Hogwarts Card System Chapter 017

In the carriage, Hermione was enthusiastically talking about the spells in her textbook. She had many questions to discuss with Ted, along with an irrepressible excitement.

It was understandable; if I could go learn magic, I’d be even more excited than her.

The problem was, she kept asking Harry, Ron, and Neville, these little wizards from wizarding families, what spells they had learned at home? Of course, the one that changed the color of rats didn’t count.

Ron: I feel like someone’s targeting me!

But it was obvious that Neville and Ron didn’t want to talk about it. Their faces were etched with the humility and caution of academic underachievers.

Jerry was even trembling.

Harry, on the other hand, could list a few things. Accio, Expelliarmus, etc., spells Ted hadn’t even touched upon yet.

It seemed she had learned a lot under Sirius’s tutelage.

In the original novel, Harry’s talent was excellent. Now, this Harry didn’t seem to be any worse.

The train swayed forward, almost rocking people to sleep.

They had departed at noon, and by the time the sun set, their destination was still nowhere in sight.

And it was a “special express”? This was a damn sightseeing train!

By the time the train announced their arrival, it was already dark outside the window.

Harry and Hermione went out first, giving the four boys time to change into their wizard robes. Then it was their turn.

The train soon came to a complete stop, and the six of them lined up and disembarked.

It was a small, somewhat crude station. It was so dark that it was hard to see clearly.

A very tall figure, holding a lantern, called out from a distance: “First-years over here, follow me!”

It was hard to ignore him, given his three-meter height and booming voice.

“It’s Hagrid, let’s go quickly.” Harry clearly recognized Hagrid, and led the group, hurrying forward, taking the lead.

“Oh, Harry, how are you? And Neville.” Hagrid “whispered” a greeting.

After walking a narrow path with Hagrid for a while, the area quickly opened up.

They had reached the lakeside, where a row of small wooden boats awaited the first-years.

The stones by the Black Lake were covered in moss. Hagrid loudly warned the first-years: “Watch your step, don’t slip!”

No sooner had he spoken than two students slipped, almost falling straight into the lake.

“Four people per boat, no more!”

Harry’s group of four boarded the first boat, and Ted and Hermione boarded the second.

Once everyone was on board, Hagrid shouted “Off we go!”, and the boats began to move in a line.

Each boat had a lamp, but it could only illuminate itself, not too far around.

The Black Lake beneath them was like a dark mirror, reflecting the moon and stars in the sky without a ripple.

A line of small boats seemed to move silently through the Milky Way…

The students were too nervous to make a sound, a complex emotion swirling in their hearts.

Ted remembered that there were merpeople in this huge Black Lake, though they were a bit ugly.

Perhaps merpeople also came in different varieties: yellow, white, agricultural, and so on.

In China, they were called “Jiaoren,” mostly recorded as marine species.

There was also a giant squid of unknown origin in the Black Lake, and there were no freshwater squids.

This suggested that the lake next to Hogwarts was a saltwater lake in the northern Scottish Highlands.

If Scotland was too far north, only barren highlands would remain…

So, with large forests and castle ruins… Hogwarts was probably located west of Loch Lomond, in an area north of Glasgow.

This also aligned with the Triwizard Tournament, where Durmstrang’s huge sailing ship emerged from the lake. Scottish saltwater lakes are usually large, elongated lochs directly connected to the sea, rather than inland lakes.

It was hard to imagine Durmstrang’s ship navigating the shallow rivers in the highlands to enter a freshwater lake. It was probably by sea.

Ted, having nothing better to do, let his mind wander and began to deduce Hogwarts’ location.

“Around this bend, you’ll soon see Hogwarts for the first time,” Hagrid called back.

“Take a good look, this will be a memory you’ll cherish for a lifetime,” Ted quietly told Hermione.

Turning past the cliff, the silhouette of the castle, dotted with lights, could be vaguely seen in the distance!

The closer they got, the grander the castle appeared. Illuminated by the lights, it was so magnificent and splendid.

This was Hogwarts! Which school was best at cultivating Dark Lords…

Hermione whispered, “Every first-year takes this path. It’s said to let us experience the hardships the Hogwarts founders faced in finding the castle’s location.”

“Perhaps there’s a deeper meaning.”

Ted detected a subtle anomaly; a grand magical connection linked him to the distant castle.

This tradition of first-years retracing the path of the four founders was likely an ancient ritualistic magic.

Completing the entire process was akin to the students signing a contract with the school, officially becoming its students.

“Heads down~” Hagrid rumbled. His deep, resonant voice echoed like it came from a cave.

The small boats approached the cliff. Beneath the steep cliff face was a hidden cave. The boats carried the students forward, stopping at a dock within a cavern.

Hagrid held his lantern high: “Everyone out, out. Stick close to me.”

The first-years disembarked and ascended a winding, steep staircase of over two hundred steps, arriving at an open-air courtyard surrounded by pillars. At the end of the courtyard stood the main gate of Hogwarts.

Hagrid stepped forward, raised his sandbag-like fist, and pounded on the door. “Thump, thump, thump~” By the sound, the door was quite thick.

The door was opened by a bald, ugly old man whose hairline had receded to the top of his head.

If this were a hundred years earlier, during the Qing Dynasty, he’d be at least a Beile!

“Are these the first-years? Just leave them to me.”

Hagrid snorted, like a car engine rumbling, “Filch, you’d best be polite to them.”

Filch also snorted in disdain.

He led the first-years through the main gate, muttering as he walked, “You’d all better behave yourselves. If I catch any of you messing around, you’ll be in for a world of pain.”

Ted’s long-awaited voice rang out.

“Ding~ Quest triggered:

[Explore Hogwarts (Red)]

This is Hogwarts, the only magic school in Great Britain, and one of only three in Europe.

This thousand-year-old ancient school hides countless secrets waiting for you to explore. What are you waiting for?

Discover them, find them, use them!

Woohoo, let’s go~

Objective: Explore Hogwarts.

Progress: 1/100%

Reward: 1000 XP, + 1 Skill Point, random card.

Must say: If you don’t go on a night stroll, it’s like you haven’t truly attended Hogwarts. Applaud if you understand!”

Filch looked quite old, but his legs were good, and his pace was quick.

The little wizards, already not in great physical shape, had first climbed hundreds of winding steps from the cave beneath the cliff to the main gate, and then were subjected to a speed walk by Filch. They were all panting.

Those with poorer physiques were even sweating.

Fortunately, they had arrived. Everyone was led to another tall wooden door. Filch left them with a “Wait here” and walked away without looking back.

The little wizards finally got a chance to rest and began to whisper, discussing what they had just seen.

Just then, there was a sudden hushed gasp.

Ted turned his head and saw several milky-white, translucent ghosts phasing through the wall.

The first-years immediately became noisy. Some Muggle-born little wizards were utterly amazed, and some even curiously reached out to touch them.

The ghosts were quite friendly, even welcoming their arrival.

Ted couldn’t tell who was who among them.

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall had pushed open the door and stepped out. Her expression was serious as her eyes swept across the crowd, and the little wizards fell silent.

“Before the Welcoming Feast, you must first be sorted into your respective Houses,” she said.

“Hogwarts has four Houses. You will now be sorted in front of the entire school, faculty, and students. This is a very important ceremony. I advise you to tidy yourselves up and prepare well…”

Her gaze lingered on Neville and Ron.

Neville’s cloak was a bit crooked, and Ron had a black smudge on his nose, likely from their hurried march.

No one else looked much better; they all looked like they had just fled a famine.

Filch had really played a trick on them right at the start of school!

Professor McGonagall also spoke about the House Cup and points, seemingly placing great importance on honor.

As Professor McGonagall returned to the Great Hall, everyone immediately began to discuss.

Whether Muggle-born or pure-blood, everyone was worried.

Opinions on the Sorting Ceremony varied widely.

Hermione was already nervously reciting textbook knowledge, worried that the Sorting Ceremony would involve an entrance exam.

“Don’t worry, they won’t test calculus,” Ted teased her.

Hermione glared at Ted: “What time is it now…”

“Please come in.” Just then, McGonagall returned. She led the students into the Great Hall.

Four long tables were set in the middle of the enormous hall, filled with students of various ages.

On the surrounding walls hung House banners of different colors: green snake, blue eagle, red lion, yellow badger.

And the ceiling, if one looked up, was a transparent ceiling through which stars could be directly seen.

Hermione whispered, as if afraid of startling something, “I read about this in ‘Hogwarts: A History’…”

Ted nodded: “That’s right, the effect of the school’s Great Hall ceiling is – it looks like there’s no ceiling at all.”