Chapter 32: Train ride and arriving at Hogwarts

Nick came up with a game to pass the time involving the every flavored beans that they had that was loads of fun. He called it "blind mans luck" and the way it worked was that one of the people not playing this round set out four beans. The people playing however had to have their eyes closed and guess a color. The first person to guess a color that was on a bean had to declare themselves a lucky blind man and randomly grab a bean and eat it. if it was a pleasant flavor they got a point and a new bean was added and the game went on again until someone reached three points.-

If it was a bad flavor however that person lost a point instead and if they reached negative three points , lost. The fist round was between Nick and Harry since Ron didn't quite understand how to play and needed a demonstration. Nick won with a total of five points won but two lost and Harry won four points total but lost two as well before Nick got his needed three. After that it rotated between the three of them with all of them loosing as well as winning.-

This ended when they simply didn't have any more beans left to play with. "That was bloody brilliant mate! I had loads of fun!" Ron said with a wide smile since he had the most wins. Nick and Harry both agreed that it was a fun little game to play with friends. The sun had already began to set by the time the train parked in Hogsmeade village and they left their luggage on the train since they were assured it would be sent to their rooms after they are sorted.-

"My brothers told me that we had to fight a troll to get sorted." Ron said worriedly as they were getting off the train. Nick was distracted however as he saw in the distance several carriages pulled by pale skeletal horse-like creatures with white eyes and wings , Thestrals. Invisible to all but those who have seen and understood death and they were staring at Nick just as he them. It was ... unusual for Nick as he found it hard to understand but he felt a sort of kinship with the creatures and it was hard to ignore.-

'Probably because I have died before.' He thought seriously before focusing his attention back on heading over where Hagrid was calling the first years. Harry , Ron and Nick ended on the boat with the half giant which made all of the nervous as the boat was only just out of the water. At least none of them fell out of the boats like Neville who was saved by the friendly giant magical squid living in the lake. Nick had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't actually a squid but rather a kraken , however unless he could get someone to verify that idea he doubted he would ever actually learn the truth of the matter.-

He thought it was funny when Hagrid said to watch their heads when they passed under an alcove to the docks that was well above their heads sitting down. The only person who had to duck was the half giant himself. Once docked the nervous first years followed after Hagrid as he began to make the short trek from the docks to the huge castle in the short distance. Nick found it hard to accurately describe exactly how big the school actually was as he couldn't even see the entirety of it at once.-

At minimum it was easily three times bigger than the roman colosseum in size and that didn't even include the seven towers that as the name implies towered over the rest of the building that was by muggle standards easily six stories tall. 'Hogwarts is fucking massive , I wonder what secrets yet remain undiscovered?' Nick thought in awe as he shuffled behind Hagrid like the rest of the first years. Soon the man led them to outside the grand hall where a tall stern faced older witch with greying brown hair and green eyes stood calmly.-

"I've brought the first years professor McGonagall." Hagrid said calmly and Mcgonagall nodded "I shall take it from here Hagrid , you may join the others inside." she said calmly and the big man did precisely that. Mcgonagall addressed the first years after that telling them to form nice even lines and to go in and wait for their names to be called to be sorted. She somehow convinced a bunch of eleven year old children to do exactly what she said and stand in lines like robots as the rest of every year students looked at them eagerly trying to figure out where they are going to go.

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