The evening breeze brushed gently past the tower.
The night sky had cast off its disguise, revealing its true form.
Tonight, the sky was beautiful, with a bright moon hanging high and stars shining brilliantly, making it perfect for star-gazing.
On the Astronomy Tower, students from various houses gathered in small groups, talking in low voices.
The Gryffindor group was noisy, and the loudest voice belonged to Ron Weasley.
He was gesturing wildly with an animated expression, his voice lowered but unable to hide his excitement as he told his companions about the embarrassing Slytherin incident he had witnessed during the day.
When he reached the funny parts, he gestured emphatically, making the group cover their mouths to stifle their laughter.
Their lively noise was particularly noticeable at the top of the tower.
The Ravenclaw side was much quieter.
Several students gathered around telescopes, discussing in hushed tones, seriously pondering where the constellations they were to observe tonight were located and how to connect the scattered stars into complete patterns.
Baelon, Michael, and Terry walked to a spot with a clear view and stood still.
Michael, steady and meticulous, had already taken out parchment and a quill, quietly waiting for class to begin.
Terry was lively and restless, unable to stop looking up at the star-filled sky, his eyes full of irrepressible curiosity.
Before long, Professor Aurora Sinistra walked slowly onto the top of the tower.
Dressed in plain robes, her expression was gentle yet rigorous.
She was the senior Professor who had been in charge of Astronomy at Hogwarts for many years.
Seeing the top of the tower gradually quiet down, she first gave a gentle and simple self-introduction, then raised her eyebrows slightly, speaking with a hint of relaxed banter.
“Students, before we officially begin our observations, I would like to ask—do many of you feel that Astronomy is a useless subject?”
A few light chuckles sounded among the students, and some nodded quietly, clearly having had such thoughts in their hearts.
Professor Sinistra was not surprised, and her tone gradually became gentle and serious:
“If you think so, you are quite mistaken.
According to the History of Magic, the first Wizards resonated with the starry sky during long periods of gazing at the stars, thereby awakening the dormant magic within their bodies.
From that day on, the stars have been closely connected to us.”
She looked up slightly toward the vast night sky:
“Within the stars lies ancient and mysterious power.
The Centaurs have observed the stars for generations, using them to predict the future and warn of crises.
Even the Hogwarts Castle beneath our feet is deeply inscribed with the intertwined marks of the stars and the earth.
For over a thousand years, the Castle’s protections have remained firm and its magic abundant, precisely because of the long-standing guardianship of this stellar power.”
She paused and continued slowly:
“Of course, to achieve such results requires advanced Alchemy, precise rune magic, and even large-scale ritual magic working in coordination.
And Astronomy is the starting point for you to touch all these ancient mysteries.”
As her voice fell, the previously noisy tower top became completely silent.
Even the Gryffindor students stopped their fooling around and looked seriously at the Professor.
Professor Sinistra raised her hand, her finger pointing toward the northern part of the night sky, her voice clear and gentle:
“Alright, enough idle talk, let’s officially begin our observations.
Look over there—that’s Ursa Minor.
The brightest star at the end is polaris, the North Star.
No matter how deep the night, it always points steadily north.
Muggles rely on it to find their way and sail across the seas, while we Wizards use it as a reference point to set up barriers and calibrate ancient arrays.
Several of Hogwarts’ core protections are closely related to this star.”
Next, she gave her wand a light flick, pointing to a string of particularly prominent bright stars to the west.
“Look here again, this is orion.
Three stars are arranged neatly, like a belt around a warrior’s waist, while the surrounding bright stars outline his broad shoulders and straight legs.
In ancient magical legends, it symbolizes alertness and strength, representing vigilance and struggle against the darkness.
Centaurs value the rising and setting trajectory of orion most, viewing it as a warning signal of external threats.”
The Professor turned to point east, where a group of stars in the night sky resembled a giant bird with wings spread, its form elegant.
“This is cygnus, also known as the Northern Cross.
It’s shaped like a bird in flight, signifying freedom, long journeys, and the clarity of the soul.
The prototypes of many ancient wizarding flight runes and the spatial theory of Apparition have all referenced the stellar arrangement of cygnus.”
Finally, she raised her hand to point at the hazy and brilliant band of light across the horizon.
“And this one spanning the night sky is the Milky Way.
In ancient wizarding records, it is also called the Star Path.
Countless divination rituals and astrological prophecies rely on its position to determine the timing; it is an indispensable guide of power in the magical world.”
Seeing that the students were all staring intently at the night sky, Professor Sinistra’s tone became even more gentle:
“Now, gently adjust your telescopes and follow my guidance to find them slowly.
First, find polaris at the end of Ursa Minor.
Using it as the center, look around, and you will find that the stars of the entire night sky are slowly rotating around it.”
The students all lowered their heads to adjust their instruments.
Soon, a low murmur of amazement rose from the tower top as someone whispered to a companion to look into their lens.
“Very good.” The Professor nodded with satisfaction.
“Now shift your gaze slightly to the west, and you can see the prominent orion.
The three belt stars are neatly arranged, making it very easy to identify even for a Wizard just beginning to study Astronomy.”
She paused and pointed her wand lightly to the east again:
“Look this way, cygnus is spreading its wings, hanging in the sky.
Ancient Wizards believed that practicing flight and Apparition Spells while cygnus was high in the sky would make it easier to resonate with spatial power, making the spells more stable.”
The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students listened intently.
Many quickly noted down the key points on their parchment, occasionally pointing things out to each other in low voices.
“And crossing through the center of the sky is the Milky Way.” Professor Sinistra’s fingertip lightly brushed over that brilliant band of light.
“The Centaurs understand its flow best, using it to observe climate changes and omens of crisis.
Every important barrier-stabilizing ritual at Hogwarts also uses the position of the Milky Way as an important basis.”
She walked slowly among the students, occasionally leaning down to give a few pointers or help someone adjust the angle of their telescope.
“There is no need to rush to memorize all the star charts, nor to force yourselves to understand all the mysteries immediately.
For now, just look up.
This starry sky once awakened the dormant magic of the first Wizards and has guarded this Castle for a thousand years of peace.
Now, it is also lighting up each and every one of you.”
The evening breeze blew softly, and starlight filled the top of the tower.
Everyone was immersed under this peaceful and magical night sky.
Before they knew it, the deep and melodious sound of the bell tower drifted from the distant Castle.
One chime followed another, slowly passing through the night and floating up to the high Astronomy Tower.
It was time for class to end.
In this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, the Astronomy Class officially concluded.
But the students did not disperse immediately, still gathered in small groups, discussing the starry sky above them with great interest.
Someone excitedly pointed at orion, someone seriously spoke to a companion about the significance of polaris, and someone was still reflecting on the connection between the Milky Way and magic.
Tonight, they no longer saw the stars as just cold points of light, but truly recognized the stars for the first time.
The three of them chatted and laughed all the way down the Castle’s stone steps and through the corridors.
When they returned to the entrance of the Ravenclaw dormitory, the eagle-shaped statue on the bronze knocker suddenly turned slightly and let out a clear sound, posing the night’s riddle.
After a moment’s thought, they spoke the answer in unison, and the stone door slowly opened inward.
Walking into the common room, the fireplace was still warm and bright.
They found a seat by the window and sat down, still talking about tonight’s Astronomy Class with lingering interest.
“It turns out stars aren’t just pretty; they’re related to our earliest magic.”
“The things Professor Sinistra talked about…
I never thought about them before.”
“orion, polaris, the Milky Way…
tonight was the first time I’ve truly understood the night sky.”
As they were talking in low voices, several figures walked quietly through the corridor next to the common room, their cloaks pulled low, moving with practiced caution.
Baelon recognized at a glance that they were several upper-year students, clearly planning to take advantage of the curfew to sneak out and explore the Castle.
Michael lightly nudged his arm and whispered:
“They’re going for a night stroll.”
Terry’s eyes lit up.
“I heard there are many places in the Castle that aren’t even on the maps, and only those who dare to wander at night can find them.”
Baelon watched those figures disappear into the shadows, then looked up at the still-brilliant starry sky outside the window, suddenly feeling that the nights at Hogwarts were much more mysterious than he had imagined.
Terry suddenly lowered his voice, his eyes shining:
“How about…
we go for a night stroll too?
Just a short walk along the corridor below the Astronomy Tower, not going toward the Forbidden Forest.”
Michael wanted to refuse, but seeing the curiosity in Baelon’s eyes, he finally nodded.
The three of them slipped out of the common room quietly, keeping even their breathing very light.
They didn’t have the Disillusionment Charm that upper-years were good at, so they could only crouch down and shuffle along the walls bit by bit, looking both nervous and clumsy.
Just as they turned a corner, a blinding beam of light suddenly shone over.
It was Argus Filch, with his cat Madam Norris letting out a wary meow at his feet.
“Well, well—another few little brats breaking curfew!” Filch’s face was grim as he lifted his lantern and walked over.
“Ravenclaws?
I’ll have to strip your house clean tonight—”
Terry turned pale with fright, and Michael also tensed up.
Just then, Baelon stepped forward, his voice gentle and sincere, without a hint of panic, only the clean politeness of a youth:
“Mr.
Filch, I am truly sorry.
We just came back from Astronomy Class and were momentarily captivated by the night sky, forgetting the time and the curfew.
We mean no harm, and certainly no trouble; we’ve just truly understood the stars for the first time and got a bit too fascinated.”
He looked handsome and clear-eyed, his gaze open and soft, his tone so sincere that one could hardly bear to scold him.
Filch stared at his honest gaze for a few seconds, the tight corners of his mouth loosening almost imperceptibly.
His originally harsh expression softened for some reason, and he only gave a heavy snort, not mentioning the point deduction again.
“Hmph…
silver-tongued boy.
Don’t let it happen again!
Now, immediately, right now, go back to your dormitory!
If I catch you again, it’s detention!”
“Thank you, Mr.
Filch.
We promise there won’t be a next time.”
Baelon nodded slightly, polite and proper.
After the three of them hurried back to the staircase, Terry finally patted his chest and took a deep breath:
“Good heavens…
I thought we were dead meat just now!
You’re too amazing; Filch actually didn’t deduct points!”
Michael also couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I think I understand now; you’re a more effective magic than the Disillusionment Charm.”
Baelon shook his head helplessly, but a faint smile was hidden in his eyes.
This night, without the Disillusionment Charm or a thrilling adventure, became the most absurd and unforgettable night stroll in the hearts of the three.
give my full efforts to you all make happy but you guys did not support me even in small ways.