The journey from London, spanning the southeastern plains of England and the Scottish Highlands, finally reached Hogsmeade Station late at night.
Rolf and the others changed into their robes and followed the crowd off the train, many new Hogwarts Students were greatly disappointed by the scene before them.
Hogsmeade Station, shrouded in night, stood in the wilderness, surrounded by overgrown weeds, desolate and dilapidated.
Where were the grand Castles and mansions promised during enrollment? This was too much! If they had known earlier, it would have been a recruitment deterrent!
From the distant forest, the calls of night owls occasionally echoed, one after another, truly eerie… as if they were in a deserted tomb.
Many Hogwarts Students were so scared that their legs trembled and their bodies shook.
Neville clutched Trevor tightly, as if that was the only way he could feel safe. Hermione swallowed, she truly wanted to drop out and go home now.
To hell with her Witch dream!
Even Shirley unconsciously moved closer to Rolf, she hadn't brought her baseball bat off the train… a miscalculation.
Rolf chuckled, "Are you all scared already?"
Hermione clenched her fists, half-stubbornly and half-to cheer herself up, she said, "Who's scared!"
"Good that you're not scared, there's really nothing to be afraid of." Unexpectedly, Rolf's tone shifted, and he deliberately lowered his voice, "By the way, there was once a Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts who committed suicide by lying on the tracks here, his blood stained the train red. Otherwise, why do you think the train is painted red…"
Hermione was stunned again.
The young man's face suddenly stiffened. He raised his arm, pointed into the distance, and opened his mouth, his lips forming two words:
"Ghost."
Hermione, usually quite feisty, screamed in terror and quickly hugged Shirley.
Shirley first comforted the girl, then looked up again, gazing at Rolf and glaring at him without any real menace: "Alright, stop scaring her!"
"It's not really scaring her," Rolf explained with a smile. "Some Wizards do become ghosts after they die, and Hogwarts has quite a few, but they are generally harmless."
Shirley was thoughtful, implying there were "not generally harmless" ones; Hermione, on the other hand, had her mouth wide open, her face full of disbelief, there really were ghosts?
This was something not mentioned in "Hogwarts, A History"!
At this moment, a deep, resonant voice suddenly echoed in everyone's ears.
"First-year Hogwarts Students! Come over here quickly!"
A Giant of incredibly robust build walked over. He was almost two adults tall, with messy hair and a full beard. In his hand, he carried an inherited dim oil lamp, its handle polished smooth from constant use.
"My name is Rubeus Hagrid, I am the Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts, and I'm here to escort you across the lake into Hogwarts Castle."
It was the first time they had seen such a tall person, the Hogwarts Students were dumbfounded. Although Hagrid looked fierce, he was incredibly gentle towards the students. He smiled and said:
"Stop staring, Professor Dumbledore is waiting. Alright, all first-years follow along, watch your step!"
Hagrid, like a Giant tractor, slowly walked at the front. The oil lamp in his hand swayed slightly, its light flickering in the darkness, like a lighthouse in the sea.
The oil lamp could only illuminate a small area. Goyle and Crabbe, being tall and large, protected the almost fully recovered Malfoy, fiercely occupying the brightest central position.
However, there were too many people, and the Hogwarts Students pushed and shoved together. Malfoy didn't gloat for long before he cried out sharply:
"My shoes! My shoes! Ahhh!"
Rolf led Neville and the two others along the edge of the crowd. Several yellow-edged fireflies emerged from his pocket, swirling like streaks of light and emitting a soft glow.
After walking along the steep, narrow path for some time, many were exhausted and complained, refusing to move forward. Hagrid turned his head and encouraged them loudly:
"Come on, just a few more dozen meters, past that bend, and you'll see Hogwarts Castle. Don't give up and miss the most beautiful scenery in the magic world…"
The Hogwarts Students' appetites were whetted. They continued downhill, hurrying to the end, turning past a steep rock face, and finally stepped onto a large stone platform. The view suddenly opened up, making them hold their breath.
A large lake came into view. On the high slope across the lake stood a majestic thousand-year-old Castle, with countless spires and brilliant lights, a sight not of this world.
Tonight, there was no moon.
But the flickering candlelight within Hogwarts Castle reflected in the lake, the clear waters shimmering and sparkling as if it were daytime.
Rolf stood by the lake, and even he felt this scene was a rare beauty in his life.
Hagrid was very pleased with the Hogwarts Students' expressions. This was his favorite annual tradition. Walking to the dock where the small boats were moored, Hagrid shouted, "Everyone take a boat across the lake! No more than four people per boat!"
Rolf jumped into a small boat, followed closely by Hermione, Shirley, and Neville.
Hagrid squatted alone in one boat; his size was too great, like an elephant crammed into a refrigerator, making for a particularly comical sight.
"Is everyone on board? Good then… Let's go!"
The small boats, without oars or sails, moved automatically, rising and falling with the currents, constantly splashing waves onto the Hogwarts Students.
Neville turned sideways, gripping the gunwale tightly with both hands, seemingly afraid of falling into the water. His voice trembling, he asked, "Why do we have to take a boat? Will we have to take a boat to get into school from now on?"
Hermione, the walking encyclopedia, whispered, "'Hogwarts, A History' states that crossing the lake is a traditional ceremony at Hogwarts. Every year, first-year Hogwarts Students must take small boats across the lake to reach the Castle.
This is to mimic the scene of the four great Wizards arriving at Hogwarts when the school was first founded."
Shirley sat by the boat's edge, reaching out to scoop up a handful of water. The lake water rippled gently in her palm. She suddenly turned her head, her wine-red ponytail sweeping a beautiful arc in the air.
The girl pointed into the distance and asked, "What's that?"
Rolf, who was sitting nearby and almost got swept by the ponytail, softly explained, "They are the ruby short-tailed fish unique to the Black Lake."
Rolf pulled out a handful of fish bait from somewhere and scattered it into the lake. Nearly a hundred ruby short-tailed fish crowded together, creating rolling red waves, a spectacular sight.
Shirley stood in the center of the small boat, gazing into the distance, and whispered, "It's beautiful."
"Indeed," Rolf smacked his lips, drooling. "The meat must be very delicious. Fishing here definitely wouldn't be a bust."
"..."
The small boats crossed the lake without incident, arriving at a place similar to an underground dock. Everyone disembarked and followed a slope up a pebble path, eventually reaching a flat, damp grassy area.
They followed the stone steps to a huge oak door.
Hagrid raised his enormous fist and knocked three times on the Castle gate. The door creaked open, and out walked a…
Middle-aged old man!
Malfoy became excited when he saw the man. He immediately went to greet him, whispering something. A moment later, he swaggered over to Rolf.
That arrogant defiance returned, Malfoy's face was provocative, as if saying:
"Scamander, you're good at fighting? What good is fighting? To get by, you need influence, you need connections!"
Rolf glanced speechlessly at Malfoy… The sky cleared, the rain stopped, and he thought he was hot stuff again?!
...