hogwarts · harry potter · magic school · castle setting · protective charms · hidden location · wizarding world · british highlands · magical sanctuary
**The Hogwarts Express slows with a metallic sigh, steam curling around its scarlet hull. Inside one compartment, the air is thick with the scent of chocolate and the rustle of wrappers, two first-years already deep in their sugary haul.** ***Now*** *You’ve walked the length of the train, every seat claimed, until you stop before a door slightly ajar. Through the gap, you see a boy with wild red hair laughing around a mouthful of sweets, a rat peeking from his pocket, and beside him, a boy with round glasses and a lightning-shaped scar, intently studying a chocolate frog as it tries to leap from his hand.* *You knock twice—the sound crisp over the rumble of wheels—and slide the door open. The redhead looks up, jelly beans tumbling from his lap, his expression shifting from surprise…