Soon.

  Rain poured down.

  It streamed dow turrets and winding walls of the castle. The night sky seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand, with dazzling streaks of lightning slig through the darkness.

  Apanied by deafening thuhe fshes itently illumihe entire castle, while a peculiar creature remained hiddeh the eaves, sheltering from the heavy rain.

  It fixed its gaze on Ian in the dormitory.

  Restless.

  Poised to strike.

  The fragile windows of the Ravenitory clearly wouldn’t be enough to keep it out.

  However.

  At that moment.

  "Screech!"

  A sharp, pierg cry echoed through the storm. A fiery red figure burst into view, cutting through the darkness like the first rays of dawn. The peculiar creature, sensing danger, suddenly unfurled its wings.

  It unduted in the air like a spectral manta ray, but the crimson figure gave chase. In the blink of an eye, both magical creatures vanished into the night.

  Everythiuro stillness.

  As though nothing had happened.

  The rain tio fall.

  Until the m.

  As the long night and raging storm receded, the sky slowly lifted its heavy, bck curtain.

  The once-relentless rain softeo a mere drizzle before ceasing altogether, leaving only droplets trig from the eaves and leaves, their gentle rhythm filling the quiet m air.

  On the horizon, a soft blue-violet hue quietly spread, signaling the arrival of a new day.

  "Why are you still asleep!"

  William had bee to bed and was now the first to wake. He even mao rise earlier than Ian’s typically disciplined internal clock.

  "It's the first day of term! Do you want to be te? I heard Hogwarts bans tardy students from the library!"

  William’s voice failed to rouse Ian, but his insistent shaking did. As Ian groggily emerged from sleep, the first thing he saw was a head full of vibrant green hair.

  "What in Merlin’s name... did the Forbidden Forest migrate indoors?"

  Ian pushed William’s head away.

  Still half-asleep, he sat up.

  "It’s my hair! My hair!"

  William huffed, turning to shake Michael awake, but his efforts were in vain. The burly boy's ability to sleep through anything was looking legendary.

  "Maybe try spping him." Ian yawned as he perched on the edge of his bed.

  His gaze drifted back to William’s hair, thoughtful.

  sidering that green pigments don't naturally occur in mammals and that ultraviolet light doesn’t favor the color, it seemed highly improbable for humans to have naturally green hair.

  Therefore.

  Clearly, William’s aors, much like a certain noseless Dark Lord, must have undergone some rather extreme magical alterations— perhaps even blending with a non-mammalian bloodline.

  Reptilian, most likely. Possibly amphibian with Egg-ying ability.

  "That’s a brilliant idea!"

  Oblivious to Ian’s geic specutions, William took his advice at face value and spped Michael’s chest with full force.

  "Thud!"

  Michael shot up, wide-eyed.

  "I meant his faot his ribs!" Ian excimed, momentarily stunned. He was beginning to think William belonged more in Gryffindor than in Ravencw.

  "I figured this was more effective— and maybe even more polite," William offered sheepishly, reag out as if to rub the sore spot.

  "Fet politeness, I want to live!" Michael yelped, scrambling away. If nothing else, he was now fully awake.

  Adrenaline did the trick every time.

  "Sorry."

  William’s apology was at least ear, which helped... somewhat.

  "ime, just sp my face. My mum does it all the time. Don't worry about manners."

  Watg Ian dart into the bathroom to cim first rights, Michael sighed and rubbed his sore chest. He made a mental o sleep with a Shield Charm.

  With that minor ordeal over.

  The three wizards quickly washed up and made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

  Oatmeal, bread rolls, e juice, kippers, eggs and ba, toast with butter and jam, fkes— Hogwarts' cssic breakfast spread.

  Nutritious.

  And delicious.

  Most importantly, Ian’s favorite wake-up lemonade was there. A single gss of the sharp, citrusy drink jolted him fully awake, setting the stage for a petition with his roommates to see who could eat the most.

  Unsurprisingly.

  Michael, robust as ever, emerged victorious. Ian took sed pce, while William trailed behind, bming his loss on st night’s roast chi.

  "Mate, the chi’s dohing wrong." Michael, still sav st night’s feast, smirked.

  With their stomachs full and spirits high.

  Ian and his roommates dashed toward the seventh floor— today's first css was Transfiguration with Professor Minerva Magall, shared with Hufflepuff.

  Each lesson paired two Houses together, but the pairings varied.

  This system enced petition, strengthened House pride, and subtly reinforced the fact that Hogwarts admitted only a modest number of udents each year.

  Despite the ’s chatter, even with two Houses bihere were only about thirty students.

  "There’s a cat on the desk!"

  The moment they ehey spotted a tabby curled up on the professor’s desk.

  Ian had been anticipating this moment for over a week. Seeing the legendary se before him, he swiftly reached for the pouch of freeze-dried meat he had prepared.

  However.

  He was too slow.

  "Here, kitty! Soft and fluffy! Must be the professor’s pet!"

  Michael, relying on some mysterious reflex, darted ahead, his hand stretg toward the tabby’s head before Ian could react.

  "Good m, Professonagall."

  Realizing what was about to happen, Ian quickly made a tactical decision.

  He bowed slightly to the cat, subtly slipping the freeze-dried meat bato his robes.

  "What—"

  Before Michael’s fingers could make tact.

  Professonagall transformed.

  In the blink of ahe tabby vanished, repced by the ster digransfiguration professor.

  Michael’s hand hovered mid-air, caught i, his expression one of pure horror.

  "Good instincts, Mr. Prince."

  Professonagall ighe now deeply mortified Michael, instead giving Ian a curious look. She hesitated for a moment before a word of advice.

  "While eating in css isn’t strictly forbidden, carrying old food in your robes isly advisable. Spoiled snacks be quite hazardous to one’s health."

  As she spoke.

  Her expression became even more peculiar.

  Somehow, she had the distinct impression that Ian hadn’t been pnning to eat the meat himself.

  (End of chapter)

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