Room 307

The crisp chime of the bell rang nine times.

"Alright, it's getting late, the feast is over." As Dumbledore spoke, the food and plates on the long tables vanished.

"As it's a new academic year, I have a few brief points to mention."

"One... the caretaker, Mr. Filch..."

"Two... the Forbidden Forest..."

"Three... sign up with Mrs. Hooch..."

"..."

"Lastly... anyone who doesn't wish to meet a gruesome death should not go down the corridor on the fourth floor, right-hand side."

Many first-years chuckled at the last sentence, thinking the old man was spouting nonsense again, especially those at the Gryffindor table, where the laughter was loudest.

"Alright, let's end today's feast with a song - the Hogwarts School Song."

At this moment, Snape, McGonagall, and the other professors wore unnatural expressions.

Thus, under Dumbledore's direction, the hall descended into chaos, with everyone singing off-key.

The Gryffindor twins, true to form, began singing the Funeral March.

As for Yulian, he used the tune of "Hey Jude."

Later, the twins gave up their own tune and joined Yulian, "Na~, na~, na~, nanananana~~~" Then, Hermione, Harry, Seamus, Cho Chang, and others joined in the "nanana."

Dumbledore also abandoned his tune and, with great interest, began conducting them.

The lingering echoes of the feast still reverberated under the Great Hall's ceiling, and the aroma of dessert had yet to dissipate when a tall, handsome senior student from the Ravenclaw table stood up – Robert Hilliard.

He clapped his hands, his voice not loud but clear enough to cut through the din of the first-years, "First-years, follow me. Don't fall behind, and don't stare around for too long; the Hogwarts staircases don't like being stared at."

Yulian stood up with the others and looked around. He saw Hermione waving at him from the end of the Gryffindor table, while Harry and Ron were busy stuffing previously hidden puddings into their mouths.

Yulian returned a smile and then followed the group.

A dozen or so first-years filed out, passing through the brightly lit hall and stepping into the deep corridors of Hogwarts.

Here, the stone walls were no longer illuminated by candles but inlaid with glowing blue crystals, emitting a soft, cool radiance, like a lake under moonlight.

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

"This is the way to our tower," Robert said as they walked, his tone carrying a scholarly composure.

"Ravenclaw's common room is in the highest tower on the west side of the castle. Our symbol is the raven, representing wisdom and foresight. Remember, we value wisdom, not showing off; we seek knowledge, not victory."

He led them up a spiral staircase. The stairs seemed to have a mind of their own, sometimes ascending slowly, sometimes stopping abruptly, and once, after Yulian stepped onto a tread, the entire staircase shifted sideways, sending them into another corridor.

"Don't panic," Robert said with a smile, looking back. "It's just confirming your identity. Only true Ravenclaw students can reach the top. This is also part of Hogwarts' charm."

Finally, they arrived before a massive door made of smooth birch wood.

The door had no ordinary handle, only a smooth bronze disk etched with a raven with outstretched wings. The raven's eyes were two deep sapphires, shimmering with wisdom in the dim light.

"Our entrance has no password," Robert explained. "It will ask you a question. There is no standard answer, but your response must demonstrate true wisdom, not rote memorization. Who wants to try first?"

A small, thin boy stepped forward timidly. The raven's eyes on the disk lit up, and a ethereal, pleasant female voice rang out: "What is it that grows more the more you share it?"

The boy scratched his head, stammered for a long time, and finally retreated, blushing.

It was the next girl's turn. She thought for a moment and said confidently, "Knowledge!"

The raven's eyes flickered, and with a click, a sound like unlocking was heard.

Robert clapped his hands with delight. "Good, Emily gave a correct answer. Actually, this isn't the only answer. Does anyone else have any ideas?"

Seeing no response from the others, Yulian stepped forward. Looking at the sapphire eyes, he replied softly, "Love. Because true love doesn't diminish when given; it becomes even richer through sharing."

"Very good, very good. That answer is even more perfect. Let's try another question, who's next?" Saying this, Robert turned and closed the door again.

At this moment, another young witch approached the door knocker.

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

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

"Very good, very good. Who else wants to try?"

"I want to try."

"Me too."

Seeing that the first-years were eager to try, Robert seemed very pleased. "Ravenclaw welcomes curious little wizards." "Okay, let's try one last time." He said, closing the door again.

This time, a dark-skinned young man stepped up.

"Everyone has me, but cannot give me to others. Everyone seeks happiness and loses me, but once lost, I never return. What am I?"

"This...?" Seeing that the dark-skinned young man couldn't answer immediately, Robert said, "It's okay, you can all answer together. As long as it's within 60 seconds, the door will open. If you can't answer, you'll have to wait for other classmates to help."

Yulian waited a while longer, and seeing that no one still answered, he stepped forward again. "It's time!"

With the words spoken, the raven's eyes suddenly brightened, and it let out a clear, sharp cry. The entire door slid open silently, revealing a magnificent starry sky behind it.

The common room was a vast circular chamber, its dome seeming to connect directly with the night sky, where real stars slowly revolved overhead.

The walls featured arched windows draped with blue and bronze silk curtains, which were still open, offering a view of the sprawling night scenery of the entire school and even the Scottish Highlands.

The Black Lake lay like a mirror of dark jade, reflecting the sky full of stars. In the distance, mountains and forests rose and fell, appearing only as blurred shadows.

Comfortable sky-blue sofas and armchairs were scattered throughout the room. Above each table floated a book with automatically turning pages or a magic lamp emitting a soft glow.

The four walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, crammed with countless magical tomes. The older students who had returned earlier were already poring over books.

Among them, Yulian recognized Cho Chang, who looked up upon hearing him as he entered with the group of new students. She smiled and winked at him.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw Tower," Robert's voice was filled with pride. "There's no curfew here. As long as you can keep quiet, you can read, think, or gaze at the stars anytime you wish.

The dormitories are on the second floor. Follow the spiral staircase; boys turn left, girls turn right. Tomorrow morning at eight, we'll have breakfast in the Great Hall, followed by Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. Don't be late; she's not as easygoing as I am."

The new students didn't linger in the common room and went straight upstairs to the dormitories. Yulian followed a winding staircase up two more floors to a quiet corridor carpeted in dark blue, with star charts and portraits of ancient philosophers adorning the walls.

On each dormitory door was a small brass nameplate, engraved with the room number and the name of the young wizard in elegant cursive script.

Yulian's name was on Room 307. As he pushed the door open, the scent of pine wood wafted towards him.

The room was spacious and bright, with four four-poster beds arranged in a fan shape. Each bed was equipped 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 earlier. Their dormitory currently housed only three people.