When Robert revealed that what he had fed Malfoy and the others wasn't Devil's Snare at all, but just ordinary watermelon seeds, both Hermione and Neville let out a deep breath of relief.
Then, the entire compartment erupted in laughter.
Hermione laughed so hard her stomach started to ache.
"Look how scared Malfoy was!"
"If he found out what really frightened him, he'd probably want the ground to open up so he could crawl in!"
Just then, the whistle of the Hogwarts Express echoed through the train.
With a loud rumble, they left King's Cross Station behind, gradually picking up speed as they headed into the countryside. The train thundered across a vast and open wilderness. Outside the compartment, the cheerful voice of the trolley witch could be heard echoing down the hallway.
"Chocolate Frogs!
Liquorice Wands!
And Every Flavor Beans!"
Robert suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if he were on one of those green-skinned trains back home. For a moment, he could almost hear familiar shouts: "Beer, drinks, mineral water, peanuts, melon seeds, eight-treasure porridge!"
But the moment quickly passed.
Suddenly, Neville let out a startled cry. He finally remembered what he had forgotten this entire time since boarding the train—his pet toad, Trevor.
With panic rising in his voice, Neville began to search the compartment frantically.
"Trevor? Where did you go?"
He searched every corner, but the toad was nowhere to be found.
"My pet toad is gone," Neville said, his voice already tinged with the threat of tears.
Hermione immediately stood up and offered her help.
"Don't worry. He must still be on the train. A toad isn't something people overlook. If anyone saw him, they'd surely remember."
"Come on," she said. "I'll go with you and ask around compartment by compartment."
Neville gave her a grateful look. Hermione then turned to Robert.
"Robert, do you want to come with us?"
Robert shook his head.
"I read that some toads can actually remember directions. What if he finds his way back while you're gone? And what if Malfoy and his lot run into him again? What if... Crabbe or Goyle decides to swallow him whole?"
Hermione and Neville visibly shivered at the thought, their minds involuntarily conjuring up the image of those two dim-witted bullies swallowing a toad.
"With those two, you really can't rule anything out," Hermione admitted.
"Alright, Robert, you stay here. I'll go with Neville to find Trevor."
As they left the compartment, Robert watched their retreating backs with a small, thoughtful smile.
The wheels of fate continued to turn. Just like in the original story, this moment would likely lead Hermione to meet Harry and Ron. If Robert had followed, he might have ended up as part of the trio. But he had no interest in that.
He had no intention of deliberately befriending the so-called Chosen One.
Becoming friends with Harry Potter wouldn't help him grow trees. Worse, it might draw the attention of Dumbledore.
All Robert wanted was to quietly plant trees, harvest crops, and live peacefully. He wasn't interested in getting caught up in the chaos of childish adventures.
He pulled out a few small pots from his bag and carefully began planting Goldfish Vine, a magical herb critical to his future planting endeavors.
These herbs were essential if he wanted to eventually cultivate more advanced magical plants. He handled them with meticulous care.
Time passed slowly.
At one moment, Robert felt the bright midday sun shining in through the window. In the next, the world outside had turned crimson with the setting sun.
"The whole day's gone by," he muttered.
"Are we still not there yet?"
"This Hogwarts Express isn't very... express."
"I wonder when they'll build a Hogwarts High-Speed Rail."
He chuckled softly at the thought and set those musings aside. Leaning by the window, he soaked in the warm glow of sunset, allowing his spirits to lift again.
Planting trees. That's what mattered.
Continue planting trees!
He went back to his work, losing himself in the calming rhythm of planting and tending.
Finally, a voice rang outside the compartment:
"Ten minutes to arrival!"
Robert looked out. The sky had turned dark. Carefully, he packed away the pots of Goldfish Vine he had just planted.
Moments later, Neville returned, panting, his face marked with frustration and defeat. It was clear he hadn't found Trevor.
Robert gave him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Neville. I'm sure he just wandered off. You won't lose him forever."
To Robert's surprise, Hermione hadn't gone off with Harry and Ron after all. She returned with Neville, much like before.
Upon hearing the prefects' warning about arrival, Hermione suddenly cried out.
"We have to change into our school robes! You have three minutes. Hurry up and change! Then lock the compartment—I need to change."
Robert and Neville exchanged a glance, both feeling the familiar pressure that Hermione exuded.
After a flurry of movement and scrambling to get changed, the Hogwarts Express finally began to slow down.
The train pulled to a stop at a station nestled in the wilderness.
Together, Robert, Neville, and Hermione joined the steady stream of first-years stepping off the train.
The scene was just as Robert remembered from the books. The half-giant Hagrid stood with a lantern, calling out loudly for the first-years.
The older students were guided along a different path.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Professor Sprout walked through the crowd and approached Robert directly. Her eyes sparkled with warmth and anticipation.
"Robert," she said. "Go on—follow Hagrid. Walk the same path the four founders once took with the first Hogwarts students. That path carries the blessing of Hogwarts. It will protect you and help you thrive in your studies."
In that moment, everything made sense.
Robert had always found it strange that first-years had to take this strange, indirect route while the older students walked a shorter one.
Now he understood—this was the founders' path.
And the blessing of Hogwarts was real.
It explained so much.
Despite all the dangers—magical beasts, duels, secret chambers—almost no students had ever died inside Hogwarts over the centuries.
Even in their second year, when the Basilisk attacked, no one died outright. Just petrification.
Cedric Diggory's death was different—he died outside the castle grounds, beyond the reach of Hogwarts' protective blessings, and against Voldemort himself.
But within Hogwarts, the enchantments left behind by the founders made the castle unusually safe, even when logic said otherwise.
This realization added an unexpected sense of security to Robert's heart.
Without this protection, Hogwarts would've seemed like an insane death trap—especially with Harry Potter around, constantly dragging chaos in his wake.
As Robert was about to thank Professor Sprout, Hermione mustered the courage to ask her a question.
"Professor," she said. "I read that there's a Sorting Ceremony. But no books ever describe what it really involves. They all say it's a Hogwarts secret. Could you tell us what to expect?"
For more chapters
patreon.com/Ben479