The scarlet steam engine stood majestically at Platform 9¾, its brass fittings gleaming in the morning sunlight. Alan walked alongside his uncle through the barrier, his trunk floating behind them with a casual flick of Dumbledore's wand. The platform buzzed with excitement as families said their goodbyes and students prepared for another year at Hogwarts.
"Remember, Alan," Dumbledore said softly, placing a hand on his grand-nephew's shoulder, "tonight you begin your official journey as a Hogwarts student. While I am your headmaster within those walls, you must forge your own path, make your own friendships."
Alan nodded with a relaxed smile. "Don't worry, Uncle. I'll try not to embarrass the family name too much. Though I make no promises about avoiding detention."
"You never could," Dumbledore replied with a warm chuckle. "Now go, the train leaves in ten minutes. I shall see you at the Sorting Ceremony."
[MISSION UPDATE: MAKE AN IMPRESSION]
[CURRENT OBJECTIVE: BOARD THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS AND EVALUATE THE SITUATION]
[TIME REMAINING: 23 HOURS, 47 MINUTES]
Alan strolled down the train corridor, hands casually in his pockets, observing the chaos with mild amusement. His enhanced intelligence, boosted by the Supreme Magical Codex, allowed him to process multiple conversations simultaneously while maintaining an air of relaxed confidence.
"—can't believe I'm finally going to Hogwarts—" "—my brother Charlie said the Whomping Willow—" "—parents are both dentists, you see, so they were rather surprised—"
That last voice caught his interest. He glanced through the glass door and saw a girl with bushy hair completely absorbed in "Hogwarts: A History." Interesting.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: KEY CHARACTER IDENTIFIED]
[HERMIONE GRANGER - IMPORTANT INDIVIDUAL DETECTED]
Alan shrugged and knocked on the door with a lazy tap of his knuckles.
"Mind if I crash here?" he asked with an easy smile as he slid the door open. "Everywhere else is either full of crying first years or boasting older students."
The girl looked up from her book, and Alan noted the sharp intelligence in her brown eyes. There was something almost challenging in her gaze that he found mildly entertaining.
"I suppose," she said, though she seemed to be evaluating him. "I'm Hermione Granger."
"Alan Dumbledore," he replied, flopping into the seat with casual grace and propping his feet up on the opposite bench.
Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Dumbledore? As in—"
"The old man with the long beard and questionable taste in robes? Yeah, that's my uncle." Alan's tone was fond but irreverent. "Don't worry, I'm not here to lecture anyone about the power of love or offer cryptic advice."
Hermione looked taken aback by his casual dismissal of the famous wizard, then seemed to decide she found it refreshing. "That must be... interesting, growing up with someone so famous."
"Has its perks," Alan said with a shrug. "Excellent library access, for one. Speaking of which—" he gestured at her book, "—did you know the staircase count in that book is actually wrong?"
"What do you mean wrong?" Hermione asked, immediately defensive of her source.
"It says 142, right? But the number actually fluctuates between 142 and 147 depending on the castle's mood and whether you count the secret passages that occasionally decide they want to be staircases for a day."
Hermione stared at him. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Perks of having the headmaster as a relative," Alan said with a grin. "Plus, I may have spent a few years exploring places I probably shouldn't have. Don't tell Uncle Albus."
"You... explored Hogwarts illegally?" Hermione looked scandalized and intrigued in equal measure.
"Technically, I live there, so it wasn't really illegal. More like... unsupervised architectural appreciation." Alan's eyes twinkled with mischief. "The portraits are terrible gossips, by the way. They know everything that happens in that castle."
Before Hermione could respond, commotion erupted in the corridor. A red-haired boy was backing away from something, looking frantic.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost his toad!"
Alan glanced out and assessed the situation with amused interest. "Well, this looks entertaining. Want to help rescue a wayward amphibian?"
"A lost pet could be serious," Hermione said, already standing.
"Could be," Alan agreed, rising with fluid casualness. "Or it could be a toad having the time of its life exploring a train. Let's find out."
He opened the compartment door and called out to the red-haired boy with cheerful confidence. "Lost toad situation? I'm Alan, this is Hermione. We're here to help."
The boy turned with obvious relief. "Ron Weasley. My friend Neville is practically having a breakdown over Trevor—that's his toad."
"Weasley?" Alan's face lit up with genuine interest. "You wouldn't happen to have twin brothers who enjoy creative interpretations of school rules, would you?"
Ron looked surprised. "Fred and George? You know them?"
"Know them? They're legends. Some of their pranks are still being discovered years later." Alan grinned. "Any friend of the Weasley twins gets my automatic respect."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: SOCIAL DYNAMICS ANALYZED]
[RON WEASLEY: IMPRESSED BY CASUAL CONFIDENCE (+10 STRATEGIC POINTS)]
[HERMIONE GRANGER: INTRIGUED BY UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH (+8 STRATEGIC POINTS)]
"Right then," Alan said, clapping his hands together. "Hermione, you seem like the type who knows useful spells. Think you can track our runaway friend?"
Hermione pulled out her wand, looking slightly flustered by his casual assumption of her abilities—but also pleased. "I'll try a locating charm. Point Me Trevor."
Her wand spun and pointed down the corridor. "Excellent work," Alan said approvingly. "Lead on, detective."
They found Trevor in a compartment several doors down, sitting contentedly on a seat. Alan scooped up the toad with practiced ease, giving it a gentle pat.
"There we go, little guy. Ready to reunite you with your worried human."
Ron led them to Neville Longbottom's compartment. Alan took one look at the round-faced boy's tear-streaked face and felt a stab of genuine sympathy. He'd never liked seeing people upset.
"Special delivery," Alan announced cheerfully, presenting Trevor with a flourish. "One slightly adventurous toad, returned safe and sound."
Neville's face transformed with relief and gratitude. "Oh, thank you! I thought I'd lost him forever. I'm Neville Longbottom."
"Alan Dumbledore," he replied, settling into a seat uninvited but somehow making it seem natural. "Nice to meet you, Neville. That's quite a responsibility, keeping track of a toad. They're notorious escape artists."
"D-Dumbledore?" Neville stammered.
"Yep, the headmaster's my uncle. Don't worry, I won't tell him if you break any rules—within reason." Alan winked. "So, nervous about the Sorting?"
"Mind if we stick around?" Alan asked, making himself comfortable. "I'm curious about everyone's Sorting predictions. Plus, Ron mentioned he has chocolate frogs, and I have a weakness for collectible cards."
The atmosphere immediately relaxed with Alan's casual energy. Ron grinned and pulled out his stash of sweets, while Hermione seemed intrigued by this unconventional approach to making acquaintances.
"So," Alan said, accepting a chocolate frog with a grateful nod, "Sorting Houses. What's everyone thinking?"
"Gryffindor," Ron said immediately. "Family tradition and all that."
"Fair enough," Alan said. "Family traditions have their merits. What about you, Hermione? You strike me as someone who's analyzed this thoroughly."
"Well," Hermione said, pleased to be asked for her analysis, "I've read about all four houses. Gryffindor values bravery, Ravenclaw prizes wisdom, Hufflepuff cherishes loyalty, and Slytherin honors ambition."
"And you're hoping for...?"
"Gryffindor, I think. Though Ravenclaw wouldn't be terrible." She hesitated. "I want to make a difference."
"Admirable goal," Alan said with genuine approval. "What about you, Neville?"
Neville shifted uncomfortably. "Gran expects Gryffindor, but I don't know if I'm brave enough."
"Bravery's overrated anyway," Alan said with a dismissive wave. "Half the 'brave' things people do are just poorly thought-out decisions with good luck. Real courage is quieter—like caring for a toad when everyone else has owls and cats."
Neville looked startled, then pleased. "You really think so?"
"Absolutely. Anyone can charge into danger when they're angry or desperate. It takes real character to do the right thing when it's inconvenient." Alan shrugged. "Besides, the Hat doesn't just look at what you are—it looks at what you could become."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: MORALE BOOST SUCCESSFUL]
[NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM: CONFIDENCE IMPROVED (+12 STRATEGIC POINTS)]
[HERMIONE GRANGER: IMPRESSED BY INSIGHT (+10 STRATEGIC POINTS)]
[RON WEASLEY: APPRECIATES RELAXED ATMOSPHERE (+8 STRATEGIC POINTS)]
"What about you, Alan?" Ron asked. "I mean, being Dumbledore's nephew..."
"Ah, the eternal question," Alan said with a theatrical sigh. "Well, I've got the intelligence for Ravenclaw, the ambition for Slytherin, enough loyalty for Hufflepuff, and just enough reckless disregard for rules to qualify for Gryffindor."
"That's not very helpful," Hermione pointed out, though she was smiling.
"The truth rarely is," Alan replied cheerfully. "But if I had to guess? Gryffindor. Not because Uncle Albus expects it, but because I have this annoying habit of getting involved in other people's problems." He gestured around the compartment. "Case in point—helping rescue runaway toads instead of finding a quiet corner to read."
The conversation flowed easily after that, with Alan's relaxed confidence putting everyone at ease. He listened more than he spoke, but when he did contribute, it was with humor or insight that made the others lean in.
As the hours passed, Alan found himself genuinely enjoying the company. Ron proved to be funnier than expected, with a dry wit that emerged once he relaxed. Hermione was brilliant, yes, but also had moments of surprising vulnerability that made her more human. And Neville, quiet as he was, had an unexpected depth of knowledge about plants that impressed even Alan.
"Did you know," Neville said during a lull in conversation, "that the Whomping Willow was planted the same year the secret passage to the Shrieking Shack was sealed?"
Alan raised an eyebrow. "That's oddly specific. And interesting. Where did you hear that?"
"Gran has old Hogwarts records," Neville said, blushing slightly. "I like reading about the castle's history."
"See?" Alan said, pointing at Neville with his chocolate frog. "Hidden depths. I bet you know more about Hogwarts than half the seventh years."
When the train began to slow and Hogwarts came into view, Alan whistled appreciatively despite having seen it countless times.
"Never gets old," he commented, genuinely admiring the castle's silhouette against the darkening sky. "Though I have to warn you—the Great Hall's ceiling is going to blow your minds. It's enchanted to look like the sky outside."
"Really?" Hermione asked, leaning forward with interest.
"Really. And wait until you see the Sorting Hat. It's this ancient, raggedy thing that looks like it's been through a war, but it can see into your soul. Quite the party trick."
[MISSION PROGRESS: MAKE AN IMPRESSION]
[POSITIVE RAPPORT ESTABLISHED: 3/3 KEY FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS]
"Right then," Alan said, standing and stretching as the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. "Time to see what the Hat thinks of us all. Fair warning—it might sing. Try not to laugh too obviously if it's off-key."
"The Hat sings?" Ron asked, looking alarmed.
"Oh yes," Alan said with a grin. "Every year. Sometimes it's not terrible."
As they gathered their things and prepared to leave the train, Alan felt a familiar thrill of anticipation mixed with genuine affection for his new companions. This was going to be an interesting year.
"Stick together," he advised as they joined the stream of students heading toward the castle. "First rule of Hogwarts survival—travel in groups. The staircases respect pack dynamics."
Hermione gave him a look. "That's not in any of the books I read."
"That's because the staircases made me promise not to tell," Alan replied solemnly, then broke into a grin. "Trust me on this one."
The Sorting Ceremony awaited, and Alan couldn't wait to see what came next.