Chapter 29: Arrival

Harry, in the boat ahead, also noticed something amiss and whispered to Hagrid in the boat beside him, "That blond first-year doesn't seem to be in any mortal danger; it feels more like he's being toyed with by something."

Following Harry’s prompt, Hagrid also sensed that something was wrong. All the others on the boats had climbed back in, yet this boy remained in the water, bobbing up and down.

Hagrid scanned the surroundings, observing for a long moment, but could not detect any trace of spellcasting. Puzzled, he muttered, "There’s no sign of magical fluctuations anywhere. I reckon that lad must have provoked one of the magical creatures in the Black Lake."

After tormenting Malfoy for a while, Chu Yang felt his frustration had sufficiently dissipated. He released the power of his Wood Release, allowing Malfoy to break free.

Malfoy immediately felt the force gripping his legs vanish and used every ounce of his remaining strength to swim toward the small boat.

Seeing the branches and vines wrapped around the boat recede, Crabbe and Goyle cautiously hauled the exhausted Malfoy back on board.

"Blech!"

Barely had Malfoy laid down before he began to retch violently, coughing up water. Heaven only knew what was in that lake; he had swallowed quite a bit, making for a truly miserable sight.

"I imagine the infirmary will be his first stop once school starts. I hope the staff there can help him," Hermione remarked, her expression one of mild sympathy mixed with utter disdain.

Chu Yang nodded, a happy smile on his face.

Hogwarts stood atop a cliff, surrounded by water on three sides. The cavern directly below served as the school’s water entrance, its dark, gaping maw looking like the jagged mouth of a monster.

The young wizards gazed up in awe at the school towering into the clouds above the cliff, unable to suppress their gasps of wonder.

Only now did they have a concrete perception of the school they were about to attend, rather than just words and legends on parchment. They truly felt that Hogwarts was the most magnificent and spectacular school in the history of magic—bar none!

The boats drifted into the cavern. After a brief stretch of darkness, the surroundings began to brighten. It was then that Chu Yang saw, deep within the cavern beneath the castle, a hidden pier.

Under Hagrid's direction, the first-years disembarked in an orderly fashion and gathered together in groups.

Malfoy looked like a pile of wet rags, unable to stand, and had to be propped up by Crabbe and Goyle, his expression dazed.

"He doesn't look like he'll be able to make it to the Sorting Ceremony tonight..." Hagrid muttered, leading the students up a winding stone staircase.

The stairs ended at a flat terrace, and just ahead lay the main entrance of Hogwarts. The heavy doors were already open, as if they had just welcomed a group of people inside.

"Your seniors should have already arrived. Follow the stairs up and you will see Professor McGonagall. Remember, show respect," Hagrid reminded the first-years before walking directly over to Malfoy and hoisting him onto his shoulder.

Malfoy, who had just started to feel slightly better after his retching, was suddenly hit with the overwhelming scent of Hagrid’s pungent body odor and animal musk, causing him to heave once more.

Chu Yang caught a glimpse of the boy’s green bile and began to reflect on whether he had gone a bit too far.

"Poor lad, I must get you to the hospital wing immediately," Hagrid said with a pitying shake of his head, striding away.

The remaining young wizards exchanged glances and, following Hagrid's instructions, made their way up the stairs. Before long, they encountered a tall, elderly witch with a stern expression.

"Welcome, first-years, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, who will be teaching you Transfiguration. I am also the Head of Gryffindor House and the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts."

Professor McGonagall wore emerald-green robes that only added to the severity of her impassive expression. Standing before her, the first-years didn't dare to take a deep breath.

"Your seniors, the professors of each subject, and Headmaster Dumbledore are waiting for you inside. But before the opening feast begins, you must undergo the Sorting Ceremony."

"You will be sorted into different houses, where you will spend your seven years of study."

"The four houses are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards."

"During your time here, you will attend classes with your housemates, sleep in your house dormitories, and spend your free time in your common room."

"Your outstanding performance will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will result in a deduction of points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the House Cup, a high honor indeed. I hope that no matter which house you are sorted into, you will bring pride to it."

Chu Yang listened to this familiar orientation speech with a playful smile.

He knew that no matter how many points Harry might lose for Gryffindor in the early stages, Dumbledore would find some reason to award them back in the end. While this was surely part of Dumbledore's intention to groom Harry Potter as the savior, regardless of the motive, such behavior was inherently unfair to the other houses.

Fortunately, Chu Yang had no interest in the so-called House Cup. It mattered not to him who won, as long as it didn't interfere with his study of magic.

After the orientation concluded, Professor McGonagall intended to lead the students into the Great Hall, but her gaze caught the water stains on Crabbe and Goyle’s robes.

Frowning, she stepped toward them. Crabbe and Goyle looked frantic and helpless, as if they expected to hear her reprimand at any moment.

"What happened to you two?" the stern-looking Professor McGonagall asked in a surprisingly gentle tone. "Did you fall into the lake on your way here?"

Professor McGonagall had intended it as a joke, but she saw Crabbe and Goyle nodding cautiously.

"You managed to fall in?" She looked incredulous. She had cast spells on every boat—not only to guide them automatically to the pier in the cavern but also to protect the students from accidentally falling into the water.

"We encountered a monster!" Goyle said, casting a fearful glance at Chu Yang before explaining, "There was a monster in the lake attacking our boat; it didn't stop until it knocked us into the water."

"A monster?" Professor McGonagall said, bewildered. "That is impossible. The route you took is not within the territory of any magical creatures in the Black Lake."

"It's true, Professor! Goyle and I were okay, but Malfoy couldn't get back into the boat. He was trapped in the water by the monster and swallowed so much lake water that he just had to be sent to the hospital wing!" Crabbe shouted, terrified that she wouldn't believe them.