Hermione kept talking without a pause.
“…The deepest section of the Black Lake has never been accurately measured.
It’s home to a variety of magical creatures, including Grindylows, Kelpies, and even unconfirmed sightings of a merpeople colony.
But the most famous resident is undoubtedly the Giant Squid, which is said to have lived in the lake since the founding of the school…”
“A Giant Squid?”
Ron’s attention was snapped back, and he shot a nervous glance toward the pitch-black water.
“Yes, it’s mentioned several times in *Hogwarts: A History*,” Hermione said earnestly.
“It’s extremely gentle.
On nice, sunny days, it sometimes floats to the surface to bask, and it’s even helped students who fell into the water.
Many scholars believe it can no longer be classified as an ordinary magical creature, but rather as one of Hogwarts’ guardian beasts.”
“Guardian beast…”
Alvin Vance repeated the phrase softly under his breath, his eyes drifting from the castle toward the dark, cavernous depths of the water.
The word stirred a distant memory.
On the mountain behind his father’s Taoist temple, in a deep pool strictly forbidden to outsiders, resided a guardian beast of their own—a gigantic white snake said to have lived for hundreds of years.
His father had once brought him, as a young boy, to view it from afar across the pool.
Under the moonlight, its snow-white scales had shimmered with a cold, pale luster.
When the snake raised its head, its golden vertical pupils were serene and ancient, glowing with a distinctly non-human wisdom.
His father had told him that it was a descendant of the legendary Lady White Snake, who was born on Mount Qingcheng.
At the time, Alvin was still little, but he had already read many miscellanies and ancient texts.
He had looked up at his father and asked, “But the books say Lady White Snake and Xu Xian’s son was the Star of Literature descended to earth, not a giant snake.”
His father had smiled—a rare sight—and patted his head.
“Legends are like mountain mist; look at them from a different angle, and their shapes change.
Spiritual beasts have their own karmic fates, just as immortals have their own stories.
What matters is that it has guarded this place for countless years and lived in harmony with our temple.
That is a good karmic affinity.”
Now, listening to Hermione recount the tales of the Giant Squid in the Black Lake while gazing at the castle glowing like a magical beacon in the distance, Alvin suddenly felt a vague sense of belonging toward Hogwarts.
Perhaps there were no morning bells or evening gongs here, no fragrance of medicinal herbs from pill-refining furnaces, and no fellow disciples practicing Tuna Breathing and qi cultivation.
Yet it possessed its own history, its traditions, its legends, and…
the forces that guarded it.
The fleet of tiny boats glided silently across the lake, drawing ever closer to the cliff beneath the castle.
Looking up, the castle seemed all the more towering and precipitous, its massive stone walls piercing straight into the night sky.
“Heads down!” bellowed Hagrid from the lead boat.
Carrying boats full of breathless first-years, the fleet passed through a wide opening concealed by a curtain of ivy and entered a hidden underground harbor.
The boats bumped gently against the stone dock and came to a stop.
Alvin stepped onto solid ground, turning back one last time to look at the dark lake that had carried them across.
Beneath the surface lay deep, unfathomable waters.
Somewhere down there, an ancient, massive creature might truly be watching yet another year of new students in silence—just like the white snake at the bottom of the pool on Mount Qingcheng, guarding its own long expanse of time and solemn promise.
“Come along now,” Hagrid’s voice boomed again.
He was checking off names on a long list, his lantern illuminating his bushy face.
“Next up, you’ll be meeting Professor McGonagall.”
The castle doors stood right before them—heavy, ancient, and concealing a whole new world behind them.
***
Torches mounted along the walls burned fiercely, illuminating the grand entryway as bright as day, their flames dancing across the mirror-like finish of the dark stone floor.
The air was thick with the blended scent of moss, aged timber, and a subtle, faint incense.
At the center of this majestic hall, a witch stood waiting in silence.
She wore robes of deep emerald green, her posture straight as a rod.
Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her expression was grave, her lips pressed into a strict, narrow line.
Through square spectacles, her sharp eyes swept over the bewildered first-years pouring through the entrance.
The aura radiating from her instantly brought the noisy crowd to a dead silence.
Alvin’s gaze fell upon her immediately—not because of her stern demeanor, but because of her “qi.”
Unlike Hagrid’s vital energy, which was as dense and vast as a mountain, this witch’s aura was sharp, precise, and highly concentrated.
She was like a legendary sword resting in its scabbard; though undrawn, she radiated an undeniable majesty and order.
It was a temperament forged through long-term, rigorous discipline and the refined temper of formidable magical power.
“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she said, her voice clear and steady with a crisp Scottish accent echoing off the stone walls.
“I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House.”
She paused, making sure every single first-year was listening carefully.
“The start-of-term feast will begin shortly.
But before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses.
The Sorting is a most important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family at Hogwarts.
You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.”
Her gaze swept slowly across the small faces, some nervous, some excited, some utterly lost.
“The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
Each