The Legend of the Four Founders

The sky gradually darkened.

The frigid air and gathering clouds hastened nightfall.

"Found them!"

The enormous Half-Giant Hagrid, his face buried beneath a wild beard, lit the lantern in his hand and led a crowd of Young Wizards toward the Black Lake.

"What's with those two over there?"

"Are they new students this year too? Why didn't they take the train with us?"

"Maybe they live near Hogwarts."

Ian and Aurora, crouching by the Black Lake and playing with the water, immediately drew the attention of many Young Wizards. They chattered softly as they followed behind Hagrid.

"You must be the two children Dumbledore mentioned?" Hagrid still held his pink little umbrella in his other hand, a stark contrast to his massive frame.

"If there's nobody else here, then that should be us." Aurora had to tilt her head back to see Hagrid's bearded face.

"Professor, you're finally here. We've been waiting forever." Ian quickly picked up his suitcase and walked with Aurora toward the crowd of new students.

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry. Finding a lost student delayed me a bit." Hagrid laughed so hard his beard trembled. He ruffled Ian's hair with one huge hand. "Just call me Hagrid. I'm only the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, don't get it wrong. You're such a cute Little Guy."

Clearly.

Being called professor had truly delighted Hagrid.

"It's all the same, all the same."

Ian felt as though that massive hand could cover his entire skull.

"Now that everyone's here, hurry and get in the boats. We're running out of time."

Hagrid was always easy to make a Good impression on. Seeing how small and skinny Ian was, he even tucked the little red umbrella into his waistband and effortlessly freed up a hand to carry Ian and Aurora's suitcases.

"Thank you, Professor Hagrid. You're a good person."

Ian eagerly followed behind Hagrid, while Aurora seemed to have realized something as she fell into thought. Together, they joined the group of Young Wizards following Hagrid.

However.

No one spoke to them.

First friendships.

Almost always began aboard the Hogwarts Express. The encounters that happened within those compartments had, to a great extent, already determined the first social circles of the Young Wizards.

The group soon arrived at the boat landing on the Black Lake.

"Four to a boat! No fighting, no crowding! It's for your safety!" Hagrid bellowed at the eager Young Wizards.

Then.

He casually tossed Ian and Aurora's suitcases into one of the boats before them—Ian and Aurora naturally had no choice but to climb into that little boat without hesitation.

"You! Yes, you! No cramming ten people into one boat!"

Hagrid ran toward the other Young Wizards.

At that moment.

Two girls came over at different times and climbed into the boat where Ian and Aurora sat. They probably did not know each other well, since they left quite a large gap between themselves when they sat opposite Ian and Aurora.

"Hello."

One of the girls warmly greeted Ian and Aurora.

Aurora gave a slight nod.

Ian let out a long breath.

"I thought we'd have to take a boat to school with that big guy Hagrid."

He was rather relieved that everyone in the boat was a Little Guy like himself.

"You called him professor just now, and you said he was a good person. But now you're saying you don't want to share a boat with him?" Aurora glanced at Ian in mild surprise.

"That's not a matter of wanting to or not."

Ian replied righteously, "Of course I think he's a good person, but what does that have to do with the possibility of our boat capsizing?"

What a convincing argument.

Even the girl across from them who had warmly greeted them earlier could not help nodding.

Just then.

"Sit tight, everyone. We're off." Hagrid found a boat for himself. With his shout, all the little boats began moving automatically across the mirror-smooth lake.

"This isn't scientific!"

Ian stared at Hagrid's boat. Its draft was no different from the others, despite Hagrid's enormous weight. He could not help sounding surprised before murmuring in sudden realization.

"But it certainly is magical."

One Hagrid could not possibly weigh the same as only four Young Wizards. The boats ferrying Young Wizards to Hogwarts were clearly some kind of Alchemical Creation with multiple functions.

Feeling the boat sail on its own.

Ian began looking forward to studying alchemy.

"Your eyes are so beautiful."

The friendly girl noticed Aurora's eyes.

"Thank you."

Aurora answered flatly.

"My name is Cho Chang. I hope we can be friends." The friendly girl sitting opposite them held out her hand to Aurora. After hesitating briefly, Aurora lightly shook it.

However.

She did not introduce herself at all.

"She has autism. She doesn't like talking."

Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward, Ian hurriedly tried to smooth things over for his companion. Still, that excuse made Aurora turn to look at him several times.

"So that's how it is."

It was impossible to tell whether Cho Chang believed him.

"Just call me Ian. Unlike her, I like talking."

Ian enthusiastically reached out and shook Cho Chang's hand. Looking at Harry's first love, he found that she indeed had the delicate features of a typical Asian girl.

"Lumos!"

As the sky darkened, the aloof girl who had remained silent all this time suddenly drew her wand and cast the spell. A gentle white light hovered at its tip.

She seemed to truly be someone who did not like talking by nature, having had no interaction with Ian and the others at all.

"Lumos!"

"Lumos!"

Aside from their boat.

White lights also began to appear occasionally on the other boats.

Across the lake.

One little boat after another drifted neatly toward Hogwarts Castle, leaving winding trails in the water that traced a painting-like path through the boundless night.

"It is said that the Four Founders of Hogwarts arrived over there by boat and founded Hogwarts." Cho Chang seemed to have a naturally outgoing personality.

She gazed at the silhouette of Hogwarts Castle in the distance, displaying the urge to share knowledge that would eventually place her in Ravenclaw. "I remember someone once telling me a story. They said that when Young Wizards crossed the lake, they received the blessings of the Four Founders, and the legacy of the Four Founders would cleanse their magic once."

Her leisurely words made Ian perk up.

A moment later.

"Rumor! Absolutely a rumor!"

Ian checked his Personal Panel and sighed in disappointment.

Women could deceive him.

But the Personal Panel would not.

"I said it was just a story. Of course it might not be true." Cho Chang tucked back her hair and smiled lightly, not caring why Ian had contradicted her.

"I don't mind you chatting."

At that moment.

The aloof girl holding the glowing wand suddenly spoke. "I merely suggest that, rather than discussing vague legends, perhaps you should pay more attention to the danger right in front of you."

Her sudden words left Ian and the others slightly stunned.

Danger?

What danger could Hogwarts possibly have?

I recommend a friend's book. Give it a look if you're interested: Simultaneous Transmigration! But a Silver Super Saiyan.