Harry Potter -Blood legacy

The train had departed at 11:00 in the morning and reached Hogwarts just after 6:00 in the evening. The sky was already dark, and the chilly wind made everyone shiver. Luckily, Cho Chang had listened to Tony's advice and wore a thick coat under her wizard's robe. Without it, she might have frozen before even making it to the boats.

At that moment, she was arguing with a tall, burly man about the blue puffball she was clutching. This man, Hagrid, was the gamekeeper and keeper of keys at Hogwarts. Towering at nearly two meters, Hagrid was responsible for guiding the first-year students along a special path to the school.

Tony, noticing Cho's struggle, stepped in. He gently patted her shoulder and placed the blue puffball into his hat, much to Hagrid's surprise.

"You can't bring pets," Hagrid said, narrowing his eyes.

Tony smiled slyly. "But it doesn't say anything about hats. Besides, it's just a puffball."

Hagrid seemed to accept this, though he remained puzzled. His interest quickly shifted when Tony tapped his hat with his wand, changing its color from pink to red, then to blue, and so on.

"Your hat's brilliant!" Hagrid exclaimed. "What's it made of?"

Tony beamed at the compliment. "Thanks! If you like it, I can make one for you too. It even changes colors!"

The other first-years, however, found the whole scene a bit odd, labeling Tony and Hagrid as "the big and small fools." Still, they followed Hagrid as he shook his lantern and led the group down a steep, narrow path.

The trail was dark, flanked by unseen bushes that scratched at the students. Hagrid's long strides made it difficult for the shorter first-years to keep up, forcing them to trot along awkwardly. To make matters worse, Hagrid's massive frame blocked much of the lantern's light, causing the students to stumble frequently.

"I can't believe how hard this path is to walk on," Cho muttered, her breath visible in the cold air.

Hearing this, Tony pulled out his wand and held her hand tightly.

"Lumos!" he said, and a soft light illuminated the surrounding area.

Cho's eyes widened with awe. "That's amazing! Magic is incredible."

Tony grinned. "You'll learn it too. I can teach you if you want."

"Really? I'd love that," she replied with a smile.

The students behind them grumbled, wishing Tony's wand light was brighter, but he ignored them. He and Cho could see well enough, and that was what mattered.

After several twists and turns, the path suddenly opened up, revealing a vast black lake. Across the water stood a towering castle with countless turrets and glowing windows. Its reflection didn't appear on the lake's surface, making the water seem even darker.

Hagrid instructed the students to board the small boats waiting by the shore. Each boat held four people, and they were enchanted to ferry the students across the lake without the need for paddling.

Tony and Cho climbed into one boat, soon joined by a boy Tony had met earlier on the train and a shy girl with black hair.

"Hi! Thanks for the advice about dressing warmly," the boy said with a grin. "I'm Marcos Belby."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Good to meet you. At least your name isn't Karl."

Marcos blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Never mind," Tony said with a chuckle. "Just me rambling. I'm Tony Lestrange."

Cho introduced herself next, and when it was the black-haired girl's turn, she sneezed loudly.

Tony nudged Marcos playfully. "Time to be a gentleman, my friend."

Marcos sighed but handed over a furry cloak from under his robe. The girl took it gratefully, wrapping it around herself.

"Thank you," she said shyly. "I'm Katie Bell."

The boat began to move on its own, giving the group a chance to chat.

"You know," Tony began, "this spot was chosen for Hogwarts because of a dream Lady Ravenclaw had. In her dream, a wart hog led her to a cliff by the lake, and that's where she decided to build the school."

"Really?" Cho asked, intrigued. "I didn't read that in Hogwarts: A History."

Tony shrugged. "It's just a legend."

Marcos and Katie laughed, clearly amused.

"You're making that up, aren't you?" Marcos teased.

Tony ignored him and pointed at the lake. "If you don't believe me, we can ask the mermaids."

The others followed his finger, but the water appeared still and empty.

"Come on," Marcos said, rolling his eyes.

Tony, undeterred, leaned toward the water and began speaking in a strange, sharp-sounding language. The others couldn't understand a word, but they watched in astonishment as ripples formed in the lake. Moments later, four or five mermaids surfaced, their faces peeking out from the dark water.

"Wow!" Marcos shouted, drawing the attention of the other boats.

"Mermaids!" Katie exclaimed. "My mum never told me there were mermaids at Hogwarts!"

"There are countless secrets at Hogwarts," Tony said with a dramatic sigh. "Seven years won't be enough to uncover them all."

While the others marveled at the mermaids, Cho stared at Tony in wonder.

"Tony, can you really speak their language?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied confidently. "It's pretty simple once you get used to talking underwater. The hard ones are eagle and snake languages. Oh, and dragon language—that's the worst! Every dragon has a different accent, so good luck trying to understand them."

Cho, Marcos, and Katie looked at Tony with wide-eyed admiration, while he simply smirked, clearly enjoying their reactions.

The boat glided smoothly across the lake, carrying them closer to the towering castle that would be their home for the next seven years.

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