Whispers on the Black Lake
"Hey! Neville gave me a couple of Chocolate Frogs," said Percy as he returned to the compartment, feeling relieved, thinking his brother's anger must have already passed. However, when he saw the table covered with wrappers and open boxes, and even a few chocolate frogs hopping between the seats, he turned toward Harry with an expression of mock betrayal.
"But it seems you're already full of them," he added in an indignant tone that made his brother laugh.
"I saved you some," Harry replied casually, before Percy could begin one of his usual dramatic performances or endless monologues.
Percy grinned, sat down comfortably, and began opening the Chocolate Frog cards with enthusiasm. As soon as he opened one, the image of a red-haired woman appeared—rather ugly, to be honest—and she didn't match at all with the name written underneath.
"Morgana Le Fay," read Ron, leaning in with interest to see which card Percy had gotten.
Harry and Percy immediately exchanged a look, remembering a story that still sent shivers down their spines. A couple of years earlier, their Aunt Mor had discovered that this was the image wizards used of her on those cards. Both boys had had to cling to her legs to stop her from storming off to destroy the entire factory while shouting that she didn't care if it meant breaking her vow not to harm mortals. If they hadn't stopped her, the famous Chocolate Frogs would probably have ceased to exist forever.
Meanwhile, Harry's card revealed the portrait of an old man with a long white beard and a kind expression, someone they had only seen once before, during that incident with Sirius and the Dursleys: Albus Dumbledore.
"Bah, just Dumbledore. He's pretty easy to get; I've got him repeated. I have quite the collection," said Ron proudly. "I've got almost all of them. I'm only missing Agrippa and Ptolemy."
At that moment, the compartment door slid open again. Harry and Ron turned their heads in annoyance, thinking one more interruption might be too much.
It was Hermione Granger. When she saw Percy sitting there, she froze for a second but quickly recovered her composure.
"I went up to the conductor's cabin; he said we're about to arrive. You should get dressed. There are kids running all over the place and making a lot of noise," she said in her usual serious tone, trying to be helpful—or perhaps just looking for a way to connect with her new classmates.
"Thanks," Percy and Harry replied in unison.
Ron, on the other hand, made a sour face at seeing her again. Hermione looked at him for a moment, then glanced back at Harry and Percy.
Ron spoke with a tone laced with irritation. "Thanks for the warning. You can go now; we need to change."
Hermione raised an eyebrow but simply nodded. Before leaving, she paused for a second to say, "You've got dirt on your nose."
The redhead turned as red as his hair and began furiously rubbing his nose in embarrassment as Hermione walked away.
Harry and Percy tried to hold back their laughter as they pulled out their robes and began putting them on.
The train started to slow down gradually, accompanied by a voice echoing through the corridors: "Students may now disembark. Leave your luggage; it will be sent to your rooms later."
The three boys hurried out along with the other students, who were excitedly moving toward the exit.
As soon as Percy stepped off the train, he almost ran into something. He stopped short and slowly lifted his gaze… higher… and higher, until his eyes reached the face of a giant man—over three meters tall—with a thick beard and an enormous coat that looked like it was made of some kind of animal hide. In his hand, he held a lantern that dimly lit the darkness around him.
Out of reflex, Percy reached for the pendant around his neck, but the man spoke first, smiling warmly.
"First years, this way!" he called out in a booming voice. His gaze swept across the crowd until it landed on Percy with complete innocence… then stopped cold on Harry.
"Harry Potter!" he exclaimed so loudly that everyone turned to look. "How you've grown, lad!" he added as he moved closer, his face lighting up with pure joy as if he were about to pull Harry into a bear hug.
Harry's eyes widened, and he instinctively took several steps back. Percy, already half on guard, immediately stepped in front of him protectively.
The giant noticed the defensive reaction and stopped, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Ah… sorry. Of course you don't remember me. I'm Rubeus Hagrid," he said kindly. "We met when you were just a baby; I took you somewhere safe. You were so tiny, of course you wouldn't remember. But I do… it was a… well, not such a fun day. Sorry."
His voice softened as he realized what that day had meant—the day Harry had lost his parents.
Harry studied him curiously, unsure of what to feel, while Percy slowly lowered his guard.
"Ah, clumsy me. We'll talk later; I've got a job to do first," said Hagrid, pulling himself together. "First years, over here!" he called again, giving Harry a warm smile.
Percy leaned closer to his brother and murmured, keeping his eyes on the giant, "Remember when Mom used to say that if we didn't sleep early or eat our vegetables, we wouldn't grow up strong? Do you think he listened to his mother?"
Harry let out a small laugh. "Yeah, but I think he ate too many vegetables."
Both boys burst out laughing.
"I just hope none of my brothers get that big, or there won't be any food left for the rest of us," Ron added, joining the joke.
The three laughed together as they followed the crowd.
After a short while, the first-year students had gathered around Hagrid, while the older ones took a different path. The gamekeeper led them across uneven ground, through trees and puddles, under the dark sky. The only light came from Hagrid's lantern, which barely illuminated a few feet ahead.
Harry, curious, walked close to the giant, talking with him as Percy and Ron listened attentively.
"It's good to see you grown so well, Harry," said Hagrid happily. "Dumbledore told me you even have a brother. That makes me glad."
"Brother? Oh, not me," said Ron quickly. "I'm Ron Weasley."
"Weasley?" repeated Hagrid, raising an eyebrow. "So you're one of those mischievous twins' brothers, then."
"Yeah…" Ron muttered, lowering his head in embarrassment. It seemed his brothers were already famous here, something he had feared deep down.
"Then you must be the one," said Hagrid, looking at Percy, who was still studying the giant with mild curiosity.
"Yeah. I'm Harry's older brother. Name's Percy Jackson," Percy replied quickly with a friendly smile.
"Oh, an older brother! That's wonderful," said Hagrid cheerfully.
"It's not. He's just an idiot," Harry cut in, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
"Ah, little Pig Potter, sometimes your lack of enthusiasm just kills the mood," Percy said, shaking his head and raising his hands as if to say, What am I supposed to do with this kid?
Harry looked at him irritably, on the verge of starting one of his usual arguments, but when he noticed the other students' eyes on them, he decided to hold back. Hagrid, however, let out a hearty laugh.
"I see, you two get along well. That's how brothers should be," he said, clearly happy to see their bond. Harry couldn't help but smile a little; after all, he had grown up surrounded by affection.
"Ah, if you look past that corner, you'll see the castle," announced Hagrid cheerfully, pointing between the trees.
As soon as they rounded the bend, everyone stopped in awe. To the right stood the enormous castle, illuminated by hundreds of glowing lights shining through its windows. The sight was so majestic it drew a murmur of wonder from the students. The castle's silhouette reflected on the dark lake, creating a nearly unreal, magical image.
Percy, however, couldn't take his eyes off the water. There was something there, something that seemed to be calling to him from the depths.
Harry gave him a small nudge, noticing he was lagging behind, while the other students moved toward the boats.
"Four to a boat," instructed Hagrid as he climbed into one by himself.
Percy joined Harry and Ron in the same boat; Neville ended up with them too. Yet Percy paid little attention to the trip, still watching the lake's surface, where faint, whispering voices seemed to drift up from below.
"Mmm… a special child seems to have arrived. No… two of them. How interesting…" murmured an ancient, deep, almost ethereal voice.
"Who's there?" Percy asked aloud, peering into the water.
His boatmates looked at him in panic. Ron and Neville leaned over the edge, wide-eyed, searching for the source of the sound from the depths. The lake was pitch-black, and the shadows shifting beneath the surface only heightened the tension.
Students in nearby boats also began to grow nervous, glancing around anxiously, as if expecting some monstrous creature to rise from the water and shatter their boats at any moment.
Harry, on the other hand, didn't look too worried. He knew about his brother's ability to communicate with marine creatures and figured he must have just heard some curious fish.
"Percy," he called softly, trying to ease the mood.
Noticing the fear in the others' faces and hearing his brother's voice, Percy looked up and gave a short laugh. "Ah, haha, you fell for it," he said, pretending it had been a joke.
Everyone glared at him, but it was enough to break the tension and make several sigh in relief.
Hagrid watched Percy for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the lake, intrigued. He knew every creature that lived in those waters but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he kept guiding the boats cheerfully, whistling a tune cheerfully, whistling a tune that faded into the mist.
They passed beneath a bridge covered in ivy, and on the other side, the castle appeared, more magnificent than ever. The towers reached toward the sky, and the warm lights from the windows made it feel like an ancient, powerful refuge.
The boats touched land, and the students began to climb out. Hagrid waited patiently until everyone had disembarked, when he suddenly heard a small croak from one of the boats.
"Eh, whose toad is this?" he asked, lifting it gently.
"Trevor!" shouted Neville, running over to retrieve it with relief.
After that, the group was led up a wide stone staircase that took them to a massive wooden door. Hagrid knocked softly, and almost immediately, it opened.
On the other side stood a woman dressed in an emerald-green robe and a pointed hat. Her stern, time-worn face radiated authority.
"Professor McGonagall, here are the students. I'll leave them to you," said Hagrid with a respectful smile.
"Thank you, Hagrid. You may return to your duties," she replied firmly. Then she swept her gaze over the students, studying them attentively. "Follow me."
The group followed her through the stone corridors of the castle, where torches lit the walls and portraits whispered as they passed. Finally, they stopped in front of a pair of enormous oak doors.
"In just a few moments, you will enter the Great Hall and be assigned to your houses," began McGonagall in her commanding tone. "The Sorting Ceremony is a very important event, because while you are here, your house will be like your family at Hogwarts. You will attend classes with your housemates, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend your free time in your common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each has a noble history and has produced excellent witches and wizards. While at Hogwarts, your victories will earn points for your house, and any rule-breaking will lose them. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the House Cup. I hope you all do your best to bring honor to the house you are placed in."
Her eyes swept over the group with a mix of firmness and pride before adding, "Now wait here for a moment."
She turned and entered the Great Hall, leaving the students in silence. The tension rose among them; some whispered nervously, while others fidgeted with the edges of their robes.
Suddenly, a scream erupted from the back of the group. Everyone turned at once.
Nearly twenty ghosts floated through the wall at the far end, passing through it like mist. They talked among themselves, paying no attention to the wide-eyed first-years.
One of them, wearing a ruff and a silver chain, approached the group with a thoughtful expression.
"Excuse me, has anyone seen the Bloody Baron lately?" he asked politely.
"I think he's down in the dungeon, talking with the Headless Bishop," replied another ghost, who looked even more transparent and had a massive wound on his head.
"Thank you," said the first, turning—then noticed the students. "Ah, the new first-years! How exciting! Welcome to Hogwarts!"
From a side wall emerged another ghost, covered in silvery stains that looked like dried blood. His presence caused another ripple of fear among the students, especially the girls. It was the Bloody Baron, the ghost of Slytherin.
Behind him floated a friendlier specter, his expression cheerful and his manner almost theatrical: Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, known as Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor.
"I do hope you all end up in Gryffindor," said Nick enthusiastically, bowing slightly.
"Some of us would rather be in Slytherin," replied the Baron coolly before floating away through the wall, followed by the other ghosts.
The silence that followed was almost complete. The students were pale and barely breathing. Even Hermione seemed to be holding her breath.
Harry and Percy, however, watched the scene with fascination.
Finally, the door opened again, and Professor McGonagall returned, her expression as firm as ever. The ghosts were gone, but the impression they left lingered in the air.
"Good," she said in her authoritative tone. "Everything is ready. It's time to enter."