Chapter 676
A Surge of Attacks
Chapter 676 A Surge of Attacks
"Ugh——"
The crimson train, emitting a long, drawn-out sound and billowing thick steam, slowly pulled into Hogsmeade Station.
The train jolted violently and came to a stop. The next second, all the carriage doors slid open, and hundreds of wizards dressed in various styles stepped off the train.
A Bulgarian sorcerer, draped in an indigo silk robe, walked down with his head held high; an Egyptian sorcerer, wrapped in a camel hair cloak, was adorned with glittering gold jewelry; an Indian sorceress's sari fluttered in the wind; and sorcerers from the Brazilian rainforest wore emerald green cloaks with flowers around their necks that changed color.
"Excuse me! Please make way!"
A deep, resonant voice shouted loudly. People nearby turned to look and saw two huge moose pulling a carriage, swaying along the path. The shout was coming from one of the moose.
Several Russian wizards dressed in scarlet stand-up collar uniforms strode by, their bearskin boots creaking under their feet. A sharp-eyed snowy owl perched on the shoulder of one of them.
The familiar owl reminded Hagrid of his first meeting with Harry. The half-giant smiled warmly, waved his arms, and shouted:
"Hogwarts welcomes you all. Please come this way; the carriage is waiting ahead!"
“Oh, Ra!” A wizard in a white robe exclaimed, looking at Hagrid’s towering figure. “You are so tall, sir!”
Hagrid chuckled good-naturedly, but then the image of Mrs. Maxim's angry voice suddenly flashed through his mind—
"I just have a big frame!"
"Please follow me, ladies and gentlemen."
Stepping off the platform, hundreds of horse-drawn carriages were already waiting quietly, adorned with unprecedentedly magnificent decorations:
The black leather was outlined with constellation patterns in silver thread, and delicate wind chimes and lanterns hung on both sides of the carriage. Thick yellow carpets were laid under the seats, and even the spokes of the wheels were wrapped with holly vines.
"What a beautiful carriage! I wish my children could go to Hogwarts too."
An elderly witch said jokingly as she boarded the carriage.
“The carriage is indeed magnificent, but…” another young red-haired wizard couldn’t help but look around: “How do we move this carriage? Do we need to chant a spell? Or is it like riding a broom…”
Before he could finish speaking, a burst of good-natured laughter rang out from the crowd.
"Child, the horses pulling the cart are already here, you just can't see them."
The old wizard with the goatee reached out and touched the air. The red-haired wizard thought he was touching something, but he didn't see anything. He only vaguely heard the sound of animals hissing and flapping wings.
“These are Thestrals,” a Peruvian sorcerer kindly explained. “Only those who have witnessed death can see them.”
“No wonder it’s Hogwarts…” the Kenyan witch doctor muttered enviously and jealously, “Even the horses pulling the carriages are rare Thestrals… and there are so many of them…”
One carriage after another was filled with guests, swaying and bumping as they headed toward the castle not far away.
But not everyone rode in the carriages arranged by Hogwarts. Some people sat on their own flying carpets or brooms, some chose to walk there slowly, and others rode on all sorts of strange magical creatures, including even a wild boar.
On the way to the school, the sound of explosions could be heard from time to time. These were the wizards who had not taken the Hogwarts Express and had Apparated directly to get there.
Wizards from all directions were converging on Hogwarts, and many wore unique costumes and elaborate jewelry to show their support for their countries. At this moment, the ancient castle seemed to become a miniature version of the entire magical world, with the sounds of wizards from different countries conversing, laughing, and chanting spells blending into a wondrous symphony.
Because of the widespread use of the Mirror of Flow, even if wizards come from different countries and speak different languages, they can still happily communicate about the same topic by gesturing with their hands and feet.
……
In the Great Hall of Hogwarts, most students, even though they knew clearly that there would be many spectators at the finals, were not fully aware of it. Everyone was enjoying a particularly sumptuous lunch.
“Try this, Mom.” Wade pushed a plate of colorful pudding toward Fiona. “We rarely see this at school; it’s only served at Christmas dinner.”
Fiona scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth, immediately squeezing her eyes in bliss: "Wow, it's so delicious! How is it made?"
"The house-elves used their unique magic to make the pudding softer and more delicate, and to add a sense of lightness."
"Vade explained softly."
Ferdinand took a sip of pumpkin juice and raised his eyebrows slightly: "It tastes good... but you probably don't like it?"
He knew very well that his son absolutely disliked the gritty feeling in his throat from pumpkin juice.
“I have this.” Wade gestured to the juice in front of him; its clear green color gave it an exceptionally refreshing feel.
"Oh……"
Ferdinand turned around and looked around, and found that there didn't seem to be any drinks with the same clear color on the entire long table, including the tables next to it.
He suddenly understood, and let out a long "Oh~", feeling both surprised and gratified.
My son always seemed withdrawn and aloof in elementary school. But it seems that at Hogwarts, he unexpectedly developed a knack for making friends?
When the pleasant lunch came to an end, Dumbledore stood up, tapped his cup, and everyone immediately fell silent.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes I will be inviting you to the Quidditch pitch to watch the final game. Now, warriors, please follow Mr. Bagman to the pitch to prepare."
Wade felt his mother's hand suddenly grip his tightly, her warm palm trembling slightly. He stood up and gently hugged his parents.
"I will remember our promise. I will go home soon after the game."
"Okay." Fiona said, her eyes glistening with tears, trying to keep her voice light. "We'll sit in the front row and cheer you on!"
"Take care, don't push yourself too hard." Ferdinand patted Wade on the back and added, "Don't think too much on the field, just do your best... that's enough."
"I see."
"Wade whispered, then hurried toward the entrance of the auditorium, where Bagman was waiting for the warriors."
As he was leaving, Wade glanced back and waved. Sunlight streamed through the high window, casting a long shadow of him.
(End of this chapter)