The first-years followed Hagrid down a muddy, descending path. Because of his massive size, one of Hagrid's strides was easily equal to two or three of the young wizards' steps.
Even though he was clearly trying to slow his pace, the kids still had to practically jog just to keep up and not fall behind.
Because of this, nobody said a word the whole way down. Everyone was completely focused on just putting one foot in front of the other.
After navigating through a dark, dense forest, the group arrived at the edge of a small lake.
"Into the boats! No more'n four to a boat. The magic'll do the steerin'," Hagrid called out, turning to face them.
"Don't move around too much once yer in, and keep yer hands outta the water—unless yeh fancy being dragged to the bottom by the giant squid!"
Hagrid's thick beard twitched as he spotted Richie in the crowd, still holding his wand high with the Lumos charm burning brightly.
"Ah, you there, the overachiever—you can put that wand out now," he said. "Don't wanna ruin the view for what's comin' up."
Realizing he was the "overachiever" in question, Richie lowered his wand and ended the spell.
Only five or six minutes had passed since they left the platform, but Richie was already feeling a wave of fatigue. It wasn't sleepiness, exactly—more like a tangible drain on his stamina. He figured holding the Lumos charm for that long had sapped a bit too much of his magic.
Following Hagrid's instructions, the first-years scrambled into groups and climbed into the little boats.
Richie, Hermione, Neville, and a boy they didn't know shared one boat, while Harry and Ron squeezed in with some other kids.
Ron had originally planned to drag Harry over to sit with Richie, but Richie had already boarded Neville's boat, and Hermione followed right behind him. Not wanting to ditch Harry, Ron had to let it go.
"Alright then, sit tight!"
Hagrid, having taken an entire boat for himself at the front of the fleet, gave a gentle tap to a small bell attached to the bow.
With a soft ding, the dozen or so boats lined up along the shore began gliding forward, entirely without oars.
Night had fully fallen by now. The lake and its surroundings were dead quiet and pitch black. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, leaving only a handful of stars fighting to light up the sky.
The young wizards huddled together, a little spooked by the heavy atmosphere, listening to nothing but the soft rippling of water against the hulls of their boats.
Soon, the fleet drifted toward a dark opening in the cliff face, plunging them into total darkness.
That's when Hagrid's voice echoed through the cavern. "Just out of this tunnel, and yeh'll get yer first look at Hogwarts!"
Right as he said it, the boats swept through a curtain of thick ivy. The kids instinctively ducked, but when they raised their heads again, a collective gasp swept across the fleet.
A castle pulled straight out of a dream loomed into view. Framed against the night sky and reflecting off the dark glass of the lake, its warmly lit windows looked like fallen stars.
Richie stared up at the massive fortress, a grin spreading across his face.
Hogwarts, here I come.
---
The fleet glided into an underground harbor beneath the castle. At Hagrid's signal, the first-years clambered out of the boats and made their way up a flight of damp stone steps, officially setting foot inside Hogwarts.
They arrived in front of the massive double doors leading to the Great Hall on the ground floor.
Waiting for them was a stern-looking witch in emerald-green robes and a pointed hat. The chatter died instantly, and the kids instinctively straightened up.
The witch scanned the crowd, then gave a crisp nod.
"Welcome to Hogwarts."
"I am Minerva McGonagall. You may refer to me as Professor McGonagall."
"In a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates for the Sorting Ceremony. Here at Hogwarts, there are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindor values bravery; Hufflepuff, loyalty; Ravenclaw, wisdom; and Slytherin, ambition."
"After the Sorting Ceremony, you will enjoy your first welcome feast. I must remind you that while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. Triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose them."
"At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup. Now, please wait here momentarily."
Professor McGonagall turned and slipped into the Great Hall, leaving the nervous first-years to look around and whisper among themselves.
"So it's true, then. What they were saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."
The sudden voice belonged to a boy with slicked-back blonde hair.
The crowd immediately erupted into furious whispers.
"Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?"
"Who's Harry Peter?"
"It's Potter! How do you not know who Harry Potter is?!"
Standing near the front, Richie glanced over his shoulder. He watched the slicked-back boy strut over to Harry, flanked by two meaty bodyguards.
"I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. And this is Crabbe and Goyle."
Snort.
Standing right next to Harry, Ron couldn't help but let out a laugh at Malfoy's incredibly pompous introduction.
Malfoy's eyes narrowed, shooting Ron a nasty glare. "Red hair, hand-me-down robes... I think it's pretty obvious who you are."
Watching this play out, it instantly clicked for Richie.
Ah, so this is the classic schoolyard bully trope to kick things off. Going right after a kid's clothes and family? Textbook verbal bullying. He remembered telling his own son back in his old life that if anyone ever talked to him like that, he needed to report it to a teacher or parent immediately...
Pulled from his thoughts, Richie saw Harry step forward. Staring Malfoy down and completely ignoring his outstretched hand, Harry fired back firmly:
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks."
Ron visibly puffed out his chest at that.
Malfoy looked completely thrown off—but before he could retaliate, Professor McGonagall appeared right behind him. She gave him a sharp tap on the head with a warning glare. Taking the hint, Malfoy slinked back into the crowd with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.
"We are ready for you now. Follow me," McGonagall announced.
The drama over, the gossip-hungry first-years snapped back to attention and shuffled forward.
"That boy is incredibly rude!" Hermione whispered, scowling as she walked next to Richie. "Everyone is born equal. He has absolutely no right to step on other people to make himself look better."
Richie nodded in agreement. Well said. It was obvious Hermione came from a household with solid values.
As for that kid, Malfoy... Richie frowned, racking his brain. He vaguely remembered from the books that the kid was definitely bad news. Was he a henchman for some villain later on?
A mix of pure excitement and sheer terror radiated from the forty-something first-years as they followed Professor McGonagall through the grand doors.
The moment they stepped inside, every single kid was immediately mesmerized by the magnificent starry sky stretching overhead and the thousands of floating candles illuminating the room.
The Great Hall held four massive, long tables, completely packed with older students craning their necks to get a look at the incoming first-years.
Banners hung high above each table in vivid colors: scarlet and gold, blue and bronze, yellow and black, silver and green. Each banner was intricately embroidered with a different animal—a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
To make things even crazier, a few translucent ghosts drifted lazily around the edges of the hall, cheerfully waving at the newcomers—which nearly gave a few of the kids a heart attack.
They marched down the center aisle between the tables and came to a halt at the front of the room.
Professor McGonagall turned to face them. "Please wait here for a moment. Our Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, would like to say a few words."
With that, she stepped up to the staff table.