Leon had been with Munin for nearly a month and a half, and he had long since grown accustomed to the overly intelligent raven’s habit of playing deaf and dumb.
Knowing this, Leon didn’t press for answers.
He casually shooed the bird aside and went to bed.
Munin had no intention of disturbing him either; once Leon’s breathing steadied into deep sleep, it dissolved into black mist and vanished from the dormitory.
By the time Leon woke up, Munin had not yet returned.
Leon didn’t pay it any mind.
He got out of bed, stretched his limbs, freshened up, and headed to the common room.
Even though it was impossible to tell the time of day from the dungeons, he had his own internal clock; he estimated it was around seven in the morning.
Leon was among the earliest to rise in Slytherin, so there were very few people in the common room.
The handful of other “little snakes” who were up early had their own business to attend to.
Leon exchanged a few nods with them before making his way to the notice board to check the class schedule.
There were seven sheets of parchment neatly pinned to the top right corner of the board, but Leon only needed to focus on the top one: the first-year schedule.
It was incredibly detailed, listing the subjects alongside the floor and location of each classroom.
“Charms at eight in the morning, History of Magic at ten, Herbology at three in the afternoon…
and only Flying class on Wednesday?
Are there really no classes on Saturday and Sunday?” Looking at the sparse schedule, Leon could only conclude that Hogwarts’ educational model was remarkably relaxed.
However, considering that there was only one professor for each subject who had to manage teaching duties for all seven years, he felt a bit more understanding.
It was no wonder Hogwarts scheduled classes for two houses at once; the faculty was truly stretched thin.
Leon mused that if it weren’t for the fact that a single professor couldn’t handle a full classroom of students from all four houses at once, Hogwarts might have just taught them all together.
Of course, this was just a passing thought; it didn’t change his positive impression of the school.
After all, the wizarding population was small to begin with, and there were even fewer who were qualified to be professors and willing to patiently guide ignorant students.
The most extraordinary thing was that Hogwarts didn’t charge tuition or fees and provided room and board, along with subsidies for learning tools and textbooks.
This kind of school, which truly seemed to operate out of a passion for teaching and nurturing, was the epitome of educational virtue.
In the West, this model was truly unique—after all, the only place in the world that could realistically implement this on such a scale was the East, currently marching down the path of socialism.
After reviewing the day’s schedule, Leon left the common room without delay, following the route he had memorized the night before until he reached the Great Hall.
He had thought he was early enough, but there were already quite a few young wizards dining in the hall.
Most of them were senior students.
Leon guessed they were fifth and seventh years, as none of them forgot to hold a book or a wand while eating breakfast.
Based on the academic atmosphere of Hogwarts as Leon remembered it, these were likely the graduates facing their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) and N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests).
Yes, if a wizard without particular talent struggled to pass their O.W.L.s, they could choose to graduate directly.
Finishing at an O.W.L.
level was comparable to a university degree in the Muggle world and sufficient for ordinary jobs in the wizarding community.
Only those who wanted to go further—aiming for the Ministry of Magic, the International Confederation of Wizards, or other official organizations—would choose to take the N.E.W.T.
exams.
To Leon’s delight, among the few younger students present, he saw Neville and Hermione.
“Leon, good morning!” Hermione noticed Leon entering the hall and immediately waved her arm happily.
Neville did the same.
Seeing this, Leon walked directly to the Gryffindor table and took a seat between Hermione and Neville.
“Are you sure you’re okay sitting here?” Hermione leaned close to Leon’s ear, looking a bit worried as she glanced at the senior Gryffindors nearby.
“Gryffindors really dislike Slytherins.” “But Leon is an exception!” “Because he’s the Gryffindor lost in Slytherin!” Just as Leon was about to explain, Hermione noticed someone sitting opposite them.
Two male voices spoke in perfect unison, one after the other, reaching her ears.
“George Weasley!” “Fred Weasley!” “Nice to meet you, Leon!” The enthusiastic greeting and their genuine smiles made the corners of Leon’s mouth curl upward.
The Weasley twins were among the best social butterflies and comedians in Hogwarts, and they were characters in Gryffindor that Leon particularly appreciated.
“Leon John!
It’s a pleasure to meet you both, too.” “I knew we’d get along.” “I think you should go talk to Professor McGonagall about transferring to Gryffindor.” The Weasley brothers suggested one after another, their eyes full of anticipation.
“No thanks.
The house doesn’t matter; we’re all studying at Hogwarts anyway.
And we have quite a few classes together, don’t we?” Appreciation was one thing, but Leon had no desire to jump into the chaos that was Gryffindor; it didn’t fit his lifestyle.
“A very wise statement.” “You should have gone to Ravenclaw.” The two brothers teased him in unison again, then spoke together with a unified voice: “There will always be a seat for you at the Gryffindor table, and the same goes for the dormitory.” With that, the brothers threw their arms around each other’s shoulders and went off to find their next bit of fun.
“They’re really passionate,” Neville said with a hint of envy.
The character traits displayed by those two were exactly what Neville longed for himself.
“I thought you might sleep in,” Leon teased Neville with a smile.
“Hermione reminded me last night to get up early to find the classrooms.
She told me the staircases at Hogwarts move on their own, and I might get lost,” Neville explained, looking embarrassed.
“Yes, that’s what I thought, too,” Leon agreed, nodding as he picked up a pumpkin pasty from the table and popped it into his mouth.
Since he was already there, it would be a shame not to have breakfast.
“How was last night?
Are you settling in okay?” Once Leon finished swallowing his food, he struck up a conversation with Hermione.
“It’s great.
I get along well with my roommates.
Overall, it was a very peaceful night,” Hermione replied with a smile, taking the initiative to grab a glass of lemonade for Leon.
“What about you?
How are you getting along with your roommates?” “Me?
I have a single room.
There’s a glass wall in the dorm where I can see the view inside the Black Lake.
It’s quite beautiful.” —