Chapter 6: Arrival at Hogwarts
Chapter 6: Arrival at Hogwarts
Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom had probably walked the entire length of the train, but they still couldn't find the escaped toad. Thankfully, Neville seemed to have recovered from the sadness of losing his pet—or perhaps not, as he still looked glum, but at least he wasn't crying anymore.
Hermione was surprised to see a pile of snacks on the table as she entered the compartment. "What are these?" she asked.
"A snack cart lady came by just now," Ron explained, gesturing to the treats. "Look, I bought quite a lot—strawberry cream truffles, chocolate balls, pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, and some fruit cordials. Let's dig in! Oh, and Neville, would you like to try this Muggle Treacle Fudge?"
Neville took it and muttered, "Leafe," as he took a bite, his eyes lighting up suddenly. "It's delicious."
Hermione didn't refuse either and sat down to take a cake gracefully. "Thank you, I'm hungry too. By the way, you probably won't believe it, but Harry Potter is in the compartment less than ten meters from us—do you know who Harry Potter is?"
"Of course," Ron replied as he unwrapped a Chocolate Frog. "He's mentioned in 'Significant Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.' But I think it's best not to disturb him—he lost his parents the night he became famous. If it were me, I'd rather not have that kind of fame."
Hermione was taken aback. "Y-you're right... I never thought of it that way..."
Neville hung his head, his grip tightening on the fudge as if it were a lifeline.
The sacrifice and honor of the Potter family were well-known worldwide, but not many knew that during that same time, Death Eaters, in their search for the missing Voldemort, had captured and tortured Neville's parents into insanity.
The boy kept these dark thoughts to himself as they enjoyed their feast.
Ron had thought that they would never finish all the snacks he bought, but after a long journey filled with the rhythmic clacking of the train wheels, night had fallen, and they still hadn't reached their destination. To their surprise, the three of them had devoured everything, the snack cart lady was nowhere to be seen, and their dinner remained uncertain.
"Isn't Hogwarts in Britain?" Hermione huffed as she stood up. "I'm going to ask the driver how much longer it'll take."
"Let's go together," Ron suggested, getting up as well. He was curious about the train driver, who probably only worked a few days a year, and wondered who it might be.
Neville followed, still hoping to find his escaped pet.
The train driver was an ordinary-looking man with brown hair, a pipe in his mouth, and a day's worth of stubble. He had a pleasant demeanor as he responded to the trio's "interrogation," chuckling, "Don't worry, we're almost there. You'll be having your dinner in the Hogwarts castle itself."
Hermione returned to the compartment satisfied.
Along the way, Ron casually observed the other compartments, recognizing only the Weasley twins—their area was lively, with laughter and cheers echoing down the corridor. He wondered what fun they were up to.
Before they reached the compartment, they suddenly heard screams, and three children came tumbling down the corridor, one of them, a blond boy, pushing Neville aside and shouting, "Get out of the way! Don't block the path!"
"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed, unable to stop them. She stamped her foot in frustration. "Rude kids!"
Ron steadied Neville, who had nearly fallen.
"Thanks," Neville said gratefully.
Ron shook his head and turned to Hermione. "You go change into your school robes first. We'll wait outside."
Hermione nodded, swallowing her anger, and stormed into the compartment, slamming the door shut. She drew the privacy curtain and quickly changed into her robes. Then it was Neville's turn. Just as the three of them finished packing their things, they heard the driver's voice echoing through the train:
"We will be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, and we will have it delivered to the school for you.
The train slowed to a stop at the platform, and hundreds of students poured out like bees from a hive, crowding the small, dark platform. Hermione and Neville followed closely behind Ved, their faces pale.
"First-year students! First-years, over here! Mind your step!" A tall man carrying a lamp called out in a loud voice not far from them.
Weed and the others squeezed their way through the crowd, noticing that the older students were heading in a different direction. But no one dared to question Hagrid, the gamekeeper, who stood there with his towering figure.
The group made their way down a dark path through the woods and finally caught sight of a majestic castle in the distance. Countless windows glowed with light, reflecting off the pitch-black lake like a mirror, making the castle look even more magnificent.
"Wow—" The freshmen gasped in awe.
Under Hagrid's direction, the group boarded small boats and crossed the black lake. Finally, they arrived below the castle, where Hagrid found Neville's toad on one of the boats. Neville joyfully retrieved his beloved pet, and Hagrid knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open, and Professor McGonagall stood there with a solemn expression.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said.
..............................
The sorting ceremony began.
There were four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Ved knew from his previous life that a talking hat would sort the students based on their abilities and qualities.
Having traveled back in time eleven years to the world of Harry Potter, Ved had actually forgotten many of the novel's or movie's details. But upon realizing he was in this world, he reminisced and recalled many memorable scenes, recording them in his unique way.
Before enrolling, Ved had carefully considered which house he wanted to join—while the Sorting Hat considered abilities, it also took into account the student's preferences.
First, he ruled out Slytherin; his parents were not wizards, and in a house that valued pure blood and family lineage, he feared he might be ostracized. Ved wasn't afraid of a bunch of teenagers, but he also didn't want to deal with unnecessary challenges.
Gryffindor?
Ved thought it over but ultimately decided against it.
With Harry Potter in Gryffindor, that house would be the eye of the storm, the center of attention. Moreover, most Gryffindors in the story were portrayed as a bit lacking in common sense, easily swayed by rumors, and they had isolated and ostracized Harry Potter, who had done nothing wrong, leaving a less-than-favorable impression on Ved.
Similarly, Ravenclaw also had a history of bullying, with students mocking and ridiculing their peers (Luna Lovegood).
Hufflepuff, on the other hand, wouldn't behave like that. While most Hufflepuffs had average grades, they were sincere, kind, and trustworthy. Being called a dumbass wouldn't change Ved's belief in his own intelligence.
With his decision made, Ved appeared more composed than those young wizards who thought they were about to fight a giant. After the Sorting Hat sang a song, Professor McGonagall began calling out names from a long list, sorting each student into their respective houses. Some decisions were made quickly, while others took a moment of deliberation. Suddenly, Ved heard a familiar name—
"Hermione Granger!" Professor McGonagall called out.
Hermione rushed forward and quickly put on the hat.
A moment later, the Sorting Hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Shortly after—
"Ved Grey!"
(End of Chapter)
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