Professor McGonagall

The train gradually slowed. Harry and Ron nervously got to their feet, while Tierra remained seated on the train's sofa.

But his clenched hands showed that Tierra was not as calm as he appeared.

"In five minutes, the train will arrive at Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; we will deliver it to the school for you."

The voice echoed through the train. Tierra knew it belonged to the Hogwarts House-elves.

Harry was so nervous that everything in his stomach seemed ready to come back up. He saw that Ron's face had gone pale beneath his freckles as well.

They stuffed the remaining sweets into their pockets and joined the flow of people surging down the corridor.

The train gradually slowed, then finally came to a stop.

The young wizards shoved and jostled one another as they crowded toward the doors and stepped down onto a small, dark platform. The night air made Harry shiver.

Then a lantern swung above the students' heads, and Harry heard a familiar voice shouting, "First-years! First-years, over here!"

"Oh, Harry, Tierra, you're finally here! This way, quickly, over here! Are you all right?"

Towering over the crowd of young wizards, Hagrid stood out like a crane among chickens.

Hagrid smiled toward Tierra and Harry through his thick beard.

Tierra tried to read something from Hagrid's broad face.

But Hagrid's smile was as bright as ever, and there was nothing to see.

He had hoped Hagrid might look more serious, or perhaps a little disappointed.

Tierra squeezed over to Hagrid and gave him a big hug.

Hagrid seemed flattered and smiled even more brightly.

Tierra shook his head and followed Hagrid with the other young wizards, slipping and stumbling as they seemed to make their way down a steep, narrow path.

It was pitch-black on both sides of the path, hemmed in by dense woods. No one spoke. Only the occasional sniffle broke the silence.

Like evil dark wizards from some medieval legend, they followed a leader down a deep, moonless forest path toward a mysterious castle at the heart of the woods.

"Round this bend, and you'll get your first sight of Hogwarts!" Hagrid called over his shoulder.

At the end of the narrow path, a black lake suddenly spread out before them.

On a high hillside across the lake stood a magnificent castle, its spires rising in clusters, its windows gleaming in the darkness like diamonds.

"Hogwarts," Tierra whispered, unable to contain the excitement in his voice.

"No more than four to a boat," Hagrid called loudly, pointing at a line of little boats moored along the shore. Harry, Ron, and Tierra climbed into one boat, and Hermione followed them.

Neville could only go to the boat beside theirs.

"Everyone aboard?" Hagrid shouted, taking a boat all to himself.

"Good, then off we go!" The little fleet immediately glided across the mirror-still lake.

No one spoke. They all stared at the enormous castle looming into the clouds. As they drew closer to the cliff where the castle stood, it seemed to tower directly above them. "Heads down!" Hagrid shouted as the first boats neared the cliff face.

Everyone ducked, and the boats carried them through a curtain of ivy draped over the cliff face into a hidden, open entrance.

They seemed to arrive beneath the castle through a dark tunnel.

At last, they reached something like an underground dock, then climbed onto ground covered in gravel and small pebbles.

"Hey! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asked, pointing at an empty boat while checking the empty seats.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Neville said in delight, hurriedly taking the toad from Hagrid.

Then they followed Hagrid along a winding path until they reached a huge wooden door.

Hagrid raised his enormous hand and knocked three times on the door.

The wooden door slowly opened.

Standing behind it was an elderly witch in emerald-green robes, her hair pinned up without a strand out of place, her nose sharply defined.

"First-years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here. Go enjoy the feast." Professor McGonagall nodded.

Professor McGonagall pulled the doors wide open. The hall was big enough to hold ten Gringotts, with a ceiling so high its top was nearly invisible. Torches blazed around the stone walls. It was even grander and more magnificent than what Tierra had seen in movies in his previous life.

Tierra followed behind Harry. His body trembled beyond his control, the knuckles of his fingers white from clenching them so tightly. He pressed his lips together, desperately trying not to suddenly grin like an idiot.

Tierra knew that if he did not control himself, he would definitely laugh, because this was exactly how he had reacted the first time he entered the Universal Studios Harry Potter area.

Back then, he had been surrounded by a crowd of people grinning foolishly. Now, he was surrounded by young wizards with nervous faces.

"Tierra, don't be nervous..." Ron lightly patted Tierra's shoulder. "My brother... my brothers said the entrance ceremony wouldn't—wouldn't be too hard. They won't send us packing, right?"

Ron thought Tierra was nervous, so he quietly tried to reassure him.

"Oh, all right. Thank you, Ron," Tierra said, taking a deep breath and trying to relax his body.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. "The start-of-term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must first be sorted into your respective Houses. Sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you are at school, your House will be like your home at Hogwarts. You will attend classes with the other students in your House, sleep in your House dormitories, and spend your free time together in your House Common Room."

The group was family; comrades were siblings.

For some reason, Tierra suddenly thought of that saying.

"The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own proud history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. During your time at Hogwarts, your achievements will earn points for your House, while any rule-breaking will lose points for it. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup, a great honor. I hope that whichever House you are sorted into, you will bring it glory."

Soon, you'll become Gryffin-divided.

"In a few minutes, the Sorting Ceremony will be held before the entire school. I suggest that while you wait, you tidy yourselves up and look a little more presentable. After all, this is an important occasion."

Her gaze drifted over Neville's cloak and the smudge on Ron's nose. When she saw Tierra's impeccably neat hair and clothing, she silently nodded.

Harry nervously tried with all his might to smooth down his hair.

"When they are ready over there, I will come and collect you," Professor McGonagall said. "Please remain quiet while you wait."

Only after Professor McGonagall left the room did Harry finally let out a breath.