Scarlet, Ron and Harry chatted cheerfully in the compartment, with Ron and Harry doing most of the talking. Scarlet observed them both and jotted down notes in her notebook, explaining that these were questions she’d pass to Ron to answer later.

“No need to do a load of research to answer my questions if you’re not sure of the information,” Scarlet said casually. “I’d like your perspective as an ordinary young wizard as well, to understand the difference in knowledge between first-years and older students. So, don’t worry about it.”

Ron wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but he enjoyed chatting with her, and with Harry, of course. He talked a lot with Harry in the compartment, feeding them both some basic information about the wizarding world. They had some food and snacks from the trolley lady, and Scarlet brought out the biscuits she’d bought at King’s Cross Station to share. Harry was fascinated by the unusual treats, while Scarlet continued noting down her curiosities in the notebook.

Ron even showed them his pet rat, Scabbers, which Scarlet examined and found rather odd.

No incantations were needed, as she could tell straight away that the soul of that rat belonged to a human - a grown man, definitely not a rat. Well, this wasn’t that uncommon in caster circles in her previous life, as some elders had the ability to shapeshift to better utilise their power. Some elders with chronic illnesses even felt better when they shapeshifted into small animals. However, those shapeshifted elders were respected, with nice cushions and carriers as their moving compartments. Some wealthy casters even had their servants take great care of the shapeshifted elders with utmost respect...Definitely not like how Ron was treating that rat.

So...a grown-up man, hiding his true identity and lurking in Ron’s family as a pet? What was that rat up to? Some kind of hidden storyline? And most importantly, would the rat harm Ron? Scarlet thought to herself.

“Ron, is it common for wizards to have pets?” Scarlet asked as Harry observed the fat rat held in Ron’s palm.

“Yeah, it’s quite common. Most have owls and cats, some have toads and spiders, and of course, rats, like mine.” Ron said, petting the rat, “It’s my brother Percy’s old rat...I get hand-me-downs all the time - Bill’s old robes, Charlie’s old wand.”

“Well, you might be able to afford new things if you earn more pocket money...I mean, if I have anything that needs extra hands, and you’re up for it, I could offer you some paid tasks.” Scarlet said as she petted the rat, giving Ron a wink and receiving an eager nod in return. Subtly, she left an invisible mark on the rat, just in case.

Ron grinned, “Blimey, if I had enough pocket money, I’d buy a broom, no question!”

The conversation then switched to flying broomsticks and Quidditch, a game played on broomsticks with dodge balls (?). Scarlet waited for a while before finding a suitable moment to ask, “You said this was your brother’s rat, and now it’s yours. So, how long has this rat lived anyway? Do rats in the wizarding world usually live that long?”

Ron thought for a moment, “Now that you mention it...Well, I think Percy just picked this rat up somewhere in the garden or something - just some ordinary rat. I don’t really know how long common rats live. Would it be a problem if it lived that long?”

“Well, with good care, it could probably live a bit longer, but it’s old now, so it might have some chronic ailments, like old people do - back pain, bone pain, or even diabetes,” Scarlet said, rubbing her chin. “I suppose a vet could give a more precise answer, but you’d better feed it well, you know, since it’s getting on a bit.”

“Oh...” Ron nodded, sinking into his thoughts.

“Hey, Ron,” Scarlet nudged him out of his reverie, “I’d like to borrow your rat for some observation later. It’s rather unusual to see a rat live that long, and I want to see what its daily activities are like. I could pay a bit of rent.”

“He’s always sleeping, but if you want to borrow him, just ask.” Ron didn’t think much about the rental she mentioned but wondered if he’d like to have a new pet if Scabbers died, feeling a bit torn by the thought.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Thanks.” Scarlet said, making a note in her papers before turning to chat with Harry, “By the way, I forgot to ask where you live. Perhaps we could exchange addresses and meet up during school holidays when we’re back!”

“Brilliant!” Harry was excited by the idea of meeting friends during school breaks; he hadn’t been able to make any back at the Dursleys’ since they always talked behind his back, making him look bad to the neighbours.

Scarlet assumed this was the entire train scene from the books, with Harry, the protagonist, being introduced to the wizarding world by Ron - and not Fred and George as she had guessed earlier - with their friendship blooming from this conversation in the compartment. She thought they would continue like this until they reached the school at night, but there was a knock on the door, and a boy with tearful eyes stood outside, looking miserable.

“Sorry,” he said, “but have you seen a toad at all?”

When they shook their heads, he wailed, “I’ve lost him! He keeps getting away from me!”

“He’ll turn up,” said Harry awkwardly, not knowing how to comfort the boy.

Just as the boy was about to say something before leaving, Scarlet asked, “Do you have any of its belongings? Like its tank or something?”

“Yes, I do...” The boy looked at her with full expectation, “Could...could you help?”

“Of course. Bring me the tank or something it’s used recently, and I’ll see what I can do.”

The boy left at once and soon returned with a tank, standing in their compartment, looking at Scarlet with a brightened face.

“Hi, I’m Neville Longbottom. Sorry for interrupting...” The round-faced boy said timidly, seeming ashamed of his tear-stained face.

“I’m Scarlet Smith. It’s alright. I’m sure this toad is important to you.” Scarlet tore out a piece of paper from her notebook and began drawing a pentacle with her fountain pen.

“Yes, it’s a gift from my Great Uncle Algie.” Neville nodded with a shy smile, growing curious about what Scarlet was doing.

Before she could say anything, the door slid open again, and a girl in a brand new Hogwarts robe poked her head into the compartment and said, “Has anyone seen a toad...Oh! Neville, you’re here. Have you found Trevor?”

“No, but Scarlet’s about to do something to help me out.”

“Oh, are you doing magic? Without a wand?” Her bossy tone was quite pronounced, “Let’s see it, then.”

Harry looked interested in Scarlet’s actions, but Ron frowned at the girl with bushy hair and prominent front teeth, who looked rather like a bunny. He probably disliked her bossy manner of speaking. Scarlet subtly observed the scene, realising she had probably interrupted the storyline again.

Was this part of the story really that important? No filler bits? Scarlet then remembered that this was a published book, not a webnovel or anime where she was so used to skipping fillers if she wasn’t interested. Well, published books are indeed different from webnovels and anime...

A delicate pentacle with runes written around it soon lay on the piece of paper. Scarlet then took out a needle and silently recited her chant in her mind; this chant was a combination of her caster ability from her previous life and the knowledge the Queen of the Shadowy Land had bestowed upon her.

She put the piece of paper into the tank and passed the needle to Neville, “Hold the needle, picture your toad in your mind, and concentrate. The needle should show you where it is.”

The bunny-teeth girl looked at this with surprise, “How does that work? I haven’t read about this in any books!”

“It’s a more ancient form of magic, from before wands were widely used among wizards.” In truth, Scarlet didn’t think she needed a wand to perform magic at all, but since it was a compulsory item the school required, she’d bought one anyway.

Neville seemed unsure as he looked at the needle.

“Focus, Neville. Picture your toad - the colour, the size, the shape...” Just as Scarlet finished speaking, a dim light shot out from the tip of the needle, “Follow the direction of the light. Your toad should be at the end of it.”

“Thanks!” Neville rushed out of the compartment to find his toad. The bunny-teeth girl hesitated for a second, then followed him. The toad tank was still there; they’d likely be back for it soon.

Harry was fascinated by Scarlet’s magic, while Ron was quite shocked. “You can do wandless magic?!”

To be honest, she wasn’t sure about the definitions of current magic; the knowledge she’d acquired from the Queen was quite ancient, “Well, if you say so? I don’t know much about wizarding world...”

“Blimey! I’ve met a genius on my first day, and I haven’t even got to Hogwarts yet!” Ron exclaimed. Meanwhile Harry, who obviously didn’t have much more idea than Scarlet, looked at her with even more admiration, as if he’d just witnessed a miracle.

“...I’d prefer to keep a low profile at Hogwarts, so...please?”

“No worries, I’ll definitely keep it secret!”

“Me too!”

“Um, you don’t need to keep it a secret, just...don’t mention it on purpose, alright?” Scarlet said, and mused, If I’d known things would take this turn, I’d definitely have used a wand instead.