The night air at Hogsmeade Station was crisp and alive with the chatter of excited first years as the Hogwarts Express hissed to a stop. Steam rolled across the platform, blanketing everything in a silvery mist. Lamps glowed dimly, casting long shadows on the cobblestones.
As the train doors slid open, Penelope Clearwater stood and gave the younger students a kind smile.
"It's been lovely meeting you all," she said warmly. "Good luck with the Sorting tonight — and welcome to Hogwarts."
"Thank you, Penelope!" Hermione said, waving.
Roy, Daphne, and Cassandra offered polite nods before she disappeared into the crowd of older Ravenclaws.
Then came a booming voice echoing through the mist.
"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!"
The crowd of small, wide-eyed students turned toward the voice. From the shadows emerged a giant of a man, broad as a barn door, his beard thick and wild, and his lantern swinging at his side.
Hermione's eyes went wide. "Oh my… he's enormous!" she whispered.
Roy stepped forward calmly, holding out his hand. "Hello, sir. I'm Roy. This is Daphne, Cassandra, and Hermione."
The giant's face split into a wide grin.
"Well, ain't that polite of yeh! Name's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper o' Keys an' Grounds at Hogwarts. Welcome, welcome!"
Cassandra smiled softly. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hagrid."
"Just Hagrid'll do," he chuckled. "Now, you lot stay close! We'll be takin' the boats across the lake soon enough. I've a few more stragglers to round up."
Roy nodded respectfully. "We'll wait by the lantern."
"Good lad," Hagrid said, pleased, before turning to call for the rest of the first years. "Firs'-years this way! Come on now, don't be shy!"
As the group waited, the mist shifted again — and two boys approached, dragging trunks behind them. One had untidy black hair and bright green eyes, the other flaming red hair and freckles.
The black-haired boy looked uncertain but curious.
"Er… hi. Is this where the first years are supposed to go?"
"It is," Roy answered, extending his hand. "Roy Valvas."
The boy shook it. "Harry. Harry Potter."
Hermione gasped softly, eyes widening in recognition. "Harry Potter? The boy who—"
Before she could finish, Roy leaned closer with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Careful, Hermione. You might start writing him a two-page list of questions like you did me."
Hermione's face flushed crimson. "I—I did not!" she stammered.
Cassandra and Daphne burst into laughter, and even Harry chuckled, clearly amused by the easy banter.
The red-haired boy, however, scowled slightly.
"I'm Ron Weasley," he said, tone a bit defensive. "Harry's best mate."
Roy nodded politely. "Nice to meet you, Ron."
Ron waited — expecting the familiar look of awe or excitement that most gave Harry. But Roy, Daphne, and Cassandra only smiled as if meeting another ordinary boy. Even Hermione, though still curious, had quickly regained her composure.
Harry blinked, surprised.
"You're not… you know, surprised?"
Roy shrugged lightly. "You're just Harry Potter, right? Not a museum exhibit."
The dark-haired boy laughed for the first time that evening. "I like that."
Daphne added with a small smirk, "Roy doesn't care about anyone's fame. You'll get used to it."
Ron frowned, a hint of jealousy flashing in his eyes. He didn't like how comfortably the girls — especially the elegant Daphne and confident Cassandra — seemed to gravitate around Roy. The boy had a calmness, a quiet strength, that drew attention without trying.
But before Ron could say more, Hagrid's booming voice called out again.
"All right, yeh lot! Time ter head down the path — mind yer step, it's slippery! Boats are waitin' by the lake!"
The group followed Hagrid down the narrow trail. The moon hung high above, bathing the forest and lake in silver light. Then, as the mist cleared, the first sight of Hogwarts Castle came into view — its towering spires glowing with warm golden light, reflecting perfectly in the glassy black water below.
Hermione gasped softly. "It's… it's beautiful…"
Roy smiled faintly at her reaction. "Worth writing another essay about, isn't it?"
"Oh, hush," she muttered, but her lips twitched with a smile.
They climbed into one of the small boats — Roy, Hermione, Daphne, and Cassandra sitting together, while Harry and Ron took the one beside them. The boats glided silently across the dark waters, guided by unseen magic. The ripples shimmered under the moonlight, and the reflection of the castle looked almost alive.
Daphne leaned closer, her voice soft. "It feels like something out of a dream."
Roy's eyes, glowing faintly under the night, remained fixed on the castle. "It is," he said quietly. "The beginning of one."
And as the boats drifted toward the grand, torch-lit entrance of Hogwarts, the friendships — and rivalries — that would shape the years to come were just beginning to take form.