Arathorn and the Anlomir family left the Ministry of Magic and headed for the main road outside.
Following the guidance of the Ministry of Magical Transportation employee, young Anlomir, who had just received his wand, couldn't wait and eagerly stood by the roadside, extending his wand toward the street.
It wasn't long before a red and green shadow, accompanied by a whoosh, appeared like lightning in the distance, dodging left and right, and instantly materialized in front of them before any of them could get a clear look or react.
With a physically impossible, sudden stop, a red and green double-decker bus appeared before them.
Since the mode of transportation in Middle-earth was still in the age of horse-drawn carriages, this iron-skinned vehicle with glass windows was something they had never seen before.
Arathorn and the Anlomir family all widened their eyes, staring in astonishment at the magical bus.
However, after the day-long tour of Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic, they were no longer overly shocked by the sight of the bus, only marveling at the wonder of magic.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand and step aboard, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. I'm Neil, your conductor."
A freckled young wizard in a red uniform jumped down and grinned as he introduced himself to the group.
He scrutinized them and urged, "Hurry up, we have guests getting off at the next stop."
He then glanced at the pile of things they were holding and asked, "Need a hand?"
"No, thank you, we can manage ourselves," Arathorn shook his head and declined.
They had three adults in total, which was enough to carry all of Anlomir's school supplies.
"Alright." The conductor, Neil, was happy for the easy ride and stood aside, waiting for the group to board.
After Anlomir and the others had boarded, Conductor Neil was the last to get on, then he shouted to a messy-bearded middle-aged man in the driver's seat, "Errol, everyone's aboard, let's go!"
The driver, named Errol, wore a pair of diving mask-like goggles, making his eyes look huge and bulging in the lenses, somewhat comical.
He gave an "OK" gesture, closed the door, and shouted, "Right, setting off!"
He immediately floored the accelerator, and the entire bus shot out like a rocket with a whoosh, causing everyone inside the carriage to be thrown backward by a powerful inertia.
The quick-witted conductor waved his wand, casting a Cushioning Charm on the Anlomir family who were about to fall.
As for Arathorn, he reacted swiftly, quickly stabilizing himself with his agile physique.
This earned him a surprised yet admiring look from Conductor Neil.
The conductor looked the group over, then addressed Arathorn, who was clearly the leader. "Where is your destination?"
"Riverbend, Can we get there?" Arathorn inquired.
"Did you hear that, Errol? Riverbend" the conductor shouted loudly to the driver. Only after receiving an OK signal did he turn back, grinning confidently.
"Trust me, guest, as long as you name the place, there's nowhere on the entire continent we can't reach! By the way, to Riverbend, it's 1 Galleon per person. You are four people, so 4 Galleons in total. If you pay an extra 1 Sickle, you can have hot chocolate, would you like some?"
Facing the conductor's sales pitch, Arathorn shook his head, refusing, and took out four Galleons for him.
In such a dangerously fast environment, they could barely stand steady, let alone drink any chocolate, which would likely end up splattered on their faces.
Not disappointed by the refusal, Conductor Neil tore off four tickets and gave them to the group, then led them toward the back of the bus.
The space inside the bus was far larger than it looked from the outside, laid out with two-tiered sleeping bunks. Some bunks had people resting on them, while others were empty.
Conductor Neil led the group to the empty bunks. "It's still a good while until Riverbend, you can lie down and rest first. I'll call you when we arrive."
Arathorn and the others did not lie down, but sat on the bunks, gripping the bedposts tightly to prevent being flung out by the massive inertia.
They silently watched the rapidly flashing scenery outside, their eyes wide with shock.
The speed of the Knight Bus was astonishing, almost reaching one hilltop from another in the blink of an eye, and it ignored roads, charging straight through the forest.
Every time they thought the bus would crash into a large tree, it would smoothly and narrowly swerve around it.
Even when the tree trunks in the forest were dense, the Knight Bus behaved like highly malleable putty, squeezing through the narrow gaps between the trees.
Or perhaps it was the trees themselves that automatically moved to bypass the Knight Bus, leaving a path open.
What made Arathorn and the others even more heart-stopping was that the driver, Errol, not only drove at full speed but also occasionally turned his head to chat with the conductor or clink a liquor bottle and drink, his attention seemingly nowhere near the steering wheel.
Only after the two finished chatting and the driver refocused on driving did Arathorn and the others secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
But the conductor was clearly a chatterbox who couldn't stay idle, so he shifted his attention back to the group. "You must be new students' parents, right? Are you here in Diagon Alley today to purchase supplies for the start of school?"
Arathorn nodded in acknowledgment.
The conductor looked at the child Anlomir and said enviously:
"You've come at a great time. Back then, we only studied in the castle for one year. My grades weren't good, so I could only manage a conductor position.
But those days were my happiest memories. You know, the castle has so many magical places you can never finish exploring. You absolutely won't regret going there, trust me!"
Hearing the conductor's words, young Anlomir looked longing and couldn't help but curiously ask, "Mr. Neil, can you tell me about some of the magical places at Hogwarts?"
But the conductor acted mysteriously, shaking his head and grinning. "It's no fun if I tell you beforehand. You have to see it with your own eyes to know how magical it is!"
Anlomir and his parents were left intensely curious by the conductor.
Arathorn, who had attended the wedding of Luke and Arwen, fully agreed with the conductor's words.
The magic of the Hogwarts castle was indeed beyond simple description.
The Knight Bus sped wildly along, stopping a few times to drop off several groups of people, and finally, as the lingering sunset glow remained in the sky, they arrived at Riverbend.
"Riverbend is here, passengers getting off, please alight!" Conductor Neil shouted.
Arathorn and the Anlomir group immediately jumped out of the bus impatiently.
This magical mode of transportation, though wondrous, whether it was a Portkey or the Knight Bus, was too much of a test for the heart.
What surprised the Anlomir family even more was that the Knight Bus accurately delivered them right to their doorstep, and none of the nearby neighbors seemed to notice.
It was as if it were a phantom vehicle, silently arriving in the village.
And after everyone had alighted, the door closed again, and with a soft whoosh, the Knight Bus instantly turned into a red and green streak of light, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
"Truly wondrous magic!" Arathorn couldn't help but exclaim deeply.
He was very impressed by the day's events and admired Luke, who created all of this.
The Anlomir family nodded in full agreement beside him.
Arathorn then declined the Anlomir family's invitation to stay. Before leaving, he gently advised young Anlomir, "Anlomir, receiving an acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a fortune many can only dream of. You must seize this opportunity, study hard at school, do you understand?"
Anlomir's young face was serious, and he nodded solemnly: "Chieftain, I will definitely study magic hard, and when I become strong, I will guard the honor of our Dúnedain people!"
Arathorn couldn't help but ruffle his furry hair upon hearing this, smiling and shaking his head: "Alright, Anlomir, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just study well, make some sincere friends, and grow up happily. The matter of honor is not yet for a little squirt like you to bear."
He then said goodbye to the Anlomir family and returned to his residence to prepare for his next journey and adventure.
Anlomir, after returning home, couldn't wait to open his magic book and practice the spells with his wand.
It took him three days to successfully cast the Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) with his wand.
Just as Anlomir excitedly ran downstairs to tell his parents the good news, there was a sudden knock on their door.
Opening the door, a stranger in a black work uniform stood outside.
"And you are?" Anlomir's father asked cautiously.
The man in uniform had an official manner.
"Is this Mr. Anlomir's home? I'm Matthew, an employee from the Floo Network Office of the Ministry of Magical Transportation. You applied for Floo Network access, so I'm here to connect your fireplace to facilitate your future travel."
Hearing the stranger's words and seeing the wand in his hand, the Anlomir family immediately understood and quickly invited the man in.
The Transportation Department staff member politely declined the Anlomir family's hospitality, remained professional, and went to the fireplace, waving his wand at it and continuously chanting spells.
After a short while, he was finished.
"Done. Your fireplace is now connected to the Floo Network. As long as you have Floo Powder, you can now travel to other connected fireplaces," the Transportation Department employee turned to the Anlomir family and explained some precautions regarding the Floo Network.
He then formally bade farewell to the Anlomir family.
"Mr. Matthew, please stay for a cup of tea!" the Anlomir family urged.
"No, thank you, I have to connect the next family's fireplace."
The Transportation Department staff member politely refused. Then, under the Anlomir family's escort, he walked out the door and immediately Disapparated, vanishing instantly.
This shocked the Anlomir family, and Anlomir was especially excited and eager, thinking he must learn this magic after entering school.
Time flew by, and soon it was September 1st.
All families of new students who received acceptance letters gathered in Hogsmeade Diagon Alley through the fireplace.
Today was the start of the school year at Hogwarts, so Diagon Alley was especially bustling.
In front of the long bridge leading from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts Castle, there was a student reception area.
A Hogwarts castle attendant was standing guard there, with a group of carriages pulled by winged horses waiting nearby.
The attendant instructed the parents dropping off their children to stop there, then arranged for the children to board the carriages one by one.
Once the carriages were full, the winged horses began to move on their own, pulling the carriages across the long bridge, along the winding road, and toward the castle.
The parents lingering at the bridgehead watched their children depart with reluctance but did not shout or try to hold them back.
The children in the carriages were also very reluctant, but once their parents were out of sight, they were quickly drawn to other things around them.
In the carriages, besides young wizards from the territory, there were also Dúnedain children and Elf children.
The beautiful Elf children were the most eye-catching. The reserved and shy children only dared to sneak glances with what they thought were concealed eyes, while the bolder and more enthusiastic children were practically glued to them.
This made the Elf children blush and unable to handle the burning stares, causing them to huddle together tightly.
However, the children were soon attracted by other things.
Like the winged horses pulling their carriages—not only were the human children drawn to them, but even the Elf children's eyes lit up, staring at them fixedly.
There were also wild oxen grazing leisurely on the hillside, their pure white coats and horns reflecting a sacred radiance in the sunlight.
The Dúnedain child Anlomir and the Elf child Yalanir had already met in Diagon Alley and were now sitting together.
Anlomir and Yalanir both looked at the winged horses pulling the carriage. Anlomir exclaimed with surprise and a touch of regret, "Horses with wings, that's truly amazing! I wish they could fly us to the castle!"
Yalanir also looked fondly at the winged horses in front, her voice clear and carrying the pleasant beauty of the Elves: "Rivendell also has winged horses. I heard they are creatures bred by the Headmaster. I've always wanted to raise one, but unfortunately, they are too few in number. I didn't expect the school to have so many!"
The new students chattered all the way as the carriages advanced, and after winding around the mountain roads, they finally arrived at the castle gates.
Seeing the majestic and tall castle, all the children widened their eyes, filled with awe and gasps.
Inside the magnificent castle, the gigantic Maolong Tree, with its golden leaves like forged gold, reflected dazzling golden light under the setting sun.
The Holy White Tree, like a silver jade tree, was pure white as jade, and its silver leaves emitted a brilliant silver glow like moonlight.
The two trees colored the castle into a world of gold and silver, filled with magnificent and sacred splendor.
The gorgeous and powerful Thunderbirds spread their wings, flying away from their nests, circling constantly over the castle, emitting thunderous cries. Their splendid feathers shimmered with multi-colored halos in the sunset, with threads of electric light flashing around their bodies.
The tallest Amon Sûl Tower reached a thousand zhang high, standing like a towering pillar that shot straight into the sky.
Countless pure white Great Snowy Owls circled and flew around it.
Amidst the children's awe, the carriages passed through the city gates and drove all the way to the castle's main entrance.
The Steward and Deputy Headmaster, Professor of Transfiguration, Edward, stood at the main entrance, dressed in a magnificent dark blue robe, appearing somewhat stern and imposing.
The children successively got off the carriages and gathered in front of Edward.
Facing the serious Edward, all the children quieted down, not daring to speak anymore.
Edward quickly scanned the group, calculated the number was complete, and began: "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am your Transfiguration Professor, Edward. The Welcoming Feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your respective Houses.
The Sorting is a very important ceremony, for while you are here, your House will be like your family at Hogwarts. You will attend classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend your leisure time in your House common room.
The four Houses are represented by the following creatures: Phoenix, Dragon, Thunderbird, and Basilisk . After you are sorted into your respective Houses, your triumphs will earn points for your House, and any rule-breaking actions will cost your House points.
At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup, which is a great honor. I hope each of you will bring glory to your House—"
Having finished, he clapped his hands to get everyone's full attention.
"Alright, the Sorting Ceremony is about to take place. Everyone line up in two rows and follow me to the Great Hall."