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Chapter 26: Jerry, Hermione, and Neville
Chapter 26: Jerry, Hermione, and Neville
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As they chatted, Hermione gradually realized that Jerry was a kindred spirit. Although he didn't know as many textbook facts as she did, he had a lot of his own insights into the theory of magic and various spells.
This piqued her interest, and she began to feel a greater sense of kinship with Jerry.
As the saying goes, "Words spoken to a stranger are as brief as a moment, but with a kindred spirit, a thousand cups of wine are not enough!"
Jerry and Hermione became more and more engrossed in their conversation, so much so that they didn't even notice the Hogwarts Express had already left the station.
"Um, hi, is anyone sitting here? All the other compartments are full!"
At that moment, a somewhat stammering voice interrupted their magical discussion. In the corridor outside their compartment, a round-faced, slightly chubby young wizard stood with a golden-backed toad in his left hand and a suitcase in his right. His eyes kept glancing at the empty seats across from Jerry and Hermione.
"No one's sitting there, you can take the seat opposite us!"
Jerry replied with a smile.
The boy immediately brightened and pushed his suitcase to the corner of the compartment before sitting down with his toad.
"My name is Neville Longbottom, I'm a first-year student. You can call me Neville!"
The boy introduced himself, a bit nervously.
"Jerry Carmen!"
"Hermione Granger!"
Jerry and Hermione exchanged a glance. They could see that the boy was a bit nervous, so they both smiled and introduced themselves.
Perhaps sensing the kindness in Jerry and Hermione's voices, the boy began to relax and joined their conversation. However, since Neville hadn't reviewed the textbooks yet, the three of them stopped talking about magic and instead discussed their backgrounds and family situations.
When the topic turned to his family, Neville, who had been somewhat nervous, became more at ease.
"I was raised by my grandmother. For years, they treated me like a Muggle. My Uncle Algie always tried to catch me off guard and force me to show some magic."
Neville then recounted his various harrowing experiences, such as being thrown into the Black Lake by his Uncle Algie and nearly drowning, and being pushed off a building and almost falling to his death.
Jerry and Hermione couldn't help but exclaim at how extreme the antics of pure-blood wizarding families could be.
From what Jerry knew, Neville's parents were both Aurors. During the First Wizarding War, they were captured by Death Eaters and tortured with the Cruciatus Curse until they went insane, and were subsequently admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
His grandmother had used the Memory Charm, "Obliviate", on one-year-old Neville to help him forget the horrific scenes of his parents' torture. However, because Neville was so young at the time, the charm had side effects, damaging his memory and making him particularly forgetful.
But could a one-year-old really remember anything?
Jerry had also heard that Neville might be the Chosen One mentioned in Professor Trelawney's prophecy. His parents were both Aurors, and they had thwarted Voldemort at least three times. Neville was also born in July.
Even as a newborn, he could use magic to wrap himself more securely in his blanket.
If it weren't for the side effects of the Memory Charm, which impaired his mental faculties and prevented him from controlling his magic effectively, Neville's magical talent might have rivaled Voldemort's.
However, these details weren't particularly important to Jerry. He didn't care who the Chosen One was. What mattered to him was how he could use his knowledge of the general plot to gain advantages and strengthen his own abilities.
After Neville finished his rambling, Hermione began to share her own childhood stories, both before and after receiving her acceptance letter to Hogwarts.
Unlike Neville, who came from a pure-blood wizarding family, Hermione lived in the suburbs of London. Her parents were dentists, ordinary Muggles who knew nothing about magic.
Perhaps it was precisely because she wasn't born into a wizarding family that Hermione always felt the need to prove herself.
However, dentists earn a good income, and her family was a happy and harmonious one, so her childhood was actually very happy.
After both of them had finished their stories, they turned their attention to Jerry.
Jerry was taken aback for a moment before quickly reacting.
"I'm an orphan. I was abandoned in an orphanage as a child, and I don't know if my parents were wizards or Muggles. It was only when I received my acceptance letter from Hogwarts that I learned about the existence of magic!"
"An orphan!"
Neville and Hermione’s gazes gradually filled with sympathy as they looked at Jerry.
Although Neville’s parents were in the hospital, he still had a loving grandmother, uncle, and aunt, and he hadn’t really suffered much in his life.
Hermione, despite being born into a Muggle family, was an only child and had always been the pride and joy of her family, living a very happy childhood.
In comparison, Jerry’s situation in this world was indeed much more tragic.
"Who would have thought that Jerry’s background was so tragic, yet he can still face life with a smile, so positive and optimistic. That's truly brave and strong!"
Hermione noticed that Jerry didn’t show any signs of sadness or distress when recounting his past. Instead, he exuded a carefree and sunny disposition, which made her feel both sympathy and admiration.
"Dear, would you like to buy some snacks?"
At that moment, the sound of a trolley clattering down the aisle caught their attention. A woman with a warm smile and dimples pushed open the door to their compartment.
It turned out that they had been chatting so intently that they hadn’t noticed it was already past noon.
Seeing the trolley loaded with various snacks, the three of them suddenly realized their stomachs were growling.
"I want a Chocolate Frog!"
Neville was the first to jump up and run to the trolley.
Hermione and Jerry followed suit, picking out their choices from the trolley.
In the end, Neville returned to his seat with a pile of Chocolate Frogs, Hermione took a Cauldron Cake, and Jerry chose three Pumpkin Pasties and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
Hogwarts provided Jerry with a scholarship of one hundred gold Galleons per year. After purchasing all his necessary items, he still had four or five gold Galleons left, which was enough to cover his daily expenses for the year.
After all, Hogwarts provided free room and board, and these magical snacks were not expensive.
Three Pumpkin Pasties and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans only cost Jerry one silver Sickle and fifteen bronze Knuts.
The three Pumpkin Pasties were for his own sustenance. Compared to various snacks, he preferred main dishes like Pumpkin Pasties.
As for the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, he planned to save them to give to his sister, Elsa, when he returned home.
Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, a famous product of the Jellybean Company in this world, are said to have over seven hundred different flavors.
From common flavors like chocolate, strawberry, mint, and orange, to more unusual ones like spinach, liver, and tripe, and even the more extreme flavors like vomit, earwax, and snot, they have it all.
He was sure his sister would love these magical snacks!
(End of Chapter)
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