A Ninja Calamity is a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts

"So, this is the Hogwarts Express?" Kouchi muttered, eyeing the train with a critical gaze. "What can I expect from a society that refuses to move forward? This train looks ancient."

Kouchi's words were intended as an objective observation, not an insult. However, his blunt remark didn't go unnoticed by those nearby. The Weasley family, whom he had been trying to avoid, shot him offended looks.

"What the hell did you say?" A red-haired older male demanded, his face reddening with anger as he grabbed Kouchi by the collar. "The Hogwarts Express is a tradition! How dare you badmouth—wait, you look familiar! Have we met before?"

Kouchi was caught off guard, but before he could respond, the man's grip loosened as a new voice interrupted.

"Percy Weasley, what do you think you're doing? Control your temper!" Molly Weasley, the matriarch of the family, hurried over. Her expression shifted from stern to concerned as she recognized Kouchi. "I'm so sorry, child! My son… you're from Diagon Alley, aren't you? What a coincidence that we meet again!"

Kouchi couldn't help but notice the mixture of delight and worry in Molly's eyes. Percy, the one who had grabbed him, was now being pulled away by his twin brothers, Fred and George, but he still didn't look pleased.

"Hey! It's nice to see you all again," Kouchi said, forcing a cheerful tone.

Even though he didn't particularly want to engage with them, Kouchi understood the importance of maintaining good relationships. After all, if he needed something from this family later, it would be easier to manipulate them if they didn't dislike him outright.

Ron, the youngest of the Weasley siblings, was introduced as a first-year student by his parents, though he kept his distance from Kouchi, as did Harry. That suited Kouchi just fine. He wasn't interested in befriending either of them.

"Well, you should get going now," Molly said briskly, glancing at the train. "The train will depart any second now, and you don't want to be late."

She quickly ushered her family aboard the train but kept glancing back at Kouchi with a lingering look of concern, perhaps worried that he might be left without anyone to see him off. Kouchi ignored her, however, and made his way to the train, moving past Harry and Ron. Since there was only one direction to go, he followed them but didn't plan on sitting with them.

Ron shot Kouchi a glare that promised pain and suffering if he dared join their cabin. Kouchi didn't need any further encouragement. He walked past them and found an empty cabin next to theirs, locking the door behind him with a simple spell.

The train ride was quiet and uneventful. No one entered his cabin, as Kouchi had taken the precaution of locking the door with magic to test it out. He passed the time by reading some interesting books he'd bought about magic. Most of the books he had taken a liking to were considered dangerous and forbidden, but Kouchi didn't care.

The shopkeeper had been reluctant to sell them to him, so Kouchi had... persuaded him.

Well, it's not like I harmed the seller, Kouchi thought nonchalantly. I just put him into a weak genjutsu so that he would sell me the books. No harm done... probably.

Kouchi didn't feel guilty. But he knew that if Kakashi ever found out about the incident, he'd be in serious trouble.

During the ride, there were loud noises coming from the cabin next door. Someone even tried to open his door before giving up. Kouchi was starting to relax when suddenly, his door jiggled. It creaked open before two familiar faces appeared in the doorway.

Fred and George Weasley.

The twins squeezed into the cabin and flopped down on either side of Kouchi.

"So, mate, we heard—"

"-that you're a first year—"

"-and you look like a fun person—"

"-so we've decided to hang out with you."

Kouchi immediately recognized their chaotic auras. The twins were difficult to ignore, and their chakras were distinct. Fred's chakra was erratic, chaotic, and unpredictable, while George's was much calmer but still carried an underlying mischievousness.

"Hey, kid!" Fred started.

"-Since we're so forgiving—" George added with a grin.

"-We'll forgive you for what happened before. But only if—"

"-You help us test our new product," Fred finished, shoving a small box into Kouchi's hands. "Take it and hold it. We want to see how quickly the box reacts to someone."

Kouchi took the box, noting the chaotic magic emanating from it. The magic was stronger than before, but Kouchi was no amateur. He squeezed the box tightly, using his chakra to untangle the magic around it, suppressing the energy so it wouldn't explode.

Once the magic settled, Kouchi looked at the twins, waiting for their next move.

Fred and George stared at the box in surprise as it remained still in Kouchi's hands.

Fred snatched the box from him. "Give it here! I'll check it myself."

Kouchi took a step back, ready to let go, and as soon as the box left his grip, it exploded right in front of Fred's face, sending a cloud of red smoke into the air.

Cough!

"Shit! What happened? This wasn't supposed to happen to me! George, is my face okay? How much damage did I cause?" Fred panicked, his face turning as red as his hair.

George quickly jumped up to help his brother, wiping the remnants of the explosion off Fred's face.

Kouchi couldn't help but enjoy the spectacle. He leaned back, watching the chaos unfold with a smirk. Even if the twins had an inkling that Kouchi caused the malfunction, they had no way to prove it.

Without another word, Fred and George stormed off, leaving Kouchi to his peace.

The rest of the ride passed uneventfully. Kouchi took the time to change his clothes when the train neared its destination. He joined the other students, following the crowd off the train.

"First years! First years! This side!" Hagrid's booming voice rang out, cutting through the chatter of older students.

Kouchi easily spotted him, making his way toward the giant with the rest of the first years.