As soon as the departure time arrived, the entire body of the hogwarts express lit up with a blue magical glow. Simultaneously, inside the train, various scientific machines that shouldn't have existed in this era began to operate at high speeds.
The perfect combination of magic and cross-era technology allowed the hogwarts express to break through almost all physical limitations—or rather, such a creation was already beyond the scope of physics.
Watching the scenery outside change abruptly into a completely blurred image, Hermione felt that both her understanding of Muggle science and her knowledge of magic were being severely challenged.
There was no acceleration process, no physical sensation; it was just plain and imperceptible, yet the hogwarts express had already reached its maximum speed.
Hermione slowly withdrew her gaze and raised a hand to rub her brow. She really couldn't look out the window; it made her dizzy... Seeing Hermione's movement beside her, Amanda reached out both hands to gently massage her temples.
"Don't look out the window. The train is moving too fast; you'll get dizzy."
She offered the reminder in a calm yet gentle voice. She had just relaxed for a moment and hadn't noticed Hermione looking out the window, otherwise she would have definitely stopped her.
"It's truly an unimaginable feeling," Hermione said, opening her eyes and gently squeezing Amanda's hand once she had recovered. "It's clearly so much faster than the original hogwarts express, yet it's actually much more stable."
"This is the ideal state," Amanda said, letting Hermione hold her hand while her expression remained unchanged. "In terms of speed, stability, and comfort, the current hogwarts express has reached its theoretical best."
To achieve this, Muggle technology alone wouldn't suffice. No matter how advanced the technology used, it could only ever approach the theoretical best state of that technology, never fully reach it.
But adding magic made it different; it was as if that final, seemingly unfillable gap had been closed. The theoretical best state of the technology followed naturally.
Harry, sitting opposite the two girls, looked down at his hands, having no intention of looking up to disturb them. He would rather play with his own fingers.
The compartment door opened, and Cho Chang, Marietta Eckmore, Penelope, and Ron walked in.
Amanda turned back toward the compartment door and greeted the four of them politely.
"I really didn't expect that I'd get to ride a new hogwarts express before I graduated."
Penelope entered the compartment and sat down next to Amanda with a sigh of wonder. She was already in her seventh year at Hogwarts and was about to graduate.
"I even thought that by the time I had children, the hogwarts express wouldn't have changed."
Hearing Penelope's words, several Young Wizards couldn't help but laugh; it really made sense.
Setting aside Hermione, Amanda, and Harry for a moment, at least the other four had heard stories from their families about meeting their friends on the hogwarts express.
Think about it: in their elders' generation, the hogwarts express was already in service, and in their own generation, it was still the same train.
Thinking about it that way, Penelope's thought couldn't have been more accurate.
"If it weren't for Amanda, I think it really would have been as Senior Penelope said."
Cho Chang shrugged. Without even thinking, a creation like this, filled with Muggle technology and magic, was definitely Amanda's handiwork. Otherwise, it couldn't have been the Ministry of Magic that designed and replaced it for them.
If the Ministry of Magic had that kind of capability, if Fudge had that capability, Voldemort wouldn't be so arrogant.
"The hogwarts express indeed needed an upgrade," Amanda replied with a faint expression. "Even if I hadn't designed and built this train, the original hogwarts express was lagging behind the times."
Not to mention that the original hogwarts express wasn't fast at all. With a travel time of nearly a day, it was practically a walking target, shining brightly to attract Voldemort and the Death Eaters to attack.
"But it's also quite incredible that those old fogies at the Ministry of Magic and the School Board of Governors actually agreed to let you combine Muggle technology to upgrade the hogwarts express."
Marietta Eckmore put her arm around Cho Chang's waist and looked at Amanda opposite them.
"The Ministry of Magic's opinion is not important." Amanda shook her head, her voice cool. Regardless of whether the Ministry of Magic agreed or not, the hogwarts express had to be replaced.
This wasn't just to keep up with the times, but more importantly to protect Hermione, protect her friends, and protect everyone's safety.
If the Ministry of Magic had strongly prevented it, then they would have been trying to indirectly harm Hermione and her friends. Under no circumstances would Amanda tolerate that.
So Amanda hadn't even notified the Ministry of Magic about upgrading the hogwarts express.
Anyway, it wasn't like they were paying for it.
"As for the Hogwarts Board of Governors," Amanda paused slightly, "certain die-hard families loyal to Voldemort indeed disagreed, but other Pure-blood families leaning toward us agreed."
"So the ratio of support to opposition reached fifty-fifty."
Of course, Amanda's tallying of this ratio and notifying the Board of Governors was merely a formality, and incidentally to reassure the Pure-blood families who had chosen their side.
It told them that their children would be protected in every way, and that even on the way to Hogwarts, Voldemort would be powerless against them.
As for the other half of the Pure-blood families... they, like the Ministry of Magic, were not important.
After all, Amanda didn't need their money either.
After just a few brief words, the speed of the hogwarts express dropped rapidly, just as abruptly as it had accelerated.
When the Young Wizards inside the train looked out the window again, they discovered that without them even noticing, the hogwarts express had already pulled into the platform.
Hagrid was standing on the platform, looking at the unfamiliar hogwarts express before him with a look of slight surprise and confusion.
Because the construction and trial run of the entire hogwarts express had combined the world's most efficient engineering teams with magical assistance, plus the zero noise of the hogwarts express while running...
...Hagrid had only heard that the hogwarts express was being replaced, but had never come to see it.
After all, he hadn't heard a single sound, so he thought the work wouldn't even start for a few years.
As it turned out, Headmaster Dumbledore had suddenly come to see him this morning to notify him to be ready to pick up students in the morning.
Only then did he realize that the replacement of the hogwarts express was already complete.
The white doors opened automatically, and the Young Wizards, whose seats hadn't even gotten warm yet, filed out of the train pulling their trunks.
Accustomed to the speed of the former hogwarts express, they were still a bit slow to react.
How... did they suddenly arrive at Hogwarts?
Following Hermione off the train, Amanda pulled her luggage and boarded a carriage with everyone.
Sitting in the carriage, Ron leaned out to look at Hogwarts Castle. "I hope classes don't start immediately after we arrive."
After taking a few looks, Ron sat back inside the carriage and whispered to the other six people present.
"Don't be so averse to classes, Ron," Hermione scolded him, though she followed up with another sentence.
"Besides, the Professors certainly wouldn't do that."
On the very first day of school, the Professors wouldn't start lecturing right away.
They have to give everyone some time to adjust, don't they?
"Fine, I was just saying." Ron shrugged dismissively. After the carriage slowly came to a stop, the group of seven got out together and headed into Hogwarts Castle.
Sitting back at the Ravenclaw Table, Amanda was still flanked by Hermione and the two seniors, Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore.
Listening to the discussions of the Young Wizards around them, Hermione leaned in close to her ear with a smile.
"Everyone can guess that you're the one who replaced the hogwarts express."
Nodding expressionlessly, Amanda unhurriedly acknowledged this. "It's a logical and normal guess. In the current British Wizarding World, I am indeed the only one with the resources and motivation to do this."
"Based on a comprehensive judgment, even without precise calculation, the probability is highest that it's me."
"Alright." Hermione pursed her lips and smoothed Amanda's hair, wondering when she would stop being so serious in her analysis... and become more expressive and full of life.
Although Amanda was much better now than before, in this regard, the more expressive and full of life, the better.
"Welcome, new students, to Hogwarts, and welcome back, returning students."
Once all the Young Wizards were seated, Headmaster Dumbledore rose from his seat and walked slowly to the front of the Staff Table to speak in a steady voice.
"I trust you have all experienced our new hogwarts express. We must thank Miss Amanda for her generous donation, which has allowed everyone to arrive here more quickly and comfortably."
As he spoke, he nodded in Amanda's direction, and Amanda responded with a small smile and a nod.
"Yes, our speed has undoubtedly increased," Headmaster Dumbledore's gentle gaze swept over all the Young Wizards in the Great Hall, finally resting on an extra long table in the hall, "but our traditions cannot be entirely abandoned."
"The Sorting Ceremony for new students will still take place in the evening. I hope the joy of the sorting will accompany you into your first night's dreams."
"Until then, this nearly entire day is yours. Go explore Hogwarts, make some new friends. Everyone, Happy School Term."
As his voice fell, Headmaster Dumbledore clapped his hands lightly. Food instantly filled the five long tables, and the Great Hall suddenly became lively as the Young Wizards ate lunch while chatting eagerly with one other.
The new students sitting at the Fifth Long Table chatted happily with each other. Since they hadn't been sorted yet, there was absolutely no friction between them at this moment.
The fork in the road of the Sorting hadn't begun yet, but the intersection of friendship had already arrived.
The Professors at the Staff Table watched the excitement at the Fifth Long Table, thinking to themselves that something had changed starting with this batch of new students.
No, it should be... the signs of this difference had been there for a long time, but now this difference had thoroughly flourished.
After all, before this batch of new students, there was already a little fellow who had united nearly half of Hogwarts.
Lowering her head to eat the sliced steak on her plate, Amanda naturally turned her head to look at the Staff Table at the very front of the Great Hall.
There was currently an empty seat at the Staff Table. Having been at school for four years, Amanda naturally knew which Professor it belonged to.
The defense against the dark arts professor.
So, does this mean Umbridge, who is very likely to be the defense against the dark arts professor, hasn't arrived yet?
It makes sense. The news of her replacing the hogwarts express hadn't been shared with the Ministry of Magic at all, so it was normal for them to know nothing.
Umbridge probably still thought the Young Wizards wouldn't arrive until evening, Amanda thought instinctively.
As long as Umbridge came to teach at Hogwarts, then she, who had been frantically drawing hatred in front of her before, would definitely be the target of her schemes and discipline.
In that case, her plan would succeed, but before that... Amanda withdrew her gaze and looked down at the watch on her left wrist; she still had to find a way to get her two mothers to temporarily leave Hogwarts.
Otherwise, she didn't believe for a second that her two mothers would stand by and watch her be harmed by Umbridge without doing anything.
Even if this harm was "harmless" and was something she allowed as part of her plan.
Even so, she feared that the moment Umbridge harmed her, her two mothers would appear and turn Umbridge completely and truly into a pink toad.
At this thought, the corners of Amanda's mouth couldn't help but turn up, and the mashed potatoes in her mouth seemed to have a bit more flavor.
The definite knowledge that she would be defended and cared for made her heart tremble with warmth.
But although she was happy and touched by this, the logic in Amanda's brain was constantly reminding her that such a situation could not be allowed to happen.
The harm Umbridge inflicted on her had to be felt tangibly on her body and her spirit.
Only then could it cause an absolute disadvantage for the Ministry of Magic and place her side on the moral high ground.
When that time came, whether it was Hermione, her mothers, or everyone else at Hogwarts, whatever they wanted to do to Fudge or Umbridge would no longer be an issue.
Because she had been harmed first, everyone would just be standing up for their friend, child, or student.
Combined with the news of Voldemort's resurrection, which the Ministry could not cover up, having Fudge and Umbridge step down would be the mildest outcome.
If Hermione, her mothers, and everyone else were truly furious because she had been hurt, then these two representative "masterminds" might very well end up in Azkaban.
At this moment, Amanda unhesitatingly turned her own injury into a bargaining chip to gain a greater advantage, believing it to be well worth it, completely failing to realize that after doing so... some people's "anger" wouldn't just be directed at the Ministry of Magic.
Though there was a world of difference between those two kinds of anger.
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