Chapter 10

Draco shouted, "Stop, stop! Don't come any closer! I'll tell my father about this! Just you wait!"

Albert calmly replied, "Surgito." He lifted the spell that had frozen Draco in place, allowing him to move again.

Realizing he was free, Draco quickly bolted from the room, running away as fast as he could.

Albert then turned to Neville to check if he was alright. "Are you okay, my friend? Did they hurt you?"

Neville shook his head and replied, "Thank you. They didn't do anything to me, except that blonde one who used a spell to lift me up."

Albert sighed with relief. "I see. My name is Albert Black. And you are?"

"Neville Longbottom," Neville responded.

Albert extended his right hand for a handshake and said, "Nice to meet you."

Neville shook his hand and replied, "The pleasure's mine."

Hermione, who had witnessed the entire scene from start to finish, stood frozen in shock. She never imagined that someone her age could possess such power.

Noticing Hermione's stunned expression, Albert gestured to snap her out of her reverie.

Hermione suddenly spoke up, "Oh, right! We were looking for Neville's toad. Have you found it yet, Neville?"

Neville's face fell as he remembered that his toad was still missing.

Albert reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out something green. "Were you looking for this?"

Both Hermione and Neville looked at Albert's hand to see a green toad munching on some chocolate.

"Yes! That's my toad! Thank you, Albert!" Neville exclaimed, overjoyed to have finally found his lost pet.

Hermione asked, "Where did you find it, Albert?"

Albert explained, "I didn't exactly find it. While I was looking for an empty compartment, I entered the fourth one, which is between this room and the one where I was sitting with Ron and Harry. As soon as I entered, I encountered the toad, and it hopped into my pocket because it smelled the chocolate I had in there."

Just as Albert finished speaking, a woman's voice came over the loudspeaker, "Prepare yourselves, everyone! We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your belongings behind; we'll ensure they're delivered to the school for you."

Albert nodded, "Alright, let's get ready. I'm heading back to my compartment to change."

Hermione agreed, "Okay, me too. I'll join the other girls in the next compartment."

Five minutes later...

The train came to a halt, and all the students eagerly disembarked, excited to see what would come next.

But as they stepped off the train, they were greeted by a cold breeze that made them shiver.

Albert also felt the chill in the air, as it was now nighttime, and this area was known for its cold nights.

Then, a rough voice called out, "First years! First years over here!"

Albert saw a large man standing among the students, holding a lantern in his hand. His hair was so thick that it nearly covered his entire face, with only a pair of dark eyes visible between the strands.

This must be Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. His role was to escort the first-year students from the train to the school. Hagrid's bearded face broke into a smile, "Come along, follow me. Are there any first years here? Watch your step now! First years, follow me!"

All the new students followed Hagrid as they stumbled along a dark, winding path. Neville nearly slipped, but Albert quickly helped him regain his balance.

Hagrid called out, "Just around this bend, you'll get your first glimpse of Hogwarts."

As they rounded the corner, Albert, despite having seen Hogwarts many times in the Harry Potter films in his past life, was still awestruck by the sight.

A vast black lake suddenly appeared at the end of the narrow path. On the high cliffs on the other side of the lake stood a majestic castle with towering turrets and windows glowing under the starry sky.

"The boats seat four students each!" Hagrid shouted loudly, pointing to a fleet of small boats floating on the lake. Albert and Hermione climbed into one of the boats, followed by Neville.

Hagrid, who was in his own boat, called out, "Is everyone in? Right then—forward!"