Chapter 7 – The Black Lake
As the boys pulled their robes on over their Muggle clothing, the girls having changed earlier began to get ready to head up to the castle. Ginny's Pygmy Puff Arnold had woken up and was currently perched precariously on her shoulder while Hermione retrieved a wicker basket from the luggage rack containing her ginger cat Crookshanks.
"Would you like me to take your cat up to the castle?" Asked the dreamy voice of Luna from behind Adam.
"Er, yes please." Adam retrieved Chalky's cage from the rack and coaxed the cat from Luna's lap.
As everybody began to dismount from the train, it hit Adam just how many students must have been going to the school.
"We go up to the school a different way to first-years," Hermione explained to the two boys and now that they were all standing up, the difference in their height from the girls really seemed to hit them, "you have to go down by the lake."
"Oh look, there's Hagrid!" Ginny exclaimed. Following her line of sight, Adam saw a humongous man standing at the other end of the station, carrying a lamp and shouting,
"Firs'-years over here!"
Adam stepped back, more than slightly intimidated by the giant man. Looking to his side, he saw Aaron staring open-mouthed in the same direction before meeting his gaze, the same look of terror he had worn when they first met on his face.
"Don't be scared," Hermione told them, placing reassuring hands on each of their shoulders, "He might look quite scary, but Hagrid is one of the nicest, most gentle people I know. Trust us." She winked and her reassuring smile, accompanied by those of Ginny and Luna, seemed to give Adam a little bit more courage. He looked sideways once again at Aaron, who nodded, and the two of them set off through the crowd towards the swinging light of the lantern.
Eventually, the boys managed to push their way through the older students to the group of terrified first-years, who also seemed to be intimidated by Hagrid's unnatural size. Using his free hand, he was counting their tiny heads, which was all he seemed to be able to see of them.
"Righ', we're all here so le's getting goin'." He began to lead them in the opposite direction to the elder students and led them down a path until finally they reached a lake. As they looked out across the vast lake, Adam could hear Aaron and several of the others gasp out loud.
Across the lake was what could only be Hogwarts. It was a grand castle with tiny lights showing out of its many windows, giving it a slightly eerie, yet still impressive appearance. Moored at their side of the lake were ten small wooden boats and an eleventh, man-sized one.
"Four to a boat." Hagrid yelled to the students as he climbed into his own boat. Adam and Aaron clambered into one of the boats before being followed by two other children. One of these, Adam noticed with a start, was the same boy who Adam had seen in Madam Malkin's shop at Diagon Alley. Today, Adam's hair was its usual shade of brown, so the boy did not seem to recognise him.
Once all of the students had finally settled themselves into the small boats, they began to move across the lake. Although Adam was initially surprised that the boats could move on their own, he quickly remembered that the boats had obviously been given some kind of magical power. About halfway across the lake, the castle was coming into better view and its great size could be truly appreciated. Adam heard his awe at the castle in some of his fellow students voices and couldn't help but smirk when he heard Aaron emit an audible "Wow."
Just as they nearing the opposite shore, something huge emerged from the lake. There were screams and shouts from the students nearest the intrusion, all of whom had been showered in water and were now drenched. Now that the water had faded, Adam realised that the "something" was in fact a giant tentacle. After making a few strange movements that seemed to indicate that it was waving, the tentacle submerged itself again.
"What was that?!" Aaron asked sounding both confused and also slightly amused, Adam could see him smirking at the students who had been soaked, all of whom were now complaining that their new robes had been drenched.
As they reached the opposite shore, Adam and Aaron dismounted their boat, staring up at the wondrous castle, while most of their fellow passengers also emerged from their boats. Hagrid had gone to help the last eight students, who had been nearest the tentacle, get out of their water-logged boats.
"What was that thing?" Adam asked. He could feel several eyes, including Aaron's on him, apparently impressed that he was courageous enough to talk to this giant man. Hagrid turned his shaggy head around and it took him a little while to find which student had addressed him.
"Tha' was the giant squid," He said matter-of-factly, a smile partially obscured by his hairy face appearing at the look of surprise this caused on Adam and several others faces, "it's harmless though. It jus' wanted to gree' you new students."
After helping the last students out of the boats and draping his marquee-sized overcoat around the shoulders of four soaking wet girls, Hagrid led them up to the castle. He knocked four times on the large doors before they opened. Initially, Adam thought that they had opened on their own, but he realised that in fact they had been opened by a tiny little man.
"The firs' years for ya' Professor Flitwick."
"Thank you Hagrid," The little man replied in a tiny little voice. Hagrid sidled off through the grand doors on the right of the hall. Professor Flitwick then looked up to address the young wizards and witches, "Would you follow me please?"
