The three of them sat in the partment chatting when, after a while, the door was suddenly pulled open from the outside. Lee Jordan strode in. "I've been looking for you guys fes."

  Angelina and Alicia followed him in, with Alicia adding, "You've only walked through about one and a half carriages. Angelina and I went through more than two and didn't even pin!"

  Eda reached out and picked up Garlon, who was on the seat, cradling him in her arms to make space felina and Alicia to sit.

  "Is this your pet?" Angelina asked, sittio Eda and pying with Garlon.

  "We tried to get her to buy an owl, but she ended up with this puppy," Fred remarked.

  "Hmph! It was love at first sight," Eda said, handing Garloo Angelina. "Out of all the pets iore, I just knew Garlon was the one."

  Garlon, now in Angelina's arms, seemed incredibly tent, much happier than when he was with Eda.

  Gee, watg the eic little dog, teased, "So much for being close! Garlon's met Angelina and Alicia for the first time, but they already seem more like his owhan you do."

  "If yoing to talk, why don't you say something useful?" Lee Jordan joked, ughiily. Garlon's apparent ck of loyalty to Eda amused him, and he decred that he would officially "look out" for this dog.

  This small setback didn't bother Eda much. She had already decided—Garlon's treats would be cut in half week. She was the owner, after all, and she could be as petty as she wanted.

  Outside, the rain began to fall, the heavy drops pattering against the windows. They could no longer make out the sery rushing past, only knowing that the train was steadily heading north. By nightfall, they would arrive at the school.

  The lunch trolley rattled down the aisle, pushed by the same cheerful witch they had seen the previous year. Eda and the others pooled some money and bought a stack of cauldron-shaped cakes and drinks, adding them to the sandwiches and pies Mrs. Weasley had prepared. The six of them enjoyed a satisfyiogether.

  The rain outside showed no sign of letting up, and thunder rumbled in the distaartled, Garlon leaped into Eda's p, burying his head in her arms.

  The sky grew darker, and they were drawing closer to Hogwarts.

  When the Hogwarts Express finally slowed down and stopped at the pitch-beade Station, the downpour outside had begun to ease. Eda and the group moved with the crowd, shuffling across the dark ptform.

  Outside the station, a hundred carriages were waiting for them.

  First-year students would cross the ke to the castle by boat, but the older students would take these carriages.

  As sed-years, Eda and her friends were spared the o row across the ke iermath of the storm.

  Hitched to the front of the carriages were strange creatures standing still in the night, looking eerie and ominous.

  These creatures, which could barely be called horses, had no flesh oheir bck skin g tightly to their skeletal frames, making every bone visible. Their heads resembled those ons, and their pale, pupil-less eyes stared unblinking into the night. Large wings sprouted from their bony shoulders.

  These creatures were called Thestrals, and Eda had read about them in a book on magical creatures. She reized them instantly.

  Thestrals could only be seen by those who had witnessed death. Eda hadn't just witnessed death; she had experie firsthand, so she could naturally see them.

  It was this uling appearance, bined with their mysterious nature, that led people to sider Thestrals as omens of misfortune, believed t bad lud terrible disasters to those who saw them.

  The six friends squeezed into the carriage, which smelled a bit musty, with hints of mold and straw. Gee, the st to climb in, smmed the door shut behind him.

  Moments ter, the long line of carriages jolted into motion with a bumpy start, spshing water as they rattled dowh toward Hogwarts Castle.

  Their carriage finally stopped at the stoeps in front of twe oak doors. Eda jumped out, climbed the stairs, aered the cavernous entrance hall.

  They passed through the hall and through a set of double doors on the right, entering the magnifit Great Hall. Hundreds of dles floated above the tables, casting a bright, warm glow over the entire room.

  Eda and the twins made their way to the far end of the Gryffindor table, sitting down among students whreeting each other after a summer apart, sharing stories of their holidays.

  The atmosphere at the other three long tables was much the same, with the hall buzzing with excited chatter and general chaos.

  Eda gnced up at the staff table.

  Dumbledore was deep in versation with Professor Flitwick, while Professor Sprout chatted with someone beside her. Snape looked as he always did—sallow-faced, with greasy hair.

  There were two empty seats at the staff table, belonging to Professonagall and Hagrid. Hagrid was likely ferrying the first-years across the ke, and Magall robably waiting to meet them.

  Eda's attention was drawn to a professor with graying hair whom she had never seen before. He looked quite old, dressed pinly, and wore thick gsses that gave him an air of wisdom.

  "Do you think that new, older-looking face could be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Eda asked the twins beside her.

  Fred g the professor and said, "He probably is. That's the only positioo fill."

  "Figures it's another old guy. Let's just hope he doesn't make us read the textbook aloud in css," Gee added.

  "Let's hope he stays safe!" Angelina and Alicia chimed in together, not wanting to see the seemingly kind old ma an unfortue.

  Older students weren't as startled as the sed-years. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor ging every year was something they had already growo.

  Eda and her friends tiheir versation for a bit until the doors of the Great Hall opened. Everyone quieted down immediately as Professonagall led a long line of first-years to the front of the hall for the S Ceremony.

  Eda didn't pay much attention to what the S Hat sang about—it was the usual stuff about how the school was founded and encing unity and hard work. She didn't focus mu the actual S either.

  The only names she caught were ac McLaggen and Katie Bell, who were both sorted into Gryffindor and sat close to her.

  Ohe three-legged stool and the S Hat were taken away by Professonagall, Professor Dumbledore stood up. Smiling warmly at the students, he spread his arms wide in a weliure.

  "Feast time!" Eda eagerly grabbed her knife and fork, staring at the golden pte in front of her.

  "Wele!" Dumbledore said, his voice eg through the hall as dlelight gleamed off his beard. "Wele back to another year at Hogwarts! First, let's give a warm wele to Professlover Cecil, who will be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for this year!"

  The unfamiliar professor stood up, greeted everyone briefly, and then sat back down. The appuse in the hall was rather lukewarm.

  "First-year students, please hat the forest on the school grounds is strictly off-limits to all students. Some of our older students would do well to remember this as well. Additionally, Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you not to cast magi the corridors between csses, especially certain older students," Dumbledore said, his twinkling eyes fixed on Eda and the twins' dire. It was clear who those older students were.

  Eda quickly lowered her head, avoiding eye tact with Professonagall. The twins, however, didn't seem to mind and took it as a kind of aowledgment from Dumbledore.

  "And one final thing," Dumbledore added, pausing slightly. "Two words: Dig in!"

  In an instant, the golden ptes and goblets filled with food and drink. The sound of cutlery king against ptes soon filled the hall, apanied by cheerful chatter and ughter.

  After the openi, Eda, the twins, and the ryffindor students made their way to the hidderance of the on room.

  The familiar Fat Lady was waiting to wele them back.

  Everything inside was just as they had left it—the familiar on room, the familiar dormitory, and the familiar four-poster beds.

  'Haah~ Hogwarts~'

  Everythi like home again.

  _________

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