With his stomach finally full, Charlie had time to take a good look at the teachers seated at the High Table.
There was Professor McGonagall, of course, whom he already knew, as well as the portly Hagrid, a little man who looked like a Goblin, and someone wrapped in a turban who seemed rather timid.
There was also a greasy-haired middle-aged man, and, seated in the middle, an old fellow who looked a little crazy: Professor Dumbledore.
They all seemed a bit abnormal, but this was the Wizarding World. Abnormal was normal here.
As Charlie looked around, he suddenly noticed the greasy-haired man staring intently at the Gryffindor table.
Wasn't Professor McGonagall the Head of Gryffindor? Why was this guy always staring at her students?
Seeing Charlie's expression, Jenny explained, "That's Snape, the Slytherin Head of House and the Potions professor."
Charlie understood and remarked, "As the Slytherin Head of House, he cares so much about Gryffindor. He must be a really warmhearted professor."
??
Jenny almost choked on her Pumpkin Juice.
Warmhearted? Snape? Could those two words even go together?
Charlie would find out just how warmhearted Snape was once he got to know him.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Professor Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands.
"Now that everyone has had enough to eat, I have a reminder for you."
"If you don't want to suffer an accident and die in agony, please do not enter the corridor on the right-hand side of the Fourth Floor."
The students fell silent. Only a few let out a laugh.
Clearly, the warning carried quite a bit of weight with the students.
But Charlie's eyes lit up at once.
In his ears, the words automatically became: I have to go check out the corridor on the right-hand side of the Fourth Floor!
He could almost see the Tyrant Points waving at him.
Charlie nudged Jenny's arm curiously. "What's on the Fourth Floor, senior?"
Jenny furrowed her brow and thought for a moment.
"I don't know either. There wasn't a rule like this before. But if Professor Dumbledore said so, there must be some danger."
"Don't go wandering off. Be good and listen."
Charlie nodded obediently on the outside, but inside, he was already plotting when to go exploring.
When the feast ended, the Prefects led the students from each house back to their dormitories.
"First-years, follow me!"
The Hufflepuff Prefect waved and led Charlie and the others out of the Great Hall.
The Hufflepuff dormitories were in the basement, but unlike Slytherin's, they weren't damp.
They were on the first basement level, cool in summer and warm in winter, which suited Hufflepuff's gentle nature.
The Prefect went to a pile of large wooden barrels in a corner of the corridor and tapped the bottom of the second barrel in the middle of the second row in a particular rhythm.
"Thump, thump, thump-thump, thump!"
The lid of a barrel opened, revealing a passage leading down to the basement.
"Remember that rhythm: Helga Hufflepuff. If you get it wrong, the barrel will spray vinegar all over you and leave you soaked."
The Prefect reminded them.
Charlie nodded and followed everyone into the passage.
The Hufflepuff Common Room was decorated in a cozy style, with yellow as its main color and warm golden lighting. Plants were everywhere.
A portrait of Helga Hufflepuff hung on the wall. The ceiling was low, giving the place the feeling of a warm home.
Round doors led to the boys' and girls' dormitories, each carved with a honey-colored badger.
"We Hufflepuffs may not be as brave as Gryffindors, as ambitious as Slytherins, or as eager for knowledge as Ravenclaws,"
the Prefect said, standing before them.
"But we're loyal and hardworking, and most importantly, we're united."
"Hufflepuff has produced many legendary wizards, too."
"In Hufflepuff, everyone is family."
Charlie listened, feeling warm inside.
In both this life and his previous one, he'd been all alone. He'd never been able to resist this kind of cozy warmth.
The Prefect went on to explain some of the Common Room's rules, then led the first-years to their dormitories.
Because of the feast, it was already very late.
Normally, the students would chat and socialize in the Common Room, but tonight they were all eager to get back to their rooms and rest.
The boys' dormitory was a round room with three four-poster beds. Their curtains were striped yellow and black.
Each bed had a student's trunk underneath it.
Charlie found his bed. The one to his left belonged to a boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley.
Justin looked very excited and wouldn't stop chattering.
"I was supposed to go to Eton College, but I changed my mind after I got my letter from Hogwarts. Magic beats everything, after all, right?"
Their other roommate was named Ernie Macmillan. He was a Pure-blood wizard, but unlike Malfoy, he didn't look down on Muggle-born wizards.
Instead, he listened to Justin with curiosity, occasionally asking him about the Muggle world.
Charlie finished unpacking, changed into his pajamas, and climbed into the soft bed.
This felt great. It was much more comfortable than the hard little bed at the Orphanage.
Ernie turned over in the bed next to him. Suddenly remembering something, he poked his head out and looked at Charlie.
"By the way, Charlie, I saw Malfoy run out of your compartment on the train today, tail between his legs. Was that you?"
Ernie's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Charlie nodded without trying to hide it.
"It was me. What about it?"
"Oh my God." Justin perked up at once and sat up in bed.
"You're so impressive. Are you a Pure-blood wizard too?"
Charlie shook his head.
"I'm from an Orphanage. I don't know who my parents are, so I don't know if I'm Pure-blood or not."
Ernie's expression turned serious.
"Charlie, you need to be careful. The Malfoy family aren't good people. They used to be followers of the Dark Lord."
"But you don't have to worry too much at Hogwarts. Dumbledore will protect all the young wizards."
Justin looked completely confused.
"Who's the Dark Lord? He sounds pretty impressive."
Ernie's eyes widened.
"By Hufflepuff's big feet, you don't know who the Dark Lord is?"
"He was a really, really bad guy. If Harry Potter hadn't defeated him, we'd still be living under his shadow."
Justin scratched his head. "But why do they call him the Dark Lord? What's so mysterious about him?"
Ernie didn't know how to answer. The gap between their two worlds made some things hard to explain.
Charlie lazily offered an analogy.
"He's as mysterious as Victoria's Secret."
Justin nodded as if he understood, while Ernie looked utterly bewildered.
"Who's Victoria? What's her secret?"
Justin and Charlie glanced at each other, both unable to hold back their laughter.
"Ernie, come Christmas, I'll definitely get you a present from Victoria's Secret."
Justin patted his shoulder.
As they kept chatting, sleepiness began to sweep over the three of them.
Soon, Justin and Ernie's breathing grew steady. They had clearly fallen asleep.
But Charlie suddenly opened his eyes, a gleam of excitement flashing in them.
Tyrant Points, here I come!
Before you continue