Chapter 27: To Be Honest, You Remind Me of My Dad

Chapter 27: To Be Honest, You Remind Me of My Dad

"The train will arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, as it will be taken to the school for you."

Night had fallen outside the window, and under the deep purple sky, mountains and forests stretched out. The train gradually slowed down, and a loud announcement echoed through the corridor.

"We should change into our robes."

George took off his coat and put on the black Hogwarts wizard robe.

Luna, Ginny, and Colin quickly followed suit, changing into their own robes.

When the train came to a stop, the young wizards poured out, pushing and shoving in the corridor, afraid of missing something. Some of the young wizards' faces were even squished in the crowd.

"Don't rush!"

Seeing this, George decisively stopped Ginny and the others from joining the chaos.

They had already arrived at the station, and Hogwarts, with its massive castle, wasn't going anywhere. There was no need to panic and push their way out.

Unlike the other young wizards, George was curious and excited about Hogwarts but not nervous or flustered.

On one hand, he wasn't really a child, and on the other, having experienced reincarnation, soul-splitting, and life-and-death struggles, his mind was far calmer than that of an average adult.

After about two minutes, the crowd in the corridor began to thin, and George led the three out of the compartment, walking unhurriedly to the train door.

"Stay close to me, and don't wander off to where the older students are."

"George, to be honest, sometimes you remind me of my dad—very reliable."

Ginny, following behind George, couldn't help but say.

"Well... more reliable than my dad."

Thinking of her father Arthur's occasional unreliability, she added.

Colin and Luna nodded in agreement.

Although they had only known George for less than a day, he had left a strong impression of reliability.

He spoke calmly, rarely showing surprise, helped them with their luggage, wiped their faces when they got messy from snacks, and even covered them with his robe when they dozed off in the afternoon.

Even now, as they got off the train, he gave them a sense of security, as if they just needed to follow him to stay safe.

George couldn't help but smile at this. In truth, his actions were just what any adult would naturally do when around children, especially ones they didn't dislike.

His body in this world might be that of a child, but pretending to be a child all the time wasn't easy.

So, he didn't see the need. Given his background in this world, being mature for his age was normal and not a bad thing.

"First years! First years over here!"

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out.

George turned to see Hagrid, the gamekeeper, holding a magical lantern and calling out loudly from one side of the station.

Even among the hundreds of students at the station, Hagrid's three- to four-meter-tall frame made him stand out like a sore thumb.

"Stay close."

George reminded them before cutting through the dense crowd like a knife, easily parting the older students in front of him and quickly reaching Hagrid's side.

In terms of strength, even seventh-year wizards couldn't match him.

"Good to see you again, little boss!"

Seeing George, Hagrid immediately bent down to greet him.

He remembered this young wizard who ran a potion shop in Knockturn Alley and had given him a discount.

"Hello, Hagrid."

George nodded with a smile.

"You know Hagrid? Why did he call you 'little boss'?"

Ginny whispered in George's ear, curious.

She hadn't met Hagrid before but had often heard her brother Ron mention him, so she guessed who he was.

"My adoptive father ran a potion shop. He passed away unexpectedly recently, and Hagrid came to buy potions."

George casually replied.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I hope you're not too sad."

Hearing this, Ginny immediately looked guilty, and Luna and Colin also showed sympathy.

"It's fine."

George smiled. He wanted to say that he had been the one to kill the old man, but he knew that would scare the three.

After waiting by Hagrid's side for a while, the first-year students soon gathered, about thirty in total.

In truth, Hogwarts didn't have many students, usually maintaining around three hundred, with about forty per grade. Some years had a few more, others a few less.

This made sense, as the school didn't have many teachers. For example, Defense Against the Dark Arts was taught to all seven grades, but there was only one teacher. If there were too many students, it would be impossible to teach them all.

Once everyone had gathered, Hagrid led them along a narrow path to the edge of the Black Lake, where they boarded boats in groups of four to head to the castle—a traditional ritual for first-year students.

This seemed to commemorate the four legendary wizards who founded Hogwarts.

Most of the students sat with those they had become familiar with on the train, so George naturally shared a boat with Luna, Ginny, and Colin.

However, these boats weren't ordinary. They were enchanted with alchemy, allowing them to move without oars, propelled by an automatic wind.

To be honest, the journey across the Black Lake to Hogwarts Castle was quite awe-inspiring. Even George couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder as he looked up at the towering castle.

One young wizard was so overwhelmed that he accidentally fell into the lake.

But there was no danger, as a giant octopus immediately rescued him and placed him back in the boat.

Don't underestimate the Black Lake—it was home to many magical creatures.

After crossing the lake and disembarking at the castle's underground dock, they followed a tunnel through the rocks to the castle gates, where Hagrid handed them over to a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes.

This witch was none other than Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses..."

Professor McGonagall led them to a small room off the entrance hall, where she briefly explained the four houses and the importance of the House Cup.

After Professor McGonagall left, the young wizards began buzzing with excitement, naturally discussing the Sorting Ceremony.

George was no exception, as he too wondered which house he would be sorted into.

He wasn't Harry Potter; the Sorting Hat wouldn't spend extra time on him, nor would it let him choose his house based on preference. Like the other students, he would be sorted based on the magical assessment.

But it didn't matter to him. In his view, every house had its advantages, and no matter which one he ended up in, he would become the most outstanding and brilliant wizard Hogwarts had ever seen.

From this day forward, Hogwarts would welcome the most talented and extraordinary wizard in its history—George.

(End of Chapter)