Draco shouted, "Stop! Stop! Don't come near me! I'll tell my father what you did! Just wait and see!"
Albert, with a calm gesture, removed the freezing spell that had immobilized Draco.
Realizing he was free from Albert's grip, Draco dashed out of the room, desperate to escape.
After Draco left, Albert turned to Neville to check if he was alright.
"Are you okay, my friend? Did they hurt you?" Albert asked.
Neville shook his head. "Thank you, no one did anything to me. It was just that blond kid—he used magic to lift me up."
Albert smiled slightly. "I see. My name is Albert Black. And you?"
"Neville Longbottom," came the reply.
Albert extended his right hand. "Nice to meet you."
Neville grasped it warmly. "The honor's mine."
Hermione had witnessed everything from start to finish. After seeing Albert's power, she stood frozen, shocked.
She hadn't imagined someone her age could possess such strength.
Albert noticed Hermione's distracted gaze and gave her a subtle nod to bring her back to reality.
"Oh! We've been looking for Neville's frog," Hermione suddenly said. "Have you found it yet, Neville?"
Neville's face fell, recalling he hadn't found his pet yet.
Albert reached into his robe pocket and pulled out something green.
"Were you looking for this?" Albert asked.
Hermione and Neville both saw the small green frog happily munching on a chocolate.
"Yes! That's my frog! Thank you, Albert!" Neville exclaimed with joy after a long search.
"Where did you find it?" Hermione asked curiously.
Albert explained, "I didn't find it exactly. I was just looking for an empty room when I entered the fourth room between where Ron, Harry, and I were. The frog must have smelled the chocolate in my pocket and jumped in."
As Albert finished, a woman's voice echoed over the train's loudspeaker: "Get ready! Five minutes until we arrive at Hogwarts. Please leave your belongings behind; we will take care of them and deliver them to the school."
Albert said, "Alright, I'm going to my room to change."
"I'll go with the girls to the other room," Hermione added.
Five minutes later, the train came to a stop.
All the students hurried off, buzzing with excitement about what awaited them.
But as soon as they stepped outside, a cold wind curled around their bodies, making them shiver.
Albert felt the chill too. It was nighttime, and naturally, the air was cold here at night.
Then, a rough voice called out, loud enough for everyone to hear: "Newbies! New students, come here!"
Albert spotted a broad-shouldered man standing among a group of students, holding a lantern. His thick hair nearly covered his face, with only a pair of black eyes visible beneath the tangled strands.
It was supposed to be Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, tasked with escorting the children from the train to the school.
His bearded face broke into a smile. "Come on, follow me! Any new students? Watch your step, alright? Newbies, follow me!"
All the new students followed Hagrid along a dark, rugged path. Neville almost slipped, but Albert caught him just in time.
"At the turn ahead," Hagrid said, "you'll see Hogwarts for the first time."
After the bend, despite having seen Hogwarts many times in the Harry Potter films during his previous life, Albert was still stunned by the sheer magnificence of the place.
A black lake suddenly opened up at the end of the narrow path. On the high hills across the lake stood a majestic castle with towering spires and windows shimmering under the stars.
"The boats only hold four people!" Hagrid called loudly, pointing to a group of small boats on the lake.
Albert, Hermione, and Neville got into one boat, followed by others.
Hagrid shouted as each boat filled, "Are you all aboard? Then, let's go!"
The boats immediately set off across the calm lake.
This must be the new students' welcoming ceremony, Albert thought, staring at the towering castle and recalling the books he had read in his former life.
Perhaps the four founders of the magical school had taken this same path, crossing the black lake by boat to Hogwarts. And every generation since had done the same.
As the boats slowly neared the castle, Hagrid called out, "Duck your heads!"
Everyone lowered their heads as the boats passed through a hidden open entrance.
The boats followed a dark tunnel descending beneath the castle, finally arriving at an underground dock. From there, they climbed to ground level.
The group followed Hagrid and gathered before a massive wooden door.
"Is everyone here?" Hagrid asked, then raised his large hand and knocked three times.
The door swung open immediately, revealing a tall witch with black hair wearing green robes and a serious expression. This had to be Professor McGonagall.
"I've brought the first years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid. Leave them to me," she replied.
Professor McGonagall then instructed all the new students to follow her. The stone walls lining the corridor were lit by blazing torches, and the ceiling stretched so high that its top was barely visible. Ahead lay a grand marble staircase leading to the upper floors.
After turning a corner, McGonagall led the first years into a small empty room at the far end of the hall. Everyone rushed inside, nervously rubbing their shoulders and looking around anxiously, knowing a very important moment was about to happen.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. "The opening feast is about to begin, but before you head to the dining hall, you must first discover the house you will belong to. The Sorting Ceremony is very important because your house will be your home during your time here. You will attend classes with your housemates, live together in the dormitories, and spend time in the common room after school."
"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each has a proud history and has produced many great and powerful witches and wizards with countless achievements. During your time at Hogwarts, your house will earn points for good performance but lose points for rule-breaking. At the end of the year, the house with the highest score wins the House Cup — a great honor regardless of which house you are in."
"In a few minutes, the Sorting Ceremony will begin in front of all the teachers and students. I suggest you get ready and prepare yourselves. When everything is set, I will come to take you."
With that, Professor McGonagall left the room.
The atmosphere in the small room became tense—except for Albert, who had traveled through time and knew what to expect from the Sorting Ceremony. Neville beside him trembled slightly, and Hermione's lips moved as if silently reciting something. After all, Hogwarts was the only magic school in the UK, and being expelled would be a lifelong disgrace.
Albert glanced around and noticed that everyone — even the new students from wizarding families — was nervous. He couldn't help but pity British humor.
Just as the tension peaked, about twenty ghosts suddenly appeared on the wall behind them. They drifted through the room, barely paying attention to the children.
A plump ghost who had lived in the school for thirty years smiled and said, "I guess you're getting ready for the test, right?"
Some students nodded quietly.
"I hope you get sorted into Hufflepuff!" the ghost added. "I used to be in that house—"
Before he could finish, a sharp voice interrupted from behind him. "Now move forward," said Professor McGonagall. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin."
One by one, the ghosts drifted back through the opposite wall and disappeared.
"Now, line up in a single file and follow me," Professor McGonagall instructed the children.
After passing through the room, a door opened to the Great Hall. The new students lined up to enter.
Four long tables were set with golden cutlery, each table surrounded by many students, but each was clearly marked for a specific house.
Albert raised his head and looked up at the ceiling to see the stars shining above. It was hard to believe this place was indoors. Thousands of floating candles illuminated the entire hall without a drop of wax or smoke—a stunning sight.
Professor McGonagall gently placed a four-legged chair in front of the first years and set a pointed wizard's hat on it.
This had to be the Sorting Hat, imbued with the wisdom of the four great founders and one of Hogwarts' core traditions. But honestly, Albert wondered — was this hat ever washed? After all, it must be at least a thousand years old and probably covered in dust!
Shortly after the hat's traditional song, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a very large piece of parchment.
"Anyone who hears their name, please come forward, sit on the chair, wear the hat, and wait for it to choose your house."
The most important eve
nt of the school year—the Sorting Ceremony—was about to begin.
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