Chapter 04 The Minister of Magic and the Swordmaster
1521 Words
September 1st.
The Wicks family accompanied their son to King’s Cross Station.
Dressed in a smart suit, Mr. Weasley kept checking the address repeatedly, trying to confirm he hadn’t made a mistake.
“Nine and three-quarters?”
Despite living in England for so long, Mr. Weasley had never heard of such a platform at King’s Cross.
The family wandered around for quite some time without finding it.
John glanced at his father, who was still determined, and he couldn’t help but refrain from pointing out that Mr. Weasley’s eagerness was simply to see the legendary wizarding train.
As a Muggle, curiosity about magical things was unavoidable.
Having seen the story unfold, John knew exactly where to look. He found the third pillar between platforms nine and ten.
Turning back, he waved goodbye to his father. In Mr. Weasley’s astonished gaze, John dashed headfirst into the pillar.
…
With plenty of luggage in hand, John accidentally collided with a young girl while passing through the platform.
“Ow!”
Their bags clashed together.
Years of training had equipped John well for this moment.
He steadied himself in a horse stance, as solid as a rock.
The poor wizard he collided with was not so lucky; he was sent sprawling, utterly dazed.
Luggage tumbled to the ground, scattering books everywhere.
Strength vs. Magic, Round One.
Strength won.
“Are you alright?”
Seeing he had knocked someone down, John hurried over to help the fallen wizard up.
He also began to gather the scattered books.
As he picked up the books, he glanced up at the young wizard’s face.
She was already dressed in her robes, with thick, unruly brown hair and bright brown eyes. But what stood out most were her oversized front teeth, which resembled those of a rabbit.
John had no shortage of honesty, and he exclaimed, “Your front teeth are really big!”
Hermione, who had initially intended to assure him that she was fine, felt her face fall at his words.
As the daughter of a dentist, she was acutely aware that her front teeth were larger than most kids’, and this was something she never wanted to be reminded of.
To make matters worse, this person had the audacity to mock her teeth after knocking her down; she had no intention of giving John a friendly response.
John, oblivious, didn’t realize he had bumped into Hermione Granger, one of the famed trio; after all, the Hermione from the Harry Potter films had been portrayed in a rather glamorous light.
After all these years, the only reason he could recall certain plot points was due to the massive success of Harry Potter in his previous life.
However, when it came to remembering specific details, that was indeed a challenge for him.
Obliviously offending someone, John stacked the scattered books neatly, smiling to himself, feeling quite gentlemanly.
But Hermione had no fondness for him whatsoever.
“Thanks.”
She hurriedly expressed her gratitude, clearly wanting nothing more to do with him, as she pushed her luggage and quickly walked away.
John mistakenly assumed she was just shy. He ran a hand through his hair and lamented to himself, “This damned charm of mine.”
…
On the train.
John had arrived early, and many compartments were still empty.
He casually entered one and sat down, staring out the window in boredom.
In his memory, today was the day the Weasley family would meet the Chosen One for the first time.
Unfortunately, he missed the iconic moment.
“Excuse me, can I sit here?”
A timid voice interrupted his thoughts; it was a boy.
He had a round face sprinkled with freckles, and his expression was filled with shyness and anxiety, as if he feared John would refuse him.
It was clear that this was not a confident child.
Compared to Dudley, the hefty cousin, this chubby boy appeared much more slender.
John flashed a smile and said, “Please, have a seat.”
Neville breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that. As he entered the compartment, he realized that the boy in front of him looked rather intimidating.
With his refined features and a brown wool sweater, John casually twirled his wand between his fingers like a well-behaved little snake.
It felt as if a cowboy was sitting across from him, brandishing a revolver with bravado.
The timid Neville shrank back, pressing himself against the train window, trying to minimize his presence.
“Gulp.”
“Leefy.”
Neville’s pet toad jumped out, and he quickly grabbed it to avoid alarming the boy in front of him.
Worried he had annoyed John, Neville stole a fearful glance at him.
John was, in fact, staring at the toad, which sparked a memory.
“A toad? I think someone in Harry Potter had one of those as a pet.”
Among the few plot points John could recall, there were hardly any characters that left a lasting impression beyond the main trio.
However, the name of the Swordmaster of Hogwarts was definitely one he remembered.
So he extended his hand, smiling as he introduced himself. “Hello, I’m John Wick.”
“I-I’m Neville Longbottom,” Neville stuttered in response.
Upon hearing that name, John thought to himself, Just as I suspected.
The future Swordmaster of Hogwarts, a true Gryffindor.
Some say Neville is the Chosen One, a notion that has brainwashed countless people on the internet in John’s previous life.
John leaned more toward the idea of dual saviors because without Neville slaying the Horcruxes, Harry Potter could never achieve victory.
Without Harry’s electricity—no, that wasn’t quite right—it was Harry’s connection to Voldemort, and Neville’s act of slaying the serpent would only yield anger.
Neither could be dispensed with; Neville’s kindness meant that even knowing the truth, he could never kill Harry, who was the seventh Horcrux.
Thus, the notion of dual saviors felt much more reliable.
However, Neville noticed John had gone quiet after hearing his name, making him wonder if he should switch compartments.
The Longbottom name didn’t carry much weight among pureblood families and was on par with the Weasleys.
As the atmosphere grew quiet, a haughty voice pierced through from outside.
“May I sit here?”
With her curly hair and oversized front teeth, the know-it-all Miss Hermione Granger entered the compartment.
Neville thought that having one more person might lighten the pressure, so he eagerly said, “There’s no one here.”
After speaking, he sneaked a glance at John.
Hermione tilted her head slightly, a habit of hers.
As the top student in the school, she had always been a favorite among the teachers.
However, as she sat down, she recognized the dark-haired boy across from her; they had met briefly that morning.
The memory of today’s remark about her large front teeth made Hermione’s expression darken.
Neville, who had initially felt relieved to have someone to share the pressure with, noticed Hermione’s sour face and worried that he had done something offensive again.
The atmosphere fell silent once more.
Finally, it was Hermione who broke the silence, extending her hand to Neville and lifting her chin slightly, her voice becoming much softer. “Hermione Granger.”
“Neville Longbottom.” He breathed a sigh of relief; the heavy silence had made him doubt he could make it to school at all.
John also realized what was happening and introduced himself. “John Wick.”
Only then did he recognize that the girl he had teased about her teeth was actually Hermione, one of the central trio.
Hermione wasn’t one to hold a grudge for long; she was inherently a kind-hearted girl.
When she learned that Neville came from a wizarding family, her interest piqued immediately.
“So, can you do magic?”
“Children from magical families must start learning magic early; can you show me?”
Neville stammered, struggling to find his words, while Hermione’s mouth kept moving like a sewing machine, relentless in her curiosity.
Seeing this, John chuckled to himself; the know-it-all girl was truly digging for information.
He set down his wand, stepping in to rescue Neville. “Talent varies from person to person. It’s like my family being Muggles while I’m a wizard.”
Hearing that John also came from a Muggle family, Hermione felt a bit more at ease and connected.
The two began discussing the wonders of the magical world, occasionally asking Neville, the local resident, for insights.
The atmosphere in the carriage lightened considerably, but after some chatting, Neville realized that his toad had gone missing.
Eager to help, Hermione volunteered to accompany Neville in search of the toad and, before leaving, asked John if he wanted to join.
John, feeling lazy and hesitant about moving, waved his hand dismissively while holding the chocolate frog he had just bought. “I think I’ll stay in the carriage. Don’t want others to think it’s empty and take a seat.”
Hermione considered this and agreed, taking Neville with her to search the train for the lost toad.
- Writer
