.Can.t.you.see.what.s.pulling.the.carriages?..
Ron.looked.seriously.alarmed.now..
.Are.you.feeling.all.right,.Harry?..
.I….yeah…..
Harry.felt.utterly.bewildered..The.horse.was.there.in.front.of.him,.gleaming.solidly.in.the.dim.light.issuing.from.the.station.windows.behind.them,.vapour.rising.from.its.nostrils.in.the.chilly.night.air..Yet,.unless.Ron.was.faking.‐.and.it.was.a.very.feeble.joke.if.he.was.‐.Ron.could.not.see.it.at.all..
.Shall.we.get.in,.then?..said.Ron.uncertainly,.looking.at.Harry.as.though.worried.about.him..
.Yeah,..said.Harry...Yeah,.go.on…..
.It.s.all.right,..said.a.dreamy.voice.from.beside.Harry.as.Ron.vanished.into.the.coach.s.dark.interior...You.re.not.going.mad.or.anything..I.can.see.them,.too...
.Can.you?..said.Harry.desperately,.turning.to.Luna..He.could.see.the.bat‐winged.horses.reflected.in.her.wide.silvery.eyes..
.Oh,.yes,..said.Luna,..I.ve.been.able.to.see.them.ever.since.my.first.day.here.
.They.ve.always.pulled.the.carriages..Don.t.worry..You.re.just.as.sane.as.I.am:.
Smiling.faintly,.she.climbed.into.the.musty.interior.of.the.carriage.after.Ron..Not.altogether.reassured,.Harry.followed.her..
—.CHAPTER.ELEVEN.—.
The.Sorting.Hat.s.New.Song.
Harry.did.not.want.to.tell.the.others.that.he.and.Luna.were.having.the.same.hallucination,.if.that.was.what.it.was,.so.he.said.nothing.more.about.the.horses.as.he.sal.down.inside.the.carriage.and.slammed.the.door.behind.him.
.Nevertheless,.he.could.not.help.watching.the.silhouettes.of.the.horses.moving.beyond.the.window..
.Did.everyone.see.that.Grubbly‐Plank.woman?..asked.Ginny...What.s.she.doing.back.here?.Hagrid.can.t.have.left,.can.he?..
Til.be.quite.glad.if.he.has,..said.Luna,..he.isn.t.a.very.good.teacher,.is.he?..
.Yes,.he.is!..said.Harry,.Ron.and.Ginny.angrily..
Harry.glared.at.Hermione..She.cleared.her.throat.and.quickly.said,..Erin….yes…
.he.s.very.good...
.Well,.we.in.Ravenclaw.think.he.s.a.bit.of.a.joke,..said.Luna,.unlazed..
.You.ve.got.a.rubbish.sense.of.humour.then,..Ron.snapped,.as.the.wheels.below.them.creaked.into.motion..
Luna.did.not.seem.perturbed.by.Ron.s.rudeness;.on.the.contrary,.she.simply.watched.him.for.a.while.as.though.he.were.a.mildly.interesting.television.programme..
Rattling.and.swaying,.the.carriages.moved.in.convoy.up.the.road..When.they.passed.between.the.tall.stone.pillars.topped.with.winged.boars.on.either.side.of.the.gates.to.the.school.grounds,.Harry.leaned.forwards.to.try.and.see.whether.there.were.any.lights.on.in.Hagrid.s.cabin.by.the.Forbidden.Forest,.but.the.grounds.were.in.complete.darkness..Hogwarts.Castle,.however,.loomed.ever.
closer:.a.towering.mass.of.turrets,.jet.black.against.the.dark.sky,.here.and.there.a.window.blazing.fiery.bright.above.them..
The.carriages.jingled.to.a.halt.near.the.stone.steps.leading.up.to.the.oak.front.doors.and.Harry.got.out.of.the.carriage.first..He.turned.again.to.look.for.lit.windows.down.by.the.Forest,.but.there.was.definitely.no.sign.of.life.within.Hagrids.cabin..Unwillingly,.because.he.had.half‐hoped.they.would.have.vanished,.he.turned.his.eyes.instead.upon.the.strange,.skeletal.creatures.standing.quietly.in.the.chill.night.air,.their.blank.white.eyes.gleaming..