The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a voice: "First years! First years over here!"
A big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. The man was twice the height of the average adult male, and 3 times as large, his face was lost in te sea of hair that was his hair and beard"C'mon, follow me, any more first years? Mind your step, now! First years follow me!"
They followed the man Harry assumed to be half giant down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. Neville sadly sniffed once or twice.
'I wonder what happened to him' Harry thought and proceded to ask him.
"I lost my toad again. *sniff*" Neville answered
"I'll help you look for it again when we have the time" Harry promissed.
"Thank you" Neville replied.
"You all will get your first sight of Hogwarts in a sec." the man called over his shoulder, "just around this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. It was the biggest Harry has ever seen.
The view was beatiful and reminded Harry of the ones back home, Harry would normaly used the clear skyes shout to see the view better, but there was no clouds in the sky as is and the stars shone beautifuly.
"No more then four to a boat!" The man called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione. "Everyone in?" shouted the man, who had a boat to himself. "Right then, FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled The man as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said the half giant, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after the man's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got your toad?"
The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.