After some time, the train finally began to slow down.
Morris rubbed his aching neck and turned to look out the window. The sky was painted in deep hues of dusk, and distant mountains rolled across the horizon like a sleeping giant.
"We're almost there." Lee Jordan stretched lazily, his right hand brushing against Canned Food, who was dozing comfortably on Morris's lap.
"!"
Lee snapped his hand back as if he had been burned.
"What's wrong?" Fred asked, instantly noticing his strange reaction.
"Nothing." Lee Jordan shook his head, but an uneasy feeling lingered in his chest.
What was that?
He had felt something strange—an unnatural, ghostly chill. It wasn't ordinary cold, but a bone-deep sensation, as though he had brushed against something that didn't belong to the living world.
Yet the feeling was oddly familiar.
Lee searched his memory, and suddenly it clicked. It was similar to the sensation of a Hogwarts ghost passing straight through one's body.
Instinctively, he turned to look at Morris.
Morris was still gazing out the window, seemingly oblivious to everything. Only the black cat had opened its eyes at some point and was quietly staring at Lee.
Lee couldn't help but shiver.
"Are you really okay?" George leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"I'm fine." Lee steadied himself and forced a smile.
Morris Black… what a mysterious fellow.
Before the train had fully stopped, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.
"Let's go." Fred and George stood up at the same time.
"Oh—right." Morris rose as well, holding Canned Food, and followed the twins.
"Hey, freshman," Fred called back, pointing at the cat in Morris's arms and the suitcase by his feet. "You don't need to bring those. Leave your pet and luggage on the train. A house-elf will take them to the dormitory. By the way, do you know what a house-elf is?"
"Of course." Morris nodded calmly.
He had read a detailed introduction about these "wizard servant" creatures in one of his books.
"Be good, stupid cat. I'll see you tonight."
Morris placed Canned Food on top of the suitcase. Though reluctant, the cat sat obediently, flicking its tail once before settling down.
The bustling crowd poured out of the Hogwarts Express, and Morris flowed along with them.
The sky had fully darkened, and a cold night breeze swept across the platform. Morris looked around and found himself standing on a rather crude, narrow station platform.
Nearby stood an old wooden sign. In the dim light, he could just make out the words Hogsmeade Station.
Not far away, lanterns swayed gently in the night.
"First years! Over here! All first years, follow me! Harry—Harry, come over here! How are you?"
A gruff, booming voice rang out.
Morris turned toward the sound and saw an exceptionally tall giant of a man—so tall that Morris suspected he might be half-human and half-magical creature.
Yet the name he called out was even more eye-catching than his appearance.
Harry Potter.
This was one of the few names Morris was familiar with in this world.
He instinctively searched the crowd, and he wasn't alone. Nearly everyone was craning their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of the legendary Boy Who Lived.
However, surrounded by the mass of students, Morris failed to spot Harry.
It didn't matter. Harry Potter had nothing to do with him.
"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts," the giant announced. "All right now, first years, follow me! Watch your step!"
Morris said goodbye to Lee Jordan and the twins before moving to join the first-year group. He stayed at the very end of the line, enjoying the cool night breeze, his eyes narrowing slightly in comfort.
His life at Hogwarts was officially beginning.
The dim light of the oil lamp swinging in Hagrid's hand cast long shadows along the path. At Morris's feet, one shadow twisted unnaturally.
A black silhouette peeled itself away from the darkness.
An owl hopped lightly onto Morris's wrist.
Two clusters of ghostly blue flames burned steadily within Fireworks's empty eye sockets, glowing vividly in the night.
Fortunately, Morris was at the very back of the line. No one noticed this abnormal scene.
"Coo→ Coo↑ Coo↓"
"You want to go greet the school's owls?" Morris murmured softly. "That's fine. Go ahead."
Understanding his meaning, Morris gently lifted his arm.
The blue flames flickered once. Fireworks spread its wings and silently vanished into the darkness.
Owls seemed to have their own social rules. As a newcomer, Fireworks needed to introduce itself to the local owl community—though Morris wasn't sure how they would react to an owl that had already become undead.
He watched Fireworks disappear toward the distant silhouette of the castle, then quickened his pace to keep up with the line.
Hagrid led the restless first years down a steep, narrow path flanked by dense forest on both sides.
Eventually, the trees opened up, revealing a vast black lake.
"We'll take boats across the water," Hagrid said, pointing toward a line of small wooden boats waiting at the shore. "Four to a boat! One by one now!"
Because Morris was at the very end, he ended up with an entire boat to himself.
This suited him perfectly.
He even leaned back slightly, gazing up at the starlit sky.
"Sit up properly, young man at the back!" Hagrid's booming voice carried across the lake.
Morris sighed and complied.
The boat glided forward smoothly. Curious, Morris dipped his fingers into the water.
The lake felt soft and cold against his skin, carrying the chill of the night. He scooped up a handful and examined it in the moonlight—it was remarkably clear, almost free of impurities.
On impulse, he took a small sip.
The water tasted crisp and clean, without any strange flavor.
This would be a nice place for a swim, Morris thought.
Even though he couldn't swim.
Suddenly, a massive shadow moved beneath the surface near his boat.
It was large—very large.
The creature swam slowly, neither approaching nor retreating, as if quietly observing the fleet from below.
Morris shifted toward the center of the boat. He had no desire to fall in by accident.
As the boat reached the middle of the lake, Morris had nothing better to do and returned his gaze to the sky.
Beyond the scattered stars, he noticed faint moving shapes gliding through the darkness. They didn't resemble ordinary birds. Instead, they looked like large, winged creatures.
He squinted, trying to see more clearly.
At that moment, a black dot appeared suddenly in the night sky behind them.
It drew closer… and closer.
Finally, Morris could see it clearly.
A skeletal, skin-and-bones black winged horse soared silently through the air. Its bat-like wings stretched wide, its head shaped like a dragon's, and a pair of pure white pupils glowed faintly in its empty eye sockets.
Beautiful.
That was Morris's first thought.
It was his first time seeing such a magical creature.
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