The sun shone especially bright on the morning of September 1st, as if even the sky itself was celebrating the arrival of new students.
The air above London was clear and fresh, with only a few wisps of cloud drifting lazily across a bright blue sky. A gentle breeze brushed past everyone's ears like a soft whisper, refreshing and pleasant.
Maca had bought a new suitcase in Diagon Alley—not exactly new, actually. It was a second-hand piece from a junk shop. The Undetectable Extension Charm inside was partially broken, which meant the internal space was significantly smaller than it should've been. Still, the Ministry of Magic's approval seal was firmly stuck on the inside of the lid, so it was usable.
After thoroughly criticizing the suitcase and haggling several times, Maca finally bought it, albeit with a bit of heartache. Now, he strolled leisurely through the corridor of King's Cross Station, enjoying the satisfying feeling of having saved some Galleons. With just a single owl and a lightweight suitcase, traveling like this felt wonderfully easy.
Before long, he arrived at the space between Platforms 9 and 10. Stopping in front of the solid support pillar, he hesitated.
"Oh?" He reached out a hand—and sure enough, it passed right through the stone bricks. His face lit up in surprise.
There's always a bit of unease the first time. It didn't hurt or anything, but the nervousness was still there. Taking a cautious step forward, he found himself fully across—on the real Hogwarts Express platform.
Steam curled above the chattering crowd, while cats of all colors darted between people's legs. Amid the hum of conversations and the rumbling of heavy luggage being dragged, owls called to one another with sharp, piercing screeches.
The owl perched on Maca's left shoulder was noticeably larger than most, and unusually quiet. Unlike the others, she didn't hoot or flutter about. She simply blinked her bright eyes and calmly watched the crowd ahead, completely unfazed.
Over time, Maca had discovered that her pitch-black owl didn't like staying in her cage. Ever since he let it out, it hadn't gone back in.
"Let's go, Marfa," Maca said. He'd given her a rather grand name—Marfario, though he usually just called it "Marfa."
"Coo," Marfa responded softly in agreement.
The train compartments were already getting crowded. Maca passed through a few cars but didn't see anyone familiar, so he picked a quieter compartment and stepped in.
"Morning!" Maca nodded toward the other occupant. "Mind if I sit here?"
"Not at all. Please," replied a black-haired boy immediately.
The boy seemed a bit shy and awkward, not the type to be good at small talk. After answering, he shrank back into his seat and went quiet again.
"Hope you don't mind a quick intro," Maca said, trying to break the ice. "I'm Maca—Maca McLean. You are?"
"…Anthony Goldstein," the boy muttered, looking even more nervous.
Yup, definitely not the talkative type.
Maca nodded politely but didn't push the conversation further. He had other things to focus on anyway—like memorizing pages and pages of homework.
He pulled out a hefty book from his suitcase—One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi—and began reading intently. The book was thick, and the plant entries were complex and numerous. Even now, he'd only managed to memorize half.
After a while, two more students entered the compartment. Perhaps due to the growing crowd, Anthony looked increasingly uncomfortable, forcing himself to stare out the window as if he were truly captivated by the passing scenery.
"Hey, everyone! I'm Ernie Macmillan. Great to meet you all!" said a cheerful, blond boy who had just walked in. Flashing a bright smile, he looked directly at Maca and greeted him warmly.
Maca nodded at him with a smile and briefly introduced himself, then turned his head to look at the last girl who had just entered the compartment.
"Um, I'm…" The girl was busy smoothing down her long brown hair, trying to make it look more tidy. It seemed she wasn't very happy with its natural waves.
"Lisa, Lisa Turpin… Ow!" she yelped suddenly, clearly having pulled too hard and yanked out a few strands.
"Hey, Maca! What are you reading?" Ernie, who was short and plump, had a rather bright and stylish outfit that hinted at a wealthy background.
Still, Maca didn't detect the arrogance often found in children from rich families. In fact, Ernie seemed like someone who could be a good friend.
"Oh, just a textbook," Maca said, holding the book up so Ernie could see the cover.
"Ugh, we have that one at home too. I've never bothered to read it though—it's way too thick, and the title sounds boring." Ernie scratched his head, messing up his otherwise neatly combed blond hair.
Lisa, sitting beside Maca, frowned slightly at the sight of Ernie's now-disheveled hair but didn't comment. Instead, she turned back to Maca.
Maca had always believed that keeping a neat appearance was important—it made others more likely to have a good impression of you. Most people liked tidy clothes and a clean look, though personally, Maca felt comfort mattered more.
Lisa gave Maca a quick once-over and nodded approvingly.
Clearly, this cute girl didn't just expect high standards for herself—she had them for others too.
After that, except for Anthony who remained mostly silent, the four of them chatted a bit and agreed to stay in touch at school. Of course, Lisa obviously preferred talking to Maca, not that the rather oblivious Ernie noticed.
As for the rest of the train ride, Maca managed to memorize the names of several dozen herbs. The only other noteworthy thing was a brief, rushed encounter with Hermione Granger.
Her haughty demeanor, rapid-fire speech, and frantic pace were a bit overwhelming for Maca. After a few polite responses from him, she quickly dashed off again.
Oh, right—she was helping Neville find his missing toad… or something like that. Honestly, Maca hadn't caught the details. He'd been too focused on memorizing herb names at the time.
The Hogwarts Express ran the entire day, and by the time it began to slow down, night had already fallen.
The train stopped at a station located on the far side of the lake behind Hogwarts. First-years had to cross the lake by boat to reach the school—a tradition at Hogwarts. Of course, if you ever found yourself prone to seasickness, you could probably walk around the lake to the front gate, though that'd be pretty silly.
"Heads down!" Hagrid, who occupied a boat all to himself, shouted as the first batch of boats neared the cliff.
Everyone ducked their heads as the boats passed through a curtain of ivy hanging over the cliffside and into a hidden opening. They followed a dark tunnel that led beneath the castle and eventually reached what looked like an underground dock. From there, they climbed up a rocky, pebble-strewn path.
Under the glow of Hagrid's lantern, the first-years followed him through a tunnel carved into the cliff and finally emerged onto a flat, damp patch of grass in the castle's shadow.
They climbed a flight of stone steps and gathered before a massive oak door.
Hagrid raised his huge fist and knocked three times.
The door swung open, revealing a tall, black-haired witch in a deep green robe. Her stern expression made it clear she was not someone to be trifled with.
"First-year students, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid announced.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."
This was Hogwarts, after all—even the back hall was massive. Torches flickered along the stone walls, casting a warm light. The ceiling was so high it faded into shadow, and at the far end, a grand marble staircase stretched up to the next floor.
Voices echoed faintly from the room on the right; the older students had clearly already arrived. But instead of leading the new students there, Professor McGonagall took them across the hall to a smaller empty room.
It was a bit cramped, and the first-years were pressed shoulder to shoulder. Most of them looked around nervously, trying to take in everything.
Maca was no different. He clutched his suitcase and found himself pushed into a corner. His owl, Marfa, resignedly perched on top of his head.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began. "The start-of-term feast is about to begin, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your Houses. Sorting is a very important ceremony, as your House will be like your family while you're at Hogwarts…"
Maca was too far at the back and too tired to pay close attention to her speech. He simply waited quietly for things to begin.
"…Once everything is ready, I'll come back for you," she concluded. "Please remain silent while you wait."
Just as Professor McGonagall finished speaking, Maca heard a loud grumble.
"Leif!" someone near the front shouted, prompting a few chuckles.
"Silence!" McGonagall snapped sharply, then turned and left the room.
Laughter broke out up front.
"Oh—!" someone suddenly squealed.
"What now?" Maca muttered and tiptoed to see over the crowd. "Wait, is that—?"
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