174: Chapter 172 Welcome to Hogwarts

Amidst the melodious sound of the whistle, the train pulled into the station and came to a steady stop.

Toby and the other four, strictly following the reminder in the Interview Letter, waited for the other passengers to leave before getting off the train to regroup.

Clustering on the platform and watching others head toward the exit in small groups, Klaisi felt a bit uneasy: "Where should we go?"

"Over here, little ones."

Hag, who had been working part-time for two days, had already shed his black uniform. Wearing a somewhat worn-out coat, he waved to them from not far away.

Trotting over to him, Leon held up a portable camcorder: "Mr. Hagrid, give us a bright smile."

Having learned from Dumbledore the day before yesterday that filming was not prohibited, his camcorder hadn't been turned off since.

"If I'd known we could bring electronic devices, I would've brought my phone," Klaisi grumbled.

"Hogwarts has no signal," Wino said flatly before asking Hag, who was posing for the camera, "When do we set off?"

"Now."

He turned toward the exit, and the five of them quickly followed.

Hag had a very tall and burly build, with large and fast strides.

The four adults barely managed to keep up, while Misha gradually fell behind after a few steps.

Toby crouched down and picked her up in his arms, while Leon helped drag the suitcases as they lined up to exit the station.

Outside was a small town.

Because it was the early hours of the morning, the streets were deserted, with only the dim yellow streetlights providing a faint glow.

"This way." Hag, the first to emerge, stood across the road beside a tricycle.

"I thought it would be a sedan like Mr. Dumbledore's, flying in the sky."

Wino joked with them as they crossed the street.

"Maybe there will be in the future." Shifting Misha higher in his arms, Toby responded with a smile.

Leon, walking behind because he was dragging two suitcases, watched the two of them seemingly chatting amicably and felt something was off.

When did these two get so close?

He clearly hadn't seen them have much contact.

With no answer to his internal confusion, Leon shook his head, walked quickly to the wooden tricycle, put the suitcases in the cart, and then climbed in with them.

The tricycle's cart was quite spacious; even with five suitcases and five people—though one was a child—there was still plenty of space between their bodies, so it wasn't crowded.

"You didn't get close to the passengers on the train, did you?" Hag asked, looking back from his leather seat as he pedaled.

"No," the five answered in unison.

"Good. Remember Headmaster Dumbledore's warning, otherwise there will be trouble."

The group nodded, only half-understanding.

They didn't know that those passengers were all phantoms created by the 'World'.

If they had been bold enough to reach out, they would have passed right through the other person's body.

In that case, no matter how reluctant Zhang Mu was, he would have had to kill them to keep the secret.

It couldn't be helped; the academy teachers and important 'NPCs' were handled with Puppet Art, which Zhang Mu could manage by gritting his teeth.

But a train full of passengers, a town full of residents...

He would need to build a large enough power base in the Other World and set up factories to manufacture most of the components, with only the Core being made by his own hands.

By then, it would indeed be possible to establish a Hogwarts with interactivity almost indistinguishable from reality.

Hag said no more and pedaled the tricycle forward along the flagstone road.

Looking around curiously, Toby noticed that the town's architectural style was quite different from last century's Ying Country.

But his confusion lasted only a moment.

After all, the movies used real-world locations; it was perfectly reasonable for the real Hogwarts to be different.

With Hag pedaling in silence, and the dark rows of shops and silent streets surrounding them, they also kept their mouths shut.

The tricycle drove out of the town after about half an hour and then spent two hours bumping along a rugged dirt road.

"Look!" Leon, who was drowsy but unable to sleep due to the jolting of the cart, pointed into the distance.

The others, half-awake, instinctively opened their eyes and looked in the direction he pointed.

The sky was just beginning to pale, and with the help of the faint light, they saw the object of Leon's shock.

It was an island standing in the middle of the sea.

The wind whipped the waves, crashing against cliffs that rose ninety degrees perpendicular to the water's surface.

A castle-style academy stood tall on the island.

Under the sea mist and the not-yet-bright sky, they could only see the outline of the academy and its pointed towers.

The academy was not shrouded in darkness at this moment.

From the lit lamp posts scattered about, they could see a stone staircase extending upward along the slope, ending at a massive stone gate.

Hag stopped the tricycle on the beach and lit a kerosene lamp. After the group jumped off and grabbed their suitcases, he led them toward a small boat by the shore.

Walking quickly, Toby really wanted to ask why they were taking a boat instead of building a bridge.

But looking at the broad, silent figure ahead, he didn't dare ask in the end.

Once on the small wooden boat, Hag placed the kerosene lamp on the deck and rowed the oars, slowly approaching the island.

"Hogwarts."

Gazing at the school from afar, Wino murmured unconsciously.

Just the chance of enrollment was enough to make Prince Suleiman cooperate with me as an equal.

I absolutely, absolutely must become its student!

Wino's right fist, resting between his thighs, let out a creaking sound as he clenched it.

Noticing this, Toby turned his head: "What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing.

I'm just a bit excited thinking about seeing the legendary Hogwarts and having the chance to enroll."

Toby didn't suspect anything from the half-truth: "Yes.

Who could have imagined that a fantasy world from a novel actually exists?"

Quietly watching Toby, who was holding Misha, Wino said, "Mr. Toby, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

"Eh?"

"The Interview Letter also mentioned that we won't be staying at Hogwarts forever.

We can go back during the break after the first semester. Haven't you anticipated what might happen?"

"I work for Her Majesty the Queen."

"You misunderstand me," Wino chuckled, leaning close to his ear and speaking in a voice the others couldn't hear. "I mean, you should try living for yourself."

Toby, who was staring at the castle, slowly turned his head and gazed at him for a moment: "If I recall correctly, your superior is Prince Suleiman."

"He used to be."

Moving his gaze to Hag, who was sitting at the stern rowing the oars, Toby said, "You think he can't hear you?"

"It's impossible for me to successfully hide my intentions from a wizard and Mr. Dumbledore.

And I have no such intention; this was always between you and me.

See? Mr. Hag hasn't said anything, has he?"

Toby glanced at Hag.

Although there was some distance between them and their voices were very faint, Toby didn't think for a moment that he hadn't heard their conversation clearly.

So, it was indeed as Wino said: the school did not restrict the students' plans for their own lives.

Living for himself?

Having undergone rigorous training and ideological molding to be loyal to the royal family, Toby found it difficult to make a decision for a moment.

"We will become great wizards," Wino said, seeing his silence and knowing he was swayed. "As long as we don't break the school rules,

Hogwarts will always be our alma mater.

As the headmaster of our alma mater, Mr. Dumbledore also hopes for his students to have a bright future."

"Why me?" Toby asked after a moment of silence.

"You..."

"Alright, enough chatting for now." Hag stood up, his loud voice interrupting them as he rowed the oars to guide the wooden boat to the shore.

"Welcome to Hogwarts."