Old Blood at Hogwarts

The second group through the iron bars were Aaron and Ron.They followed Mr. Weasley and Harry's example and leaned on the railing, then fell onto platform 9 from the side while the Muggles around them were not paying attention.They looked up and saw the express train to Hogwarts. The scarlet steam locomotive was spitting smoke over the platform. The platform was filled with wizards and witches sending their children onto the train.

Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Aaron.They panted and seemed to run in at once.

"Ah, Penello is here!" Percy blushed, smoothed his hair quickly, and then strode towards a girl with long curly hair.

Percy walked with his chest out, making his shiny badge visible.

They were joined by the rest of the Weasley family and Hermione.Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past the full carriages, and arrived at a carriage that looked empty.They put all the boxes on it, got off the train, and said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley kissed each of her children goodbye, then Hermione, Aaron, and finally Harry.She gave Harry a special hug.

"Be careful, Harry," she said, straightening up, her eyes strangely bright.Then she opened her giant tote bag and said, "I made you all sandwiches. These are yours, Ron... No. This isn't the corned beef... Fred? Where's Fred? In Here, dear..."

"Harry," Mr. Weasley said quietly, "come here for a moment." He tilted his head toward a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it.

Mrs. Weasley gave some more instructions to the children, and everyone got on the train at the urging of the conductor.At this time, Harry was still talking to Mr. Weasley behind the pillar.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley shouted as she helped everyone get on the train, "Arthur, what are you doing? It's time to go!"

"He's coming, Molly!" Mr. Weasley shouted from behind the pillar.

A very loud whistle blew.Railway workers walked along the train and closed all the doors.

"Arthur, hurry!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

The train puffed out steam and began to move.Harry ran to the carriage door. Ron opened the door and stepped aside to let Harry get in.They leaned out the window and waved to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned the corner and out of sight.

By this time, Percy had gone to the prefects' carriage with Penello, and George and Fred had just seen their friends from school and gone with them.Only Aaron and Ginny were in the corridor with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione, "I need to talk to you in private."

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's not bad," Ginny said in a haughty tone, walking away.

"Aaron, can you leave for a moment?" Harry said to Aaron.

"If what you're talking about has anything to do with Black, you can't leave me behind." Aaron said firmly, looking into Harry's eyes.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all knew about the relationship between Aaron and Black, and they knew why Aaron said what he said.

"Okay. You come with us." Harry looked at Aaron's firm eyes and compromised.

The four of them walked along the corridor, trying to find an empty carriage.But all the carriages were full except the last one.

There was only one person in this carriage, and he was sitting by the window, sleeping soundly.Aaron, Harry, Ron and Hermione stopped on the threshold.The Hogwarts Express is usually used by students, and apart from the witch pushing the food cart for them, they have never seen an adult here.

The stranger wore an extremely worn wizard's robe, patched in several places.He looked sickly and exhausted.He still looks young, but his light brown hair is already mixed with some white hair.

"Who do you think he is?" Ron asked sharply.They closed the door and sat down as far away from the car window as possible.

"Professor RJ Lupin." Hermione whispered immediately.

"How do you know?" Ron asked.

"Isn't it written on his suitcase?" Hermione replied, pointing to the luggage rack above the man's head.There was a small, shabby box, tied with many ropes and neatly knotted. The words "Professor RJ Lupine" were printed on the corner of the box, and the letters had peeled off.

"I wonder what he teaches?" Ron said with a frown, looking at Professor Lupine's lifeless profile.

"Apparently, there's only one empty seat, isn't it?" Hermione whispered. "Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Well, I hope he's competent." Ron said suspiciously. "He looks like he could be knocked down by any magic. Anyway..." He turned to Harry, "What do you want to tell us? What?"

Harry told them about the Weasley couple's argument they heard last night, and told them that Mr. Weasley had just spoken to him to warn him not to leave the castle to find Black.When he finished, Ron felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, and Hermione covered her mouth with her hands.Finally she put down her hand and said: "Sirius Black escaped to chase you? Oh, Harry... you must be more careful, be very careful. Don't ask for trouble, Harry..."

"I didn't ask for trouble," Harry said angrily. "Trouble usually comes to me."

"How stupid can Harry be to find a madman who wants to kill him?" Ron said tremblingly.

"I think what Harry should be worried about now is Black looking for him." Aaron said pointedly.

"No one knows how Black escaped from Azkaban." Ron said awkwardly, "No one has ever done this before. And he is a top criminal."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" Hermione said sincerely. "I mean, they've put all the Muggles on notice..."

"Where's the sound coming from?" Ron suddenly said.

Suddenly a faint whistle sounded in the carriage.The four of them searched everywhere in the carriage.

"It came from your suitcase, Harry," said Ron, standing up and going to the luggage rack to get the suitcase.After a while, he took out a pocket speculum from Harry's robes.It spun quickly in Ron's hand and was brilliant.

"Is this a looking glass?" Hermione asked with interest, standing up to take a closer look.

"Yeah... you know, it's cheap," said Ron. "When I tied it to Errol's leg to give it to Harry, he went crazy."

"Did you do something then?" Hermione asked sharply.

"No! Well... I shouldn't use the Errol. You know it's not very capable of long journeys... But how can I give Harry a gift if I don't?"

"Put it back in the box," said Harry, for the thing was screaming so loudly.

"It'll wake him up." He nodded in Professor Lupin's direction.

Ron stuffed it into an old pair of Harry's socks to muffle the sound.Then Ron closed the lid of the box again.

"We can check it out at Hogwarts." Ron sat down and said, "Devis and Bans sell this stuff, Fred and George told me."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked keenly, "I read in the book that this is the only place in Britain where there are no Muggles."

"Yeah, I guess so," Ron said nonchalantly. "But that's not why I want to go. I just want to go to Honeydukes!"

"What is that?" Hermione asked.

"It's a candy store." A dreamy expression appeared on Ron's face, "There's everything there... a little pepper naughty boy, smoke will come out of your mouth after eating it; and there are also oily chocolate balls, which are all It's strawberry custard and regular custard; there are really wonderful sugar quills that you suck on in class and look like you're thinking about what to write next; huge sorbet balls that make You can float several inches off the ground while sucking—"

"I'm sorry." Aaron interrupted Ron at this time, "What is Hogsmeade you are talking about?"

"It's a magical village," Ron replied. "It's the most fun place in Britain."

"It's the only place in the whole of Britain where there are no Muggles." Hermione added, "Many historical events happened there. "Wizard Monuments" said that there was a small hotel there that was used by monsters in [-]. The headquarters of the Rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack, probably the most haunted house in Britain—"

"Then how should I go?" Aaron continued to ask.

"When you reach third grade, you can go to Hogsmeade on the weekends." Hermione said, looking at Harry and Ron, "Leave school for a short while and go to Hogsmeade to explore. That’s so much fun, isn’t it?”

"I think so." Harry said dullly, "When you feel this way, you must tell me."

"What do you mean?" said Ron.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign the consent form for me, and Fudge wouldn't do it either."

Ron looked horrified: "You won't be allowed to go? But - maybe - Professor McGonagall or someone else will allow you to go -"

Harry laughed dryly.Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House.He is a very strict person.

"--or we could ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle-" Ron continued to come up with ideas.

"Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "With Black on the loose, I don't think Harry should sneak out of the school -"

"Yeah, that's what I expected Professor McGonagall to say when I asked for permission," said Harry bitterly.

"But if we were with him," Ron said angrily to Hermione, "Black wouldn't dare—"

"Oh, Ron, stop talking nonsense." Hermione snapped, "Black has killed so many people in the crowded streets, do you really think that just because we are here, Black will not be able to do anything to Harry?" Hands?" she said, fumbling with the straps that bound Crookshanks' basket.

"Don't let this thing out!" said Ron.But it was too late, and Crookshanks easily jumped out of the basket, stretched, yawned, and jumped into Ron's lap.

The bulge in Ron's chest trembled rapidly, and Ron drove Crookshanks away angrily: "Get out of here!"

"Ron, don't do that!" Hermione said angrily.

Ron was about to retort when Professor Lupine moved.They looked at him in horror, but he just turned his head the other way, opened his mouth a little, and fell asleep again.