The Train Finally Reaches Its Destination

"How magical! How did they do that?" Vizet was very curious about this. "It shouldn't be ordinary magic, right? How did they know where we lived?"

"That's a rather complicated question... Perhaps it was some kind of magical creature?" Cho Chang tilted her head in thought. "According to our guess, House-elves helped move our luggage."

Vizet heard a new term. "House-elves?"

"Mm-hmm..." Cho Chang stretched lazily. "They're similar to Goblins in height and appearance, but House-elves look much friendlier."

"They usually live in ancient magical manors, doing housework every day and unconditionally fulfilling all the requests of their Wizard masters."

"A qualified House-elf is very difficult for Wizards to notice, so I've never seen what they actually look like either."

The train gradually slowed down, and another commotion broke out in the carriage, accompanied by a series of loud howls.

Quite a few students had changed into their robes. After hearing the noise, they all hurried toward the end of the carriage.

"It sounds like Harry Potter is fighting someone..."

"Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived? He's finally starting school!"

"Let's go take a look! It seems like someone from the Malfoy Family started it. He's actually fighting The Chosen One!"

Vizet stepped into the corridor and found it packed with students. They were all pushing toward the back. "This is crazy. It's like chasing a celebrity..."

Night fell, and the Hogwarts Express finally came to a stop at a small, uneven station.

There were no lights or torches around the platform. The cold wind howled, and quite a few students who got off began sneezing.

"We'll say goodbye for now." Cho Chang waved at Vizet. "You New Students have to follow tradition and enter Hogwarts from somewhere else."

Vizet asked, "Follow tradition? Is it the Sorting Ceremony?"

"No!" Cho Chang breathed into her palms and rubbed them vigorously. "It's retracing the path taken by the four founders when they discovered the castle. In short, the road is rather rugged."

"First-year students! First-year students, over here!" A thunderous voice rang out. "Watch your step! Be very careful! Come over here quickly!"

Vizet turned and saw a huge lantern appear in the distance. The person holding it was Hagrid.

"Hey! Vizet! I've finally found you!" Hagrid spotted him as well and waved his massive hand. "Come over here! Come stand beside me!"

Relying on his height of over three meters, Hagrid reached over several people and hoisted Vizet to his side.

He grinned and said, "It's great to see you! Have you been bothered lately? The Daily Prophet has been behaving itself much more. I don't think there's been anything, right?"

"Harry's enrolled, after all, so most of the reports are focused on him. He's incredibly famous in the Magical World! I'll introduce you to him... Harry, where are you?"

Hagrid's height gave him a tremendous advantage. Like the claw in an arcade claw machine, he easily grabbed Harry.

Harry had a pair of Emerald Green eyes, and his messy black hair made him look rather disheveled. He seemed somewhat thin and frail.

After Hagrid carried him over, another familiar face pushed through the crowd and came before Vizet.

Ron waved and said, "We've met before! That time with the Floo Network. Do you remember me?"

Vizet nodded. "Of course I remember. It's nice to meet you both."

Ron turned to Harry and said, "This is Vizet. I told you about him on the train!"

Harry suddenly looked enlightened. "So it's you. Hagrid often talked about you when he took me to Diagon Alley. He said you helped him a great deal."

Vizet explained, "It was just a small favor. I had no choice at the time."

Hagrid cut in, "That wasn't just a small favor. You not only helped me—you also helped Headmaster Dumbledore!"

"Headmaster Dumbledore?" Vizet looked puzzled.

"Oh... never mind!" Hagrid realized what he had done and awkwardly changed the subject. "We should get going! We still have a long way to walk!"

The road to Hogwarts was difficult to travel. The ground was full of potholes, and without the lantern's light, it was easy to step into one and trip.

Such accidents happened often. Hagrid had to stop repeatedly to pick up children who had fallen.

Because of Hagrid's astonishing size, the children did not cry or make a fuss. Only the tears glimmering at the corners of their eyes betrayed them.

Ron sighed. "Luckily, I squeezed my way to the front. We've still got plenty of trials ahead of us today!"

"What other trials are there?" Harry hurriedly asked.

Ron spoke with great seriousness. "Fred and the others said the Sorting Ceremony is terrifying. We might have to fight a Giant!"

"A Giant?" Harry looked up at Hagrid. "Even taller than him?"

Ron shook his head. "I don't know. Anyway, taller than Hagrid!"

Hermione's voice sounded somewhat out of place. "A true Giant is at least twenty feet tall. It's unbelievable that those short people are discriminated against."

"Oh..." Ron let out a wail and suddenly fell silent.

Harry reacted similarly, and the two of them promptly shut their mouths.

Just as Hermione was about to continue, Hagrid once again let out a deafening shout.

"Hang in there a little longer! Once we turn this corner, you'll be able to see Hogwarts!"

Before long, a Black Lake appeared before Vizet.

Across the vast lake stood a high hillside, where a magnificent castle bristling with towers rose into the sky.

It was a castle with a strong Gothic style. Warm light shone through window after window, resembling twinkling Stars beneath the night sky.

Vizet let out a long breath. Although he had seen many magnificent buildings on television in his previous life, only being there in person allowed him to truly feel their grandeur.

Especially beneath the Magic Eye, the towering castle radiated light from end to end. Its Silver-Blue Magic was as dazzling as the sun, making him afraid to look directly at it.

This castle contained a vast Ancient Magic Power. Those powers seemed like treasures sealed inside a chest, drawing him toward exploration.

A great deal of information surged into Vizet's mind, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

He hurriedly circulated Guardian Meditation, and the dizzy sensation gradually eased and vanished.

At that moment, the Wizard Combat Guide in his mind suddenly flipped open. A map appeared on the notes—the map of the area where Hogwarts stood.

The map was shrouded in mist, and the castle and lake could only barely be made out.

Only one route was clearly visible: the rugged path from the station to the lake.

It was obvious that to dispel the mist covering the map, he would have to explore the area around Hogwarts.

"Looks like life won't be boring in the future!" Vizet smiled.

Hagrid pointed at the Small boats. "Board them in order! We'll cross to the other side of the lake by boat. Each boat can hold at most four people."

Vizet boarded a Small boat with Hermione, Ron, and Harry.

At Hagrid's command, the Small boat began moving on its own, heading toward the opposite shore at a decent speed.

"Trevor! Don't run!" Along with Neville's scream, his Pet Toad broke free from its owner's arms again and leaped into the water.

Ron watched the Pet Toad Trevor fall into the water and murmured softly, "At least Scabbers isn't that rebellious. He doesn't try to escape..."

Vizet drew his Wand. "Accio, Pet Toad Trevor!"

With the help of Guardian Meditation, his casting speed was even faster this time.

The moment Pet Toad Trevor touched the lake water, magic seized it and violently pulled it backward out of the lake, sending a sheet of water spraying into the air.

Amid the children's astonished cries, Pet Toad Trevor traced half an arc through the air before tumbling into Neville's arms.

Harry and Ron stared wide-eyed. "What kind of magic was that?"