The dinner was sumptuous, and Leon enjoyed it immensely.
But no matter how enjoyable it was, there was always a limit to how much one could eat.
By the time Leon put down his knife and fork, there were not many people still dining; most were engaged in idle chatter.
Not until the very last young wizard stopped eating did the food and leftovers on the tables vanish in the next second.
“Dinner is over, but before we begin the new term, there are a few things I need to remind you all of.” Dumbledore stood up once again, his expression serious as he spoke to the room.
“First-years, please note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits to all students, and some of our older students would do well to remember that as well.” As he said this, Leon noticed Dumbledore’s gaze drift, almost imperceptibly, toward the Gryffindor table.
“Furthermore, our caretaker, Mr.
Filch, has asked me to remind you not to cast spells in the corridors between classes, and under no circumstances should you use ‘dangerous’ trinkets for pranks.” “In addition, Quidditch tryouts will take place in the second week of the term.
Any students interested in joining their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.” “Finally, I must warn you that anyone who does not wish to suffer a most painful death should avoid the corridor on the right-hand side of the third floor!” After saying this, Dumbledore paused for a brief moment before concluding.
“That is all.
Now, let us sing the school song.
Everyone, pick your favorite tune.” Then, amidst a cacophony that could only be described as aural torture, the school song segment concluded—naturally followed by the Weasley twins’ finale and enthusiastic applause.
Dumbledore seemed to remain lost in the music for a long time before he reluctantly spoke again: “The prefects of each house will now lead you to your dormitories.
The first-years will be assigned rooms by their respective prefects.” With that, the prefects from each house stood up and began ushering their students toward the dormitory area.
The Slytherin dormitories were located in the dungeons, which fit the habitat of snakes quite well.
The lighting underground was poor, but fortunately, the torches on the walls provided enough illumination that they were not walking in total darkness.
Along the way, the senior Slytherin prefect led the little snakes through the underground corridors with ease, eventually arriving before a damp stone wall.
He spoke the command: “Pureblood!” With the password given, the stone wall revealed a hidden entrance, which slowly swung open to expose the Slytherin common room.
It was a long, low-ceilinged basement room with walls and ceilings made of rough-hewn stone.
Round, greenish lamps hung from the ceiling by chains.
Inside, there was a magnificently carved fireplace surrounded by many ornate chairs.
Although the atmosphere felt somber, the choice of materials and the layout were undeniably luxurious, living up to Slytherin’s heritage.
Once inside the common room, the older students went off in groups to their dorms, while the prefect led the first-years through a long corridor located to the right of the fireplace.
“It’s four to a room, but there are plenty of vacant rooms.
If you prefer not to live with others, you may also choose a single room.” Looking at the group of fewer than fifteen people behind him, the Slytherin prefect’s expression was tinged with nostalgia; compared to the other houses, there were very few new students in Slytherin this year.
“I’ll take a single room,” Leon said immediately.
“No problem.” The prefect held a certain appreciation for Leon; after all, the mere fact that Leon had pulled out his wand during the Sorting Ceremony to clean the Sorting Hat—which they had all found immensely detestable—was enough to make him take notice.
Even knowing Leon wasn’t a pureblood, he was at least a half-blood; as long as he wasn’t “Mudblood,” he was acceptable.
So, he specifically arranged a room toward the back for Leon.
Before leaving, he reminded him: “Since you are living alone, you still need to pay attention to the time.
The paths in Hogwarts are not easy to navigate.
If you want to get familiar with the layout of this magical castle, you’d better wake up early to avoid being late.” After saying this, he remembered something and added: “The class schedule is posted on the bulletin board in the common room, as is the weekly password.
Remember to check it from time to time.” “Thank you.” Leon was truly grateful to the prefect, who was genuinely fulfilling his duties.
The prefect smiled at Leon before turning to lead the other first-years to their quarters.
Leon ducked into his room and felt quite pleased with the layout.
Although the room wasn’t large, it was clean, and even though it was underground, there was no damp, musty smell; it was perfectly dry.
Perhaps because it was a single room, there was only one bed.
The extra space had been used for a desk and two matching bookshelves, though unfortunately, they were currently empty.
The candlelight in the room was bright enough that he didn’t have to worry about the lighting affecting his vision.
What satisfied Leon the most was the glass wall on the east side, which replaced the stone bricks, allowing him to see the view of the Black Lake directly.
He watched the water plants sway with the current and saw plump fish and the giant squid that inhabited the lake drifting by, as if he were inside an aquarium.
It was a near-perfect living arrangement, and Leon was very satisfied.
At the same time, his luggage was placed at the foot of his bed, exactly as it had been before boarding the train.
It had clearly been brought by a house-elf, arriving the very instant he had selected his room.
This made Leon consider whether he should get a house-elf of his own in the future to lighten his load.
He opened his trunk, found some fresh clothes, and headed out to find the Slytherin communal washroom.
Fortunately, he ran into some upper-class students heading there to freshen up, and with their guidance, he managed not to get lost.
Once he had finished his hygiene routine, Leon returned to his room.
Standing before the glass wall, looking out at the view of the Black Lake, he muttered to himself, “Munin, where did you run off to?” “Caw!
Caw!
Caw!” No sooner had Leon spoken than he felt his shoulder sink.
A familiar raven’s cry echoed in his ear, signaling that the bird he had been thinking of had found its way to him by some unknown means.
“Do you have phoenix blood in you?
Can you Apparate?” Leon teased, looking at the energetic Munin on his shoulder.
Munin shook its head in response, then took flight from Leon’s shoulder, transforming into a patch of black shadow that hovered beside him, showing off its unique ability.
“Interesting.
This is the first time I’ve discovered you have a trick like that.
So, what type of magical creature are you exactly?” When Munin finished its display and returned to its raven form, landing back on Leon’s shoulder, Leon asked in surprise.
But Munin had no intention of answering; it simply went back to preening its feathers, acting as if it hadn’t heard a thing.