Chapter 17: Crossing the Lake
Chapter 17: Crossing the Lake
Life for children in the wizarding world could be rather dull. The Weasley family's humble abode was nestled among the small hills and trees south of Ottery St. Catchpole, so inconspicuous that most Muggles were unaware of its existence.
There were only four wizarding residences nearby, with the Diggorys being the closest, yet still several miles away.
Visiting each other required traveling by broomstick or other means. In reality, the children of these four families rarely interacted.
The Weasley children rarely ventured into Ottery St. Catchpole, and they certainly didn't play with ordinary Muggle children.
However, the twins mentioned that their older brother had a Muggle friend, a pretty girl.
"Most Muggles are a bit difficult to get along with," one of the twins commented. "They tend to think we're odd, so we usually don't play together. Plus, my house is quite far from the village."
Lee Jordan's situation was even worse. Being an only child, he sometimes had no one to play with.
Albert was in a better position than them; he had a younger sister, a pile of books, and occasionally played ball with others. However, he usually avoided playing with a group of kids, as it tended to be boring.
Although Albert didn't have any close friends, he was quite popular at school. With excellent grades and impressive abilities, he was easy to get along with and good at managing interpersonal relationships.
Albert had asked the trio, and indeed, children in the wizarding world did not attend Muggle schools.
It was hard to imagine a family like the Malfoys sending their children to a Muggle school. Obviously, that would never happen.
Of course, there were exceptions among wizards.
However, the twins had never attended a Muggle school. Their initial knowledge came from their family's teachings.
"By the way, is there a wizarding family named Smith?" Albert asked, as his grandfather's original family name had been Smith before he changed it along with his Muggle relatives.
This showed how much he had despised the person who abandoned him.
"Never heard of them," Fred said, turning to his twin brother, George.
"Me neither," said Lee Jordan, shaking his head. "Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing, just wondering where I heard that surname before," Albert replied, gazing out the window. The visibility was low, and the day was gradually turning to dusk.
Speaking of which, he hadn't realized what a chatterbox Lee Jordan was. The guy just kept talking non-stop.
The trio didn't mind, though. It was boring in the compartment, and listening to his ramblings was almost like being lulled to sleep.
Albert opened his eyes again, sensing that the train was slowing down.
"Five minutes to Hogwarts," a voice announced through the train's loudspeaker. "Please leave your luggage on the train, and we will deliver it to the school for you."
"Merlin's beard, we're finally here," Fred stretched lazily, having spent too long sitting on the train. He felt a bit groggy.
George, on the other hand, helped to tidy up the snacks on the table and put them into Albert's trunk.
Finally, the train came to a stop, and the four of them stepped out of the compartment, joining the crowd pushing and shoving their way through the corridor towards the doors.
Disembarking was quite chaotic. They alighted onto a small, dark platform, where cold rain poured down relentlessly. The chill of the night made Albert shiver.
"I hate the rain," Albert muttered, pulling out his wand and casting a spell on his pointed hat: "Impervious."
"First-years over here! First-years, this way!" a loud voice bellowed from the platform. A man waved a lamp over the crowd, drawing the attention of the new students.
"What's going on? Come on, keep up," Fred said, pulling Albert along.
"Wait a moment," Albert said, casting the same Impervious spell on his robe, unsure if it would work but figuring it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Hurry up, Albert," urged Lee Jordan.
"Don't rush, I'm coming," Albert replied, holding his wand aloft. "Lumos." He made his way towards Hagrid, a towering man with a long beard who looked rather intimidating if you didn't know any better.
One might mistake him for some sort of dangerous character if they didn't know better.
"Any more first-years? Right, let's go!" Hagrid led them away from the platform, and without its shelter, the cold rain soaked into their bones, making them shiver.
"Mind your step," Hagrid called out, but it was to no avail. The path was muddy from the rain, and several students slipped and fell along the way.
Albert adjusted his pointed hat and robe, wrapping himself up tightly. Fortunately, the Impervious spell worked, and he didn't end up as drenched as the others.
"Why didn't I learn a spell to create an umbrella with my wand?" Albert thought. Wait, he recalled that he had a folding umbrella in his trunk.
He felt a bit annoyed with himself for not remembering that.
Albert decided to learn that useful spell when he had the chance, so he wouldn't have to worry about rain again.
"Are you alright?" In front of him, another unfortunate soul had slipped and fallen.
"Thanks, it's been a tough journey," the girl said gratefully as Albert helped her up.
"Let's go," Albert said, letting go of her hand and using his wand to navigate the path slowly.
This was probably the most unfortunate batch of first-years, with so many of them falling and getting covered in mud.
Albert could hear Lee Jordan grumbling under his breath nearby; he had been pushed and tripped by those around him.
Albert was glad he had stayed towards the back; at least he hadn't been knocked over by others.
"Be careful, there's a slope coming up," Hagrid called out from ahead. He waited at the bottom to ensure no students slipped on the steep slope.
As it turned out, this was a wise decision, as three unlucky students nearly fell, but Hagrid caught them just in time.
"Watch your step, we're almost at the lake," Hagrid warned.
Once everyone had made their way down the slope, Hagrid led them on, and they stumbled their way around a bend to find a black lake before them.
On the slope across the lake stood a castle—Hogwarts Castle.
The castle's windows glowed with light, standing out starkly against the dark, rainy night.
"No more than four to a boat, remember, no more than four!" Hagrid shouted, pointing at the small boats on the shore.
"Albert, over here!" One of the twins waved at him, and Lee Jordan was there too, both of them covered in mud and looking rather bedraggled.
"Are you two alright?" Albert asked, trying not to laugh. He climbed into the small boat with them.
"Not really, I fell once and was pushed over twice," Lee Jordan replied.
"Get in the boats!" Hagrid called out, checking each boat with his lamp to ensure they weren't overloaded. "Alright, let's go!"
The small boats moved forward across the lake without the need for oars.
Albert looked up at the castle before him, a strange excitement building within him. "Hogwarts, here I come."
(End of Chapter)
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