Harry Potter: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me from Studying

"Follow me, students!" a booming voice called out.

Hagrid, like a wild man in his thick fur coat, holding a lantern, waited for them on the dark platform, a towering giant.

To students unfamiliar with Hagrid's inner nature, his appearance was quite intimidating. The previously noisy students immediately quieted down, following Hagrid along the platform.

In a wide, open space, many pitch-black carriages were parked, with dim yellow lamps hanging on either side of their frames. Some carriages even swayed slightly.

Students boarded the carriages one after another. Wade and his companions walked forward together when they suddenly heard a greeting: "Hey, Wade, guys, this carriage is empty!"

They looked up and saw Hermione, Padma, Parvati, and Neville all sitting in the same carriage. It was Padma who spoke, pointing beside them to an empty carriage, its floor covered in straw.

The group climbed into the carriage one by one. Michael was the first to wave and say, "Hi everyone, did you have a good holiday?"

"Excellent, except for a certain someone who never looked at the Book of Friends," Hermione said. "I originally thought discussing problems in the Book of Friends would be simpler! Especially when practicing the Disarming Charm by myself—"

"Oh, Hermione, wait, classes haven't even started yet!" Padma stopped her, exasperated. "Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay? Tomorrow for studying."

Even as a Ravenclaw, she found Hermione's studying zeal frightening.

"Let's meet at the library tomorrow afternoon!" Wade suggested. "I happen to need to borrow some new books."

Hermione reluctantly sat back down, and Parvati beside her quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Although no one urged her to study, listening to the academic elites discuss learning while she completely failed to understand or participate made her feel as if she were trapped in an invisible glass dome, on the verge of suffocating.

While they were talking, Neville hastily jumped down from that carriage, clutching his toad Trevor tightly, and squeezed into Wade's carriage.

"Hey, Neville, we have enough people here already!" Michael protested.

"Please, let me stay here, that one's all girls—"

Neville pleaded in a low voice, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice, but his body unhesitatingly pushed Michael into the corner, refusing to get off.

Forced to sit against the carriage wall, Michael huffed, "What's so bad about being with girls? The prettiest girl in Hogwarts is sitting right next to you! And she's a twin!"

Laughter rang out from the girls' carriage, perhaps because they heard Michael's words.

Neville lowered his head, flustered, not daring to look at who was laughing, and whispered, "They're always laughing—it's too embarrassing, I can't stay there by myself—"

Michael cursed, clearly exasperated, "Neville, you really are a hopeless idiot!"

He took advantage of the carriage not yet moving and jumped down without hesitation, heading straight for the girls' carriage. In a moment, he was in, chatting cheerfully with Padma.

Neville visibly relaxed, looking very impressed.

Wade and the other two couldn't help but chuckle. Neville chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.

The carriage jolted forward, the road was uneven, and the carriage bounced along. There was a musty smell in the compartment, and a thick layer of straw underneath their bottoms.

Ryan couldn't help but say, "I wanted to ask last time I took the carriage, why are there no cushions in this car?"

When they went home for Christmas, they also took these carriages to Hogsmeade Station. However, when they left the academy that time, they were with their respective housemates and didn't have a chance to gather together.

Theo speculated, "Maybe it's to follow tradition—it couldn't possibly be a lack of funds, right?"

Anyone who had seen the dining scenes at Hogwarts wouldn't think the school couldn't afford a few soft cushions.

"A school that provides food, lodging, and charges no tuition, what more could we ask for? Let's just consider it a test for us!"

Wade said, tapping the pile of straw in the carriage with his wand. The withered yellow straw immediately transformed into thick cushions.

The others touched the cushions, saying enviously, "Ah, Transfiguration is just too difficult."

Under Wade's guidance, their Charms class grades were good, but Transfiguration mostly relied on individual effort, and Wade couldn't simply implant unwavering conviction and clear imagery into their minds.

"Do Muggle schools charge tuition?" Theo asked curiously.

"Yes," Wade said, thinking about his elementary school. "Public elementary schools are basically free, charging only a small amount for miscellaneous fees. But private schools, that's at least ten thousand pounds a year."

"Ten thousand pounds?" Theo looked bewildered. "How much is that?"

"Roughly equivalent to two thousand Galleons," Wade said.

Theo gasped, "So expensive, Muggles must be rich!"

Even for a pureblood like him, his family couldn't possibly spend two thousand Galleons a year to send him to school—perhaps only families like the Malfoys could afford that.

"Most Muggle students also attend public elementary schools," Wade explained.

"Speaking of which, these carriages at school are really good. They can drive themselves. Are they also alchemical items?" Ryan asked curiously. Neville suddenly looked up, his lips quivering, wanting to say something but holding back.

"No—it seems there are invisible horses pulling them—" Michael leaned out his head. "Listen carefully—"

The few of them held their breath and listened intently. From the unseen creatures in the air came hissing breaths, snorts, and the sound of wings flapping.

"Invisible horses—" Ryan frowned in thought. "I think I read about this creature in some book—"

"They're Thestrals," Wade revealed the answer.

"Right!" Ryan clapped his hands excitedly. "They're Thestrals! Legend has it that only those who have witnessed death can see them—that's why we can't!"

"—So, they're not invisible, people just can't see them?" Theo frowned, trying to sort out the logic.

"Yes, that's right."

Wade casually responded, nodding, and looked toward the front of the carriage.

The bony black horse had a pair of white, pupil-less eyes and a face as ferocious and terrifying as a dragon. It docilely pulled the carriage forward, its huge, bat-like wings gently folded against its sides. Perhaps Ryan's voice was a bit loud, as it restlessly lifted its head and subtly quickened its pace.

The wheels creaked as they turned, finally stopping in front of the castle's stone steps.

Wade jumped out of the carriage. The night air was very cold, and his exhaled breath turned into a white mist. He turned back and met the Thestral's pale, hollow eyes.

It was a very peculiar feeling.

No wonder in ancient times, people equated seeing a Thestral with seeing death, believing that Thestrals brought misfortune to those who saw them.

"What are you waiting for, Wade!" Ryan slapped him on the back, stomping his feet. "It's really cold today!"

The students walked through the snow and up the stone steps, eagerly entering the castle. Around the corner of the entrance hall, Filch glared furiously at the children who were tracking mud into the castle.

The Great Hall was brightly lit. The house-elves had prepared a sumptuous dinner, as always, and Dumbledore sat at the teachers' table, smiling as he watched the new students.