The group of first-year students cautiously followed Hagrid's footsteps, stumbling along a steep, narrow path downhill. The Weasley twins, Fred and Gee, fnked Eda protectively. Fred, walking ahead, frequently warned Eda and Gee to watch their step.

  "Just around this bend, you'll get your first glimpse of Hogwarts!" Hagrid called back to the first-year students.

  "Wow!!!" Various excmations of awe rose from the group.

  At the end of the narrow path, a vast bck ke suddenly spread out before them. On the opposite shore, high on a hill, stood a t castle with numerous spires, its windows glowing uhe starry sky.

  Eda gazed at the distant castle, the flickering lights from its windows seeming to illumihe path home for travelers.

  Hagrid led everyoo the keside, where a fleet of small boats was moored.

  He instructed that no more than four people were allowed per boat before b one himself.

  The first-years began to pair up and climb into the boats. Eda quickly found ay boat, letting the twins board first before inviting another person to join them. Only then did she climb aboard.

  The person who joined was Angelina Johnson, a girl with a ponytail and dark skin whom Eda had just met while looking for a boat.

  Seeing that everyone was aboard, Hagrid led the procession. The small boats glided across the tranquil ke towards their destination, the t castle's lights shining like a lighthouse in the dark night.

  The boat carrying Eda and her panions passed beh cliffs and through a opy of ivy draping over the cliff face, before entering a dark tunnel.

  They finally stopped at peared to be an underground harbor.

  After waiting for a while, and once Hagrid had checked the boats, he led them forward. They walked through aunnel within the rocky hillside, eventually reag a ft, damp patch of grass in the shadow of the castle.

  They climbed a flight of stoeps and gathered in front of a massive oak door.

  Hagrid raised his huge fist and khree times on the castle door.

  The oak door immediately swung open, revealing Professonagall, a long bck robe. Her face was stern, her expression serious as she surveyed the group, her gaze naturally falling on Eda standiweewo red-haired boys.

  "She looks too serious!" Gee whispered.

  "Doesn't seem easy to deal with!" Fred frow Professonagall.

  "She is a bit scary," Angelina quietly agreed.

  Professonagall, with her severe demeanor aiculous appearance, was indeed intimidating.

  Eda whispered, "Professonagall is actually quite nice, as long as you don't get into trouble." In Eda's view, though strict looking, Professonagall was a erson.

  "The first-years, Professonagall," Hagrid said, gesturing to the students behind him.

  "Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here," Professonagall responded. "First-years, follow me quietly."

  Professonagall motioned for everyoo follow her, thehe way along the stone-paved floor. Eda ahree panions followed the crowd, with the sound of hundreds of people talking ing from a room on the right.

  Eventually, under Professonagall's guidahe first-year students arrived at a small, empty room at the other end of the hall.

  With the influx of people, the small room immediately felt cramped. The Weasley twins tiheir role as flower protectors, this time including Angelina Johnson in their protective circle.

  "Wele to Hogwarts," Professonagall said. "The start-of-term ba will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The S is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be like your family at Hogwarts. You will have csses with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house on room."

  "The names of the four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravencw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history..."

  While Professonagall was giving her speech, some of the braver students were whispering among themselves.

  "Do you know how the S works?" Angelina asked, clearly worried about the ceremony. She was afraid she might not pass it.

  Eda couldn't remember her friend's exact words but she remembered seeing an HP YouTube video with a singing hat... She just thought it shouldn't be too difficult. After all, Hogwarts admitted students from Muggle families as well. If the S process was too hard, those students might have to pack their things and go hht away.

  "We don't kher, but it shouldn't be too hard. After all, we're only first years," the twins said.

  Hearing the twins' words, Angeli reassured.

  It made seer all, they were just a group of first-year kids. Surely they wouldn't have to face a troll or anything like that!

  "Gryffindor is the best house, Eda," Gee whispered to Eda, his eyes still on Professonagall, who eaking upfront.

  "Dumbledraduated from Gryffindor," Fred added, "and whatever you do, don't end up in Slytherin!"

  "That house produces the most bad guys. It's where most dark wizards e from," Gee said just as a few unfriendly gnces were thrown their way. The twins weren't intimidated at all; they gred right back.

  Slytherin's reputation being tainted from a young age seemed to be a given.

  Eda khey were trying to expin things to her, even though Angelina, ing from a wizarding family, was already familiar with the four houses. 'But acc to that meme isn't it on sehat there are five of the major houses? Shouldn't Azkabahe one you should never go to?'

  "I get it. But choosing a house isn't like pig out merdise from Diagon Alley. If the four of us end up in different houses, that would be iing," Eda said, while als back at those who had thrown unfriendly looks.

  Dare to gre at me? I'll pluck all your eyeshes!

  "In a few mihe S Ceremony will take p front of the entire school. I suggest you take this time to tidy yourselves up," Professonagall said. "When they're ready for you, I'll e a you. Remember to stay quiet!"

  After speaking, Professonagall left the room.

  "I'm still really nervous about the S Ceremony. Is it a test or something else?" Angelina asked again once Magall had left.

  "Don't worry about it, Angelina. We'll find out soon enough," Eda said, patting Angelina's shoulder fly. "We've e this far; they won't send us home nht?"

  Suddenly, screams erupted around them. Twenty or so ghosts had suddenly appeared, floating out from the wall behind them.

  The already nervous Angelina jumped in fright. The first-year students stared in terror at the pearly white, semi-transparent ghosts.

  The ghosts, however, didn't seem to notice the frightened first years, or perhaps they hadn't expected to scare Hogwarts students...

  The ghosts were quietly versing with each liding across the room, and then disappeared through the opposite wall.

  At this moment, Professonagall returned and said to the first years, "Now, form a single file line and follow me."

  Everyone followed Magall into the Great Hall, where thousands of floating dles illumihe rohtly. The velvet-bck ceiling twinkled with stars.

  At the head of the hall was a long table where the teachers sat. Below were four long tables corresponding to the four houses.

  The first-year students stood fag the rest of the school, with hundreds of faces staring back at them, apanied by the faint silver glow of the ghosts.

  Professonagall pced a fged stool before the first years and the an old, patched, and very dirty wizard's hat on it. Eda thought that even the clothes at the orphanage looked er pared to the S Hat.

  The hall was silent as the S Hat began to move. A wide rip he brim opened like a mouth, and the hat started to sing:

  ??You might think I'm not much to look at,But don't judge on what you see,...

  ...

  In my hands (though I have none),You are safe as safe be.

  For I am a Thinking Cap! ??

  When the S Hat fis song and took a bow, the hall erupted in thunderous appuse.

  "Now you don't have to worry, Angelina," Eda said with a smile. Angelina finally seemed to rex.

  Professonagall stepped forward, holding a scroll of part.

  "When I call your name, you will put o and sit oool to be sorted," she said. "Joel Anji!"

  A slightly chubby boy stumbled out of the line, looking a bit clumsy. He put o and sat down, waiting for a moment.

  "Hufflepuff!" the S Hat announced loudly.

  The students at the table on the right appuded and cheered for Joel Anji as he joihem.

  "Cody Avery!"

  Avery walked out, looking very smug. He was one of the boys Eda had exged gres with earlier. The S Hat barely touched his head before eagerly shouting, "Slytherin!"

  Avery removed the hat, a self-satisfied smirk on his face, and strutted over to the Slytherin table.

  Professonagall tinued calling names, and the S Hat pced each student into their respective houses.

  "Cedric Diggory!"

  A tall, handsome boy sat oool and put o. This time, the S Hat took a bit longer before finally announg, "Hufflepuff!"

  ...

  The s tinued, and the number of students left was dwindling. Angelina, who had been quite nervous earlier, had already been sorted into Gryffindor, her excitement evident from her boung ponytail.

  "Alicia Spi!"

  "Gryffindor!"

  Professonagall looked at the part, then raised her head to look at Eda, who was slightly distracted. "Esmeralda Twist!" she called.

  _______

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