The Hogwarts Express wasn't particularly express. At least, once the train got moving, Owen felt it wasn't even as fast as his own flight speed.
"Oh no! My Trevor! Trevor is gone!"
Neville hadn't remembered until Molly woke up in Owen's arms and hopped onto the table, looking ready for a meal. Seeing the magical cat reminded him that he also had a pet. He looked left and right, and upon realizing his toad was missing, panic set in.
"Don't worry, Neville. Trevor must be somewhere on the train. We just need to go find him!"
The young witch eagerly grabbed the round-faced boy and dragged him out of the compartment. Owen didn't even have time to raise his hand...
"Actually, I can cast a Summoning Charm..." Owen trailed off, shifting his gaze to Molly beside him. "Maybe you stressed her out a little?"
Molly: Meow!
Owen slapped his forehead. "Right, I forgot. Before the break, Hermione didn't know what a Class XXXXX magical beast was. But given how many books she read over the summer, she probably knows exactly what that classification means now."
---
Neville was confused. He felt like Hermione was scared?
"Oh my gosh, Neville, did you realize? That wasn't a cat on the table. That was a Wampus Cat—a Class XXXXX magical beast! Do you know what Class XXXXX means?"
Neville opened his mouth to ask, but Hermione pressed on. "That means it's a known wizard-killer! It's classified as extremely dangerous, same as a dragon!"
Well, guess he didn't need to answer. Neville followed Hermione, searching compartment by compartment for his pet.
Meanwhile, Owen picked up his book again, letting Molly butt her head against his.
Molly loved snuggling with the young wizard. On him, she could smell a scent that made her feel incredibly relaxed and comfortable—a scent humans couldn't detect. It was the fragrance of pure magic radiating from him.
Bang!
The compartment door slid open again. But this time, it wasn't Hermione and Neville. It was three boys. One of them, a boy with pale blond hair, froze when he saw Owen and Molly. Then, his expression shifted into one of arrogance.
"Merlin, look at this. Another..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes—and the eyes of the two boys behind him—turned purple. The three of them turned around blankly, walked out, and closed the door behind them.
Owen turned his head with a smile, just in time to see the purple glow fading from Molly's eyes. "Thanks, Molly. But there was no need. They're just first-years with a bit of an attitude. Perfectly normal."
Molly didn't make a sound. She turned her head away, but her tail wrapped tightly around the boy's wrist. The message was simple: I'm mad. You're going to have to pet me for a long time to fix this!
Owen understood completely. He pulled the little Wampus Cat into his lap, stroking her back while he read. Before long, Molly was fast asleep, her anger vanishing like smoke.
"Dears, would you like to buy some..."
A plump witch pushed open the compartment door, ready to sell some snacks. But when she saw the young wizard, she broke into a smile. "Mr. Corlett! So this is where you were hiding. Anything you'd like to eat?"
"Mrs. Margery..."
Owen stood up and helped the witch into the compartment. "Why don't you rest here for a bit? Let me push the trolley and sell the snacks for you. Is that alright?"
He didn't wait for an answer. Owen took the trolley and headed down the corridor.
Mrs. Margery had worked on this train for many, many years. She was a close friend of Newt Scamander and one of Tina's few confidantes. During his three months studying with Newt, Owen had met her often, and he had a very good impression of her.
If he hadn't run into her, it would be one thing. But since he had, helping out with a little work felt like the right thing to do.
He met quite a few acquaintances on the train, and the snacks sold fast. By the time he reached the last compartment, slid open the door, and saw Hermione and the legendary Boy Who Lived, the trolley was nearly empty.
"Anything off the trolley? We have Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs..."
A flush Harry Potter, in a burst of excitement, bought everything left. He was too happy to notice the expressions on Hermione and Neville's faces, but Owen caught it. He smiled faintly. "Good idea to stock up. I just found out the train won't reach Hogwarts until after dark."
Closing the door, he pushed the empty trolley back to his compartment. Owen and Mrs. Margery shared a delicious meal of rice bowls before parting ways. With the snacks sold out, Mrs. Margery's work was done. Owen picked up Molly and went back to his quiet reading.
"Attention students. Please change into your robes. You may leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to your dormitories separately."
There was no PA system on the train—Owen had checked while selling snacks. So this announcement, repeating three times, was actually a Sonorus charm.
Owen pulled his robes from his pocket—prepared in advance—and pulled them on over his clothes. Hermione and Neville returned shortly after. Once they had hurriedly changed into their robes, Hermione sat down, looking a bit sheepish. "Owen, I..."
"It's okay. We came to Hogwarts to learn, but also to make friends..." As he spoke, the train slowed to a halt. Owen waved his hand. "We're here. Welcome to Hogwarts!"
The second-years and above knew the drill; they poured off the train and headed toward the carriages. Meanwhile...
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
Hagrid's massive frame and booming voice quickly gathered the first-years. He gave Harry a wink, then turned to Owen. "Mr. Corlett, Dumbledore said you're to cross the Black Lake to the school as well, but you won't be takin' a boat."
Not taking a boat?
Owen couldn't quite figure out the reason, but he nodded anyway. Then, his entire body floated into the air. "I'll go on ahead then. Good to see you again, Hagrid."
Hagrid grinned. "Good to see you too. Firs' years, follow me! Watch yer step."
But no one was listening to him anymore. The first-years were staring, slack-jawed, as Owen simply flew away, straight and true.
"He... why can he fly?"
Hearing the whispers, Hagrid just chuckled. He led them down to the edge of the Black Lake, loaded them into the boats, and set off toward the castle.
"Long time no see!"
Halfway across the lake, a giant squid poked its massive head out of the water. Owen waved at it. The squid extended a tentacle, and Owen reached out to high-five it before waving goodbye.
Just like years ago. Everything felt so natural.