September 1, 1992, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, King's Cross Station, London.
It was the day new students set off for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The platform was crowded, full of students and their families. Trunks were pushed along the ground, owls fluttered overhead, and a few cats slipped between people's feet.
Beside the platform stood the scarlet steam engine of the Hogwarts Express, ready to depart at eleven o'clock.
Near the rear of the train, in a quiet compartment, a boy sat alone by the window. He rested his chin on one hand as he watched the busy scene outside.
He had slightly curly black hair, neat and tidy, and wore plain wizard robes with a blue emblem on the chest. The symbol showed a bronze eagle and the name of his house—Ravenclaw.
His name was Scott Trollope.
He was fourteen years old, born in Hastings, and currently a fourth-year student at Hogwarts. On the surface, there was nothing unusual about him. But he carried a secret—he remembered a previous life.
Fourteen years had passed since he was born again into this world with those memories.
Scott did not know why it had happened. After his unexpected death in his previous life, he had simply awakened here. There was no explanation to be found, so he chose not to dwell on it.
His childhood had been ordinary. He had not been a prodigy or someone special. He had not tried to use his memories to gain wealth or fame. He had not written books, invested in companies, or done anything remarkable.
He had simply accepted his new life and grown up step by step.
The first sign that something was different came when his magic first appeared. After that, he quickly understood that he was a young wizard.
Living in England, the conclusion was obvious.
At the age of eleven, he received his letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His parents, Michael and Emilia, accepted it without much trouble.
They were both Muggles and ran a small antique shop. There was no magical background in the family, but they did not treat him as something strange.
Once Scott confirmed that he was living in the world of Harry Potter, he felt a small sense of regret. His memory of the story was incomplete—only a rough outline remained.
Still, he was satisfied with that. After all, it had been a long time, and even remembering the general course of events was helpful.
Scott first boarded the Hogwarts Express in 1989. At the Sorting Ceremony, the Sorting Hat placed him in Ravenclaw.
He had expected to be sorted into Hufflepuff, but the Hat judged that his curiosity and thinking stood out more.
Scott did not worry about his unusual situation. He believed that as long as he behaved like a normal student, no one would pay him special attention.
Over the past three years, everything had gone smoothly.
A long whistle sounded, and the train began to move.
Scott returned to the present and watched the scenery slide past the window. After a moment, he took a book from his bag.
Voyages with Vampires, written by Gilderoy Lockhart.
Scott remembered him—a new professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. From what he knew, Lockhart had built his fame by taking credit for other people's achievements and erasing their memories.
Even so, Scott did not think the book was useless. The events described in it were real, even if the author was not as impressive as he claimed.
He skimmed through the pages, marking anything that seemed useful and skipping over the parts where Lockhart praised himself.
Halfway through the book, Scott paused and looked toward the compartment door.
A few seconds later, it slid open.
"Excuse me…" said a girl as she leaned in. She had thick brown hair and large front teeth. "Have you seen Harry Potter and Ron Weasley today?"
Scott recognized her at once.
She was their classmate—Hermione Granger.