HP: Transmigrating as an Obscurial

"But... it's hard to say, the Sorting Ceremony," Fred said with an exaggerated, sinister smile.

"Yes, quite difficult!" George added, nodding solemnly. "If you want to be sorted, you'll have to go through the terrible ceremony."

Lee Jordan leaned in, his voice low and ominous. "Brother, I believe in you. It's just a life-and-death duel... you've got this."

The three shared a knowing look, trying hard to maintain their serious expressions, before bursting into laughter and slipping out of the compartment one after another.

Vizet remained unfazed. "The Sorting Ceremony... it can't be that terrifying, can it?"

Cho Chang gave a soft laugh but didn't answer directly. "You'll see when we reach the school. Everything will be revealed soon enough."

Outside the window, the train cut across the rolling countryside, leaving London behind. Sheep and cattle grazed peacefully in the open fields, undisturbed by the occasional roar of the Hogwarts Express.

By noon, golden sunlight streamed into their carriage, bathing it in warmth. The sound of the trolley witch's cart wheels clicking down the corridor echoed closer.

The plump, smiling witch appeared at their door and slid it open. "Anything off the trolley, dears? We've got all sorts — candy, cakes, pies, snacks..."

She began displaying an assortment of brightly wrapped treats.

Vizet hesitated. At Luna's house, he had eaten Xenophilius's peculiar homemade biscuits, made from Gordig roots and flour. They'd had a strange, onion-like taste, which, though edible, wasn't exactly pleasant. Combined with the bland meals he'd eaten in his previous life, he'd never developed much of a palate.

Suddenly faced with a colorful variety of magical snacks, he turned to Cho Chang. "Do you have any recommendations? I've never seen anything like these before."

Cho furrowed her brows thoughtfully. "It's hard to choose — they're all so unique. But if you're looking for something fun, try Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, or a Chocolate Frog."

Taking her advice, Vizet bought several snacks. To his surprise, the total cost was only fifteen Knuts — astonishingly cheap.

"Thank you!" Cho Chang accepted a Chocolate Frog he offered her, smiling.

She opened the blue-and-gold box. As soon as the lid came off, the enchanted chocolate leapt into the air, somersaulting before attempting an escape.

Reacting quickly, Vizet caught it mid-jump. His expression lit up with wonder. "It actually moves? That's incredible!"

Through his magic-enhanced vision, he noticed faint magical symbols etched into the frog's surface.

Cho laughed softly, pulling out a card from her own box. "And the cards inside are just as magical!"

She held up the card, revealing the image of an elderly man with a long white beard and twinkling eyes. The text beneath read: Albus Dumbledore.

To Vizet's astonishment, the figure in the picture smiled, nodded at him, and then vanished.

"Where did he go?" Vizet asked, surprised.

"It's magic," Cho explained, grinning. "In the wizarding world, most pictures move. The people in them can even leave their frame and visit other portraits."

Fascinated, Vizet turned the card over to read the description on the back:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling.

The chocolate itself didn't disappoint either. Rich with the perfect blend of bitterness and sweetness, it melted in his mouth like silk.

"This is amazing," Vizet said, savoring the taste. "I should get some for Luna and Mr. Lovegood."

His eyes brightened with excitement as he jumped up, running into the aisle to find the trolley witch again.

------------------------------

Cho Chang was undoubtedly popular in Ravenclaw. Fellow housemates frequently dropped by to visit her, and it wasn't long after lunch when another visitor appeared.

The door to the compartment slid open to reveal a tall girl with long, perfectly styled curly hair cascading over her shoulders. She had a poised demeanor that exuded both intelligence and responsibility, though her soft features and tired eyes betrayed a touch of vulnerability. It was Penelope Clearwater, a fifth-year Ravenclaw.

"Cho, I feel so overwhelmed right now," she confessed, wrapping her arms around Cho Chang in an affectionate hug. "OWLs are coming up this year, and if that wasn't stressful enough, I've been made a prefect."

She tugged at the gleaming blue-and-bronze badge pinned to her chest, the metal catching the sunlight streaming through the window.

Cho Chang smiled warmly, patting her friend's shoulder. "Isn't that a good thing? I heard prefects even get access to their own fancy bathrooms!"

Penelope let out a soft laugh but shook her head. "With perks come responsibilities. Like patrolling the train — I just swapped shifts with Percy Weasley so I could have a quick break. And there's a prefect meeting later. It's all a bit much."

Slumping into the seat beside Cho, Penelope reached into her bag and pulled out a worn notebook bound in navy blue leather. Silver lettering on the cover spelled out Advanced Charmwork: Personal Notes. The edges of the pages were slightly frayed, and a faint scent of lavender seemed to waft from the book.

"I came here to rest, but I also need to practice some spells. You know how much we lose over the summer when we can't use magic."

She flipped open the notebook and handed it to Cho Chang. "Can you check if I've got this down right? I've been revising the Summoning Charm — Accio."

Vizet took a peak at the book in Cho's hand.

The page on the Accio spell was filled with meticulously written text, each line in Penelope's elegant handwriting. She had underlined key phrases in bronze ink, and small magical diagrams dotted the margins.

At the top of the page was a bold title: Accio – The Summoning Charm. Beneath it was a concise summary:

Purpose: A charm designed to summon objects toward the caster, even over long distances. The caster must concentrate fully on the target and have a clear mental image of the object.

Below the summary was a list of detailed instructions, written in numbered steps:

Hold your wand firmly and point it toward the object.

Clear your mind of distractions and focus entirely on the target.

Visualize the object moving toward you.

Enunciate the incantation: Ah-kee-oh.

Use a deliberate wand movement, pulling back slightly as if tugging on an invisible thread.

Further down, she had written a warning in bold, underlined text:

"This spell does not work on living creatures. Attempting to summon enchanted or cursed items may result in unpredictable effects."

In the margins, Penelope had sketched a small wand diagram showing the proper movement, and next to it, a doodle of a flying book.

Vizet scanned the notes quickly. The concise explanations and vivid diagrams were far easier to understand than the dry, verbose descriptions he had read in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4.

Penelope pointed her wand at Cho Chang's notebook and recited the spell: "Accio notebook!"

The notebook twitched in Cho Chang's hands, a few pages flipping over, but it didn't move much farther.

"Ugh, I've been so out of practice," Penelope muttered, frustrated. She took a deep breath and tried again, speaking slower this time. "Concentrate... visualize clearly... Accio notebook!"

Meanwhile, Vizet glanced at the unopened blue box of Chocolate Frogs on the opposite seat, adjusted his grip on his military-thorn-shaped wand, and gave a subtle flick. "Accio Chocolate Frog!"

The box twitched, sliding forward a couple of inches, as though tugged by an invisible string.

Encouraged by Penelope's example and explanations, Vizet practiced repeatedly. With each attempt, the blue box moved farther and more steadily.

"Not bad for a first try," Penelope commented, noticing his progress. "You're a quick learner."

Vizet gave a small nod, focused on the spell, and prepared for another attempt when hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor.

"Excuse me," called a breathless voice. "Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost his toad again..."

The compartment door slid open, revealing a girl with wild, bushy brown hair and a slightly flushed face. Her large front teeth and round cheeks gave her a slightly sea-otter-like appearance.

Vizet instinctively moved to grab the Chocolate Frog box but, out of habit, muttered the incantation instead: "Accio Chocolate Frog!"

This time, the spell worked perfectly. The blue box zoomed into his hand with surprising speed, nearly toppling him in the process.

The girl froze, wide-eyed, her mouth agape. "What spell was that?" she demanded, her voice full of astonishment. "I've never seen that one in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1."