Andeluosuo's sudden interjection startled Tangmu. He grumbled mentally, "Andeluosuo, do you even have a Galleon to bet? She's only eleven. Does she even know what liking someone means?"
Tangmu wasn't talking about himself. Falling for an eleven-year-old? Laughable.
Still… raising one for a few years wasn't out of the question.
"So what?" Andeluosuo replied casually. "In my day, people married and had children at thirteen or fourteen—sometimes earlier."
"Oh? And what about you, Mr. Andeluosuo?" Tangmu shot back, hitting a sore spot and triggering defensive silence.
In his time, Andeluosuo was a battle maniac, obsessed with magic. Women slowed his arcane pursuits. He died a lifelong bachelor, his immense magical talent unpassed. Had he left descendants, he might have founded a legendary bloodline.
The wizarding world's fixation on bloodlines wasn't baseless. Powerful wizards often passed down fragments of their strength and vast magical knowledge. Pure-blood families, like the Gaunts or others in the Sacred Twenty-Eight, had an edge in enduring heritage.
Having silenced Andeluosuo (who shut down the Learning Space himself), Tangmu chuckled inwardly and returned to Dafuni's endless questions.
He subtly fished for intel. The naïve girl stood no chance against a schemer like him. A few careful probes, and she spilled nearly everything about the Gelingelasi family.
Her mother was Head of the Department of Magical Transportation. Her grandmother and great-grandmother? The same. A family monopoly.
The Gelingelasi tradition dictated matrilineal inheritance—husbands married in, and for three hundred years, only girls were born.
When Dafuni complained her pocket money was only 200 Galleons per term, Tangmu's heart skipped.
Marrying into the family? No problem.
With three terms yearly, Dafuni's annual allowance was 600 Galleons—nearly what Dengbuliduo gave him for all seven years.
A rich girl—soft, cute, and spoiled. Who wouldn't be tempted?
Tangmu's attitude toward Dafuni softened noticeably. Her smile widened, lighting up the compartment.
Around 12:30 p.m., the door slid open. A cheerful woman peeked in: "Anything off the trolley, dears?"
"Absolutely!" Dafuni hopped up like an excited bunny, skipping to the trolley, eyes gleaming.
She claimed to be "picking" snacks but bought nearly everything—especially most of the Chocolate Frogs.
Her bill was 2 Galleons and 13 Sickles—roughly the Weasley family's annual allowance.
Tangmu understood why Dafuni felt 200 Galleons wasn't enough. At this rate, she'd burn through it in a month.
While Dafuni paid, Tangmu observed the trolley witch.
Rumors said she'd worked on the Hogwarts Express since 1830, its first year—making her at least 180 years old.
Such longevity was impressive, even for a witch.
Tangmu didn't just rely on his eyes—he pulled Andeluosuo from his sulking to observe. But even after the trolley witch rolled away, neither detected magical concealment or oddities.
Maybe just good genes, Tangmu thought, letting it go.
Dafuni laid out the snacks to share.
Tangmu accepted without hesitation. If you're going to freeload, do it boldly.
They chatted while eating, eventually discussing House Sorting.
"My whole family's Slytherin," Dafuni said with a bashful smile. "So unless something odd happens, I'll likely end up there. But the other Houses are fine. Mummy won't mind… as long as it's not Gryffindor."
"Why hate Gryffindor so much?" Tangmu asked curiously.
"Mummy says Gryffindors are walking disasters," Dafuni replied, grimacing. "Wherever they are, chaos follows. You never know what mess they'll cause."
Tangmu thought… Madam Gelingelasi nailed it.
"Um… Lideer, do you want Gryffindor?" Dafuni asked cautiously, worried she'd offended him.
"No," Tangmu smiled. "I'm aiming for Ravenclaw. Or Hufflepuff—somewhere quiet for studying."
"You love learning so much—you'll definitely be Ravenclaw!" Dafuni said confidently.
A scream echoed outside, but they ignored it, planning to nap after lunch.
Soon, someone knocked.
Before they could respond, the door slid open.
"Have you seen a toad… wait—Lideer?! Why are you here?!"
A bushy-haired girl with slightly protruding front teeth stood there, shocked, as if she'd seen a ghost.
Her scream startled the chubby boy behind her into trembling.
Dafuni frowned at the rude interruption. Seeing the girl knew Tangmu, her face darkened further.
Tangmu stayed calm and looked up. "Miss Gelanjie, if you're on the Hogwarts Express, why wouldn't I be?"
"No, I didn't mean that!" Hemin Gelanjie stammered. "I-I just meant… this is amazing!"
Dafuni's expression turned stormy.
She felt a sudden dread: My favorite toy is about to be snatched away…
[^1]: In the Wizarding World, the Sacred Twenty-Eight is a list of prominent pure-blood families compiled by Cantankerus Nott. Chocolate Frogs are a popular magical sweet with collectible wizard cards.