23 Second Year Song

Arth finally met up with Ron and Harry when they got of the train. Harry had landed in the compartment where Hermione and Neville were in. Ron in the other hand, didn't have the same amount of luck.

His upper lip busted and his right eye black, Ron wasn't looking too good, his temper was bad too.

He had landed in a compartment, in Malfoy to be exact. When Ron appeared in the compartment, he appeared right on top of Malfoy, knocking the daylights out of him.

The rest of the Slytherins decided to take vengeance by beating the shit out of Ron.

"I SWEAR HARRY! IF THAT ELF APPEARS IN FRONT OF ME ONE MORE TIME, IM GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"Hahahaha..."

Arth was about to say something but decided to stay silent when he saw the big black bruise on Ron's eye.

The familiar sight of Hagrid calling for the first years put a smile on Arth's face. He was scanning the first years when he saw a blonde girl waving towards at him.

He waved back.

Ron hooked his hand around Arth's shoulder and smiled with a teasing voice.

"Is that your girlfriend that I've been hearing about from Ginny? She looks... unique."

Hermione accidentally stepped on Harry's foot causing him to yell in pain.

Arth smiled back.

"She is very unique, and while she is charming, she is not my girlfriend. She is a friend. And get off me, you didn't take a shower in the morning."

Hermione let out an inaudible sigh.

Seeing Harry slowly backing away from him with disgusted looks, Ron felt wronged.

"It was because I woke up late, if i took a shower, we would've been late to Kong's Cross."

"Well It didn't matter because we missed the train."

They watched as the first years followed the path towards the lake.

"You think anyone will get attacked by the giant squid?"

"Probably not, he is very gentle."

"How do you know Arth, you never met him."

"... "

"...no way, you met the giant squid?"

Arth ignored the astonished look on Ron's face and glanced towards the path he was walking on.

"I wonder how the second years get to the schools? I heard from Fred that we go their by magic carriages that can move by themselves."

"That's probably true, last year I asked some third years. And they say we get there by self driving carriages."

Arth squinted his eyes and let out a frown.

"It seems that they lied to us, they are just coaches pulled by horses.

"What?"

Ron, Harry, and Hermione turned to look at where Arth was looking. There were creatures standing between the carriage shafts. There was something reptilian about them, they were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister yet mystical and amazing.

"What horse, the coaches are by themselves."

Arth frowned before he felt enlightened which didn't provide him any satisfaction.

"...It's a Thestral."

"Oh," exclaimed Hermione. "No wonder we can't see it, oh..."

"What is a Threstral?"

"...An animal that you can't see unless you have experienced death." Replied Hermione.

Ron had an uncomfortable look as he stared at Arth.

"Doesn't that mean that you... you..."

"It was my family, my real ones."

Arth gave a wry smile seeing that Ron was starting to look as though he made a huge mistake.

"It's ok, I don't remember them all to well."

They got into the coach and silently stared at each other with awkward faces. This continued on until they reached Hogwarts.

Corvus let out a caw and perched himself onto Arth's shoulder. It started to clean itself with a hint of magnificence and a little bit of charm.

"... Arth, How did your Raven get so big? Ravens don't grow to be bigger than an owl."

"I don't know honestly, it might be a mutation to being around magic too much, look. Corvus, shrink."

Corvus let out a happy caw before slowly shrinking into the size of a normal crow.

"What you saw before was how big it can get currently and this is his smallest form. Really special honestly."

Arth sighed when he saw Harry glance at Hedwig with an expectant look.

Ron ruefully glared at his rat.

"That's cool, all my rat does is eat and sleep. Useless little bugger."

They entered the school and made their way to the great hall.

They were met with the very familiar night sky ceiling. They sat down in the Gryffindor table and waited for the first years to enter.

The doors opened and the first years streamed in with nervous smiles. Some looked like they were about to cry.

The first years stood nervously in front of the tables and waited until Professor McGonagall came out and brought with her a very familiar hat and a stool.

The room went silent and the hat started to sing.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, I'm the guide,

But don't you just scream and get surprised,

I look like I've been had by an angry cat,

No matter cause I am your sorting hat.

Keep your thoughts no need to expose

Don't worry, I am not some lethal dose,

Put me on and I'll take a look inside,

I can sort you in or you can roll a dice.

There's Gryffindor , a mighty fine guy,

If you are a coward, you can say goodbye,

His daring, nerve and chivalry,

Would make people look at him lovingly.

Hufflepuff, was a nice young lady,

Anyone, anything, she would take them, not maybe,

That Hufflepuff was loyal and truest friend

But her stubborn will was impossible to bend.

Beautiful but wise, Ravenclaw

She can see almost every flaw

If you have a brain that's better than mine

With Ravenclaw is where you'll dine.

Slytherin was a cunning old fellow

He'll only accept those who aren't so mellow,

You must have ambitions and dreams to find

Or else you'll get the boot on your behind.

So little first years and put me on

I'm not like those four, I'll finish by dawn,

But I don't want to hear you retorting,

My only redeeming feature is sorting."