seem to be slowing down.
he and ron took off their jad pulled black
robes. ro short for him, you could see his sneakers
uhem.
a voice echh the train: ”we will be reag hogwarts
ies time. please leave ye orain,
it will be taken to the school separately.”
harrys stomach lurched with nerves and ron, he saw, looked
pale under his freckles. they crammed their pockets with the last
of the sweets ahe cr the corridor.
the trai down and finally stopped. people pushed
their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. harry
shivered in the ight air. then a lamp came bobbihe
heads of the students, and harry heard a familiar voice: ”firs
years! firs years over here! all right there, harry?”
hagrids big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.
”, follow me -- any more firs years? miep,
now! firs years follow me!”
slipping and stumbling, they followed hagrid down what seemed
to be a steep, narrow path. it was so dark oher side of them
that harry thought there must be thick trees there. nobody spoke
mueville, the boy 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 narroeo the edge of a great
black take. perched atop a high mountaiher side, its
wind iarry sky, was a vast castle with many
turrets and towers.
”no moren four to a boat!” hagrid called, pointing to a fleet
of little boats sittier by the shore. harry and ron
were followed i by neville and hermione. ”everyone
in?” shouted hagrid, who had a boat to himself. ”right then --
forward!”
atle boats moved off all at ong
across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. everyone was silent,
staring up at the great castle overhead. it towered over them as