Chapter 53: Help Me Look Into Something

The feast began.

All the students immediately switched into full-on eating mode.

At the same time, ghosts from all corners of the castle emerged, giving quite a scare to many of the new students. Ian was no exception—his gaze lingered on the ghosts with fascination.

Each one had a translucent body, devoid of any vibrant colors, quite different from the departed souls in the Ethereal Realm.

"Eat up! Eat up, young ones!"

"Haha! Another crybaby!"

The presence of ghosts only made the banquet livelier.

Nearly Headless Nick, the Bloody Baron, the Fat Friar... Ian glanced around but did not see Helena Ravenclaw. It seemed that the Lady of Ravenclaw had long since stopped attending these gatherings.

With a shrug, Ian focused back on his plate, continuing his battle against the feast before him.

"Hello, I'm Penelope Clearwater, the other Ravenclaw prefect. Welcome to Ravenclaw."

A short while after dinner began, the female prefect of Ravenclaw took the initiative to greet Ian from across the table. Like Dietrich, the male prefect, she was clearly someone intelligent and observant.

"Hello, hello! Just call me Ian..."

Ian, his mouth full of roast pork, mumbled a response, his words slightly muffled.

"Alright then, Ian," Penelope said with a friendly smile. "If you ever need anything, feel free to ask me."

Ian blinked. "Really?"

He did have something he needed help with. Upperclassmen like Penelope had been around for years—they could accomplish things that first-years like him couldn't.

"Of course," Penelope reassured him.

After considering for a moment, Ian put down his food.

"This might come off as a bit rude, but... I'd like to ask for your help with something. Could you find out if there's anyone at school who has lost a younger sister?"

Ian had not forgotten his promise to his friend.

"Huh?"

Penelope was caught off guard by the odd request.

"It's... a sensitive matter," Ian admitted. "But it's really important to me." As he spoke, he watched helplessly as the last drumstick on his plate was snatched away by a fast-moving first-year next to him.

"No problem," Penelope replied without prying further. She readily agreed.

"Do you have any clues to go on?"

She resumed eating, likely not wanting to go to bed on an empty stomach.

"I'm looking for two brothers. They may be twins, or they may not be. What I do know is that they lost a younger sister in the past."

Ian paused before adding, "Her name was Ariana... I think. I'm not entirely sure."

He had no way of knowing whether Ariana's brothers were still in school.

No one knew exactly how long ago Ariana had died. No one knew how much time had passed for her in the Ethereal Realm. In fact, "Ariana" might not even have been her name in life.

Just like Pandero.

He had forgotten his real name and had chosen a new one in the Ethereal Realm. Who knew if the same had happened with Ariana?

"With a name to work with, that makes things easier," Penelope said confidently. "Leave it to me. If there's anyone at school who matches, I'll find them."

"Thank you, truly. Having a prefect like you is a real blessing for first-years like us," Ian said, offering some sincere gratitude—with a bit of flattery mixed in.

"A small matter."

Penelope waved it off, flashing a smile before making an "OK" gesture with her hand. It was clear she enjoyed Ian's praise.

"You can call me Penelope, by the way—if I like someone, I let them skip the last name."

The feast continued.

Cho Chang, meanwhile, seemed even hungrier than Ian.

From the start of the banquet, she had been wholly focused on eating, paying no attention to Ian and Penelope's conversation. It was as if she were locked in a fierce battle with the food on her plate.

Ian, on the other hand, had a problem—his other neighbor, a first-year from Gryffindor, was far quicker at grabbing food than he was. As a result, Ian barely managed to get his share of fried chicken and fries.

By the time everyone was full and the main course vanished, giving way to dessert, Ian spotted the best-looking watermelon jelly—only for it to be snatched away by that same nimble Gryffindor.

Resigned, he settled for a chocolate cream pudding.

After everyone had finished dessert, all the plates and cutlery disappeared, and Dumbledore slowly rose to his feet once more.

"Just a few last words," he announced.

Once the hall had quieted, he continued, "A reminder to all first-years—The Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits to students, regardless of year."

"And to our older students," he added, his voice carrying across the hall, "I do hope you continue to remember this rule."

"Are there other dangerous places near the school?" Cho Chang asked, her concern evident.

"I don't know if it's dangerous," Ian mused, "but I do know that if Dumbledore hadn't mentioned it, we wouldn't even be aware that there's a whole new map to explore."

Cho Chang gave him a look. "You're braver than most Gryffindors."

Meanwhile, Dumbledore had moved on to other school rules, reminding students not to cast spells in the hallways and—rather bizarrely—not to relieve themselves in front of Filch's office.

This last remark sent the hall into peals of laughter.

Once the laughter subsided, Dumbledore led the school in singing the Hogwarts school song.

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts,
Teach us something, please…

The melody was simple, the lyrics easy to remember.

Everyone sang at their own pace, to whatever tune they pleased. Over at the Gryffindor table, some jokers had even decided to sing it to the tune of a funeral march.

Ian, for his part, chose the style of a rock band's performance, which prompted his fellow Ravenclaws to discreetly shuffle away from him.

The joyous atmosphere didn't last forever.

Though Ian wished it could go on, Dumbledore soon signaled for everyone to return to their dormitories. Under the guidance of their respective prefects, the students began lining up to leave.

Ian glanced toward the Slytherin table and waved at Aurora.

She hesitated for a moment before lifting her hand in return, a small, reluctant wave.

The great hall slowly emptied.

Professors began to take their leave as well.

But as Professor McGonagall was about to return the Sorting Hat to the Headmaster's office, a long, slender hand suddenly snatched it from her grasp.

"What are you doing? I am Hogwarts' invaluable property!"

The Sorting Hat let out a shrill protest, louder than a startled groundhog.

"Help! McGonagall, help me!"

"Dumbledore! Dumbledore, turn around this instant!"