A Meeting at Ravenclaw

At the station, the weather had been clear skies with not a cloud in sight.

But as they neared their destination, it had turned into a torrential downpour.

Seeing this, Cypher quickly pressed himself against the window to look outside.

Only when he saw the trees still standing straight did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Heavy rain was fine, as long as there wasn't a strong wind.

The sound of raindrops pounding against the carriage windows seemed to make the train's rumble fade into the background.

Sitting back down, Cypher suddenly noticed that Iris and Luna had their arms linked, leaning against each other, lightly dozing on the seats.

Cypher smiled faintly. Then it hit him—he needed to change into his wizard robe.

Fortunately, he could just take off his outer coat and slip the robe right on over his clothes.

This must be the school uniform, right? Cypher thought with amusement.

Wearing it for the first time, he found it genuinely inconvenient to move around—the wide hem and loose, elegant cut. Truly—walking with a swish.

You couldn't wear too many layers underneath, or you'd look bulky. Imagine the feeling of having a raincoat draped over you the whole time.

The noise of Cypher changing woke the two girls.

Or rather, they had already been awake for a while.

Only when Cypher had fully dressed did they both open their eyes at the same time.

Cypher mentioned to them that they should change into their wizard robes.

Then he politely pulled the carriage door curtain shut, stepped out of the compartment, closed the door, and leaned against it with his back turned.

As they neared the school, the quiet corridor of Ravenclaw began to grow noisy.

People were everywhere, looking for compartments to change clothes.

Luckily, Cypher's stance made it clear that someone inside was changing, and the clever little eagles tactfully didn't disturb them.

After what felt like a long while.

A knock came from behind him.

Cypher turned, bringing a gust of wind with him as he slipped back into the compartment.

Gone were the delicate dresses, replaced by simple black wizard robes.

The girls' charm had dimmed quite a bit.

Luna, her long fingers now bare of gloves, tapped her lips lightly as she thought about what preparations the three of them should make.

"The house-elves will handle the luggage, and besides, we don't have any," Iris said. Their handbags were stuffed full, so the leftover snacks had been tossed into Cypher's pouch.

"The rain... doesn't matter... everything... is ready..."

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

Luna's expression turned serious, her long-lashed blue eyes fixed directly on Cypher. Iris made a gesture on the side as if to say, If you don't listen to us, I'll scratch you!

Seeing Luna so solemn, Cypher didn't stall. He rolled his eyes in response to Iris and said, "Go ahead."

Luna bit her lip, then steeled herself.

"Cypher, according to tradition in the magical world, young wizards never know the process of the Sorting Ceremony beforehand. But Iris and I really want to be with you."

Hey now, saying it like that—isn't that moving a bit too fast?

But Luna and Iris didn't flinch, and only then did Cypher realize she meant the house sorting.

"What should I do?"

Pretending the earlier thought had never crossed his mind, Cypher said flatly.

Hearing his answer, the two girls breathed a sigh of relief.

"Slytherin doesn't take wizards without pure blood. Gryffindor's hotheadedness doesn't suit you. Hufflepuff is warm-hearted. Ravenclaw pursues knowledge. I think the Sorting Hat will lean toward putting you in Ravenclaw. If not, just hold firm to your own thoughts, and it will respect your choice."

"I see,"

Cypher murmured. It sounded like flipping a coin when you're torn between two choices—the moment you toss it, you know what you're really hoping for. The Sorting Hat must be some kind of brain-computer interface magical artifact, right?

"So, see you in Ravenclaw?"

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

Iris jumped up, waving her hands excitedly.

In just a few short words, the Hogwarts Express began to slow to a halt.

Unlike the others, who wasted too much time scrambling around like headless flies to find a place to change, the three, already prepared, were the first to reach the carriage door.

Looking out at the huge raindrops pouring down freely, Cypher's face showed a hint of helplessness.

True enough—he'd forgotten to bring an umbrella.

Helpless, Cypher turned his gaze to the two girls for help.

"Cypher! We're wizards!" Iris pulled out her wand.

With a light flick, a branch lying on the ground in the distance flew over. Another flick, and the branch was dried. A final flick turned it into a large umbrella big enough to shield all three of them. "Let's go!"

Naturally, Cypher held the umbrella, with Luna and Iris flanking him on either side. The rain pattered loudly, and the air was thick with damp, cold mist. But all three of them had burning hearts. They stepped off the train together, walking into the downpour.

"First-years! Over here!" The voice was loud and clear, cutting through the noisy rain. Cypher judged the direction and led the two girls, stepping through water that covered their feet, toward the sound.

"Waterproof and damp-proof!" Noticing the deep puddles, Iris stuck out her tongue and pulled out her wand to cast a Waterproof Charm over everyone's shoes.

"Children! This way! Watch your step! Oh, blasted tradition, having to stick with this even in such heavy rain!" A burly, middle-aged man was shouting loudly, his wand pointed at his own throat. The heavy rain drenched his hair and clothes, but the water slid off his garments to the ground, making him look somewhat disheveled. That was probably the limit of the Waterproof Charm—it was like coating yourself in a layer of wax.

"Oh, excellent Transfiguration! First-years? Huh? It's Luna and Iris! Welcome back! Find a boat to take. You know the drill, four people per boat at most, hurry and grab one. You idiot! Aren't you a person? That makes five of you!..." Seeing the man greet them, Cypher intended to exchange a few pleasantries.

But the latter seemed exceptionally busy, so he decided not to bother him for now. Cypher's friendly greeting got stuck in his throat, and he quickly left that awkward spot to pick out a comfortable little boat.

"That's Tarak Rood, Mr. Rood is Hogwarts' Magical Creatures professor, but that class doesn't start until third year. He's a bit rough and hearty—it's not personal against you; he's just that kind of unrefined person." Iris snickered on the side. Cypher had no energy to argue and simply helped the two girls onto an empty boat.

Once aboard, the three of them steered the boat away from the shore. Naturally, no one filled the last empty seat. When all the first-years were seated, Professor Rood let out a loud roar, "Depart!" and the fleet of boats began to move slowly forward.

The pouring rain shrouded the ancient castle, and faintly, light could be seen glowing through its windows. Suddenly, a small, glowing humanoid creature leaped onto the bow of the boat. "A Lake Sprite!" Iris lunged forward in delight.

She didn't notice the moss accumulated on the boat's floor, which made her foot slip. Just as Iris was about to fall into the water along with the startled Lake Sprite, Cypher instinctively reached out his hand...