Harry Potter: Glory of the King

"Turning this turn, you will soon see Hogwarts for the first time." Hagrid shouted back.

Then there was a burst of loud "Oh-!"

A black lake suddenly spread out at the end of the narrow path. On the high hillside on the other side of the lake stands a majestic castle. The top of the castle is lined with spires and windows are gleaming under the stars.

Ona also saw it, and his heartbeat started to accelerate, neither in Diagon Alley nor on Platform 9¾ of King's Cross Station gave him such a feeling. It was more like the feeling of seeing the token in his own secret room.

"There can be no more than four people in each boat!" Hagrid said loudly, pointing to a group of small boats moored on the shore.

"Oh..." Ona saw Harry and Ron getting on the boat, a little helpless, he got on another boat with Glory and Hermione, and Neville followed. Harry was a little embarrassed, but two more students got on the boat, and Harry, who was still hesitating, could only sit well.

"Have you all been on the boat?" Hagrid shouted, riding a boat by himself, "Well... go ahead!"

A group of small boats can sail forward across the flat, mirror-like lake. Everyone was silent, staring at the huge castle high into the sky. When they approached the cliff where the castle was, the castle seemed to rise above their heads.

"Head down!" Hagrid shouted as the first boats approached the cliff. Everyone bowed their heads, and the boat carried them through the ivy curtain covering the front of the cliff to the secret open entrance. They appeared to be underground in the castle along a dark tunnel, and finally reached a place similar to an underground dock, and then climbed onto a ground of gravel and small pebbles.

"Neville, your toad!" Before disembarking, Ona habitually checked and found a toad hiding under Neville's seat.

"Thank God!" Neville stretched out his arms and exclaimed ecstatically, "Ona, if it weren't for you, I would have to look for it again for a long time!"

Afterwards, they climbed up a tunnel in the rock under the light of Hagrid's lantern, and finally reached a flat and damp grass in the shadow of the castle.

Everyone climbed up a section of stone steps and gathered in front of a huge oak door. Hagrid raised a huge fist and knocked three times on the gate of the castle. The door opened immediately, and a tall, black-haired witch in an emerald-green robe stood in front of the door. She looked serious and looked hard to deal with.

"First-year freshman, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. Let me pick it up when you get here." McGonagall opened the door wide, and the hall was big enough to move the Ona house in. Like Gringotts, the stone walls are surrounded by flaming torches. The ceiling is so high that it is almost invisible. On the front is a luxurious marble staircase that leads directly to the upper floor.

They followed Professor McGonagall along the stone paved floor. Everyone heard the buzzing of hundreds of people from the door on the right. The students in other grades of the school must have arrived-but Professor McGonagall took the first-year freshmen to a small empty room at the other end of the hall. Everyone rushed in, rubbing their backs and squeezing together, staring nervously at everything around them. Ona took care of the two girls. He caught a glimpse of Malfoy under the protection of Gore and Crabbe. After seeing himself, his face was obviously pale and he hurriedly looked away.

"Welcome you to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. "The opening banquet is about to begin, but before you sit in the auditorium, you must first determine which college you enter. The classification is one item. A very important ceremony, because during your stay at school, the college is like your home at Hogwarts. You have to take classes with other students in the college, stay together in the college dormitory, and spend time together in the college’s common room. After school time. The names of the four colleges are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each college has its own glorious history and cultivates outstanding wizards. You are here During Hogwarts, your outstanding performance will earn points for your college, and any violations will deduct points for your college. At the end of the year, the college with the highest score will receive the College Cup, which is Very high honor. I hope you can win honor for the college no matter which college you are assigned to.”

Professor McGonagall paused, let everyone digest the content, and then continued: "In a few minutes, the sorting ceremony will be held in front of the teachers and students of the school. I suggest that you organize yourself and be more energetic while you wait. "Her eyes flicked over Neville's cloak and Ron's nose. Harry standing between them strained his hair nervously and desperately.

"When it's ready over there, I'll come to pick you up." Professor McGonagall said, "Please keep quiet while waiting."

She left the room and everyone seemed to breathe out.

"How can they accurately assign us to which college?" Harry asked Ron.

"I think, I have to pass a test. Fred said it hurt us a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron shook his head.

"Quiz? You don't want to use magic, do you?" Harry stroked his wand.

Ron paled, and he remembered that he had dropped his wand in the suitcase. He looked around anxiously, and everyone was panicked. Except for Ona, even Glory was thinking hard, and Hermione was muttering words and reciting the spell she had learned quickly, not sure about it. Which one to use.

Then something strange happened, and Harry was so scared that he jumped three feet high, and several people behind him screamed loudly.

"That is……"

Many people were frightened. Glory and Hermione were both so scared to hide behind Ona. It turned out that twenty ghosts suddenly burst out of the wall behind them. These pearly white, translucent ghosts glided across the room while whispering to each other, but they paid little attention to these first-year freshmen. They seem to be arguing. A chubby little monk-like ghost said: "Should be forgiven and forgotten. I said, we should give him another chance..."

"My good monk, don't we have enough opportunities for Pippi? But he gave us all ugly nicknames. You know, he can't even reach a minimum ghost—I said, What are you doing here?" A ghost in a wheel-shaped ruffled collar tights suddenly spotted a freshman.

No one answered.

"Newborn Yo!" The fat monk smiled at them and said, "I think, maybe you are going to be tested?"

Some students nodded silently.

"I hope you can get Hufflepuff!" said the monk, "I was in that college before."

"Now move forward," a sharp voice said, "the sorting ceremony will begin soon."

Professor McGonagall came back, the ghosts drifted, and the fish disappeared through the opposite wall.