Chapter 29: Arrival

Harry, ahead of them, also noticed something was amiss. He whispered to Hagrid on the nearby boat, "That blond first-year doesn't seem to be in mortal danger; it feels like he's being toyed with by something."

Prompted by Harry, Hagrid also felt something was wrong. Everyone else on the boats had climbed back in, so why was he the only one bobbing up and down in the water?

Hagrid looked around, observing for a long time without seeing anyone casting spells. He could only say in confusion, "There are no traces of magical fluctuations anywhere. I reckon that boy must have provoked a magical creature in the Black Lake."

After messing with Malfoy for a while, Chu Yang had vented enough of his frustration. He released his Wood Style power, allowing Malfoy to break free.

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

Seeing the branches and vines entwined around the boat retreat, Goyle and Crabbe carefully pulled the exhausted Malfoy back on board.

"Blegh!"

Having just lied down, Malfoy began to retch violently. God only knew what was in that lake; he had swallowed quite a bit just now, making the scene rather gruesome.

"I think his first stop upon arriving at school will be the hospital wing. I hope the medical staff there can help him," Hermione said, her expression carrying three parts sympathy and the rest disdain.

Chu Yang nodded, smiling happily.

Hogwarts stood atop a cliff, surrounded by water on three sides. The cavern directly below served as the entrance to the school's waterways, looking like a dark, menacing monster's mouth.

The young wizards gazed up at the towering school on the cliff from a close distance, unable to help but let out gasps of wonder.

Only now did they have an objective understanding of the school they were about to attend, rather than just the legends written on paper.

The young wizards truly felt that Hogwarts was indeed the most magnificent and grand school in magical history—and without rival!

The small boats drifted into the cavern, and after a brief period of darkness, the surroundings gradually lit up. Only then did Chu Yang see that deep within the cavern beneath the castle, there was actually a pier.

At Hagrid's instruction, the first-years disembarked in an orderly fashion and stood together in groups.

Malfoy, vomiting like a pile of mush, couldn't even stand up. He was propped up by Goyle and Crabbe, looking dazed.

"He looks like he'll have a hard time attending the Sorting Ceremony tonight..."

Hagrid muttered to himself as he led the students forward, walking up a winding stone staircase.

The end of the stairs led to a flat clearing, and beyond that lay the main entrance to Hogwarts.

At that moment, the great doors opened, as if they had just welcomed a group of people inside.

"Your upperclassmen should have arrived by now. Follow the stairs up and you will see Professor McGonagall. Remember, maintain respect," Hagrid reminded the first-years before walking straight to Malfoy, scooping him up and slinging him over his shoulder.

Malfoy had just barely recovered from vomiting when he caught the scent of Hagrid's strong body odor and the smell of animals; he immediately began to retch all over again.

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

"Poor child, I must get you to the hospital wing immediately," Hagrid said, shaking his head with pity as he strode away.

The remaining young wizards looked at each other, then followed Hagrid's instructions to walk up the stairs. Before long, they saw a tall, slender witch with an aged face and a serious expression.

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

Professor McGonagall wore dark green robes, which made her indifferent expression appear even more solemn. The first-years stood before her, not even daring to breathe loudly.

"Your upperclassmen, your professors, and Headmaster Dumbledore are waiting for you inside. However, before the Welcoming Feast begins, you must first undergo the Sorting Ceremony."

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

"The names of the four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own glorious history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards."

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

"Your outstanding achievements will earn points for your house, while any rule-breaking will result in points being deducted. At the end of the year, the house with the highest number of points will be awarded the House Cup, which is a great honor. I hope that regardless of which house you are sorted into, you will strive to bring honor to it."

Listening to this familiar orientation, a playful smile appeared at the corners of Chu Yang's mouth.

Chu Yang believed that no matter how many points Harry took away from Gryffindor in the early stages, Dumbledore would eventually add them back for various reasons.

While this certainly included Dumbledore's intention to cultivate 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; he didn't care who won, as long as it didn't interfere with his research into magic.

Once the orientation was complete, Professor McGonagall intended to lead the students into the Great Hall, but her peripheral vision caught the water stains on Goyle and Crabbe.

Professor McGonagall frowned and walked up to the two of them. Goyle and Crabbe were so frightened they were at a loss for what to do, as if they expected to hear her scolding them at any second.

However, the seemingly stern Professor McGonagall asked in a gentle tone, "What happened to you two? Did you fall into the lake on your way here?"

Though she meant it as a joke, Professor McGonagall saw Goyle and Crabbe nodding cautiously.

"Fall in? How is that possible?" Professor McGonagall looked incredulous. She had cast spells on every boat; in addition to making them navigate automatically to the pier in the cavern, they were meant to protect the students from accidentally falling into the lake.

"We encountered a monster!" Goyle first shot a fearful glance at Chu Yang, then explained, "There was a monster in the lake attacking our boat. It kept pushing us into the water before it finally stopped."

"A monster?" Professor McGonagagall said in surprise. "That's impossible. The route you took is not within the activity range of the magical creatures in the Black Lake."

"It's true, Professor! Goyle and I were okay, but Malfoy couldn't get back on the boat. That monster kept him trapped in the water, and he swallowed a lot of lake water. He was just sent to the hospital wing!" Crabbe shouted from the side, terrified that Professor McGonagall wouldn't believe them.