Hermione Granger was very happy.
But just a few minutes earlier, she had been full of anxiety.
When Professor McGonagall appeared at her home and performed several Transfigurations in front of her family, Hermione's worldview was completely shaken—and she soon became fascinated by magic.
She had always believed in science since she was a child, and to her, science had always meant this: existence is truth.
But she was clever enough to understand that being born a Muggle was her biggest disadvantage.
Especially on that day in Diagon Alley, when she saw Vaughn Weasley casually perform magic with a snap of his fingers—and then learned from Professor McGonagall that he was actually a year younger than her.
The realization made Hermione's scalp go numb. It was terrifying!
While students from wizarding families had been practicing magic from a young age, she had essentially 'wasted' nearly 12 years!
Rounded up, she felt almost a century behind her classmates!
One could picture her hiding in her bedroom, clutching her head in a full-on mental breakdown.
So that summer, Hermione desperately devoured knowledge and practiced spells at every opportunity.
But learning spells without proper guidance was incredibly difficult. As the school year approached, her anxiety only grew worse. That's why, the moment she boarded the Hogwarts Express, she couldn't wait to meet students from wizarding families and try to connect with them.
At first, things went relatively well. In her compartment, there was a cheerful and friendly girl named Susan Bones who wasn't shy at all. In fact, nearly all the first-years on the train had already heard that her aunt was Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic.
The perfect study partner!
But when Hermione demonstrated a Repairing Charm and tried to discuss magical progress, Susan suddenly grew distant and stopped engaging with her.
Next, Hermione encountered Ron Weasley again at the rear of the train.
The red-haired boy, whom she'd met once before, was showing off his new wand to Harry Potter. In that small compartment were none other than the infamous 'Terrible Weasley' and the Chosen One mentioned in Modern Magical History.
Such a rare opportunity—Hermione wasn't about to miss it. She eagerly encouraged Ron to cast a spell…
The result? Let's not speak of it.
The last person Hermione met was Neville Longbottom. When she caught him, he was weeping and laughing while hugging and kissing a toad.
Honestly, the sight made Hermione begin to question the entire magical world's education system.
"I don't know any spells… If not for the Hogwarts letter, my family would think I'm a squib," Neville confessed nervously under Hermione's intense gaze.
"You've lived in the magical world your whole life—how can you not know any?" she asked incredulously.
"Y-you… why don't you go talk to Mr. Vaughn Weasley? He's just over there. He helped me find Trevor just now…"
Vaughn Weasley had haunted Hermione Granger's thoughts all summer like a nightmare.
But after half a day of seeing her classmates' actual skill level, she now felt confident enough to lift her head.
Following Neville's directions, Hermione turned a corner and saw the familiar tall, thin, red-haired boy strolling down the corridor, lazily twirling a wand in his hand.
"Vaughn… Weasley?" For some reason, the moment Hermione spoke that name—and the moment Vaughn turned toward her, his handsome face catching her eye—her confident composure wavered.
Thump-thump...
Her heart began pounding wildly, as if it were about to leap from her chest. Was this the aura of someone truly gifted?
For a girl whose mind had always been consumed by books and study, her ears were now ringing.
Vaughn didn't seem surprised to see her. With only so many carriages on the Hogwarts Express, it wasn't unexpected.
He smiled politely and nodded. "Hello, Miss Granger."
Hermione had prepared all sorts of lines before approaching him—perhaps to challenge him to a spell duel, or to casually mention she'd read articles about his achievements in Potions.
But now, faced with his polite greeting, her mind went completely blank.
All she could do was reply dryly, "Y-you too, Mr. Weasley…"
"What's the matter, Miss Granger?" Vaughn asked gently.
"I…" Hermione opened her mouth, but before she could speak, someone behind her shoved her aside.
A boy with short, platinum blond hair and pale skin entered with two large, muscular bodyguards. His chin was lifted arrogantly as if everyone around him were beneath notice.
"Move it, Muggle brat!" He didn't spare Hermione a glance. Instead, his eyes swept over Vaughn with disdain.
"Another Weasley. I saw one already—dirty, stupid, and hanging out with Potter, who's wearing broken glasses. And you… You're different."
As he said this, his gaze flicked over Hermione briefly, then immediately away again, as though keeping his eyes on her for another second might contaminate him.
"You actually associate with her? With hair like seaweed and teeth like a rabbit…"
Before he could finish, Vaughn interrupted smoothly, "Draco Malfoy?"
Malfoy blinked, surprised, but quickly lifted his chin. "Yes. It seems you're not as ignorant as that idiot Ron."
Vaughn didn't respond. Instead, he said calmly, "If I were you, I'd turn around and leave. Because on this train, there's no mummy or daddy to protect you."
Malfoy's pale face turned even whiter. His eyes bulged, and he waved frantically, shouting, "What, are you going to fight? Crabbe, Goyle—get him!"
The two bulky henchmen behind him cracked their knuckles and rushed toward Vaughn, clearly eager.
Hermione only had time to scream before Vaughn raised his wand.
"Impedimenta!"
The air shimmered, and Crabbe and Goyle suddenly looked like they had run into invisible jelly. Their bodies froze mid-charge, limbs stiff and floating awkwardly in the air.
They resembled two frogs pinned to a dissection tray.
In terror, they cried out: "Draco, help us!"
But they'd called the wrong person. The moment fear crossed Draco's face, Vaughn pointed his wand again. A beam of red light shot out.
"Expelliarmus!"
Bang!
Draco was slammed in the stomach. The corridor spun as the walls blurred past. He crashed into the partition behind him.
Dazed, gasping, he tried to get up—only for another spell to hit.
"Densaugeo!"
An itch exploded in Draco's mouth. He looked down in horror as his front teeth began to grow wildly, pushing past his lips and curling grotesquely.
In pain and panic, he screamed and scrambled to his feet, fleeing toward the rear of the train, completely forgetting Crabbe and Goyle.
Inside each compartment, heads popped out to see the commotion.
Vaughn calmly released the spell on Crabbe and Goyle, allowing them to fall to the floor, sobbing. They didn't need any more encouragement—they bolted after Draco without looking back.