Kanna left quickly.
Kyle didn't take the Galleons on the table — a simple Wingardium Leviosa sent them back into the girl's pocket.
He wouldn't take money from an eleven-year-old girl, even if she seemed quite wealthy. It was a matter of principle.
Well... at least until he returned from Dorset.
Cedric glanced at the closed compartment door, then at Kyle who had visibly relaxed, and said, "Hey, since I'm technically your first customer, couldn't I try some of that potion too?"
"What are you saying? That's too formal!" Kyle waved his hand emphatically, "You're my dear friend, like a brother—not some customer."
"Mm-hmm." Cedric nodded, "So about that trial potion..."
"No, that's only for customers."
"Uh..." Cedric stared at him, his eye twitching.
He'd never met someone so brazenly shameless about playing favorites and taking advantage of friends.
Noted.
Feeling exhausted, Cedric changed the subject to Hogwarts.
Their shared love of Quidditch naturally steered the conversation to professional teams, but here they had a difference of opinion.
Kyle supported the Wimbourne Wasps (the one from his bat), while Cedric was a devoted fan of the Chudley Cannons.
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. The two boys stared at each other, invisible sparks crackling where their gazes met. Once Quidditch fans start arguing, surrender isn't an option. Neither would give in, and as time passed, the temperature in the compartment seemed to drop.
A violent jolt interrupted their standoff several minutes later.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." A voice echoed through the train.
Kyle and Cedric looked away simultaneously, and with unspoken agreement, neither looked at the other as they began changing into their robes.
Kyle glanced out the window — it had gotten quite dark outside, explaining the chill. At least the rain had stopped, or he'd have needed an umbrella.
The train gradually slowed until it came to a complete stop.
After ten hours, their journey had finally ended.
Kyle checked his robes and wand one final time before joining the bustling crowd stepping off the train onto a tiny, dark platform.
The station was shockingly run-down, with weeds growing wild and a severely faded sign—the words "Hogsmeade Station" barely legible through years of wear. Without even a proper stone path, the recent rain had turned the ground to mud, which immediately soaked his shoes.
✭ Scourgify ➜ Scouring Charm ✭
Kyle quickly cast the spell at his shoes and stepped carefully to a cleaner spot.
How could such a prestigious thousand-year-old school have such a dilapidated station? If not for Hogwarts' reputation and Headmaster Dumbledore's name, this entrance alone would surely drive away prospective students.
Just then, he spotted Kanna.
The little girl was trembling in the crowd, her face pale with fear at the unfamiliar scene.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Kanna turned and saw him. Like finding a lifeline, she immediately stumbled in his direction.
Kyle caught her as she nearly fell and wordlessly raised his wand toward her robes.
✭ Scourgify ➜ Scouring Charm ✭
In her haste, she had splashed mud all over herself.
After cleaning her robes, he smiled and patted her shoulder reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, it's safe here. Someone will come to get us soon."
"Mm." Kanna lowered her head and responded softly.
At that moment, an oil lamp appeared above their heads.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
Among the crowd of first-years, Hagrid's towering figure stood out dramatically. His wild hair and full beard frightened quite a few young wizards.
Kyle even heard someone crying.
Though Kanna wasn't crying, she was clearly distressed, gripping his arm with surprising strength that made him wince. Seeing her terrified expression, he didn't have the heart to pull away and simply endured it — though he couldn't fathom how an eleven-year-old girl could be so strong.
"Name's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts." Hagrid announced with a wave, "Firs' years follow me — mind yer step, now! I'll take yeh to the boats fer Hogwarts."
Kyle led the way, guiding Kanna toward the dim lamplight, the brightest spot in the area.
By now, she had calmed somewhat and quickly released his arm, her face flushing as she mumbled, "Sorry."
Her voice was too quiet to hear amid the startled noises of their fellow students, so Kyle simply nodded in response.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
Hagrid walked slowly to accommodate the first-years, and it took them twenty minutes of careful steps before they reached the end of the steep, narrow path.
After rounding the final bend, Hagrid turned to face them with a smile and pointed ahead, "Come on now, yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec — don't get distracted, it's the most beautiful sight in the magical world."
A chorus of gasps and exclamations followed.
Kanna stood beside Kyle, staring ahead and whispering, "It's so beautiful...!"
At the end of the path lay the famous Black Lake (also known as Great Lake), and perched on the high mountain across the water stood a majestic castle.
Turrets and towers rose into the sky, shimmering in the moonlight as if built among the clouds. The castle windows glowed warmly, like stars decorating the night. It was magnificent — truly a divine miracle.
Even Kyle was stunned. He wondered if Hogsmeade Station was deliberately left in disrepair just to make this moment more impressive.
"Right then, firs' years, time fer the boats — don't keep the professors waiting." Hagrid gestured toward a fleet of small boats by the shore, "No more'n four to a boat!"
Kyle and Kanna climbed into the nearest boat, joined by two unfamiliar first-years — a boy and a girl. The newcomers bubbled with excitement, chattering non-stop about writing home to describe this magnificent sight.
"Everyone in?" Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, turned back one last time to check, "Right then — FORWARD!"
The fleet of boats glided across the glassy lake, passing beneath low cliffs and through cascading curtains of ivy that draped the rock face, before entering a dark tunnel.
✭✭✭
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