Under the deep purple sky, mountains and forests stretched out, appearing especially quiet and mysterious.
At the same time, a resonant voice echoed through the train.
“5 minutes to reach Hogwarts.
Please leave your luggage on the train; we will deliver it to the school for you.” The three quickly changed into their robes, packed up, and cleared away the rubbish.
Soon, the train gradually slowed down and came to a complete stop amid a long whistle.
Elavin led Harry and Ron off the train with the crowd onto a small, dark platform.
The night chill made many young wizards shiver.
“Why aren’t there any street lamps here?” Harry asked.
“Muggle technology doesn’t work in magical environments,” Ron explained.
Ron’s father, Arthur, worked at the Ministry of Magic as head of the Department for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, so he had some understanding of how Muggle technology was affected in the wizarding world.
“The other reason is that as wizards, we have more convenient methods.” Elavin raised his chin.
Following his gaze, Harry saw many older wizards had already pulled out their wands and cast the Lumos Charm.
“First-years!
First-years, over here!!” “Harry, over here — are you alright?” A booming voice came from nearby.
In the darkness, a lantern appeared, held by a giant.
As it drew closer, they could see the person holding it — a giant figure over 3 metres tall.
“It’s Hagrid!” Harry ran over excitedly.
Elavin and Ron, along with the other first-years, followed at a more leisurely pace.
Just then, Elavin noticed a pair of eyes fixed intently on Harry.
It was Malfoy!
“He’s recovered?” Ron murmured.
“He probably found a higher-year wizard to remove the Transfiguration.” Elavin wasn’t surprised.
Malfoy was the son of a Hogwarts Board of Governors member — there would be no shortage of pure-blood families at Hogwarts who owed allegiance to his father.
The first-years parted ways with the older students and followed Hagrid down a dark, narrow slope.
“It’s so dark here — can’t even see the path,” Ron muttered.
Elavin nodded and pulled out his wand from his sleeve.
“Lumos!” Instantly, a white ball of light the size of a ping-pong ball shot from the tip of his wand.
The light expanded rapidly, forming a stable glowing sphere that floated above them, illuminating the entire path like daylight.
“Wow!!” “Amazing!!” “That’s the Lumos Charm — I’ve read about it in a book!” The young wizards exclaimed, turning to look at Elavin with admiration in their eyes.
Hagrid, walking ahead, noticed the change behind him and was impressed.
He looked at Elavin with clear appreciation.
“What a perfect Lumos Charm!
This is the first time I’ve seen a first-year use it so skillfully.
Looks like I don’t need this lamp anymore.” Harry quickly introduced him.
“His name is Elavin — a friend I made on the train.” “Good on you, Harry — making such a powerful friend already!
I think your life at Hogwarts is going to be brilliant!” Hagrid knew how miserable Harry’s life had been at the Dursleys’ — mistreated and friendless.
So, hearing that Harry had made a friend genuinely made him happy.
At the end of the narrow path lay a vast black lake.
On the far shore, atop a high cliff, stood a majestic castle with countless towers, its windows twinkling under the starry sky.
It looked like something out of a fairytale — mysterious and fantastical, stirring the imagination.
Many small wooden boats lay moored along the shore.
Hagrid climbed into one himself, then pointed to the other boats and shouted, “No more than 4 per boat!” Elavin dismissed the glowing sphere above them, then found Harry and Ron, along with an unfamiliar boy, and the four of them shared a boat.
“Everyone on board?” “Then…
off we go!!” One by one, the boats glided across the lake toward Hogwarts.
Everyone fell silent.
Whether they were awed by the sight of Hogwarts or too nervous on the edge of the magical world, no one spoke.
After what felt like a long time, the boats reached the centre of the lake.
A strange stillness filled the air.
Elavin narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Time for some excitement.” He said it calmly — almost too calmly.
“What did you say?” Harry, Ron, and the unfamiliar boy all looked up instantly.
Harry and Ron felt a sudden sense of unease.
Before anyone could react— A cold surge of magical energy erupted from Elavin.
Ice-Make Magic: Silver World!!
SHWOOP—!!!
A shockwave of freezing power spread outward across the lake.
Cracks of ice raced across the surface in all directions like lightning.
Within seconds, the entire Black Lake was locked in a spreading glacier, the freezing effect descending layer by layer rather than snapping instantly, sinking deep into the water.
All wooden boats were trapped on the ice, unable to move forward or back.
CRACK—CRACK— The sudden shift threw students off balance, colliding into each other as panic erupted.
“Ah-choo—!” “So cold!!” “What happened?!” “Oh no — the lake is freezing!!” “You’re joking — it’s only September!” “It’s real!!
The ice is spreading!!” “Merlin!
What is going on?!” The young wizards panicked, though a few eyes lit up with awe.
“Magic!
It has to be magic!!” “He’s altering terrain on this scale… incredible!!” … Above the chaos, far away within Hogwarts castle, a faint magical monitoring charm flickered.
For a brief moment, something registered — then stabilized again.
The sudden turn of events left Hagrid frozen in place.
Not in fear — but in confusion.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
Something… didn’t feel like something he had full control over.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then, as if a directive quietly surfaced within his mind—something not entirely his own—he straightened up.
A strange clarity settled over him.
Without questioning it further, he raised his voice.
“Quiet!
Everyone, quiet!!” The young wizards gradually focused on him.
Hagrid continued, now speaking with unusual certainty: “Listen up!
This is a special assessment for Hogwarts entry!
Ahead of you lies a trial route leading to the cliff base!
Only those who reach the designated dock within 30 minutes will be accepted into Hogwarts!” A pause.
The students exchanged shocked looks.
“If you fail… you will undergo secondary evaluation in a restricted testing zone!” He hesitated for half a second, then continued anyway.
“Now—out of the boats!
Run forward!
The assessment begins NOW!!”