"Follow me, students!" a booming voice called out.
Hagrid, looking like a wild man in his thick fur coat, stood waiting for them on the dark platform, holding a lantern, a towering giant of a man.
To students unfamiliar with Hagrid's true nature, his appearance was quite intimidating. The previously noisy students immediately quieted down, following behind Hagrid as he walked forward along the platform.
In a wide, open space, many dark carriages were parked, with dim lights hanging on both sides of their frames. Some of the carriages even swayed slightly.
Students boarded the carriages one after another. Wade and his friends walked together when they suddenly heard a greeting: "Hey, Wade, guys, this carriage is empty!"
They looked up and saw Hermione, Padma, Parvati, and Neville all sitting in the same carriage. It was Padma who spoke, pointing to an empty carriage parked nearby, filled with straw.
The group climbed into the carriage one after another. Michael was the first to wave and say, "Hello, everyone, did you have a good holiday?"
"It was great, except for someone who never checked the Book of Friends," Hermione said. "I thought it would be easier to discuss questions on the Book of Friends! Especially when practicing the Disarming Charm by myself—"
"Oh, Hermione, wait, we haven't even officially started school yet!" Padma stopped her, looking pained. "Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay? Schoolwork can wait until tomorrow."
Even as a Ravenclaw, she found Hermione's eagerness to study frightening.
"Let's meet at the library tomorrow afternoon!" Wade suggested. "I need to borrow some new books anyway."
Hermione reluctantly sat back down, and Parvati beside her quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although no one pressured her to study, when she was surrounded by academic powerhouses discussing their studies and she couldn't understand or participate, she felt trapped in an invisible glass dome, almost suffocating.
While they were talking, Neville frantically jumped off his carriage, clutching his toad, Trevor, tightly, and squeezed into Wade's carriage.
"Hey, Neville, we already have enough people here!" Michael protested.
"Please, let me stay here, the other one is full of girls—"
Neville pleaded in a low voice, looking utterly miserable, but his body unhesitatingly pushed Michael into a corner, refusing to get off no matter what.
Michael, forced to sit against the side of the carriage, grumbled angrily, "What's so bad about being with girls? You're sitting next to the prettiest girls at Hogwarts! And they're twins!"
Crisp laughter came from the girls' side, though it was unclear if it was because they heard Michael.
Neville hung his head, flustered, not daring to look at who was laughing, and whispered, "They're always laughing—it's too embarrassing, I can't stay there alone—"
Michael cursed, clearly disappointed, "Neville, you really are a hopeless idiot!"
Before the carriage started moving, he leaped out without hesitation and headed straight for the girls' carriage. Soon, he was inside, chatting and laughing with Padma.
Neville breathed a sigh of relief, looking very impressed.
Wade and the other two couldn't help but chuckle. Neville grinned, scratching his head bashfully.
The carriage began to sway, moving along an uneven road, causing the carriage to bump. There was a musty smell inside, and a thick layer of straw covered the floor.
Ryan couldn't help but ask, "I wanted to ask this last time we rode, why doesn't this carriage have any cushions?"
When they went home for Christmas, they also took these carriages to Hogsmeade station, but at that time, they were with people from their own houses when leaving the school, so they didn't have a chance to gather together.
Theo speculated, "Maybe it's to follow tradition—surely it's not because they lack funds?"
Anyone who had seen Hogwarts during meal times would not believe the school couldn't afford a few soft cushions.
"A school that provides food, lodging, and no tuition fees—what more can we ask for? Let's just consider this a test for us!"
Wade said, touching the pile of straw in the carriage with his Wand. The dry, yellow straw immediately transformed into thick cushions.
The others touched the cushions, saying enviously, "Oh, Transfiguration is just too difficult."
Under Wade's guidance, their Charms Class scores were good, but Transfiguration was a subject where they mostly had to rely on themselves. Wade couldn't just cram unwavering conviction and clear imagery into their minds.
"Do Muggle schools charge fees?" Theo asked curiously.
"Hmm." Wade thought about his elementary school years and said, "Public elementary schools are basically free, with very small miscellaneous fees. But private schools, you'd be looking at at least ten thousand pounds a year."
"Ten thousand pounds?" Theo asked, bewildered. "How much is that?"
"Roughly two thousand Galleons," Wade replied.
Theo gasped, "That expensive! Muggles must be rich!"
Even as a Pure-blood, his family couldn't afford to spend two thousand Galleons a year to send him to school—perhaps only families like the Malfoys could afford that kind of education?
"Most Muggle students also attend public elementary schools," Wade said.
"Speaking of which, these carriages at school are really good; they can move by themselves. Are they also enchanted items?" Ryan asked curiously. Neville suddenly looked up, muttering, as if he wanted to say something, but then stopped himself.
"No—it seems to be invisible horses pulling them—" Michael poked his head out. "Listen closely—"
The group held their breath and listened carefully. From the invisible creatures in the air came hissing exhales, snorts, and the sound of wings flapping.
"Invisible horses—" Ryan frowned in thought. "I think I've read about creatures like that in a book somewhere—"
"They're Thestrals," Wade revealed the answer.
"Right!" Ryan slapped his hand together excitedly. "They're Thestrals! Legend says only those who have witnessed death firsthand can see them—that's why we can't!"
"—So, they're not invisible, people just can't see them?" Theo frowned, trying to sort out the logic.
"Mm, right."
Wade responded casually, nodding, and looked ahead of the carriage.
The gaunt black horse had a pair of white, pupil-less eyes, and its face was as terrifying and fierce as a dragon. It docilely pulled the carriage forward, its large bat wings gently folded at its sides. Perhaps Ryan's voice was a bit loud, as it restlessly lifted its head slightly and quickened its pace.
The wheels groaned to a halt in front of the castle's stone steps.
Wade jumped out of the carriage. The night air was frigid, his breath turning to misty white clouds. He turned his head, his gaze meeting the Thestral's pale, empty eyes.
It was a strange feeling.
No wonder ancient people equated seeing a Thestral with seeing death, believing it brought misfortune to those who saw them.
"What are you waiting for, Wade!" Ryan slapped him on the back, stomping his feet. "It's freezing today!"
Students trampled through the snow and up the steps, eager to get into the castle. Around the corner of the entrance hall, Filch glared furiously at the children trailing mud into the castle.
The Great Hall was brightly lit, and the House-elves had once again prepared a magnificent feast. Dumbledore sat at the teachers' table, smiling as he watched the new students.
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