I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 27 Crossing the Lake

Several hours later, night fell, and it was pitch black outside the car window, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Even Ron and Hermione, who were usually very lively, began to quiet down.

Chu Yang closed his book and began to organize his luggage, putting the books he had taken out back in an orderly manner.

He was already used to taking the train to other places to study, and he was very skilled at it. Moreover, it was a private car, so he didn't have to worry about missing his stop, and there was nothing to be nervous about.

Accompanied by the "whoo-whoo-whoo" sound of the train whistle, the train slowly pulled into a simple station. It was not large and the facilities looked a bit old, but it was very clean.

The greenery and streetlights along the railway line made the station feel warm and inviting, easing the anxieties of some of the new students.

Under the streetlights, Chu Yang saw Hagrid, the giant, walking towards them through the car window.

The darkness made him appear even more imposing!

A giant, almost as tall as the train, carrying a lantern, loudly reminded the freshmen to get off at their stop, "First-year students, move over here! Hurry up, don't be shy, the party tonight is missing you all!"

Upon hearing this, the new students immediately got off the bus, leaving all their luggage on board, which would be delivered to the school later.

Harry and Ron got off the train and immediately went up to Hagrid, greeted him, and then followed closely behind him, while Chu Yang lagged a few steps behind and disappeared into the crowd.

My encounter with Harry Potter was by chance.

Chu Yang did not intend to continue this chance encounter.

He didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the main characters and Voldemort because it was a troublesome and time-consuming affair with no benefits to be gained.

In reality, who would be eager to do something so thankless and exhausting?

Instead of wasting time on this, Chu Yang would rather find a place to study magic in peace.

In any case, Harry Potter, as the protagonist, will definitely defeat Voldemort in the end, so whether Chu Yang helps or not doesn't make much difference.

He must hurry up and improve his abilities so that he can help the other "selves" when he enters the Soul Palace next time.

After all, getting something for free once is enough; doing it more than once is a bit impolite.

Just when Chu Yang thought he would drift further and further away from them, a little tail started following him.

"Chu Yang, can you tell me which grade level you've been studying on your own?" Hermione stared at Chu Yang with her big, round eyes, like a little squirrel.

Amidst the surging crowd, Hermione held onto Chu Yang's sleeve with one hand to avoid getting separated.

Chu Yang was quite helpless.

Hermione has a very strong sense of pride; at home, she would always be the first to show off what she had learned.

But this time, in terms of knowledge, Chu Yang completely overwhelmed her.

Given her personality, she won't just give up like that.

Chu Yang calmly told a lie, "Actually, I haven't read as many books as you think. Apart from the first-year textbooks, the rest are mostly books about defense against the dark magic."

"As you already know about my family situation, even if I wanted to read, I couldn't afford to buy any extra books, and even my tuition was paid by Hogwarts."

After the topic of family background was brought up, Hermione indeed stopped asking questions and instead comforted Chu Yang, saying, "Chu Yang, you don't need to worry about the books. Professor McGonagall told me that Hogwarts' library has a very rich collection of books, and you can borrow many books there."

Chu Yang smiled and said, "Thank you for reminding me, Miss Granger."

Hermione waved her hand and responded with a smile, "No need to be so polite, just call me Hermione."

The two had barely finished speaking when the group reached the lakeside. Hagrid, standing on the shore, waved his arms, beckoning the students to board the boats.

"Each boat can only carry a maximum of 3 to 4 people. Keep an eye on things; heavier people should choose boats with fewer people!"

The new students began to board the boat, but the waves made it rock from side to side, and it was quite a struggle for a group of 11-year-olds to get on.

Hermione hesitated for a moment as she watched the small boat swaying precariously, until Chu Yang grabbed the bow and made the boat as if it were nailed to the surface of the sea.

"Wow, you're really strong!" Hermione looked at Chu Yang in surprise, then tentatively put her feet into the boat, braced her hands on the hull, and carefully flipped over.

Another boy, who was rather large, stood awkwardly on the shore. It seemed that the others were not very welcoming to him and thought he was taking up space.

The boy gave Chu Yang an awkward smile.

"Come on up, the three of us are just right." Chu Yang tilted his head and gestured for the boy to get on the boat, and the latter sat down with a sigh of relief.

After Chu Yang was the last to board the boat, the small boat started moving without any support, clearly indicating that a spell had been cast on it beforehand.

"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger," Hermione introduced herself confidently to the awkward boy.

"Y-you...hello, my name is...Neville Longbottom." The chubby boy named Neville was so nervous that he started to stutter.

The small boat drifted further and further away from the shore, and the surrounding light became increasingly dim.

The dark lake was eerily still, and a silent fear rippled across its surface.

Hagrid's lantern alone was not enough to dispel the fear of the group of 11-year-old children.

Out of fear, Hermione clung tightly to Chu Yang, clutching his robe tightly.

Out of good intentions, Chu Yang had to remind him, "If you keep holding on to me like this, and I fall into the lake, I'll drag you down with me."

Hermione shook her head decisively and said, "You're so smart, the chances of you falling into the water are very small. It's safer to hold onto you."

Chu Yang: "..."

From a small boat drifting by, came a constant stream of complaints: "I really don't understand why we can't take a carriage like those older students. Why do we have to cross the lake by boat? What if something goes wrong?"

Hagrid, who was at the front, heard the complaints and turned around helplessly, saying, "Don't worry, everyone. It's very safe to travel by boat. In all the years that Hogwarts has been, not a single student has ever died while traveling by boat."

Hagrid's explanation failed to gain the children's understanding; instead, the complaints grew louder.

Hermione, who had been quite frightened just moments before, immediately perked up and explained in a loud voice, "Crossing the lake by boat is a tradition for new students at Hogwarts. It's a way of imitating the scene when the four great wizards who founded the school first arrived here."

"The purpose of doing this is to remind future generations not to forget their original aspirations and to remember the hardships that built Hogwarts into what it is today."

With Hermione's explanation, the freshmen's complaints stopped abruptly, and their inner chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) surged forth!

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