Chapter 2: Arrival Hogwarts
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters do not belong to me
In the days leading to September 1st, Master made several new rules:
Harry was to obey Miss Hermione in all things.
Harry was not to cause Master any embarrassment. He was to keep his head down, and not to get into trouble.
Harry was to complete any and all homework Miss Hermione gave him, to an Adequate Standard. His own homework would be average, so as not to put any undue pressure on Miss Hermione.
Harry was to learn as much as possible, and Master expected regular updates on the progress, and gifts of useful potions, etc.
Due to this, Harry was allowed a period of two hours a day where he could read and study the resources Master had bought. He especially enjoyed potions, due no doubt, to its similarity to cooking, although writing with quill and ink was a pain. But, if he wasn't going to embarrass Master, he needed to learn how!
As September 1st got closer, Master's temper got shorter, to the point where Harry didn't want to be within grabbing distance, as the Punishments also increased.
Eventually, August neared it's end, and Harry was packed off into the Grangers' car, heading for London. Harry spent the journey re-reading Hogwarts, A History, and listening to the various snide comments from the Grangers. Miss Hermione was already making him a to-do list, and ensuring he knew to go to the same House she did, despite not knowing how, exactly, they were to be sorted.
At 8 o'clock in the morning, Kings Cross was only just starting to get busy, enabling their party to find Platform 9 ¾'s fairly easily. Once through the barrier, Miss Hermione said a quick 'goodbye' to her parents, and set off to claim a compartment, leaving Harry to sort her luggage. It wasn't as heavy as his, mostly due to the feather-light charm. The charm had been deemed a 'waste of time and money' for his trunk, however.
Hurrying after Miss Hermione, Harry got the trunks up onto the luggage-racks, before taking his seat and diving back into his book.
Slowly, but surely, the platform started to fill up as time moved on. Eventually they were joined by a shy boy named Neville, who was holding a toad, called Trevor. Miss Hermione immediately started to lecture him about anything and everything. Thankfully, as a Pet, Harry wasn't expected to join in, and happily remained buried in his book, missing the confused look Neville gave him.
At some point after the train started, both Neville and Miss Hermione left the compartment. Having been alerted by the door slamming, Harry looked up from his finished book, blinked at the empty bench opposite, and decided he might as well get changed, while getting another book to read. After a while, Miss Hermione returned, minus Neville, ranting about immature teens running up and down corridors, and a very rude red-head. Harry ignored her, too engrossed in his potions text.
By the time the train pulled up at the station, night had fallen. Harry had had to give up his reading, due to Miss Hermione's insistence he prepare her luggage for disembarking, only for an announcement to come through the carriages as he placed her trunk on the floor, telling them to leave their things on the train.
Sighing softly, Harry followed Miss Hermione off the train, potions text clutched securely in hand. The platform was a dark, teeming mass of students, all clad in the black school robes, making it hard to manoeuvre towards the swinging lantern and the large man calling for first years. Neville joined them on the way over, desperately trying not to be swept away in the crowd.
"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over 'ere! Any more firs'-years? C'mon, this way – min' yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!" the large man called out, before turning and leading them off down a steep, narrow, muddy, path.
It was so dark, it took all their concentration to stay upright, leaving no room for talking. The silence was suddenly broken by a startled yelp, quickly followed by a 'thud' and burst of laughter.
"Yeh'll be getting' yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts jurs' abou' now." Their guide called over his shoulder.
There was a loud, collective 'oooh!', as their little procession came to a sudden halt, those at the back struggling to maintain their footing on the slippery slope. Harry found himself gazing upon a large castle, set under a starry sky. It looked like all the lights were on, which Harry thought was a waste if resources. Were all the rooms really in use at this time of night? Seriously? There was a large, dark lake between them and the castle, which their guide now headed for.
"No more'n four to boat!" came the yelled instruction. Although, Harry wasn't sure five people would manage to fit in one together in the first place.
Seeing Miss Hermione climbing into a boat with Neville, Harry hurried to join them, along with a rather muddy red-head.
"Everyone in? Righ' then – FORWARD!" the giant bellowed from his boat, raising his hand as if he were leading a charge.
Instantly the small fleet of boats started moving across the water. The castle cutting a striking backdrop to their silent journey.
"Heads down!" the giant called as the boats reached the cliff face opposite.
Startled, Harry ducked down, watching as the boat brushed past an ivy curtain, entering a dark, stone tunnel. Finally, after turning a bend, flickering candlelight started to make an appearance, followed by a large, stone harbour, the sort smugglers from long ago must have used.
The water gave way to a rocky shore, with small dashes of colour inter-mingled among the grey. What looked to be an old mooring rope hung from a wall by an iron mooring-ring, the twist having given way to time. At the back after the pebbles and rocks gave way to heavy stone slabs, sat a large, stone staircase. The entire area was lit by fiery lanterns, set into sconces on the walls.
"Oy, you there! This yer toad?" the giant called, holding up Trevor, who was gladly claimed by Neville. "Righ', then. Best be off."
They were then lead up the stone staircase to a large door that looked to be made of oak. (Harry would know, he had to polish and care for plenty of Master's items.)
"Everyone 'ere? Still got yer toad?" the giant didn't wait for confirmation, so Harry wasn't entirely sure why he asked, and pounded on the door.
They were evidently expected, as the door swung open almost instantly, revealing a stern-looking witch dressed in emerald-green robes.
"The firs'-years, Professor."
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." she dismissed the giant, motioning them through the door.
The large Hall they entered into was also lit with flaming torches. The Professor led them off, past a huge marble staircase and a set of closed wooden doors that the sound of hundreds of voices came from, into a small, empty side-chamber.
"Welcome, to Hogwarts." she started sternly. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be Sorted into your Houses. The Sorting Ceremony is very important, as, while you are here, your House will be your family. You will eat, sleep and take classes with your Housemates. The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." Her disdain and approval of each House was more than obvious. "Each House has it's own noble history and each has produced it's share of...notable...witches and wizards. Your triumphs will earn your House points – rule-breaking will lose them. At the end of the year, the House Cup is awarded. The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. I highly suggest you prepare. I will return when we are ready." She turned on a heel and left.
Harry blinked, before internally shrugging. Beside him, Miss Hermione started frantically muttering about spells she'd read about, Neville hanging onto her every word.
The tension-filled quiet was suddenly broken by several people. Startled, Harry spun round to see about twenty pearly-white ghosts passing through the wall. While most of them continued on through the opposite wall, a couple paused, wanting to speak with the new students. They didn't get very far, between the ghosts' formalities and the assembled nerves of the students, before Professor McGonagall returned, sending the remaining ghosts on their way.
"Form a line, and follow me," she instructed, turning and leading them back out of the chamber, across the hall, and into the Great Hall.