Aarav had just taken his first steps inside the hallowed halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—wearing blue Kolhapuri chappals and an oversized hoodie with "Thik Hai" written on the front.
Every enchanted candle flickered as he passed.
The suits of armor whispered, "He's not wearing robes!"
A portrait of a 14th-century witch fainted.
He didn't notice. He was too busy looking up.
"This ceiling? Mad. Who installs stars indoors?" he said aloud. Then he snapped his fingers and actual constellations formed, twinkling and spelling:
"Aarav Was Here."
McGonagall muttered under her breath, "This is going to be a long year."
---
🧙♀️ McGonagall's Challenge
In her classic tartan robes, Professor McGonagall stood tall and composed—until she looked down at Aarav's chappals.
"You… didn't bring school robes?"
"I thought it was like college orientation," Aarav shrugged. "You know, chill first few days, then syllabus."
She blinked. "Mr. Aarav—"
"Just Aarav."
"Fine. Aarav. Hogwarts is a place of academic rigor. There are rules. Uniforms. Schedules. Bedtimes."
"Yeh sab hai?" Aarav asked, puzzled. "I thought it was, like, flying brooms, making stuff float, and playing that ball game with weird rules."
"Quidditch," Flitwick squeaked from behind her, barely peeking over the podium.
Aarav nodded. "Right. That."
"Mr. Aarav—do you even want to be here?" she asked, clearly flustered.
Aarav tilted his head. "Not really. But the portal wouldn't close, and my mom said I should explore the world before settling down."
"Settle down into what, exactly?"
"Don't know. Maybe open a meditation café."
---
🎒 The Bag of Infinite Jugaad
As McGonagall prepared to escort him to the dorms, Aarav casually dropped his sling bag on the floor. It made a deep THUMP, louder than expected.
"Is that… enchanted?" she asked suspiciously.
Aarav shrugged. "Not sure. It just… fits everything."
He opened it. Pulled out a steel tiffin, a Bluetooth speaker, two mangoes, a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a portable fan, and finally, a small golden conch.
He blew into the conch experimentally.
All of Hogwarts heard the Mahabharat intro music.
Students from all four houses stood still in the corridors. Even the Bloody Baron paused mid-sulk.
Aarav tucked the conch back. "Sorry. Wrong button."
---
🧼 The Magical Bath Mishap
Once inside his temporary room (since he wasn't sorted into a house yet), Aarav decided to freshen up. A house-elf guided him to the prefects' bathroom, explaining that "Master Aarav glows too much for ordinary plumbing."
Inside was a massive marble bath filled with floating soaps, bubbles, and taps labeled with different magical scents.
Aarav turned on one. It sprayed ghee.
Another released a stream of sandalwood water.
Another summoned a mini Shiva Linga fountain with incense.
"Okay, now this is spa goals," Aarav muttered.
He dipped one foot in—and the water immediately turned into the Ganges, with glowing fish and tiny floating diyas.
At that moment, a prefect walked in and screamed.
"I—I'm sorry! I didn't know—!"
Aarav waved. "No stress. Want a towel?"
---
🧺 The Robe Conundrum
Next stop: uniform fitting.
Madam Pomfrey came personally to take his measurements after three enchanted mannequins passed out from his aura. She clucked in disapproval.
"Your energy keeps interfering with the stitching charms."
"I can just wear what I have," Aarav offered, holding up a pair of joggers with 'Om Namah Shivaya' printed down the leg.
Eventually, they found a solution: robes made of temple bells and enchanted cotton, stitched by magical silkworms that hummed bhajans while working. His robe shimmered with golden threads and adjusted itself into hoodies or kurtas depending on his mood.
"Honestly," Pomfrey muttered, "I don't know if I'm a nurse or a costume designer anymore."
---
🪑 The Chair Incident
At dinner in the Great Hall, students were whispering non-stop.
"That's him!"
"Is he the Indian version of Merlin?"
"I heard he rides a flying cow."
"No, it's an elephant."
"No, a tiger."
Aarav walked in, casually floating three inches above the floor, holding a banana leaf that was magically folding itself into a plate.
He looked around and said, "Y'all eat sitting down?"
Then, he summoned a sitting mat from the bag, laid it on the floor beside the Gryffindor table, and sat cross-legged like he was at a satsang.
Before McGonagall could intervene, his mat transformed into a levitating cushion and floated up to table height. A soft Sanskrit chant played from somewhere nearby.
"Don't worry, I'll adjust," he said, munching on roti that appeared from thin air.
---
🍛 The Great Hall Meal Upgrade
The feast began, but Aarav's presence had… effects.
The roast beef turned into paneer tikka.
Pumpkin juice turned into masala chaas.
Boiled potatoes became aloo bhaji.
Butterbeer? Now it was kesar doodh.
Students were stunned.
"What happened to the pudding?" asked a Hufflepuff.
Aarav, with his mouth full, smiled, "You just unlocked Prasad Mode."
And just like that, Hogwarts had its first Divinely Blessed Veg Buffet.
---
🪔 That Night...
As Aarav lay in his magical cot under self-braiding fairy lights, he looked out of the arched window.
A golden moon hung over the Black Lake. The ripples sparkled with what looked like Sanskrit glyphs. A single owl hooted in the distance.
Aarav smiled, took out a steel dabba of gajar halwa, and began eating.
"Nice place. Bit dramatic. But I can vibe here."
The stars above rearranged themselves briefly into the shape of a chill emoji.
He didn't notice