Chapter 62: Chapter 56: Watching in the Dark

The opening year’s questions did not stump the new little wizards.

Everyone quickly entered the common room.

Then.

A male and a female prefect each gave a speech to highlight their presence, both speaking well, and the room echoed with applause filled with emotional intelligence.

Satisfied, the two began assigning dormitories for the first-year students.

This year, Ravenclaw had only seven little warlocks.

Perhaps due to the prefect’s care, or maybe just luck today, after forming a dorm room with four little wizards, he ended up in the three-person dormitory.

What a coincidence.

The memorable Nico from the banquet, along with a green-haired boy, became Ian’s roommates for the next seven years.

The dormitory decor matched the common room’s tone, with five desks in front of the window, and flannel-made drapes hung in front of the beds.

"Ian Prince."

Ian introduced himself first after stashing his suitcase under the bed, while his two roommates busily emptied their suitcases.

"William Smith, I remember you took ten whole minutes during sorting." The green-haired boy had quite a number of freckles common among Europeans.

Not too many.

"That long? I only recall chatting a bit with the Sorting Hat." Ian was a bit surprised, shaking hands with the freckled boy William.

"I felt time flew by too, maybe the Sorting Hat stole some of our time, perhaps its longevity is due to that reason."

The little black wizard joined the conversation.

"I’m Michael Jordan."

He added his introduction.

"Great name, you must be good at Quidditch." Ian, not one to hold grudges, saw little Nico pull out a big bag of fried chicken legs and fries from nowhere.

"Want some? I secretly stashed a bit during the banquet." Michael put the whole bag of food on the table and began voraciously chewing on a chicken leg.

"You have a bag with the Enlargement Charm! I read about them in extracurricular books!" The green-haired William looked at Michael’s small cloth bag on the bed in amazement.

Ian too stared straight at Michael’s chicken leg, which was still steaming.

Good gracious!

The disappearing food in front of him earlier made sense now, finally uncovering the pesky reason!

"Yes, it was a gift from my mom for enrollment a few days ago." Michael munched on the chicken leg, speaking slightly bashfully.

"I don’t know why, but my mom never allowed me to eat these since childhood, yet they’re so tasty..." Saying this, he squeezed a bit of ketchup into his mouth.

A peculiar way to eat fries.

"My mom didn’t give me anything, she’s a regular Muggle, only my dad was a wizard, yet mom decides everything at home."

"Mom manages the money too, maybe she’s smarter, but we’re poor and money goes towards supporting my younger siblings."

William hesitated a bit but also picked up a bunch of fries, slowly savoring them.

"Half-blood, not bad, though I come from a pureblood family, I never met my father, he died shortly after my birth."

"They say he died fighting the Mysterious Man, mom often cries saying he fell before dawn." Michael’s voice turned somber.

Yet.

It didn’t slow his chicken leg devouring pace.

"He must love you." Ian offered some comfort.

"Indeed, I always knew he loved us, he joined the fight because of me, wishing to create a safer future environment."

Michael finally choked up, unable to swallow more chicken.

"You’re slightly better off than me, I’m an orphan, never seen my parents." Ian joined the dormitory’s miserable tales session.

Unsurprisingly.

He received two pairs of sympathetic eyes.

"You poor thing."

"Here, have two chicken legs."

Both gave in, Michael handed Ian chicken legs — though instead of late-night snacks, Ian preferred some watermelon jelly.

"No thanks, I’m dieting."

Ian shook his head, refusing, gazing at Michael’s bed; the empty bag clearly didn’t hide watermelon jelly anymore.

Michael probably demolished them during the banquet.

"So thin, yet dieting?"

William’s eyes widened.

"If I were you, I’d eat more, you’re too skinny." Michael agreed, nodded, and stuffed the chicken leg meant for Ian into his mouth.

"I must eat, mom said I’m still growing a brain."

No doubt.

His appetite was impressive indeed.

"I need to review my textbook knowledge, can’t afford to leave professors’ queries unanswered tomorrow." William put away his things and pulled out textbooks.

He turned on his little desk lamp, sat at the desk, and diligently began his studies.

"No need to be so nervous, even pureblood kids didn’t learn much magic before enrolling. Just pay attention in class."

Michael, after eating his fill, headed to the restroom.

"True."

Ian thought he had a point, yet William was clearly determined, buried in his studies at his desk, seemingly reviewing Magic History.

"Why are you at the desk too?"

Michael returned from washing up, noticing Ian also sitting at a desk.

"Just writing home to prevent orphanage adults’ worry. They’re nice people." Ian showed his paper sheets on the desk.

Michael peered suspiciously, confirming Ian wasn’t sneakily studying to deceive roommates, indeed Ian was writing a letter with a feather pen.

[Dear Dean Yelena:

I’ve settled well at the Hogwarts Genius Youth Academy, fellow classmates are friendly, and professors are remarkable experts.

Don’t worry, tell Daniel and Joey no one bullied me over my background, the school’s learning atmosphere is rich.

If...]

Letter unfinished.

Michael only glanced, not scrutinizing.

"Maybe I should write mom a letter tomorrow too." Inspired, he mused thoughtfully, yawned, then went to his bed.

Slept instantly.

A unique talent.

Amidst his talented snoring roommates, William put on earplugs to continue studying, while Ian carefully worded his peace-assuring letter to the orphanage.

Due to Hogwarts’ uniqueness and the Confundus Charm on orphanage caregivers, he had to disguise Hogwarts as an outstanding Muggle elite academy.

Not an easy task.

After all.

What life students in elite academies led relied entirely on imagination — accidentally writing about wealthy feasts of braised chicken and rice would be quite a blunder.

"Scritch scratch~"

The feather pen softly rustled.

William’s desk lamp was very bright, possibly a self-modified Muggle item. Under its glow, Ian focused on finishing his letter, then washed up before getting into bed for rest.

William stayed committed.

Outside, a soft drizzle began.

On a quiet night.

A faint thunderbolt flickered across the sky, amidst the brief, dim light through the window, unnoticed was an unusual creature observing the dormitory.

It clung to the eaves, blue-winged and peculiarly resembling both a reptile and a giant butterfly.

Stealthily stuck to the eaves, staring into the Ravenclaw dorm. In its tiny, odd eyes, reflected a sleeping Ian... his little noggin.

[ps: Thanks to the veterans for pointing out, made edits on the previous Chapter’s issue. I merely wanted to showcase how plotting logic can yield multiple answers!]

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