A Date with Ravenclaw

At the station, the weather had still been clear and sunny.

Near the end of the journey, it had unexpectedly turned into a torrential downpour.

Seeing this, Cypher quickly pressed himself against the train window and looked outside.

Only when he saw that the trees were still standing upright did he breathe a sigh of relief.

A little heavier rain was fine, as long as there was no strong wind.

The sound of raindrops striking the carriage windows seemed to make the sound of the train running much quieter.

When he returned to his seat, Cypher suddenly noticed that Iris and Luna were arm in arm, leaning against each other and lightly dozing in their seats.

Cypher smiled faintly. Then, he suddenly remembered that he needed to change into his Wizard Robe.

Fortunately, he could simply put his Wizard Robe on after taking off his outer coat.

This should be the school uniform, right? Cypher found the thought amusing.

Wearing it for the first time, Cypher found it genuinely inconvenient to move around in. The wide hem and loose sleeves really did make him feel like he was walking with the wind.

He could not wear too many clothes underneath, or he would look bloated. Imagine wearing a raincoat all the time.

The sounds of Cypher changing clothes woke the two girls.

Or rather, they had already been awake.

Only after Cypher had finished dressing did the two of them open their eyes together.

Cypher mentioned that they should change into their Wizard Robes.

Then, consciously, he drew the compartment curtain, stepped outside, shut the door, and leaned back against it.

With the school approaching, even Ravenclaw's quiet corridor began to grow noisy.

People were everywhere, searching for compartments to change clothes in.

Fortunately, Cypher's actions made it clear that someone was changing in the compartment, and the clever little eagles tactfully left them alone.

Perhaps quite a while passed.

A knocking sound came from behind him.

Cypher turned, stirring up a gust of wind as he drifted into the compartment.

Their exquisite dresses had been removed, replaced by plain black Wizard Robes.

The two girls' charm had diminished quite a bit.

Luna tapped her lips with her long, ungloved fingers, considering what preparations the three of them needed to make.

"The House-elves will send the luggage over, not that we have any luggage."

Iris said their shoulder bags were stuffed full, so all the snacks they could not finish had been tossed into Cypher's waist pouch.

"Rain... it's fine... we've brought everything..."

"Oh, right, there's one more important matter. Let's talk about it now, Cypher."

Luna looked serious. Her sapphire-blue eyes beneath her long lashes stared directly at Cypher, while Iris posed at the side as if to say, If you don't listen to us, I'll scratch you!

Seeing Luna so solemn, Cypher did not dawdle. He rolled his eyes at Iris and told Luna to go ahead.

Luna bit her lip and suddenly made up her mind.

"Cypher, according to Magical World tradition, young wizards do not know the details of the Sorting Ceremony beforehand. But Iris and I really want to be with you."

Hey, hey. Wasn't that moving a little too fast?

However, neither Luna nor Iris changed expression, and only then did Cypher realize that Luna meant being sorted into the same house.

"What should I do?"

Pretending his previous thought had never occurred, Cypher asked without changing expression.

The two girls sighed in relief at his response.

"Slytherin does not accept wizards without pure-blood lineage. Gryffindor's fiery spirit does not suit you. Hufflepuff values warm-heartedness, while Ravenclaw pursues knowledge. I think the Sorting Hat will be inclined to place you in Ravenclaw. If it does not, all you need to do is hold firmly to your choice, and it will respect it."

"I see."

Cypher murmured. It sounded like flipping a coin when choosing between two options: once you tossed it, you would know what you truly wanted. The Sorting Hat was probably a magical device similar to a brain-computer interface, right?

"Then, shall we meet in Ravenclaw?"

"Of course! Luna and I decided on Ravenclaw long ago!"

Iris jumped up and waved excitedly.

In just a few sentences, the Hogwarts Express began to slowly come to a stop.

Unlike the others, who wasted too much time running around like headless flies looking for somewhere to change,

the three, already prepared, were the first to arrive at the train door.

Watching the bean-sized raindrops pour down outside, Cypher looked rather helpless.

He really had forgotten to bring an umbrella when leaving home.

Helplessly, Cypher turned an imploring gaze toward the two girls.

"Cypher! We're wizards!"

Iris pulled out her wand.

With a light wave, a branch from the distant ground flew over.

With another wave, the branch was dried.

With a final flick, the branch turned into a large umbrella capable of sheltering all three of them.

"Let's go!"

Naturally, Cypher held the umbrella, with Luna and Iris at his left and right.

Rain pattered loudly, and the air was thick with cold, damp moisture.

Yet all three of them had blazing hearts.

They stepped off the train together and entered the curtain of rain.

"First-years! Over here!"

Sonorus rang out clearly despite the noisy rain.

After judging the direction, Cypher led the two girls through water that had flooded over their feet toward the voice.

"Waterproof and moisture-proof!"

Noticing the excessive standing water, Iris stuck out her tongue and took out her wand, covering everyone's shoes with a Waterproof Charm.

"Children! Here! Watch your step! Oh, damn tradition, insisting on this even in such heavy rain!"

A burly middle-aged man held his wand to his throat and shouted loudly.

The rain did not wet his hair or clothes, but water still slid down his robes onto the ground, making him look slightly bedraggled.

That was probably the limitation of the Waterproof Charm. It was like coating oneself in a layer of wax.

"Oh, excellent Transfiguration. A first-year? Huh? It's Luna and Iris! Welcome back! Find a boat and get in. You know, no more than four people to a boat, so hurry and grab one. You idiot! Aren't you a person? That makes five people with you!..."

Seeing the man greeting them, Cypher had intended to exchange a few polite words.

But the man seemed exceptionally busy, so Cypher decided not to disturb him for now.

Cypher's friendly greeting stuck in his throat. He hurriedly left that sad place and went to choose a comfortable little boat.

"That's Tarak Rood. Mr. Rood is Hogwarts' professor of Magical Creatures. That class does not begin until third year. He's rather rough and bold by nature. He wasn't targeting you; he's simply a carefree sort of person."

Iris giggled at the side. Unable to argue, Cypher could only help the two girls into an empty boat.

Once aboard, the three of them steered the boat away from the lakeshore.

Naturally, no one came to fill the last empty seat.

After all the first-years had boarded their boats,

Professor Rood let out a roar. "Set off!"

The flotilla began to move forward slowly.

Rain filled the sky and shrouded the ancient castle. Through the haze, they could vaguely see light shining from its windows.

Suddenly, a small humanoid creature glowing with fluorescent light jumped onto the bow.

"A Lake Sprite!"

Iris lunged forward in delight.

She failed to notice that the moss gathered at the bottom of the boat made her foot slip.

Just as Iris and the startled Lake Sprite were about to fall into the water,

Cypher instinctively stretched out his hand...