After a long while, Harry finally came back to his senses and gazed at Charlie in admiration.
"Charlie, you're practically the devil incarnate."
Ron nodded repeatedly. He had never heard anything so earth-shattering, and he silently vowed never to get on Charlie's bad side.
He didn't want anything to happen to his mother.
Harry rubbed his hands together a little shyly. "Could you teach me?"
He'd insulted Dudley at the Dursleys' house before, but compared to Charlie, he was hopeless.
Once he learned Charlie's Argumentation Manual, wouldn't he be able to cuss Dudley to death?
Charlie perked up. He'd come up with these techniques in his previous life, arguing with people online.
They were practically the Sunflower Manual of arguing. Seeing Harry's interest, he exclaimed that he was glad to have a kindred spirit.
He began teaching the two of them.
"The art of insulting someone is all about precision strikes and covering every angle."
"What do you mean, exactly?"
"The core secret is to take their mother as the center and three generations above and below as the radius, then greet every last one of them."
Ron's eyes widened. "What does that mean?"
"Simply put, you insult everyone from his grandparents to his grandchildren, with special attention to his mother."
Harry smiled awkwardly, a troubled look passing through his eyes.
Dudley was his cousin, his aunt's son. If he insulted everyone like that, wouldn't he be insulting himself too?
He'd better not. That trick wouldn't work for him.
Just then, the train began to slow, and an announcement came over the speakers. "Hogwarts is here. Please prepare to disembark."
The three of them excitedly gathered their things and left the compartment.
The night air was cool, and the station was bustling with voices.
"First-years! First-years, over here!"
A huge figure stood out from the crowd. It was Hagrid.
He held up a lantern and called out loudly.
Charlie, Harry, and Ron hurried over and joined the other first-years gathered around Hagrid.
"Oh, Harry."
He greeted Harry excitedly when he saw him.
"Is everyone here? Good, follow me." Hagrid turned and started walking.
"Watch your step."
They walked down a rough path, with dense forest on either side.
The trees blocked out the moonlight, leaving everything around them pitch-black. Only Hagrid's lantern struggled to light the way.
Some of the young wizards were frightened and instinctively huddled together, making the already narrow path even more crowded.
Charlie couldn't take it anymore. He kept feeling like someone was groping his butt as they squeezed along.
He pulled out his Wand.
"Lumos."
A ball of light appeared at the tip of his Wand, illuminating the surroundings.
"Now we can see the path."
The young wizards were thrilled and spontaneously followed him.
Hagrid looked back and saw the young wizards trailing behind the figure ahead like stars around the moon.
For a moment, he was stunned.
The graceful figure and the way everyone followed him reminded Hagrid of someone.
"Dumbledore's woolly socks! We've got a formidable one among this year's first-years."
Before long, they reached the edge of a black lake.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid pointed to the little boats moored by the lakeshore.
Charlie, Harry, and Ron naturally got into the same boat. The fourth seat went to a boy Charlie didn't know.
The boy looked nervous and clung tightly to the side of the boat.
"Off we go!" Hagrid shouted.
The boats began gliding across the lake on their own. There were no oars and no one steering them; they simply moved smoothly forward.
When the full view of Hogwarts Castle appeared before them, everyone gasped in wonder.
The enormous castle stood atop a high cliff, its turrets pointing straight at the stars.
The castle windows glittered in the night, their reflections shimmering on the Black Lake. Moonlight fell across the ancient stone walls, and the whole castle radiated a mysterious, solemn air.
Charlie stared, transfixed.
Seeing this magical castle with his own eyes was so stunning that he held his breath.
"So this is Hogwarts." Harry couldn't help marveling too.
Although Ron had grown up in the Wizarding World, this was his first time at Hogwarts as well, and he was just as awestruck by the magnificent sight.
The boats drew slowly closer to the castle, then finally stopped at a small harbor below it.
"Mind your heads!" Hagrid warned.
Everyone ducked beneath a rocky passage draped in ivy and came to an open space in front of the castle's main entrance.
Hagrid raised his enormous fist and knocked on the castle doors three times.
The doors opened at once.
Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, dressed in dark green robes and wearing a pointed hat.
Hagrid handed the group over to Professor McGonagall.
She pushed open the door, revealing the magnificent Entrance Hall beyond.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall's voice rang clearly throughout the Entrance Hall.
"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 houses."
She explained that Hogwarts had four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
"The Sorting Ceremony will begin in a few minutes. While you wait, I suggest you make yourselves look a little more presentable."
With that, Professor McGonagall turned and left.
The first-years began whispering nervously among themselves.
"I'm so nervous. Do you know how they sort us? Say something to make me feel better," Harry asked anxiously.
Ron was nervous too. "I heard from my brother that we have to fight a Troll. Only the winners get sorted."
Harry: ...
Thanks. That actually helped.
Behind them, a certain young witch turned deathly pale and began nervously muttering the spells she'd learned over the summer, trying to figure out which one could take down a Troll.
Harry heard her muttering and grew even more nervous.
He didn't know a single spell. If they really had to fight a Troll, wouldn't he be chopped into mince on his very first day?
Charlie glanced at the two of them. Were these two idiots?
Fight a boss as soon as you start school? Was this a school or the Yang Yongxin Concentration Camp?
Soon, Professor McGonagall returned.
"Now, form a single line and follow me."
The doors opened, revealing the magnificent Great Hall.
The ceiling was so high its top couldn't be seen, and countless candles floated above them.
Four long tables stood in the Great Hall, with students packed along each one.
The tables were covered with gleaming golden plates and goblets.
At the very back of the Great Hall stood another table, set crosswise. That was the High Table.
Charlie glanced at the High Table. An old man with a beard that nearly reached the floor was smiling at them.
That must be Dumbledore.
The first-years stepped nervously into the Great Hall.
Everyone's eyes turned toward them, making the already anxious young wizards even more flustered.
Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of them, with a hat on top.
The hat was filthy and tattered, covered in patches.
Suddenly, a rip appeared in the hat, and it began to sing like a mouth:
"You may think I'm not pretty..."
Well, it wasn't exactly that it wasn't pretty. It was just a little ugly.
Before you continue