CH 30

Chapter 30 “A Unique Way of Making Friends”

“I just stopped you to let you know that using force won’t get the issue resolved and that we can instead remain calm and discuss everything.”

“Using force to take goodies like you just did is not advised. You are welcome to respectfully borrow some food from these two students if you want to eat some. I think they won’t say no as long as you have a good attitude.”

Jerry coughed and repeated what he had said, perhaps because he felt a little heavy at the moment.

Then he turned his face to Harry and Ron, “Hey, do you think I’m right?”

After being surprised, Harry and Ron nodded their heads.” Look, they would be willing to share some snacks with you if you had a better attitude right now.”

In order to be as nice as he could be, Jerry turned his head once more to face the shaky Draco and the three huddled in the room’s corner close to the door.

“This year, we are all freshmen, so perhaps we’ll go to the same house later. We can shake hands this way and will continue to be excellent friends in the future! What do you say?”

He regarded Jerry with a piercing gaze as he observed him reaching out his hand. The group’s faces soon altered, and they stood up, stretching out their right hand to place it on Jerry’s hand’s back.

After staring at each other after Jerry turned his head to look at them, Harry and Ron likewise moved forward and placed their hands on the object.

“Hermione, join here. Together, we’ll create a better friendship!” Jerry beckoned to Hermione and Neville by holding out his free left hand.

Neville, who was equally confused, was dragged along by Hermione as she walked slowly. He hesitated for a second before placing his palm on it.

“All right, let’s get together, heart to heart, forget this unpleasantness, learn from each other, advance together, and become the finest business together—no, the best wizards!” He came close to shouting out the company’s tagline for a slogan in his prior life.

Jerry grinned as they shook hands and then turned to face Harry and Ron. “My name is Jerry Carmen, by the way.”

“Harry Potter.”

“Ron Weasley.”

Even though Harry and Ron’s brains hadn’t yet responded, they subconsciously responded.

“In five minutes, the train will arrive at Hogwarts. Please take your luggage on the train. We’ll arrive at school in a few moments.” An announcement abruptly rang out throughout the train at this point.

“Nice to meet you, but we need to go back to the room to clean up because we are about to arrive at the station. See you later!”

As the station approached, Jerry nodded to the two, motioned for Hermione and Neville to turn around, and then he left the room.

“Jerry, we appreciate your help back then.” As the three of them prepared to leave the room, Harry and Ron both simultaneously thanked Jerry after coming to their senses.

“You’re welcome. I love persuading people with virtue. After all, we’re all classmates.” Jerry cocked his head and blinked at Harry and Ron before dragging Hermione and Neville out of the way and leaving them at the room’s entrance.

“Can virtue persuade people?”

A row of question marks were above Harry and Ron’s heads. Was that merely pious persuasion at work?

—-

“Jerry, are you skilled at fighting?” Hermione entered the room and queried inquisitively as Jerry stuffed Crookshanks into the cat cage.

Hermione appears to be someone who values regulations highly, yet she is also a Gryffindor who will break the law when necessary to protect her friends. In the same way that she stole Professor Snape’s ingredients to make Polyjuice Potion, set fire to his clothes, went in search of the Philosopher’s Stone with Harry and Ron, and more.

Jerry recently halted on the actions of Draco’s group in order to aid Harry and Ron, and Hermione genuinely nodded at that notion. It’s just that she was a little curious about why Jerry was so good at fighting.

Jerry rolled his eyes. He feels that he still needs to present a somewhat positive image in front of Hermione because she is the next person and might be the only one who can speak with him and advance his magical development.

“About that…”

Jerry sighed and somewhat dejectedly, “Actually, when I first started fighting, I wasn’t very good, but then I gradually adapted to it. You should be aware that I was born in an orphanage, and there….”

Then he made no more comment.

The perceptive Hermione had obviously deduced something from Jerry’s expression because there was a sympathetic look in her eyes. No matter how accurate and thorough the deception is, it may occasionally fall short of the other party’s own intelligence.

Hermione already had a tragic tale in her head about Jerry, who was abandoned in an orphanage as a baby and was bullied relentlessly as he grew up, honing his fighting techniques as a result.

“It will be okay, Jerry. Don’t worry about it.” Jerry received a bear hug from Hermione as she moved closer.

“Yes, it will get better.” Jerry was unaware of what Hermione had discovered, but he assumed it was a good thing given the circumstances and chose to remain silent.

“We can exit the train now that it has stopped.”

Neville, who was standing to the side, lacked Hermione’s creativity. From start to finish, he was lost in perplexity. He realized that he wasn’t really paying attention to Hermione and Jerry when he saw the train come to a stop.

Wizards started to emerge from the trains one at a time as the train drew near the station, filling the once-vacant aisle. Jerry, Hermione, and Neville had a difficult time squeezing into the mob and exited the train with the shoving and jostling of the crowd.

“First-year freshman! First-year freshman, come here!”

When Jerry, Hermione, and Neville were unable to decide which way to proceed in the crowded platform, a booming voice suddenly rang out from the far left of the platform.

He turned to look and saw a giant shouting at the crowd who was about three or four meters tall, had a beard, and was holding a magic lantern.

“That’s Hagrid!” With such a physique, Rubeus Hagrid, sometimes known as the gatekeeper, was already that giant-wizard hybrid at Hogwarts.

After some difficulty, the three of them were able to make their way through the throng and stand next to Hagrid with the other first-year students. Harry, Ron, and the Draco group were also present, but standing apart from Jerry.

Hagrid smiled and spoke briefly to Harry alone before leading the other first-year students down a treacherous path on the station’s left side while toting a magic lamp.

“Hermione, you can grab my arm if walking is difficult.” Jerry extended his arm when he noticed Hermione wasn’t moving with ease.

The wizards had some difficulty walking because the road was exceedingly bumpy and sloped downward.