Chapter 9: Class Schedule

A young wizard with a mop of golden hair thought carefully for a moment.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what you’re thinking about?!”

Michael felt that because of these two friends—Anthony and Terry—he would surely die years earlier.

As for the elegant and swift dining etiquette he mentioned…

A poor orphanage always finds ways to get rid of its orphans,

though these methods serve no purpose other than tormenting the children’s minds and bodies.

The only ones who might benefit are the caregivers,

who now have more reasons to scold and berate.

Wizard Sean was forced to learn some things during this torment—etiquette,

including dining, walking, and sleeping routines.

Thank goodness I escaped from there,

Wizard Sean thought,

otherwise Anna, the caregiver who would soon be unemployed, certainly wouldn’t let him off easy.

In the Great Hall of Hogwarts,

Dumbledore was chatting merrily with the professors at the staff table,

Wizard Sean was eating;

Michael was flirting with other witches,

Wizard Sean was eating;

Terry was taking notes on Dumbledore’s words,

Wizard Sean was eating.

Until the hall’s noise gradually faded and the food on the tables vanished.

“Now, everyone has eaten and drunk their fill.”

Wizard Sean heard Dumbledore’s booming voice.

Eaten and drunk their fill?

Actually, they hadn’t.

Wizard Sean thought silently.

Dumbledore continued speaking, delivering three warnings: forbidding entry to the room at the far right of the fourth-floor corridor, forbidding entry to the Forbidden Forest, and forbidding nighttime wandering.

“Now, before you all retire to bed, let us sing the school song!”

Dumbledore called out loudly.

Wizard Sean watched Dumbledore and noticed that all the professors’ smiles had frozen.

Soon, Wizard Sean understood why.

“It’s so awful.”

Wizard Sean covered his ears.

“If you don’t want to listen, you have to sing!”

Michael sang with great enthusiasm, though off-key,

“If you don’t ruin others, others will ruin you!”

“That makes sense.”

So Wizard Sean began to sing too:

Hogwarts,

Hogwarts,

Hogwarts,

Teach us knowledge,

Whether we are bald old men or children with scraped knees,

Our minds can hold something interesting.

For now our brains are empty,

Filled with air, dead flies, and trivial nonsense,

Teach us something valuable,

Return to us what we’ve forgotten,

You do your best, and we’ll handle the rest,

We will study hard until we turn to dust.

“You sang beautifully!”

Afterward, Michael leaned over,

Wizard Sean nodded—he had just set the lyrics to a pop tune from his past life, and it worked well.

At least the surrounding wailing had grown quieter.

Soon, they followed a tall prefect out of the hall,

up a spiral staircase,

up a spiral staircase,

still going up a spiral staircase…

“This staircase could kill me!”

Michael slumped against the railing, utterly defeated.

“You just said the prefect’s legs could kill you.”

The young wizard named Anthony rolled his eyes.

“Eh?! Pudding can be eaten freely, but words can’t be spoken carelessly, Anthony—this is a brotherly secret! How could you betray it?!”

Somehow, Michael found new energy and lunged at Anthony to tickle him.

When they entered the common room, Wizard Sean’s face was pale,

if the staircase had been any longer, his body would have collapsed.

“I need to find a way,”

Wizard Sean panted heavily, muttering under his breath.

At this moment, all the Ravenclaw first-years had reached the common room,

the golden-haired prefect smiled warmly, waiting for the young wizards to catch their breath.

Once everyone’s breathing had steadied, the prefect spoke:

“Congratulations! I am prefect Penelope Clearwater, and I am delighted to welcome you to Ravenclaw House.

Our crest is an eagle, soaring high above peaks no one else can reach;

our common room sits atop Ravenclaw Tower,

and through the arched windows of this circular room, you can see the entire Hogwarts grounds:

the Black Black Lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch, and the greenhouses.

No other house enjoys such a view.

Many believe this is not a good thing, but I can tell you,

if you learn to ride a broomstick, it will be wonderful!

Oh, by the way, our house ghost is the Grey Lady.

Others say she never speaks, but she converses with Ravenclaws.

A little rumor suggests she lived during the same era as the Eagle Ancestor—perhaps they are related?

She is especially helpful when you’re lost or can’t find something.

I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful night.

Because our four-poster beds are covered with soft, sky-blue silk quilts;

the sound of wind brushing past the windows is always soothing.

Let me say it again: Congratulations on becoming a member of the cleverest, swiftest, and most interesting house at Hogwarts!”

She offered no fluff—her brief words instantly lit up the eyes of the young wizards.

This was also why Michael and the other Ravenclaws clapped enthusiastically.

“Broomsticks.”

Wizard Sean remembered too—some highly skilled Ravenclaws flew back to the tower.

He silently noted this down, ranking its importance just after securing a scholarship,

then carefully examined the place—

the Ravenclaw common room.

Said to be one of the most airy and spacious rooms in Hogwarts Castle,

it was a large circular chamber with elegant arched windows along the walls, hung with blue and bronze silk,

allowing Ravenclaw students to see the beautiful scenery outside.

The ceiling formed a dome studded with stars; the deep blue carpet below was also dotted with stars.

The room held tables and chairs, bookshelves, and in the niche opposite the door stood a half-length statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in white marble.

Next to the statue, a door led to the upper dormitory, currently pointed out by Prefect Penelope.

“Now, each of you come to me for your schedule, then go through this door to your dormitory—the dorm assignment is written on the back.”

The prefect methodically guided the young Ravenclaws into line to collect their schedules.

When Wizard Sean took his, he saw that the most difficult class—Potions—was scheduled for Monday morning, back-to-back.

This instantly gave him a sense of urgency; he longed to return to his dorm and review *Magical Potions and Potions*—he had only memorized it once.

If he forgot anything now, it would be trouble; the Half-Blood Prince wouldn’t bother teaching him patiently.

“Wizard Sean!”

Michael called out excitedly; Wizard Sean turned, puzzled.

“My grandmother says anyone who loves good food can’t be bad!”

He shook his schedule.

On the back, one line read: Dorm 404: Wizard Sean Green, Michael Corner.

He slung an arm around Michael’s shoulders (Michael, one-sidedly) as they entered the dorm.

His eyes met walls hung with blue and silver decorations.

Each bed had its own bookshelf; arched windows bore blue silk curtains.

Wizard Sean passed over these, his gaze landing on the thick, deep blue-and-silver quilts.

He won’t freeze anymore, Wizard Sean thought.