Richard smirked and deliberately let his gaze sweep over the girl's clothing.
"Several suitcases, a school uniform with a skirt, jacket, and tie, the first of September, a train station… It's unlikely one would travel like that on a vacation with their parents."
"Ah, yes," Hermione nodded, showing she agreed with Richard's reasoning. "And you?"
"I'm heading to school as well… A private boarding school… Nothing special."
Hermione studied Richard carefully, her gaze lingering on his briefcase before she asked:
"But where is your luggage?"
"I prefer to travel light. Forgive me, miss, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. It was a pleasure seeing you, but I must take my leave."
"Of course, my lord," Mr. Granger replied. "All the best."
"Goodbye, Lord Grosvenor," said Mrs. Granger.
"Goodbye," their daughter echoed.
Richard walked past the Granger family and approached the column that served as the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. From his tutor, the boy knew that spells had been placed on the passage, causing ordinary people not to notice it. Likewise, ordinary people did not notice witches and wizards passing back and forth through the barrier between platforms. Because of the enchantments, people tended to walk around the column instead.
Knowing all this, Richard was surprised to find that all three Grangers were watching him with open curiosity. Stephen stood beside them. It seemed that the three adults were struggling to keep their attention fixed on Richard. Hermione, however, could see him perfectly well.
Turning back, Richie raised an eyebrow questioningly and asked:
"Also heading to Hogwarts?"
In response, he was met with the sight of Hermione's jaw dropping.
"To Hogwarts?"she blurted.
"Hogwarts."
"Yes, to Hogwarts!" the astonishment on Hermione's face shifted into joy and excitement. "You're going there too?"
Richie brought his index finger to his lips.
"Shh! It's a secret!"
"Oh, right—the Statute…"Hermione covered her mouth with her hand.
"I assume, miss, that your parents, like my bodyguard, cannot approach the column. Allow me to assist you, Miss Granger."
Richard stepped forward and picked up the heaviest-looking suitcase.
"Oh!"he immediately set it back down. "Are there bricks in here?"
"Books,"Hermione replied, embarrassed."Professor McGonagall explained that I needed to go through the column, but I wasn't sure it was this one.
"This one, miss. There's a portal here, so there's no need to worry about cracking your forehead."
Richie focused, habitually whipped up his emotions, took a deep breath, and with a flick of his hand cast a levitation charm on the suitcase full of books. For appearance's sake, he then took it by the handle and lifted it with ease.
"Let's go. Once again, goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Stephen."
Nodding to the adults, Richard passed through the column onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Puffing slightly, Hermione dragged her second suitcase after the boy. As she crossed through the barrier, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Since the boy and girl had arrived at the station an hour and a half before the train's departure, the platform was still mostly empty. Only a few wizards with children stood in the distance.
On the tracks stood an old-fashioned red steam locomotive with ancient passenger cars that nevertheless looked as though they had just come off the assembly line.
"The Hogwarts Express!" Hermione exclaimed in admiration, looking at the locomotive. "I read about it. This train has been carrying young witches and wizards to Hogwarts since the beginning of the century. By tradition, first-years take the last carriage. Lord, but how—"
"Richie. For you, Hermione, I'm just Richie. In private schools, as you should know, there's no division by status, titles, and the like. Since we're classmates, it would be silly to stand on ceremony."
"Alright. Richie, how can you carry my suitcase so easily? It's impossible to lift!"
"A levitation charm."
"But I read that spells can only be cast with a wand. And besides, magic isn't allowed around ordinary people."
"If no one notices and it's just a little, it's fine. I don't know what books you've been reading, but the power isn't in the wand—it's in the wizard. Casting without a wand is difficult, very difficult, but nothing is impossible. Magic can do anything!"
"Richie, are you from a wizarding family?"
The girl was practically burning with curiosity.
"I don't think that's quite the right term. I only learned about magic about a year and a half ago, when I started noticing magical manifestations in myself."
"But a Hogwarts professor only came to me at the end of July. How could you have encountered magic before that? I thought all wizards only receive invitations after they turn eleven."
"Hermione, do you really think the royal family is unaware of wizards?"
"You mean… the government knows about magic? But what about the Statute of Secrecy?"
"And what of it? It's doing just fine. Those who need to know, know."
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
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