Rattling and swaying, the carriage moved up the road. When they passed between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds, Charlie leaned forward to try and see whether there were any lights on in Hagrid's cabin by the Forbidden Forest, but the grounds were in complete darkness.
Hogwarts Castle, however, loomed ever closer. A towering mass of turrets, jet black against the dark sky, and yet, every other window blazed fiery bright above them.
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The carriage jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors and Charlie got out after Hermione and Ron. He turned again to look for lit windows down by the Forest, but there was definitely no sign of life within Hagrid's cabin. Unwillingly, because he had half-hoped they would have vanished, he turned his eyes upon the strange, skeletal creatures standing quietly in the chill night air, their blank white eyes gleaming.
His mind still raced with thoughts about the reptilian-like horses. If Luna was to be believed, the beasts had always been there but invisible. Why, then, could he and Harry suddenly see them, and why could Ron and Hermione not?
"Are you coming or what?" Ron called from beside him, urging him forward with the rest of the group.
Charlie said nothing, but instead slowly followed behind Hermione and Luna as they led the boys, up the stone steps into the castle, to join the crowd.
The Entrance Hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the stone floor to reach the double doors that lead to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.
The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling under the starless black ceiling. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotting about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.
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Again, Charlie noticed people lowering their heads to whisper as he and Harry passed; he gritted his teeth and tried to act as though he neither noticed nor cared, and even had to urge his friend with glasses forward to stop him from making a scene.
