Harry Potter: The Bard of Hogwarts

Time always seems to flow unnoticed.

September 1, 1994.

At King's Cross Station, the Hogwarts Express quietly rested on the tracks.

Countless first-year wizards, accompanied by their families, curiously observed everything around them, each displaying a hint of excitement.

Whether from Muggle families or wizard families, Hogwarts was a place of longing for young wizards.

This was especially true for wizard families—after all, they had heard about it all their lives but had never truly been to this famous magic school.

...

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Ino walked alone through the barrier leading to the magical world, and the familiar sight before him made him feel a subtle sense of relaxation.

Soon, this relaxation quietly disappeared, replaced by a harmless sense of being watched.

He looked up and silently scanned his surroundings.

All he saw were pairs of curious and inquisitive eyes, but thankfully, everyone was restrained and didn't rudely approach to disturb him.

He had anticipated this temporary attention. After all, fame often came with such a price.

After offering a polite smile, he made his way toward the train. Though he didn't mind being observed, he had no desire to become a walking mascot.

"Ino!"

A somewhat familiar voice called out from not far away.

Ino stopped and turned to look behind him.

"Long time no see, Harry!"

"Phew! I finally found you!" Harry let out a long breath.

It seemed Harry was going through a voice change, making his voice sound a bit hoarse.

"Waiting for me?" Ino raised an eyebrow in confusion, but he quickly remembered the letter he had seen a few days ago.

"Harry, you don't need to worry! You're absolutely safe at Hogwarts."

"I'm not doubting Hogwarts; I just can't shake this uneasy feeling."

Harry looked apologetic. After all, the dream he had during his nap that day was too vivid, constantly reminding him of the expression on the Muggle's face as they died.

"Alright! But this isn't the best place to talk. Let's get on the train first."

Ino could see Harry's fear, but he understood that it was normal.

Without the training from the past two years, Harry was essentially just a 15-year-old boy. Witnessing a murder firsthand would understandably leave some trauma.

However, this also made Ino wonder if Harry, lacking that training, could still muster the courage to face Voldemort as he did in the original story.

...

On the Hogwarts Express.

After entering a carriage, Ino casually found an empty compartment and entered it with Harry.

Neither of them cared about the castle's unwritten rule that Gryffindors shouldn't sit with Slytherins.

To be honest, as time passed—or rather, as each class of students graduated—Hogwarts' overall atmosphere had improved.

He didn't see the same house rivalry depicted in the original story. Or rather, the rivalry still existed, but it was less intense, without the constant tension that could lead to fights.

At the same time.

After entering the compartment, Harry felt an unusual sense of relaxation, a faint peace of mind settling over him.

"Ino, that dream I had really unnerved me. I just feel like something is going to happen this year."

In the compartment, Harry poured out his concerns without holding back.

"Something is going to happen? You should leave predicting the future to Professor Trelawney!"

Though he was joking, Ino also found Harry's words somewhat intriguing. It seemed that a wizard's intuition could be surprisingly accurate at times.

Though he wasn't sure of Dumbledore's plans, given the Headmaster's character, Ino assumed that some preparations had already been made.

"That phony fraud? Don't mention her."

Hearing Trelawney's name, Harry's voice involuntarily rose.

"Did she say something? Did she make a prophecy about you?"

Seeing Harry's strong reaction, Ino grew curious. This Divination professor, who possessed Seer blood, occasionally made genuine prophecies.

"Yeah, she made a very unreliable prediction." A trace of anger appeared on Harry's face.

"At the end of the last Divination class before summer vacation, that crazy fraud blocked my way and said I would kill Professor Dumbledore, and..."

In the train compartment.

Though Harry continued to rant, Ino's mind had drifted away.

Trelawney had made a prophecy about Dumbledore's death, and the killer was Harry.

At first glance, it seemed utterly absurd.

But if one knew enough, revisiting this prophecy might make it seem not entirely impossible.

And Ino just happened to be someone who knew enough.

At this moment, he was considering that if Harry were indeed influenced by Voldemort, briefly controlled by the fragment of his soul lodged in the scar, and impulsively attacked Dumbledore...

Given the Headmaster's character, he would surely refuse to harm Harry, and this prophecy could very well come true.

After all, Voldemort might not be able to defeat Dumbledore, but no one could say he was weak.

Thinking of this, Ino suddenly felt that things might be spiraling out of control. If it came down to it, he wouldn't hesitate to play the villain.

At the same time.

Harry noticed that after he mentioned the prophecy, Ino had fallen into deep thought, even giving him a strange look.

"Everyone's gone mad! How could I possibly hurt Professor Dumbledore?"

Perhaps due to excitement, Harry's face flushed an unusual shade of red.

However.

Just as Ino was about to say something, the compartment door was pushed open from the outside.

"Uh... You guys!"

Outside the door stood Draco, dressed in a neatly tailored suit.

Upon hearing that Ino was in this carriage, Draco had come alone to find him. After all, over the past few years, the four of them had always sat together on the way to school.

But today, the scene inside the compartment left him somewhat at a loss. There was the red-faced Harry and the smiling Ino...

Inside the compartment, seeing Draco's expression and demeanor, Ino couldn't help but think that as this kid grew older, his thoughts were becoming less pure.

Just as Ino was about to say something, another voice came from outside.

"Malfoy, what are you planning to do to Harry?"

Ron spoke righteously, and behind him were Hermione and Ginny.

Unlike the slow-witted Ron, the two Gryffindor girls also displayed odd expressions when they saw the scene inside the compartment.

Instinctively, Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances, and it seemed they both saw a trace of inexplicable bitterness in each other's eyes.

"Alright! Let's stop here." Ino decisively stood up.

"Harry, don't overthink it. No one believes Trelawney's prophecy."

After saying this, Ino pulled Draco along and left. He didn't want to stay in this place of trouble.

Thanks to Ron, his loud shouting in the train corridor had already drawn many young wizards out of their compartments to peek.

Who knew what rumors would spread around the castle after the Welcoming Feast tonight?

After Ino left, the three Gryffindors entered the compartment.

"Harry? What prophecy? You never mentioned it."

Ron felt a bit uncomfortable. He sensed that his status had dropped, as Harry used to tell him everything immediately.