Chapter 308: Provocation on Hogsmeade Platform

"First-year freshmen? First-year freshmen come here and line up ..."
The air at night seemed a bit cool, which finally made people really feel that summer was leaving.
It was Hagrid who would be standing on the platform every year to welcome the new students, but this year, the rough voice was replaced by a clean female voice.
Because Hermione and Ron were responsible for maintaining the order of the students, they were still busy in the car aisle, and Ginny and others got out of the car first.
"Ginny! Neville ... Oh, and Miss Lovegood ..."
Finally, a familiar voice sounded among the crowd on the platform, and Ginny immediately looked up.
"Oh, Harry—" She felt a little blushed again.
"You're here at last, I can't wait any longer!" Harry came to them happily with a clear smile. "What about Hermione and Ron? How about you and Neville?"
"This ..." Ginny hesitated. "I'll tell you this myself after I let them out for a while!"
Just as Harry wondered, a long-lost nasty voice came from the train window next to it.
"Look, look, Potter ... how much your little fan girl thinks of you! She's worried that you won't be able to bear it!" The voice kept groaning, as if it was going to accumulate some long The sullenness turned into a provocation.
Harry and Ginny immediately turned their heads and looked at where the sound was coming.
In the pocket, exasperated and malicious, was a boy with blond hair and a pointed chin. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, showing a sneer.
"Malfoy! What do you mean?" Harry felt inexplicably, a anger rising in his chest.
"Oh! Pay attention to your attitude, Potter," Draco Malfoy leaned his elbows on the lower edge of the window frame, and looked at Harry with interest. You ... look! "
He said, lifting his upper body to reveal a badge, and staring at Harry inadvertently or unconsciously.
"Look, I'm different from you ..." He said arrogantly, "I'm a senior, but you didn't! Do you know where the problem lies?"
"What the do you want to say!" Harry glanced at the commander's badge on his chest, then annoyed.
"The problem is, you can't do anything without that McLean--" Malfoy despised. "Don't you know? Really confused ..."
"How did it feel to lose to Weasley's pure-blooded scum? Turn back and write to me, not less than a foot, this is the command of the chief! Hahaha--"
"The commander has no such order!"
Ginny stood bravely in front of Harry and yelled at Malfoy loudly, like a little hen who was protecting her chicks-in this regard, maybe her mother, Mrs. Weasley Temperament too!
"Ginny, what's going on--what's wrong with Ron?" Harry frowned, wondering.
"This ..." Ginny really didn't know how to answer that question.
From a young age, Ginny grew up listening to Harry's "legends". For her, Harry must be better than anyone.
After all, even that superb Mr. McLean is still struggling to deal with mysterious people! But Harry Potter wiped out the mysterious man as a baby.
For Ginny, Harry is just a dream hero, a brave to kill the devil!
Seriously, in fact, in her heart, she wasn't so happy to be her brother-in-chief, because she thought it must belong to Harry!
The so-called extroversion of girls, what do you think of a disused elder brother when you meet an object you have longed for since childhood?
"Shut up, Malfoy!"
A heroic girl came from the train door and Hermione and Ron came out.
"Oh—the Lord is here!" Malfoy was unmoved by Hermione's anger, and he even applauded, "Weasley, how does it feel to be a Gryffindor chief? Is Mr. Geek a breeze? "
The next second, Harry's gaze shifted from Malfoy's nasty face to Ron's chest, and then pretended to move away inadvertently.
"Ron has always been very good, that's what he deserves! Is it possible that you still want to rely on this to stir up our relationship? It's up to you?"
Harry grunted coldly, then walked to Ron, grabbing his shoulder.
Instead, Ron just dropped his eyelids. He didn't know what to say at this time. At least in front of Harry, he wasn't ready to face it.
"Huh! Disgusting dude feelings? It's so funny ..."
Malfoy finally gave Harry a cold glance, and then left the window with his chin raised, as if looking at it again would dirty his eyes.
"Harry, I--"
"You've been chosen as the Chief? Congratulations, Ron!"
Harry interrupted Ron's words, and he took his good brother by the shoulder and greeted everyone with enthusiasm.
Ron's words were stuck in his throat. This was the first time he felt that there was a kind of upset in his chest.
"... The words are always true only in the belly."
Behind everyone, Luna looked at the two crooked boys side by side.
Outside Hogsmeade Station, more than a hundred empty horse-drawn carriages were parked on that dark, wet street. On this day of the year, they send students outside the first grade to the castle.
This is certainly true this year.
Harry, all of them huddled towards each other, selected an undrawn carriage, and boarded the carriage one by one.
Luna followed them step by step, and as she passed the empty carriages, she looked up into the air for a few glances-at least to others.
"What is she looking at?" Ginny said curiously.
It turns out that some things are not visible to everyone, although it is better not to see them.
Harry looked at Luna's bewildered look and shook his head in confusion: "I'm more concerned about where Hagrid goes than this ..."
"It's true, but ..." Hermione wondered, "Harry, haven't you been at Hogwarts these days?"
Harry heard it and shook his head again.
"When I was sent to school by Ms. Burns, Hagrid was gone," he said.
"What can't he do ..." Ron said with a worried expression.
When everyone entered the carriage, the carriages lined up and creaked forward.
They passed by the towering stone pillars on both sides of the gate, and passed through the school door that rarely opened, and walked along the horse path between the school lawn to the castle.
At this moment, Harry stretched his neck and looked out the window, but it was dark in the distance.
Gradually, the Hogwarts Castle, which had been with them for several years, showed an indistinct outline in the dark.
The carriage queue stopped by the stone steps, and Harry was the first to get off. But when he looked back and looked at Hagrid's hut, he found that it was indeed dark, and it seemed that Hagrid had not returned.
Even if Hogwarts is starting today, the freshmen have arrived. Presumably the welcome dinner is prepared as usual, but Hagrid is still missing.
Last month, Professor Moody disappeared anonymously, wouldn't Hagrid always do the same?
"Harry, it's time to go!" Hermione reminded.
"Oh-okay." Harry turned back and he responded quickly.
Immediately, everyone gathered with the flow of people, hurriedly walked up the stone steps, and entered the castle.
The entrance hall was illuminated by a large number of torches, and even the temperature of the air seemed to rise, and the footsteps of the little wizards echoed in everyone's ears.
They passed through the gate to the castle auditorium, and walked in familiarly.
In the auditorium, there are still four long college dining tables that have not changed over the years; the magical ceiling is as dark as the old night sky outside the castle.
There are countless candles floating above the table, and several milky white ghosts wander around the tables of their respective colleges, greeting the wizards kindly or plainly ~ EbookFREE.me ~ The students are all excited In conversation, Harry and others noticed that much of what they were talking about was that of Gidro Lockhart's personal audiovisual session during the summer vacation.
Luna left them and sat quietly at Ravenclaw's table.
As soon as Harry and others arrived at the Gryffindor table, Ginny was pulled away with laughter by several fourth-graders-it seems that this little sister from Weasley's family is very popular everywhere!
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville sat together, then their eyes crossed the heads of their classmates, and they invariably looked over to the faculty bench.
"Hagrid wasn't there--"
If Hogwarts is the most conspicuous, it is undoubtedly a strangely large Hagrid, and his presence is simply a matter of clarity.
"Look there!" Hermione suddenly said, "Is there an empty seat on the far side, isn't Hagrid a little later--"
She paused as she spoke, because she saw another strange figure.
"Who is that?" Hermione felt an aversion inexplicably.
The others followed her fingers and looked over.
Next to the golden high-back chair where Dumbledore was sitting, there was an old woman in a pink coat and a matching rose-red woolen cap on her head.
This "pink and tender" dress contrasts with her old toad-like face, making people feel involuntary.
"That's ... I remember that woman named Umbridge!"
Harry recognized her almost at a glance.
"Who?" Hermione said puzzledly.
"She was there during the review of me that day, and she kept aiming at me, forcing me to say something wrong ..." Harry said angrily, his frown could not help but frown.