Always- a Hinny / Romione fanfic

Chapter Sixty Two

As the kids got off of the train, they were tossed and shunted around by tons of older students, who were running and screaming. Emily shoved a few of them back, leading the way.

The chilly wind of the night whipped at Teddy's face as he struggled to see where he was going through the crowd. They all seems to be headed in the same direction, and all seemed to know where they were going.

Teddy was a bit perplexed to see the quiet, straggly boy from the train following them. Though he was very curious about the boy, he found it annoying that he hadn't even mentioned his name.

Lizzie stopped them all as the crowd approached a path. It was long and winding, disappearing up into the distance, where you couldn't see it's end. Beside it were dozens of wooden carriages, tethered to which were skeletal black horses.

They repulsed Teddy just a little, with their big, white eyes, that you couldn't tell which direction they were staring in, and their bony bodies, their wings looking dry and dead, and unable to fly.

"Ooh cool! My brother told me about these! The horseless carriages!" Emily squealed loudly, and many older students stopped to look at her.

"What are you talking about?" Teddy asked, a little rudely. "They're not horseless carriages! Look what's pulling them!"

"Nothing pulling them, doofus, can't you see?" Emily poked her tongue out a little.

Teddy opened his mouth to argue, but Lizzie joined in.

"Um...they look horseless to me, Teddy, there's nothing pulling them..."

"I'm telling you guys, there's a gross horse thing pulling them, but, if you don't believe me, fine,"

"Teddy I'm telling you-"

"He's right." They heard a hoarse, quiet voice speak up. It was the boy. He seemed to shrink down in his robe as they all turned to look at him.

Emily opened her mouth, but her argument was drowned out by a loud booming shout.

"Firs' years over this way! Firs' years over here!"

Lizzie motioned for them all to follow, and soon, as the crowd of older students departed, they saw a silhouette of a very large man, holding up a faintly lit lantern.

"Teddy!" The man greeted him, and Teddy looked around wildly. The man was at least eight feet tall, with a mess of tangled black hair, streaked with grey, tiny, black eyes that crinkled around when he smiled.

"Las' time I seen yeh, yeh was a tiny little baby! An' now look at yeh!"

Teddy remembered Harry telling him about Hagrid now. Teddy smiled.

"Harry taking real good care of yeh' then?"

Teddy was tempted to say no, as a joke of course, but he nodded. Emily and Lizzie were gaping at him. Emily opened her mouth, perhaps to ask Hagrid why he was so tall, but Hagrid shouted across to the small group that had formed while they'd been talking.

"That all the firs' years? Righ' then, follow me everyone!"

He trudged forward, and they all took tentative steps to follow. He led them across damp ground, and, as Teddy began to think he heard something that sounded like water, he stepped in something wet, and icy cold.

He drew back, shaking out his soaking foot, and looked up. He let out a gasp. Out before him was a large, lake, dark and peaceful looking. And beyond that, was Hogwarts.

It was giant, and it seemed to glow, out of every single, tiny diamond window. It had tall, magnificent towers and many turrets, but also, Teddy could see cracks in it's great walls. Emily was jabbering about something, but Teddy tuned her out.