The Hogwarts Express eventually started up, and the familiar faces around Link also increased.
Students are actually all the same, during school days they long for holidays, but after a long holiday, they then look forward to the start of school.
So after there were more people, the atmosphere on the train also became cheerful.
Driven by this kind of atmosphere, Link's originally somewhat gloomy mood also gradually began to improve.
Actually, thinking about it carefully, Arithmancy isn't that bad either.
After all, this is also considered a relatively formal course. By choosing this elective, Link can at least learn some real skills. If he had chosen Divination, Link estimates the only thing he could have learned in class would be the ability to make up stories.
After comforting himself for a while, Link finally blended into the surrounding joyful atmosphere.
This is also considered a good way to pass the time. While messing around with Cedric and the members of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, the sky outside gradually darkened.
At the same time, the whistle of the Hogwarts Express also began to sound again and again.
The train had arrived.
Everyone, under the guidance of the prefects, got off the train one after another and walked toward the open space in the distance.
Over there, carriages drawn by Thestrals were waiting to take them into Hogwarts.
This is the correct way for Hogwarts students to enter the castle. As for the first-years, they need to row small boats across the Black Lake to enter Hogwarts by water.
This is an old Hogwarts tradition, and it is also the same method the Four Founders used the first time they came to Hogwarts.
The school hopes to use this method to let students remember the greatness of the Four Founders and understand that the peaceful life they enjoy now did not come easily.
It can also be considered a kind of "recalling the bitterness to appreciate the sweetness" activity.
To be honest, Link still feels quite regretful that he didn't have this kind of experience.
After all, under the Black Lake, there are giant water monsters and mermaids. Link has been curious for a long time about these once-ferocious creatures that were tamed by Hogwarts.
But Link really couldn't bring himself to shamelessly row a small boat again, so he could only follow everyone onto the Thestral carriages.
Accompanied by the group of Thestral carriages gradually stopping at the open space next to Hogwarts Castle, a figure of a rather odd-looking old man also appeared in front of Link.
"Alright, everyone get off quickly. Hand the Thestrals over to me. All of you go to the Great Hall. Merlin's beard! George! Fred! Don't use your dirty paws to touch my precious Thestrals! Be careful, they'll bite you! And you, Moxina…"
The strange old man kept shouting on the ground, looking very busy.
Only when Link got closer did he finally discover what exactly was strange about this old man.
It was that he was disabled. And severely disabled at that.
There was hardly any uninjured part on his body. Not only was his face covered with a few terrifying scars, but even his limbs were reduced to only one arm and half a leg.
This made it so he had to rely on prosthetics with a very steampunk style to move around, making him limp and look quite bizarre.
"This is Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures professor. Don't look at him like this, he's one of the greatest magical creature researchers of this century." Cedric slowly explained, but by the end, his tone became a bit strange.
"However, when attending his classes, you'd better be careful. Professor Kettleburn's personality isn't that great, he's too enthusiastic about adventure. Sometimes, when he's in the mood, he'll lead students to do some dangerous things."
"Mm, his love for adventure, I can definitely see that." Link murmured as he stared at Professor Kettleburn's prosthetics.
If he didn't love adventure, his arm and leg probably wouldn't have disappeared.
Hearing the hidden sarcasm in Link's words, Cedric also let out a soft laugh, then pulled Link toward the castle.
At this time, the castle gates were open. Through the gate, one could see the warm candlelight in the Great Hall. This familiar scene after such a long time away made the students excited.
However, everyone's excitement only lasted for a short while.
Because Professor McGonagall, wearing a loose robe, was standing at the gate with a stern face, her sharp gaze scanning every student passing by.
Every student who was swept by her gaze would bow their heads in fear, afraid that eye contact would attract Professor McGonagall's extra attention.
This was the power of Professor McGonagall.
Even so, there were still unlucky ones who got caught.
That was Neville.
Because he wore his wool vest inside out, he was held back by Professor McGonagall to tidy up his appearance.
This caused the Slytherins to burst into laughter. Interestingly, many Ravenclaws also laughed along.
Fortunately, under Professor McGonagall's death stare, the laughter didn't last long. Everyone quickly entered the Great Hall and sat down one by one at their respective house tables.
At this time, the atmosphere between everyone was still cheerful.
Everyone was chatting freely with friends they hadn't seen for a long time, and from time to time, bursts of laughter and shouting erupted from the crowd, making it very lively.
At the staff table, Dumbledore and the other professors were also smiling at such a scene.
Today was a good day. No one was going to come out and ruin everyone's mood.
This kind of atmosphere continued until Professor McGonagall suddenly closed the Great Hall's large doors.
At that moment, the Great Hall instantly quieted down. Everyone put on a serious expression and secretly glanced at the tightly shut doors with gloating eyes.
Link reacted the same way. Because this was also one of Hogwarts' traditional programs.
Every Hogwarts first-year is told by their parents or siblings that they will need to undergo a trial.
The specific content of the trial varies from person to person, but what's the same is that in everyone's description, this trial is extremely cruel and has a very high mortality rate.
The purpose of doing this is to scare the new students into quivering like quails during the entrance ceremony, and then, after the twist is revealed, their indescribably wonderful expressions satisfy everyone's sense of dark humor.
It must be said, this is a rather wicked joke.
But everyone delights in it and even cooperates in covering it up.
After all, every one of them went through the same thing back then, so as the juniors, the pranks their seniors suffered, they also must endure once.
Thus, under Professor McGonagall's lead, the new students finally lined up neatly, nervously following her like chicks behind a mother hen, and walked into the Great Hall.
The serious atmosphere around them made them instinctively feel nervous. Some of the more timid ones had even started trembling.
This made many of the older students around them unable to hold back their laughter. In the end, they could only pinch their own thighs hard, relying on the pain to maintain a serious expression.
And in this kind of strange atmosphere, the Sorting Ceremony finally began.
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