The 8th Weasley

Chapter 8- Weasley, Arabella

Chapter 8- Weasley, Arabella

*****Arabella's POV ******

The train started to slow right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. As I exit the train, the harsh, cold wind whips against my face. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" A large man with long shaggy hair and a wild, tangled beard.

"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" The large man says again.

Slipping and stumbling, we followed the large man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," The man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The man called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. I got in a boat with three girls whose names are Lavender, Parvarti and Padma; Parvarti and Padma who are twins. "Everyone in?" shouted the man once again, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead in awe. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled the Man as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said the Man, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville; a boy Arabella had met during the train ride, holding out his hands.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" The man asked before raising a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the Man.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Mcgonagall says eying a few of the students that didn't look too presentable.