Fated Adventure.

The bell jingled as a figure in a dark cloak entered the shop. Nothing could be seen under the hood except for a skull mask.

Borgin shivered at the sight of the mask—only Death Eaters wore skull masks. "What can I do for you?" he asked nervously.

A sinister voice echoed from under the hood. "I want that Hand of Glory and the cabinet up front."

A terrifying chill ran down Borgin's spine as his hair stood on end. He wasted no time, immediately selling the items well under their actual value. Anything to get this bad omen out of his shop!

The Vanishing Cabinet and Hand of Glory were quickly stored away inside a magic trunk before the figure left, disappearing into the shadows of Knockturn Alley.

Cold sweat soaked Borgin's back. He had just escaped death. A man didn't survive in this business for long without knowing when to cut his losses.

---

Back at home, I placed the newly acquired Vanishing Cabinet inside my trunk's training space. "Thank you, this is another useful item. Just need to get the other one from Hogwarts and repair it," I muttered to Serenity, who stood by my side.

Vanishing Cabinets acted as portals between each other, but they came in pairs. If I could repair the broken one inside Hogwarts, I'd have a direct connection between my trunk and the castle.

The Hand of Glory was also useful—it could hold a light source that only the wielder could see. Perfect for thieves or assassins.

"Let's go. Don't want to be late," I said, watching as Serenity entered my Gate of Babylon to sneak into the castle later.

With that, we took a cab to King's Cross Station.

We didn't rush onto the platform, instead hanging back and waiting. Soon, a large walrus of a man stomped through the station, dragging along the one and only Harry Potter.

Once Vernon Dursley left, I approached the nervous boy standing alone with his trunk and owl.

"Hey, here for Hogwarts?" I asked with a friendly smile.

Harry looked up, adjusting his broken glasses. "Y-Yeah… but I don't know how to get on the platform."

I chuckled. "No problem. I'm Ryan. This is Yue, and that's Rachel. We're all first years. You just have to walk through the wall—it's an illusion. Follow me."

Harry hesitated but quickly grabbed his trunk and followed. A moment later, we all stepped through onto Platform 9¾, greeted by the sight of the large scarlet steam engine.

Harry's eyes widened in awe.

"How about we all sit together?" I offered.

"Uhm, sure!" Harry quickly agreed.

Once on the train, I helped Harry lift his trunk, since the kid had no muscle to speak of. Yue and Rachel, meanwhile, had already secured an empty compartment in the back.

With a plop, Yue sat herself on my lap while Rachel sat beside me, leaning against my side.

Harry blinked. "Are you two…?"

"Yep!" Yue smirked and kissed my cheek. "He's also dating Rachel, and he has another girlfriend."

Rachel's cheeks went a little pink as she pulled out a book, but she didn't deny it and scooted closer.

Harry gawked. "Wow…"

"Wow, indeed," I chuckled before pulling a few butterbeers from my Gate of Babylon and handing them out.

Harry stared as I produced the drinks from thin air. "Wait—how did you do that?"

"Magic storage," I explained. "I have a space where I can keep whatever I want and summon it instantly."

His jaw dropped. "That's… insane. I wish I had something like that! Carrying around this stupid trunk is a nightmare."

I took a sip of butterbeer. "You actually can get something similar—a house trunk."

"A what?"

"A trunk with rooms inside," I explained. "Some even have bedrooms, libraries, potions labs—you name it. I have one, and it makes life way easier. Instead of a cramped dorm, you get your own private space with all your stuff neatly stored. Plus, no more dragging heavy trunks everywhere."

Harry looked at his battered hand-me-down trunk in disappointment. "I didn't even know those existed…"

I shrugged. "Most first years don't. They're expensive, but worth it. If you ever want one, I can help you pick out a good one later."

"You'd really do that?" Harry asked, looking hopeful.

"Of course," I said with a grin. "Consider it a 'welcome to the wizarding world' gift."

Harry grinned back, clearly excited. "Thanks, Ryan. That means a lot."

As the train began moving, I could see Harry's mind racing with possibilities. He was finally getting his first real glimpse into the wizarding world, and I had a feeling this was just the beginning.

"So, Harry, what do you know about Hogwarts houses?" I asked, shifting the conversation.

As much as it would amuse me to see Harry in Slytherin, I knew the kid would probably be miserable there. Best to make sure he got into Gryffindor.

"Not much," Harry admitted, taking another sip of his drink. "I heard Slytherin is bad, but that's about it…"

I sighed. "Okay, let's fix that…"

I gave him a quick rundown on the houses. Gryffindor was for the brave, Ravenclaw for the intelligent, Hufflepuff for the loyal, and Slytherin for the ambitious.

"Just don't go into the Sorting Ceremony thinking Slytherin is evil. It's not," I added. "It just gets a bad reputation because a lot of dark wizards came from there."

Harry frowned, clearly deep in thought. "I don't know where I belong, then."

"You'll find out soon enough," I reassured him.

Rachel, who had been quietly reading, finally spoke. "It's not the house that defines you—it's what you do with your time there."

Harry nodded, taking that to heart.

As the train sped forward, I knew that Hogwarts was about to get a lot more interesting this year.

I leaned back, watching Harry process everything. He seemed particularly stuck on Slytherin.

"Look, Harry," I said, taking another sip of my butterbeer. "Slytherin isn't bad, but… you might not like it there."

He looked up, confused. "Why not?"

I shrugged. "It's a very ambitious house, but it also has a lot of traditionalist pure-bloods. They tend to look down on muggle-borns and half-bloods, and considering your background… well, you'd probably be dealing with a lot of prejudice. It's not everyone, but enough to make things annoying."

Harry frowned. "So, you think I should go to Gryffindor?"

"It'd probably be the best fit for you," I admitted. "From what I know about you—your story and all—you seem the brave type. Gryffindor values courage, and I think you'd be happier there."

Rachel nodded in agreement. "Plus, the house dorms are inside a massive castle tower. That's way better than the dungeon Slytherins live in."

Harry winced. "They live in a dungeon?"

"Yep," I said with a smirk. "If you like dark, damp, and underground, Slytherin's perfect."

He shuddered slightly. "Yeah… that doesn't sound great."

"Then just tell the Sorting Hat where you want to go," I suggested. "It actually listens to your preference."

Harry looked surprised. "It does?"

"Yup. So if you really don't want Slytherin, just tell it that."

He mulled that over before nodding. "Alright. Gryffindor it is, then."

I smiled. "Good choice, Harry. I think you'll fit in just fine."