-CHAPTER THREE-

-ARRIVAL AT HOGWARTS-

The door to the compartment slid open with a sharp and shuddering clatter, and Penelope stepped inside. She was now dressed in her Hogwarts robes, the black fabric neatly pressed and flowing around her like she had walked straight out of a wizarding portrait. Her hair was tucked neatly behind her ears, and she no longer looked as if she had run through a gust of wind. The polished badge of her family crest gleamed faintly on the pocket of her robe.

Rodney, still recovering from James's earlier teasing, quickly sat up and straightened himself, and his face was turning a shade of pink that was hard to ignore. James caught the reaction and smirked but said nothing for now.

Penelope glanced at them both, her dark eyes scanning their robes. "Well, at least you managed to get dressed," she said, her tone as sharp as ever. "I was half expecting you two to still be sitting here in your Muggle clothes, completely scrambling around for them."

James rolled his eyes, putting his hand against the window. "We're not that hopeless, Penelope. Besides, we'd never hear the end of it if we showed up to the castle out of uniform."

Penelope huffed softly and set her bag down on the seat beside her. "Good. At least you're not planning to embarrass yourselves right off the bat."

Rodney, clearly eager to move the conversation away from himself, spoke and gestured toward the window. "Looks like we're getting closer," he said, pointing to the distant outline of a sprawling forest bathed in the light of the moon. Beyond the trees, faint shadows hinted at the towering mountains.

Penelope followed his gaze, and her expression softened slightly. "So that's the Forbidden Forest," she murmured. Her voice was quieter now, almost interested. "It's bigger than I imagined."

James stood and watched the woods. "Dad says it's full of kinds of magical creatures. Centaurs, unicorns, maybe even Acromantulas," he breathed the last word out, earning a shudder from Rodney.

"Acromantulas?" Rodney repeated, and his face pale. "You mean those giant spiders? They don't let those near the students, do they?"

James shrugged and had a mischievous glint in his eye. "It depends how adventurous you are."

"Or how foolish," Penelope said dryly, her sharp tone cutting through James's teasing. "If you're smart, you'll stay far away from that forest."

Rodney nodded. "Agreed."

The train gave a sudden jolt as it began to slow further, the countryside outside shifting into a mix of rocky hills and shadowy valleys. The three of them fell into a quiet, almost nervous anticipation as they realised Hogwarts was drawing closer.

Penelope broke the silence first, adjusting her glasses and straightening her robes. "I hope you're both ready," she said, her voice firm but soft. "Whatever house you're hoping for, you'll have to stand tall. First impressions matter."

James grinned, trying to mask his own nerves. "We'll see about that. Maybe the Hat will surprise us all."

The train began to slow to a crawl, and the distant silhouette of a castle with turrets piercing the twilight sky came into view. James felt his heart thump against his chest.

James and Rodney were thrown into each other as the train came to a screeching halt, sending up puffs of steam that billowed outside the window and Penelope wasted no time. She grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and swept out of the compartment with the kind of walk that was going to make her stand out for all the wrong reasons.

James and Rodney followed close behind, their own nerves starting to creep in as they joined the crowd of first years spilling into the corridor. The clamour of voices and the shuffle of trunks being heaved down made the narrow space feel more chaotic.

When they finally stepped onto the platform, the cool night air hit them, carrying with it the faint scent of damp earth and the smell of pine from the nearby forest. Lanterns glowed along the length of the platform. Some were carried by Prefects, and the others floated by themselves.

Penelope, however, didn't seem fazed by any of it. She strode forward with her head held high until a boy with a pale face and bright golden hair. He spoke with an unmistakable drawl and stepped into her path.

"Well, well," the boy said, his lips curling into a sneer. "What have we here? Looks like someone's already trying to act like she owns the place."

Penelope froze, her dark eyes narrowing behind her glasses. "Excuse me?" she said, her voice echoing all the way to the start of the crowd.

The boy smirked, crossing his arms in a way that made it clear he enjoyed the attention. "You heard me," he drawled, his tone mocking her. "Walking around like you're better than everyone else. What are you supposed to be? The Queen of Hogwarts?"

Rodney, who had been standing awkwardly a few steps behind Penelope, looked like he wanted to melt into the platform. James, however, stepped forward, his fists clenching slightly. There was something about this pale-faced boy that he should know about.

"Back off," James said, his voice firm and startling the boy. "What is your problem, anyway?"

The blonde boy turned his sneer on James, his pale eyebrows arching. "And who are you supposed to be? Black hair? Glasses? Oh, wait, don't tell me, Another Potter at Hogwarts?" the blonde-haired boy scowled. "Well, this just gets better and better."

James's jaw tightened, but before he could say anything, Penelope stepped forward, her tone as harsh as ever. "If you're trying to make an impression, it's a poor one," she said, lifting her chin. "Now move. You're in my way."

The boy looked at her, shocked and twisted his face, then laughed, a short and sharp sound that made Rodney feel cold. "You'll fit right in with the other know-it-alls," he said, stepping aside with a mocking bow. "Good luck with that."

Penelope didn't give him another look as she brushed past him, her robes swishing, and headed toward the other first-years gathering near a booming voice calling. "Firs'-years. This way! Come on now, don't be shy!"

James shot the boy one last glare before following Penelope, Rodney trailing nervously behind.

"Who was that?" Rodney whispered, glancing over his shoulder.

"Some git," James muttered. "Forget him."

Penelope said nothing, her head held high as they pushed themselves further down the train platform. The Hogwarts Express stood still to the right side of them. The white clouds and blue skies had completely disappeared, replaced with a night sky with moonlight and glistening stars.

Ahead of them stood a massive figure with wild hair, a big beard, and one glittering eye as the other had been lost during the Battle of Hogwarts. "All right, firs-years! Gather up now! This way to the boats."

The sight of the towering man, who James had seen quite a few times. "It's Hagrid."

"Who?" Rodney asked.

"He's the gamekeeper and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures."

"He is? How do you know?"

"My father," James whispered to him. "It was the first person to ever introduce him into the world of magic."

Penelope stayed silent, her gaze fixed on the path ahead as a dozen black robes followed Hagrid toward the edge of a vast and dark lake. The castle loomed in the distance, its windows glowing like stars against the night sky.

Penelope was the first person to gasp. She had heard of the stories of how Hogwarts looked but couldn't imagine it would look like this.

As the group of first years shuffled toward the boats, the blonde boy appeared again, weaving his way through the crowd until he was directly behind Penelope. His sneer was sharper now, his voice dripping with a cold tone as he leaned closer and hissed loud enough for most people to hear.

"Think I don't know about your mother?" he said, his pale eyes glinting with a cruel look. "An Auror, wasn't she? Until she got blasted into a wall with a Blasting Curse. Spent the rest of her life at St Mungo's. How pathetic. Best if she was dead, isn't it?"

The words hit her like a blow to the stomach. Penelope froze, her bag slipping from her shoulder and landing with a dull thud. Her face scrunched, and for a moment, she seemed to struggle to hold herself together. But the boy's words had struck too deep, and a tear slipped slowly down her face. She wished it was raining as it wouldn't look as if she was crying.

"Shut up!" James snapped, his voice louder and angrier than he'd meant it to be. He stepped forward, his hand going straight to his wand, though he didn't draw it.

Rodney looked horrified, glancing nervously between the boy and Penelope. "You can't just say that", Rodney spluttered, his voice shaky. "That's a terrible thing to say."

The boy smiled and turned his sneer on Rodney. "What are you going to do about it? Squash me to death?" he mocked Rodney's weight. "And you, Potter?" the boy shifted his head and stared blankly at James. "What are you going to do about it? Use your famous name to scare me off?" He laughed, the cold and sharp sound echoing.

It made Rodney shudder.

Before anyone could respond, a tall shadow that could belong to no human loomed over the group and blocked the moonlight from view. Hagrid had come from the front of the crowd all the way to the back, his thick and wild beard bristling and his dark eyes blazing with fury. He placed one enormous hand on the boy's shoulder, his fingers curling like iron.

"Malfoy," Hagrid snarled, his eyes narrowing with anger. "I'd watch yer mouth if I were you."

James Potter looked at Malfoy or Malfoy's son. He had heard Uncle Ron talk about the Malfoys as if they were no good for anything, and from what he had seen just in a moment, he could have understood what his uncle was saying.

The boy, Malfoy, froze, his smirk vanishing as he craned his neck to look up at Hagrid's towering figure. "I didn't..." he began, stammering, but Hagrid tightened his grip slightly, silencing him with a glare.

"Yeh got no right ter talk ter nobody like that!" Hagrid growled. "I knew yer father, a right nasty piece o' work he was, y'know. If ya say another word to anyone, I'll be writin' to yer Head o' House an' yer parents, I will."

"How can you write to my Head of House?" Malfoy said with a grin. "I haven't even been sorted."

"Yeh, think I don't know wot House yer folks be from? Slytherin, eh? If it were up ter me, I'da sent the whole lot ter Azkaban, they should be rottin' in there with them Lestranges an' Goyles, I tell yeh!"

Malfoy no longer looked like the brave boy he was once. He was trembling as Hagrid jabbed a finger in his face.

"Hagrid, the boats," James reminded him softly and pulled him from his rage.

Hagrid turned to Penelope, and his expression softened. There was no longer this angry look on his face. "Ain't yeh worryin', lass? Don' let that Malfoy git t' yeh. Him an' his lot're just bad blood, they are."

Penelope smiled at Hagrid, her last tear wiped away by Hagrid's big hand. "Thank you," she whimpered and was grateful Hagrid showed up when he had.

Rodney nodded, though he looked like he wanted to vanish into his robes. "Yeah, we've got your back," he said awkwardly.

Hagrid gave her a king smile and patted her shoulder gently, his hand nearly spanning her entire back. "James, be right, he is. Malfoy'll do anythin' to get yer goat, he will. Best to just ignore th' git, I reckon. Hogwarts'll be yer home in no time, yeh'll see!

"Follow me ter th' boats, yeh lot!" Hagrid shouted and lifted the lantern high above everyone. It cast a golden light streaming toward the lake.

Penny was the first one to climb into the boat, followed by James, Rodney, and another boy who looked violently pale. Hagrid, because of his weight, had to sit in a boat himself. The boats moved forward, the lantern glowing on the lake and swaying when the boat glided over it. The soft ripples of water reflected the stars above, creating the illusion that they were sailing through the sky itself.

Then, as they rounded a bend in the towering cliffs, the castle came into view and James gasped aloud. Rodney whistled.

Hogwarts rose from the mountainside like a dream made real, its turrets and towers stretching high into the night sky. Golden light shone from countless windows, casting warm reflections onto the dark water below. Penelope was gripping the side of the boat, and the boy at the back, who looked violently ill and pale, quickly turned his head to throw up.

Hagrid heard the retch and chuckled. "Ye only gotta travel by boat fer th' fust year, yeh know!"

"How do we travel the second years?" Rodney asked.

"Probably carriages," Penelope said and still held onto the side of the boat.

Rodney and James were the only people who could sit comfortably in the boat and not feel sick.

"I never thought it would look like this," Rodney said. "My mum and Dad told me how it looks, but you never find out until you're here."

He knew exactly what Rodney meant.

"It's incredible," James breathed, unable to tear his eyes away. He'd heard his father describe Hogwarts about a hundred times and seen pictures in books and family albums, but none of it compared to seeing it in person.

Rodney, sitting beside him, let out a low whistle. "It's bigger than I imagined," he whispered, his look matching James's.

Even Penelope, who had been silent and reserved since their encounter with Malfoy, seemed fixed on it. Her wide eyes reflected the castle's glow, and for a moment, all her usual sharpness melted away and her words were soft. "It's gorgeous," she said quietly, almost to herself.

James agreed with Penelope, his heart thudding in his throat. "That's home for the next seven years," he said, " unless I get expelled or die."

Penelope's brave face faded. Rodney laughed, and the boy in the back was still retching every bit of sugar and sweet thing he had eaten on the Hogwarts Express.

"You okay back there?" James asked.

The boy, with a pale face, nodded his head weakly. "I don't think I've got any left to come back up." He was proved wrong when a spray of thick dark chocolate came up.

The boats drifted closer to the castle, the sound of water lapping gently against the hulls and the only noise breaking the silence. Hagrid, leading the way in a larger boat, called out, "Alright now, furst' years! Almost there! Keep yer hands inside the boats, yeh hear?"

The little boats carried them through a curtain of moss that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were sent slowly down a dark and long tunnel, which seemed to take them right underneath the castle until they reached a stone platform underground, where they all clambered out onto the rocks.

"You mean we have to travel all the way up these stairs?" Rodney gasped when he took the first one. The torches built into the stone walls of the stairs only flickered when Hagrid put his heavy boot down on each step that was lined up to the torch.

Hagrid's loud voice echoed in the night as he motioned for the first years to follow him. "A'right, stick close ter me now! We're off t'the front door, we are!"

They were still moving up the staircase, and James wondered when it would end. James and the other first years shuffled behind Hagrid, who had been leading them up an enormous stone staircase carved into the side of the cliff. The steps seemed to stretch endlessly upwards and vanished into the shadows.

"Merlin," Rodney gasped, craning his neck to look at the top. "Is this a staircase or a mountain?"

James laughed, and the gust of wind carried it. "At least it's not moving," he said. "My dad said the staircase in the castle moves and you could be left stranded until it moves back."

"What if it doesn't move back for ages?"

"Then, you're stuck," James said and clenched teeth when the ice-cold wind blasted him again.

"I'd hate to be stuck on the staircase," Penelope said as he followed James and Rodney up the steps. "I wouldn't mind if it was in the library, but the staircase. No, thank you."

"Where would you like to be stuck?" Rodney asked James."

"Qudditch pitch," he answered at once. "You?"

"The Hogwarts Kitchen," Rodney said at once. "I've heard House-Elves work in there."

"They do," James answered. "Dad knew one of them personally, saved his life twice."

With each step, they went up; each time, they looked towards Hogwarts to see if they could see the castle doors but couldn't. The door that showed them the way into the castle remained lost in the darkness, and even Hagrid, as tall as he once, wasn't able to shine his lantern that far. Torches exploded to life and hissed in their ears. They went high above the lake and the boathouse, leaving the wooden boats well behind.

"Does it ever end?" someone behind them complained, and their voice sounded breathless. James was surprised that this did not come from Rodney, who was gasping and holding his stomach as they wound their way up the staircase.

"Aye, it does, but only when we're at th' top, y'know?" Hagrid grunted, his black beard and long bushy hair covered in glistening sweat.

James didn't struggle. Like his father, he was skinny with thin legs and could run for hours without stopping for a break.

"How are you not out of breath?" Rodney panted through his clenched teeth. He pulled out a colourful magical inhaler that didn't need to be brought to his face with his own hands. It moved on its own, floating right up to his face and waiting for Rodney to open his mouth. Rodney opened his mouth, and the inhaler went and pressed down by itself. He was hit with a blast of cold air and relaxed.

"My dad," he said and moved up the stone steps. "He's always made me fit; I was sitting on a broom by the time I was two."

"My mum and stepdad did nothing like that."

Rodney thought he could hear that Malfoy boy say something behind his back, but he chose to ignore it. James and Penelope never heard it either."

When they finally reached the top of the staircase, Rodney gasped and was grateful that he didn't have to use his inhaler for a second time. They stood on a broad stone platform at the base of the castle, torches flanked the entrance, and their flames flickered in the cool night breeze. A massive wooden door stood right in front of them.

Hagrid turned to the face group, his large hand resting on his hips while the other swept the lantern to see if everyone had made it up. "A'right, firs' years, 'ere we go!" he said and beamed at the students, glancing nervously back at him. He could see someone was shaking with fear. "Through these 'ere doors lies Hogwarts, yeh see. Yer about ter meet Professor McGonagall, who'll be takin' yeh through the Sorting, she will.