9: Timetable

The young wizard with fluffy golden hair thought seriously for a while.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Then what were you thinking about?!"

Michael felt that with these two friends—Anthony and Terry—he would definitely lose a few years off his life.

As for the elegant yet swift dining etiquette he mentioned...

A poor orphanage always came up with plenty of ways to get rid of orphans,

though they were useless except for tormenting the children in body and mind.

Perhaps the only ones who benefited were the caretakers,

who had more reasons to find fault and bark at them.

Sean had been forced to learn a few things through that ordeal, such as etiquette,

including dining, walking, sleeping, and more.

Good thing I got out of there,

Sean thought.

Otherwise, Nurse Anna, who was about to lose her job, definitely would not have gone easy on him.

In the Hogwarts Great Hall,

Dumbledore chatted and laughed with the people at the professors' table,

while Sean ate;

Michael struck up conversations with other witches,

while Sean ate;

Terry took notes on Dumbledore's speech,

while Sean ate.

It was not until the noise in the Great Hall gradually died down and the food vanished from the tables.

"Now, everyone has eaten and drunk their fill."

Sean heard Dumbledore's booming voice.

Eaten and drunk their fill?

Not really.

Sean thought silently.

Dumbledore continued speaking, delivering three warnings: do not enter the room at the far right end of the fourth-floor corridor, do not enter the Forbidden Forest, and do not wander the halls at night.

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

Dumbledore called out loudly.

Sean watched Dumbledore and noticed that the smiles of every professor around him had frozen.

He soon understood why.

"That sounds awful."

Sean covered his ears.

"If you don't want to listen, then you have to sing!"

Michael sang his heart out with great enthusiasm, despite being completely tone-deaf.

"If you don't torment others, they'll torment you!"

"That makes sense."

So Sean began to sing as well:

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Please teach us knowledge, Whether we are bald old men or children with scraped knees, Our minds can take in some interesting things. For now our brains are empty, Filled with air, dead flies, and trivialities, Teach us some knowledge of value, Give back what we have forgotten, Just do your best, and leave the rest to us, We will study hard until we turn to dust.

"You sang really well!"

When it ended, Michael leaned over.

Sean nodded. He had just fitted the lyrics to the tune of a pop song from his previous life, and the effect was not bad.

At the very least, the ghostly wailing around him had grown much quieter.

Before long, they followed a slender Prefect out of the Great Hall,

up the Moving Staircase,

up the Moving Staircase,

and still up the Moving Staircase...

"These stairs are long enough to kill me!"

Michael leaned against the railing, looking utterly dead inside.

"You just said the Prefect's legs were long enough to kill you."

The young wizard named Anthony rolled his eyes.

"Huh?! You can eat pudding however you want, but you can't say whatever you want! Anthony, this is a secret between brothers! How could you expose it?!"

Somehow, Michael found the strength again and instantly pounced on Anthony to tickle him.

By the time they entered the Common Room, Sean's face was deathly pale.

If the stairs had been any longer, his body would not have been able to take it.

"I need to find a way,"

Sean muttered in fragments, gasping heavily.

By then, all the new Ravenclaw students had reached the Common Room.

A golden-haired Prefect waited with a smile for the young wizards to catch their breath.

Only once everyone's breathing had evened out did the Prefect speak.

"Congratulations! I am Prefect Penelope Clearwater, and I am delighted to welcome you to Ravenclaw House.

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

our Common Room is located at the top of Ravenclaw Tower.

Through the arched windows of our round Common Room, you can take in the entire Hogwarts grounds:

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

No other House is fortunate enough to enjoy such a view.

Of course, many people think that is not a good thing, but I can tell you,

if you learn to ride a Flying Broomstick, it will be absolutely wonderful!

Oh, right. Our House ghost is the Grey Lady.

Others think she never speaks, but she will speak with Ravenclaws.

A little piece of gossip: it is said that the Grey Lady lived in the same era as the Eagle Ancestor. Perhaps they were connected in some way?

She is especially useful when you are lost or cannot find something.

I am sure you will have a wonderful night.

Because our four-poster beds are covered in soft Sky Blue silk quilts;

the sound of wind blowing past the windows is always wonderfully soothing.

Let me say it once more: congratulations on becoming a member of the cleverest, nimblest, and most interesting House at Hogwarts!"

She did not waste a single word. Her brief speech lit up the young wizards' eyes.

That was why Michael and the other Ravenclaws applauded so enthusiastically.

"Flying Broomsticks."

Sean remembered as well. Some Ravenclaws with exceptional flying skills would fly back to the tower.

He quietly made a note of it, ranking its importance just after obtaining a Scholarship,

then carefully looked over the place,

the Ravenclaw Common Room.

It was said to be one of the airiest and most spacious rooms in Hogwarts Castle.

It was a large circular chamber, with elegant arched windows in the walls and blue and bronze silk hangings.

Ravenclaw students could see the beautiful scenery outside through the windows.

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

The room contained tables, chairs, and bookshelves. In an alcove opposite the door stood a white marble bust of Rowena Ravenclaw.

A door beside the statue led to the dormitories above, and Prefect Penelope was pointing at it.

"Now, each of you come collect a timetable from me, then go through this door to the dormitories. Your dormitory information is also on the back of the timetable."

The Prefect efficiently directed the little Ravenclaws to line up and collect their timetables.

Sean took one and saw that the most difficult subject, Potions class, was on Monday morning, with two consecutive lessons.

It instantly gave him a sense of urgency. He wanted nothing more than to return to the dormitory and review Magical Drafts and Potions at once. He had only memorized that book once.

It would be bad if he could not recall something right away. The Half-Blood Prince would not teach him carefully.

"Sean!"

Michael called out excitedly. Sean turned around in confusion.

"My grandmother said that anyone who loves good food can't be a bad person!"

He shook the timetable in his hand.

One section on the back read: Dormitory 404: Sean Green, Michael Corner.

Sean entered the dormitory arm in arm with Michael—though it was entirely one-sided on Michael's part.

The first thing he saw were walls covered in blue and silver decorations.

Each bed had its own bookshelf, and blue silk hung from the arched windows.

Sean passed over all of that and spotted the thick teal-blue bedding.

I won't freeze anymore, Sean thought.