Chapter 56: Watching from the Shadows

The first-year coursework hadn't posed much of a challenge for the newly enrolled young wizards.

Before long, they had all made their way into the common room.

Then, a pair of prefects—one male, one female—gave speeches brimming with self-importance, clearly relishing the attention. Their public-speaking skills weren't bad, and the common room erupted in applause, filled with the polite enthusiasm that young students muster for authority figures.

Satisfied with their moment in the spotlight, the prefects moved on to assigning dormitories to the first-years.

This year, only seven boys had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

Perhaps out of kindness, or maybe just due to sheer luck, Ian ended up in the only three-person dorm instead of the four-person rooms that had been assigned to the rest.

And as fate would have it, his new roommates were none other than the freckled boy who had left a lasting impression during the Sorting Ceremony, Nico, and a green-haired boy Ian hadn't properly met yet.

The dormitory shared the same color scheme as the common room, with five desks lined up neatly beneath a large window. Each bed had deep blue velvet curtains hanging from the frame, offering a semblance of privacy.

Ian wasted no time settling in. After shoving his suitcase under the bed, he turned to introduce himself.

"Ian Prince."

His two roommates were still busy unpacking their things, but the green-haired boy looked up first. His face was dotted with freckles, not too many, but just enough to be noticeable.

"William Smith," the boy said, shaking Ian's hand. "I remember you. You took almost ten minutes to get sorted."

"Did I really?" Ian was a little surprised. "I only remember having a casual chat with the Sorting Hat."

"You definitely took that long," William confirmed, nodding. "Honestly, I think the Sorting Hat steals time from us. Maybe that's how it's managed to survive for centuries."

The other boy, a dark-skinned student, finally joined the conversation.

"Michael Jordan," he introduced himself.

"That's a great name," Ian said. "You must be good at Quidditch."

Ian wasn't the type to hold grudges, but as soon as he saw what Michael pulled out from his bag, he had second thoughts.

A whole bag stuffed with fried chicken legs and a pile of golden, crispy fries.

"You guys want some?" Michael grinned, tossing the bag onto the desk. "I stashed these away during the feast."

Ian's eyes narrowed slightly.

So that's why his own plate had emptied so fast during dinner. He'd been wondering why the food kept disappearing before he could even get a second helping.

"You have an enchanted bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm?" William's eyes gleamed with fascination. "I read about those in a book!"

Ian, however, was far more focused on the steaming hot drumstick in Michael's hand.

"Yeah, my mom gave it to me as a gift before I left for school," Michael admitted between bites. "She's always been weirdly strict about what I eat, but honestly? Fried food is amazing."

To emphasize his point, he squeezed a bit of ketchup onto his fries before popping one into his mouth.

"Wish I got something like that," William sighed. "My mom's a Muggle, only my dad's a wizard, but she pretty much runs everything in our house. She's the one who manages the money, and, well… we're not exactly rich. Most of what we have goes toward taking care of my younger siblings."

"Half-blood, then? Not bad. I come from a pure-blood family, but I've never met my father. He died not long after I was born."

Michael's chewing slowed a little.

"Supposedly, he died fighting against You-Know-Who, My mother always says he fell just before dawn."

Ian's expression turned somber. "He must've loved you a lot."

"He did," Michael nodded. "He only joined the fight because of me. He wanted to make sure I'd grow up in a safer world."

For the first time, he hesitated before taking another bite.

Ian shrugged. "You still had it better than me. I grew up in an orphanage. Never even knew my parents."

Both of his roommates turned to look at him with wide eyes filled with sympathy.

"Damn," William muttered.

Michael didn't say anything. Instead, he silently handed Ian a drumstick.

Ian almost accepted it—then remembered how much he'd been looking forward to dessert at the feast.

He'd wanted watermelon-flavored jelly, and Michael had definitely devoured all of it.

"...No thanks. I'm on a diet."

William frowned. "What? But you're so skinny!"

Michael nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you should eat more. I, on the other hand, have to eat. My mom says my brain's still growing."

And judging by the way he was devouring his food, his stomach was growing too.

"I should review my textbooks," William announced, standing up and grabbing A History of Magic from his trunk. "I don't want to embarrass myself in class tomorrow."

Michael, now full, stretched and headed for the bathroom. "Relax, mate. Even kids from pure-blood families don't start learning spells before school. As long as we pay attention in class, we'll be fine."

Ian found himself agreeing.

William, however, was already deep into his reading.

When Michael returned, he raised an eyebrow at Ian, who was sitting at his desk with a quill in hand.

"You're not actually studying, are you?"

Ian shook his head. "Just writing a letter home. Don't want the folks at the orphanage worrying about me."

Michael leaned over for a quick glance at the parchment.

Dear Headmistress Elena,
I have settled in well at Hogwarts Academy for Gifted Youth. The students here are friendly, and the professors are brilliant experts in their fields.

Please let Daniel and Joey know that I am doing fine. No one has treated me differently because of my background, and the academic atmosphere here is truly inspiring.

If…

Michael didn't read further, yawning as he turned away.

"Guess I should write to my mom tomorrow too," he mumbled before flopping onto his bed and instantly passing out.

That was a skill in itself.

William, unfazed by the snores beginning to fill the room, calmly put in his earplugs and continued studying.

Ian, finishing his letter, placed it carefully in his bag before getting ready for bed.

It wasn't easy crafting a letter that made Hogwarts sound like a prestigious Muggle school. The orphanage staff had been enchanted to forget magic existed, so he had to be careful with his descriptions. One wrong detail—like writing about students casually eating full-course meals at dinner—and they might start asking questions.

Outside, the night was silent except for the faint sound of rain pattering against the windows.

Thunder flickered in the distance.

And beyond the glass, unnoticed in the dim glow of lightning, something watched.

A strange creature clung to the eaves of the castle, its body flattened against the ancient stonework. It had deep blue wings, its shape a bizarre blend between reptile and butterfly.

Its small, unnerving eyes gleamed as they focused on the Ravenclaw dormitory, staring intently at the sleeping figure of Ian.