Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, everything is J.K Rowling's.
As the steam train pulled into Hogsmead station, the students on board placed their muggle clothes away after changing into their robes.
Bianca was dressed in a plain black rode with only a crest of Hogwarts on it for now, a white blouse, black skirt and a colourless tie.
The others were all dressed similarly – the only difference being that they had their house crests on their robes and their ties were their house colours. Therefore Louis, Karl and Sofia all had blue and bronze ties and the Ravenclaw eagle on their robes, while Molly and Dom had red and gold ties and the Gryffindor Lion on their robes.
Louis then led the way out of the train onto the platform with the others behind him, leaving their trunks on the train – as they had been directed to do so by a bodiless voice that had echoed through the train.
Once on the Hogsmead platform, after receiving words of comfort from Louis, Molly, Dom, Karl and Sofia, Bianca walked off towards the huge bearded half-giant who was calling out for first years to come over to him.
"Hello Hagrid" Bianca greeted, as mutual friends of the 'Wotters' they had met several times over the years.
"Hey there Bianca." He said cheerfully, oblivious to the cold that was affecting all the others on the small platform.
Due to Hagrid's distinctive height and loud calls, Bianca was soon joined by firstly the four first years that she knew and then by all those that she did not.
"I thought that we had lost you for certain there Bianca. Louis didn't seem keen to let you out of his sight." Liam joked when he reached Bianca's side.
"Hmm, yeah it does seem as though Louis believes that it isn't enough for me to already have two protective older brothers. I clearly am in need of a protective honorary older brother as well. It's dreadful." Bianca said grimacing.
Hagrid then directed them along a narrow and rather steep path which was slippery and so the children were forced to carefully hold onto each other to avoid falling over. As they rounded a sudden bend in the path they all gasped in awe, breaking the silence which they had held while attempting to remain upright down the slope.
They were greeted with the sight of a still dark lake stretching out before them and on the other side of the water was an immense castle, which certainly lived up to fairy-tale castles with its tall turrets and spindly towers, and was perched upon the side of a mountain.
After allowing them a minute to gaze up at the castle Hagrid noisily cleared his throat, thus gaining their attention once more, and gestured at a number of boats resting on the very edge of the lake's smooth surface.
As they were told, three students entered each boat, with Hagrid sitting in the biggest boat by himself.
Albus, Liam and Neal all went together, leaving Bianca and Rose in a boat with a short brunette boy. When they all were seated the enchanted rowboat began to travel silently across the black lake, which still managed to remain motionless and still despite the many boats moving across it.
The boy then nervously introduced himself as Nathan Carlson and explained to them that he was a muggleborn. Both Rose and Bianca were relieved and grateful at this piece of information – as they welcomed any opportunity to avoid their inherited 'celebrity' status. Although Bianca still had to endure his awed gaze upon her, as Nathan seemed to alternate between looking up at the castle ahead in amazement and staring at Bianca in a rather similar manner.
As they moved towards the castle it appeared as though the boats were simply going to crash into the cliff face above which the castle lay. Almost as if in answer to their silent fears, Hagrid called out "Heads down" and none dared to hesitate at or second guess the command.
Peaking up, while still ensuring that her head wasn't going to smash against the rock face, Bianca saw that the wide opening in the cliff face they were currently travelling through had been previously obscured by a dense screen of ivy.
When the boats eventually reached a sort of subterranean harbour, all of the children disembarked and followed the half-giant through a tunnel that led out onto grass directly in front of the castle. They then trooped wearily up a giant flight of stone steps and huddled around a large oak door. With the eyes of the first years upon him, Hagrid raised his fist to the wood and rapped it sharply.
The noise echoed for a minute before the door swung inwards.
