The Hufflepuff Girl

Chapter 6

       A smile came to my lips and I nodded, "together," watching the twins form smiles of their own. Then we started walking again, hand in hand, down towards the small crowd of first years surrounding the burly giant. He looked down at us as we arrived, raising a brow. "First years?" He questioned, to which we all nodded in reply. "Alright then. First Years! Last call for First Years!" We waited a few more minutes until the giant hummed, seeing as no more were coming. "Well, hello First Years!" The happy giant said, a wide smile coming to his face. There was a muttering of 'hello's in reply from some brave souls. I only clung on tighter to the twins hands. "My name is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds here at Hogwarts, but please, call me Hagrid." After that he began to explain... well, something. Honestly, I wasn't paying attention, my focus was on the chill of the night air and the eerie feeling that seemingly surrounded me as I looked just behind the giant, Hagrid, and into the darkness. There was something there, I could just feel it. "Well," he said loudly, pulling my attention from the dark, "follow me!"

       We followed Hagrid down off the platform and down a dirt road to the bank of a lake where the were multiple boats attached to a dock. "Three in each, please." The twins and I rushed for the first boat we saw, with Fred jumping in first and then me right after (with a little help from Fred, I'll admit) and then George. As the students began to get themselves settled Hagrid walked along the dock, surveying each boat. When he reached ours, his eyes widened.

        "Weasley, is it?" He questioned, to which George and Fred answered with a grin. "Ah! I know yer brothers, it's quite nice to meet you two." Hagrid smiled at the boys, turning away and beginning off, but he didn't get very far before he muttered, "I hope yer as good as they are." Oblivious to the fact that Fred and George twins could hear, he continued on, walking towards a solitary boat tied to the very front of the dock. I turned my head to glance at the twins, both their smiles had dropped. Fred was staring angrily at his hands, his jaw tight, whereas George sat back, leaning against the back of the tiny boat, face devoid of emotion. I stared at them for a moment, trying to decide on whether or not I should say something; I didn't know if I wanted to say anything, first off, and I wouldn't have even known what to say, if the answer was yes. My vault of comforting words was limited.

        The three of us sat in silence, until the sound of swishing water pulled our attention forward; the black water that our boats sat upon rippled as Hagrid's boat dipped and bobbed under his weight. Fred gasped as our boat rocked, hands reaching out to grab the sides.

       "Scared, Freddie?" Laughed George, slightly pushing his brother so he nearly slipped off his seat.

       "Stop it, you prick!" He exclaimed, shoving George back with more force than I think he intended.

       The twins antics was heard up front, Hagrid's head whipping around just in time to see Fred's hand land on George's chest. "'Ey, Weasley's! You'd best behave yerselves, don't make me come back there an' split you two up!" He shouted, pointing a thick finger back at them. When the twins nodded, Fred still glaring quite harshly at a smiling George, Hagrid huffed and gave a curt nod of his head. With a wave of the giant's hand, the rope attaching our boat to the dock untied itself and we began off; then there was light and I looked up at the bow of the boat to see a lantern hung there, dangling just slightly above the water. It illuminated just enough so I could clearly see my reflection smiling back at me on the black surface.

       We sailed along smoothly across the black lake, taking in the sights which we could see; beautiful rock formations to my right, a dense forest to my left and sparkling stars in the night sky above. Soon we came to an archway carved from stone. It was covered in moss and high above our heads, with thick vines and leaves hanging down in front of the arch to obstruct our view of whatever it was on the other side. The booming voice of Hagrid soon told us all to duck our heads as we came to the curtain of vines. I did so without question feeling the light brush of the vines against my back as we passed under the arch. "Alright," Hagrid said, "you can look up now." I nearly gasped as I raised my head; there, sat on a hill some hundred yards away, was a glorious castle, glimmering in the starlight, that looked to be built of marble.