C17 At First Sight of Hermione

"Harry Porter is on the train. Aren't you going to meet him?"

"Harry Porter? Which one?"

Malfoy had clearly heard of Harry Porter's illustrious exploits. His eyes lit up with interest, yet he seemed to harbor a significant fear of that name.

"Yes, that Harry Porter," Liang Mu said, pointing to his forehead. "The savior with the scar on his forehead is on the train. You can go look for him."

Upon Liang Mu's confirmation, Malfoy immediately stood up, tugging at Liang Mu's sleeve.

"Come on, let's go have a look."

"I've already met him. You go ahead. Besides, who will watch our compartment if we both leave?" Liang Mu said with a smile.

Malfoy, seeing Liang Mu decline, appeared somewhat torn. He didn't understand why, but after spending so many days together, he always seemed to want Liang Mu by his side.

"You're not trying to befriend the savior, are you?" Liang Mu saw right through Malfoy's intentions.

Malfoy's sheepish grin didn't bother Liang Mu. As the heir to the Malfoy family, he was well-versed in networking and building his influence from a young age.

Besides, this was Harry Porter. His family controlled the entire British wizard shampoo business!

"Go on then, but befriending the savior won't be so simple. Come here."

Moments later, Malfoy left the compartment with a confident stride, giving Liang Mu a reassuring gesture as he closed the door.

Liang Mu responded with a supportive fist pump as Malfoy's figure vanished from sight.

Once alone, Liang Mu's smile faded, and he turned his attention to his book.

Malfoy had gone to find Harry Porter. This might be a scene from the novel, but Liang Mu's presence could have altered the movie's storyline.

At the very least, Malfoy's first impression of Harry Porter should be more favorable, which bodes well for their future interactions.

Malfoy considered him a brother, and Liang Mu didn't mind helping Malfoy refine his still-forming worldview. This was the most fundamental way to improve his future circumstances.

As the evening set in, Malfoy returned with a scowl, clearly having experienced something unpleasant.

The commotion outside the compartment eventually subsided. Liang Mu's compartment had been visited by five different groups, including Hermione.

Although Hermione was one of the main characters and just as attractive as her movie counterpart, Liang Mu wasn't particularly taken with her.

"Have you seen a lost toad?"

Hermione opened the door and addressed Liang Mu as if issuing a command, with a tearful Neville and Dougherty standing behind her.

Liang Mu shook his head as he observed Hermione, who seemed to be floating on air from all the adulation.

"Alright, if you happen to see it, please take it to compartment seven."

Hermione nodded with an air of authority and then turned to leave.

"Boss, the second-year Praepostor said we're almost there and it's time to change our clothes."

Vincent Crabbe, with his short, bowl-cut hair and gorilla-like arms, waddled into the room.

In contrast, the taller Gregory Goyle spoke with a hint of schadenfreude:

"That wimp Neville lost his lazy toad again. This is the seventh time, I reckon. He might as well just chuck it."

Liang Mu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. As he suspected, the task was repeatable.

Liang Mu didn't care how Neville lost the toad, but it surely involved a Player. And it was certain that a Player would be the one to find it. This task was essentially a repeatable one, a boon for new Players in the game.

"Whoever finds that toad, just keep it away from me."

Malfoy grimaced with disgust at the mention of the toad, clearly having been on the receiving end of this prank more than once.

Since Liang Mu had already changed clothes before leaving home, he vacated the compartment to give the trio some privacy.

Stepping out of the Treasure Chest, Liang Mu gazed out at the night sky and stretched, surveying the corridor.

The dense throng in the carriage's center was unmistakably the group of fawning Players.

Clang, clang, clang ~

With the ringing of the bell, the train came to a gradual halt. As the Praepostor opened the door, Malfoy leapt out first, and Liang Mu heard a gruff voice.

"Come on, first-years, don't be shy, get a move on."

Hagrid, towering at three meters tall and clad in an oversized mole-skin coat, his face framed by a bushy beard, held a lantern aloft as he stood at the front of the train, calling out.

However, Liang Mu was soon captivated by Malfoy's unsteady gait. Feeling the warmth in his chest pocket, Liang Mu was finally able to relax.

The air in England had grown chilly, though it wasn't yet cold enough to don a cotton coat.

"Alright, first-years, follow me. We need to take boats to cross over," Hagrid called out before turning to head toward the lakeside.

The group followed Hagrid down a narrow, winding path. The recent rain had left the ground muddy, and in the pitch darkness, every Little Wizard proceeded with caution. Despite their care, many slipped and the sounds of their exclamations were particularly distinct.

Thanks to Liang Mu's assistance, Malfoy managed to stay on his feet, and his two bodyguards kept the fawning crowd at bay, preventing congestion around them.

After a few minutes, Hagrid looked back and announced, "Just around this bend, you'll catch your first glimpse of Hogwarts."

The Little Wizards' furrowed brows smoothed out, and they quickened their pace in anticipation.

Then came a chorus of awestruck gasps.

At the end of the narrow path lay a vast black lake.

On the opposite shore, a majestic castle perched on a tall hillside. Its spires reached skyward, and the lake mirrored the starry heavens, making the castle appear as if it were suspended in the void. The twinkling windows added a layer of mystery to the scene.

The castle was far more grandiose than Malfoy's family estate, and it buzzed with life.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid instructed, pointing to the small boats moored at the water's edge. Harry and Ron climbed into a boat, with Neville and Hermione joining them.

Liang Mu, Malfoy, and the two bodyguards took another boat.

"Is everyone aboard?" Hagrid called out, taking a boat for himself.

"Then let's be off!"

With his words, an unseen force propelled the boats smoothly forward. Malfoy instinctively clutched at a nearby lamppost for stability.

The fleet of boats glided over the mirror-like surface of the lake, drawing ever closer to the towering castle reaching into the heavens.

As they neared the cliff upon which the castle stood, it loomed above them just as they had anticipated, eliciting gasps of amazement from many Little Wizards.

Meanwhile, Hermione began to chatter about something she had read in a book regarding the reason they needed to take a boat. Her interruption caused Ron, who was keen on enjoying the moment, to furrow his brow in mild annoyance, but he let it pass without further comment.