As everyone's gaze followed the three Dragons to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a suppressed rumbling and sucking sound emerged from the darkness again, like some monstrous beast gasping for breath.
"In the lake! Look at the lake!" someone shouted loudly.
The calm surface of the water suddenly erupted with enormous waves, and a pitch-black sailing ship burst out of the water. It resembled a legendary ghost ship, dim, eerie, and emanating a decaying aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
Then, a tall, slender man with silver-white hair disembarked from the ship with his students and walked towards the castle.
"Dumbledore, my dear old friend, how are you?"
The man called out enthusiastically in a cloyingly sweet voice.
"Splendid, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.
Karkaroff walked up the slope, and as the castle lights illuminated him, he also saw Ivan beside Dumbledore, and his expression subtly changed.
"Ivan Petrovich," Karkaroff's voice seemed to be squeezed out through a crack, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "I didn't expect you to be here too."
"Surprised?" Ivan seemed to greet him warmly, his large hand clapping Karkaroff's shoulder, making the latter visibly stumble.
"Igor, not happy to see an old friend?" Ivan laughed loudly.
A hint of gloom flashed in Karkaroff's eyes, followed by a smile devoid of warmth: "Old friend... after such a long separation, of course I'm happy."
Just as the atmosphere grew somewhat tense, a strange humming sound emanated from the sky, low and rhythmic, like a giant fan hanging in the air.
"Merlin's beard, what is that?" a junior student shrieked, pointing at the sky.
"A Dragon... no, no, it's a big bird..."
But as it drew closer, everyone realized that what was flying in the sky was a chubby helicopter, only about a dozen meters long in total, and its cabin looked like it could only seat one or two people.
The helicopter landed smoothly, and the words "Salem Institute" could be seen sparkling on its side. Then the tightly sealed door opened, and a tall witch stepped out, her dark blue robe adorned with star and moon symbols.
Following closely behind was a very handsome blond wizard, a radiant smile on his face, and a deep affection in his eyes as he gazed at Hogwarts Castle.
"Hello, Dumbledore," the witch extended her hand and said, "It's a great pleasure to meet you."
"And you, Ms. Owens," Dumbledore leaned down and kissed her hand: "Your arrival was truly unexpected."
"Thunderbirds are too capricious and easily make one dizzy; this aircraft is our latest achievement," Ms. Owens turned and introduced the young man beside her: "This is Professor Antoine Moreau, a three-time dueling champion."
"Hello, Headmaster Dumbledore," Antoine stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Welcome, Professor Moreau," Dumbledore said, "I hope you enjoy your time at Hogwarts."
"I'm looking forward to it too," Antoine's gaze swept over the castle's dark towers, then glanced at the students standing on the steps, a deep smile appearing in his eyes.
Wade shifted his gaze to the aircraft's entrance, where Salem students were disembarking one after another, their deep purple robes adorned with silver-grey feathered serpent patterns.
Under Professor McGonagall's guidance, students from the various houses also entered the castle to rest.
"They all went to warm places, and we still have to stand here to greet people," Michael grumbled in a low voice: "Can't these people just agree to arrive together?"
"Some people like to be first, while others think arriving later makes them seem more important," Padma said.
Wade flicked his Wand, and a swirling current of heat appeared, warming the ground, and everyone's robes billowed.
"Wow, much more comfortable," Fred's voice came from the Gryffindor group: "Brilliant, Wade."
The warm wind didn't dissipate but continued to blow. Harry couldn't help but pull his cold hands out of his pockets and, facing the warm wind, said, "I feel like I'm in an oven."
"An oven?" Ron, standing nearby, asked confusedly, "What's that?"
The sky suddenly darkened, and a massive shadow enveloped the entire lawn. Dumbledore looked up at the sky and chuckled, "It seems Mando and Akatim have arrived together."
Many people craned their necks, searching the sky, but saw nothing except increasingly thick clouds.
Suddenly, a dense, dark cloud mass descended, its color lightening as it approached the ground, eventually becoming like a luminous white cloud.
The mist parted, and an elephant emerged, its massive feet landing almost silently, its long trunk swinging occasionally.
Behind the elephant was a sedan chair inlaid with many jewels, from which golden bells hung, swaying with the elephant's steps.
And beside the elephant was a vibrantly and intricately patterned flying carpet. There were over a dozen people on the flying carpet, dressed in colorful silk printed robes, either sitting or reclining, appearing quite casual. At the front was a petite witch, adorned with feather ornaments.
A kind-faced, dark-skinned old man emerged from the sedan chair. He was not tall, dressed in a simple white robe, and the students who streamed out behind him also wore plain white cotton robes.
"Welcome, Professor Usha, Professor Sunil."
Dumbledore waited until the witch named Usha extended her hand before shaking it, then leaned in to embrace the old man, even bending down to touch cheeks.
Usha said, "May peace be upon you, Professor Dumbledore."
"Thank you for welcoming my children, Albus," Sunil said, "May the true god bless you."
At that moment, a light drumming and clicking sound came from the distant edge of the Forbidden Forest.
With a long whistle, a brilliantly colored train broke through the air, roaring towards them. The locomotive featured a macaw with wings poised for flight, and the train trailed a silvery shimmer behind it.
The train doors opened, and a bronze-skinned witch stepped out. She wore a colorful cloak, several crystal necklaces around her neck, and a faint smile on her face.
"Headmistress Carvalho!" Dumbledore spread his arms: "Your train is truly dazzling!"
The witch laughed and gave him an enthusiastic air kiss: "Albus, we purposefully sped up so we wouldn't miss the Hogwarts dinner! Come on out, children!"
She shouted loudly towards the train.
A dozen or so children nimbly jumped off the train. Some, as soon as they rushed out, quickly jumped back on, shouting, "It's so cold, I'm practically frozen to death!"
Headmistress Carvalho gave an awkward laugh, then turned back to kick her students, one by one, off the carriage.
Professor McGonagall looked around and saw that the students from Mando and Akatim were also shivering from the cold. They had underestimated the weather in the Scottish Highlands in late October and hadn't even brought a thick cloak.
So, Professor McGonagall quickly made arrangements to have the students from those two schools brought into the castle as well.
Before leaving, Headmistress Carvalho asked, "We're not the last ones, are we, Albus?"
"Of course not," Dumbledore chuckled. "Only Uagadou and Mahoutokoro haven't arrived yet, but they should be here any moment."
"Oh..." Carvalho raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips, as if something had just occurred to her.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский
Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate
Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa
-----------