Sunny Finch and Charlotte paused, their combat stances faltering as they turned toward the familiar voice cutting through the tension.
"It's a draw," Erwin stated clearly, striding forward. "Stop now. Continuing would only exhaust you both. It's become a contest of endurance, and with your current reserves, you wouldn't reach a conclusion for hours. Even then, the outcome would likely remain a tie."
The two fighters lowered their wands. Sunny Finch's face broke into a bright grin. "Erwin! You're back!"
Erwin nodded, his expression shifting to one of approval. "You both fought well. Your control has improved significantly."
Sunny Finch looked at Charlotte, her eyes gleaming with mutual respect. "We'll finish this another time, Charlotte."
"I'm always ready," Charlotte replied, bowing slightly to Erwin. "My lord."
"Alright, everyone disperse," Erwin addressed the surrounding Slytherins. "It's nearly lunchtime. Head to the Great Hall." He turned to Sunny Finch. "You're joining us. After lunch, I'll give you a tour of Hogwarts."
Sunny Finch nodded enthusiastically. The other Slytherins bowed respectfully. "Yes, Head Prefect."
Sunny Finch nudged Erwin with her shoulder as they began walking. "Quite the leader, aren't you?"
Erwin chuckled. "You were the top student at Kunlun too, weren't you?"
"That's different," Sunny Finch argued. "At Kunlun, I earned my spot through force. They respected my strength, but not necessarily me. Some were always plotting to challenge me." She glanced back at the Slytherins, who were dispersing quietly. "Here, though, it's genuine."
Erwin smiled but didn't respond. He had been building his position at Hogwarts since his first year. If he couldn't command respect by now, he wouldn't be fit for his role.
"Let's eat," Erwin said.
They made their way to the Great Hall. As they entered, Erwin noticed an extra long table had been set up specifically for the visiting students. They were already seated, chatting in small groups.
The Hogwarts students glanced curiously at the visitors, who were just as fascinated by their surroundings.
"I've never seen so many people from the West in one place," a student from Kunlun whispered to a friend.
"Look at their different hair and eye colors! It's fascinating," another replied.
"But honestly, they all look a bit similar to me," a third student admitted, squinting. "I'm terrible with faces."
Erwin overheard this and suppressed a laugh. He nudged Sunny Finch. "You should tell them that, technically, they're the foreigners here."
Sunny Finch shrugged. "Forgive them. We've spent years in a secluded institution. You've been to Kunlun—it's beautiful, but incredibly isolated. If you hadn't introduced that game to us, I think we would have all gone mad from boredom by now."
Charlotte, walking on Erwin's other side, asked, "Kunlun operates on a seven-year system as well?"
"Essentially, yes," Sunny Finch confirmed. "We find students with magical potential and bring them to the school. But China has a much larger population, so we admit many more students each year. After seven years, you have to pass rigorous exams to graduate."
Charlotte nodded, absorbing this information. Erwin had told her about the other schools, but never in this much detail.
"Save the questions for later," Erwin interrupted gently. "We have plenty of time. Finch, are you sitting with your fellow students, or with me?"
"I'm sticking with you," Sunny Finch decided.
Erwin led them to the Slytherin table. The students there stood up immediately. "Head Prefect!"
Erwin nodded back. As soon as he, Charlotte, and Sunny Finch took their seats, the rest of the hall followed suit. The Hogwarts students were used to Erwin's presence, but the visitors were impressed by the immediate, disciplined response.
The Kunlun students, however, were less restrained. Their chatter grew louder, drawing attention.
"Is that really Erwin?"
"Yeah! I didn't expect him to be so respected here."
"No wonder he defeated Sunny back then. Even the other Hogwarts students seem to hold him in high regard."
"It's normal for every school to have exceptional students, isn't it?"
"Did you pick up that phrasing from them already? You've been here less than a day."
"So what? Don't you find the way they speak interesting?"
Erwin's lips curled into a smile. Even in a foreign environment, the Kunlun students managed to be entertaining. He felt a pang of familiarity.
Just as the last students settled in, the food appeared on the tables with a soft pop.
The students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang stared blankly at the spread, unfamiliar with many of the dishes. The Kunlun students, however, were even more bewildered.
"Wait a moment," one muttered.
"Is that mapo tofu? Spicy hotpot? Braised pork belly? Sweet and sour pork?" Another stared at the plates. "Did I somehow end up back at Kunlun?"
"I distinctly remember coming abroad for this exchange program," a third student said, baffled. "Why is there food from home here? I wanted to try a proper British roast!"
As the student finished speaking, a steaming plate of roast beef appeared in front of him. His eyes lit up.
"Incredible! Hogwarts really lets you order whatever you want," he exclaimed. "The house-elves here are remarkably efficient."
"Keep your voice down," his friend hissed. "I heard that in the West, house-elves are bound servants. It's different from our system back home."