Ch 6. continue of 6th chapter

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly.

"They were some of the

first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said

they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's

father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to

Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the

front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't

been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would

you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right -- I only came in here because people outside are behaving

very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a

sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you

know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was

getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple

sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes.

Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath

them.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five

minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken

to the school separately."

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets andjoined the crowd thronging the corridor.The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way

toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered inthe cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice:

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, theboy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

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

There was a loud "Oooooh!" 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!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid,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 atthe great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearerand nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid 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 harbor, where they

clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

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

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

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

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

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