11, The Tower

Don't imitate a protagonist when you don't have protagonist luck—Hoffa Bach.

At this moment, he wanted to cry but had no tears. Damn it, his starting point had been low enough. But what happened to respecting his choice? The Sorting Hat didn't give a damn about his choice at all!

After the Sorting Hat made its decision.

Faint applause rose from the second table on the left, far quieter than when Tom Riddle had taken his seat. It was probably the weakest applause in Hogwarts history.

And there was more than a little relief mixed into that applause. He'd dragged things out for so long that everyone else was starving.

The moment he reached the Ravenclaw table, Hoffa felt blade-sharp stares upon him.

Following those gazes, he saw Argeleia in the corner, arms crossed, her ghostly blue eyes filled with coldness and fury.

At this point, Hoffa had no desire to argue with her anymore. He picked a spot diagonally across the table and sat as far away from Argeleia as possible.

Not long after Hoffa left, Miranda climbed onto the stool as well. The only difference was that Deputy Headmaster Gorshak personally placed the hat on her head, with no attempt to avoid suspicion.

Before long, the hat shouted Ravenclaw, and she was sorted into Ravenclaw too.

Miranda casually removed the hat and sat opposite Hoffa. "Looks like we're still classmates."

"Yeah."

Seeing Miranda join them made Hoffa feel a little better.

At least not everyone in this house was like Argeleia. As long as he stayed away from her, that would be enough.

Thirty minutes later, the Sorting ended.

Professor Gorshak rolled up the parchment and casually tapped the stool with his wand.

The stool and hat vanished at the same time.

He turned and returned to his seat at the staff table.

Hoffa was already starving. Only then did he remember that he'd eaten nothing but a few snacks today. Everyone else was the same; hungry stomachs rumbled all around them.

But it wasn't over yet. In the center of the staff table, Headmaster Amando Dippet rose to his feet.

The instant he stood, flames flared up around the hall, illuminating the entire Great Hall.

What an old man who cares about putting on a show, Hoffa grumbled inwardly.

His gloomy eyes swept across the room. He coughed once, then said sternly,

"First of all, I must emphasize the longstanding rules. Anyone caught wandering at night without permission will immediately receive detention. A second offense will result in immediate expulsion. Anyone entering the Forbidden Forest without permission will have their wand destroyed and be expelled upon discovery. Anyone privately keeping prohibited creatures will be assigned a month of labor..."

Amando went on for nearly ten minutes, listing all manner of rules.

"Oh my god..."

Hoffa covered his face with his hand and once again lamented why he'd been transported to 1938. Compared with Hogwarts under Dumbledore, Hogwarts at this time was practically one of those electroshock schools for internet addiction.

At last, he finished with the rules.

Amando Dippet coughed twice. "There are also several new changes this year. Due to the tense situation in the magical communities across Europe, the Ministry of Magic has established a dedicated transport point at the school grounds. Students in sixth year and above may, after receiving approval, travel to designated areas for special Auror training."

With that, the old Headmaster sat down.

Perfectly synchronized applause immediately broke out at the tables.

Hoffa clapped along with everyone else, gaining a deeper understanding of Hogwarts' current situation.

No wonder things were so strict. It probably had something to do with World War II drawing near. In the era when Harry was born, the world was peaceful and there weren't any major upheavals. No one cared if you coasted through life, so the school could afford to be relaxed.

But in this era, coasting probably wasn't waiting to die. It was courting death.

After the applause, a clear chime rang out.

Suddenly, an enormous spread of food appeared on the plate in front of Hoffa.

They were all appetizers: fresh oysters, crabmeat, foie gras aspic, mixed iced fruit, Russian black caviar, and all kinds of fresh juice.

Following the example of the older students around him, Hoffa quickly took a little of everything.

It was delicious, enough to greatly whet his appetite.

A few minutes later, the food on the plates vanished.

Then the main courses appeared: roast beef, breaded lamb chops, grilled pork chops, London mixed grill, chicken wings, cauliflower gratin, lobster gratin, cabbage, mashed potatoes, croissants, muffins...

There were so many dishes that Hoffa couldn't even count them all. People said British cooks were terrible, but this truly opened his eyes. Hogwarts' house-elves had probably all been hired from abroad.

Once they began eating, the earlier solemn atmosphere gradually faded. People around them began talking and laughing.

Hoffa ate while listening to the older students beside him discuss all kinds of news, from Quidditch to national affairs, from gossip to famous figures in the wizarding world.

He enjoyed both the food and the conversation immensely.

And the Ravenclaw upperclassmen had their own insightful views on everything. They truly deserved to belong to the wisest house.

Ghosts drifted out from every corner of the castle. Hoffa didn't see Peeves, whom he'd wanted to see most, but he did see a female ghost in robes. She was beautiful, wearing a diadem as she floated past the Ravenclaw table, gracefully greeting the others.

She was Ravenclaw's female ghost, Helena Ravenclaw.

She was also the daughter of one of the four founders, Rowena Ravenclaw.

Commonly known as the Grey Lady.

She was very pleasing to the eye, the most beautiful ghost at Hogwarts.

Ravenclaw wasn't so bad either, Hoffa thought to himself as he cut off a piece of lamb chop.

After the main course came soup: creamy mushroom chicken soup, cream of tomato soup, French onion soup, and oxtail soup.

Seeing all that food, Hoffa regretted stuffing himself so full during the main course.

The students ate heartily, but the professors at the staff table were more restrained. About halfway through the feast, Hoffa saw Headmaster Amando Dippet leave, with Deputy Headmaster Gorshak following behind him. The two seemed to have something to discuss, and both wore serious expressions.

Hoffa asked Miranda, "What does your grandfather teach?"

Miranda took a small sip of juice. "He's the Head of Ravenclaw House and teaches Charms. Let me warn you, don't ever contradict him in class."

The Head of Ravenclaw, Hoffa was speechless.

That old man looked even stricter than Professor McGonagall. He'd probably have plenty to suffer through in the future.

After the soup, desserts appeared on their plates.

Jelly, caramel pudding, apple pancakes, mousse, and rum-flavored ice cream.

Hoffa was completely unable to eat anymore. He could only hold his bloated stomach with difficulty and take a little rum ice cream, thinking that he absolutely had to control himself at the next feast.

After dinner, a familiar figure rose from the staff table.

It was a younger version of Dumbledore.

The moment he stood up, the students began applauding enthusiastically.

The applause was far more heartfelt than it had been during Headmaster Amando Dippet's speech. No matter the era, Dumbledore was immensely popular.

Dumbledore tapped his goblet and smiled. "In a moment, the prefects will lead their students back to their common rooms. But before that, we have one important thing left to do."

Students from all four houses clapped and shouted with laughter, "Sing! Sing!"

Gryffindor was the loudest in egging everyone on, while Ravenclaw students smiled as well.

Miranda whispered to Hoffa, "He's the greatest Transfiguration professor in history. He can turn into hundreds of animals."

Hoffa hadn't known that. He asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Of course. He even helped draft the Animagus Act," answered an older student beside him.

At the staff table, Dumbledore flicked his wand.

The remaining juice in every student's cup suddenly turned into streamers that burst out.

Some students who had been about to drink were caught off guard and had streamers explode all over their faces, making everyone burst into laughter.

Dumbledore said, "Ready! Sing!"

And so all the teachers and students sang at the top of their lungs:

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts,

Please teach us knowledge,

Whether we are bald old men

Or children with scraped knees,

Our minds can take in

Some interesting things,

For now they are empty, filled with air.

Hoffa didn't know how to sing, but he swayed his head along with the song and kept shaking his leg.

When the song ended, the atmosphere reached its peak.

Dumbledore spread his arms and declared loudly amid thunderous applause, "Don't forget that even in the most difficult times, there is magic and music to keep us company."

The feast ended, and the four prefects led the students out of the Great Hall in single file toward their respective common rooms.

Come to think of it, Hoffa actually knew Gryffindor's common room best, perhaps even better than some older students. But he knew absolutely nothing about Ravenclaw Common Room.

Their prefect was an old acquaintance, someone Hoffa knew all too well.

Filius Flitwick.

The moment he saw him, Hoffa called out his name, startling the small prefect badly.

His face was clean-shaven now, and he was rather handsome, about as tall as Yinduo. Many years later, he would become Head of Ravenclaw and teach Harry Potter. He was a good-tempered man.

As Flitwick walked, he explained Ravenclaw's history to the newcomers.

"Our house was founded by Rowena Ravenclaw and represents wind among the four elements. Our symbolic animal is the eagle. Of course, an eagle's dwelling won't be too low. If any of you have trouble with your legs, I suggest you visit the school nurse first."

A few people around them chuckled.

But they soon couldn't laugh anymore.

Hoffa followed Prefect Flitwick higher and higher, while the magical stairs beneath their feet constantly shifted position, stacking upward like building blocks to carry them ever higher.

Finally, when they reached the top level of Ravenclaw Tower, some newcomers with a fear of heights no longer dared look down, because all they could see below were scattered pinpricks of firelight.

Hoffa estimated that the tower was at least three hundred meters tall... Even he felt dizzy looking down. Without the stairs to help, who knew how long it would take to climb?

Flitwick smiled. "Rule One of Ravenclaw's Seventy-Five Rules: don't throw things off the tower."

The new students gave a few forced laughs in response.

The prefect led the trembling newcomers across a narrow aerial bridge, and the group arrived before a huge portrait of a knight.

The armored knight in the painting slowly bent at the waist. Beside the portrait stood a statue of an eagle perched atop a bronze ring.

Seeing them approach, the eagle spread its bronze wings and asked,

[Abandon me and you will die; merge with me and you will die. Yet within you, I am the source of life.]

Flitwick stepped aside. "Ravenclaw Common Room has no password. You must answer the statue's question before you can enter."

The newcomers all lowered their heads, pondering the statue's riddle.

Then a light laugh came from the crowd. The silver-haired Argeleia said proudly, "Too easy. The answer is water."

All the students around her showed looks of understanding and admiration.

Flitwick snapped his fingers.

"Correct. Pity I'm not a professor, so I can't give you points."

The metal eagle folded its wings.

The knight straightened up, and the portrait slowly opened, revealing a hidden blue corridor behind it.

Hoffa sighed. He saw Hermione's shadow in the silver-haired girl.

They were both the kind of people who were clever and proud.

They entered the common room, a large circular chamber. There were soft cushions on the floor and several chairs.

Elegant arched windows lined the walls, draped with blue and bronze silk fluttering in the breeze. Through the windows, Hoffa could see the bright, beautiful stars of the night, scattered across the sky like lights. Beyond them lay misty distant mountains stretching as far as the eye could see, while the wind swept across pale, wispy clouds. Everything seemed so quiet and peaceful.

The ceiling was domed and studded with stars, while the deep blue carpet below was also studded with stars. The room held tables, chairs, and bookshelves. In a niche opposite the door stood a white marble bust of Rowena Ravenclaw. A door beside the statue led to the dormitories above.

The environment was very quiet.

Some older students sat cross-legged on cushions on the floor. Some were reading, some were playing chess, and some simply had their eyes closed, perhaps meditating.

When they saw the newcomers arrive, the upperclassmen merely nodded slightly before continuing with what they were doing.

Hoffa walked to the window, looked out at the starry sky, held the railing, and breathed in the breeze. The air carried the distinctive honeysuckle fragrance of the night. For a moment, Milarepa Walker's Meditation Method began operating on its own.

Not resisting the instinctive sensation, Hoffa sat down on a cushion by the window and began meditating.

He felt that perhaps the Sorting Hat had made the decision best suited to him.

With every breath, his fingers curled into a strange gesture.

His consciousness spread through Ravenclaw Tower like a spiderweb, though only within the common room. Whenever he tried to extend it beyond the common room, he could only touch endless darkness. He didn't know whether his spiritual power was insufficient or whether magic was blocking it.

Time couldn't be felt during meditation. By the time he finished, almost everyone around him had left.

But two people remained.

Miranda sat on the carpet beside a bookshelf, reading under magical light.

And the girl named Argeleia sat in a chair, writing and drawing. Hoffa had no idea what she was writing, but the parchment was densely covered in words.

Seeing Hoffa rise, Argeleia gave him a cold glance and let out an almost imperceptible sneer.

Miranda, meanwhile, closed her book and stood up with Hoffa.

The two reached the fork leading to the boys' and girls' dormitories.

Miranda suddenly asked quietly, "Did you offend Argeleia?"

Hoffa muttered, "If running away counts as offending her, then yes."

Miranda chuckled. "Then you're in for it. Veela are very vindictive creatures."

"What?" Hoffa was a little shocked. "She's a Veela?"

"Not a pure Veela, but she definitely has Veela blood. Drases is a French surname. In that respect, she's a lot like you."

After saying goodnight, she entered the girls' dormitory.

Hoffa went into the boys' dormitory.

The dormitory was at the very top of the tower. There were four four-poster beds in the room, and all his roommates were already sound asleep.

Dark blue velvet curtains hung around the beds, and his backpack sat beside his own.

Hoffa undressed and climbed into bed, but a small question lingered in his mind.

Why hadn't that silver-haired girl gone to Beauxbatons? Why had she come to Britain to study instead?