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chapter four. the sorting ceremony
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Matilda is not happy.
She has changed into her Hogwarts uniform, the fabric scratchy against her olive skin, the tie too tight around her neck. It feels like wearing a costume, one that doesn't fit right. She wishes that it just felt... different. Better. She tugs at the collar of her shirt, trying to make them less there. It's a funny thought, wanting something you're wearing to feel less there, but it's how Matilda often feels about clothes.
Stepping off the train with Ron and Harry, she's aware of the noise — the clamour of students excitedly chattering, the echoing calls from someone gathering first-years, the screech of an owl from somewhere in the crowd. It's all too much, too loud, too fast. She wants to press her hands over her ears, to block it out, to find a quiet corner in this storm of sound.
Her Mary Janes click against the platform, an unfamiliar sound that reminds her she's not at home, not in her safe, known world. The lanterns flicker in the growing dusk, casting shadows that dance and twist, making the familiar feel strange, the safe feel uncertain.
Ron and Harry talk as they walk, their voices blending together. They're excited, their words tumbling over each other in a rush to express their thoughts and feelings about this new adventure. Matilda listens, her responses small, her excitement more reserved, overtaken by the sensory overload that threatens to overwhelm her.
There's a figure standing ahead, a giant of a man towering over everyone else. His hair and beard are a wild tangle of black, peppered with bits of twig and leaf as if he's just walked through the forest itself. His coat looks like it could wrap around Matilda three times over, but there's also a gentleness in his eyes.
As she approaches, the giant's gaze falls upon her, a little, solitary figure amidst the chaos. "Ello," he rumbles, his voice deep but surprisingly soft, as if he's aware of how overwhelming he might seem. "Yeh must be Matilda. I'm Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Been told abou' yeh, I have."
Hagrid kneels down so he's closer to her level, though he's still the largest person she's ever seen. "We're gonna take the boats across the lake to the castle," he explains, pointing towards a small group of boats bobbing gently in the water. "Yeh'll be ridin' with me, alright? It's a special trip, just for yeh."
Matilda nods, appreciating the simplicity and clarity of his instructions. Hagrid's presence, his understanding without needing everything explained, makes her feel seen in a way she rarely experiences. The prospect of a special trip with him—just for her!—brings a small sense of relief. She glances at Ron and Harry, hoping they understand she needs this quieter path to Hogwarts.
