# Ron-Weasly book 1. V2 part 4-3

Аноним Горный-Цветок

Meeting Neville, Hermione, and Draco with their entourage. A trip to the castle.

Chapter 4.3 unexpected visits

You should be careful," I advised, noticing that Harry had picked up a bag of nuts in Bertie-Bots glaze. It says they have very different tastes, so that's the real truth. No, there are quite normal flavors there - orange, say, or chocolate, or mint, but sometimes you come across spinach, or raw kidneys, or liver. They say werewolves love them. George claims that he somehow came across a candy with a taste of snot. And I often come across green candies. It's not clear if there's an apple, watermelon, or any kind of grass.

Maybe my brother was joking, but I came across some pretty nasty candies. I chose a green candy, examined it carefully, and took a bite.

"Ugh!" I grimaced bitterly. "Brussels sprouts!"

We had a lot of fun eating these candies. Harry even took a bite out of the ash-gray candy, even though I warned him that it was obviously not tasty. Then he grimaced, spat it out, and washed it down with the rest of the pumpkin juice.

"Pepper."

The area outside the window has changed dramatically. The cultivated fields were replaced by forests, rivers and green hills. We've probably already entered the magical passageway and are driving along the frontier.

Someone knocked on the door of the compartment. Neville Longbottom appeared in the doorway, whom I passed as we walked along the platform. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Excuse me," said the boy, "Have you seen a toad here? A big, green one..."

Harry and I both shook our heads, and Neville started complaining, wiping tears from his eyes. Mom says that his parents were also friends of our family, but something happened to them and now Neville is being raised by his grandmother. And she's already in her late twenties, and she's worse than our Aunt Muriel. They say she studied at the same time as Professor Dumbledore. Only at the Slytherin house, and she was very upset when her only son went to Gryffindor. And then he started working in Aurora instead of working on the family greenhouses with medicinal herbs.

"I've lost her! She's always running away from me!"

"She'll be there," Harry assured him. "I read in science classes that toads reach for water, look in the toilet."

""Yes, I suppose so," Neville said sadly. "Well, if you see her..."

And with that, he left.

"I don't understand why he's so worried." I shrugged my shoulders. "If I had been carrying a toad with me, I would have lost it on the platform. Although my rat is not much better than a toad, so it's not for me to talk about it."

The rat was still asleep, snuggled in my bosom.

"Maybe he's dead a long time ago, or maybe he's asleep-it doesn't make any difference. It looks the same," I said wistfully. "He's just an old guy already, he's been staying with Percy for ten years, according to Mom. Yesterday I tried to enchant it to turn egg yellow - I thought it would look more interesting that way. But it didn't work out. I'll show you now, look..."

I took my wand out of the holster on my arm. It was chipped in several places, and there was a glint of white hair at the end of the wand. Oh, couldn't they at least buy a new wand this year... no, I understand that it suited me, but it's going to fall apart soon. Although, Bill bought himself a new one in his fifth year, maybe I'll buy one for myself. Fred and George made a lot of money selling potions, although they brewed funny potions.

"The unicorn's hair is almost out," I remarked sheepishly. "So..."

Before I could raise my wand, the compartment door opened again. The chubby boy appeared on the doorstep again, but this time there was a girl with thick brown hair with him, who had already changed into a school uniform. Her front teeth were a little too big. I went over the children of wizards in my memory. Half-blood or Muggleborn?

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville lost her, and I'm helping him find her. Have you seen her or not?" The girl asked in a downright bossy tone. Should I advise them to find a prefect or not? No, well, them...

"He's been here before, and we told him we hadn't seen him," I answered, but the girl didn't seem to be listening to me, her attention was focused on the magic wand in my hands.

"Oh, are you showing miracles? Come on, we'll take a look too." She sat down on an empty seat, and I got nervous. No, what a girl.

"Uh, uh," I said hesitantly. "Well, okay."

I cleared my throat and raised my wand again:

"Fat stupid rat,

turn yellow

and become the same as an egg,

like a bright baby bird."

I recited the rhyme that I had heard from Fred and waved my wand as he had shown me yesterday, but nothing happened. Damn, yesterday at least the paws turned yellow, but now nothing happened at all. The brat was still gray and still sleeping peacefully. Damn, it didn't work out again. Was my brother joking? I spent half an hour trying to persuade him to tell me how they turned the Brat green at Christmas to his indignant squeak. They were reciting some rhyme in Latin, and he told me to speak in English.

"Are you sure this is the right spell?" The girl asked. "It's not working, haven't you noticed?"

"Fred painted Percy the rat green in front of me for Christmas after reading a funny rhyme."

"Yes? Maybe it was a childish outburst of magic, I read about it. By the way, I've taken some simple spells out of books to practice a little, and everything worked out. Try saying mutare colorem and imagine that the rat turns yellow. This transfiguration spell takes place in the third year."

"mutare colorem." I imagined a Brat with bright yellow fur.

"Pee! Pee!"

It worked! Hooray, he's yellow as a chicken. Suddenly, its color changed back to gray. Damn, but he calmly changed the color of his fur in winter.

"There are no wizards in my family, I was so terribly surprised when I received a letter from Hogwarts, I mean, I'm pleasantly surprised, because it's the best magic school in the world. And of course, I have already memorized all our textbooks - I hope that this will be enough to study better than everyone else. Reparo." The girl pointed her wand at Harry's glasses wrapped with blue electrical tape. Harry's glasses were as good as new, and he took them off, dumbfounded, and felt their frames on the bridge of his nose. "Oh, by the way, my name is Hermione Granger, and you?"

She was talking very fast, but still I caught the meaning of what she said and I was worried. Well, wow. No one told me that textbooks should be memorized. Exchanged glances with Harry. No, he didn't seem to have learned them either. These are the languages I learned. Mom brought some kind of artifact that she rented on Diagon Alley, and I accelerated my learning of old languages. As well as mathematics with English and Welsh languages. We're neighbors with Muggle Britain, after all. Most of the local magicians speak English. Although purebloods also learn French, and some German languages. After all, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are also very good schools. Like all the Weasleys, we also learned the Irish language as children. They say our clan is from there. But we moved to Wales about four hundred years ago, so we have already begun to be considered indigenous Welsh.

"I'm Ron of the Weasley clan," I muttered.

"Harry Potter," Harry introduced himself.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" The girl's gaze became very attentive. "You can be sure that I know everything about you. I bought a few books that weren't on the list, just for extra reading, and your name is mentioned in Modern History of Magic, and The Rise and Decline of the Dark Arts, and The Greatest Events of the Wizarding World in the Twentieth Century."

Harry calmed down. He apparently decided at first that she knew about his life at the Dursleys. The kid obviously didn't tell me much about his life with these Muggles, just like I did about the poverty of the Weasleys.

"Yes?" That's all Harry said, stunned. Well, yes, in order not to embarrass him, I did not tell him how much they write about him and about dolls too. My sister has been hanging around the house with a Harry Potter doll since she was five. I've been playing chess since I was six years old, and my sister has a lot of dolls. Bill specially carved and painted wooden figures of animals for her. He also offered to carve magical animals for me, but it was more interesting to play with transformed figures from the set.

"God, didn't you know?" the girl was surprised. "If I were you, I would read everything about myself that can be found in books. Yes, do you know which faculty you will get into? I've already found out something, and I want to believe that I'll be in Gryffindor. It seems like this is the best option. I've heard that Dumbledore himself once studied at this faculty. By the way, I think getting into Ravenclaw would be nice too... Okay, we'll go find Neville's toad. You two better change your clothes, I think we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking Neville with her. I nevertheless advised them to go to the prefects in the first carriage and ask them for help in finding Neville's toad. There's a simple search spell, but I don't know it yet. The toad will fly into your hands by itself. Percy said that the summoned object even opens doors and windows with the magic of a wizard. But you can also ask the seer where she is. They guess very well. Especially when they see the probability lines. Although they say that the seer is a charlatan at school now. But she teaches divination well. Bill said that their old gypsy taught them to look at the future. And she taught me how not to get kicked in the head for my predictions.

"I don't know what faculty I'll be in, but I hope she goes to Ravenclaw, she belongs there. I whispered and put the magic wand back in the suitcase," I whispered and put the magic wand back into the case on my hand, "It didn't work out, and it was all because of this stupid spell. Fred assured me that it would work, but now it seems to me that he invented it himself to make fun of me. And transfiguration, on the advice of a girl, did not last long."

"What house do your brothers study at?" Harry asked. The guy was interested in everything.

"Gryffindor," I nodded, saddened again by the thought of the prankster brothers. "Mom and Dad were there too."

I need to go there. Although the program is the same for all faculties now, future fighters traditionally go to the red and gold.

"I don't know what will happen if I get into some other faculty. It would be nice to get into Halfpalf - I still lived on a farm, but I can't imagine what would happen if I was assigned to Slytherin."

With my background in the family of crazy Arthur Weasley, pure-blooded wizards won't let me through Slytherin. The elite of the magical world go there to make acquaintances. Even though we're purebloods, Dad's considered a little crazy because of his fascination with Muggles. And we're not rich, especially by the standards of the sacred twenty-eight mage clans, as they call themselves. Although we are also on this list of families. Besides, Dad's not popular with the purebloods right now because of his Muggle Protection Act.

But I'm kind of ashamed to admit it to Harry.

"This is the faculty where Volde... You-Know-Who studied?"

Harry quickly corrected himself under my gaze.

"Yeah," I nodded and fell silent dejectedly. Hanna is clearly going to future farmers to study.

"You know, it seems to me that the Brat's mustache is still yellow, so the spell has worked at least a little," said Harry. He was obviously trying to comfort me. Well, to hell with him and the rat. I'll paint it later. I'll ask Hermione about the spell when I get used to school. Since she's learned the whole textbook. And it's designed for five courses. Our rat is really magical, according to Mom.

"And your older brothers, who have already graduated from high school, what are they doing now?"

"Charlie is in Romania studying dragons, and Bill works for Gringotts Bank and went to Africa on their business," I explained. "Have you heard of Gringotts? Did you hear what happened the other day? The "Prophet" wrote about it... Although yes, Muggles have other newspapers... Anyway, someone tried to rob a top-secret safe."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Really? And what happened to the robbers?" Damn, he's got a vertical pupil, just like Charlie.

"Nothing. That's why there was so much writing about it, he wasn't caught. Dad says he must have been a very powerful dark wizard, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get into Gringotts and break into the safe and then come out of there unharmed. But the strangest thing is that the robbers didn't steal anything. Of course, everyone is afraid that You-Know-Who is behind this. Well, you've heard about Quidditch, of course." I was absolutely sure of it. It's the best sport in the world. All boys and girls dream of playing it. Or they support a professional team. I have a favorite team, the Pedl Cannons, and I've been rooting for them since I was six years old. "Which team do you support? I'm in favor of the Guns, even though they've been considered outsiders for the last thirty years, since their catcher changed. The old one got injured at the game and doesn't play on the field anymore. In the official announcement of the team, it was said that he had a psychological trauma due to a bludger that knocked him off a broom."

"Uh-uh... I actually don't know any teams," Harry admitted.

"What are you talking about!" I was shocked.

"This is the best game in the world! I started campaigning for my first friend. Although I talked to the other children of wizards, we lived in the wilderness and met very rarely."

And I started explaining to Harry that Quidditch is played with four balls, that each team has seven players and each has its own place on the field and its own functions. Then I started describing the most famous matches that I managed to attend with my brothers. Then he told me what kind of broom I would buy for myself if I had the money. I wanted to try myself as a goalkeeper for the school national team. So I need a broom that's not too fast, although it's maneuverable. The comet is the very thing. They make good brooms and are inexpensive. Unlike the same Nimbus. They usually produce brooms for siker. Although in the last year there have been rumors that the Astor company is going to release a new generation of high-speed broom." I was explaining to Harry the intricacies of the rules of the game when the compartment door opened again. But this was no longer Neville, who had lost his toad in the company of Hermione Granger.

Is there a passageway here?!

Three boys entered the compartment, and in the center was a pale boy with white hair, a typical Malfoy, he looked at Harry with interest. The kid had snow-white hair smeared with gel, and gray eyes. Apparently, Harry's hair is standing up straight. Although the kid definitely overdid it with the hair styling gel.

"It's true?" The pale-faced man asked from the doorway. "Bully Granger said that Harry Potter was riding in this compartment. So it's you, right?"

"That's right," Harry nodded.

The two who came with the pale-faced man were tough guys, and they looked rather unpleasant. Flanking the pale boy, they resembled his bodyguards.

"This is Crabbe, and this is Goyle," the pale-faced man casually introduced them, noticing that Harry was looking at his companions. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

I cleared my throat. Well, they gave him a name. Dragon, wow. Although I've heard that the Malfoys are descended from ice dragons. Just like the Weasleys from the fiery ones. That's why we fight all the time. I could barely contain my laughter. Draco Malfoy looked at me disapprovingly.

"You find my name funny, don't you? I won't even ask you your name. My father told me that if you see a red-haired and freckled boy, it means he's from the Weasley family. A family with more children than their parents can afford."

And a punch in the face for that?

Having delivered this murderous tirade, Malfoy turned back to Harry:

"You'll soon find out, Potter, that there are several wizarding dynasties in our world that are much cooler than all the others. You don't need to be friends with people who aren't worthy of it. I'll help you figure it out. You're my second cousin."

He held out his hand to shake, but Harry pretended not to notice. Damn, he's my second cousin, just like Harry. But my grandmother Lucretia can't stand the Blacks, and neither can the Malfoys. She comes from the Black family herself, and when she married Pruitt, there was a scandal.

"Thanks, but I think I can figure out who deserves what," Harry said coldly.

Draco Malfoy did not blush, but pink spots appeared on his pale cheeks.

"I'd be more careful if I were you, Potter," He said it slowly. "If you're not more polite, you'll end up like your parents. They, like you, didn't know what was good for them and what was bad for them. If you hang out with scum like Weasley and that Hagrid, it'll be worse for you. You might be a half-breed because of your dirty-blooded mother, but you're twenty-eight."

Harry and I rose from our seats at the same time. My face turned copper-red. Right now, someone's going to take a hit. I'll smash his nose without any magic. How dare he call someone a mudblood? The devouring brat.

"Repeat what you said," I demanded. I started flexing my arms before hitting the sturdy left one. It's not right somehow. We're magicians. Even future ones.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, aren't you?" Malfoy said contemptuously.

"Yes, if you don't get out of here right away," Harry said bravely.

"Oh, we're not going to leave at all, are we, guys?" Malfoy chuckled, turning to his companions. "Besides, we're hungry, and you've got a lot of food here."

I remembered the fighting techniques that Bill showed me last summer. First, drop the burly man on the right, then punch the left one in the nose, and while they come to their senses, give this blond brute a hard time.

Goyle reached for the chocolate frogs on one of the seats. I jumped on Creb, but before I could touch him, Goyle let out a terrifying scream. There was a Brat hanging from Goyle's hand, biting into his finger with small, sharp teeth. Crabbe and Malfoy staggered back, and Goyle waved his hand, trying to shake off the rat and howling in pain. And as soon as the Brat finally unclenched his teeth and flew away, hitting the closed window, all three of them instantly disappeared. They probably thought there were more rats hiding in the compartment, or maybe they heard footsteps, because a second later Hermione Granger looked into the compartment.

"What's going on here?" she asked, looking at the sweets scattered on the floor and me holding the rat by the tail.

"I think he's passed out," I said, turning to Harry. And then I took a closer look at the Brat. "No... I can't believe it! Imagine, he fell asleep again."

The brat was actually asleep. By the way, what else is this about the Hagrid clause? Is this where he saw him with Harry? Isn't he a forester and doesn't go further than Hogsmeade Castle? Although Harry seemed to say something about Hagrid bringing him a letter. So stop. Did he take him shopping?! Were all the professors busy?

"Have you ever dated Malfoy before?" I asked.

"Yes, I met him at Madame Malkin's when I was buying robes. He was all about kicking Muggleborns out of Hogwarts. And I'm like a Muggle-born myself, since I grew up with Muggles. And then I went shopping with Hagrid, and Malfoy saw him through the window. And he said he was a drunk. After Aunt Petunia's lectures about my drunken parents, I'm just freaking out with such words. She always used to say that my parents were lazy drunks and crashed in a car after drinking too much alcohol. I almost got killed, too, and now I'm wondering why she was talking about it. You-know-who killed them, and she knew it. Didn't want to scare you? So I grabbed my robes and ran out of the store. I didn't even look at my clothes. Although there was money. My aunt had to ask me to buy shirts and trousers at a second-hand store. And even though she takes good things, she makes me grow up. I look very small in them. But she gave me good shoes. Although I grumbled that it was better to take boots for the winter, but I'm used to light ones. She also gave me Uncle Vernon's school sweater at school.

"Harry, it's really cold at school in winter, the upperclassmen use warming charms to escape, and the younger students buy warm clothes. I'm going to wear warm jeans and a knitted sweater in winter."

"Damn, is my aunt really going to have to write in November to buy more things, it's a damn shame. I'm sitting on their necks, because they don't even pay my allowance, I found out from Uncle Vernon."

Yeah, what can I say. By the way, why did they send this bully with him? He hadn't even told him how to get on the platform, and neither had Harry's clothes. Madame Malkin seemed to think that he, like all Muggleborns, only needed robes. But they buy them in their stores. And Harry is too shy.

"I've heard about his family." I began in a gloomy tone, remembering Dad's stories about the Malfoy family. They were one of the first to come back to our side when You-Know-Who disappeared. They said he had bewitched them. There's a spell that gets you locked up in Azkaban for life. And my father doesn't believe in it. He said that Malfoy's father didn't even need a reason to turn to the Dark Side. They say that pure-blooded magicians like to kill Muggles during rituals and generally for entertainment, as they did in the magical war.

Hermione was still standing in the doorway of the compartment, and I turned to her:

"Is there anything we can help you with?" And why is this girl picking on us. I've never understood my sister and her friend Luna. And here's a total stranger. What's another crush on Harry? She's staring at me, though. Oh, whatever. I have Hannah, damn, she's probably going to Halfpalf.

"You'd better hurry, otherwise you won't have time to change clothes. I was just in the driver's cabin talking to him. He said we were almost there. Have you been fighting here? They're good, nothing to say. We haven't reached school yet, and we've already got into trouble!"

When will she leave us alone? How to get her out of here. Oh, right.

"It was the Brat who fought, not us." I glared at the girl. "Why don't you come out and let us change?"

"Of course. Actually, I just came to see you because there is a terrible fuss in all the carriages, everyone is behaving like little children and rushing through the corridors." Hermione snorted contemptuously, as if to say that she disapproved of such behavior. "By the way, you have dirt on your nose, you know?"

I glared after her, and Harry stared out the window. Outside the window, where the mountains towered and endless forests stretched, it began to darken, and the sky turned dark purple with the first stars. The train slowed down.

Harry and I quickly took off our jackets and pulled on long black robes. My robe was a little too short for me, and my gray plaid trousers were sticking out from under it. And leather boots. I was a little shy about my appearance. But I'll grow up before the end of the year. The robes will become even shorter, and the trousers with the legs turned up will be fine for me.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in five minutes." The driver's loud voice echoed through the carriages. Traditionally, squibs who were educated on the railway by Muggles worked as machinists. "Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be delivered to the school separately. Do not forget the familiars in the compartment. We're taking it with us."

Harry got nervous, and I turned very pale.

"Harry, take Hedwig with you, and let her go on the platform. There's an owlery in the castle. She'll find her own way. Leave the cage here."

I put the Brat in my bosom. We stuffed the rest of the sweets into our pockets and went out into the hallway, where the rest of the children were already crowding. Hedwig, the delighted owl, flew next to us.

The train slowed down and slowed down and finally stopped. There was a terrible crowd in the corridor, but after a few minutes I finally found myself on an unlit small platform. It was cold outside, and I shivered. Damn, I shouldn't have taken off my jacket. Then a large lamp swung over the heads of the guys standing on the platform, and I heard a voice:

"Freshmen! Freshmen, come here! Hey, Harry, are you all right?"

Above the sea of heads towered the shining face of a giant. I wonder if Hagrid fell into a cauldron of bone as a child? And why was he expelled from school? Charlie said he was an underachiever.

"So, is everyone here? Then follow me! And look at your feet! Freshmen, follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, we followed Hagrid down a narrow path that sloped sharply down. We were surrounded by such dense darkness that it seemed to me as if we were making our way through a forest thicket. All conversations died down, and we walked in almost complete silence, except for Neville sneezing a couple of times.

"Just a few more seconds and you'll see Hogwarts!" Hagrid shouted without turning around. "Okay, careful! Everyone over here!"

"Oh-oh-oh-!" there was a collective, delighted exclamation.

We were standing on the shore of a large black lake. And on the other side of it, on top of a high cliff, stood a giant castle with turrets and loopholes, and its huge windows reflected the light of the stars strewn across the sky.

"Four people per boat, no more" Hagrid commanded, pointing to a whole flotilla of small boats bobbing near the shore.

Harry and I found ourselves in the same boat as Hermione and Neville. Pancake... As they say, you will communicate with whoever you sail with. Not with this nerd. It would be better if Hannah came to us. I would have chosen another boat, but Harry balked. Then he said he liked Neville. And we sat down first, and then Hermione dragged Neville to us with a toad in her hands.

"Are you seated?" Hagrid, who had a private boat, shouted. "Then go ahead!"

The flotilla moved, the boats glided across the glass-smooth lake. The boat glided quietly across the dark surface of the lake, cutting through the mirrored surface and leaving light ripples in its wake. There was an almost magical silence around - only a barely audible melody, as if woven from wind and water, quietly poured from somewhere, as if nature itself was humming a slow song.

Harry sat in the stern, holding the oars tightly, but hardly worked with them - the boat seemed to float by itself, driven not by force, but by some inner agreement of all four. He looked ahead to where the silhouette of Hogwarts loomed on top of the hill: the towers stretched to the sky, warm light flickered in the windows, and the castle seemed not just a school, but a safe haven waiting for them back.

Nearby, on the middle bench, I whistled softly to the beat of the music, glancing at my fellow travelers from time to time and checking if everything was in order.

"You know," I said softly, turning to Harry, "when you're floating like this, and it's quiet, and the castle is ahead... it doesn't seem like any problems can be really scary. Well, of course they can, but it's like everything's getting a little smaller. It's like a lake is washing away excess."

Hermione, sitting closer to the bow of the boat, tilted her head slightly, listening to the melody.

"It's not just music," she said softly. "I read that sometimes there is... well, not magic on the lake, but something like an echo of ancient enchantments. It's soothing. Probably so that the freshmen wouldn't be scared."

Neville, who had been staring at the water in silence, as if afraid to move and rock the boat, exhaled softly and squared his shoulders a little.

"I feel better when you're around." He confessed without looking up. "Even if there's something scary ahead."

I snorted, but there was no mockery in that snort-just a habitual attempt to hide excitement behind a joke.

"Well, if anything, we'll just hide behind Hermione. After all, she had already learned all the textbooks."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she smiled.

"Thanks for your trust, Ron. But it's better if we act together."

Harry finally put down the oars and sat down next to his friends. The boat continued to sail as if it knew the way.

"We can really do this," he said softly, looking at each of them in turn. "Whatever's waiting in the castle. Together."

The music became a little quieter, as if nodding in response. And ahead, the windows of Hogwarts shone brighter and warmer, promising that there would always be a place for them here.

Everyone was silent, staring at the huge castle. The closer we got to the cliff he was standing on, the more he towered over us.

"Bow down and close your eyes!" Hagrid shouted loudly as we approached the cliff.

Everyone tilted their heads, and the boats ended up in a thicket of ivy that hid a huge crevice.

"This is so that we don't find out where the entrance to the underground harbor is. My dad told me about it."

After passing through the thicket, we entered a dark tunnel, which, apparently, ended right under the castle, and soon moored to an underground pier and disembarked on the rocks.

"Oh, my toad! I missed her again." Neville wailed as we floated through the dark tunnel.

The giant was examining the empty boats and apparently noticed something.

"Hey, you!" shouted Hagrid, addressing Neville. "Is this your toad?"

"Oh, Trevor!" Neville yelled happily, stretching out his arms and hugging his toad to him.

Didn't he perform the familiar binding ritual on his toad? What the hell was he driving her at all? This is my pet rat, he doesn't give a damn about anything anymore after the twins' jokes. Although, as long as I can remember, he was very calm: he ate and slept. Yes, sometimes I played with Percy and my rat. And then, after another joke, he used to get up on his hind legs and squeak indignantly.

Hagrid led us up a flight of stone stairs, lighting the way with a huge lamp.

Another flight of stairs and now we were standing in front of a huge oak door.

"Is everyone here?" Hagrid asked. Then he loudly counted the freshmen. "Hey, have you lost your toad yet?"

Neville hugged his pet closer.

After making sure that everything was in order, Hagrid raised his huge fist and knocked three times on the castle door.