Arrival

With a long, nostalgic hiss of steam, the train pulled smoothly into the platform at Hogsmeade Station.

The hiss sounded like a command, instantly bringing the entire train to life.

The carriages, which had been fairly orderly moments before, were immediately swallowed by a chaos of excitement, anxiety, and impatience.

The corridors were packed with students dragging their trunks. Older students greeted one another with practiced ease and chatted about their summer adventures, while first-years like Harry and Ron were like headless flies, swallowed by the crowd, their faces filled with confusion.

"Are we here? Is this Hogwarts—oh, my foot! Who stepped on me?"

"Look outside! Good heavens, it's even darker than Knockturn Alley!"

"Pass me my robes, quick! Don't let them wrinkle! Mum said first impressions matter when you meet the professors!"

The train pulled smoothly into the platform at Hogsmeade Station, accompanied by a long, nostalgic hiss of steam.

The hiss sounded like a command, instantly bringing the entire train to life.

The carriages, which had been fairly orderly moments before, were immediately swallowed by a chaos of excitement, anxiety, and impatience. The corridors were packed with students dragging their trunks. Older students greeted one another with practiced ease and chatted about their summer adventures, while first-years like Harry and Ron were like headless flies, swallowed by the crowd, their faces filled with confusion.

"Quick, Harry! Don't forget your trunk!" Ron struggled to pull his battered trunk down from the luggage rack. One corner struck the doorframe with a dull thud.

"My books! Standard Book of Spells is still on the seat!" Hermione was making one last check. She looked so tense, you'd think she wasn't going to school, but to an exam that would decide the fate of the world.

Amid all the noise, Lin Yuan was the only one who remained completely at ease.

He had already picked up his simple trunk and was standing by the door, leisurely observing the lively scene before him like a researcher studying a "first-year arrival in chaos."

His Soul Power spread like an invisible net, allowing him to clearly sense the subtle emotional shifts of everyone around him.

Excitement, anticipation, unease, showing off, insecurity... Countless emotions intertwined, forming a vast and chaotic field of energy.

Interesting. Intense emotional fluctuations seem to make the magical energy around a person more active. Lin Yuan silently made a note. Could this be one reason young wizards are more prone to bouts of accidental magic? Emotion is both a key and a trigger.

Just then, a voice like a great bell boomed over the noisy platform like a depth charge, instantly drowning out all the commotion.

"First-years! Hey! First-years, over here!"

The crowd parted on its own, opening a path.

A giant of a man stood there, holding a swaying lantern.

Nearly twice as tall as an ordinary person, he had a mass of untidy black hair and a beard that covered most of his face. Only his eyes showed through, gleaming with kindness like black beetles.

"Hagrid!" Harry cried out in delight.

"Hello, Harry." Hagrid grinned, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. The smile looked a little frightening, but he seemed surprisingly good-natured. "Right, follow me, everyone! Watch your step! Don't get lost!"

"Good heavens..." Ron murmured dreamily. "He... he really is Hagrid... Fred and George weren't lying. He really can use the trees in the Forbidden Forest as toothpicks..."

"Is... is he the kind of Giant who eats people?" A particularly timid blond girl in the group was so frightened that her voice had begun to tremble.

Hermione immediately pushed her glasses up her nose like a walking encyclopedia. Her know-it-all mode could activate in any stressful situation. "Don't worry! The books say he's Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds. And technically, he isn't a full-blooded Giant. He's a Half-Giant. There's a fundamental difference in biology and magical genealogy, so don't scare yourselves."

"Come along! First-years! Stay close, watch your step, and don't fall behind!"

Hagrid held up the enormous lantern and strode ahead. His huge body shielded the chattering little ones behind him from most of the biting night wind. They followed its swaying light down a steep, narrow path slick with moss.

Lin Yuan's gaze lingered on Hagrid for a moment.

Through his Spiritual Sense, he could feel that the big man's vitality and magical power burned as fiercely as a bonfire.

But the quality of that power was completely different from that of an ordinary wizard: it was rough, primal, and carried a hint of something wild and inhuman.

A Half-Giant... A magical fusion at the genetic level. That's much more interesting than simple spells. Lin Yuan mused. I wonder if this physique can store spiritual energy. Another subject to investigate.

He followed the crowd, mingling with a group of chattering young wizards who pointed at Hagrid's size and whispered among themselves as they made their way down the steep, narrow path.

Dense woods lined either side of the trail. The night wind stirred the leaves, making them rustle as if whispering among themselves. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth and pine needles. To Harry, who had grown up in an orphanage and on the streets of London, it was all impossibly new.

"You'll soon get your first glimpse of Hogwarts," Hagrid said, looking back at them. His rough voice was full of pride, as though he were introducing them to his own home.

At the end of the path, the view opened up.

A vast black lake appeared before them, its surface smooth as glass and reflecting the brilliant stars above.

Across the lake, atop a mountain, stood a castle beyond description.

It wasn't a pretty little castle from a fairy tale. It was a colossal beast, made up of countless towers and high walls, crouching beneath the night sky.

Hundreds upon hundreds of windows glowed warmly in the darkness like stars, clearly outlining its majestic silhouette.

Its beauty transcended architecture itself: a grandeur shaped by time and magic, inspiring awe in all who saw it.

"Wow..."

Someone let out an involuntary gasp, and then a chorus of astonished breaths and exclamations rose from the first-year group.