Night gradually descended. Outside the window, the scenery was now entirely composed of mountains and forests. Harry, Neville, and Ron had all changed into their robes—though—
"Harry, what's up with your robes?" Ron looked at his own noticeably shorter robes, then at Harry's new ones, scratching his head in confusion. "Why did you have the cuffs... umm... uh..."
Unable to find the right word, Ron scratched his head even harder, and before he could scratch himself bald, Hermione, standing nearby, provided the answer.
"Harry, why did you make your cuffs so snug? That's not appropriate—it's part of the school uniform!" The young girl frowned, her eyebrows scrunching into a "川" character as she stared at Harry's distinctively altered robes.
"But don't you think this is much more practical?" Harry stretched his arms. "I even paid an extra silver Sickle for the tailoring. Besides, the school rules don't say we can't modify the design of our robes, do they?"
Hermione and Ron were speechless, unable to refute him. But even Neville, who had been as quiet as a ghost, felt that there was something off about Harry's reasoning.
Half an hour later, the outside world was completely dark. A voice echoed through the train:
"We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be brought to the school for you."
Harry glanced at Ron and Neville, noticing that both of their faces had gone a bit pale. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed eager and ready for what lay ahead.
Stuffing the remaining candy into their pockets, the four of them left the compartment and joined the crowd of students surging through the corridor.
The scenery outside the window blurred as the train slowed down, the clattering of wheels against the tracks growing more sporadic. Finally, the train came to a halt. The students jostled and squeezed toward the doors, and Harry found himself standing on a small, dark platform.
The chilly night air of the British mountains swept through the station, and Harry shivered, regretting not layering up more on the train.
Just then, a lantern suspended high in the air lit up, casting a warm glow. Along with the light came a voice Harry recognized all too well.
"First years! First years over here!"
Pushing through the crowd toward the lantern, Harry spotted a familiar bearded face. The owner of the beard also noticed Harry.
"Harry! Doing alright, are yeh?" Hagrid grinned and gave him a nod.
"Not bad," Harry replied with a smile.
The other young wizards, especially those from non-magical families, huddled together in groups of twos and threes, eyeing the towering Hagrid with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
Once everyone had disembarked, Hagrid cleared his throat.
"Right then, follow me! Any more first years? Watch yer step—alright! First years, this way!"
The mountain path was not easy to navigate. In fact, aside from Hagrid and the students close to him (like Harry), most of the young wizards stumbled along blindly. Every so often, someone would trip or step on the hem of the person in front of them.
"Honestly, couldn't they give us lanterns or something?" Ron grumbled as he shuffled along beside Harry.
"Aren't you from a wizarding family, Ron? Don't you know any basic spells for daily life? Like this?" Harry steadied Neville, who had nearly tripped over his own robe, and cast a Lumos Charm on himself. His body radiated a soft, bright light, illuminating the path around him.
Ron's face turned red. "Kids in the wizarding world usually don't start learning magic until they get to school."
Before Ron could finish his sentence, Hermione, walking on Harry's other side, leaned in with sparkling eyes, her face alight with curiosity.
"Harry, what spell is that? I don't think I saw it in The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1! Where did you learn it? Can you teach me?"
"It's just a simple trick called the Lumos Charm. As for learning it... it might be tricky. I'm not even sure how I know these spells myself."
"Maybe it's some kind of magic hidden in your family's bloodline," Ron suggested knowingly. "I've heard there are wizarding families with unique secret techniques. Maybe this spell of yours is one of those legendary secrets."
While the trio chatted, other young wizards, noticing Harry's glowing form, began crowding around him. After all, a friendly-looking peer was far less intimidating than the giant leading them, and Harry's shorter stature only added to his approachability.
"Just around this bend, you'll get your first look at Hogwarts!" Hagrid called out, glancing back. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the glowing Harry.
"Nice work, Harry!" Hagrid gave him a grin of approval.
Amid the collective gasps of the students, the narrow path suddenly opened up to reveal a vast, dark lake. Across the water, perched on a high hill, stood a towering castle. Its spires rose against the night sky, and countless windows twinkled like stars.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called out, pointing to a fleet of small boats lined up by the shore. Harry and Ron climbed into one, followed by Neville and Hermione, filling the little vessel completely.
"All aboard? Right then—forward!" Hagrid, occupying a boat by himself, gave the signal.
The fleet of boats glided smoothly across the glassy lake. Everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on the magnificent castle drawing ever closer, its sheer size and grandeur taking their breath away.
As they neared the cliffs where the castle stood, it loomed high above them, its towers seemingly piercing the heavens.
"Duck your heads!" Hagrid's voice came from the front of the line as the first boats approached the cliff. Some students obediently ducked, while others—including Harry's group—remained seated, puzzled, as the ivy-covered rock face passed just a few feet overhead.
The boats slid through a curtain of ivy and emerged into a hidden, open cavern. They followed a dimly lit tunnel—made brighter by Harry's glow—until they reached an underground dock.
Climbing out onto the rocky shore, they ascended a path that brought them to a flat, damp patch of grass in the shadow of the castle.
Hagrid led them up a flight of stone steps to a massive oak door. Raising his giant fist, he knocked three times.
The door swung open to reveal a tall witch with sleek black hair and a stern expression, dressed in a perfectly pressed emerald-green robe. Not a single wrinkle marred her attire.
Harry waved at Professor McGonagall, who gave him a brief nod, her gaze lingering on his glowing robes.
"First years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here."
------
more advance and fast update chapters on
pat reon.com/yuuwand