Chapter 34 - 34: The-Girl-Who-Bullied

The Hogwarts Express sped through the wilderness, leaving the city and civilization far behind. Not long after, three boys swaggered into Edward and Audrey's compartment. The one leading them was none other than that arrogant silver-haired boy—Draco Malfoy. He was in the middle of boasting to his two lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle, about how much money his father had donated to Hogwarts and how even Dumbledore had to listen to him. Just as he was getting carried away, Crabbe and Goyle suddenly stopped in their tracks, staring straight ahead at the compartment's occupants. Malfoy frowned. "What are you two gawking at?" When he turned around, he saw two older students looking back at him. He paused for a moment, his first thought being: That girl is stunning. But he quickly straightened up, tilting his chin arrogantly. "I'm Draco Malfoy. My father is Lucius Malfoy, one of Hogwarts' board members. May we sit here?" "Of course." Edward gestured for them to take a seat across from them. Crabbe and Goyle flanked Malfoy on either side as he sat down. He glanced at Audrey, a hint of surprise in his expression, before asking uncertainly, "Are you from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight?" The Sacred Twenty-Eight referred to the only twenty-eight wizarding families that, as of the 1930s, could still claim to be "truly pureblood." The Malfoys were one of them and took immense pride in their lineage. Audrey shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not." Malfoy's arrogant expression returned instantly. "What a pity. You see, only our twenty-eight families are true pureblood wizards." He sneered. "Oh, actually, it's twenty-seven now. The Weasleys lost their place long ago—look at them, with their messy red hair and freckled faces. They're so poor they can barely afford to feed their own children." As soon as he finished speaking, a furious voice cut through the air. "Malfoy! What did you just say?! You wanna get punched?!" Ron Weasley had been passing by and overheard Malfoy's insult. His face was flushed with anger. Before Malfoy could respond, Crabbe and Goyle stood up, cracking their knuckles menacingly. "Ron Weasley," Goyle sneered. "You wanna get punched?" "You…" Ron took an involuntary step back, only to bump straight into his older brothers—the Weasley twins. One of them grinned. "Oh~oh~ Is our little brother about to fight his first duel today?" The other one cheered him on. "Go on, Ronnikins! Draw your wand! Challenge him to a duel!" Ron's face turned so red it looked like he might pass out. He hesitated, reaching for his wand—buried all the way at the bottom of his trunk—but quickly realized the problem: He didn't know a single spell. The realization made him even more flustered, and he suddenly had the urge to jump out of the train window. At that moment, Edward cut in. "Oi, you two, that's enough. You want your little brother to get written up on his first day?" The twin on the left waved at him. "Yo, Edward! Long time no see. Weren't you supposed to visit us at The Burrow over the summer? You bailed on us again!" "Yeah! We even made some new prank items just for you. Don't tell me you ditched us for Cedric." "Next time, I swear. Next time." Edward laughed awkwardly. The twin glanced into the compartment and, upon spotting Audrey, his eyes flashed with admiration. "Oh~ I don't think I've ever seen this beautiful young lady before. Is she your friend? Or…your girlfriend?" Edward sighed and turned to Audrey. "Sorry, these two are the Weasley twins. That's just how they are." Audrey, completely unfazed, smiled politely. "I'm Audrey Hall, a friend of Edward's. Nice to meet you." Edward stood up and shoved the twins out of the compartment. "Alright, go find a seat for your little brother before he makes an even bigger fool of himself." As he did, his gaze flickered to the bulging pocket of Ron's robe. That must be Peter Pettigrew… Well, since the timeline is already a mess, I might as well report this to Dumbledore later. —— Wait a second. Why is my first instinct always to report people? Damn it, I must've been hanging around Klein too much! —— The twins waved as they left. "See you later!" "What a shame. Ickle Ronnikins' first battle ended in a crushing defeat—by forfeit~." Ron, humiliated, shoved his brothers aside, grabbed his heavy trunk, and stomped away. Once the Weasleys were gone, Malfoy scoffed and turned to Edward. "You actually hang out with those Weasleys? Ugh. So low-class." With that, he stood up and strutted off, his two lackeys scrambling to follow. Edward and Audrey exchanged glances. Audrey sighed. "I guess every world has its fair share of these self-important noble brats. My father once wanted me to befriend people like him. How terrifying." Edward smirked. "Are you talking about Prince Edessak Augustus? If I remember correctly, he was pursuing you, wasn't he?" Audrey nodded. "Yes…But I never liked him. Although to be fair, he was the most decent of the princes." Edward's smirk widened. "Well, I just so happen to know a little secret about him…" Audrey raised an eyebrow. "What secret?" Edward leaned in and whispered: "That third prince of yours…Later on, he falls in love with a man." "???" Audrey's eyes went wide in shock. "How…is that possible?!" Ah, but that's just how things work in Lord of the Mysteries… Witches die for love. Schemers die for loyalty. And this particular prince, who fell in love with a witch, ultimately died in a conspiracy. ——— The rest of the train ride passed without much excitement. Well—except for Hermione Granger running around helping Neville look for his lost toad and then somehow picking a fight with Malfoy and his cronies. Honestly, if you read fanfiction, you'd think Hermione spent half her first year searching for that damn toad while running into all sorts of ridiculous troubles. Edward, however, was not one of them—because at the time, he had been pretending to be asleep. To be frank, First-Year Hermione was kind of annoying. The Hogwarts Express raced through the wilderness, leaving the city and human settlements far behind. Audrey rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window at the scenery rushing past. The glass reflected her delicate profile, harmonizing with the picturesque view outside. Edward couldn't help but steal a few glances at her. However, when their eyes met in the reflection, he quickly averted his gaze and closed his eyes to take a nap. The sky outside gradually darkened. As night descended upon the land, the train slowed before finally coming to a stop. Passengers pushed and jostled their way toward the doors, disembarking onto a small, dimly lit platform. Though autumn had just begun, the air here was unnaturally chilly. The first-year students huddled together like shivering quails, tucking their heads into their shoulders to escape the cold. Meanwhile, Edward and Audrey had already donned their warm coats in preparation. Just then, a towering figure carrying a lantern approached. "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! Harry, this way—y'alright?" Hagrid's bearded face broke into a smile. "Come on, follow me. Any more first-years? Watch your step—alright! Firs'-years, this way. Miss Hall, you too, please come with me." Edward took out his wand and cast a waterproofing charm on her coat. "The rest of the way, you'll have to walk on your own. Be careful—it might be slippery." "Got it. See you later." Audrey waved at him before following the group of first-years as they made their way down a steep, narrow path. At the end of the path, the view suddenly opened up to reveal a vast black lake. Across the water, perched atop a towering hillside, stood the grand silhouette of Hogwarts Castle. Its many spires pierced the night sky, and its windows shimmered like a sea of stars. "So this is what Hogwarts Castle looks like from a distance..." ——— By the time Edward arrived at the Great Hall, the place was already packed. Students eagerly exchanged stories of their summer vacations—some whispering in hushed tones, others loudly proclaiming their adventures, filling the hall with lively chatter. Just as he approached the Hufflepuff table, Cedric Diggory waved him over. "Hey, Edward! Over here!" It was common knowledge that Hufflepuff students were usually overlooked at Hogwarts—until the Triwizard Tournament when Cedric brought some recognition to the house. And as for Edward, he was practically invisible even among Hufflepuffs. For one, his mental age was far beyond that of his classmates, making it difficult for him to relate to a bunch of kids. Additionally, he was already a few years older than them physically. Since he never actively sought out friendships, others naturally didn't approach him either. The only reason he got along well with Cedric was that they were roommates. Cedric greeted him with a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Didn't you stay at school over the summer? Why'd you take the train?" Edward returned the hug and grinned. "I was accompanying a friend—she's a first-year this year." "A first-year? Your sister?" "No…Actually, she's a year older than me." Cedric blinked in confusion. "Wait—so she's a first-year, but she's older than you? That doesn't make any sense." Edward chuckled. "She's in a situation similar to mine—never had the chance to attend school before. It's all thanks to Headmaster Dumbledore for his generosity—he made a special exception for her." ——— In the stairs leading to the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall strode in with a serious expression, leading a group of nervous first-years. It was their first time stepping into Hogwarts, and their curiosity was evident as they glanced around in wonder, their awed murmurs filling the hall. Audrey walked at the very back of the line, beside a girl with thick, bushy brown hair, bright brown eyes, and slightly prominent front teeth. No doubt—this was the future Minister for Magic, Hermione Granger. The two of them chatted animatedly, having seemingly found a shared topic of interest. In contrast, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who walked ahead of them, listened with puzzled expressions. Professor McGonagall gave a few instructions before leaving to make final preparations for the Sorting Ceremony, leaving the anxious first-years to wait in silence. Harry let out a breath. "How exactly do they decide which house we're in?" Ron shrugged uncertainly. "Probably some kind of test. Fred said it's really painful, but I think he was joking. I asked Mum and Dad, but they always act all mysterious about it—it's so annoying." Keeping the Sorting process a secret was a long-standing wizarding tradition. After all, every previous generation had gone through the same experience—why deny the next generation their turn? Watching the chattering kids, Audrey suddenly felt an impish urge surface—a side of her personality that had long been repressed. With a completely serious expression, she declared, "Edward told me…All new students must take a Killing Curse head-on. If they survive, they're allowed to enrol." "What?!" Ron was still reeling from the shock when, ahead of him, a young girl with two blonde braids suddenly went weak in the knees and collapsed to the floor. Thankfully, another girl beside her quickly helped her up. "Hannah, are you okay?" The little girl's eyes brimmed with tears as she whimpered, "She said every new student has to be hit with the Killing Curse! And only those who survive can enter the school!" "???" "AHHHHHH!! I don't wanna die!" "WAAAAAH!!" "MOMMY!!" "HELP! I WANNA GO HOME!" ——— [Note]: Want an Extra Chapter? If we reach 290 Powerstones by tomorrow, ya'll get one!