Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 6 The First Night

On this night, Gryffindor undoubtedly received the most attention, from both students and professors.

The savior of the wizarding world became a Gryffindor, which undoubtedly made this school, which had been incredibly glorious since the 1940s, even more dazzling.

After all, which academy can simultaneously accommodate the first wizard of the current wizarding world and the savior of the British wizarding world?

Perhaps the only place we can put up a fight is Slytherin, the breeding ground for Death Eaters.

Of course, all of this has nothing to do with the Ravenclaws.

Generally speaking, the eagles have a very low profile at Hogwarts. Apart from trying to earn extra points from the professor in class and competing with Hufflepuff in Quidditch matches to see who is the second worst, they rarely become the school's stars.

"Exceptional intelligence is the greatest wealth of mankind."

Ravenclaw's famous quote, to some extent, reveals a common trait among eaglets—a perpetual greed for knowledge.

Other than that, they rarely attract the attention of the eaglets.

After the Sorting Ceremony, Dumbledore gave his usual pre-sorting address. Then came the dinner that Ike had been eagerly anticipating.

Having lived eleven years and endured fish and chips for just as long, Ike desperately hoped that the Hogwarts dinner would bring him some surprises, even if it was still mainly British cuisine, but not too monotonous.

In fact, this did not disappoint Ike.

Roast chicken, fried chicken, steak, lamb chops—the meat selection was far more abundant than on Santa Maria Day. In addition, there were classic Western vegetarian dishes like mashed potatoes and boiled broccoli, served with sweet pumpkin and fruit juices—a truly sumptuous meal.

Ike took a steak, added some mashed potatoes, a few florets of broccoli, and poured himself a glass of fresh orange juice. He cut off a piece with his knife and fork; the meat was juicy and flavorful, reminiscent of the chain steakhouses he remembered.

Years of habit had made Ike always eat at a leisurely pace, but this went unnoticed by others at the Ravenclaw table.

That's what everyone does.

Clever people are always good at hiding themselves in the crowd in unfamiliar environments, so even if one or two freshmen try to show off their boldness by using both hands to eat like Gryffindor freshmen, they will quietly pick up their knives and forks after seeing how others eat.

After all, being assigned to Ravenclaw at least indicates that there's nothing wrong with their intelligence.

In terms of emotional intelligence, some people will start to interact with their classmates, find topics to chat about while eating, and quickly make friends; others will not do so.

Ike was one of them.

After the main meal, the food on the table disappeared, replaced by traditional desserts such as pudding and ice cream. Only after every student had tasted them did they all disappear again under the influence of magic.

Dumbledore stood up from his seat, clapped his hands, and the sound reached everyone's ears precisely, silencing the entire Great Hall.

"Before the new semester begins, there are a few things I need to mention..."

"First-year students, please note that the forbidden forest is off-limits to all students."

"Mr. Filch, the administrator, asked me to remind everyone not to cast spells in the hallway."

"Finally, anyone who does not wish to encounter an accident and die a painful death should not enter the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor..."

Dumbledore glanced around, then smiled, took out his wand, and waved it, causing countless glittering golden letters to appear in the air.

"Now, before everyone goes to bed, let's sing the school song together!"

The freshmen generally looked bewildered, and the upperclassmen mostly looked rather grim as well.

This thing doesn't have sheet music! Anyone can sing it using their favorite tune!

The scene was truly indescribable.

Ike forced a smile as he watched Dumbledore conduct with an enraptured expression on the stage, while the Weasley twins earnestly concluded the performance with the tune of a funeral march.

"Alright, now please have the prefects of each college lead the freshmen back to their dormitories. Sweet dreams!" Dumbledore winked playfully, then turned and left with the professors.

"Freshmen, follow me!" Ravenclaw Prefect Roger Davis stood up and clapped his hands. "Please stay close, our lounge is still quite a distance from the Great Hall."

Penelope Crivate, the prefect who stood up with Roger, also said, "Please stay close. Every year, freshmen get lost on their first trip back to their dorms. Hopefully, that won't happen to you."

There weren't many new students in Ravenclaw this year, and everyone followed Roger and Penelope obediently towards the Ravenclaw Tower.

"Watch out for the stairs. They've been enchanted by Lady Ravenclaw; they move, and some steps will suddenly disappear. But don't worry, even if you fall, you won't get hurt; you'll just have to go back up again," Penelope said, leading the way. "However, the stairs move in a predictable pattern. With a little observation, I'm sure you'll understand soon enough."

“This is important,” Roger continued. “The entrance to the Ravenclaw lounge is at the very top of the tower, and you have to deal with these stairs whether you’re having class or eating.”

"Unfortunately, since tomorrow is Monday, you won't have time to familiarize yourselves with these things," Roger said with a smile. "So I think you'd better get up early to avoid being late."

The group climbed eight floors before finally arriving at the entrance to the Ravenclaw lounge.

It was a very old, smooth wooden plank, quite unremarkable, with a bronze knocker on it. Roger gently knocked on the bronze knocker, and a voice sounded: "What three words can answer all the questions?"

"I don't know," Roger replied after a moment's thought.

"That's a good answer." The voice of the bronze door knocker rang out, and then the wooden plank was moved aside, revealing a brick archway.

Roger beckoned the new students to follow, saying as they walked, "To enter the Ravenclaw common room, you just need to answer the exit loop question. Of course, if you can't figure it out, you'll have to wait for someone else to answer it, otherwise you'll have to spend the night outside the common room."

"Believe me, it wasn't a pleasant experience." Roger seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, and he shuddered involuntarily. "Alright, now, welcome to Ravenclaw!"

With Roger's slightly excited tone, the Ravenclaw common room finally appeared before the Hawks.

It was a large, round room with elegant arched windows in the walls, draped with blue and bronze silk. The dome was adorned with stars, as was the deep blue carpet on the floor. Directly opposite the entrance was a white marble bust of Rowena Ravenclaw, next to which was a door leading to the girls' dormitory.

The common room was quite large, with tables, chairs, sofas, and bookshelves on all four walls. A fireplace was to the left of the entrance, above which was a bronze eagle statue, the symbol of Ravenclaw.

"Your luggage and class schedules are all on your beds in your dorm rooms. I think you're all eager to see your dorms," ​​Penelope said with a smile. "Now, girls, come with me. The girls' dorms are upstairs."

After saying that, Penelope led the three girls up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Roger shrugged at the remaining five: "Alright, the boys' dormitory is downstairs, now follow me..."

"There are only a few of you freshmen this year, but you're in two separate dorms." Roger quickly arrived at the dorm entrance. "I imagine you have a lot to talk about, but I advise you not to chat too late. Your first class is at nine in the morning, and if you stay up too late, you might not be able to get up, and being late wouldn't be good."

"Okay, senior." Ike and the others thanked Roger in unison. Roger smiled, waved his hand, and turned to walk towards his dormitory.

Pushing open the dormitory door, you'll find a nearly circular room. There are two arched windows, and three beds are separated by the windows, against the wall, with bedside tables in between. A blue carpet covers the floor, with an eagle pattern in the center. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, casting a soft light. On the other side of the room are three tables, each with a table lamp.

In the center of the room was a fireplace, which looked a bit old but was very clean. Directly opposite the door was a large wardrobe, which was now open and clearly divided into three sections.

The luggage was placed on the bed, and the beds appeared to have been assigned. Ike's was at the very end, and he had no objection to that, since in terms of environment alone, it was far better than St. Mary's.

After all, apart from Julian's room and the reception room, no other room in the entire Santa Maria had carpets.

"Looks like this is where we'll be living together for the next seven years," a slightly chubby boy with short blond hair said with a smile. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Terry Boot, and both my parents are wizards. Actually, I've been waiting for a letter from Hogwarts, but I'm still very excited when it finally arrives."

"Stuart Akley, his parents are ordinary people." Stuart was a bit fatter than Terry. "If it weren't for Professor Flitwick, I would have thought it was all a hoax, especially since I'd already been accepted to Eton. But who can resist magic?"

"By the way, do you know Eton College? It's the best school in all of England! That's what my dad told me!"

"Sorry, I don't know." Terry shook his head. "I don't know much about the Muggle world."

"Okay, just know that it's amazing." Stuart looked very proud. "By the way, your name is Ike, right?"

Ike nodded: "Ike Strayder, from St. Mary's Welfare Home."

"Sorry, I didn't know..." Stuart and Terry quickly said, while Ike waved his hand dismissively, "No need to apologize, it's nothing, I'm used to it."

"Alright, but from today onwards, we're your brothers, right, Terry?"

"certainly!"

"Alright, brothers," Ike chuckled, opening the box as he spoke, "but I think we should pack up and get ready for bed. It's getting late, we have two Potions classes tomorrow morning, and I heard at the dinner party that Professor Snape seems to be quite strict..."

“You’re right, Ike,” Stewart replied. “You can’t be late for the first class, especially Potions.”

"certainly……"

(End of this chapter)