After boarding the boat.
Neville's face was tense, his hands gripping the seat tightly. He didn't dare get anywhere near the edge of the boat.
Two other freshmen also climbed aboard.
Once the boat was filled with four people, no one needed to row it. The boat began to move on its own.
Dylan glanced down at the water.
To his surprise, he saw a massive squid, its suction cups firmly attached to the bottom of the boat.
The squid swam silently beneath the surface, guiding the boat forward. They passed under the cliff and through a curtain of ivy.
Finally, the boat came to a gentle stop.
The squid then sank into the depths of the lake and disappeared.
"I wonder if that kind of squid would taste good if you chopped it up and stir-fried it," Dylan mused, smacking his lips.
Neville trembled as he stepped off the boat, quickly scurrying from the dock to the shore.
"Whew…"
Neville let out a sigh of relief.
Dylan walked over and reminded him, "Don't run off in such a hurry. Make sure you didn't leave anything on the boat."
"Huh?" Neville suddenly froze.
He frantically patted his chest and pockets.
When he didn't find what he was looking for, his eyes widened in panic.
"Oh no! I've lost Trevor again!"
"What? Again?"
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
He only remembered Neville losing his toad once, back when they first boarded the train. Hermione had helped him search for it, which was how she met Harry and Ron.
At the time, Dylan had wondered why Hermione hadn't come to his compartment looking for the toad. Now it seemed she must have found it halfway through.
But…
"I don't recall seeing any toad or other living creature on you earlier. Did you lose Trevor again after getting off the train?"
Dylan, who was skilled in the Parasitic Possession Charm, could sense the presence of living beings to some extent.
Throughout the journey, even though he hadn't been paying close attention, he now realized he hadn't detected any other life forms besides Neville.
Neville was so anxious that a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.
He scratched the back of his head, trying to recall, but couldn't come up with any useful clues.
Dylan said, "It's possible he fell off along the way, or maybe he's still on the train. I'm leaning toward the latter."
Now that he thought about it, the chubby kid standing in front of him earlier had been Neville.
And he hadn't seen any toad along the way.
"If he's on the train, the house-elves will return him to the school."
"But…" Neville hesitated.
"No buts. Even if he fell off somewhere along the way, we can't go back to look for him now. We'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"Is that the only option?" Neville looked crestfallen. "I've heard Hogwarts is full of dangers. I'm worried something might happen to Trevor."
Seeing the chubby boy's expression, Dylan felt a bit helpless.
"Alright, I'll try the Summoning Charm. If he's nearby, I'll find him. But if you left him on the train or somewhere along the way, there's nothing I can do."
"What? You know the Summoning Charm?" Neville was stunned, then his face lit up. "Please, give it a try!"
"Don't get your hopes up."
Dylan waved his wand.
"Accio Trevor!"
Mana surged from his wand, precisely targeting one of the boats.
"Whoosh!"
A plump toad flew out of the boat.
Before it could reach him, Dylan ended the spell.
"Ribbit!"
Trevor landed on the ground with a croak.
Neville rushed over and scooped up the toad.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Oh my goodness, Dylan, you're amazing! You can do such advanced magic! Thank you so much! I bet Trevor fell off along the way and tried to follow me!"
Neville sniffled.
By now, many of the other young wizards had already moved on.
Dylan shook his head. "Alright, let's go. We don't want to fall behind."
He started walking ahead, and Neville quickly followed, clutching his fat toad.
"Don't run off again!" Neville scolded the toad, poking it with his finger.
"Ribbit!"
Dylan glanced at the toad.
It was fat, ugly, and unappealing.
Why would anyone keep a toad as a pet?
Was it to raise it until it was big enough to harvest for magical ingredients?
"My little Shadow is much cuter."
Even though it was a black cat that looked ominous and meowed like a cow, so what?
Professor McGonagall could turn into a cat too!
In a way, Shadow was like Professor McGonagall!
Besides, Shadow wasn't really a cat. Shadow belonged to its own unique species!
As Dylan and Neville caught up with the group, they walked along a cobblestone path.
Soon, they arrived at a large gate.
"Bang! Bang!"
Hagrid knocked on the door, the sound echoing loudly.
Moments later, the door was opened by none other than Professor McGonagall.
She was dressed in a vibrant emerald-green robe, its smooth fabric falling in natural folds. Her iron-gray hair was pulled back into a tight bun, not a strand out of place.
She looked at the group of young wizards with a stern expression, her sharp eyes scanning them. She wore a pointed hat adorned with the Hogwarts crest.
At that moment, Professor McGonagall seemed far from the warm and approachable woman who had accompanied Dylan to Diagon Alley.
"Professor McGonagall, here are all the first-year students," Hagrid said in his deep, booming voice.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here," Professor McGonagall replied with a nod.
She opened the door wider.
After Hagrid stepped inside, she led the first-years into the entrance hall.
"Follow me."
Dylan stayed toward the back of the group, walking alongside Neville.
As they moved forward, he took in the interior of Hogwarts.
The ancient walls on either side were adorned with intricate carvings.
The carvings held torches that illuminated the path.
Dylan noticed that the carvings depicted the four house mascots, each with wings.
They looked so lifelike, as if they were watching over the new students.
"Fascinating!"
As he stepped into Hogwarts, a sense of history and grandeur enveloped him.
"This is way more exciting than watching it in 3D!"
He couldn't quite remember which movie he had watched in 3D, but he recalled a scene with Dementors floating around. Back then, he had been just a kid, and those Dementors had scared him half to death.
"Ahead is the Great Hall. You'll be having dinner there shortly. But first, we must welcome you to Hogwarts."
Professor McGonagall led them to the doors of the Great Hall and turned to address them. "Before you officially become students, you'll need to undergo the Sorting Ceremony."
(End of Chapter)