Golden Flower of Hogwarts

Philosopher's 5

[Panda: Let's see how far in my rewriting I can get before I fly out tomorrow for vacation.

Also, fun fact; by accident when my friend and I played Hogwarts Legacy, we came upon where the strings were playing one 'night' and we saw two ghosts dancing. It was the most precious thing ever.] 

{By the time this is published, Panda has already headed to the airport so eeeeeee I hope she has fun! Also yes, yes we did see two ghosts dancing and it was precious as hell and I loved it so much.}

Flaring out his robes for the third time, Chrys had followed Harry, Dudley, Ron, and the other students off the train. Through the hustle and bustle of everything, he was able to pick up some stray conversations; two boys were talking about the Slytherin Dorm with one asking the other if he was going to mess with the first-years by having them look for mermaids again. A girl was walking with a pig in her arms petting it and saying she was so excited to have him explore the dorm they were assigned to. And of course, the boy who lost his toad earlier had found it - that definitely sounded stressful to go through and a lot of students were whispering of their worries about their own pets and what they would've done if they suddenly got lost on the train.

Once off the train, the first-years were greeted by a giant; Chrys and Harry approached him and greeted in unison, "Hey Hagrid!" Dudley was still unsure about the man - the man was a giant after all but he was just as welcoming as the two (if only because he was still considered staff here and his father had instilled to treat school staff with some form of respect. He was pretty certain that it was the same if that staff member worked with magical creatures and could possibly send something after misbehaving students.)

Hagrid ruffled Chrys' and Harry's hair and smiled. "'Ello again you two, 'ope the ride was smooth."

"It was." Harry confirmed, "We just had a sweets fest in the cabin."

"Jus' wait until the welcomin' feas' students tend to fall asleep right after they reach their dorm." He laughed and called out to the group. "'Irst years follow me to the docks.

Now, the newly formed friends wouldn't lie, they were jealous of the older students taking carriages to the school, why did they get the carriages while the first-years had to take a boat trip across the dark waters? Hermione mentioned that she read about it being that the school wanted the first-years to be able to marvel at the entire school as they approached, hence the boats.

That was all grand and swell, but Chrys wasn't really too excited to get into a boat that could hold four at minimum and six at maximum – actually, he found himself sharing a boat with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dudley, and the boy with a toad in his hands (was that the same one who lost it earlier on the train?) but even with some familiar faces, Chrys was actually nervous being on the boat on the dark lake. It wasn't likely this would happen, but he was nervous that their rowboat was going to capsize and they would plunge into the possible cold waters.

Aside from the murmurs of the other students, the rest of the boat ride went by quietly and without any problems. Eyes were wide as they beheld the sight before them; the imposing silhouette of Hogwarts Castle came into view. The moon, a pale shining bright hung low in the sky, casting a silvery sheen on the lake's surface. Its gentle glow illuminated the castle's towering turrets and ancient stone walls, making them appear ethereal and almost otherworldly.

The castle itself was a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, with its countless windows aglow with warm, welcoming light. It stood proudly atop a hill, surrounded by lush, whispering trees that rustled in the night breeze. A sense of history and magic seemed to emanate from the very stones of the castle, and the rowers couldn't help but be in awe of its grandeur.

"Oh my stars." Chrys breathed out.

"すばらしい (Subarashī)." the little bunny girl Izanami's eyes were lit up at the sight of it.