The Sneakoscope Ron had gifted Harry kept whistling incessantly in his trunk, forcing Harry to stuff it into one of his old socks to muffle the sound.
They chatted about Hogsmeade, the Shrieking Shack, and Honeydukes Sweetshop. Ron couldn't stop raving about the Peppermint Imps, Fizzing Whizzbees, Creamy Chocolate Balls, and Sugar Quills sold there, speaking as if he had sampled them thousands of times.
Orli was deeply skeptical that Lupin was genuinely asleep. A vigilant member of the Order of the Phoenix and a wandering werewolf—how could someone like that possibly sleep so soundly in a compartment filled with the chatter of four children?
Harry seemed a bit dejected. After inflating Aunt Marge, he couldn't imagine Uncle Vernon Dursley agreeing to sign his Hogsmeade permission form.
"Don't be so down. Maybe Professor McGonagall or someone else will approve it for you—or we can ask Fred and George. They know every secret passage out of the castle," Ron said, trying to cheer him up.
The Hogwarts Express chugged steadily northward. The scenery outside the window grew darker, and the clouds overhead thickened ominously. People moved back and forth outside their compartment door. Crookshanks now sat calmly on an empty seat, its squashed-looking face turned toward Ron, its yellow eyes fixed on his pocket.
Around one o'clock, a light rain began to fall. The trolley witch passed by once, and Lupin continued to sleep soundly without stirring. If not for the rise and fall of his chest, Ron might have wondered if he was still alive.
There were no Dementors, and everything was unusually tranquil.
Midway through the journey, Malfoy passed by and couldn't resist throwing out a few snide remarks.
"I heard your dad finally made some money this year, Weasley," Malfoy sneered. "Your mum didn't faint from excitement, did she?"
Goyle and Crabbe burst into raucous laughter. Ron shot to his feet, nearly knocking over Crookshanks' cage, but Harry grabbed his arm just in time.
"And you, Waters," Malfoy added with a smirk. "I heard you inherited a bit of money and finally managed to buy yourself a new robe? Looks like you even had some spare change for beauty potions."
He gave her a rude once-over, his pale eyes lingering on her face.
"Welfare fraud. My father really should have fired you," he spat venomously.
Professor Lupin let out a restless hum.
"Who's that?" Malfoy asked, involuntarily stepping back when he noticed Lupin.
"A new professor," Orli replied coolly.
Malfoy glanced around the compartment with narrowed eyes. He seemed unwilling to provoke anyone in the presence of a professor, so he quickly turned and left with his two lackeys.
By the time night fell and the cold rain poured down in earnest, the train finally arrived at Hogwarts. They disembarked into the mud, everyone dirtying their shoes in the process.
"First years, over here!" a familiar voice called out. Orli turned her head and spotted Hagrid's towering figure at the far end of the platform. He was beckoning to the wide-eyed first-years, ready to lead them on the traditional boat ride across the lake.
"You lot okay?" Hagrid shouted over the crowd. The four of them waved back, but they had no chance to speak to him as the throng pushed them along the platform.
Seated in the Thestral-drawn carriages, Orli finally found the chance to use a drying charm to rid her clothes of rainwater. The carriage smelled faintly of mildew and straw as it bumped along the path, passing through the grand wrought-iron gates flanked by stone columns carved with wild boars, and finally stopping in front of the castle.
The air was icy, and the wind blowing from the Forbidden Forest carried a damp, mossy scent. Orli took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.
She felt like she was home.
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