Crystal the Half-Ghost Witch

Chapter 11

Crystal stepped off the train and gathered with the other first years at the end of the platform. Most of the others were huddled together, scared of the dark. Crystal was used to the dark, though; she could still see in the dark thanks to her ghost side. That, and being raised in a cupboard while fighting crime at night, helped hone her eyesight.

That was why she spotted the absolute giant of a man coming toward them before the others did. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

Crystal stared at the man as he got close enough for the others to see. His voice echoed throughout the wind like a booming drum for all to hear. He had a strange accent which made it harder for people to understand him at first.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" The giant of a man boomed, looking for someone in the sea of first-year students. Crystal had a gut feeling that it was her he was looking for, so she kept her head down and followed the man.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Most of the first years were slipping and stumbling as they followed the man down a steep, narrow path. The sides of the path were lined with thick trees on either side, cutting off any light they could have gotten from the moon. The only light they had was the torch the giant man was carrying.

Crystal felt that the school should have put railings with lanterns on the sides of the path. It was the least they could do if they expected children to walk down it late at night. At least that way, they could see where they were going.

Nobody spoke much on the walk. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed a few times, so Crystal handed him a tissue and a small smile. He returned her smile with one of his own, though his was a bit shakier than hers. Crystal seemed to have cheered him up somewhat.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the man called over his big shoulder. "Jus' round this bend here."

There was a second of silence before a loud "Oooooh!" echoed throughout the small gathering of children.

The narrow path they were on had suddenly opened onto the edge of a great black lake. Crystal thought she saw a giant tentacle for a second, but it was gone after she blinked.

Perched atop a high mountain on the other side of the lake was a castle. Its windows sparkled in the starry sky, showcasing the many turrets and towers.

Crystal had to admit it was a bit impressive, but she had seen more impressive things in the ghost zone.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the giant man called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Crystal eyed the boats with trepidation. They looked like they were ready to sink at any moment. She hesitantly got into one and was followed by Ron, who quickly took the spot next to her.

They were followed by Neville and Hermione. As soon as they were all seated, the giant man started talking again.

"Everyone in?" he shouted. Being so large, he had to have an entire boat to himself. Crystal hoped it would hold his weight. "Right then - FORWARD!"

Crystal gave a small lurch when the fleet of little boats started moving all on their own. The small boats glided across the lake. Surprisingly, it was a smooth ride. Everyone was silent, staring up at the giant castle at the other end of the lake. It towered over them as the boats sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

Crystal hoped that they had railings on the edge of the cliff to keep students from falling off. That would be the smart thing to do, right?

"Heads down!" the man yelled as the first boats reached the cliff. All of the others bent their heads except for Crystal. The little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that didn't even reach her head. She figured that since the man was so large, he probably didn't realize that the ivy didn't even reach the small first years on the boats.