Chapter 9: Miranda

Hofa's expression froze, and his body stiffened. This girl was toxic. He took a deep breath and silently put the Chocolate Frog back in his pocket. His excitement about the snacks had been completely ruined by her. In both his lives, he had never met someone so arrogant—even more so than Draco Malfoy.

"I think you'll probably end up in Slytherin," Hofa said indifferently. As he spoke, he began packing his snacks into his bag. He no longer wanted to stay in this compartment.

"Impossible!" the girl scoffed. "How could a soaring eagle associate with snakes crawling in the dirt?" Her owl on her shoulder let out a proud screech.

The girl continued, "I can only be in one house—the one with the fewest students at Hogwarts, the place where the truly intelligent belong..."

"Whatever makes you happy," Hofa said, stuffing the last of his snacks into his bag. Without another word, he got up, opened the door, stepped out, and closed it behind him.

Hofa didn't want to listen to her ramble. He didn't know which house he'd be sorted into, but he already knew which one he *didn't* want to be in. Any house that girl ended up in, he wanted no part of.

Leaving the compartment, Hofa wandered down the corridor, munching on his snacks. Inside the compartments, children were chatting and laughing, building new friendships. As he passed a Slytherin compartment, he saw Tom Riddle leaning back in his seat, chatting and laughing with others. There was no denying it—the guy had charisma. His old, worn clothes couldn't hide his natural leadership aura.

Hofa felt a pang of envy. He hadn't made a single friend at Hogwarts yet. It made sense, though. He wasn't from a wizarding family, nor was he a famous savior like Harry. He wasn't as handsome as Tom Riddle either. He was just an ordinary kid.

After wandering for half an hour, Hofa realized he had a problem. Hogwarts was approaching, and everyone was pulling down the curtains in their compartments to change into their school robes. Hofa looked down at his jeans and T-shirt and realized he couldn't change in the corridor. Going back to his original compartment was out of the question—he didn't want to see that silver-haired girl's face again.

So, Hofa hurried down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment. He searched for a while but couldn't find one. Most compartments were either full of girls—which would be awkward—or packed with people. Hofa ran from the back of the train all the way to the front.

Finally, he found a suitable compartment. Inside, there was only one person—a girl in a black robe, quietly reading a book. Though it was still a girl, there was only one, and Hofa didn't have time to be picky.

Hofa knocked on the glass door.

The girl looked up and gave him a calm glance. She had a gentle appearance—round glasses, fair skin, short chestnut hair, gray eyes, and a slender figure.

Hofa held up his school robes apologetically.

The girl understood. She closed her book, stood up, and opened the door.

Hofa stepped inside and said with a smile, "Sorry, all the other compartments are full. I need to change. Can I use your compartment?"

The girl nodded. "Go ahead. We're almost there." She pulled the curtain closed for him and stepped outside, leaning against the door.

Hofa quickly changed his clothes. When he was done, he opened the door. "All set. Thanks."

The black-haired girl nodded and sat back down, picking up her book again. She didn't seem interested in conversation.

The compartment was filled with a faint floral scent, which Hofa assumed was her natural fragrance. The only sound was the soft rustling of pages.

After a moment of silence, Hofa grew curious. "Why are you sitting alone? All the other compartments are full."

The girl replied, "Because I'm reading, and they didn't want to disturb me."

Hofa glanced at the book's yellow cover. *War and Peace*. He was familiar with it.

"You read Muggle books?" Hofa asked.

"Of course," the girl said, glancing up briefly before turning the page. She seemed reluctant to continue the topic. She asked, "Are you a first-year too?"

"Yes," Hofa said, extending his hand. "Hofa. Hofa Bach."

The girl nodded and shook his hand. "Miranda Goshawk."

Hofa found the name familiar. The arrogant silver-haired girl had mentioned someone named "Miller Goshawk." Curious, Hofa asked, "Do you have a brother named Miller?"

The girl looked up, adjusted her glasses, and smiled gently. "Sorry, I've never heard of that person."

"Oh," Hofa muttered, not thinking much of it. Truthfully, he had already forgotten about the arrogant girl.

As Miranda pulled her hand back, she casually waved her wand. Hofa's discarded clothes folded themselves neatly into a pile, as precise as a block of tofu.

After putting her book back in her trunk, Miranda said, "Don't worry about your things. Someone will take care of them."

Miranda was calm and composed, neither hurried nor boastful. She was the kind of person Hofa could see himself being friends with.

In the final minutes of the train ride, Hofa and Miranda chatted casually. The most common topic among first-years was, of course, the houses.

Miranda, however, seemed indifferent about which house she'd be sorted into. "The houses are mostly the same, except for the location of the common rooms. The classes are all the same too."

Hofa was curious. "You seem to know a lot about Hogwarts."

Miranda smiled. "Someone in my family works here. I've been visiting Hogwarts since I was three."

Hofa felt like the name "Goshawk" was familiar. He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his Hogwarts acceptance letter. Sure enough, he saw the signature of Deputy Headmaster Adebayo Goshawk.

"Deputy Headmaster Adebayo Goshawk... is he your..."

"He's my grandfather," Miranda said with a sigh. "Can we not talk about this, please?"

---

Ten minutes later, the train slowly came to a halt at a small, dark platform. The students pushed and shoved their way toward the doors. Hofa and his newfound companion stepped off the train into the chilly night air. Old-fashioned lanterns swung above their heads.

Hofa had expected to see Hagrid, but instead, there was an old, one-eyed hunter on horseback. The man turned his horse and shouted authoritatively, "First-years, follow me!"

This must be the gamekeeper before Hagrid, Hofa thought. Hagrid was probably only nine years old now and wouldn't start at Hogwarts for another couple of years.

The group of chattering children followed the one-eyed gamekeeper through a dark forest path until they reached the edge of a black lake. Small wooden boats were lined up along the shore. Across the lake, on a high hill, stood the towering castle of Hogwarts. Its turrets pierced the sky, and its windows twinkled under the stars.

Hogwarts looked almost exactly as it had been described in the books, except for the people.

**Ding!**

**[Hidden Wizard Realm discovered: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]**

**Complete 50% exploration—You will receive [One-Third Spell Fragment]. (Current collection: 2/3)**

**Complete 100% exploration—You will receive [The Sage's Knowledge].**

For once, Hofa ignored the system's notification. He gazed at the castle, his heart swelling with emotion. It felt like a dream come true.

The gamekeeper dismounted, picked up his bow and lantern, and shouted, "Four to a boat! No pushing!"

The children clamored into the boats. Miranda sat beside Hofa, while two other students sat across from them, chatting and laughing.

Hofa breathed a sigh of relief. The silver-haired girl hadn't followed him, which was the best news he could have asked for.

As the boats began to move across the black lake, the children pointed and exclaimed at the sights around them. Hofa dipped his hand into the cold water, enjoying the soothing sound of the waves.

Suddenly, he felt a slight sting on his finger. He pulled his hand out and was startled to see a tiny mermaid coiled around it. She had the appearance of Thumbelina but with a fish's tail. When she noticed Hofa looking at her, she sprayed a jet of water at his face.

Hofa quickly put his hand back in the lake, and the mermaid swam away.

Miranda smiled. "Scottish merfolk. They're magical creatures. When they grow up, they can become as big as humans. There are many of them here."

Hofa smirked and decided not to dip his hand in the water again.

As they approached the castle, everyone fell silent. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the water. They passed under a few ivy-covered stone arches and entered a dark tunnel that led to an underground dock. From there, they climbed up a path of gravel and pebbles, finally reaching the base of Hogwarts.

The castle was even more massive than Hofa had imagined. Its towering walls seemed endless, and the highest turrets almost touched the clouds.

As they reached the entrance, Hofa noticed something different. In the books, the castle's doors were made of oak, but here, they were crafted from black metal, engraved with intricate patterns and ancient runes. They looked solemn and imposing.

Had something changed in the past half-century? Hofa wondered.

The doors swung open automatically, revealing a grand marble staircase. The students filed in, and the one-eyed gamekeeper dismounted and followed them.

At the entrance hall, the gamekeeper held up his hand to stop the students. "Wait here. No talking."

But his words had little effect. A group of children huddled together, whispering and giggling.

Hofa wanted to talk to Miranda, but she just shook her head slightly, signaling him to stay quiet like her.