Christian watched Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle walk into the compartment, and their conversation went precisely as it did in the book in Jim's memories. Moreover, they looked like their movie counterparts. He found the entire thing surreal yet fascinating. However, near the end, things seemed to have diverged because Malfoy looked at him:
"You? Who are you, and why are you staring?"
"Christian Malik."
"Malik?" Draco's eyes narrowed. His father once told him there were two witches he did not want to mess with: the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, and the legendary Curse Breaker, Tiara Malik. Additionally, he experienced all the chaos that appeared a few months ago.
"So, you're the one spewing nonsense a few months ago," sneered Draco.
"The one and only," replied Christian with a smile.
"So, Potter, are those the people you chose to associate with? The shame of the pureblood, the Weasley, a Muggle lover, and her? She looks like a Mud—"
"Mr. Malfoy, why don't you leave? It's obvious that your presence is not welcome."
"What did you say?"
"Did I stutter?" said Christian calmly, squinting his eyes. "Then, let me reiterate. Leave while you're unharmed and still have some dignity remaining."
Draco shivered while Crabbe and Goyle almost fainted and had to support one another to remain standing. Draco then snorted before leaving, almost running from the compartment.
"That was scary," muttered Roy, and Harry, who changed seats with him so they could talk, nodded. "Yeah, it was, but seeing Draco so scared also felt great."
"It was indeed brilliant."
"You guys should change," suddenly said Christian, tapping his wand on his clothes. Then, his jeans, white undershirt, and black T-shirt changed into school attire with a robe. Even his running shoes turned into dress shoes.
"Is that transfiguration?" asked Hermione.
"Yes."
"You're already so far ahead?"
"Well, I had an entire extra year to study."
"No, that can't be. I must work hard to catch up."
Christian looked at her, thinking the girl's life would be miserable if she wanted to compete with him. But he did not say anything. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron went to change. Less than two minutes later, a voice announced they would reach their destination in five minutes, and all students should leave their belongings on the train.
As Christian descended the train, he was on a dark platform, shivering from the cold night air. Hagrid came waltzing with a lamp, calling all first years before noticing Harry.
"Lumos Maxima."
The tip of Christian's wand lit up, hurting the eyes of many people who had adapted to the darkness. With a swing of his wand, the light separated from his wand and floated above their heads for greater clarity.
"Huh? I recognize ye. Y'ur Christian Malik. I luv yur book," said Hagrid.
"Thank you."
"You mention a Muggle creature called elephan'. Can you get me one? I wan' to raise it."
"I can't. Just like some magical creatures are protected by law, elephants are the same in Muggle society," explained Christian.
"That makes sense," nodded Hagrid, feeling sad he could not raise an elephant. "How about a lion?"
"Still illegal."
He sighed in disappointment, and Christian said, "You can go to a Zoo if you want to see them."
"I did, but I wanted to raise them."
"There is nothing I can do," said Christian, shrugging. Once Aunt Eleanor's Massive Dynamic develops, he should have no problem getting Hagrid a lion or elephant. However, he did not want to deal with the ramifications of such a decision.
Hagrid led the first year to the boat, and Christian's light followed them. Only four people were allowed per boat, so Christian, Hermione, Ron, and Harry shared one, and poor Neville had to sit with someone else. They passed through the tunnel, which was supposed to be dark but was no longer. Neville finally found his toad, as it had just returned to them.
Finally, they reached the castle where Professor McGonagall was waiting. "Nox," said Christian, dissipating the light bulb. He saw McGonagall glance at him before leading everyone inside to a small empty chamber in a hall. She explained the houses before telling the children to wait.
Everyone was discussing what test would be used to determine the sorting, but Christian was thinking about which houses he would be placed into. Then, he noticed the appearance of Peeves, which indicated his timeline followed the books, but that did not make sense given how Harry and Hermione looked.
Christian followed the professor inside and caught sight of the Great Hall. He looked at the ceiling, thinking about all the enchantments used. He focused on the Sorting Hat singing and almost chuckled. The ceremony started, and everything proceeded as expected. His name was after MacDougal Morag.
As Christian walked to the chair at the center, he could feel many eyes on him and hear the murmurs, including the ones about people who recognized him. Then, his eyes lay on Dumbledore at the High Table. He looked like the actor who portrayed him in the third movie, except with his crooked nose, as described in the books.
The second thing that popped into Christian's mind was not Dumbledore's kind appearance and demeanor, but that this man was scary.
Christian instinctively understood how powerful this man was, but he could not explain how. Maybe this was another of the many anomalies that kept happening to him, or maybe this was the result of his previous enlightenment, but he could tell how scarily powerful a wizard Dumbledore was.
The second thought in his mind was how Dumbledore was always calm and composed in the book. Such an appearance was not entirely due to his natural personality but to his confidence in his power and his need to blend into society. If such a powerful person is angry, agitated, or even anxious, the people around him will feel and bear the brunt of his mood and actions.
'No wonder the Death Eaters always like mice before a cat when they're in the presence of Voldemort. It's not just because of his uncontrollable cruelty; wizards of his caliber have a natural ability like an [Intimidating Aura]' thought Christian, who suddenly realized the world was not as simple as stated in Jim's memories.
Forget that his presence had already changed the timeline, but this world contained secrets and mysteries not captured or stated in these books.
'I should not be too overly reliant on these memories, as they may not be as reliable as I think.'
Dumbledore noticed his gaze and smile, so Christian responded with a nod. He sat down, and Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on him.
"Let's see what we have here," muttered the sentient object. "Huh? Occlumency? It's very advanced, too. Boy, I can't decide where to put you if I can see your mind."
"Oh, sorry about that," said Christian, as he lowered his defenses while hiding certain things from his mind, including sensitive memories, thoughts, and the Mind Palaces.
"You're very gifted and ambitious, so you would excel in Slytherin," said the Sorting Hat so that only the two could hear. "Reading and learning are your core characteristics, making you perfectly fit with Ravenclaw. You've shown love and loyalty to your family, so there should be no problem with Hufflepuffs.
"However, your innermost desire is to be someone like your mother, traveling the world to unravel ruins, tombs, and lost legacies. So, GRYFFINDOR."
"Thank you," said Christian as he removed the hat. "It's no problem. I can't wait to see how you turn out."
Christian walked to his house's table with significant applause. It seems his fame was far greater than he realized. On his way, he heard people yelling:
"We got Malik; now, let's hope we get Potter."
"Having Malik might not be a good thing."
"Why not?"
"He's a prodigy, so how can we compete?"
"You have a point. My father could not stop comparing me to him all summer."
"Me too."
"Just be happy he's in our house and will get us points."
"That's true."
Christian ignored these words and sat next to Hermione.
"I'm glad we're in the same house," she said.
"Same, and I'm sure Potter and Ron will soon join us."
"You think?"
"I know."
Professor McGonagall called more names, and soon it was Harry's turn. As expected, he became Gryffindor. The people at Christian's table went wild, but his brow was furrowed.
'Am I feeling jealous because of Harry's fame and popularity?' thought Christian. 'Since when did I start caring about such a thing? No, I must deal with the problem as soon as possible.' He knew the consequences of being enamored with fame, and Lockhart is a perfect example of that. So, Christian decided to change his meditation to understand and analyze his thoughts and emotions and find the root of the problem. He will go home and spend all of December talking with Doctor Bart if the problem is not dealt with by Christmas.
"Are you alright?" asked Hermione.
"I was just thinking about something."
"Oh, alright." She only asked because he seemed vexed by something.
The ceremony continued without issues as Ron was in their house, and the last student, Blaise Zabini, was placed in Slytherin.