Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

The Hogwarts Express whistle still echoed in the air above the platform as Lux, holding Vera's hand, struggled to push a cart piled high with luggage through the carriage aisle.

Vera held the newly bought owl cage in her arms. The little guy rubbed his head against her wrist uneasily, his amber eyes darting around as he looked at the wizards around him dressed in various school robes.

"Over here, over here, let's find a window seat!" Lux spotted an empty seat in a carriage and quickly pulled Vera over.

The carriage was already quite full. Some were exchanging Chocolate Frog cards, some were showing off their newly bought magic wands, and others were secretly trying out prank toys they had bought from Diagon Alley. A quill pen that could suddenly spray water had just drenched the boy next to them, causing a burst of laughter.

Lux shoved her luggage under the seat, and as soon as she sat down, she saw Vera pull a fancy-packaged box from her backpack—it was the Chocolate Frog she'd bought in Diagon Alley. "Can I open it now?" Vera asked, her light gray-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Of course! But be careful not to let the frog jump away. Last time when I was dismantling it, it jumped right onto the top of the train, and I had to use a summoning spell to retrieve it."

As Lux spoke, she took out a piece of honey candy and popped it into her mouth, the electric-like sweetness exploding on her tongue instantly.

Vera carefully tore open the wrapper, and the rich aroma of chocolate immediately wafted out. A chocolate frog jumped out of the box, hopped a couple of times on the seat, and was quickly caught by Lux, who stuffed it into her mouth and took a bite.

The crisp chocolate, wrapped in a creamy filling, was just the right amount of sweet. Vera smiled as she picked up the wizard card that had fallen on her seat. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw the design on it.

"Lacus! Look!" Vera handed over the card, her voice trembling. Lux took it and couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!"

The edge of the card gleamed with a faint golden light, and it depicted Merlin, dressed in a dark blue wizard's robe, holding a jewel-encrusted wand, with swirling clouds in the background.

"A golden Merlin card!" Lux examined the card from all angles, her voice filled with envy. "I spent the whole year drawing Chocolate Frog cards last year, and all I got were duplicate regular Merlin cards. I even had seven of the most! Your luck is just too good!"

Vera carefully tucked the card into her inner pocket, her face beaming with joy: "Is it really that rare? I thought every box had one."

"How is this possible!" A crisp voice came from the side. Lux turned around and saw Anna, Phoebe, and Mia walking over with their luggage. Anna was also holding her new magical pet.

"My sister is in sixth grade at Ravenclaw and has never drawn a Golden Merlin. Vera, you're so lucky!"

Phoebe and Mia joined in, bombarding her with questions. Phoebe placed the cat-like creature on her lap, and the little guy gently rubbed against her hand: "Vera, did you go to Muggle school before? Wasn't it amazing to see the magical world for the first time?"

Mia stared at Vera's owl cage: "What's the name of this owl? I wanted to buy one too, but Mom said I can't even take care of myself."

Vera was a little embarrassed by the question and subconsciously looked at Lux.

Lux quickly smoothed things over: "Vera is my distant cousin. She's always been in Muggle schools, and this is her first time at Hogwarts. She hasn't named her owl yet, so you can help her think of one."

She subtly gave Vera a look, signaling her not to mention anything about werewolves. Although Vera could now control her transformation with the wolf venom potion, revealing her identity at school would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble.

The magical world doesn't have a very good reputation for werewolves these days.

"How about we name it Amber?" Anna pointed to the owl's eyes. "Its eyes are as bright as amber!"

Phoebe shook her head: "How about calling it Cloud? Look at its soft feathers, they're like clouds."

Mia then had a sudden inspiration: "How about calling him Boro? He could be a pair with Lumi!"

Lumi poked her head out of Lux's wicker basket and made two "bo bo bo" sounds in dissatisfaction, as if protesting that her name was being misused.

Vera chuckled and gently stroked the owl's head: "Let's call it Amber, I think it sounds nice."

The atmosphere in the carriage instantly became lively. Anna began telling Vera funny stories about Hogwarts, such as how Peeves liked to throw chalk at students' heads and how the house-elves in the kitchen would secretly give cookies to students who came home late. Phoebe took out her notebook and drew a map of Hogwarts Castle for Vera, marking which places were off-limits, although Lux thought there were no places off-limits. Mia pulled out a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and urged everyone to try them, but unfortunately, she got the taste of earwax and stuck her tongue out for a long time.

Lux leaned against the window, watching the scenery flash by outside, but her mind was already planning Vera's branch school.

She knew Vera wanted to go to Gryffindor with her, but the Sorting Hat sometimes made decisions based on a student's potential and personality. What if Vera was sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?

She glanced at Vera furtively; the little girl was listening intently to Phoebe explaining the rules of Quidditch, clutching her holly wand tightly, her face full of anticipation.

Lux's heart softened again: no matter which college Vera is assigned to, as long as she is happy, that's all that matters.

After an unknown amount of time, the train began to slow down, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed to the familiar Scottish Highlands. In the distance, the Black Lake looked like a dark piece of silk, shimmering in the setting sun.

"We're almost there!" Anna exclaimed excitedly, standing up. "We need to hurry and pack our things, or it'll be a nightmare getting off the bus!"

Everyone hurriedly packed their luggage and followed the flow of people off the bus.

On the platform at Hogsmeade Station, Augur greeted the students with a broad smile, "Welcome back, children! New students, follow me, we'll take a small boat to the castle!"

Lux helped Vera carry her luggage onto the small boat and reminded her, "Don't be afraid, the boat is very stable. When I first rode it last year, I thought I was going to fall overboard."

Vera nodded, gripping the gunwale tightly, while Amber quietly preened her feathers in her cage.

The small boat slowly sailed away from the shore. The surface of the Black Lake was calm and still, with a few silver fish occasionally swimming past the boat.

As Hogwarts Castle gradually came into focus in the distance, its spires gleamed with warm light in the twilight. Vera stared in disbelief, whispering, "Sister Lux, the castle is so beautiful!"

"You'll see it even more beautiful tomorrow during the day," Lux said with a smile, secretly hoping that the mermaids in the lake weren't so vengeful and wouldn't rush up and beat her up now.

After the small boat docked, Dumbledore was already waiting at the castle gate.

His expression was serious yet gentle: "Welcome back to Hogwarts. Seniors, head straight to the banquet hall. Freshmen, follow me to prepare for the Sorting Ceremony."

Lux and Vera parted reluctantly. Vera followed the other new students into the castle, while Lux walked towards the banquet hall with Anna and the others. The Gryffindor long table was already quite full. Seeing Lux approach, several familiar classmates immediately waved, "Lux! Over here!"

Lux walked over and sat down. Just as she picked up a piece of bread, she heard Professor Slughorn's voice: "Miss Lux! It's so good to see you back safely!"

Slughorn, dressed in a crimson robe and holding a silver flask, asked, "How was your Paris holiday? I heard the Rozier family was very hospitable to you."

"It went quite smoothly, Professor," Lux replied vaguely, not wanting to mention Marina. "I've already looked at the follow-up revisions to the paper on my way here, and there are a few points I'd like to ask you about."

"No rush, no rush," Slughorn waved his hand, "Let's enjoy the dinner first! This year's roast chicken was specially prepared by Aug, and it's even more delicious than last year's!"

Lux picked up her knife and fork, but had little appetite—her gaze remained fixed on the banquet hall entrance, waiting for the new students to enter. The students around her were still chatting about their summer adventures; some asked if she had seen Nicolas Flamel, others what the Gobarlot Prize trophy looked like. Lux answered their questions half-heartedly, but her anxiety grew.

Finally, the doors to the banquet hall opened, and Dumbledore led the new students in. The students stood timidly in the center of the hall, a line drawn up. Vera stood in the middle, her eyes darting quickly across the long table, searching for Lux. When she saw Lux at the Gryffindor table, she immediately smiled, her tense expression relaxing considerably.

The Sorting Ceremony began, and Dumbledore took out a worn-out hat and placed it on the stool. The moment the hat touched the stool, it began to sing: "I am the Sorting Hat, skilled in sorting students well..."

One by one, the new students stepped forward and put on the Sorting Hat. Some were sorted into Gryffindor, some into Hufflepuff, and others into Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

Lux's heart pounded faster and faster as she gripped the cup tightly in her hand until she heard Dumbledore say "Vera Watson".

Vera took a deep breath, walked over, sat down, and put on the Sorting Hat. The hat shifted as soon as it touched her hair, whispering in her ear, "Hmm... quite an interesting little fellow, courageous, kind, and with a touch of resilience... Gryffindor would be a good fit for you, but Ravenclaw also needs a bright child like you..."

Vera silently chanted in her mind, "Gryffindor! I want to go to Gryffindor!"

The Sorting Hat paused for a few seconds, then finally shouted, "Gryffindor!"

A cheer erupted from the Gryffindor table. Anna and Phoebe stood up excitedly and waved, while Lux even whistled.

Vera took off her Sorting Hat, ran over smiling, and sat down next to Lux. Anna immediately handed her a glass of pumpkin juice: "Welcome to Gryffindor!"

Phoebe also handed her a piece of roast chicken: "Try it, the roast chicken at Hogwarts is amazing!"

Vera took a bite of the roast chicken, the juicy meat bursting in her mouth. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction: "It's so delicious! Much better than the food in London!"

Seeing Vera's happy expression, Lux finally felt relieved. Just as she was about to say something to Vera, Principal Dippert stepped forward and tapped on the table, instantly silencing the hall.