Chapter 25: A Chance Encounter

Chu Yang activated his Observation Haki, and the sound of someone cursing "Muggles" clearly reached his ears. Following the source of the noise, he quickly located his target.

Just then, a bespectacled boy hurried past him, pushing a luggage cart identical to Chu Yang’s, with an owl perched atop his belongings. The boy looked around in bewilderment, seemingly unsure of where to go.

Watching him, Chu Yang felt a strange impulse and asked, "Are you looking for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters too?"

The bespectacled boy spun around, his face lighting up with surprise and relief. "You too?"

"Yes! Follow me." Chu Yang took the lead, and the boy followed closely behind.

"Are you a first-year student heading to Hogwarts too?" Seeing that Chu Yang was about his age, the boy brightened up and smiled. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter. What's your name?"

"Harry... Potter?"

Chu Yang finally understood why he had felt the sudden urge to speak to him. This boy, who felt inexplicably familiar, was none other than Harry Potter.

"I'm Chu Yang. You can call me 'Yang'."

"Yang!" Harry smiled and asked curiously, "Are you from the ancient Eastern kingdom? Does Hogwarts accept students from there as well?"

"By blood, yes, I am from there," Chu Yang replied with a shrug. "But I grew up in an orphanage in London!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Harry felt he had been intrusive and apologized immediately.

Chu Yang waved it off generously. "It’s alright. In fact, the orphanage wasn't as bad as you might think. I had many friends there, and the headmistress, Sister Anna, was very kind and good to the children—provided we didn't cause any trouble, of course."

Sensing the sincerity in Chu Yang’s words, Harry looked wistful. "Hearing you say that, it sounds quite interesting."

Suddenly, Harry grew dejected. "Actually, I'm an orphan too, but I don't have a single friend."

Perhaps because they were both orphans, Harry naturally began to open up to Chu Yang about his experiences over the years.

Chu Yang patted him on the shoulder, offering encouragement. "The moment you board the train to Hogwarts, it means you’ve said goodbye to your past. Don't worry, you’ll make plenty of new friends at school."

Harry felt a weight lift from his heart, and he grew eager to reach Hogwarts.

"This is Platform Nine and Three-Quarters!" Chu Yang pointed to a wall in the middle of the platform. "It’s protected by a spell. We have to walk right through it."

"Walk through it?" Harry’s eyes went wide.

He then watched, stunned, as Chu Yang pushed his cart and charged straight at the wall. Just as Harry was about to cry out in alarm, he saw Chu Yang’s figure vanish into the brickwork, disappearing without a trace.

"Chu Yang?" Harry whispered. There was no response.

Taking a deep breath, he gritted his teeth, pushed his cart, and ran at the wall.

After a brief moment of darkness, the scene before Harry changed entirely. A brand new platform stood before him, and the sign above clearly read "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."

"Hurry up, the train is about to leave!" Chu Yang’s voice reached him. Harry shuddered, quickly pushed his cart, and followed.

Once on the train, they found an empty compartment. Neither was short on money, and they promptly cleared out the trolley when the snack lady arrived. Chu Yang paid the lion's share, though he let Harry pay a small portion to protect his pride.

With the seat piled high with snacks, they began to pick through them. Harry was curious about everything, finding each item filled with the mystery of magic. Chu Yang, however, was a simple foodie; he cared less about the flashy magical packaging and more about how the treats actually tasted.

Their conversation soon turned to family. Upon learning that Chu Yang was an orphan like himself, Harry felt an inexplicable sense of kinship. He looked at Chu Yang with newfound sympathy and tenderness, as if seeing a reflection of his former self.

However, the gloom was quickly buried by his anticipation for the future.

Shortly after they began eating, a somewhat scruffy boy with old, patched clothes and a smudge on his face appeared in the corridor. Harry offered him some snacks and invited him into the compartment. The boy was delighted by Harry’s warmth, and his initial awkwardness vanished.

As he ate, the boy introduced himself: "Hi, I'm Ron Weasley."

Harry smiled. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter!"

Ron’s eyes widened in shock. "You’re the famous Harry Potter?"

Harry scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. "Unless there’s another Potter, I suppose I am."

"Do you have... you know, the legendary mark?" Ron pointed to his own forehead, looking at Harry with eager eyes.

Harry gave a shy smile and pushed back his fringe, revealing the lightning-shaped scar.

"Cool!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.

He then turned his gaze to Chu Yang. "Hey, mate, are you from the ancient Eastern kingdom?"

Chu Yang, having already deduced his identity, simply nodded in greeting and returned to reading *Practical Defensive Magic*. This book was an advanced version of *The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection*, meant for older students. It contained a wealth of knowledge about dark creatures—exactly what Chu Yang needed. He intended to explore the Forbidden Forest when the time was right. As for the lower-year textbooks, he had already memorized them and only reviewed them occasionally.

Chu Yang was enjoying his reading, but Ron was slightly displeased. He had greeted him so warmly, only to receive a casual nod in return. Ron didn't know how familiar Chu Yang was with him—so familiar that he hadn't thought to perform formal introductions.

To Ron, who wasn't particularly fond of studying, Chu Yang’s rapid reading speed didn't look like learning; it looked like showing off.

Ron waved a snack in front of Chu Yang and laughed, "Hey, mate, there are no teachers here. You don't have to put on a show. Relax a bit! You can read 'seriously' once we get to school so the Headmaster and professors see you."

Chu Yang realized the misunderstanding immediately. It was a natural assumption for anyone to make. He simply looked up, smiled, and, without bothering to explain, returned to his book.