The Prince's Secret

Hogwarts

Hogwarts stood mighty among the towering hills. Its spiky towers brushed against the low-lying clouds, and a vast dark lake surrounding it glistened in the fading sunlight.

'It's beautiful,' whispered Hermione.

Soon they heard other students leave their compartments and the corridors became crowded. Excited whispers of other first years and louder voices of older students filled the train, mixed with the sounds of heavy trunks being dragged across the floors.

'I'm going to look for Neville,' said Hermione decisively, and left the compartment.

'What house do you think you're going to get into?' asked Susan excitedly. 'My family all went to Hufflepuff.'

'I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw,' said Leilla, and Terry nodded eagerly.

'Me too,' he said, 'like my mother. That would show my cousin Daniel! He always teases me, saying I'd end up in Slytherin...'

Terry shuddered with disgust at the sound of that name.

'Do you know,' said Susan conspiratorially, 'that You-Know-Who was in Slytherin?'

Terry shook his head with determination, as though refusing to acknowledge Slytherin's very existence.

'How could anyone want to be in that house...' he said, but his words were drowned in a voice that echoed through the train.

'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.'

They felt the train slow down its pace.

'We're here!' squeaked Susan, and the three of them left their compartment. Terry's words echoed in Leilla's head as they stepped off the train. Snape never told her You-Know-Who was in Slytherin...

They joined a large crowd of students outside the train, and ended up on a platform surrounded by tall trees soughing in the September wind. Leilla heard Hermione's voice behind her:

'...I suspect there will be a test, you know. A really basic one, I guess, to check which house we belong to...'

Leilla turned around and saw two boys stand next to Hermione. One was small and skinny, with a thin face and knobbly knees. Leilla noticed his round-rimmed glasses and glanced at the spot where she was sure to see a lightning-shaped scar, but strands of his jet-black hair covered his entire forehead. Next to him stood a boy with hair just as orange as the two identical twins Leilla had seen at the café near King's Cross. The boy she was pretty sure was Harry Potter noticed her gaze and gave her an unsure smile. She smiled back, and turned around quickly, at the sound of a booming voice:

'Firs' years! All firs' years, follow me!'

Leilla gasped. A man as tall as two average wardrobes stacked on top of each other towered over the heads of students. He was carrying a lantern the size of a barrel and waved his massive hands at the newcomers.

'C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!' he roared, and a flock of around forty students obediently marched behind him down a path leading up to the glimmering lake. There was a fleet of wooden boats awaiting them at the shore.

'Over here!' Terry waved at Leilla from one of the boats seating him, Susan and two other students. Leilla noticed Hermione board a boat together with Harry, Neville and their redhead friend. She jumped into the wobbly wooden vehicle and took a seat next to Terry.

At the command of the giant man's voice, the boats took off from the shore and swam swiftly through the dark waters of the lake, even though no one had touched a puddle. The enormous medieval castle grew bigger as the boats drew closer, and the students were gaping at it silently, able only to exclaim with wonder at the sight of its many spiky towers.