After reaching a preliminary supply agreement with Ollivander, Qin Yu left the ancient wand shop in high spirits.
He double-checked his school supply list—robes, cauldron, scales, everything was accounted for—then made his way to where Hagrid was arranging Fluffy's transport.
"Qin, I'm afraid I can't ride the train with you," Hagrid said, sounding genuinely apologetic.
"I figured as much," Qin Yu shrugged.
If there was one thing you could count on with Hagrid, it was that something unexpected would always come up. You could trust his heart, but never count on a smooth journey.
"It's just, they say Fluffy's a bit too dangerous. Someone has to sign for him, so I've got to get back to Hogwarts early and be there to receive him. That means I can't take the train with you," Hagrid explained.
"Don't worry, Hagrid. I'm not a little kid—I can manage the train on my own," Qin Yu replied, perfectly calm.
He might look like an eleven-year-old, but his soul was that of a grown man. Besides, he'd taken trains alone back when he started university—this was nothing new.
"I'll see you to the station, at least. Once you're there, just stick with the other students," Hagrid said.
"Alright, sounds good," Qin Yu nodded.
This time, they skipped Muggle transport and found a fireplace connected to the Floo Network.
Hagrid tossed a handful of Floo Powder into the flames, called out the station's name, and vanished in a swirl of emerald smoke.
Qin Yu followed suit, stepping into the green fire for his first magical journey by Floo Network.
In the blink of an eye, they emerged from a fireplace near the train station.
"How was your first time using Floo Powder?" Hagrid asked, grinning.
"To be honest, it was so quick I didn't even have time to feel anything before we arrived," Qin Yu replied.
"You're lucky! The fireplaces at Diagon Alley and here are spotless. My first time, I coughed up half a pound of soot," Hagrid said, bursting into laughter at the memory.
"Sounds like I should wear a mask next time I use Floo Powder," Qin Yu mused.
"Not a bad idea, but you'd have to put it on right after shouting your destination. That takes some quick hands," Hagrid added.
It was already 10:40 a.m.—only twenty minutes until departure.
They didn't linger. Hagrid hurried Qin Yu to the ticket booth, and after buying his ticket, Qin Yu insisted Hagrid leave. He pushed his luggage cart into the station by himself.
With a strange mix of nerves and excitement, Qin Yu found his way to the space between platforms 9 and 10.
There it was—the legendary Platform 9¾.
The gateway to Hogwarts.
Excitement aside, staring at that solid wall made Qin Yu hesitate. What if it didn't work? Smashing headfirst into a brick wall wasn't his idea of a good start to term. Stranger things had happened, after all.
Just as he was wavering, a woman's exasperated voice rang out nearby:
"George, Fred, you're dawdling again! If it weren't for wanting Ron and Ginny to see the station, I wouldn't have bothered bringing you lot at all."
"Blame Bill for coming home out of the blue—we had to catch up!" one boy said.
"Yeah, it's not every day Bill visits—we had to show him some brotherly love!" another, nearly identical voice chimed in.
"Ha! 'Brotherly love'? You just want him to bring you more presents next time, don't you?" the woman shot back, full of sarcasm.
Curious, Qin Yu turned to look.
Sure enough, there was a bustling, red-haired woman surrounded by seven children.
The whole Weasley clan, all together.
The woman was, of course, Molly Weasley. With her were eldest son Bill, second son Charlie (seventh year), third son Percy (fourth year), twins George and Fred (second year), and the youngest, Ron and Ginny, who hadn't started at Hogwarts yet.
"Hey, Qin! We meet again!" Bill called out with a cheerful wave.
"Qin? You must be the boy Bill met outside Gringotts. I'm his mother—so pleased to meet you!" Mrs. Weasley said, her tone instantly softening.
"Yes, I'm Qin Yu. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Weasley!" Qin Yu replied politely.
He'd always had a soft spot for this warm-hearted matriarch.
"What a polite young man… Oh, this is Charlie and Percy—they're both upperclassmen. If you need anything, just ask them. And these are my youngest, Ron and Ginny—they'll be starting school soon, so you'll all be classmates before long," Mrs. Weasley introduced everyone enthusiastically.
"…" George.
"…" Fred.
Qin Yu greeted each of them in turn. Ron and Ginny eyed him with undisguised curiosity.
As for Ron—one-third of Gryffindor's infamous "point-losing trio"—Qin Yu had long admired him.
But the train wouldn't wait, and there was no time for small talk.
"Children, only two minutes until departure—hurry up! Qin, have a safe trip! Charlie, Percy, look after him!" Mrs. Weasley said, then turned to the twins with a glare. "George, Fred, put away those tricks of yours. If you cause trouble on the train, you'll be in for it!"
The twins pulled matching faces, then one after the other, pushed their trolleys straight at Platform 9¾.
Charlie and Percy followed.
Qin Yu nodded farewell to Mrs. Weasley, took a deep breath, and pushed his luggage cart forward.
He passed through the barrier without a hitch, stepping onto the hidden platform.
The scarlet Hogwarts Express stood waiting, its whistle echoing down the track—a call to all students that it was time to return to school.
…
After his ticket was checked and he boarded the train, Charlie—as a prefect—went off to patrol, while the reserved Percy kept to himself. That left Qin Yu in the company of the mischievous twins, George and Fred.
Not that he minded; he certainly wasn't intimidated by a couple of pranksters.
One Galleon spent at the trolley cart, and the twins were thoroughly won over by his generosity.
With nothing better to do, Qin Yu began chatting with them about everything under the sun.
"The wizarding business world is still way too traditional. Take the Floo Network—it's mostly used for moving people, but that's such a waste. Imagine a sharing economy—like communal flying broomsticks. It'd solve so many travel headaches for wizards… And traditional papers like The Daily Prophet? Bound to be replaced by new media someday. That's a huge opportunity… Wizarding culture really lacks innovation. Hasn't anyone ever thought of making an epic fantasy film?"
At first, George and Fred had treated him like any other kid. But as Qin Yu rattled off one novel idea after another, their attitudes shifted completely.
The twins had always dreamed of striking it rich.
Even if they didn't understand every business model Qin Yu described, they could smell opportunity—and it thrilled them.
Suddenly, Qin Yu seemed a whole lot more impressive in their eyes.
Watching the twins excitedly debate how to set prices for broomstick rentals and how to expand the Floo Network, Qin Yu couldn't help but smile.
Yes, with these two around, he'd never lack for enthusiastic partners in crime.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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