The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 88 Musings and the Start of School

Inside the train compartment.

Ino subconsciously spoke out what was truly on her mind.

However, he regretted it after saying it, especially after seeing the expressions on Draco's and the others' faces.

"Haha, I was just kidding. After all, our main task right now is to study hard. By the way, I heard Lockhart is on this train too?"

Ino tried to change the subject, but he forgot about the precocity of pure-blood children and the shrewdness of Slytherin.

"I don't care about Lockhart." Pansy said with a look of disdain when Lockhart was mentioned. "I just want to know what you're thinking, Mr. Enoswinburne."

"That's right!" Daphne agreed.

Draco nodded in agreement, saying, "I'm curious about that too. Why do I suddenly feel sorry for us, but I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with us?"

Seeing the three of them with expressions of wanting to get to the bottom of things, Ino rubbed her temples helplessly.

"It's really hard to explain! How about this, after school starts, when we have time we can have a storytelling session and talk about it properly then."

Faced with three curious children, he could only resort to procrastination for now. He figured that once school started and time passed, the matter would eventually be forgotten.

"Alright then, we'll talk about it later." Draco readily agreed.

Seeing Draco's change, Pansy and Daphne exchanged a glance and stopped investigating. Instead, they began to discuss the flying car.

When the topic was brought up again, Draco was the most excited.

"Really! The Weasleys are finished. They'll be ripped off this time, even though they're already dirt poor."

Daphne glanced at one of the overly excited guys and immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm:

"Not necessarily. Have you forgotten old Weasley's position? Would he not have left himself a secret door?"

"Hmm... okay, okay! You're right." Draco lowered his head in frustration.

Ino watched the interaction between the group throughout, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.

At this moment, he also marveled at fate, which is indeed very strange at times.

Sometimes Draco gets really angry and can really be aggressive. But he always shows a lot of tolerance towards Daphne, his future wife's sister.

After all, he had never seen Draco contradict Daphne.

Meanwhile, Pansy was also chatting, but she noticed the curve of Ino's lips.

"Did you think of anything that made you happy?"

"I'm thinking about fate," Ino answered truthfully.

There's nothing to hide; it's perfectly normal for wizards to contemplate fate.

"For example?" Pansy pressed.

"For example?" Ino smiled. Unlike the previous sharp topics, this topic was much safer.

"For example, I like this year because I can stay in the library until curfew, and I can also wander around every corner of the castle alone in the early morning or evening..."

……

The train travels through the open fields of the Scottish Highlands.

Time slipped by unnoticed as we chatted, and evening fell.

Perhaps because of their experience of going hungry last year, both Pansy and Daphne prepared food carefully this time.

Seeing the two delicious-looking lunch boxes, Ino and Draco accepted the sincere invitation without hesitation.

After finishing the last piece of Wellington sandwich, Ino used a cleaning spell to clean the food container and the table.

"It's almost time! Draco, let's go for a walk. We can leave this place for the girls to change."

Ino glanced at the darkening sky outside the window, then pulled Draco, who was standing there in a daze, and pushed open the compartment to walk into the carriage.

It took less than fifteen minutes.

The same sounds echoed through the carriages as they had last year; the train was about to arrive at Hogsmeade Station.

After a short while, the train gradually slowed down and finally came to a complete stop on the tracks.

The young wizards, like sturgeon swimming back to shore, pushed and shoved their way towards the carriage door. However, Ino's carriage was located further back, so she didn't have to endure the crowding at the front.

He, along with Draco, Pansy, and a few others, trailed far behind the crowd.

"It seems there are even more new students this year," Daphne remarked meaningfully, glancing at the crowd ahead.

"So we can't underestimate anyone's shrewdness," Pansy explained vaguely, then gave Draco a playful look.

However, that one glance felt like stepping on someone's tail.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Even though I plan to go to Durmstrang, my mother insists that I come to Hogwarts."

As they spoke, the group got off the train and followed a quiet path to a wide lawn.

After the young wizards entered their second year, they no longer took the small boat they used to take to cross the Black Lake to reach the castle.

Many amazing carriages were parked on the open lawn. They were amazing because, apart from the carriages, there were no animals pulling them.

Of course, this is the opinion of most people. In Ino's view, he saw the magical creature pulling the carriage, a Thestral rated 3X by the Ministry of Magic.

They look somewhat like horses, but they have exoskeleton-like bodies, leathery wings, and a pair of large, copper-bell-shaped eyes that gleam with a faint blue light.

Only those who have witnessed death can see the Thestrals, which is why they are considered unlucky creatures by wizards.

Ino boarded a carriage without difficulty, but he paid little attention to the Thestrals pulling it.

After all, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise. He's not like Newt, who's obsessed with magical creatures. In the vast world of magic, Transfiguration alone is enough to keep someone studying for a lifetime, not to mention spells, herbs, potions, divination, alchemy...

Learning everything is the opposite of learning nothing.

……

The Great Hall at Hogwarts.

As solemn and magnificent as ever, countless burning candles floated in mid-air, their warm orange glow making everything seem so cozy.

At the Slytherin table, the young wizards, including Goyle and Crabbe, who had already moved up to their second year, all wore expressions of anticipation, ready to watch a good show.

After all, they were the main characters last year, but this year they've been relegated to the role of spectators.

At the very front of the auditorium, Professor McGonagall still wore her signature square-framed glasses, a grey-black vintage robe, and clutched a parchment scroll tightly in her hand.

however.

During the much-anticipated Sorting Ceremony, Snape strode into the Great Hall and headed straight for Professor McGonagall, as if he wanted everyone to see him.

Professor McGonagall left, and Professor Flitwick took her place at the Sorting Ceremony.

After witnessing this dramatic scene, Ino, sitting to the side, also had a novel idea.

Perhaps, in the novel I promised Mrs. Pince, I could add a wedding abduction plot, where the two sisters steal their prospective stepfather away at their mother's wedding...

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(End of this chapter)