6 6. Price Of Bad Blood

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As the darkness took over outside, the Hogwarts Express arrived at the station.

Holding a small lantern, Hagrid welcomed the first years, calling for all first-year students to gather. With youthful exuberance, the children cascaded from the train carriages and amassed in a crowd before him, their excitement palpable in the air.

Happy pushed his way to the front, followed by Harry and Ron.

"See, Hagrid. I brought Harry to school just fine." Happy brought Harry forward and patted the boy-who-lived's head.

Annoyed, Harry pushed his hand away and greeted the gentle giant, "How are you, Hagrid?"

"I'm good, Harry. Now move along, yer' sorting ceremony is scheduled. It'll be a problem if yer' late. Yeh too, Happy, move along… firs' years follow me!"

Listening to the giant, all the first years followed along in lines of three, with Happy, Harry, and Ron in front.

All the first years were taken to the shore of the Great Lake. There, rows of boats were waiting at the dock. The children were split into groups of five, with each group taking one boat. Each small group was given a lantern that was hooked at the top of a small pole, illuminating their way through the dark.

Happy, Ron and Harry took seats in the same boat as Hagrid. With such a big half-giant with them, there was only room for the four of them.

"Alright, all of ye'... Push off!" Hagrid prompted.

"But where are the oars?" Harry asked with a tiny voice, not wanting to catch the attention of the other children.

Ron and Happy chuckled.

"Don't worry, Harry," Happy pushed the boat away from the dock, "It's magic!"

No one had to row, as if the boats knew where they needed to go.

The beautiful night boat ride was a dreamy affair, as the boat gently bobbed upon the dark and calm waters. The moon shone brightly, casting its silver light upon the surface, making it seem as if they were gliding on a river of liquid silver.

"Did you know there are Merpeople living in this lake?" Happy spoke, his gaze fixed upon the inky water that mirrored the starry night sky.

Harry was intrigued and asked, "Are they as beautiful as the stories, with long flowing hair and all?"

"No, they are supposed to look scary. Charlie told me they look more like fish with arms," Ron said. "The stories are all lies the muggles say, probably to make it less terrifying."

"Shhh!" Hagrid shushed them. "Don't belittle 'em, boys. They might get angry an' topple this boat. In this black lake, the merpeople are the landlords. It'd d'you well ter show respect."

"..."

The trio cast one final gaze upon the water before making a mutual agreement to abandon all further discussions of the Merpeople. They then shifted their focus to the magnificent Hogwarts castle that loomed at the far end of the lake.

Hogwarts Castle at night was a breathtaking sight as it transformed into a glittering palace of mystery and magic. At night, the magnificence of the Hogwarts Castle exterior was heightened, creating an otherworldly scene that was both enchanting and spellbinding.

The notion that the castle was constructed using magic by wizards, for wizards, and that generations of spell-casters had lived and learned within its walls was nothing short of incredible. Studying at such a revered institution was a privilege in and of itself. For Happy, the experience was even more miraculous, as the idea of Hogwarts once was just a fanciful dream. Now, it had become his tangible reality.

A reality he wished to keep close to his dear heart.

Soon, the first-year students disembarked from their boats, each one in turn, and marched in the wake of Hagrid's guidance. They progressed as a large assemblage, ascending the steps and passing through the massive carved wooden doors. Their path led them to the grand staircase, ready to enter the Great Hall.

'Here it comes!' Happy was over the moon with excitement.

However, a tall woman was waiting for them in the middle of the stairs. By the way she looked, the children knew she was a professor at the school. She appeared stern yet graceful, dressed in flowing robes and wearing a pointed hat.

'Professor McGonagall!' Happy cheered in his mind, remembering the wise, strict, but kind old woman.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall...."

As she welcomed everyone, she started to explain some things. Her piercing gaze and unwavering demeanor left a lasting impression on the students. Her explanation of the different houses—Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin—piqued their interest and set the stage for the student's future sorting.

Whispers echoed among the children, some confidently speculating about the houses they would be sorted into, while others were fretful that the sorting would yield unexpected results.

As the short explanation ended, the moment Happy had been waiting for arrived.

The first-year students stepped into the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the first time, their eyes wide with wonder.

The long wooden tables, stretching towards either end of the hall, were illuminated by floating candles and surrounded by students from all four houses. The walls were adorned with magnificent banners of red and gold, green and silver, blue and bronze, and yellow and black.

At the front end of the hall rested the teacher's table, draped with a long golden tablecloth and adorned with glittering goblets and plates. The ceiling was painted with a beautiful image of stars, providing the illusion of a beautiful night sky.

Happy was overjoyed and couldn't keep his excitement at bay. He eagerly looked around, taking in every aspect of the Great Hall. He was particularly impressed by the parts he had only seen glimpses of in the movies, previously hidden by camera angles. However, he was also a bit disappointed that there was still no food on the long tables.

As everyone waited for their turn to be sorted, Neville approached Happy, who was slated for later due to alphabetical order.

"Hello, I'm Neville Longbottom. I wanted to thank you for finding my toad." Neville said with a sincere smile.

Happy was taken aback by the show of gratitude from the innocent boy and replied with a cheerful nod. "Don't mention it. I'm Happy Lestrange."

"..."

All of a sudden, everyone around them went silent.

Neville's face contorted. He couldn't believe it. At first, he looked almost fearful, filled with anxiety upon hearing the name Lestrange. The Lestrange family that was responsible for the torture of his parents.

"YOU! THAT WAS MY FAMILY!"

Pulling out his wand, Neville suddenly roared, attracting the attention of all those around and interrupting the sorting ceremony.

He stood with his wand raised, pointing it toward Happy. His hand shook with anger and uncertainty, betraying his inner turmoil. The memory of his parents flooded back to him, and his anger boiled over.

His wand started to glow.

"Cr..."

"Expelliarmus!"

With a sudden voice, Neville's wand flew right out of his hand as Professor McGonagall approached Neville and Happy, her wand in hand.

But like a mindless beast, Neville ignored his missing wand and lunged at Happy, and attacked him. He pushed Happy to the ground, straddled him, and tried to punch his face. But Happy quickly reacted and covered his head.

Happy was taken aback, as he hadn't expected such a sudden and intense reaction from the usually mild-mannered boy.

"I'll kill you! You…!" Neville raised his arm, ready to punch.

"Mister Longbottom! Stop it this instant!" Professor McGonagall quickly waved her wand, "Immobulus!"

Neville froze like a statue.

At that time, Happy had a moment of realization when he noticed the painful tears falling from Neville's eyes. He remembered a grave detail about Neville, and how it was connected to his own bloodline.

'Ugh… This isn't good. Bellatrix, her husband Rodolphus, his brother Rabastan, and Barty Crouch Jr. targeted Frank and Alice Longbottom.'

The vicious quartet of Death Eaters, known for their loyalty to the Dark Lord, had inflicted unspeakable pain upon Neville's parents with the Cruciatus Curse, all in the hopes of uncovering information about their vanished leader. Unfortunately, their fervent belief that the Longbottoms were involved in the downfall of the Dark Lord, due to the prophecy, had made them their targets.

Frank's torture left him physically and mentally exhausted, causing him to descend into madness. When he was of no further use, Alice became the target and was kidnapped and subjected to the same torture as her husband. Ultimately, she suffered the same fate.

Now, the atmosphere of the evening had been completely shattered. The hushed whispers and muttered conversations made it clear that the events that had taken place wouldn't be forgotten so soon.

Neville was magically carried away to the infirmary while the other children were told to quiet down.

Harry quickly helped Happy stand up, "What happened?"

Happy sighed and smoothed out the wrinkles in his robes. "Nothing…Just a price I'm paying for the sins of those I share my blood with."

Before Harry could ask for the details, Happy was called out as the sorting had resumed.

"Happy Lestrange!"

The Great Hall, once again, fell into silence. Everyone looked towards Happy, some thinking he was the reason for the ruckus, others thinking he was a victim of bullying. However, when they all heard his full name, a majority of seniors understood why the Longbottom kid attacked him.

Already feeling down, Happy just wanted to eat something quickly to lift his mood. So without much consideration, he promptly sat down on the tall stool in front of the entire hall.

Whoosh!

But, before the sorting hat even rested on his head, it roared, "Slyt…"

"Stop!"

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