The Gates of Hogwarts

Under the night sky, the Black Lake lay like a vast swath of black velvet, reflecting the starry heavens and the towering silhouette of Hogwarts Castle in the distance.

The air was crisp and cold, carrying the distinctive scent of lake water and aquatic plants.

A huge, ancient wooden boat, pulled by some force hidden beneath the water, glided silently toward the dock.

A figure of extraordinary height and bulk, with a wild mane of hair and beard, stood at the bow.

He held a dim lantern, looking like a moving mountain.

"Hagrid." Caesar's voice was especially clear as he stood with Hermione at the edge of the dock.

"Professor Caesar!"

Hagrid's booming voice rang with pure joy. He carefully hung his lantern on a hook at the boat's prow, then strode ashore, making the wooden planks creak under his weight.

A warm smile spread across his bearded face. "Welcome back! Oh, and who's this?"

Noticing the person beside him, he bent down, his massive form casting a shadow as he curiously studied the petite Hermione standing next to Caesar.

"This is Hermione Granger, a new student this year," Caesar introduced simply, gesturing lightly with his hand behind Hermione.

"Hermione Granger! I know you!" Hagrid's eyes gleamed especially bright in the lantern light as he spoke excitedly, his voice making Hermione's ears ring a little.

"Professor Caesar's always talking about you, says you're brilliant, the most talented kid he's ever seen. Half the school's heard your name by now.

Merlin's Beard, that's really something!"

Hagrid's unreserved, thunderous praise hit like a stone thrown into still water.

It instantly stirred ripples among the other new students waiting by the dock.

These children, who had just left their families, both eager and anxious about the magical world, all turned their gazes toward Hermione.

Their eyes were filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and a trace of barely concealed... envy.

"Who is she?"

"The professor brought her here alone?"

"Most talented? Really?"

Muttered discussions spread through the crowd.

Yet Hermione, standing at the center of all this attention, seemed completely oblivious to the subtle atmosphere around her.

She looked up, facing Hagrid's imposing yet incredibly friendly giant form.

Far from being afraid, she was overjoyed by the phrase "Professor Caesar's always talking about you."

A feeling of pride mixed with recognition swelled inside her, making her small face seem to glow even in the dim light.

She relished this feeling—being acknowledged by Caesar and praised in public.

It satisfied her far more than any ordinary compliment.

"Thank you, Mr. Hagrid."

Her voice rang out clearly, carrying a hint of small, barely noticeable smugness. "I'm just very interested in magic. I read a few more books and happened to finish all the first-year textbooks."

The gift Caesar had left Hermione before leaving London was actually magic books and some advanced basic potions.

"Finished all the first-year textbooks!"

Hagrid laughed heartily, clapping his huge hands together, then turned back to Caesar. "Professor, you've really found a gem! Come on, kids, we need to get the new students over before the feast starts!"

Caesar nodded at Hagrid and gestured for Hermione to follow.

From start to finish, he made no comment on Hagrid's praise or the new students' reactions.

But as he watched Hermione's straight back and slightly lifted chin, a flicker of barely perceptible understanding passed through his eyes.

Hermione followed behind Caesar, stepping lightly onto the swaying wooden boat.

At first, she completely ignored the complex gazes behind her.

After all, to her, the whispers of those unfamiliar new students were just envy.

She knew she was different—the slow-witted kids her age had never beaten her at any game since she was little.

But after a while, a slight sense of loss crept in. Before coming here, she had actually wanted to make some friends too.

The small boat swayed gently, silently cutting through the ink-black silk of the lake surface, heading toward the towering castle silhouette.

As the distance closed, the details of Hogwarts grew clear in the night, like a sleeping giant slowly revealing its majestic outline.

Towers stood clustered, their spires piercing the starry sky.

Warm golden light spilled from countless windows, mingling with the stars above, as if the entire castle itself was a vast, living magical creation.

That light reflected on the pitch-black water, shattering and reforming with the ripples, breathtakingly beautiful.

The new students fell silent in unison.

Even the children who had cast envious glances at Hermione momentarily forgot their petty displeasure, all eyes wide, mouths agape.

She was utterly captivated by the magnificent and wondrous sight before her.

The air was filled only with the faint sound of lake water lapping against the hull and the distant, occasional hoot of an owl.

Hermione was equally shaken to her core.

She had seen Hogwarts in the magical books Caesar left her, and had imagined the castle's appearance countless times in her mind.

But any words or imagination paled in comparison to the reality laid out before her eyes.

Her heart pounded violently in her chest, a mixture of awe, excitement, and boundless longing flooding through her.

She instinctively turned her head, searching for Caesar's figure, wanting to share this moment of shock with him.

She saw that he was not staring at the castle in fascination like the other first-years.

Instead, his head was slightly tilted, his gaze seemingly fixed on the distant direction of the Ravenclaw tower.

That tower had a unique domed window, said to house a library filled with stars and a common room only accessible through a logical riddle.

Just as Hermione's gaze landed on him, Caesar seemed to sense it and turned his head as well.

In the hazy night and the swaying lantern light of the boats, their eyes met briefly.

No words were spoken, but Hermione felt she could read the unspoken words in his eyes: "Look, this is where you will live and study."

Immediately after, a faint, almost imperceptible warmth spread from Hermione's fingertips, originating from the wand made of a female phoenix feather, clutched tightly in her hand.

On Caesar's side, the hand resting on his knee moved almost imperceptibly, as if something beneath his robes resonated with the same sensation.

This secret connection, like a magical thread only they could perceive, quietly bound them together against the backdrop of the magnificent castle, in the boat laden with wonder and dreams.

Hermione turned her head back, once again gazing at the castle drawing ever closer, radiating unparalleled magic and history.

The last trace of subtle disappointment from failing to make friends was completely replaced by a grander, more steadfast sense of belonging.

She had arrived at Hogwarts.

In this magical world, she still had many things to accomplish.

The boat, carrying silent awe and their own surging thoughts, sailed steadily toward the brightly lit dock, toward the future full of infinite possibilities awaiting them.

The gates of Hogwarts were about to slowly open for the destinies of this new batch of students.