Chapter 452

September 1, 1978 Weather: Overcast The sunlight is painfully bright. Today is the first day of term, and also the first year at Hogwarts without Wenxiu. Father and Mother left the ancestral home early this morning. Mother told me at dinner last night that the carriage was already prepared and someone would take me to the station. I refused her arrangement. This year, I Apparitioned to the station all by myself. I wonder what expression Wenxiu would make if he knew I had learned to Apparition. The scent on Platform 9¾ hasn't changed at all; it makes my head spin. Voices are everywhere, as noisy as a hundred Sirius buzzing around Wenxiu and chattering incessantly. There are even fewer people on the Express than last year. I found an empty compartment and bought a lot of sweets. The taste is very sweet—the kind of sweet I hate, but the kind Wenxiu loves. The Opening Banquet was boring. If Wenxiu were here, he would certainly be nodding off from sleepiness. I hope this year ends quickly; there are still so many documents waiting to be processed. The Sorting Hat's song is truly terrible, and its voice still sounds like a saw cutting through wood. Perhaps I should write it down to share with Wenxiu later. The food on the long tables is abundant, and also terrible. At least it's not as delicious as the food that appeared when Wenxiu was around. September 16, 1978 Weather: Overcast