Welcome to Hogwarts

Woo—

The little red train, puffing clouds of steam, slowly pulled into Hogsmeade.

This was a village entirely composed of wizards, and this year, Hogsmeade, as always, welcomed the new students about to embark on their journey to Hogwarts.

The moment the train stopped by the platform, little wizards began disembarking, stepping onto a dark and cramped platform.

Interestingly, the instant Gemini stepped off the train, a vacuum seemed to form around him, as if he were some dangerous individual. Only Hermione, unfazed, stayed by his side.

"First-year students! First-years this way! Harry, over here, how are you?"

"Hagrid!"

A burly man, about three meters tall with a thick beard, shouted loudly. He wore a coat made of some unknown animal's fur, had a beard that covered most of his face, and his eyes were dark and bright. He carried a lamp in his hand, standing in front of the crowd.

Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.

Gemini also noticed the boy named Harry. He looked a bit thin and somewhat frail, with fluffy hair stubbornly sticking up in a few places. A pair of round glasses perched on his fair little face.

Following the surging crowd, Gemini and Hermione seamlessly joined the line of first-year students, without drawing any attention.

"Come on, follow me, any more first-years? Watch your step, alright! First-years, follow me."

Hagrid, holding his lamp, strode ahead with large steps. Behind him, a group of first-year students slipped and slid, stumbling, barely keeping pace with him.

Gemini, however, was quite relaxed. His enhanced vision meant the dark night held no sway over him. He occasionally shot out a stream of webbing, latching onto nearby tree trunks, and swung along leisurely, easily keeping up with the group. He even managed to help Hermione along occasionally.

"What is that? That line?" Hermione asked, looking at Gemini's wrist.

"Web-Shooters, a piece of technology," Gemini smiled, pointing at Hagrid's retreating back. "See that guy's weight? One strand of webbing can support ten times his weight."

"That's amazing," Hermione blinked. "Didn't they say there's a magical field above Hogwarts, and electronic devices can't be used?"

"That's true," Gemini shook his head. "Computers, phones, televisions, and similar electronic instruments or devices can't be used. But mechanical products can be used, and the Web-Shooters fall under the mechanical category."

Too bad the Web-Shooters work, but the Iron Man armor doesn't…

But it's okay, I don't have the money to buy it even if it did work.

"Once we turn this corner, you'll get your first glimpse of Hogwarts."

Hagrid, at the front of the group, turned and shouted.

Immediately after, a wave of astonished gasps erupted.

At the end of the narrow path, a dark lake suddenly appeared. On the far bank, atop a high slope, stood an ancient and majestic castle. The castle was crowned with numerous spires, and windows lit with warm light twinkled, mirroring the starry sky. It was a truly spectacular sight.

Small boats were moored by the lake in front of everyone. Hagrid pointed to the boats and shouted, "No more than four people per boat!"

Gemini hopped onto a small boat, politely extended his hand, and helped a slightly embarrassed Hermione aboard. Following them, two more students got into the boat. One was Justin, who had accompanied them to Diagon Alley earlier, and the other was a blond boy, who seemed to be Justin's new friend.

"Is everyone on board?" Hagrid called out—he had to take a boat by himself, and it looked like it was about to sink.

"Alright then… let's go!"

A line of small boats glided across the mirror-calm lake, slowly heading towards the castle.

The new students remained silent, all gazing at the majestic castle that soared into the sky. As they approached the cliff where the castle stood, it seemed to loom directly overhead.

Lowering their boats through a stretch of jagged rocks and cliffs, they passed through curtains of ivy covering the cliff face, arriving at a hidden, open entrance. They then proceeded through a dark tunnel, arriving in what seemed like the castle's underbelly, finally reaching a place resembling an underground dock. From there, they disembarked onto ground covered in gravel and pebbles.

"Croak~"

A large toad sat in front of Gemini. Gemini crouched down, picked up the toad, and found Neville in the crowd.

"Although this is our first meeting, I'm guessing this must be your Trevor. Wild toads don't get this big."

"Oh! Thank you, Gemini!" Neville was ecstatic, completely forgetting his earlier displeasure with Gemini. He cheered and hugged Trevor tightly.

At the same time, Hagrid also disembarked and beckoned the students to follow him.

Passing through a long tunnel, everyone finally reached a wide, flat lawn under the castle's shadow.

Hagrid led the students up a slope, and now all the students were gathered before a massive oak door.

"Is everyone here?" After counting them several times, Hagrid raised his fist, which was larger than a soup pot, and knocked three times on the castle door.

"We're about to be sorted," Hermione gently tugged on Gemini's sleeve. "I advise you to think carefully. Do you really want to be sorted into Slytherin? This will affect your life for the next few years."

"Where I get sorted isn't up to me," Gemini smiled and shook his head, his voice soft and gentle. "But I do lean towards Slytherin. Look how happy they were when that group left today."

Hermione: "……"

Devil!

This guy is definitely a devil!

The moment Hagrid finished knocking, the great door swung open.

A tall witch in a emerald green robe stood at the entrance. It was none other than Professor McGonagall, who had guided Gemini to Diagon Alley before.

"First-year students, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said gruffly.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I'll take it from here,"

Professor McGonagall said, pulling the door open completely.

Behind the door, the grand entrance hall was astonishingly large, with a style similar to Gringotts. The surrounding walls were adorned with blazing torches, and the ceiling was so high it was almost invisible. Directly opposite was an incredibly luxurious marble staircase, leading straight upwards.

The group of new students followed Professor McGonagall's footsteps, walking forward along the stone-paved path.

Gemini guessed that the direction to his right was the Great Hall, and the reason was simple: the buzzing voices of hundreds of people could be heard from behind the large doors, sounding very noisy.

Professor McGonagall didn't lead the students directly into the Great Hall. Instead, she took them to a small room at the other end of the hall. Dozens, nearly a hundred, new students seemed a bit crowded in this small room, bumping shoulders as they gathered together.

Fortunately, besides Hermione, there was no one next to Gemini. Looking at the appearance of several nearby new students, they seemed to prefer being squeezed rather than wanting to interact with Gemini in any way.

Professor McGonagall's gaze swept over the faces of the new students. When she saw Gemini, he noticed that her expression seemed a little stiff.

"So... welcome to Hogwarts."