School Song and Common Room

When the young witches and wizards' discussion gradually died down, Dumbledore made his next decision.

"Now, before everyone goes to bed, let us sing the school song together!" Dumbledore announced loudly. The smiles on the other teachers' faces seemed to have frozen.

With a light flick of his wand, Dumbledore sent a long golden ribbon floating out of its tip. It twisted and coiled like a snake above the lofty dining tables, forming lines of words. Ye Ting could see that they were the lyrics to the Hogwarts school song.

"Everyone choose your favorite tune," Dumbledore said. "Ready, sing!"

Thus, the entire school broke into song.

It sounded absolutely dreadful. Himari, who had been sleeping soundly in Ye Ting's backpack, was jolted awake by the chorus and covered her ears, meowing loudly.

Everyone finished the school song in a scattered, disjointed fashion. Only the Weasley twins continued singing to the slow melody of the Funeral March. Dumbledore conducted the final few bars for them with his wand, and when they finished, his applause was the loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping at his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off to your dormitories, everyone."

The first-years followed their house prefects out of the Great Hall and through corridor after corridor.

Ye Ting recognized Ravenclaw's female prefect. Her name was Penelope Clearwater. She had long, curly brown hair, and her beautiful appearance carried an air of elegance and intellect. To Ye Ting, she was far more charming than Hermione and Cho Chang, who were still little girls at present.

He was immensely interested in this girl, who had barely appeared in the original story but showed up frequently in fanfiction.

She and another male prefect led the young eagles to a tower on the western side of the castle, to the very top of Ravenclaw Tower. Before them stood an old, polished wooden door with an eagle-shaped bronze knocker.

"Unlike the other houses, Ravenclaw's common room has no password. You can only enter by answering the knocker's question and earning its approval," Penelope explained. She knocked on the door, and the eagle's beak immediately opened. Instead of making a birdcall, it spoke in a gentle, musical voice.

"What will you break once you say it?"

"So, would anyone like to give it a try?" She looked expectantly at the first-years, lingering especially on Ye Ting for a moment longer. In terms of appearance alone, he surpassed every other new student, girls included. Though Penelope valued substance more, she still had an exceptionally favorable first impression of him.

Meeting the female prefect's expectant gaze, Ye Ting gladly stepped forward.

"Silence," he answered.

"Well said," the eagle-shaped knocker praised him, and the door swung open at once.

Wasn't this just a riddle?

Ye Ting was somewhat speechless. This door's question was far too easy to solve.

But in truth, because they lacked the relevant basic education, most young witches and wizards had little capacity for logical reasoning. Thus, for clever Ravenclaws, riddles were often safer than passwords.

Penelope nodded appreciatively at Ye Ting, her favorable impression of him increasing greatly—he not only possessed a captivating appearance, but was no slouch in intelligence either. Then she began introducing the house to the first-years. "Congratulations! I'm Prefect Penelope Clearwater, and I'm delighted to welcome you to Ravenclaw House. Our emblem is an eagle, soaring high above peaks no one else can reach; our colors are sky blue and bronze..."

What followed was a lengthy introduction to Ravenclaw, including its glorious achievements, its characteristics, its evaluation of the other houses, and more. Finally, she mentioned Ravenclaw's Ghost, the Grey Lady—Ravenclaw's own daughter. She would offer help to Ravenclaw students.

Ravenclaw's common room was a large circular chamber with elegant arched windows in its walls, draped in blue and bronze silk. Ravenclaw students could look out from the windows at the beautiful scenery beyond. The ceiling was domed and studded with stars, which also decorated the deep blue carpet below. The room contained tables, chairs, and bookshelves. In the alcove opposite the door stood a white marble bust of Rowena Ravenclaw, and a door beside the statue led to the dormitories above.

The two prefects separately led the first-years to their dormitories.

The dormitories held four students each, with four beds supported by four posts and deep red flannel curtains hanging overhead.

Ye Ting opened his trunk and tidied up his belongings a little before placing Himari at the head of his bed.

Himari was full of energy at night, excitedly rolling around on the velvet quilt.

His three roommates were Anthony Goldstein, a blond Jewish boy; Terry Boot, who had brown hair; and Michael Corner, who had black hair. All of them were named supporting characters with actual roles in the original story.

Together with Ye Ting, as well as Kevin Entwhistle and Stephen Cornfoot from another dormitory, they made up the only six male Ravenclaw first-years that year. They could not even fill two dormitories.

In fact, Ravenclaw had always had more girls than boys. In terms of male students, this year's intake already far exceeded those of previous years.

After briefly greeting their new roommates, everyone changed into pajamas and collapsed into bed. The journey to school had truly exhausted them.