The young wizards savoured their feast amid cheerful conversation, the Great Hall alive with the warm buzz of satisfied students. Steam rose from platters of roasted meats and buttery vegetables, mingling with the soft glow of floating candles above. The teachers at the staff table also exchanged pleasant words during their meal, maintaining the collegial atmosphere that made Hogwarts feel like home.
Of course, a certain greasy black-haired man proved the notable exception.
Severus Snape picked at his food with bird-like precision, spending most of his time directing his intense black gaze toward the Gryffindor table. Specifically, boring holes into Harry Potter's unsuspecting head.
"Minerva, congratulations! That boy ended up in your Gryffindor after all."
Professor Sprout chatted cheerfully with McGonagall, her round face glowing with good humour.
McGonagall gently set down her silver knife and fork, her expression thoughtful. "That child Harry... it seemed like the Sorting Hat actually wanted to place him in Slytherin initially."
She shook her head, speaking as if making casual conversation. "But I heard Harry keep muttering at the time, 'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin...'"
Hearing McGonagall's quiet observation, Snape's pale face twitched violently. He spoke slowly, his tone carrying its usual chill: "He wouldn't suit Slytherin anyway."
Subsequently, Snape's penetrating stare at Harry intensified, though Harry never once glanced toward the staff table. Those emerald green eyes that so resembled his mother's remained forever out of Snape's desperate reach.
While Snape brooded in his characteristic darkness, McGonagall had already raised her goblet to clink it cheerfully with Professor Flitwick's.
"Filius, I should congratulate you as well. Ravenclaw has gained quite the promising student."
Filius Flitwick, diminutive Head of Ravenclaw House and Charms master, perked up with obvious interest. "Oh, Minerva, are you referring to that remarkable child called Leonardo?"
McGonagall nodded and took a measured sip of her red wine. "Yes, I believe you'll find this student... exceptional. His talent is, well, quite extraordinary."
Speaking of Leo's placement, McGonagall felt genuine regret that he hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor. If Leo had joined the lions, perhaps decades from now the wizarding world could boast another great wizard graduating from her house.
Hearing McGonagall's glowing evaluation, Flitwick registered genuine surprise. He understood this colleague's personality after years of working together. Minerva would praise students' diligence and commend their efforts readily enough, but she rarely praised a student's raw talent so directly and emphatically.
This meant Professor McGonagall not only recognised Leo's exemplary learning attitude but also held his magical abilities in exceptional regard.
The assessment made Flitwick intensely curious about his new charge.
"Thank you, Minerva. I'll certainly pay special attention to that young man."
Sprout suddenly turned with a bright smile. "I just remembered! Isn't Leonardo the student who bought that enormous pile of books at Flourish and Blotts?"
"Indeed, Pomona."
"How wonderful! A true love of books is exactly what we prize. Truly worthy of being a Ravenclaw student."
At the Ravenclaw table, Leo had finished his meal and lifted his goblet of pumpkin juice for a refreshing sip. Glancing up, he happened to catch Hermione stealing another look in his direction. With characteristic politeness, he raised his cup in a distant, friendly toast.
Hermione, caught red-handed in her observation, quickly ducked her head and returned the gesture with her own goblet. She used the drinking motion to hide her flushed cheeks, though at this distance Leo couldn't have seen her embarrassment anyway.
The beautiful girl to Leo's right suddenly received an urgent nudge from her roommate, who whispered conspiratorially: "Hey, Cho, he's finished eating! If you don't talk to him now, I'm marching over there myself."
The girl called Cho pushed her persistent roommate away, her lovely face tingeing pink with mortification. "I know, I know! Stop rushing me like that!"
Rolling her dark eyes at her roommate's antics, Cho turned gracefully to face Leo.
"Hello, Leonardo. I'm Cho Chang," she said with polite formality, her voice carrying a slight musical quality. "I'm in second year, one year above you."
Leo's expression shifted almost imperceptibly as recognition dawned. Cho Chang. The name brought fragments of memory from another life, though this warm, composed girl beside him bore little resemblance to his hazy recollections from the films.
The Cho before him possessed classic beauty with distinctly East Asian features. Her waterfall of silky black hair made her porcelain-white skin appear almost luminous, while delicate freckles dotting her nose tip added an endearing touch of youthful charm rather than detracting from her elegance.
"Hello, Cho. I'm very pleased to meet you."
Leo offered his most polished, courteous smile.
Cho returned the expression with obvious delight, revealing perfect white teeth. "Since you're new to Hogwarts, please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything you don't understand about the castle or classes."
"Thank you. That's very kind."
Cho's roommate suddenly pounced playfully onto her back, resting her chin on Cho's shoulder with a mischievous grin. "Hey there, handsome first-year! Are you interested in Quidditch by any chance?"
"Let me tell you, Cho isn't just our house beauty... she's also Ravenclaw's star Seeker! Want to consider trying out for the team? We're always looking for talent."
A deeper blush bloomed across Cho's cheeks as she twisted to face her friend. "Marietta! Who recruits people the very moment they meet? Why don't you join the team yourself if you're so enthusiastic?"
Marietta pressed her cheek against Cho's with shameless affection, speaking matter-of-factly: "Don't you remember my abysmal Flying class grades? Besides, boys are naturally better at sports, right, Leonardo?"
She punctuated her question with an exaggerated wink in Leo's direction.
"Quidditch does sound fascinating, though I've never had the opportunity to experience it before coming here."
Leo diplomatically avoided Marietta's leading question, but she clearly had no intention of letting the topic drop.
"Having interest is half the battle! Quidditch is absolutely exhilarating!" Marietta actually pushed Cho forward slightly, bringing her closer to Leo's personal space. "When you decide to learn, have Cho teach you the ropes."
Leo politely leaned back to maintain appropriate distance, his smile never wavering. "Perhaps, if the opportunity arises."
Suddenly, the remnants of dinner vanished with a soft whoosh, leaving the table surfaces spotlessly clean. Dumbledore's resonant voice filled the Great Hall like warm honey:
"Children, our feast draws to a close. Allow me to announce several important matters for your attention."
"First, the Forbidden Forest remains strictly off-limits to all students, without exception."
"Second..."
Having eaten and drunk their fill, the young wizards listened patiently to the headmaster's traditional announcements. Nothing too dramatic... just the usual safety reminders and school policies.
"Well then, to conclude our evening properly, let us all sing the school song together!"
Dumbledore raised his wand like a conductor's baton, summoning shimmering musical notes that danced through the air between teachers and students alike. The resulting chorus created a cacophonous yet somehow endearing melody that filled every corner of the ancient hall.
After the final notes faded, Dumbledore actually wiped tears from the corners of his twinkling eyes. "Such moments never fail to move this old heart."
Leo, observing this display from his seat below, couldn't suppress a wry smile. A man who'd lived over a century, yet his emotions remained so wonderfully unguarded.
Actually, that made perfect sense in this world. Magical effects largely depended on a wizard's emotional depth and conviction. Dumbledore often proclaimed that love represented the most powerful magic in existence. As the strongest wizard of the current era, such emotional richness seemed entirely appropriate for the legendary headmaster.
Dumbledore officially declared the feast concluded, with new students to be escorted to their respective house common rooms by their prefects.
Ravenclaw's prefect proved to be a tall, lanky boy named Robert Hilliard, sporting golden curls and thick black-rimmed glasses. Rather than projecting a stereotypical bookish demeanour, he greeted the first-years with infectious enthusiasm:
"Welcome, everyone, to Ravenclaw! Our house emblem is the eagle... a magnificent creature soaring through the highest heavens."
"Now, I'm not exaggerating when I say our house truly contains the cleverest witches and wizards in all of Hogwarts..."
During Robert's eloquent introduction, the group of new students traversed the castle's winding corridors until they reached the western tower. Following a dizzying spiral staircase to its very peak, they encountered an elegant bronze door adorned with an eagle-shaped knocker.
The moment they approached, a mysterious, hollow voice resonated from the metal fixture:
"Five supremely clever wizards receive 100 Galleons to divide among themselves. They must propose solutions in order, with all five voting on each proposal. Any plan requires more than half the votes to pass; otherwise, the proposer gets thrown into a dragon's nest and eliminated."
"As the first wizard making the initial proposal, how should you distribute the gold to secure the maximum for yourself?"
Robert stepped forward and patted the bronze knocker with familiar ease. "Everyone, behind this door lies our Ravenclaw common room. But to enter, you must answer the riddle correctly."
He gestured toward the expectant first-years. "So... does anyone want to try?"
The group immediately erupted in nervous whispers and worried murmurs.
"Is getting into Ravenclaw's common room always this complicated?"
"What if we can't solve it? Do we sleep in the corridor?"
"With this scenario, wouldn't the other wizards just reject any proposal and feed the first guy to dragons?"
"Merlin's socks, is it too late to transfer houses?"
One timid young wizard stepped forward hesitantly: "Um... what if I don't want any Galleons? Could I just give them all to the others?"
The hollow voice responded immediately: "Incorrect answer."
The boy's face flushed with embarrassment as he retreated into the crowd.
Another student with a severe buzz cut pushed forward, expression full of disdain: "Isn't this ridiculously simple? Just cast four Blasting Curses and take all the gold for myself!"
Dead silence. The entire group stared at him in horrified fascination.
After several heartbeats, the knocker's voice returned, dripping with ominous judgement: "Azkaban."
A wide circle immediately cleared around the buzz-cut boy, leaving him standing alone.
Leo studied the aggressive first-year with bemused curiosity. This was definitely Gryffindor or Slytherin material. How had he ended up in Ravenclaw?
The Sorting Hat really was becoming unreliable.
Robert chuckled diplomatically, smoothing over the awkward moment: "Well, sometimes direct action is the most efficient solution to complex problems. In the wizarding world, knowledge and power often prove equivalent."
Privately, Robert felt today's riddle was exceptionally challenging for eleven-year-old children. He turned around, preparing to answer the knocker himself... he couldn't leave his charges stranded outside their own dormitory.
Just as Robert opened his mouth to speak, a clear, confident voice rang out from behind him:
"Give the fifth wizard 2 Galleons. Give the third wizard 1 Galleon. The remaining 97 Galleons..."
"All go to me."
Robert spun around in amazement, wondering which brilliant first-year had solved the puzzle.
But the common room door was already swinging open with ancient, well-oiled grace.
The bronze knocker's voice resonated with obvious approval: "May your wisdom shine eternal as the stars above!"