Hogwarts Express
The uncovered train continued its journey. Inside one of the carriages, George and Fred donned whatever clothes they could find. In fact, aside from the third book where Lupin took the Hogwarts Express due to being late, teachers typically apparate to Hogsmeade Village first and then walk back to school. This saves them most of the day.
When the students discovered that the glass and ceiling were missing, chaos erupted in the train. Eventually, as the cold set in, they retreated to find their clothes.
...
"What? You need to memorize at least half the books from Lihen Academy before starting school?"
"And be proficient in advanced magic like the Patronus Charm?"
Upon hearing Ron's words, George and Fred gasped in unison, exchanging excited glances. What a brilliant prank idea!
"George, Fred, are you serious? So it's not true?" Ron asked, feeling a sense of relief after nearly panicking.
"Oh no, it's definitely real!" George replied with a serious nod.
"I thought you knew!"
"Is it possible your mother didn't give you preschool education?" The trio's faces turned pale.
"What are you going to do about the branch assessment?" Flender added, feigning shock.
"Branch assessment?"
"Of course! Don't you know? Hogwarts is the greatest magic school, bar none! They don't just accept anyone."
"After all, even in the wizarding world, there are plenty of bad apples!"
"Can I ask what the branch assessment involves?" Hermione said, feeling increasingly anxious.
"Oh, don't worry; it's not too dangerous and usually won't kill anyone," George shrugged.
"Just to correct you, George, three first-years died during last year's assessment."
"But that's considered a good year!"
"The year before that, first-years faced twenty werewolves in the Forbidden Forest, and a third of them didn't make it."
"No, when we started, students had to fight giant monsters in the arena, and seven or eight ended up dead."
Listening to the twins, the three felt their legs growing weaker.
Is this Hogwarts? It felt more like the Roman arena! This wasn't just about pride; it was a matter of survival!
"Maybe we should ask someone else!" Ron suggested, looking pale.
"Follow me; I know some upperclassmen..." Malfoy temporarily set aside his rivalry with the Weasleys. At this moment, survival was the priority.
After a while...
The three emerged from a carriage filled with fifth-year Slytherins, despair etched on their faces. As older students, these Slytherins were much more informed than George and Fred, detailing the Hogwarts admission assessments from the past twenty years.
For instance, retrieving a hidden gold coin from the lair of a thousand giant spiders or dueling a fire dragon in a confined space. They even mentioned that surviving a Dementor's kiss was a prerequisite to entering the school!
"Hey there! I'm John Flower. Are you freshmen too?"
Just as they were about to return to their carriage, they were greeted by an enthusiastic young wizard. Many students wanted to make friends before school started, and aside from a few pure-blood enthusiasts, most responded warmly.
But then…
"Can you defeat a dragon?"
"Can you fight a troll barehanded?"
"Can you sneak into an Acromantula's lair alone?"
Hermione's three questions completely stumped Flower, who was also from a wizarding family.
Even adult wizards couldn't accomplish those feats, could they?
"Well, it seems you haven't had preschool education either."
"Good luck with the sorting exam," Hermione said, giving him a sympathetic look.
"I mean, I hope you survive."
With that, the three left, feeling deflated.
...
"Merlin, I need to ask someone!" Flower said, swallowing hard.
Soon, rumors about the freshman assessment began to spread throughout the Hogwarts Express. Newly enrolled students rushed to verify the information with the upperclassmen they knew.
Those seniors, when asked, were initially taken aback, then became excited, pretending to be shocked.
"Is there anyone who can't do that?"
Terrifying new students had become an annual tradition at Hogwarts. Even parents kept the specifics of the sorting exam a secret, often fabricating scary stories to frighten their children.
But this year seemed especially outlandish, far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
First-year students trembled in fear as upperclassmen eagerly shared the most likely contents of the sorting exam.
"What school would send freshmen to Nurmengard to duel Grindelwald one by one via Portkey?"
"What about a duel with Dumbledore? Not even Voldemort could escape!"
In the tales spun by these seniors, Voldemort was said to be imprisoned deep within Hogwarts Castle, waiting to test the new students.
It was rumored that if he killed a hundred first-years, Dumbledore would set him free.
The news spread rapidly, complete with witnesses swearing they had seen it happen. The entire Hogwarts Express was engulfed in a mix of despair and excitement.