Sirius Black | Omnia Vincit Amor ✓

Chapter 3: Not Such a Bad Start After All

~ Mathilda POV ~

"Do you mind if I?" I mumbled, probably not even loud enough for him to hear but surprisingly he nodded and said "Sure of course, come in. But aren't the first years supposed to sit together somewhere?"

I told him that I had no idea if I had to sit somewhere special as I was a first year and that I was just outstandingly happy to finally have found a place where I could sit and that I hoped that I did bother him by joining his compartment. He snickered and said that it was perfectly fine as he would anyways sleep or read during the whole train ride which I thought was amazing as that was also my plan.

"I am Xenophilius. Xenophilius Lovegood, by the way," he introduced himself and I really liked his name. It was so different, kind of odd, but also kind of lovely.

"Pleasure, I'm Mathilda Bell." He shook my hand and we both smiled. After talking a bit about Hogwarts, some of the teachers, and Hogwarts houses and finding out he had gotten sorted into Ravenclaw and was in his third year we both decided to read and later snack something that my mum has packed me for the train ride.

At some point I must have fallen a sleep until I felt a little nudge on my shoulder. Xenophilius informed me that we would be at Hogwarts soon and that it was time to change into our robes. He left for some minutes while I changed into my robes and he came back already changed and told me some things about the arrival and the ships carrying us over the Great Lake. I was listening to him with big eyes, my mouth hanging slightly open. God, was I netvous but also looking forward to it.

I felt the train getting slower and so I got up, told Xenophilius thank you for everything, waved him good bye and walked to the door. The train finally came to a full halt and people started to get out of their compartments. The door in front of me opened. I closed my eyes. Took a deep breath and stepped out. The air that hit my face was cold and the smell that was lying in the air (is this an expression that you can use in English?) was autumnal, kind of dusty and muddy.

"First years, come to me! Line up here and then follow me. My name is Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts," said an extremely tall man. I guessed he was a giant or at least a half-giant. I had to grin.

There was immediately something about him, that I liked him already. I started moving towards him with many others - probably also first years - who either gasped or mumbled things. I tried to scan them and make out if there is someone I might know (of course apart from Bertram who gladly was not somewhere near me). We all started to follow Hagrid to the boats that would transport us over the big lake that was right in front of us.

With trembling legs I got into one of the wobbly boats. The cool evening air was chilly against my legs, the earthy, wet smell still lingering in the air.

I slowly sat down, or rather tumbled to one bench on the boat alongside a girl and two boys and the we took off.

At the very front, leading the boats, sat Hagrid, holding a lantetn in his hand.

With parted lips, I glimpsed around in the nearly pitch black setting. This was brilliant. This already was brilliant. Slowly withdrawing my gaze from a nearby boat I lifted my gaze and—

And that was the moment I first saw Hogwarts. Blimey, that was Hogwarts?

It was more beautiful than I had expected. It ranked above us, the only light thing in pure darkness that also covered us. It was incredible, it was ginormous but at the same time also seemed extremely homely. Again I had to blink away some tears being overwhelmed by the happiness that I just felt.

A tiny squeal slipped through my lips which earned me a snort from one of children who were on the boat with me. I did not care, I continued gaping and staring. My eyes were damp and shining while I took in the whole castle. I just looked at it in utter admiration until—

Until I was suddenly ripped out of my thoughts by one of the boys poking my arm and asking what house I hoped to be put into. I turned towards him, looking at him with big eyes.

Then I cleared my throat and answered by saying that I honestly did not mind at all, since every house has something good and something bad about it, or at least that was what I believed. He gave me a weird look and told me that the three of them hoped to be put into Slytherin because that was the only acceptable house at Hogwarts. Well, if that's what he thought.

I answered him by saying, "That is nice, a lot of my family members were in Slytherin, but I do not think it is better than any other house here."

The other boy, with slightly longer, black curly hair told me that except for his older brother his family had solely been put into Slytherin. I smiled, dipping my chin and turned around again as I was really not in the mood of having a discussion like that because I already gathered that that would lead into the direction of blood supremacy talk and that was something I did not want to deal with in that moment. I just wanted to enjoy this peaceful moment on the boats.

We got closer and closer to the shores, my heart thrummed against my rib cage, my palms turning damp and cold sweat again breaking out on the back of my neck.

This was really happening. I was really going to school here form now on.

Soon after that we arrived at the other side of the lake and started walking towards the castle, the way there was light my what seemed like millions of candles.

Moldy and earthy scent once again filled my nostrils, but now mingled with the smell of old stone and wood.