Just then, the compartment door slid open again.
A worried-looking boy and a girl with rather prominent front teeth poked their heads inside.
“Oh?” Leo recognized them immediately: Neville and Hermione.
“Sorry, have any of you seen a toad?
Neville’s lost his.” “No.” All three boys shook their heads.
Harry and Ron, eager to help, followed them out to search for the missing toad.
‘Looks like the Boy Who Lived is about to run into the spoiled rich kid who desperately wants his attention again.’ Leo had no intention of joining the search.
He dropped The Monster Book of Monsters over his face, leaned back against the seat, and settled in for a nap.
Some time later, Harry and Ron returned with Hermione.
Harry looked distinctly annoyed, while Ron was practically glowing with satisfaction.
“What happened?” Leo asked.
“We ran into an obnoxious git,” Harry said.
“That idiot Draco Malfoy,” Ron added gleefully.
“He started insulting Harry’s parents, so Harry punched him unconscious.” “Oh?” Leo raised his eyebrows, genuinely impressed.
“I’m not going to get expelled for that, am I?” Harry asked uneasily.
He had lost his temper in the moment, but now that he had calmed down, the fear was beginning to set in.
The last thing he wanted was to be expelled before he had even started school and end up stuck with the Dursleys again.
“Of course not.” Leo yawned.
“Once you actually get to Hogwarts, you’ll realize something like that barely even counts as trouble.” “Don’t teach him things like that!” Hermione protested, her front teeth showing as she frowned at Leo.
“According to the Hogwarts school rules, fighting may not be serious enough to warrant expulsion, but it can still result in—” “Oh.” Leo showed absolutely no interest in hearing the rest.
He put the book back over his face and returned to his nap.
“Wait, that book on your face…” Hermione stared at it in surprise.
“Is that The Monster Book of Monsters?” “Yeah.
Want to read it?” “Can I?” Hermione brightened immediately.
“I wanted to buy a copy before, but the assistant at the bookshop told me it was too dangerous—” Before she could continue, Leo shoved the Monster Book into her arms and closed his eyes again.
He had no idea how much time passed before the train finally pulled into the station.
Students crowded the corridors, jostling one another as they made their way off the train.
“Are we here already?” Leo opened his eyes and followed the others outside.
A booming voice echoed over the platform.
“Firs’ years!
Firs’ years over here!” “Hagrid!” Harry waved enthusiastically at the enormous man before turning to introduce him.
“That’s Hagrid.
He’s the gamekeeper at Hogwarts.” “He looks…” Leo’s sleepy eyes sharpened almost instantly as he studied Hagrid with open admiration.
“Pretty strong.
He might make a decent opponent.” “You want to fight him?” Ron stared at Leo as though he had lost his mind.
“His arms are thicker than your waist.” “Ha!
There yeh are, Harry!” Hagrid laughed heartily and pulled Harry closer.
“Looks like yeh’ve made some friends already.” “This is Ron, Hermione, and Leo,” Harry said, introducing the three people who had shared his compartment.
“Nice to meet you, Mr.
Hagrid.” Leo smiled and held out his hand.
Hagrid shook it, then grinned at him.
“Strong lad, aren’t yeh?
Right, we’d best get movin’.
Need ter get yeh all up ter the castle.
Plenty o’ time fer talk later.” Hagrid led the first-years along a narrow path.
“Jus’ round this bend,” he called back, “an’ yeh’ll get yer first look at Hogwarts.” At the end of the path, the ground opened onto a vast black lake.
Across the water, perched atop a high mountain, stood a magnificent castle whose countless windows glowed warmly against the night.
Excited whispers immediately spread through the group of first-years.
“Everyone in the boats!
No more’n four ter a boat!” Hagrid began arranging the students.
Harry, Leo, Hermione, and Ron climbed into the same small boat, and once all four were seated, it began moving on its own, gliding slowly across the dark water toward the distant castle.
After reaching the opposite shore, Hagrid climbed out first and led the young witches and wizards through a passageway, then up a long flight of stone steps until they finally gathered before a massive oak door.
“That was a lot of work just to reach the front door,” Leo remarked.
“According to Hogwarts: A History, this follows the route the four founders originally took when they came to Hogwarts,” Hermione immediately explained.
“Only first-years arrive this way because—” “Oh.” Hagrid began counting heads.
Once he was satisfied that no one was missing, he raised one enormous fist and knocked three times against the oak door.
The heavy doors slowly swung inward.
Professor McGonagall stood on the other side in emerald-green robes, her expression as stern and composed as ever.
A single sweep of her eyes was enough to silence all the first-years who had been whispering among themselves.
“The first-years are all here, Professor McGonagall,” Hagrid said.
“Thank you, Hagrid.
I’ll take them from here.” Professor McGonagall led the students into the castle.
Flaming torches lined the stone walls, and the ceiling soared so high above them that it was almost lost in darkness.
Directly ahead stood a magnificent marble staircase leading to the upper floors.
Professor McGonagall brought the first-years into a small empty chamber off the Entrance Hall and explained the four Hogwarts houses to them.
“In a few moments, the Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the entire school.
I suggest that while you are waiting, you make yourselves as presentable as possible.” “When everything is ready, I shall return for you,” she continued.
“Please wait quietly.” The moment she left, however, the room erupted into nervous conversation.
“How do they decide which house we’re supposed to be in?” Harry asked Ron.
“I think it’s some kind of test,” Ron replied, his voice trembling slightly.
“Fred and George kept trying to scare me by saying we’d have to fight a troll or something, but I think they were taking the mickey.” “My brother told me we have to duel a dragon,” another boy said.
Several students immediately sucked in sharp breaths.
Leo, meanwhile, felt rather disappointed.
‘If only that were true.’ A moment later, around twenty translucent ghosts drifted straight through the wall behind them, startling nearly every first-year in the room.
“Oh, look!
New students!” said a plump ghost dressed like a friar.
“Waiting for the Sorting, are you?” Several students nodded without daring to speak.
“Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!” the Fat Friar said cheerfully.
“That was my old house, you know.” “All right, move along now.” Professor McGonagall’s voice rang out again.
She had returned.
“The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin.” The ghosts drifted away through the wall in a procession, while Professor McGonagall led the first-years out of the chamber, across the Entrance Hall, and through a pair of enormous double doors into the Great Hall.
She brought them to the front of the hall and arranged them facing the older students, with the staff table and professors behind them.
Leo looked down the row of teachers, and his eyes practically lit up.
‘This place is incredible.’ Severus Snape, a master of Potions and an accomplished practitioner of the Dark Arts.
Professor McGonagall, a master of Transfiguration.
Professor Flitwick, a former dueling champion.
The fragment of Lord Voldemort’s soul currently attached to the back of Professor Quirrell’s head.
Professor Trelawney, who had once knocked out a werewolf leader with a crystal ball…
actually, maybe she did not count.
And finally— Albus Dumbledore.
The strongest wizard alive.
Leo’s gaze fixed on the Headmaster, his fighting spirit rising almost immediately.