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In the compartment at the back of the train, Ron was animatedly telling Harry about some famous matches he'd seen with a few of his brothers.
Augustus was listening to Ron's exaggerated storytelling while keeping his head down, reading History of Magic.
Just as Ron was getting to the most exciting part of the game, the door to the compartment was pushed open again. But this time, it wasn't Neville, the boy who had lost his toad, or Hermione Granger.
Three boys entered, and Harry immediately recognized the pale-faced one in the middle as the same boy he had met at Madam Malkin's robe shop. The boy was now looking at Harry with even more interest than before.
"Is it true?" he asked. "Everyone on this train is talking about it, saying Harry Potter is in this compartment. That must be you, right?"
"Yes," Harry answered, glancing at the other two boys. Both were short and chubby, with particularly ugly faces, standing on either side of the pale boy like his bodyguards. Augustus continued reading his book, seemingly unaware that anyone had entered.
"Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle." The pale boy noticed Harry staring at them and casually introduced himself, "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron cleared his throat lightly, trying not to laugh. Draco Malfoy looked at him.
"You think my name is funny, don't you? Don't bother telling me who you are. My father told me the Weasley family is full of redheads, all covered in freckles, and they have so many kids they can't afford to feed them."
He turned to Harry and added, "You'll soon realize some wizard families are much better than others, Potter. You won't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you with that."
"Draco, you're still pushing your pureblood aristocratic nonsense again." Hearing this, Augustus finally looked up from his book and gave a slight smile at Malfoy.
"Master Augustus? What are you doing here?" Malfoy, who hadn't noticed Augustus before, now stared in surprise at his standard blonde hair and silver eyes.
"I'm a first-year too, you know. What, not welcome at Hogwarts?" Augustus waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Of course, you coming to Hogwarts is an honor for the school. I just didn't expect someone as noble as you would be in the same compartment as this lowly Weasley."
Malfoy's voice oozed with false flattery as he looked at Augustus, then shot a disgusted glance at Ron. His expression changed so quickly, it was almost shocking.
Harry and Ron stood up immediately. Ron's face turned as red as his hair.
"Say that again," Ron demanded.
"Oh, you want to fight, do you?" Malfoy sneered.
"Unless you get out right now," Harry said, though deep down he wasn't as brave as he appeared, since Crabbe and Goyle were much bigger than him and Ron. But he had a feeling Augustus wouldn't just stand by and watch, it was more of a gut instinct.
Sure enough, seeing Malfoy awkwardly standing by the door, Augustus put his book down and said meaningfully, "Alright, Draco, enough of this. All you're doing is making yourself look bad. This won't do any good for you or your family."
To Harry and Ron, it sounded like an elder scolding a disrespectful younger relative. What surprised them was that Malfoy clearly respected Augustus.
After hearing him, Malfoy shot Harry and Ron one last furious glare, bowed to Augustus, and then left the compartment with Crabbe and Goyle.
"I can't believe that Malfoy actually listened," Ron muttered to Harry, glancing at Augustus again, his gaze a mix of envy and fear.
The train slowed down and finally came to a stop. Passengers shuffled and jostled toward the door, stepping down onto a small, dark platform.
The chill of the night made Harry shiver. Then a lantern swayed above the students' heads, and Harry heard a familiar voice shouting, "First years! First years, over here! Harry, over here! How are you?"
Above the sea of people, Hagrid's bearded face appeared, smiling. "Come on, follow me! Are there any other first years? Watch your feet now, alright! First years, follow me!"
They followed Hagrid, sliding and stumbling down a narrow, steep path. Unlike the first years, Augustus seemed to glide down, as if he could see the path clearly, moving steadily.
The path was pitch black on both sides, and no one spoke. The only sound was the occasional sniff from Neville, the boy who had lost his toad.
"Turn this corner, and you'll see Hogwarts for the first time," Hagrid called over his shoulder. They rounded a bend, and a loud "Oh—!" rang out.
At the end of the narrow path, a vast, dark lake appeared. On the far shore, towering above them, stood a magnificent castle, with turrets and towers rising into the sky, windows sparkling under the stars.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid shouted, pointing to a line of small boats docked at the shore. Augustus calmly stepped into one, followed by Harry and Ron. The last spot was quickly claimed by the very eager Hermione.
"Mr. Augustus, we meet again," Hermione said, ignoring Ron and Harry as she looked at Augustus with a surprised smile.
"Yeah, Miss Granger, what a coincidence," Augustus answered with a slight smile.
"Everyone on board?" Hagrid called. He was alone in another boat.
"Alright, off we go!" The small boats glided smoothly over the still lake toward the castle.
Everyone was silent, staring up at the towering castle. As they neared the cliff where the castle stood, it felt like the walls of the castle were towering over their heads.
"Duck!" Hagrid shouted as the first boats approached the cliff. Everyone bent their heads as the boats passed beneath the ivy-covered rock face, entering a hidden entrance.
They traveled through a dark tunnel that seemed to lead underground before arriving at a dock-like area. They then climbed a rocky path, finally reaching a flat, damp patch of grass beneath the castle's shadow.
Standing before the huge castle, Augustus' silver eyes flickered with rapid data streams, almost as if he had found a treasure. His lips curled into a beautiful smile.
Next, they climbed a flight of stone steps and gathered in front of a massive oak door. "Everyone here?" Hagrid asked, raising a huge fist and knocking three times on the door.
And so, the mysterious Hogwarts was about to be revealed to the new students.
"....."