze of a basilisk, the other being the legendary phoenix."

A dreamy voice suddenly spoke up from the compartment doorway.

George and Colin turned to see a girl with silver eyes and dark blonde hair. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were large but unfocused, giving her an ethereal, somewhat peculiar aura.

"I've never read anything about eagle-owls being immune to a basilisk's gaze."

George looked at the girl with surprise.

Since he had bought the eagle-owl as a pet, he had naturally researched it thoroughly. Most of the information the girl had mentioned matched what he had read, except for the last part.

And that last piece of information was crucial, as this year Hogwarts would indeed be home to a basilisk—a thousand-year-old one at that.

So, he had to verify it carefully.

(End of Chapter)