Whoo, whoo, whoo~~
As the train slowed, it finally came to a stop at the terminal station.
The passengers on the Express pushed and jostled toward the doors, then poured out onto a platform large enough to hold thousands of people.
This was the terminal station for Hogwarts.
And the train that had stopped there was the famous Hogwarts Express, known throughout the wizarding world.
Once the Express came to a complete stop, the first to step down from the train was a towering giant with a thick beard.
"Come on, follow me! Any first-years left? Watch your step. All right! First-years, this way!"
"Round this bend, and you'll see Hogwarts in just a moment."
Compared with ten years ago, the platform beneath their feet, once dark and cramped, had now been expanded considerably, enough to easily accommodate more than a thousand people.
And there were several times more first-year students than there had been ten years ago.
Those excited yet uneasy little faces belonged to the young wizards who would be entering Hogwarts this year.
...
Led by Hagrid, the new students arrived at their first stop, an important tradition for every year's incoming class.
Before they had even fully approached, the young wizards began crying out in excitement.
Because from a distance, they had already seen a giant dragon carved from marble, and the statue of a wizard standing upon its back.
"Look over there!"
"Whoa!"
"Is that the one from the books?!"
"The legendary Dragon Wizard!"
Hagrid was no longer surprised by the commotion.
After all, this scene happened every year.
Amid the sea of people, Hagrid's booming voice cut through the young wizards' cries. "Ahem! I reckon you all already know this. That's right, this is the battlefield of the Third Wizarding War."
"And the wizard before you is the Dragon Wizard who ended the war!"
Following the direction of Hagrid's finger, they saw a lifeless forest and a devastated canyon. If one had to describe the scene in a single sentence, it was as if someone had taken an enormous, razor-sharp blade and cut everything before them apart.
Standing here, one could even see the distant horizon.
Looking closely, one could still see remains crystallized by magic, as if they had been seared by flames of unimaginable heat.
The young wizards did not look frightened. Instead, they raised their hands excitedly and asked, "Professor, is this the damage caused by the legendary magic that defeated the Dark Lord?"
"Dragon's Breath Slash..."
The one who raised her hand was a young witch with beautiful golden hair and brown eyes.
Beside her stood another young witch with the same golden hair, though her eyes were a completely different color.
Judging from their clothes and how closely they stood together, they seemed to be sisters or close friends.
For a moment, Hagrid seemed to see the familiar shadows of those three in them.
...
The doors of Hogwarts Castle opened.
A brown-haired witch in an emerald-green robe stood before the entrance.
She was strikingly beautiful, but the stern, serious expression on her face also made her earnest personality plain.
Hagrid stepped forward. "First-years, Professor Granger."
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."
Just as Hagrid turned to leave, another voice reached their ears.
"Pansy, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in the Great Hall hosting the Sorting Ceremony?"
"Hmph~ It's exactly because I'm in charge of the Sorting Ceremony that I'm worried about things over here."
"Hah? The one who really needs worrying over is you. I handled last year's Sorting Ceremony perfectly. Don't cause trouble for him."
"Are you questioning me as Deputy Headmistress?"
"As if you're the only Deputy Headmistress. I'm one too!"
The witch currently glaring at Granger was Pansy, who was petite but had an almost unfairly striking figure.
From their conversation, it was clear that both of them were Deputy Headmistresses of Hogwarts.
Strangely enough, their relationship did not seem especially good.
In any case, amid their bickering, the first-year students arrived before the Great Hall where the Sorting Ceremony would take place.
Through those great doors, the young wizards, who had been excited just moments ago, now began to grow nervous.
Step!
The doors swung wide open.
On both sides of the aisle sat students from all four houses and every year.
Overhead loomed an enormous marble dragon.
Ahead were the seats of the Heads of House and professors, and standing at the central seat of honor was the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Black robes.
A tall, upright figure.
Neatly combed golden hair.
The aura surrounding him gave him a presence no one could ignore.
He was...
Holder of the Order of Merlin, First Class, President of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot, multiple-time nominee for Minister of Magic, and the wizard widely recognized as the greatest of the modern age.
He was also the great wizard who defeated the second Dark Lord and created Dragon's Breath Slash, now classified as a Forbidden Curse.
Draco Malfoy, known as the Dragon Wizard!