Woooo~!
The train let out a long whistle and started moving right on schedule at eleven o'clock.
Having just taken his seat, Wayne introduced himself, and soon, the conversation between him and the other boy began to flow naturally.
Cedric was a textbook Hufflepuff—kind, friendly, and warmhearted.
When he learned that Wayne was a Muggle-born, he eagerly shared all sorts of tips a new Hogwarts student should know.
"No need to be too nervous. Most of the professors at Hogwarts are really nice. Er, well—most of them," he added quickly, recalling a certain greasy-haired Potions Master, just in case Wayne decided to hold a grudge in the future.
Cedric then began introducing the Hogwarts Houses.
"Professor McGonagall might seem strict at first, but as long as you take her class seriously and don't disrupt it, she's actually very fair. Most of her temper is saved for the Gryffindors."
"Professor Flitwick is more fun—rumor has it he has goblin ancestry. Just... don't mention his height."
"And our Head of House, Professor Sprout, is a very gentle lady. Her only strict rule is: don't mess with the plants in the greenhouses. She doesn't even care much about House points."
"As for Professor Snape... let's just skip him. Best to steer clear of him."
Then he turned to Wayne. "Do you have a House in mind?"
"Hufflepuff, probably," Wayne answered honestly. "I read Hogwarts: A History, and most Muggle-borns tend to be sorted there."
Between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, he had ultimately decided on the latter.
Wisdom might be the greatest treasure—but Hufflepuff's common room was conveniently located right next to the kitchens!
If you really wanted to learn, knowledge would find you in any House. But food? That required proximity.
Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were both at the top of tall towers. If Wayne ever got hungry at night, he'd have to trek all the way down to the basement—what a hassle.
Cedric clearly brightened at Wayne's response.
"Excellent choice! I guarantee your time at Hogwarts will be amazing—Hufflepuff is the best House, hands down!"
"Oh, we definitely heard that!"
A teasing voice came from the doorway just as the compartment door slid open. Two boys entered, one after the other.
They looked identical, like they'd been stamped out of the same mold—bright red hair, matching grins, and not a single distinguishable feature between them.
"Fred. George," Cedric greeted them a bit awkwardly. "Long time no see."
He hadn't said anything bad about the other Houses, but it was still embarrassing to get caught praising his own so enthusiastically.
"Aha!"
One twin flung his arms open dramatically.
"Look who it is!"
The other jumped in right away: "You dolt! How could you not recognize him?"
"That's none other than Mr. Diggory—top of the class two years in a row, every teacher's favorite student, the shining model for all wizarding parents!"
They bounced lines off each other like a comedy duo. Wayne watched with amusement, while Cedric, the poor victim of this performance, blushed red enough to match their hair and wished the floor would swallow him whole.
He quickly grabbed them by the sleeves and hissed through clenched teeth, "What are you two trying to do? Can't you leave me a shred of dignity in front of a first-year?"
That's right—Cedric had already pegged Wayne as a future Hufflepuff, so naturally, he wanted to maintain a good image.
"Tch," Fred scoffed, pulling away. "Now you care about appearances? Tell that to your dad—he's been bragging about your grades to our mum nonstop."
"You've no idea how miserable George and I were this summer!"
Cedric sighed and let go of Fred's sleeve. He had to admit, that part was on him.
His father had been boasting to everyone about his "genius son," and now half the Ministry knew that the Diggory family had produced a star student.
"Alright, what do you want me to do so you'll let me go?" Cedric asked, resigned.
The twins exchanged a glance and high-fived each other in excitement.
Plan: Success.
"Hand over all your summer homework. We want it before class tomorrow."
"We've been looking for you for half a month! But you were never home. Mum said you went to America to become a vampire. Is that true?"
"Of course not," Cedric replied irritably, grabbing his bag from the luggage rack and handing over the homework.
After putting the assignments away, the twins made no move to leave.
The Diggorys and the Weasleys lived in the same village, separated only by a hill, so they were basically neighbors.
Even though they weren't in the same House, the two families were quite familiar with each other.
Only now did the twins take a proper look at Wayne.
"Hello, I'm Fred Weasley, and that's George Weasley," Fred introduced, giving a thumbs-up. "You've got a good look, way better than our little brother. He's starting at Hogwarts this year too."
George added, "Red hair, loads of freckles—that's our brother Ron. Hope you get sorted into Gryffindor. Best House there is."
Wayne remained noncommittal. "Everyone says that about their own House, but I don't think the differences are that big."
With the arrival of the twins, the compartment became much livelier.
They had a unique kind of charm—no matter how loud or chaotic they got, it was never annoying.
Except for those who ended up the victims of their pranks.
But they had no intention of pulling anything on Wayne—at least not yet.
For one, they'd only just met him. They weren't that familiar. For another, Wayne hadn't even started school yet. Picking on a first-year didn't bring much satisfaction.
The train was picking up speed, and after a while, the snack trolley came rolling down the corridor.
Wayne bought Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, and a couple of pumpkin pasties.
It only cost him ten Sickles and six Knuts.
Since the train departed at eleven, it would already be evening by the time they reached Hogwarts, so this was both his lunch and a treat.
The trolley witch placed everything on the table, and Wayne invited the others to help themselves.
Cedric and the twins tried to decline, but in the end, they joined in and shared the snacks.
That quickly helped close the distance between Wayne and the other three.
The twins, in perfect sync, had something mischievous in mind.
Cedric sensed something was off and tried to stop them.
But as soon as George spoke, his face took on a strange expression.
"Wayne, you know, right? Technically, you're still not a real Hogwarts student yet."
"You only become one after passing the final test."