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"We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train. We will have them sent to the school," came a loud announcement through the carriage corridor.
Outside, the night had fallen. The deep purple sky loomed over a stretch of mountains and forests, and the train gradually slowed down. Inside the compartment, George took off his coat and began to put on the black Hogwarts robes.
"We should get into our uniforms now," George said, prompting Luna, Ginny, and Colin to follow suit, quickly changing into their Hogwarts robes as well.
Once the train stopped, the young wizards flooded the narrow corridors, pushing and shoving in their eagerness to get out, faces squished as they tried to force their way forward.
"Hold on!" George stopped Ginny, Colin, and Luna from joining the rush. There was no need to panic—Hogwarts wasn't going anywhere, after all. Unlike the other young wizards, George wasn't panicking or overly excited.
Though he was curious and eager to see Hogwarts, he remained calm and collected. After all, he wasn't a real child. He had lived through a lot—his rebirth, splitting of his soul, and many dangerous experiences—which made him far more composed than even most adults.
After about two minutes, the crowds thinned out, and George led the trio out of the compartment at a leisurely pace, heading toward the doors.
"Stick with me, and don't get caught up with the older students."
Ginny, trailing behind George, couldn't help but say, "You know, George, sometimes you remind me of my dad. You're dependable—maybe even more so than my dad."
Recalling her father Arthur's more unreliable moments, she added, "Yeah, definitely more dependable."
Colin and Luna both nodded in agreement. Although they had only known George for a short time, he had already made a strong impression. He was calm, rarely surprised by anything, helped them with their luggage, cleaned their faces when they smeared food, and even covered them with his robes when they dozed off earlier in the day. Now, at the moment of getting off the train, he exuded the sense of safety that one feels when an adult is nearby, someone who could be trusted to keep them safe.
George smiled at her words. His actions weren't anything special, just things adults would naturally do when looking after children, especially those they didn't mind.
Though he had the body of a child in this world, acting like one was not easy for him. There was no need to pretend otherwise, as his background made his maturity feel natural. It wasn't a bad thing, after all.
"First-year students! First-years, this way!" a familiar voice called out.
George turned and saw Hagrid, the gamekeeper, standing at the station, holding a magical lantern and shouting loudly.
Even amidst the hundreds of students, Hagrid's towering figure—standing three or four meters tall—was impossible to miss.
"Stay close," George instructed, before cutting through the crowd like a sharp knife, parting the older students who blocked his path with ease. His strength was such that even the seventh years had nothing on him.
"Good to see you again, young boss!" Hagrid greeted George with a big smile, bending down slightly to give him a friendly nod. Hagrid clearly remembered the young wizard who ran a potion shop in Knockturn Alley and sold him discount ingredients.
"Hello, Hagrid," George smiled and nodded in return.
"You know Hagrid? Why did he call you 'young boss'?" Ginny asked, puzzled.
Ginny leaned closer to George, whispering curiously in his ear.
She hadn't met Hagrid before, but from what her brother Ron had told her, she quickly guessed who he was.
"My adoptive father ran a potion shop. Hagrid came by once to purchase some potions, but my father passed away recently in an accident," George replied casually.
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked. I hope you're not upset," Ginny immediately looked remorseful. Luna and Colin, standing nearby, also showed signs of sympathy.
"It's alright," George smiled. Of course, he couldn't tell them the real story—that he had taken care of the old man himself—but such a revelation would definitely scare the kids.
After a few more minutes, all the first-year students gathered by Hagrid, numbering around thirty. Hogwarts, in truth, wasn't a large school, typically maintaining about 300 students, with each year having about forty students on average. In years when they accepted more, the number might rise to over forty, while in quieter years, it might drop to just over thirty. This was understandable since there weren't many professors—Defense Against the Dark Arts, for instance, was taught by a single teacher for all seven years. If the classes were too large, it would be impossible to manage.
Once everyone was present, Hagrid led the group down a narrow path toward the Black Lake. Following tradition, the first-years were to cross the lake in small boats, four students per boat, as a rite of passage symbolizing the founding of Hogwarts by the legendary four wizards.
Naturally, most students sat with the friends they had made on the train, and George was no exception. He boarded a boat with Luna, Ginny, and Colin. These weren't ordinary boats either; enchanted through alchemy, they moved automatically without the need for oars, powered by a magical wind.
The experience of crossing the Black Lake and seeing Hogwarts towering above was awe-inspiring, even for George. He couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the castle, which seemed to stretch into the sky.
At one point, a young wizard, overwhelmed by the view, accidentally fell into the lake. However, no harm was done. As soon as the student hit the water, a giant squid appeared, lifting the student back into the boat.
The Black Lake, it seemed, housed more than just a few magical creatures.
After crossing the lake, the students disembarked at the castle's underground dock and made their way through a tunnel carved into the mountainside, emerging at the grand entrance of the castle. Hagrid handed the group over to a tall, black-haired witch dressed in emerald-green robes.
This witch was none other than Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. The opening feast is about to begin, but before you enter the Great Hall, you must first be sorted into your houses," McGonagall explained as she led the group to a small room off the left side of the entrance hall, where she gave them a brief introduction to the four houses and the importance of the House Cup.
Once McGonagall left, the students began buzzing with excitement, the main topic of conversation being, of course, the Sorting Ceremony.
George was no exception. He, too, was curious about which house he would be sorted into.
He wasn't Harry Potter, and the Sorting Hat wasn't going to spend extra time on him or place him in a house based on his preference. Like the others, he would be sorted according to the hat's magical assessment.
But that didn't bother him. To George, all the houses had their strengths. No matter where he ended up, he was confident he would stand out as the brightest and most talented student.
From today onward, Hogwarts would witness the rise of its greatest prodigy—George.
(End of Chapter)