In truth, children living in the Wizarding World often led rather uneventful lives.
The Weasley family's home — The Burrow — was tucked among the hills and trees south of Ottery St. Catchpole, yet most Muggles never even realized a house existed there.
There were only four wizarding families in the area, with the Diggorys being the closest — still several miles away. Visiting each other required broomsticks or other magical means, so the children from these families rarely interacted.
The Weasley kids seldom went to Ottery St. Catchpole, and they almost never played with Muggles. Still, the twins once mentioned that their older brother had a Muggle friend — a beautiful girl.
"Muggles are usually difficult to get along with," Fred said. "They always think we're strange, so we just don't bother. Besides, my house is miles from town."
Lee Jordan's situation was even lonelier. He was the only child in his family and sometimes couldn't find a playmate at all.
Albert, by comparison, was much better off. He had a younger sister, a pile of books, and the occasional game of ball. But he usually preferred not to play with little kids — that sort of thing bored him.
Though he didn't have any close friends, Albert was still quite popular at school. His grades were excellent, he was easy to talk to, and he knew how to handle people — all of which earned him respect.
From chatting with Fred, George, and Lee, Albert learned that children in the Wizarding World generally didn't attend Muggle schools. It was hard to imagine a family like the Malfoys sending their child to one, after all.
Of course, there were exceptions — but not among the Weasleys. The twins had been homeschooled by their parents until now.
"By the way," Albert asked suddenly, "are there any wizarding families named Smith?"
His grandfather's original surname had been Smith. Later, when he followed his Muggle relatives, he'd changed his name — a small sign of how deeply he resented the man who had once abandoned him.
"Never heard of them. Have you, George?" Fred asked.
George shook his head. "Nope."
"Not me either," said Lee Jordan. "Why do you ask?"
"Nothing. I just thought I'd heard that name somewhere before," Albert replied, turning to look out the window. The sky outside had darkened, and heavy rain blurred the view.
Lee Jordan proved to be quite the chatterbox, always talking about one thing or another. But none of them minded — it made the long journey less dull, and his rambling chatter was almost soothing.
At some point, Albert dozed off, only to awaken when the train began to slow.
"In five minutes, we'll be arriving at Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be delivered to the school," came a voice over the speaker.
"Merlin's beard, finally!" Fred groaned, stretching.
George began tidying up the snacks on the table and packed them into Albert's trunk.
When the train stopped, the four boys joined the rush of students pressing toward the exit. It was absolute chaos — elbows, trunks, and excited chatter everywhere.
They stepped out onto a small, dark platform, where cold rain pelted down from a black sky. The chill made Albert shiver.
"I hate rain," he muttered, pulling out his wand and casting, "Impervius."
"First years! First years over here!" a booming voice called out through the downpour.
A massive man waved a lamp high above the crowd — his beard gleaming wet in the light.
"What are you waiting for? Come on!" Fred yelled, grabbing Albert's sleeve.
"Just a second." Albert cast Impervius again — this time on his robes. He wasn't sure if it would actually work, but it was worth trying.
"Hurry up, Albert!" Lee Jordan called, already half-soaked.
"Don't rush, I'm coming. Lumos!" Albert whispered, lighting the tip of his wand as he followed the giant man — Hagrid, he realized.
Up close, Hagrid was enormous, with a wild beard and kind but intimidating features. To someone who didn't know better, he might have looked like a dangerous creature himself.
"Any more first years? Once everyone's here, we'll head off!" Hagrid shouted.
The moment they left the platform, the full force of the rain hit them. The narrow path was muddy and slick; students stumbled constantly despite Hagrid's repeated warnings.
Albert pulled his hat lower and wrapped his cloak tighter. Thankfully, the Impervius charm worked — he stayed relatively dry, unlike the others, who were soaked through.
He regretted not bringing his folding umbrella from his trunk. "I'll have to learn that umbrella-conjuring charm," he muttered. "That'll save me next time."
Ahead of him, someone slipped and fell hard.
"Are you alright?" Albert asked, helping the girl to her feet.
"Thanks," she said gratefully, brushing mud off her robes. "This trip's been dreadful."
"Let's keep moving," Albert replied, raising his wand to light the way again.
This must have been the most miserable batch of first years Hogwarts had ever seen — half of them were covered in mud, and someone was swearing nearby. Albert recognized Lee Jordan's voice.
At least staying near the back had spared him the worst of it.
"Careful now, it's downhill!" Hagrid called. He stood by the slope, catching several students who nearly fell.
"Watch your step — we're almost at the lake!"
After one final turn, they arrived at the black waters of a vast lake. Across it, perched high on a cliff, stood Hogwarts Castle — its tall towers glowing with warm, golden light. Against the dark, stormy sky, it looked both mysterious and magnificent.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid bellowed. "Four, no more!" He pointed to the small fleet of boats bobbing along the shore.
"Albert, over here!" Fred called.
Lee Jordan sat beside him, both of them spattered with mud.
"Rough trip?" Albert asked, chuckling as he climbed in.
"Not rough — catastrophic," Lee groaned. "I fell once and got knocked over twice."
"All aboard!" Hagrid shouted, lifting his lamp to check that everyone was seated. Then he climbed into a boat of his own.
"Alright then… forward!"
The boats moved on their own, gliding smoothly across the lake.
Albert looked up at the illuminated castle, his heart quickening with a mix of awe and anticipation.
Hogwarts… I'm finally here.