MHA 2025!

The train rattled beneath me, a metal serpent swallowing the verdant countryside. I gripped my newly purchased copy of "A History of Magic" tighter, the words a comforting anchor in the churning sea of my nerves. This was it. My first day at Hogwarts.

Outside, the windows offered glimpses of fleeting forests and distant hills. It was mesmerizing, but I couldn't truly relax. I hadn't made any friends yet, and I was determined to make a good impression. I had been studying diligently all summer, absorbing every book on my supply list. I knew more about Charms than anyone I'd met so far, and I planned to make it known.

The compartment door slid open with a bang, pulling me from my thoughts. A boy with a mop of messy green hair and wide, earnest eyes stood there, looking slightly disheveled. Behind him, a lanky kid with unevenly dyed red and white hair fidgeted, his expression bored.

"Excuse me," the green-haired boy said, pushing his spectacles up his nose.1 "Have you seen a toad? A boy named Tenya lost his."

I closed my book, a flicker of annoyance rising within me. Toads? Really? This was Hogwarts, after all. "No," I said, a little sharper than I intended. "But if you'd read 'Hogwarts: A History,' you'd know that toads have been steadily declining in popularity since the 1700s. I'm Ochaco Uraraka, by the way." I held out my hand, hoping I didn't sound too condescending.

The green-haired boy blinked. "Izuku Midoriya," he stammered, shaking my hand with surprising strength. He gestured to the boy behind him. "This is Shoto Todoroki."

Todoroki gave a curt nod, his two-toned eyes assessing me with a detached curiosity. He hardly looked interested in Izuku's toad problem at all.

"Anyway," I continued, reclaiming my book, "if Tenya checked the Herbology greenhouses, he might find it. Toads prefer damp environments."

Izuku's face lit up. "Herbology greenhouses! That's a great idea! Thanks, Uraraka!" He turned to Todoroki. "Come on, Shoto! Let's go!"

They rushed out, leaving me alone again. I sighed, returning to my reading. I hadn't meant to come off so…know-it-all-ish. It was just that I had so much I wanted to learn, so much to prove.

A few minutes later, the door slid open again, and Izuku reappeared, looking deflated.

"No luck," he said, slumping into the seat opposite me. "And poor Tenya is getting really worried. He's already had a rough start to the year. His older brother, Tensei, was supposed to be starting his seventh year, but he...he had a bad accident. He's not coming back for a while."

My initial annoyance dissolved, replaced by a pang of sympathy. Losing a sibling, especially one you looked up to, must be devastating. I glanced at Izuku's earnest face and realized I had probably judged them too harshly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said sincerely. "Maybe we can help him look. I've finished this chapter anyway." I closed my book, a new kind of determination hardening within me. Knowledge was important, but so was empathy.

We found Tenya huddled in the corner of another compartment, his face streaked with tears. He was a small boy, with nervous eyes and a trembling chin. He clutched a worn-out, stuffed hippogriff to his chest.

"I've lost Trevor," he croaked, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know what Tensei will say."

Tensei, his brother. Even in his distress, the loss loomed large.

Izuku knelt beside him, his green eyes full of compassion. "It's okay, Tenya. We'll find him. Uraraka knows everything about toads, so she'll help us."

I blushed, but I knelt down too. "We'll check everywhere," I promised, my voice softer than before. "And even if we don't find him, I bet we can find you a new one. Maybe a phoenix? They're supposed to be very intelligent."

Tenya sniffled, his eyes widening slightly. He looked at me, then at Izuku, a flicker of hope igniting in his tear-filled gaze.

We didn't find Trevor. We searched every compartment, every luggage rack, every nook and cranny of the train. But as the sun began to set and the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, something else had been found: a connection.

Standing on the bustling platform, surrounded by towering figures and strange, magical creatures, I felt a surge of trepidation. But then I saw Izuku and Tenya, standing a little apart from the crowd, looking lost.

I walked towards them, a smile spreading across my face. Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so daunting after all. Maybe, just maybe, I had already found my friends. And maybe, together, we could face whatever magic, and hardship, this new world had to offer.

And as a figure made its way towards the trio, little did they know they would become best friends.