The oak door at the side of the Great Hall opened with a soft click.
It swung halfway open, and a figure stepped out of the Staff Room.
Dumbledore's introduction of a transfer student still hung in the air. Hundreds of eyes turned toward the door at once.
The boy who emerged was tall and lean, with the slight build of a thirteen-year-old. His black school robes were brand-new, the top two buttons undone and no house crest yet embroidered on his chest.
His golden-brown hair was a little long, curling naturally around his ears and the nape of his neck. A few stray locks fell across his forehead. He had a straight nose, light brown eyes that shone in the candlelight, and the healthy tan of someone who spent plenty of time outdoors.
With the entire hall watching him, the boy neither lowered his head nor adopted the solemn bearing of a distinguished heir.
He walked as though he hadn't a care in the world.
As he crossed the aisle, he noticed someone at a nearby table looking at him and flashed them an easy smile.
At the table diagonally ahead of Gavin, two Hufflepuff girls broke off their quiet conversation.
One nudged the other's elbow.
"He's really good-looking."
"Isn't he? He's a third-year? He looks so mature."
Whispers spread quietly along the tables.
Only when he reached Professor McGonagall did the boy notice his untidy collar.
He buttoned it up, placed his hands neatly at his sides, and bowed to Professor McGonagall in greeting. The careless air about him vanished, leaving a well-mannered boy no one could fault.
The corners of Professor McGonagall's stern mouth softened slightly.
At the Hufflepuff table, Justin craned his neck, then finally whispered to confirm:
"So he really is the grandson of the