By the time the train reached its destination, night had already fallen. The passengers, now dressed in their school robes, poured out of the carriages and onto the platform at Hogsmeade Station.
"All right, first years, over here!" Hagrid called, holding a lantern aloft. In the darkness, he stood out like a beacon. "Come along now, don’t be shy. Hurry up!"
The first-year students gathered around Hagrid, and he immediately spotted the one he knew best.
"Hello, Harry."
"Hello, Hagrid."
"First years, follow me. Mind your step."
Hagrid led them along a narrow path. With so little light, they stumbled repeatedly as they walked.
At the end of the path lay a vast black lake. On the hillside across the water stood a magnificent castle, its countless windows glowing with warm yellow light.
"No more than four to a boat," Hagrid said, pointing toward the wooden boats moored along the shore. "They’ll take us across the lake."
Vade seized the opportunity to put some distance between himself, Harry, and Ron. Only after the two of them had boarded a boat did he choose another one at random.
A moment later, three unfamiliar boys climbed in with him.
The boy in the middle had blond hair and an arrogant expression. The two boys flanking him were large and broad, resembling a pair of loyal bodyguards.
Vade did not know how to describe his feelings at that moment.
Divination might not be infallible, but this was far too accurate.
A hopeful beginning, accompanied by unexpected events that might cause everything to slip beyond his control.
The entire journey had been filled with surprises. Still, compared with sitting beside Harry and Ron, sharing a boat with these three was not entirely unacceptable.
He could only hope that matters had not already escaped his control.
"What’s your name?" the blond boy asked casually.
"Vade Moria."
The blond boy turned toward his two companions.
"Have either of you heard of him?"
The two exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"So you’re not a pure-blood."
"A half-blood," Vade corrected with a modest smile. "I could hardly compare with someone from an old pure-blood family like yours."
The blond boy raised an eyebrow in satisfaction and straightened his back proudly.
"I’m a Malfoy."
Vade stared at him for a moment before adopting an expression of disbelief.
"I’ve heard so much about your family. The Malfoys are one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. I never imagined I would have the honour of sharing a boat with the heir to the Malfoy family."
The pride on the boy’s face became even more pronounced. Vade’s flattery had clearly improved his mood.
"Is everyone aboard?" Hagrid called.
After looking back to make sure no one had been left behind, he climbed into a boat by himself.
"Then off we go."
The fleet of small boats glided across the mist-covered lake toward the castle. The students stared ahead with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, exclaiming in wonder from time to time.
The boats carried them toward a hidden opening beneath the castle. They continued through a dark tunnel before finally reaching an underground harbour lined with stone and gravel.
Hagrid told the students to disembark, then raised his lantern and led the way.
The first years followed him across the damp grass at the foot of the castle, climbed a flight of stone steps, and stopped before an enormous oak door.
Hagrid opened it.
"Go on in. Professor McGonagall will be waiting for you."
The students filed inside together.
After climbing several more flights of stairs, they found Professor McGonagall waiting for them in emerald-green robes.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join the rest of the school. However, before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must first be sorted into your Houses.
The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
While you are here, your House will be like your family. Your achievements will earn points for your House, while any rule-breaking will result in points being taken away.
At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup."
Professor McGonagall had barely finished speaking when one of the first years cried out and scooped up a toad sitting near her feet.
Neville Longbottom had finally found Trevor, the toad he had lost on the train.
Unfortunately, the timing was less than ideal.
Neville looked up at Professor McGonagall’s stern expression, muttered an embarrassed apology, and hurried back into the crowd.
"The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. Prepare yourselves."
With that, Professor McGonagall turned and entered the Great Hall.
"So the rumours on the train were true. Harry Potter really has come to Hogwarts."
Malfoy looked at Harry with a smile, then gestured toward the two boys beside him.
"This is Crabbe, and this is Goyle.
And I’m Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
Ron snorted with laughter.
Draco’s expression immediately darkened.
"Think my name is funny, do you?
There’s no need to ask who you are. Red hair and second-hand robes. You must be a Weasley."
"You’ll soon discover that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort."
Draco extended his right hand toward Harry.
"I can help you there."
That was an incredibly presumptuous way to offer friendship.
Vade silently shook his head.
Draco did not even understand the relationship already forming between Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, yet he had chosen to insult one of them directly in front of the other.
It would have been surprising if Harry reacted favourably.
Sure enough, Harry did not take his hand.
"I think I can tell the right sort for myself, thanks."
Draco’s mood immediately soured, but before he could respond, Professor McGonagall returned.
"We are ready for you. Follow me."
The doors to the Great Hall opened on their own, and a wave of warmth washed over them.
Thousands of candles floated overhead. Together with the blazing braziers along both sides of the hall, they illuminated the room brilliantly.
Four long tables stretched from one end of the hall to the other, set with golden plates and goblets. They were filled with students from the four Houses, apart from the first years.
Several more tables stood upon a raised platform at the far end. These were reserved for Headmaster Dumbledore and the rest of the staff.
Above them, the ceiling displayed a black night sky filled with stars and a shining moon, as though it showed the real sky directly above the castle.
"So this is Hogwarts. It really is incredible."
"The ceiling isn’t actually the night sky," Hermione said. "It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."
"I read that too, but that doesn’t mean I can’t admire it."
Vade looked at her and decided to make one final attempt.
"Trust me. Ravenclaw would suit you better."
Professor McGonagall led the first years to the front of the Great Hall, then climbed onto the raised platform.
Beside her stood a four-legged stool. Resting on top of it was a filthy, battered, pointed wizard’s hat whose folds resembled a wrinkled face.
"How long has it been since anyone washed that Sorting Hat?" Vade muttered, shaking his head. "It’s difficult to believe we’re expected to put it on our heads."
"What?" Ron’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean all we have to do is put on a hat?
I’m going to kill Fred. He told me we’d have to fight a troll!"
(To be continued.)