Archon looked slowly at the girl who stood shivering on the edge of the water. "You can see the thestrals, hm?" He commented. "That's unfortunate. First years have t use a boat, and believe me, little miss, if we didn't have to, I wouldn't be doing this either." he said, carefully stepping into the slightly larger boat with the banner bearing the Hogwarts crest on it. "If you'd prefer to ride with me to the entrance, that's fine, as I'm probably going to be highly displeased if I even get wet." He said with a grimace. "But make your mind up quickly, I've got a timetable to keep. Can't be late for the Sorting." he said simply, drawing his wand as he watched the final few first-years straggle down the walkway toward the boats. "Hurry up, two to a boat!" He snapped again, ready to get this over with.<br/>/i]He quickly drew a circle in the air with his wand.  "<i>Discus flamma!</i>" he conjured, and a fiery flat disc of orange crackling flames appeared, hovering in thin air about head height. The professor dug some Floo powder from his bag and tossed it into the flame, turning it green.<br/><br/>"Headmistress's office." he snapped as he thrust his head in.<br/><br/>"Headmistress?" he called as his world reoriented on the other side. "I'm about ready to leave with the first-years... I just realized that I neglected to wait for the Groundskeeper, give him my sincerest apologies, will you? And need I delay any further, or shall we sail?"