Some Families Symbolize Mystery

"Hi, Harry." Hagrid gave Harry a broad smile, then happened to glance at Abei in Aaron's arms. His eyes immediately lit up.

Having raised magical creatures for so many years, Hagrid had a good eye for them. He could say with absolute certainty that this clothed, overly adorable "cat" was far from ordinary.

"New student, your cat is quite cute. May I hold him?"

Before Aaron could respond, Abei was already shaking his head repeatedly.

Who are you? I don't know you at all. Why should I let you hold me?

"Sorry, Abei is family. As you can see, I have to respect his wishes," Aaron said. He had not intended to let Hagrid examine Abei anyway. Not only was Hagrid's scruffy, child-frightening appearance intimidating, but the strange smell clinging to his clothes was enough to make anyone keep their distance.

Besides, this giant was the Gamekeeper. He might not stand out in other areas, but he was exceptionally sensitive to animals. Aaron was only a first-year student; there was no need to reveal that he was raising a dragon.

"That's a real shame." Hagrid shrugged it off. After all, this student would be at Hogwarts for seven years. There would be plenty of chances later.

"First-years, come over here and get on the boats. Hurry up, follow me."

Hagrid continued with his work. The first-years gradually followed behind him, making their way through a long, slippery path in the darkness until they reached the edge of the Black Lake.

Across the dark lake stood a massive castle built into the hillside. Its towers rose high into the night, while pale yellow light streamed from every window, lending it an extra touch of mystery beneath the moonlight.

The new students crossed in small boats, each carrying no more than four people. Hagrid's Body Shape was large enough to count as four people by himself, so he occupied a boat alone.

Aaron, Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a boat. They looked around with curiosity and excitement, occasionally letting out sounds of wonder.

The boats soon reached the shore. After making sure no one had been left behind, Hagrid pointed to the stairs ahead. "Follow the stairs all the way up. Professor McGonagall will take care of the rest."

The first-years did as instructed. After climbing several flights of Steps, they found a witch in emerald robes and a tall black pointed hat waiting for them on the landing.

Her expression was not particularly pleasant, perhaps because she had been waiting for quite some time.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a moment, you will pass through these doors and join your fellow students. But before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your Houses.

"There are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.

"During your time here, your House will be like your home. Good behavior earns points for your House, while breaking school rules costs points.

"At the end of the year, the House with the highest score will win the House Cup. It is a great honor."

Just then, the croak of a frog came from in front of Professor McGonagall. A chubby boy among the first-years instantly widened his eyes at the familiar sound.

Neville often lost this toad. He had lost it once before boarding the train and had only managed to find it again with Hermione's help. Yet after arriving at Hogwarts, it had gone missing once more. He had searched for ages without finding it.

Now it had appeared right before his eyes. It would have been a lie to say he was not excited.

But just as Neville was about to go over, the toad hopped into his hand on its own.

"Trevor!" Neville hugged his toad in delight. Though he had no idea what had happened, that did nothing to diminish the joy of getting it back.

Professor McGonagall, however, sharply noticed the black Wand tucked inside Aaron's sleeve. The corners of her lips rose slightly as she thought that the school had recruited a rather talented young wizard this year.

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. You had best straighten your clothes and clean your faces first, as it will be held before the entire school," Professor McGonagall said before leaving the group of first-years where they stood.

At that moment, a blond boy looked at Harry and said curiously, "So what they said earlier was true. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

The first-years exchanged looks. They were all especially sensitive to the name Harry Potter.

The blond boy gestured to the two large boys standing behind him like door guardians and introduced them to Harry Potter. "This is Crabbe, and this is Goyle."

"I'm Malfoy." The blond boy stepped up to Harry, as though afraid Harry would not remember his name, and solemnly added, "Draco Malfoy."

"Pfft!" Ron could not hold back a laugh.

Malfoy shot him an angry glare. "Think my name is funny? I don't even need to ask who you are. Red hair, hand-me-down robes from your family—you must be a Weasley."

Ron pressed his lips together and glared angrily at Draco, but he ultimately could not refute the truth.

Malfoy turned to Harry. "You'll find that some wizarding families are simply superior, Potter. Don't make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you."

As he spoke, Draco extended his right hand to Harry.

"I think I can tell good people from bad myself, thanks," Harry said calmly.

Draco's expression darkened. Harry Potter had actually rejected his friendship—and in front of so many people.

That was utterly intolerable.

Just as he was about to say something, Aaron gave a light cough. "Some wizarding families are indeed superior, but if your attitude were a little better, you might get a different result."

Only then did Malfoy turn toward Aaron in the crowd of first-years. Arrogantly, he said, "Who are you? It's not your place to tell me what to do."

"Aaron!" Harry grew anxious. Malfoy looked like either the son of a wealthy family or an official's son—perhaps both, perhaps from several generations of each. What if Aaron stood up for him and got retaliated against?

Aaron ignored him. Instead, he extended his right hand with a smile. "Gaius. Aaron Gaius. Pleased to meet you."

"You're from the Gaius Family?" Malfoy's pupils contracted, and the haughty air around him instantly diminished.

"That isn't important. What matters is my attitude and your response." Aaron smiled and indicated his still-outstretched hand.

Draco blankly shook Aaron's hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"That's more like it! Attitude is the key to making friends. From the start, you put yourself on an unreachable pedestal.

"Those who know might think you're trying to make friends. Those who don't might think you're recruiting servants!

"In that situation, very few people will show you a friendly face."

"Th-thank you," Malfoy said stiffly, as if those two words were exceptionally difficult for him to say.

Ron stared wide-eyed at the scene, quietly pulling Harry a little farther away from the two of them.

He had felt a small amount of goodwill toward Aaron, but the moment Aaron interacted with Malfoy, that goodwill began to drop.

Crabbe and Goyle exchanged looks, each seeing the astonishment in the other's eyes. They were Draco's lackeys, so they naturally understood just how difficult it was for him to say the word "thanks."

At that moment, Professor McGonagall came over. Seeing the two of them shaking hands so "amicably," she was somewhat taken aback, but quickly recovered. "They're ready over there. Follow me!"

"Malfoy, is this Gaius Family famous? I don't remember them being among the Sacred Twenty-Eight," Goyle asked in confusion as they walked.

"You don't know? I only heard about them from my father," Draco said. "Pure-blood families represent noble bloodlines, except for certain families that bring shame upon pure-bloods, such as the Weasleys.

"But four wizarding families symbolize mystery. No one can determine how long they have existed, and even the vast sea of books contains scarcely a word about them.

"Rumor has it that they are always guarding something. Their names may not be well known in the wizarding world, but their heritage, connections, and influence are no weaker than those of pure-blood families.

"In my father's words, you can never imagine what trump cards these deeply hidden families possess.

"Voldemort and the previous Dark Lord once sought the support of these families, but they were either rejected or unable to find anyone at all.

"The Gaius Family is one of those mysterious families. In short, make friends with them if you can. If you cannot, then do not offend them."