Daily Life at Hogwarts - Chapter 17

In reality, children living in the magical world are often quite bored. The Weasley residence is nestled amongst the hills and trees to the south of Ottery St. Catchpole, a fact most Muggles are entirely unaware of.

Only four wizarding families live nearby. The closest, the Diggorys, are still several miles away.

Both families would visit by broomstick or other means. However, the children from the four houses didn’t often interact.

The Weasley children seldom ventured into Ottery St. Catchpole and certainly didn’t play with ordinary Muggles.

However, the twins mentioned that their older brother had a Muggle friend—a beautiful girl.

“Usually, Muggles are hard to get along with. They see us as odd. Plus, my home is quite far from the village,” one of the twins commented.

Lee Jordan’s situation was even more challenging, being the only child and often lacking playmates.

Albert was better off; he had a younger sister, a pile of books, and would occasionally play ball games with others. Still, he wouldn’t usually hang out with younger kids, finding it rather dull.

Though he didn’t have genuine close friends, Albert was popular at school. He was top of his class and was known to be approachable and excellent at building relationships.

Albert inquired if children from wizarding families ever attended Muggle schools.

“Can you even imagine a family like the Malfoys sending their child to a Muggle school?” He laughed at the thought.

Of course, there are exceptions among wizards.

However, the twins hadn’t. All their primary knowledge was imparted at home.

“By the way, have you heard of a wizarding family named Smith?” Albert asked, as his grandfather’s original surname was Smith. He’d later changed it, along with his identity, to blend in with his Muggle relatives.

This change was reflective of his disdain for the family member who had abandoned him.

“I’ve not heard of them. How about you, George?” Fred asked his twin.

“I haven’t either,” Lee Jordan shook his head. “Why?”

“Just something I heard somewhere,” Albert said, looking out of the window. The view outside was hazy, and it was starting to darken.

He hadn’t realized Lee Jordan was so chatty, but his incessant talking provided a nice background hum to the compartment.

Albert sensed the train slowing down.

“In five minutes, we’ll arrive at Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be sent to the school for you,” an announcement echoed through the compartments.

“By Merlin’s beard, we’re finally here,” Fred stretched, feeling the effects of the long journey.

George began to tidy up, placing snacks inside Albert’s trunk.

The train eventually halted, and the group, along with others, made their way out. The platform was a frenzy. They descended onto a dark, small platform, with cold rain pouring heavily.

“I hate the rain,” Albert muttered and pulled out his wand to cast a protective charm on his hat, “Impervius.”

“First-years! First-years over here!” a loud voice boomed. He held a lantern high above, signaling for new students.

“Hurry up,” Fred nudged Albert.

“Hold on,” Albert similarly cast the Impervius charm on his robe, unsure of its effectiveness but believing it was better than nothing.

“Come on, Albert,” Lee Jordan urged.

“Alright, Lumos,” Albert’s wand illuminated the path as they approached the massive figure of Hagrid, his long beard making him look quite intimidating from afar.

To an outsider, he might appear as some dangerous character, given his imposing appearance.

“Any more first-years left? Once everyone’s gathered, we’ll be off!” Hagrid led them away from the platform. As they departed the sanctuary of the station, the chilling rain made them shiver.

“Mind your step,” Hagrid warned, but that did little to prevent the numerous tumbles on the muddy path due to the rain.

Albert adjusted his pointed hat and robe, wrapping himself tighter. Thankfully, the Impervius charm worked, and he wasn’t as drenched as others.

Why hadn’t he thought to conjure an umbrella with his wand? No, he remembered he had a folding umbrella in his suitcase. He mentally scolded himself.

Albert decided to practice the spell for conjuring an umbrella, so he wouldn’t face this rain-soaked situation again.

“Are you alright?” Another unfortunate soul had tripped right in front of him.

“Thank you, this journey is truly challenging,” the grateful girl replied.

“Let’s keep moving.” Albert released her hand, using his wand to guide the way.

This group might be the most unfortunate batch of first-years ever. Many were covered in mud.

He could hear Lee Jordan cursing under his breath nearby, having been tripped by someone.

Albert felt grateful for his decision to stay at the back, at least he wasn’t tripped over by anyone.

“Be careful, there’s a slope ahead,” Hagrid called out from the front. He waited to ensure no one slid down the steep descent. And it was wise of him: three students nearly tumbled, but Hagrid caught them just in time.

“Watch your steps; we’re close to the lake now.”

Once everyone managed the slope, Hagrid led the way. After some bumps and turns, they finally reached a dark lake.

On the opposite hillside, a castle towered—Hogwarts Castle.

Lights twinkled from the castle windows, standing out against the rain-soaked darkness.

“Each boat can only hold up to four people. Remember, no more than four!” Hagrid instructed, pointing at the small boats lined by the shore.

“Albert, over here!” One of the twins waved him over, with Lee Jordan also nearby. Both were covered in mud and looked rather worse for wear.

“You guys alright?” Albert chuckled as he stepped into the boat.

“Not really. I fell once, and then got tripped twice,” one of them grumbled.

“Board your boats!” Hagrid called out. After ensuring no boat was overloaded, he took a boat for himself. “Good. Now… forward!”

The paddle-less boats glided smoothly over the lake.

Albert gazed at the castle in the distance, a surge of excitement building within him. “Hogwarts, here I come.”