The train finally slowed to a stop near the Hogsmeade platform.
However, the weather around the station was terrible. The sky was dark and overcast, and rain poured down in sheets.
The moment the train doors opened, howling wind and rolling thunder surged in from outside.
A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting Black Lake and instantly charring a small squid that had poked its head above the surface.
"Why was it this awful kind of weather again?" Hermione complained under her breath. "It seemed to be this bad in previous years too. It was really miserable."
"The prefects still had to maintain order and make sure the younger students didn't crowd together, in case someone got trampled."
"But in weather like this... Harley, you were really in for it today."
"Not necessarily." Harley chuckled and looked up at the sky, a green rim glinting in her eyes.
The thunder stopped at once. The lightning tearing across the sky vanished, the torrential rain retreated back into the clouds, and the biting gale gradually faded away.
Seeing Hermione's astonished expression, Harley raised one finger.
"Don't be surprised. It was just a little help from a Weather Charm."
Soon, with the prefects' assistance, the students had all disembarked from the train.
A strange but crisp female voice rang out.
"First-year students, line up here! All first-years, follow me!"
A lantern swayed out of the darkness not far away, carried by an elderly Witch.
Her gray-white hair was cut short, her chin jutted out, and every inch of her looked meticulous.
"Who was that? Where's Hagrid?"
"I think that was Professor Grubbly-Plank," Harley quietly explained to Hermione.
"I saw a photograph of her with Newt. She'd always been a master of magical creatures, and she was willing to substitute for