Solim took his trunk down from the luggage rack. He pressed the ring on his right hand against the slot on the trunk.
Click.
His right hand twisted slightly as if unlocking something, and the lid of the trunk opened.
"This is… stairs?"
Hermione's eyes widened in shock. She could not understand why opening Solim's trunk revealed a staircase leading downward. It was obvious that this young witch, who had only just entered the magical world, could not comprehend what she was seeing.
"Come on, Neville. And… Hermione."
Solim glanced at Hermione, who looked utterly astonished, and almost called her by the nickname he had just given her.
Then he stepped over the trunk and began walking down the stairs.
"Oh my god, what is this? How did you do this? Why does your trunk have such a huge space inside? Oh my god, those are bookshelves. So many books. And there's a door over there!"
Hermione stared at everything before her in complete disbelief.
From the staircase, the entire space below could be clearly seen.
It was a space of at least eighty square meters. To the left of the stairs were four tall bookshelves filled with books. Near the corner was a reading area that was clearly designed for studying.
On the right side of the stairs stood a four poster bed draped with curtains. Not far from it was a closed door.
"A permanent Extension Charm."
Solim cut off Hermione's barrage of questions.
"But let's not talk about that right now. Hermione, please don't tell anyone about my trunk."
Solim led the two of them down the stairs and toward the bookshelves on the left, since that was where the table and chairs were located.
"Alright, sit down."
Solim motioned for them to take seats.
"Don't be shy. Top quality black tea."
Three cups of black tea were already sitting on the table in front of them.
A competent house elf should always be like this, preparing everything in advance.
"Neville, I know your grandmother hopes you'll be sorted into Gryffindor. But what do you want?"
Solim looked at Neville.
"I… I also hope to be like my parents."
Neville twisted his hands nervously. Solim had made him leave the toad in the compartment upstairs. The door had been locked anyway, so it could not escape.
"Neville, I hope that's truly your own wish, not a choice forced on you by your grandmother's pressure. Do you understand?"
"I know, but… but I'm afraid… I mean… I'm worried I won't get into Gryffindor. I know I'm cowardly, and I'm worried…"
Neville looked as if he was about to cry.
Hermione looked back and forth between Solim and Neville, clearly confused about what they were discussing.
"As long as you truly want Gryffindor, just tell the Sorting Hat directly when the time comes."
Solim took a sip of tea.
"Don't worry. You'll get into Gryffindor. You meet the requirements."
"Excuse me, Solim. What exactly is the Sorting Hat?"
Hermione finally spoke up. If she stayed silent any longer, she felt Neville might suffocate from nervousness.
"The Sorting Hat? What else could it do? It sorts students into houses."
Solim looked at Hermione as if the answer were obvious.
"You put it on during the Sorting Ceremony, and it tells you which house you belong to."
"So you can simply tell the Sorting Hat which house you want?"
Hermione looked puzzled. If the houses were decided by personal preference, what was the point of the hat?
"Not exactly."
Solim began explaining.
"The Sorting Hat places students into the house that suits them best."
Neville was not particularly clever and was timid. At first glance, Hufflepuff seemed like the obvious choice for him.
But in reality, the courage buried deep within him was what placed him in Gryffindor.
At the same time, Neville was a pure blood wizard, which meant Slytherin was also technically possible. After all, even Crabbe and Goyle made it there.
Neville himself had simply never considered Slytherin.
That meant Neville could realistically be placed in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin.
At that point, the student's personal choice became very important.
That was why Solim had told Neville to clearly tell the Sorting Hat that he wanted Gryffindor.
"I see. So if a young wizard has multiple options, they can choose the house themselves?"
"Exactly."
Solim glanced at Hermione, who looked excited.
"Then which house will you go to? Ravenclaw?"
Hermione assumed that based on Solim's abilities earlier, he must belong there.
"No. I'm going to Slytherin."
Solim knew exactly how Hermione would react, but he said it anyway.
"Slytherin? I heard that house produces evil dark wizards. Why would you want to go there?"
Hermione's expression changed immediately.
"Honestly, Hermione, I'd really like to know where a Muggle born witch like you heard all those strange rumors."
Solim rolled his eyes.
Voldemort was simply too famous.
Mention Gryffindor and people immediately think of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the internationally renowned wizard who was Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, recipient of the Order of Merlin First Class, and headmaster of Hogwarts.
Mention Slytherin and people think of Voldemort.
The Dark Lord.
The most terrifying dark wizard in history.
Of course, both "in history" and "most terrifying" were exaggerations.
As the illegitimate child of a special pure blood family like the Selwyns, Solim had access to a great deal of historical knowledge unknown to ordinary wizards.
He knew many wizards who were more powerful than Voldemort.
Most of them had been killed once they crossed certain forbidden lines.
Others who could not easily be killed had been sealed away, guarded by secret wizarding organizations.
One of the reasons the school called Sculer existed was to train people for that organization.
"I'm not denying that madman had an impact on Slytherin."
Solim organized his thoughts before continuing.
"Yes, under his influence Slytherin produced many bad wizards. But calling them dark wizards? You give them too much credit."
He glanced at Neville.
"They were simply ignorant and arrogant."
"Slytherin has also produced many Aurors. During the most chaotic years, quite a few of them died fighting that madman."
"I doubt anyone ever told you that."
"And Gryffindor hasn't exactly been free of dark wizards either."
"Hermione, you shouldn't judge an entire house based on rumors. Of course, I won't deny that many Slytherins aren't particularly pleasant people. But you shouldn't generalize either."
Solim stood up and walked to a cabinet nearby, ignoring the stunned Hermione and Neville, who had frozen when he mentioned Aurors.
"Neville. This is for you."
Solim took a long narrow box from the cabinet and placed it in front of Neville.
"Open it. You'll use this from now on. Cherry wood, unicorn tail hair. It should suit you."
"I… I use my father's wand."
Neville looked at the box, then at Solim.
"My grandmother told me to."
"That wand doesn't suit you. Listen to me. Use this one."
Solim gestured toward the box.
"Using a wand that doesn't suit you is just wasting time. I know what your grandmother intended. She hoped the unsuitable wand would strengthen your ability. But right now, what you need isn't ability."
"You need confidence."
Neville slowly opened the box with trembling hands.
He had rarely received gifts growing up.
His toad was one. His uncle had given it to him to celebrate his magical outburst.
Another thing he treasured were the candy wrappers his mother gave him each time he visited her at St. Mungo's. Neville kept every single one.
But something as valuable as a wand was something he had never received before.
He could clearly feel the care from the cousin his uncles called a "little monster" and his grandmother described as reliable and responsible.
"Thank you. I'll use it well."
Neville's eyes turned red.
Hermione looked at Neville, then at Solim, unsure what to say.
"After school starts, come see me every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."
Solim continued once Neville accepted the wand.
"I'll make sure you don't fall behind in your classes. And once you can keep up with the school's pace, I'll teach you some extra things."
Neville's overly obedient personality made Solim click his tongue internally.
As an illegitimate child, Solim received no monthly allowance from the family. Everything he had came from his own efforts.
Neville's grandmother had noticed this and given Solim a considerable number of Galleons to properly train her grandson.
Money taken meant responsibility owed.
If Neville showed no improvement, Solim would have a hard time explaining himself.
Thinking about it, Solim decided to push Neville a little harder.
"Don't forget, Neville."
"The people who hurt your parents, the ones responsible for what happened to your family, are still sitting comfortably in Azkaban."
"And that madman isn't dead either."
"Your enemies will eventually return."
"Don't you want to personally avenge your parents?"
Solim believed hatred was not a good thing.
But it was undeniably powerful motivation.
Neville raised his head. His eyes were still red.
Earlier it had been gratitude.
Now it was anger.
"Then it's settled. Remember, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night."
Solim stood up.
"Since you've got your wand, let's go back upstairs."
"Oh, Hermione. If you want, you can take a book from the first shelf on the left to read. But you have to return it after you finish."
Solim's trunk contained four bookshelves.
Only the one he pointed out contained books without magical restrictions or spells.
"Really? That's great!"
Hermione jumped up and rushed toward the shelves.
"Alright Hermione, hurry up. We should head back."
Solim finished his tea in one gulp.
They returned to the compartment, put the trunk away, and removed the Locking Charm.
Solim looked at Hermione, who immediately sat down and began reading, and then at Neville.
"Neville. Why are you sticking your head under the seat like that?"
"Tr… Trevor is missing!"
Neville bumped his head on the table.
"Your toad? Impossible. The door hasn't opened."
Solim glanced at the window.
"And the window is closed. Look carefully."
To be honest, Solim never understood why Neville's uncle gave him a toad.
An owl would have made sense.
If money was an issue, even a few bags of candy would have been fine.
But a toad?
What was the point?
"It's really gone!"
Neville scrambled up from the floor.
"I checked the rack and the floor. Solim, please help me."
"Huh? I locked the door before we went down. The toad was outside in the compartment. The window was never opened. How did it disappear?"
Solim found it strange.
Could the toad walk through walls?
"Alright Neville, I'll help you find it."
Hermione spoke up.
She realized that unless Neville found the toad, she would never be able to read in peace. Besides, helping a friend was no big deal.
"Thank you, Hermione," Neville said with a red face.
As the two of them left the compartment, Solim shook his head and continued flipping through his thick book.
"If I remember correctly…"
"That should be the first meeting of the trio."
Solim remembered that Neville would not find his toad on the train. It would only reappear once they arrived at Hogwarts.
Actually, rather than being found, it simply appeared beside Neville.
Solim was certain the toad had been in the compartment when they entered the trunk.
But when they came back up, it was gone.
That sparked Solim's curiosity.
"Maybe I should borrow it later and study it."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Is it some unusual bloodline…"
"…or something like that rat."