Children of the Revolution: Year One

Chapter 4 - Violette Gwynn

AS SOON as the train was securely stopped and we heard other compartment doors sliding open, the four of us ran out the door in a rush, trying to beat the flurry of other first years heading out towards the boats.

    Standing outside of the train, the castle looked even more amazing!

    I stood up on my tip toes, trying to crane my neck to look over the heads of the other students crowded around me, some running ahead. From where I stood, I watched as a pair of boys stumbled into a boat while a group of girls nearly trampled each other in their haste to grab their own. It was a mad dash for the best seats, it seemed.

    When I spotted an empty boat, I grinned and made a mad dash towards it, slipping in between other students and nearly falling to the floor when my shoes tugged on a spare branch. I looked over my shoulder briefly to yell back for my newfound friends. "Guys, over here!"

The three of them made a similar run over to me, nearly stepping on only my heels as we hurried down the walkway by the train.

Once we saw the castle up close, however, we all skidded to a stop in absolute amazement.

"Woah," Marlene said, trying to catch her breath.

I let out a laugh in disbelief. "Woah is the right answer."

At that moment, however, students began to race past us, nearly running to the boats.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Rosalie exclaimed, waving a hand to the boats down by the edge of the water. She looked far more excited than she did on the train, especially in comparison to when we timidly spoke of our desired houses.

Before I knew it, Rosalie quickly linked arms with me and we began to hurry with the other students heading towards the dock, stepping over stones and twigs as we stumbled ahead.

    The four of us got into a boat together, Genevieve holding a light while the boat moved forward all by itself. My eyes were still stuck on the castle, all the windows lit up so bright they cast the shiniest of reflections upon the lake.

Godric, it's beautiful! It's probably the biggest building I have ever seen.

Dazzled by the sight, I couldn't help but think back to my own family home. My father had loved Hogwarts as a student and I could so easily see why. The pets and animals and cobbled pathways were lovely back home, but they could hardly compare to this amazing sight before me.

I looked at Marlene, and we shared a smile.

For years we exchanged our excitement over attending Hogwarts, hoping we'd make it into the same house so we could be together during classes and even share a dorm. The fact we were actually here, together with new friends, seemed like an impossible dream come true.

I reached over the side of the boat carefully, dipping a hand into the water that messily reflected the castle. My heart raced fast with excitement.

"The possibilities at Hogwarts were unlimited!"

I remember my dad telling me, eyes lit up in remembrance and amazement.

"Everything was incredible there, so filled with magic and joy."

    We finally reached the shore and a man pulled the boats in and tied them to make sure they were secure. He held out his hand and helped us out of the boat before we made our way over to a trail that led up to the castle.

    The path had flat stones on it making it easier to walk. I walked next to Marlene while Rosalie and Genevieve walked behind us. I did my best to stick with the other girls, but it was hard to resist just running up the rest of the path.