Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The train slows down and comes to a stop, everyone pushing their way towards the doors and out onto the small, dark platform.Willow holds onto Theo and Blaise's hands, Draco holding onto her cloak so they don't lose each other "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" Hagrid asks as the six of them reach him. Hermione walks over and joins them, Willow smiling at her in greeting "C'mon, follow me, any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Hagrid tells them, beginning to lead the group of children down the platform and down a steep, narrow path "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here." he tells them. There's a collective "Oooooh!" as everyone spots the castle perched atop the high mountains, a large black lake in front of them. Willow sneakily pulling out her camera she had put in her robe pocket and taking a picture of the castle "Scrapbook?" Blasie asks. "Obviously." Willow smiles. "No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid tells everyone. Willow, Draco, Blaise and Theo automatically get in a boat together, Harry and Ron getting into a boat by Neville and Hermione. "Everyone in? Right then, FORWARD!" Hagrid orders, the small fleet of boats beginning to move across the lake towards the school.
"Heads down!" Hagrid calls as they reach a wall of ivy. Everyone crouches down as they go through they ivy, finding themselves in a dark tunnel that carries therm to an underground harbour. Everyone clambers out the boats onto rocks and pebbles "Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asks Neville as he checks the boats as people climbed out of them. "Trevor!" Neville exclaims blissfully, holding out his hands. Everyone follows Hagrid up a passageway in the rock, coming out onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walk up a flight of stone steps and crowd round the huge, oak door "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid asks before raising a fist and knocking three times on the door. The door swings open to reveal a tall, dark haired witch in emerald green robes "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid tells her. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." she responds, opening the door wider so all the first years could walk into the entrance hall. Willow looks round and is reminded of the castle in Germany, that she and her family stayed in when they went of holiday.
The group of children follow Professor McGonagall as she shows them into a small, empty chamber to the right of the hall "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." she tells them before walking out. Willow checks her robes before looking at the boys, helping Theo sort out his hair.
