NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: 19. Platform Nine And Three Quarters
"Yeah."
Ivan nodded and glanced at Mr. Granger, who was driving the car. "Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Granger," he said politely.
Mr. Granger smiled, sounding a bit excited himself. "I feel lucky to have you here." Then he added, "By the way, can I call you Ivan?"
"Of course," Ivan replied.
"Little Ivan," Mr. Granger said with a chuckle. "I heard from Hermione that you've learned a lot of magic. When we get to our place later, I mean, can we…"
"Mr. Granger, I'm just like you—an ordinary person living in this world," Ivan interrupted, trying to ease any pressure. He wanted to make it clear that he wasn't anything special. "But I do know quite a bit about magic. Just like Hermione mentioned, the spells in our textbooks are not really difficult."
"Really?" Mr. Granger asked, his interest piqued. He smiled happily, but Hermione's expression shifted; she looked a bit downcast.
"Ivan, how many spells have you learned? I've only managed to learn the lighting spell and the repair spell," Hermione said, sounding a little disappointed.
"Well..." Ivan thought for a moment, realizing he didn't want to hide his abilities. He had decided to live a more relaxed and open life in this new world.
"Snap!"
With a quick snap of his fingers, Ivan caused some small objects that had been sitting behind Hermione and him to float into the air. He skillfully made these items fly around the backseat of the car, leaving Mr. Granger and Hermione in astonishment.
Mr. Granger was genuinely amazed because he had never witnessed such magic before. As for Hermione, she was a bit more experienced; she knew what Ivan had just done was quite remarkable.
"That was wandless casting!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "No, Ivan, you performed the levitation spell without even saying the spell out loud!"
"Oh my God, Ivan, you can cast this magic silently and without a wand!" Hermione was nearly bouncing in her seat, full of admiration.
If Ivan's magical talent was only slightly better than Hermione's, she might have felt a sense of competition. But the reality was that Ivan's talent was truly extraordinary, making it hard for Hermione to compare herself to him.
"Is this impressive?" Mr. Granger asked, still not fully understanding the significance of what he had just witnessed. To him, it was simply amazing.
"Very impressive!" Hermione nodded vigorously, looking at Ivan as if she were seeing a hero. "Can you tell Dad about your bloodline?"
"Actually, it's not that big of a deal," Ivan said with a warm smile, noticing Mr. Granger's puzzled expression in the rearview mirror. "I only discovered where my talent comes from when I bought my wand yesterday."
"Talent?" Mr. Granger asked, curious.
"Dad," Hermione said proudly, her voice filled with excitement, "Ivan is a descendant of Merlin!"
"What?!!" Mr. Granger was taken aback, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Merlin, as in the one from the legends of King Arthur?"
"That's right!" Hermione confirmed, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "I was shocked when I heard it too."
"That's really amazing," Mr. Granger said, trying to wrap his mind around this incredible information. For him, the existence of wizards and magic was already astonishing. But being a descendant of Merlin? He couldn't even begin to fathom what that meant.
"Ahem, it's not that exaggerated," Ivan said, feeling a bit uncomfortable under Mr. Granger's intense gaze. The way Mr. Granger looked at him made Ivan feel like a mythical figure, and he was slightly embarrassed. But Hermione continued to build up Ivan's reputation.
"Even in the wizarding world, the descendants of Merlin are mostly just legends," she explained, leaning forward in her seat, excited to share this information. "No wizard has ever actually seen one..."
"I believe Ivan could become the Merlin of our era one day," Hermione said, her eyes shining with hope and admiration.
"....."
Such overwhelming praise was new for Ivan!
"We're here," Mr. Granger announced as he parked the car beside a clean and tidy street. "Welcome to our home, Ivan."
The Granger family lived in a lovely three-story villa surrounded by bushes. Their dental clinic was not far from the street, which was a sign of their comfortable life. In England, being a dentist is a well-paying job, and the Granger family was well-off.
Mrs. Granger, a typical British lady, greeted Ivan warmly at the door. She had a friendly smile and a welcoming demeanor, making Ivan feel at home right away.
After Ivan put his luggage in the room Mrs. Granger had prepared for him, the four of them enjoyed a delicious lunch together. During the meal, Ivan performed several magic tricks that amazed Mr. and Mrs. Granger, making them laugh and clap. Hermione watched proudly, but there was a hint of envy as well.
In the afternoon, after lunch, the little witch started eagerly asking Ivan for tips about magic.
"Ivan, can you teach me more?" Hermione begged, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Ivan shared his understanding of various spells and magical concepts. With his encouragement and help, Hermione soon managed to cast some basic first-grade spells, which filled her with joy. She had worked hard, and it felt great to see her efforts pay off.
At dinner, Hermione couldn't wait to show off her new wand to her parents. She waved it dramatically, causing her parents to exclaim, "We have such a clever little witch in our family!"
As the day turned into night, time flew by, and before they knew it, the last day of August arrived. According to the ticket in Hermione's admission letter, Mr. Granger drove Ivan and Hermione to King's Cross Station.
"Are you sure you don't want Mom and Dad to come with you?" Mr. Granger asked. He and Mrs. Granger wanted to accompany Hermione, but she assured them, "With Ivan, there's nothing to worry about."
After nearly half a month of getting to know each other, Ivan and Hermione had grown much closer. They had become good friends, able to share almost anything with each other. Since they both came from the Muggle world, it was fitting to say they were childhood sweethearts, even if they had only just met.
"Uncle, Aunt," Ivan said sincerely, "Don't worry. I'll take great care of Hermione."
"Then I'll leave her in your hands, little Ivan," Mr. Granger said, smiling.
"Hermione, remember to listen to little Ivan when you get to school…" Mrs. Granger added, a hint of concern in her voice.
The Grangers had a very positive impression of Ivan. To them, he seemed more responsible than Hermione, and they felt reassured by his presence.
"Got it! Got it!" Hermione said, waving goodbye to her parents, looking slightly annoyed by the fuss.
She grabbed Ivan's hand and led him toward the entrance of the station, pulling their luggage along.
Seeing their daughter so unbothered by leaving, Mr. and Mrs. Granger exchanged amused glances, feeling a mix of pride and nostalgia.
"Platform nine and three-quarters," Hermione said, glancing at the ticket with confusion. "Ivan, have you seen this platform before?"
"There are platforms 9 and 10, but no platform nine and three-quarters," she pointed out, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Ivan, however, was well aware of where this platform was. Even if he hadn't known, he could sense the magic around them due to his unique abilities.
"Look over there!" Without waiting for Ivan to respond, Hermione noticed a group of people dressed strangely, hurrying toward a wall with their children in tow.
"It looks like the platform is between 10 and 9," she said, sharing a knowing look with Ivan.
The two of them nodded at each other and decided to imitate those people, running straight into the wall together.
Ivan felt an odd sensation as they passed through a thin veil of nothingness.
When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves beside a striking crimson steam locomotive, surrounded by excited passengers bustling on the busy platform. The sight was breathtaking, and Ivan felt a rush of exhilaration as he took in the vibrant scene.
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