307 Dormitory

The clear chime of a bell rang nine times.

"All right, it's getting late. The feast is over." At Dumbledore's words, the food and dishes on the long tables vanished.

"As this is the start of a new school year, I have a few reminders."

"First... Mr. Filch, the caretaker..."

"Second... the Forbidden Forest..."

"Third... sign up with Mrs. Hooch..."

"..."

"Lastly... anyone who doesn't want to meet a grisly end should stay away from the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor."

Many of the first-years laughed at his last remark, thinking the old man was babbling again. The loudest laughter came from the Gryffindor table.

"All right, let's end tonight's feast with a song—the Hogwarts School Song."

At that, Snape, McGonagall, and the other professors all wore strained expressions.

And so, under the direction of Dumbledore the old geezer, the whole hall fell into chaos, with everyone singing to a different tune.

As expected, the Gryffindor twins launched into a funeral march.

Yulian sang to the tune of "Hey Jude."

Eventually, the twins gave up on their own tune and joined Yulian. "Na~, na~, na~, na-na-na-na~~~" Then Hermione, Harry, Seamus, Cho Chang, and the others joined in with the na-na-na's.

Dumbledore gave up on his own tune, too, and began conducting them with great interest.

The last echoes of the feast still rang beneath the Great Hall's vaulted ceiling, and the scent of dessert lingered in the air, when the tall, handsome male Prefect by the Ravenclaw Table—Robert Hilliard—stood up.

He clapped his hands. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the first-years' chatter. "First-years, follow me. Don't fall behind, and don't spend too long gawking. Hogwarts's staircases don't like being stared at."

Yulian stood with the others and glanced around. Hermione waved to him from the end of the Gryffindor table, while Harry and Ron were busy stuffing the pudding they'd hidden earlier into their mouths.

Yulian smiled back, then followed the group.

The dozen or so first-years filed out of the brightly lit hall and into Hogwarts's shadowy corridors.

The stone walls here were no longer lit by candles. Instead, they were inset with glowing blue crystals that cast a soft, cool light, like moonlight on a lake.

The air was filled with the scent of old books and parchment, with a faint hint of cedar.

"This is the way to our tower," Robert said as they walked, his tone calm and scholarly.

"The Ravenclaw common room is in the tallest tower on the west side of the castle. Our symbol is the raven, which represents wisdom and foresight. Remember, we value wisdom, not showing off; the pursuit of knowledge, not victory."

He led them up a flight of spiral stairs. The staircase seemed to have a mind of its own. It would slowly ascend, then abruptly stop. Once, after Yulian stepped onto a stair, the whole staircase began moving sideways, carrying them toward another corridor.

"Don't panic," Robert said with a smile over his shoulder. "It's just checking who you are. Only true Ravenclaw students can reach the top. That's part of Hogwarts's charm."

At last, they reached a huge door made of smooth, pale birch.

There was no ordinary handle on the door, only a smooth bronze disk engraved with a raven poised to take flight. Its eyes were two deep blue sapphires, gleaming with wisdom in the dim light.

"Our entrance doesn't have a password," Robert explained. "It asks you a question. There's no single right answer, but your response must show genuine wisdom, not just memorized knowledge. Who'd like to try first?"

A thin boy nervously stepped forward. The raven's eyes on the disk lit up, and a clear, melodious female voice asked, "What grows the more you share it?"

The boy scratched his head and stammered for a long while before finally retreating, his face red.

The next girl thought for a moment, then confidently answered, "Knowledge!"

The raven's eyes flickered, and a click sounded, as though the door had unlocked.

Robert clapped his hands happily. "Good, Emily gave a correct answer. Actually, that isn't the only possible answer. Can anyone think of another?"

When no one responded, Yulian stepped forward. Looking into those blue sapphire eyes, he answered softly, "Love. Because true love doesn't diminish when you give it. It only grows richer when shared."

"Excellent, excellent. That's an even better answer. Let's try another question. Who wants to go next?" As he spoke, Robert closed the door again with his other hand.

This time, another young witch stepped up to the knocker.

"I hang on the wall. I have no life, yet I can see everything. I never speak, yet I can tell everyone the truth. What am I?"

"A mirror." The young witch answered correctly without much thought.

"Excellent, excellent. Who else wants to try?"

"I do."

"Me too."

Seeing how eager the first-years were, Robert looked delighted. Ravenclaw welcomed young wizards and witches with a thirst for knowledge. "All right, let's try one last time." With that, he closed the door again.

This time, a brown-skinned boy stepped forward.

"Everyone has me, but no one can give me to another. Everyone seeks happiness and loses me, and once I'm lost, I never return. What am I?"

"Um...?" Seeing that the brown-skinned boy couldn't answer right away, Robert said, "That's all right. You can answer together. The door will open as long as you answer within sixty seconds. If you can't, you'll have to wait for another student to come along and help."

Yulian waited a little longer, but when no one answered, he stepped forward again. "Time!"

As soon as he spoke, the raven's eyes blazed with light, and it gave a clear, ringing cry. The entire door slid silently inward, revealing a brilliant starry sky beyond.

The common room was a vast, circular chamber, its domed ceiling seemingly connected directly to the night sky, with real stars slowly wheeling overhead.

Arched windows lined the walls, hung with blue and bronze silk curtains that had yet to be drawn. Through them, they could see the whole school and the vast nightscape of the Scottish Highlands.

The Black Lake was like a mirror of black jade, reflecting the stars above. In the distance, mountains and forests stretched away, their outlines little more than shadows.

Comfortable sky-blue sofas and armchairs were scattered throughout the room. Above every table floated either a book that turned its own pages or a magical lamp casting a gentle glow.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, packed with countless magical tomes. Some of the older students who had returned earlier were already browsing them.

Cho Chang, whom Yulian knew, looked up at the sound of the newcomers. When she saw him enter with the first-years, she smiled and winked at him.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw Tower," Robert said, his voice full of pride. "There's no curfew here. As long as you keep quiet, you can read, think, or gaze at the stars whenever you like.

"The dormitories are on the second floor. Take the spiral staircase; the boys' rooms are to the left, and the girls' to the right. Breakfast is in the Great Hall at eight tomorrow morning, followed by Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. Don't be late. She's not as easygoing as I am."

The first-years didn't linger in the common room. They went straight upstairs to the dormitories. Yulian followed a spiraling staircase up two more floors and found a quiet corridor, carpeted in deep blue, with star charts and portraits of ancient philosophers covering the walls.

A small brass plaque was fixed to each dormitory door, engraved in elegant script with the room number and the young wizard's name.

Yulian's name was on Room 307. When he opened the door, the scent of pine greeted him.

The room was spacious and bright. Four four-poster beds stood in a fan-shaped arrangement, each with sky-blue curtains, an oak desk, and a small bookshelf built into the wall. Everyone's luggage had already been brought in.

His two roommates had arrived before him. There were only three of them in the dormitory so far.