No matter how wild the night, morning always comes.
By dawn the next day, news of the three Gryffindors' peculiar punishment had already spread throughout Hogwarts Castle like wildfire. Even Professor McGonagall, the headmistress, had heard.
When she first learned the details, she pressed her lips together tightly to suppress a smile. She didn't voice approval or disapproval, but her silence spoke volumes.
Sometimes, silence is the loudest answer.
Meanwhile, in a quiet office elsewhere in the castle, Ino sat with his eyes fixed on the ticking clock nearby.
It was eight o'clock on a Saturday morning — the usual time for the weekly meeting of the Mechanical Magic Club.
Around him sat a dozen eager young faces, wide-eyed and filled with anticipation. For a moment, Ino was transported back to his own first meeting with the Transfiguration Club. These kids were just like him back then: brimming with curiosity, ambition, and barely contained magical energy.
These were the same students whose top-notch homework had recently graced his desk.
Knock! Knock-knock!
The silence of the room was broken by a rapid knock at the door.
"Sorry, Professor! I overslept!" A girl burst in, hair a wild mess and cheeks flushed with panic.
Her tousled brown curls covered most of her face, but the blue trim on her robes gave her away — a Ravenclaw.
"Come on in, Miss Smick," Ino said, waving her over casually.
He didn't seem the least bit bothered by her tardiness. After all, this wasn't a formal class. He'd made it clear from the very first meeting: if a student ever wanted to stop attending, they could. No need for explanations, no pressure.
His easygoing attitude only made Smick feel guiltier. She had set her alarm, after all. But sometime in the night, someone had moved it, leaving her to oversleep completely unaware.
"Now that everyone's here," Ino said, glancing around at the gathered students, "I think it's time for a little practical work today."
As excited murmurs filled the air, Ino snapped his fingers.
A sudden flash of flame burst in the corner of the room. When the light cleared, a majestic phoenix — Coreba — stood tall, feathers gleaming like molten gold.
The Shrieking Shack.
Located just outside Hogsmeade, it had long been known as the most haunted house in Britain. In reality, it was nothing more than a derelict building — dust-covered, with peeling walls, and furniture in ruins. The front hall still had a chair with one leg snapped clean off.
Years ago, when Remus Lupin had been bitten by a werewolf as a child, his parents had feared he'd never be allowed to attend school. But Dumbledore had personally invited him to Hogwarts, making special arrangements to keep him and others safe. Each month, Lupin would be escorted by Madam Pomfrey through the Whomping Willow's secret tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, where he could transform in isolation, surrounded by protective enchantments.
Because of his howls and cries during those painful nights, villagers began to believe the place was haunted. Dumbledore, ever clever, encouraged the rumors to ensure no one would come too close.
Later, once James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew became unregistered Animagi, they'd secretly join Lupin to keep him company.
Still, for safety, there were no usable doors or windows. The only way in or out remained the hidden passage beneath the Whomping Willow.
Ino hadn't remembered the shack at first.
One day, he saw a group of mischievous students sneak out from beneath the Willow's roots. Curious, he followed and rediscovered the forgotten shack.
After checking with Professor McGonagall, he found out the shack was not Hogwarts property. That settled it. A letter to the Ministry later, and the deed was his — for the modest price of three thousand Galleons.
Incidentally, Cornelius Fudge was no longer the Minister of Magic. The post was now held by Amelia Bones, the no-nonsense former head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
After securing the property, Ino set to work remodeling the place.
He had a vision.
And the key to that vision? The Extension Charm.
Out of all the spells he knew, he always thought the Extension Charm was criminally underrated — especially after seeing Newt Scamander's suitcase.
Now, the dozen young witches and wizards stood in a space far larger than any house should contain.
An endless green field stretched before them, glittering with dew.
In the distance loomed a snowcapped mountain, its flurries drifting gently in the wind. The stark contrast with Hogwarts' sunny summer made the scene all the more surreal.
"Merlin's beard... where are we?" Smick whispered, stunned.
"Maybe we're abroad…" someone muttered.
"Nah, phoenixes can teleport across countries, remember?"
As they chattered excitedly, Ino offered no explanation. Not yet.
Until the park was finished, he didn't want anyone to know this was the inside of the Shrieking Shack.
He'd had the idea ever since he inherited a unique line of ice magic.
A winter wonderland theme park — why not?
Muggles had Disneyland and theme parks of every flavor. But in the wizarding world? Nothing. No magical amusement parks. No fairytale resorts.
The shack was perfect: nestled in Hogsmeade, already connected to Hogwarts, and entirely under his control.
If done right, it could become a dream destination for witches and wizards across Europe, maybe even the world.
The group's murmurs faded as they looked toward Ino, who stood calmly before them.
"This place," he announced, "will soon become a magical amusement park. A fairytale park."
The students stared, wide-eyed.
"You'll be the first designers."
A hush fell over the field.
"I want you to craft magical lanterns, any style you like. Be bold, be creative. Each lantern will carry your name on its base. And yes — you'll be paid."
He pulled a coin pouch from his robe and opened it with a flick of his wand. Dozens of Galleons and Sickles floated into the air, spinning gently like golden fireflies.
The students stared in awe, dazzled.
Considering how vast the space was, Ino added a final flourish with a wave of his hand.
Instantly, magical transportation appeared around them.
There were flying brooms, enchanted carpets, gentle unicorns, and even small, tame dragons. Not illusions — actual magical creatures, carefully tamed for the occasion.
For a brief second, no one moved.
Then, like a spark to powder, the field erupted into delighted shouts. Students scrambled toward their favorite ride. The girls flocked to the unicorns, the boys fought over the dragons, and a few settled for the elegant flying carpets.
The once-popular broomsticks sat untouched, their popularity apparently eclipsed.
As the students zoomed off into the distance, Ino leaned back into a velvet-cushioned recliner that had appeared behind him.
But the theme park was only part of the plan.
He had another idea simmering in the back of his mind.
A journey to the Crimson Rose city.
If he could combine alchemy and enchanted flesh, and perhaps even add the Philosopher's Stone's elixir of life... who said fairy tale characters had to stay fictional?
He opened his hands.
A few books materialized, their covers aged but beautifully bound.
The titles gleamed under the morning sun.
Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Andersen's Fairy Tales.
One Thousand and One Nights.
They were old, but to Ino, they were precious. He'd bought them from a Muggle bookstore twelve years ago, just before receiving his letter to Hogwarts.
The dream had begun then.
And it hadn't ended yet.