Riptides (Fred Weasley Fan Fiction)

Chapter 11

Radical Face - Welcome Home, Son

They've been sitting on the train for almost four hours when someone came to tell them to change into the school uniforms. Around this time, their luggage disappeared, and Draco explained that they were taken to Hogwarts. It was getting dark when students started getting off the train. They were on a small train station in Hogsmeade, or at least that's what Lyssie read on the sign hanging on a brick building.

Crowds of students were walking on the platform towards the paved road. They could already see the walls of the castle in the horizon and Lyssie was mesmerized. Even from the distance, the castle looked proud and magical. Its stone walls stood tall, and it seemed that there were thousands of different rooms in it. She couldn't wait to walk inside.

On the side of the road stood carriages with scary looking horses attached to them. They were all gray and bold, with sad-looking wings in the sides. It seems that they haven't been fed for a while, because all their bones were showing. In some places, they were even sticking out of their skin. They reminded Lyssie of zombies she saw on the television one day.

"What are those?" she asked Draco, who was walking by her side.

"Thestrals," he explained as there were getting into the carriage. "I wonder what they look like."

"Huh?" she asked surprised. "They look like zombie horses."

"Can you see them?" He looked at her shocked. "Only those who witnessed someone's death can see them. Also, what are zombie horses?"

Lyssie didn't recall seeing anyone die, so she decided not to answer him.

The carriage took them straight to the gates of Hogwarts. From up close, the castle looked even bigger and more intimidating. As the students were walking through the bridge, and later through the big gate, Lyssie felt out of place. Everyone around her was wearing robes with green, red, yellow or blue on them, while her set was plain black.

She felt that people were looking at her curious. The only pupils she saw wearing black robes were very young, so she assumed they were from the first year. Also, they were nowhere to be seen right now.

They walked into the big entry room, with walls full of portraits of people she has never seen before. As she was examining the paintings, she noticed that all of them were moving and the people in them were looking curiously at the students. What is more, a lot of them seemed to be gossiping. They were changing spots and whispering something into each other's ears.

"Miss Black!" she heard behind her. "Miss Black, please come with me."

She turned around and saw a tall, skinny witch wearing a blue dress and a pointy hat. The expression on her face made her think that she tended to be rather strict. Lyssie looked at Draco, but he was long gone in the crowd of students, and she followed the lady. They stood together next to the door to a big room, where everyone was trying to get. Lyssie took one more step back when a group of giggling girls wearing yellow ties passed next to them.

"We need to wait for the first year," she explained. "You will be sorted into your house with them. Excuse the inconvenience."

Lyssie nodded. She has completely forgotten that she had to be sorted. Of course, she was aware of the existence of the Sorting Hat and the whole ceremony that goes along with it, but she has never imagined what it was going to look like. She could only picture all the stares she was going to get as she walks into the room with all those children.

After a couple of minutes, the crowd disappeared, and she was left alone with the lady on her right. It didn't last long, however, because soon after, a group of children walked into the entry room with a huge, bearded man leading them.