Chapter 16: On the Train

Time passed by minute by minute.

At half past ten in the morning, the old steam train emitted its final roar before starting.

The two-meter-high white steam served as a silent prompt, urging the young wizards on the platform to board quickly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the platform.

Mrs. Weasley was delivering her customary lecture, and today's focus was her youngest son about to start at Hogwarts—Ron Weasley.

"Ron, promise me you'll study hard at Hogwarts, and don't misbehave like George and Fred, causing trouble all day. Do you hear me?"

Perhaps having heard too many similar lectures, Ron nodded absently, while giving the appropriate response.

"Yes, Mum, I'll stay away from George, stay away from Fred, and if anything happens, I'll find Percy and treat him as my role model..."

"That's the best I can hope for!"

Mrs. Weasley nodded approvingly, aware of Ron's perfunctory attitude, but as a mother of seven children, she had long learned to see through without calling it out.

And compared to George and Fred, at least Ron's attitude for now was considered decent.

...

September 1, 1991, 11 AM.

The Hogwarts Express departed promptly from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

In a compartment, Ino leaned against the window, watching the scenery outside on both sides while feeling the old steam train warming up before picking up speed.

"Hogwarts Express? Ha! I wonder where it gets the confidence from..."

He was quite skeptical whether this antique from the last century could really reach 30 kilometers per hour.

*Click!*

The compartment door was pushed open from outside.

"There's only one person here, let's chase him away, and this compartment will be ours."

At these words, Ino looked up in surprise.

Actually, he hadn't intended to monopolize the entire compartment from the start. After all, on these unreserved trains, the rule was usually first come, first served.

However, kicking someone out as soon as the door opened was something he had never seen before.

As the compartment door was completely pushed open... Well, the person was tall and robust, showing confidence in his demeanor.

Despite the opponent's physical advantage, Ino had no intention of backing down. After all, in a strange place, if he was initially labeled as 'easy to bully', trouble would surely follow.

Rather than that, it was better to confront head-on. Perhaps he would get hurt, but at least no one would dare to provoke him easily in the future.

"Chase away? Your territory? You're welcome to try."

Ino casually tapped his wand on the table, the loud sound making the big guy opposite flinch.

Just as he thought the confrontation was about to escalate, another voice came from outside the door.

"Gor, step aside! I've told you before, never forget the manners and grace of being a pureblood."

Perhaps genuinely startled, Gor swiftly moved aside despite his size advantage.

Following the voice, Ino glanced over and recognized the one who acted so arrogantly. Pale skin, platinum blond hair, and an unusually large quiff for his age—it was undoubtedly Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy! Draco Malfoy! And who might you be?"

Perhaps it was the well-cut plain robe or Ino's earlier display of nerve, but Malfoy didn't immediately retort recklessly.

"Ino Swinburne!" Ino calmly replied.

"Swinburne? I don't recall any such surname in England. Are you from another country?"

"Perhaps! Since birth, I've been wandering non-stop, never setting foot in my homeland."

This statement was half true and half false, as Ino knew Malfoy's likely inquiry was about blood status versus pureblood.

But outright categorizing oneself or choosing sides immediately was something only a fool would do.

The best approach was to be ambiguous, letting the other person find their own answers.

"Apologies! But I believe you come from a pureblood family in Germany, and... your eyes are quite distinctive."

Malfoy spoke his mind, thinking amber eyes and black hair likely came from Germanic origins.

As for pureblood status, Malfoy's view aligned surprisingly with Gringotts goblins.

Moreover, Malfoy couldn't imagine Muggles producing such a handsome boy.

"No need to apologize. I quite enjoy the carefree life I lead."

Malfoy's demeanor made Ino slightly adjust his usual perceptions.

"However, I don't care where I come from. Ancestry and surname don't make me nobler than anyone else. True nobility lies in surpassing one's past self."

After two years as a wandering minstrel, Ino could effortlessly deliver such wise-sounding lines.

"I am now quite certain—you and I are of the same kind." Malfoy extended his right hand.

Ino neither denied nor affirmed this speculation.

But he didn't refuse the handshake that symbolized 'Malfoy friendship' either, unlike a savior who rejects it outright.

"If you can't find a suitable compartment, I don't mind you sitting here. But if you still intend to chase people away..."

Before Ino finished speaking, Malfoy interrupted, "Gor has never been the brightest. Don't argue with him."

As Malfoy spoke, he pulled Gor aside and pat his shoulder vigorously.

Gor cooperated well, standing there with a foolish smile that indeed made him look not very bright.

Seeing this comical scene, Ino couldn't help but laugh. Moreover, he had no intention to hold grudges, so he extended another invitation.

"Don't stand in the doorway. If you had boarded earlier, you might have found an empty compartment. At this point, having a place to sit is already good."

Facing this invitation, Malfoy was equally straightforward, sitting down next to Ino without hesitation, then directing his two companions to handle the luggage.

...

Half an hour later.

This antique steam train finally seemed to complete its warm-up, suddenly accelerating. The scenery outside the window, previously lagging and stuttering, now smoothly streamed by.

After half an hour of interaction, Ino had gained some initial insights into Malfoy.

So far, the eleven-year-old Draco didn't seem inherently bad, and in character, he was not as harsh as Crabbe on the side.

Similarly, their brief exchange also helped Malfoy gradually lower his guard, becoming more familiar, and the atmosphere in the compartment grew more harmonious.

"...Ino, I heard the Boy Who Lived is also on this train. Would you like to come and see with me?"

"Rather than meeting celebrities, I prefer quietly reading a book."

Faced with an invitation that he knew would likely lead to trouble, Ino decisively refused.

"Well then! You seem more like a Ravenclaw bookworm than a Slytherin!"

Malfoy responded with a smile, then left the compartment with Gor and Crabbe, remembering to close the wooden door behind them.

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