CHAPTER SIX
“Everyone in?” shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself.
“Right then — FORWARD!”
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across
the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring
up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed
nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
“Heads down!” yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff;
they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a
curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were
carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right
underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground
harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
“Oy, you there! Is this your toad?” said Hagrid, who was check-
ing the boats as people climbed out of them.
“Trevor!” cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then
they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid’s lamp,
coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of
the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the
huge, oak front door.
“Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?”
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the cas-
tle door.
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