Harry Potter : The Rise Of Shafiq

The announcement echoed through the train: "The Hogwarts Express will arrive in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, and we will escort you to the school."

Harry felt a wave of anxiety wash over him, his stomach doing somersaults. He noticed that Ron's face, usually freckled and lively, was just as pale. They hurriedly stuffed the last of their sweets into their pockets and joined the throng in the aisle.

The train began to slow and eventually came to a halt. Passengers jostled one another in their rush to the exit, spilling out onto a small, dimly lit platform. The chill of the night air made them shiver, but Harry observed that Warren seemed unfazed. Little did he know that Warren, under the protection of a Taoist, felt no such discomfort from the cold. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice bellowing, "First-year students! First-years over here! Harry, over here! How are you?"

It was Hagrid, his bearded face beaming brightly above the crowd.

"Let's go, follow me! Any first-years? Mind your step! Everyone, follow me!" They trailed Hagrid, slipping and stumbling along what felt like a steep and narrow path. The shadows loomed on either side, and Harry imagined thick woods flanking them. Silence enveloped them, with only an occasional sniffle from the boy who had lost his toad.

"Turn this corner, and you'll see Hogwarts for the first time," Hagrid called back.

At that moment, a collective gasp echoed. 

At the end of the path, a vast black lake stretched out before them. Rising dramatically on the opposite shore was a magnificent castle, its towers and windows glimmering under the blanket of stars.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid exclaimed, gesturing to a line of boats waiting at the shore. Harry and Ron hopped into one, joined by Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, while Neville and Hermione climbed into another with Warren.

"Is everyone aboard?" Hagrid called out as he took a seat in a boat of his own. "All right... let's set off!"

The boats moved of their own accord across the Black Lake, and the children around Harry pointed and giggled at the sights, filled with excitement.

Hermione dipped her hand in the frigid lake water.

The splash soothed her, but suddenly she felt a tingle in her fingertips. Alarmed, she lifted her hand to discover a Scottish lake monster, a magical creature, brushing against her.

As they drew nearer to the castle, the group grew quiet, enveloped by the serene sounds of water. They passed through several vine-covered bridges and a dark tunnel that felt like the entrance to the castle's depths, finally reaching what seemed like an underground dock before scrambling up a rocky shore.

At the base of Hogwarts, Lingxu Taoist viewed the scene through Warren's perception. To his surprise, the school loomed even larger than he had imagined, with its dark walls stretching endlessly and its tallest towers reaching up into the clouds.

"Salazar Slytherin must truly have been generous to donate his castle as a school!"

"Hey, look! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asked, checking the empty boats as the students disembarked.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Neville shouted, ecstatic as he waved his arms.

They followed Hagrid through the entrance, where a tall witch with black hair donned in emerald robes stood at the gate, her expression serious. Harry sensed immediately that she would be someone to reckon with.

"First-years, this is Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take over from here," she replied.

Professor McGonagall wasted no time in addressing the students. 

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The feast is about to begin, but first, you need to be sorted into your houses. This Sorting Ceremony is crucial because your house will become your home at Hogwarts. You'll attend classes with fellow housemates, live in your house's dormitory, and share leisure time in the common room together.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, each with its own distinguished history and notable wizards. Performing well during your studies will earn your house points, while rule-breaking will cost points. At year's end, the house with the most points wins the House Cup, a coveted honor. Regardless of which house you land in, I hope you bring pride to it.

"In a few moments, you will line up for the Sorting. I suggest you tidy yourselves and stay alert."

"How do they decide our house?" Harry whispered to Ron.

"Must be some kind of test. Fred said it would hurt, but I think he was just joking."

"No, Fred was teasing you. We just wear the Sorting Hat." 

"I knew that guy couldn't be trusted." At that moment, Professor McGonagall instructed the first-years to line up. "Follow me." 

They exited the room, crossed the entrance hall, and walked through a set of grand double doors into the magnificent Great Hall. McGonagall guided them to form a line facing the senior students, with the teachers standing behind them. Flickering candlelight illuminated hundreds of expectant faces, like ghostly lanterns. Ghosts flitted among the students, glowing softly. Trying to avoid their gazes, Harry looked up at the enchanted ceiling, where stars twinkled like the night sky outside. Hermione whispered, "This place is magical and resembles the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." 

Professor McGonagall gently placed a four-legged stool before the first-years and set a tattered, stained Sorting Hat atop it. 

Warren thought to himself: if he didn't wash his hair well tonight, he'd never be able to stand the hat when it inevitably cracked wide open and sang, announcing: 

You may think that I'm not pretty, 

But don't judge by outer looks, 

Find me a hat that's more beautiful, 

And I'll eat my own hooks. 

You can have your bowler polished bright, 

You can make your high silk hat feel just right, 

I'm the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts, 

And I'm certainly taller than those hats in sight. 

All the thoughts tucked in your mind, 

Can't escape the Sorting Hat's golden eyes, 

Put me on, and I'll reveal, 

Which house you shall call home, it's real. 

You might belong to Gryffindor, it's true, 

Where courage and valor shine through. 

Or maybe you're a Hufflepuff, kind and fair, 

Their hard work and loyalty are quite rare. 

If you're clever and wise, 

You may find a place in Ravenclaw's skies, 

With knowledge and wit among peers that await. 

Or Slytherin, where ambition will define your fate, 

But beware, ambition can sometimes lead to deceit. 

So come, don me, be not afraid! 

Take a seat, and do not dismay, 

For in my hands (though I have none), 

You are safe, for I can think on my own! 

When the hat finished its song, the audience erupted into applause. The hat bowed to each of the four house tables before settling down. "Now, I will call your name. Step forward, put on the hat, sit on the stool, and wait for your sorting." 

"Hannah Abbott!"

A rosy-cheeked girl with two golden braids stumbled forward and placed the hat over her eyes. She sat there for a moment before the hat exclaimed, "Hufflepuff!"

Applause and cheers erupted from the table to her right as the Fat Friar ghost waved joyfully at her.

"Susan Bones!"

"Hufflepuff!" the hat called out again. Susan dashed over to join Hannah at the table.

"Terry Boot!"

"Ravenclaw!"

Claps sounded from the second table on the left as Terry joined them, shaking hands with awaiting Ravenclaw students.

Mandy Blocher joined him in Ravenclaw, while Lavender Brown proudly became Gryffindor's first new student, prompting loud cheers from the table on the far left. Harry noticed Ron's twin brothers booing from their seats.

Millicent Bulstrode was next, sorted into Slytherin. Harry recalled hearing numerous conversations about Slytherin beforehand and, while he felt uneasy about their reputation, he turned to Warren and asked quietly, "Which house do you want to be in?" 

"I'm fine with any house, but I have to stick to family tradition and join Slytherin. Don't worry, Harry. Not everyone there is bad, and your good friend will be among them." 

"Justin Finch-Fletchley!"

"Hufflepuff!"

As the sorting continued, Harry noted that the hat sometimes called a house right away, while other times it seemed to deliberate. For instance, Seamus Finnigan from next to him took almost a full minute before Gryffindor was declared.

"Hermione Granger!"

Hermione nearly dashed to the stool, hurriedly placing the hat on her head.

"Gryffindor!" the hat announced. Ron chuckled, likely remembering Hermione's earlier comment about his dusty nose. 

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were sorted into Slytherin, as were Blaise and Pansy. Finally, it was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's turn to be sent to Gryffindor. Warren was the last to be called. As the Sorting Hat rested upon his head, he heard, "Oh? Occlumency? Intriguing, solidified Legilimency? You've put up quite the mental barrier for your age!" 

"Alright then, you win, kid. Are you some kind of exceptional talent? At this age, you're already adept at defense." And in accordance with Warren's thoughts, the Sorting Hat boomed, "Slytherin!"

Warren removed the hat and headed swiftly to the Slytherin table, where Draco greeted him with a cheerful handshake. Professor McGonagall stepped away with the hat, and Albus Dumbledore rose, his face brimming with a smile as he extended his arms to the gathered students, appearing genuinely delighted to see them all together. 

"Welcome!" he proclaimed, "Welcome to Hogwarts for a new academic year! Before we commence the feast, I want to say a few words: idiots! Weepers! Dregs! Twists! 

"Thank you all!"

"What does he mean?" Pansy asked, bewildered. 

"Now it's your turn to show what you can do," the Taoist said to Warren. Taking out his wand, Warren conjured four Latin words in the air. They swiftly rearranged and formed a phrase. "May Merlin bless you!"

He lowered his wand and nodded at Dumbledore. Suddenly, a feast appeared on the table before him—roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, steaks, potatoes in various forms, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, gravy, and oddly, mint hard candies. "Can't we have something else?"

"The school caters to those who live in Britain. Don't you, an ancient being, need to eat?"

After dining and enduring the slightly awkward school song, they followed Marcus Flint, the Slytherin prefect, directly to the basement, where a stone door lay hidden within a damp stone wall. 

"The password changes every two weeks: 'Bloodline!'" 

The stone door swung open automatically, allowing the students to step into the dormitory. 

"Two people share a room, and your belongings have already been delivered. Remember the Slytherin code of conduct! If we win the House Cup again this year, it will be our seventh consecutive victory! The Dean will also hold a competition for the top student, and the best first-year will be recognized."