Chapter 413 Luxury Train
7 month 19 day.
London's King's Cross Station was as busy as ever, with a constant flow of people, and the Muggles passing by were unaware of the special area here.
Another secret entrance next to platform three and a third leads to a little-known magical platform, where the international luxury train "The Great Wizarding Express" stops.
Yes, unlike what the fan fiction writers that Schelling had read in his previous life believed, King's Cross Station does not have just one platform nine and three-quarters for wizards, nor does it have just one train, the Hogwarts Express.
Speaking of the legendary Wizard that Sherin is about to take, this is the most luxurious direct train in Great Britain. A one-way ticket alone costs 100 Galleons, and it is often impossible to buy a ticket even if you want to.
(Note: The English name and platform number of the Legendary Wizard are official, from the official ticket design of MinaLima, and the Chinese name is the author's personal translation)
This is not the first time Xie Ling has come here.
When they were young, Lucius once took his family on a trip abroad. They went to France. The most impressive thing was that Narcissa bought a lot of brand-name handbags, Lucius also bought high-end men's watches, and the greatest enjoyment for Shaylin and Draco was French desserts and bread.
Later, as Lucius became busy with his career and he and Draco started school, there were no more experiences of traveling together as a family.
Revisiting the old place, Xie Ling walked leisurely, slowly feeling the changes around him.
Xie Ling walked through the bustling crowd and came to an inconspicuous brick wall. He took out a ticket stub engraved with a golden train emblem from his pocket and put it close to the brick wall. In an instant, the brick wall rippled like water waves, revealing a deep corridor leading to the platform.
Stepping into the corridor, Xie Ling's eyes suddenly opened up. A smooth marble platform came into view, surrounded by an elegant and luxurious scene. A subtle fragrance filled the air, and the magic lights above his head were like stars in the night sky.
Parked on the platform is a modern steam locomotive with dark blue and gold patterns on its exterior. The words "The Great Wizarding Express" are inlaid in old English on the body of the train, which looks elegant and majestic.
The staff in the station were dressed in uniform, providing guidance and service to every passenger. A magic conductor in a red uniform walked towards Sherin, accompanied by a house elf. He bowed slightly and saluted: "Welcome aboard the 'Legendary Wizard', Mr. Malfoy. This is your carriage ticket, please follow me."
Sherin nodded, handed his luggage to the accompanying house-elf, and then followed the conductor onto the train.
The moment Xie Ling stepped into the Legendary Wizard, he was attracted by its unique retro luxury atmosphere.
The first carriage of the train is covered with deep red leather seats, matched with brass ornaments and gold trim. The elegant walnut paneling exudes a soft luster, as if time has stopped here, which reminds people of the most brilliant magical craftsmanship of the last century.
Sherin's carriage was located in the first-class area. The curtains were made of fine velvet, swaying slightly with the slight vibration of the train. The soft seats surrounded a brass-edged table, on which welcome drinks and snacks were already placed. The waiter was a house elf in a neat uniform. It bowed and introduced the train facilities in a delicate tone: "Sir, refreshments will be delivered before the next stop. If you need any service, please feel free to ask."
One of the most distinctive features of the Legendary Wizard is the terminal carriage that connects to the international floo network. The carriage looks old and even has some traces of weathering, which seems inconsistent with the luxury of the entire train. However, the interior is very exquisitely decorated.
In the center was a small retro coffee table and six high-end cushioned chairs. The small shelf next to it was filled with mainstream newspapers from various European countries. Among them, the British "Daily Prophet", French "The Stone Winged Demon" and German "Silver Bat Daily" were the most prominent.
On the wall of the carriage was an old-fashioned fireplace with bright flames jumping. It was connected to the Floo network, allowing late-arriving wizards to get on the train at any time. Sherin stood by the fireplace and watched a wizard use Floo powder to show up. The waiter immediately came forward to greet him and guided him to his seat. The process was extremely smooth.
After the train starts, the gentle roar and the scenery passing by quickly outside the window are intertwined to create a unique journey atmosphere.
As time went by, a small cart selling snacks passed by the carriage. The snacks on the cart were rich in variety - exquisite sandwiches, glittering desserts, fragrant coffee and tea, each of which made people salivate. Sherin ordered a hot coffee and lemon tart, leaned back in his chair with satisfaction, and enjoyed this rare moment of tranquility.
There is also a small bell hanging on a small shelf above the table. As long as the bell is rung, the house-elf will suddenly appear and serve the customers.
During the journey, Schelling sometimes read the books he brought with him, and sometimes looked out the window at the scenery outside. The train entered a long undersea tunnel, and Schelling knew that the train was probably crossing the English Channel to France. In the deep darkness outside the train, several strange magical lights flashed, adding a touch of mysterious fun to the monotonous journey.
The journey took three days.
In addition to reading and sightseeing during these three days, Xie Ling also used the two-way mirror to keep in touch with Eleanor. Eleanor finally learned that Xie Ling was coming, and her tone was full of uncontrollable excitement.
In the meantime, the Legendary Wizard stopped twice, once at the magic station in Paris, France, and once at the wizard village of Weisbad in the Black Forest on the German border.
Finally, the train stopped at Schelling's destination, Friedrichstrasse Station in Berlin, Germany.
Xie Ling packed his luggage and got off here. The train will then go to other European wizard villages, but that will be Xie Ling's next journey.
Schelling had promised Eleanor that he would come to visit the Hohenheim family by mid-July at the latest, but he did not expect that the trip to Little Hangleton would delay him so much time.
Fortunately, although it was a little later than the originally planned date, he finally arrived before the end of July.
After all, this time when he left Great Britain, Germany was not the only stop - visiting the Hohenheim family in Germany was the first stop, and then he planned to go to Denmark, and finally head north to Durmstrang, the most mysterious magic school in the wizarding world, located in the northernmost part of Europe.
Friedrichstraße Station is full of German magical features. The tall arched roof is made of exquisitely carved steel and glass. The sunlight shines through the skylight surrounded by magic runes, refracting colorful light.
Magic lights were floating on both sides of the platform, twinkling like stars between day and night. The wizards around were dressed in dark robes, walking hurriedly, with a sense of rigor and solemnity.
As soon as Xie Ling stepped off the carriage, he saw Eleanor at the end of the platform. She was wearing a light blue dress and a black cape, and her brown hair fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, making her look both noble and beautiful.
Eleanor came forward with a smile, a hint of joy in her tone: "Welcome to Germany, Schelling."
Today is July 7nd. The two have actually only been separated for 22 days, but for some reason Xie Ling always feels as if they haven't seen each other for a long time.
Eleanor gave Xie Ling a tight hug, and the two were silent for a long time. After a while, Xie Ling gently patted Eleanor's back and said softly: "Look, I'm here, aren't I?"
Eleanor burst into laughter and said, "You clearly said it would be mid-July at the latest. I've been waiting for you for so long that I've almost gone crazy."
Then she gently took Schelling's arm and led him across the platform. After they left the station entrance, they walked through a wall in a back area of the station with a sign in German saying "No Entry" and came to a secret room.
Inside was the cross-border office set up by the German Ministry of Magic, equivalent to the customs of Muggles. It was deserted inside, with only a young male clerk yawning behind the counter.
Eleanor put on her identity and aura as the future head of Germany's first family, and completed the entry procedures for Schelling in just a few minutes without encountering any trouble in the process.
Actually, there was nothing to deal with. The main procedure was to register Xie Ling's wand. Even if Eleanor was not here, with Xie Ling's current reputation in the international wizarding world, it was unlikely that he would encounter any difficulties.
This is why Sherin did not hesitate to ask Fudge for help to obtain the international rights to use the wand. He did not want his trip to be ruined by such trivial matters.
Then, they borrowed the fireplace in the office and flew to Hohenheim Manor by Floo. (End of this chapter)
