If Ivan had to use two words to evaluate this trip, it would be terrible.
Especially as they approached Hogwarts, the car was visibly exhausted and after a hoarse coasting, it landed on the Whomping Willow next to the school's forbidden forest, making an already bad trip sour downright.
The crazy branch pulled over suddenly, seeing that he was in danger of being photographed into meat sauce, Ivan closed his eyes in fear, he could hear the screams of Ron and Harry.
The car was severely deformed by the beating, and the scattered glass shards scratched the boys' cheeks.
Ivan wanted to take out his wand, but failed. The car shook violently, and he and Harry collided heavily. Outside, a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding frantically against the roof, which seemed to be denting.
"Run!" Ron yelled, pushing the car door with all his strength, and then he was hit back hard by another branch.
"We're done!" The roof caved in, just one last bit away.
Just when the three were desperate, the car engine restarted suddenly, leading them to escape from under the Whomping Willow.
Before Ivan had time to breathe a sigh of relief, he was thrown out of the car heavily. Next to him were Harry, Ron and the luggage of three people. Then, he saw the car driving into the darkness without looking back, the taillights still flashing angrily.
"Can you believe in such unlucky luck? There are so many trees, but we bumped into the one that can hit people!" Ron grimaced, leaning over to pick up the mouse, whose wand broke when it landed It is connected only by a few pieces of wood.
He looked back at the ancient tree, which was still waving its branches menacingly.
"Let's go!" Harry said wearily, "We'd better go to the school, Ivan still needs to be sorted, and the time is just in time."
The arrival was not as successful as originally imagined. The three boys had stiff limbs, cold and pain. They grabbed the broken box and started dragging it up the grassy slope toward the two oak gates.
"Look, the banquet has already begun!" Ron said, pointing to a bright window in the auditorium in the distance, "Hey, we'd better hurry up, I saw Professor McGonagall took out the sorting hat, and the sorting hat is about to begin." Sorted!"
Harry and Ivan looked into the window together in the direction of Ron's finger.
In the spacious and bright auditorium, countless candles stopped in the air, and below were four long tables surrounded by people. The golden plates and goblets on the tables were shining, and the stars on the ceiling complemented each other.
Ivan had read in "A Piece of Hogwarts School History" that the ceiling was enchanted to reflect the sky outside.
Across the densely packed black pointed Hogwarts hats, Ivan saw the freshmen entering the auditorium in a long line with fear. Ginny was among them, her face was pale, and she looked around from time to time as if looking for herself.
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, bespectacled and with hair pulled tightly into a bun, placed the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on the stool in front of the new students.
Professor McGonagall began to say his name, and a very small gray-haired boy was called to the front and put the Sorting Hat on.
"Go quickly. It takes five minutes to walk through the corridor from here to the auditorium. I hope you don't encounter Peeves."
"Wait!" Harry whispered suddenly. "There's an empty seat on the teacher's bench. Where's Snape?"
"Who knows, maybe he's sick!" said Ron hopefully.
"Maybe he's gone," said Harry excitedly, "because he didn't teach Defense Against the Dark Arts again!"
"Maybe he got fired!" Ron became excited. "Everybody hates him, you know!"
"Maybe, he is standing outside the gate, waiting for us to explain to him why he didn't come by the school train." Ivan sighed heavily.
He saw a thin, gray-skinned man with a hooked nose and black-haired man with oily long hair draped over his shoulders. He was standing on the steps outside the gate of the castle, looking at them coldly.
The smile on Snape's face told Ivan that the situation of the three of them was very bad.
"Ah, look who I met, the famous Harry Potter, and his two good friends." With a slight, low hiss, Ivan saw Professor Snape's disgusted eyes Sweeping over himself, "You must think the school train is not enjoyable enough, and you want to play something exciting, don't you?"
"Sir, we don't, it's the partition at King's Cross, it..."
"Quiet!" said Snape coldly, "come with me!"
They followed Snape up the steps into the empty, echoing hallway lit by torches. The smell of food wafted from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, and down the narrow stone staircase to the dungeon.
"Sir, we have to go to the auditorium, and Ivan has to sort the house." Harry said bravely.
"Quiet!" Snape interrupted Harry again. He opened a door in the cold corridor, pointed inside and said, "Go in!"
As Snape watched, the three boys trembled into his office.
The walls were dark, and on shelves along the walls were many large glass jars floating with disgusting liquids of various colors. The fireplace was empty and dark.
Snape closed the door and turned to look at the three of them.
Like a viper observing its prey, he asked coldly after a long time, "What did you do to the car?"
"What?!" Ron was dumbfounded, he didn't know why Snape knew about cars, could he be able to read other people's minds.
"Weasley, although your empty brain never harbors any illusions." Snape unfolded a copy of "Prophet Japan" of the day, "But obviously, you have been seen!"
He showed them the headline in the newspaper: Ford Anglias Fly, Muggles Amazed.
There was a sneer on Snape's face, and he read aloud: "Two Muggles in London are sure they saw an old car fly over the post office building... At noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hettibelis drying clothes When... Mr Angus Fleet of Peebles reported to the police... there were six or seven Muggles."
"I remember your father working in the Misuse of Muggle Substances Division?" He looked up at Ron, grinning even more menacingly. "Geez, his own son... "
Ivan noticed that the expressions of Harry and Ron were very frustrated. They seemed to have just thought that if someone found out that Mr. Weasley had enchanted the car, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Also!" continued Snape, "while inspecting the garden, I found that a very valuable Whomping Willow appeared to have suffered considerable damage."
"That tree did us more damage!" Ron blurted out.
"Quiet, Weasley!" Snape snapped again, his eyes turned to Ivan, "And you, Mr. Mason, I think you have discovered that it is not a wise choice to be the savior's follower, I miss you Will be the first student ever to be expelled from Hogwarts on the first day of school."
"No, you can't fire Ivan!" Harry shouted.
"Obviously, I have the right!" Snape turned his gaze back to Harry and Ron, "As for you two, it's a pity that you are not students of my academy, and I have no right to make the decision to expel you. I Go now and fetch the true possessor of this delightful privilege, and you wait here."
Harry looked at Snape's back with a pale face. He wanted to comfort Ivan, but he opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. If Snape called Professor McGonagall, he and Ron would be fine. where to go.
She might have been a little fairer than Snape, but she was just as stern as hell.
If Ivan is expelled by Snape, he and Ron will definitely receive the same punishment from Professor McGonagall. He is not sure where he should go after leaving Hogwarts. The Dursleys will definitely not welcome him His own, maybe he could follow Hagrid and become the school gamekeeper.
While Harry was thinking wildly, Professor McGonagall followed Snape in.
Her lips were pursed tightly, and she raised her wand as soon as she came in. The three boys flinched in fright, but she just lit the empty fireplace, and the fire burst into flames immediately.