Teaching a Malfoy a lesson was just a small matter for Vaughn.
But for Hermione, it stirred up a very strange feeling deep inside her. Something unfamiliar—something she had never felt before…
Seeing Vaughn walking over, she had prepared a string of grateful words, but for some reason, what came out of her mouth turned into a stammering reprimand: "Y-You shouldn't have used spells to attack them! What if they report you to the school…"
She regretted it the moment the words left her lips.
But Vaughn didn't seem to mind. He simply smiled and said, "At least for the next few hours, they won't dare bother me again. I'm heading back to the carriage for some rest. See you later, Miss Granger!"
Merlin! Hermione Granger, where is your brain?!
She almost wanted to smack herself on the head. Watching Vaughn walk away, she quickly made up for her blunder: "Thank you for just now. You... you can call me Hermione!"
Vaughn nodded with a grin. "Alright, Hermione. Then you can call me Vaughn."
As he said this, he raised his wand again. Just like the first time they met days ago, he performed a little trick with it that brushed past the girl's hair.
But this time, instead of floating, her hair fell softly, gently framing her cheeks.
He smiled and added, "Don't listen to Malfoy's nonsense. You're actually very beautiful~"
"…"
Hermione was certain that, at this moment, the temperature of her head must have spiked by a hundred degrees. Her face felt like it was on fire.
After teasing the flustered girl, Vaughn—who had been annoyed by Draco Malfoy earlier—was once again in high spirits, humming a tune as he strolled back to his compartment.
Before he opened the door, he could already hear Ron inside, bragging loudly, "...And I'm telling you, it was Vaughn who put Malfoy in his place! I bet he cursed them. Did you see Malfoy's teeth? Like a warthog's! Maybe they'll never go back to normal."
Harry whispered, half terrified, half awestruck, "What kind of spell is that powerful?"
"Who knows?" Ron replied dramatically. "Vaughn always knows weird stuff. He's got a terrible temper too. I wouldn't be surprised if he hit Malfoy with an Unforgivable Curse!"
Vaughn rolled his eyes, pushed the door open, and, under the stunned stares of the two boys, pulled out his wand and pointed it straight at Ron.
"Ah—!" Ron screamed, his face pale. Harry jumped in alarm, and before he could react, Ron had already ducked behind him.
The move was so instinctive it was almost heartbreaking. But—why use Harry as a shield?!
After giving his younger brother a good scare, Vaughn ignored him and returned to his seat. He pulled out a potion book and began reading with interest.
Harry looked at Ron, whose face was now just as pale as Malfoy's, and couldn't help but laugh behind his hand.
Ron looked mortified but didn't dare argue. He could only glare at Harry resentfully.
Fortunately, their tension didn't last long. The two quickly forgot about it and leaned in to chat about their favorite topics.
Nothing else happened for a while. Only the twins dropped by briefly. Ever the opportunists, they knew exactly how to flatter the sponsor of their mischief.
After greeting Harry, they gleefully announced that they had borrowed a camera from a senior and were planning to capture Draco Malfoy's humiliation—then distribute the photo to every student at Hogwarts, free of charge.
It was all to commemorate their 'dear brother's glorious deed.'
As evening fell, the Hogwarts Express began to slow down. Once it was fully dark outside, the train came to a complete stop, and a voice echoed overhead: "We have arrived at Hogwarts. First-year students, please change into your robes. Leave your luggage on the train—it will be sent to your dormitory…"
More than ten minutes earlier, Vaughn had already taken Harry and Ron to change into their uniforms.
Now the two of them stood nervously behind him. Harry was rubbing his hands on his pants, and the freckles on Ron's face had gone white. The many legends about the Sorting Ceremony swirled in their minds, filling them with wild, terrifying images.
So, when the train finally stopped, Harry and Ron followed Vaughn purely on instinct, their brains practically shut down.
Only when they squeezed out of the carriage and stepped onto the dark, cramped platform—buffeted by the cold wind—did their thoughts start to return.
Hagrid, Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds, waved a lantern over the students' heads. "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! C'mon now—any more o' yeh? Oh—Harry! Y'alright?"
But Hagrid's cheerful grin didn't do much to warm Harry. He glanced at Ron, who was clutching Vaughn's robe tightly, and then grabbed it himself.
Vaughn turned to glance at the two of them and muttered, "Stop holding on so tight!"
They both shook their heads furiously.
After confirming that all the first-years were present, Hagrid led the way, his lantern bobbing in the darkness.
The path was narrow, steep, and utterly black. No one dared to speak. The only thing guiding them was the faint light ahead, and they stumbled along blindly until Vaughn raised his wand.
"Lumos."
A soft glow appeared at the tip of his wand, gently pushing back the darkness. The surrounding first-years, like chicks crowding around a hen, immediately clustered close to him.
They continued in silence for a while until the trail curved, and suddenly, the world opened up.
A vast, inky-black lake stretched out before them, reaching all the way to the foot of a distant mountain. Atop that mountain stood a towering castle, with sweeping stone walls, turrets, and spires. The windows glowed with warm light in the darkness.
Vaughn stared at the breathtaking view, silently admitting that it was truly awe-inspiring.
Hagrid led them down to the water's edge, where a row of little boats was moored. "Four to a boat! No more'n four!"
Vaughn stepped into one with Harry and Ron. The others immediately tried to squeeze in too.
But Vaughn shouted, "Hermione? Hermione! Over here!"
Luckily, the darkness helped hide how red Hermione's face had turned. Trying to look calm, she jogged over and climbed in.
Ron watched her the entire time with a weird look on his face, but Harry was just happy to be with familiar people.
Once all the first-years were aboard, the boats set off—gliding silently across the still lake under Hagrid's booming voice.
As they moved closer to the mountain and the towering castle overhead, the world above them seemed to be hanging in the sky. The incredible view silenced them completely—no one dared speak.
When they reached the rocky cliff beneath the castle, they disembarked and followed Hagrid along a cobbled path and up a stone staircase to a massive oak door.
Hagrid raised his massive fist and knocked.
Moments later, the door swung open—revealing a familiar figure.
"First-years, Professor McGonagall."
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."
Professor McGonagall still wore her usual stern expression. Under her sharp gaze, every student instinctively fell quiet and straightened up, trailing obediently after her.
Only Vaughn looked around with curiosity, carefully observing his surroundings.
They passed through a doorway, finding themselves in a corridor lit with torches. Along the plain stone walls, reliefs and statues resembling shrines climbed toward a ceiling so high it disappeared into darkness.
It was grand, solemn, and mysterious.
And beyond it—they entered a wide, luxurious hall glowing with golden lights. Marble staircases twisted upward, disappearing into the heart of the castle above.