Chapter 80: Harry Potter
Night had already fallen. Under the deep purple sky, Alexander saw distant mountains and woods as the train gradually slowed down.
This meant they were almost at Hogwarts. He was about to be part of it.
But Alexander didn't feel excited at all. Kate would definitely know which carriage he was in. Yet, up until now, only the Weasley twins, Neville, the buck-toothed Hermione, and Draco Malfoy with his younger brother had opened the door to his compartment. Neither Kate nor Penelope had appeared.
He hoped Penelope's new duties as a prefect had kept her too busy, and as he'd said before, he wanted to keep a low profile. He didn't want their relationship to be exposed at school.
"Hopefully," Alexander whispered to himself, glancing at Ron, who was still lost in a daze.
First impressions were everything. Originally, Hermione had left Ron with a poor impression. It wasn't until their fourth year that Ron truly realized Hermione was a girl—a girl he liked.
Now, although Hermione was still strict, she also cared about others (or so Ron believed). Her mix of bossiness and kindness gave Ron a feeling that reminded him of his mother, Molly Weasley—a guilty kind of comfort that made him gravitate toward her despite the awkwardness.
With a subtle flick of his wand, Alexander's coat transformed into the black robes of Hogwarts.
Seeing this, Harry and Ron quickly followed suit, removing their coats and donning their school uniforms. Ron, however, was clearly the tallest among the Weasley children his age—Bill's old robes were noticeably short on him, revealing his sneakers underneath.
Then a soft, mechanical voice sounded overhead:
"The train will arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage in the car. It will be taken to the school."
Alexander's body trembled slightly from excitement, while Harry—so nervous his stomach was churning—saw his reaction and misunderstood. A strange sense of relief washed over him, leaving Ron pale and uneasy.
To distract Ron, Harry picked up some uneaten snacks and invited Alexander to share them, dragging him into the conversation.
Time passed quickly, and the train came to a halt. The three of them joined the crowd shuffling down the narrow corridor and stepped off onto a small, dark platform.
"First years! First years, this way! Harry, over here—how are you?"
A towering Hagrid held up a lantern above the heads of the students, calling out for the first-years. His eyes locked onto Harry standing next to Alexander, and he greeted him directly.
"Harry? That's him?"
"Harry Potter!"
"I knew it! He had to be on the train!"
"Right next to that lucky kid, Ron!"
Alexander instinctively tried to lower his presence. As students crowded toward Harry, they subconsciously gave Alexander space, pushing past without paying him any mind.
Hagrid's expression turned to alarm. Clearly, he hadn't expected Harry to stay so well-hidden all this time. Almost no one had realized his identity—until now.
"Follow me, Harry!" Alexander grabbed Harry and guided him toward Hagrid. Strangely, the crowd continued to part for them, unconsciously avoiding Alexander.
Harry followed in stunned silence, with Ron close behind.
"First-years, follow me—watch your step! I'll be watching Harry till we reach Hogwarts!" Hagrid called out. With the situation somewhat under control, he sighed in relief.
Yet, Hagrid's words only further confirmed that this Harry was indeed the Boy Who Lived. If Alexander hadn't taken the lead, the entire group might still be stuck on the platform, clueless.
They walked along a narrow, sloping path, flanked by dense woods. The once-noisy group had gone quiet. Only the occasional sniffle echoed through the trees. Alexander glanced over—Neville was still sobbing, his toad missing again.
"Almost there," Hagrid repeated over and over. Finally, this time he was right.
"Ooooh!" gasps of awe spread through the crowd.
A shimmering black lake stretched out before them, and beyond it stood a majestic castle atop a hill. Countless towers and twinkling windows rose into the starry sky.
"Harry, do you know why we walk and row to Hogwarts?" Alexander asked suddenly.
"Why?" Harry blinked, caught off guard.
"This path was once walked by the four founders of Hogwarts," Alexander explained, keeping the rest to himself. This is a contract. For the next seven years, the students will grow alongside the castle.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing toward a fleet of small boats moored at the shore.
Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione climbed into a boat together. Alexander remained unnoticed, silently boarding one alone. At this point, no one was paying him any attention.
With a final shout, Hagrid boarded his own boat and pushed off. The fleet began gliding silently across the lake.
In the quiet night, Hogwarts loomed above like a city in the clouds. Alexander couldn't help but marvel—after three years, he'd never seen the castle from this angle.
But it wasn't without danger. As everyone craned their necks to look up, a cliff suddenly appeared ahead. Hagrid called out just in time for them to duck. Ivy draped the cliff like a curtain. Once brushed aside, it revealed a hidden tunnel.
At the end of the tunnel lay an underground dock, unlike anything shown in the movies. The ground was made of cobblestones and gravel. Under the glow of Hagrid's lantern, the first-years gathered, and Hagrid, after checking the boats, handed a delighted Neville his lost toad, Trevor.
They emerged onto a damp grassy slope in the castle's shadow. Looming ahead were towering stone steps and a massive oak door.
The real layout of Hogwarts differed greatly from the movie's depiction. Even without magic, it resembled a fortified military base—tunnels ran everywhere, and the school was surrounded by rivers and mountains. In the medieval world, this would've been an impenetrable fortress.
Even Smith Castle couldn't compare—at least not before it was touched by the Lord God.
After the Lord God's rearrangement, Smith Castle's terrain alone made it nearly impossible to infiltrate. And now that the true castle existed in another dimension, the structure here was merely a decoy—a landmark to distract.
As long as the real castle stood untouched and magic flowed, the decoy could be repaired endlessly.
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