How Can You Sleep at This Stage?

The next day.

At half past five, the sky was still dark, and Tom stood in the common room.

Through the floor-to-ceiling glass of the common room, he could see the scene beneath the Black Lake outside.

Without sunlight, the lake water was pitch black; even with focused attention, he could only make out less than a meter ahead, where a few small fish swam by.

Suddenly.

Something like a tentacle swept past, the lake water churning, and those few small fish vanished in an instant.

"How fascinating," Tom couldn't help but remark.

Beyond marveling at the scenery of the Black Lake, he was also marveling at the wonder of magic.

Logically speaking, with the Scottish Highlands plus a temperate oceanic climate zone, and being close to a large lake and forest, Hogwarts' air was quite humid.

And since he lived right under the Black Lake, it was even more damp beyond measure.

Yet, waking up in the morning, his bedding was bone dry, and the temperature in the common room was a bit higher than outside, not cold at all.

Indeed, if even basic moisture-proofing and warmth couldn't be managed, the students would surely be kicking up a fuss, especially since most of Slytherin were pure-blood young lords and ladies.

"Ugh~ I don't wanna get up..."

At the junction between the common room and the dormitory corridor, Ron was sprawled on the floor, one of his back legs being dragged along, as if someone were hauling a corpse.

"What time is it even? Aren't you guys tired?" Even while being dragged, Ron still clutched his blanket, his eyes unable to open.

In British secondary schools, the usual arrival time was around 8:45, with the first class starting at 9; Hogwarts' schedule was naturally similar.

"Didn't you say you wanted me to train you? The early bird catches the worm."

"But... it's not even light out." Ron barely cracked an eye open, peering at the pitch-black lake water beyond the glass, not a trace of light to be seen.

"You..." Tom sighed helplessly, hands on his hips.

He didn't know whether to call British kids lucky or lazy; he could see a certain beauty of never having experienced academic pressure in Ron.

"How can you sleep at your age?" Tom spoke slowly after a moment's thought.

"How can someone your age be sleeping at this hour? The Ravenclaws are already up practicing spells!"

"Do you know how long you have until the end-of-year exams?"

"Only nine months left, that's 274 days!"

"1,744 days until the O.W.L. exams, and 2,474 days until the N.E.W.T.s!"

"Do you know how many young witches and wizards fail their exams every year? Without a Hogwarts diploma, do you have any idea how hard it is to find work out there?!"

"Didn't you take me as your big brother so you could work hard in secret and then amaze everyone? What's this attitude supposed to mean?!"

Tom's voice was very calm, but it clearly reached Ron's ears.

Ron, who had been listless moments before, suddenly snapped his eyes open. Just hearing a few words from Tom made him inexplicably lose all drowsiness, and the blanket in his arms felt like the embodiment of evil.

He shuddered all over, flung the blanket away, and stood straight in front of Tom.

"Good, that's the spirit!"

Strictly speaking, Tom had no obligation to push Ron to study; he could have just ignored it, but he wanted to give it a try.

If he could train Ron and Harry into excellent wizards, he might build himself a reputation as a "genius educator."

Dumbledore would sacrifice himself in Tom's sixth year, and then, upon graduation, Tom could seamlessly step into the headmaster election.

The position of Hogwarts headmaster was the top-tier iron rice bowl in the entire wizarding world—good pay, little work—and he could also enjoy the thrill of having apprentices everywhere.

After all, Hogwarts was the only magical school in all of Britain; every student passed through the headmaster's hands, and connections were a form of wealth.

If Dumbledore wanted, with his network and prestige, he could have most Aurors turn against the Ministry in the name of "cleansing the court," without lifting a finger himself, and completely overhaul the Ministry's high ranks.

That was also why, in the original story, the Ministry's top brass targeted Dumbledore so heavily; it was fortunate that Dumbledore was kind-hearted and didn't take them seriously.

Argus Filch.

As Hogwarts' caretaker, aside from the house-elves, he was the earliest riser in the entire magical school.

He usually started work at 6, responsible not only for cleaning parts of the castle but also for checking overnight damage to public facilities, preparing the school to welcome the students as they woke up.

Normally, the only living thing he'd see at this hour was his pet cat, Mrs. Norris.

Just as he made his way to the outer grounds of Hogwarts Castle, passing by the training area near the Herbology greenhouses...

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Huh? What's that noise? Is some student playing a prank?" Filch suddenly heard something, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to tremble slightly.

He smirked wickedly, because he could finally use the school's rules to punish those unruly children.

Following the source of the sound...

Winter was approaching, the sun rose late, and the sky was still dim; he could vaguely make out a large stone moving.

"Meow—ha—!"

Mrs. Norris hissed on the spot, her back fur bristling.

Filch suddenly recalled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them—there was a magical creature called the Big Headed Hair Monster. When it crouched on the ground, it looked just like a smooth round stone.

But the Big Headed Hair Monster was supposed to be only about thirty centimeters tall. The one before him was at least two meters high, wasn't it?

And that was a native creature of Russia—how could it appear in Hogwarts?

Could Hagrid have gotten some special breed from somewhere?

As he pondered, the "Big Headed Hair Monster" seemed to notice Filch. Its massive body began to slowly move toward him.

"Help! Headmaster Dumbledore, help!" Filch turned and ran.

He was just a Squib, incapable of any magic. Aside from having read some spellbooks, he was almost no different from a Muggle.

If this was an aggressive Big Headed Hair Monster, facing such a huge size, he could only wait to die.

He hadn't taken two steps before something seemed to occur to him. He immediately turned back.

He scooped up Mrs. Norris, who was still hissing on the ground, into his arms, then turned and fled again.

Soon.

News of a giant magical creature causing trouble at Hogwarts spread throughout the entire school.

The school bell rang in a special rhythm. All prefects were notified to get up early and keep the students of their houses under control to avoid casualties.

All professors assembled and prepared to move. Even Hagrid, who lived by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, was notified and dispatched.

Hagrid scratched his head, his big mind filled with big confusion.

"I don't reckon I ever raised a Big Headed Hair Monster, do I?"

Dumbledore walked ahead, comforting him in as gentle a tone as possible. "I know you love magical creatures, but there has to be a limit. Since no serious trouble came of this, I won't blame you. Just remember to write a self-criticism later."

"Sorry, Professor Dumbledore."

Soon enough, all the professors arrived at the training grounds.

The sun had already risen, and the sky was a bit brighter than before, allowing them to make out the general shape of the training grounds.

Just as Filch had said, there was indeed a boulder moving there, and behind the two-meter-tall boulder followed two smaller stones.

But the boulder was just a boulder. What made it move wasn't the stone itself, but a thinly clad child.

Tom had tied a thick rope around the stone and was walking ahead, dragging the boulder along.

The other two smaller stones were being dragged by Harry and Ron. Though Ron's stone was the smallest, he was already struggling to keep up with the two ahead.

The three, who were in the middle of their workout, stared dumbfounded at the crowd of professors appearing en masse at the edge of the training grounds.

What the hell?

Wasn't this just some exercise? Why had all the professors shown up?