The sunlight on September 1st was exceptionally bright, as if even the heavens were celebrating the new students' enrollment.
The sky above London was clear, with a few wisps of clouds hanging against the azure backdrop. A refreshing breeze brushed past everyone's ears, whispering gently and causing them to feel intoxicated.
Maca had bought a new suitcase in Diagon Alley. It was a second-hand item from a junk shop. The Undetectable Extension Charm inside was a bit damaged, reducing its space, but fortunately, the Ministry of Magic's permit sticker was still firmly affixed to the inside of the lid.
Maca had done his best to downplay the suitcase and, after haggling several times, finally bought it at a bargain price, though it still pained him a bit. Right now, he was strolling easily along the platform corridor of King's Cross Station, enjoying the happy mood that he had bought with Galleons – the journey was so pleasant, with only an owl and a light suitcase.
Soon, he arrived between Platform 9 and Platform 10, but he hesitated, staring at the sturdy supporting pillar.
"Oh?" Maca reached out his hand, and sure enough, it passed through the brick pillar, revealing an astonished expression on his face.
The first time was always a bit awkward. Although there was no pain, there was still some nervousness. With a small step forward, he found himself having passed through, arriving at the real Hogwarts Express platform.
The steam from the engine swirled above the chattering crowd, and cats of all colors wove between people's feet. Amidst the hum of conversation and the clatter of heavy luggage, owls screeched, answering each other.
The owl perched on Maca's left shoulder looked much larger than the others and was very quiet, unlike the little ones that kept hooting incessantly. It blinked its bright eyes, observing the crowded corridor ahead without any reaction.
Yes, after spending some time together, Maca found that his pure black owl didn't seem to like staying in a cage. Ever since he let it out, it hadn't gone back.
"Mafa, let's go!" Maca had given it a rather imposing name – Mafario, but he called it "Mafa" for short.
"Hoo." Mafa gave a soft hoot of agreement.
There were already many people in the carriages. Maca had passed several carriages without seeing anyone he knew, so he casually chose a compartment with fewer people and went inside.
"Oh, good morning!" Maca nodded to the person inside the compartment from the doorway. "Do you mind if I sit here?"
"Of course, come in!" a black-haired boy replied immediately.
The boy looked a little reserved, as if he wasn't very good at socializing. After answering a question, he retreated back into his seat and didn't say anything else.
"Do you mind introducing yourself?" Maca saw the atmosphere in the compartment was a bit cold, so he started a conversation. "I'm Maca, Maca McLaine, and you?"
"...Anthony Goldstein," the black-haired boy mumbled, looking even more nervous.
It seemed he really wasn't good at chatting. Maca nodded and didn't try to talk to him further. He had a lot of things to do! For example, studying, studying, and more studying.
He took out a copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi from his suitcase and began to read carefully – it was quite thick, and the variety of plants inside was extremely complex. He had only memorized a small portion of it so far.
After a while, two more people entered the compartment. It seemed that because there were more people, the black-haired Anthony was in an unnatural state from the beginning. He kept forcing himself to look out the window, pretending to be looking at the scenery.
"Hello everyone! My name is Ernie Macmillan, and I'm very happy to meet you all." The blond boy who had just entered looked very cheerful. He looked at Maca, who was sitting opposite him, and greeted him loudly.
Maca nodded at him, smiled, and introduced himself. Then he turned his head to look at the last girl who had come in.
"Um, that…" The girl was vigorously smoothing down her long, brown hair, as if trying to make it lie flatter. She didn't seem very happy with her naturally wavy hair.
"Lisa, Lisa Turpin… oh!" She was talking when she suddenly yelped in pain, probably having pulled out a few hairs from being too rough.
"Hey, Maca! Say, what book are you reading?" Ernie was short and plump, but his clothes were stylish and bright, suggesting he came from a well-off family.
However, Maca didn't detect the arrogance often found in those of noble birth, so he seemed like a friend worth getting to know.
"Oh, I'm reading a textbook!" Maca held the book up, showing the cover to Ernie.
"Oh! I have that book at home too, but I never thought about reading it. It's too thick, and the title probably makes it sound boring." Ernie scratched his head, messing up his neatly styled blond hair.
Lisa, sitting next to Maca, frowned at Ernie's hair, but didn't say anything, instead turning her head to look at Maca.
Maca had always thought that maintaining a neat appearance was a necessary task, as it could make others like you. After all, most people preferred tidy clothes and a clean appearance, although Maca personally thought that comfort was all that mattered.
Lisa discreetly sized up Maca, then nodded in satisfaction.
Apparently, this seemingly cute girl not only had high standards for her own appearance, but for others as well.
After that, except for Anthony, who barely spoke, the other three had some initial conversations and agreed to keep in touch at school. Of course, Lisa obviously preferred talking to Maca, though the somewhat thick-skinned Ernie didn't notice this.
As for the gains from the journey, besides memorizing dozens of herbs, the only other thing was "briefly meeting Miss Hermione Granger"!
However, her arrogant attitude, rapid speech, and hasty way of doing things really made Maca a little unable to cope. After he gave a few perfunctory replies, Hermione hurried off again.
Right, she was helping Neville find a toad – that's probably it. In fact, Maca hadn't heard much, as his attention was entirely focused on memorizing the names of the herbs!
The Hogwarts Express traveled all day, and it was already dark when the train began to slow down.
The train's final stop was set across the lake from the back door of Hogwarts. The new students all had to take four-person boats to Hogwarts, which could probably be considered one of Hogwarts' traditions. Of course, if you find you get seasick later, you might be able to go around the lake to the front door, although that does sound a bit silly.
"Heads down!" Hagrid, who was in charge of one of the boats, shouted as the first few small boats approached the cliff.
Everyone ducked, and the boats carried them through the ivy-covered cliff face, arriving at a hidden, open entrance. They seemed to go along a dark tunnel, arriving at the castle's underground, before finally reaching a place resembling an underground dock, and then climbing onto a ground of gravel and small pebbles.
Under the light of Hagrid's lantern, the new students climbed a tunnel in the rock, finally arriving at a flat, damp patch of grass in the shadow of the castle.
Everyone climbed a flight of stone steps and gathered in front of a huge oak door.
"Are we all here?" Hagrid raised his huge fist and knocked on the castle door three times.
The door swung open, and a tall, dark-haired witch in emerald robes stood before them. She looked stern, and clearly wasn't someone to be trifled with.
"First years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take over from here."
It really was Hogwarts Castle, because even the back hall was huge. A row of blazing torches were stuck in the stone walls, and the ceiling was so high that it was almost out of sight. In front was a luxurious marble staircase that led all the way upstairs.
Murmurs were faintly coming from the door on the right; the upperclassmen of Hogwarts must have already arrived. But Professor McGonagall did not take them directly inside, instead leading everyone to an empty room opposite the hall.
This empty room wasn't large, and the new students were packed together, shoulder to shoulder. Most of them were nervously observing their surroundings.
Maca was no exception, naturally. He carried his suitcase and was once squeezed into the corner by the crowd, even his owl, Mafa, had to stand on his head.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The Opening Feast is about to begin, but before you are seated in the Great Hall, you must first determine which house you will be in. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because your house will be like your home at Hogwarts…"
Maca was squeezed at the back and wasn't interested in listening to Professor McGonagall's speech, quietly waiting for everything to begin.
"...I will come and get you when they are ready," Professor McGonagall said. "Please remain quiet while you wait."
As soon as Professor McGonagall finished speaking, Maca suddenly heard a "gurgle."
"Leif!" a boy's shout came from the front, and Maca shook his head, both amused and exasperated.
"Silence, please!"
Professor McGonagall repeated sternly, then left the room. Maca immediately heard several people chuckling from the front.
"Oh—!" Suddenly, several people screamed.
"What's going on now?" Maca grumbled, tiptoeing to look ahead. "Huh, that's—"
....
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