Monday, September 2, 1991
Dumbledore had been gone for a while; after all, the food on the table was nearly finished.
With matters settled, there was no need to linger and chat with Raven.
In a little while, young witches and wizards would begin filing into the Great Hall—some to rush through homework, others to chat with boyfriends or girlfriends.
If the Headmaster were seen sitting at a table chatting with a new student at a time like that, rumors would spread fast.
Raven, however, stayed behind to enjoy some dessert.
Where did the dessert come from?
Naturally, from the leftovers Dumbledore had asked the kitchens to set aside the night before.
Perhaps Dumbledore genuinely had good taste, or perhaps stolen food was inherently sweeter, but the desserts tasted surprisingly good.
Looking over the First-Year and Second-Year schedules, Raven decided to prioritize certain subjects and skip others—such as Herbology and History of Magic.
It wasn’t that Raven was trying to disrespect the Head of House; in truth, Herbology was likely his strongest subject.
Back then, coveting Professor Garlick’s knowledge, he had constantly sought her out under the guise of “asking for advice.” He had drained her intellectual storehouse dry and had even surpassed the master by cultivating enhanced plant strains specifically designed to eradicate enemies.
So, at least for schoolwork, his Herbology knowledge was more than sufficient.
He only needed to consult Head of House Pomona Sprout occasionally to see if his current batch of magical plants could be optimized further.
After all, Hogwarts professors always gave extra favor to promising students.
As for History of Magic, Hogwarts taught a general history censored by the Ministry of Magic.
Raven had already read through most of the original European magic history back at Flamel Manor.
Having attended Professor Binns’s lectures in his previous life at Hogwarts, he was surprised by how much had been scrubbed from the school textbooks.
Thus, Raven decided that his first class upon returning to Hogwarts would be Second-Year Charms.
Raven continued eating while waiting for the companions he had met yesterday.
Around seven-thirty, students began trickling into the Great Hall for breakfast, including the ones he was expecting.
“Hey, mate, morning! I went to your room to find you, only to realize you were already out. You’re up early.”
Jack was still groggy, his voice lacking energy.
Raven reached over to a table already stocked with breakfast and picked up a cup of black coffee.
Then he drew his wand.
[*Glacius*]
A light touch was all it took to coat the cup in a thin layer of frost.
He handed it to Jack.
“Here—my personal pick-me-up. The real deal.”
Jack knew what it was and, without hesitation, downed it in one gulp.
First he shivered from the icy black coffee, then gave a sharp shudder, snapping instantly wide awake.
“Thanks, mate! I’m wide awake now. That Freezing Charm of yours sure packs a punch—temperature’s spot on.”
Forcefully awakened, Jack chose ham with melon and crusty bread for breakfast.
Before long, Poppy Sweeting arrived at the long table.
Students generally kept regular sleep schedules, so encountering another acquaintance within a short window was hardly surprising.
Jack gestured with his fork as he tried to sell Poppy on iced black coffee, making one worry whether the piece of melon on his fork might fall off.
“Poppy, want an iced Americano? Raven’s Freezing Charm is the slickest I’ve ever seen—guaranteed to get you the perfect temperature.”
Poppy politely declined.
Raised in a traditional English wizarding family, her choice was a classic Full English breakfast: scrambled buttered eggs, baked beans, black pudding sausages, roasted tomatoes, a croissant, and a cup of English Breakfast tea.
Raven considered himself a gourmet willing to sample diverse cuisines.
The only reason he had requested yum cha for breakfast was that, after installing his taste-bud modules, Hogwarts happened to be able to make it.
To be fair, the British truly excelled at breakfast.
A significant portion of profits during the Age of Discovery had come from spices, after all.
It was really their main meals that dragged down the European average, which, combined with a few infamous “delicacies,” had given the country its reputation as a culinary wasteland.
So Raven promptly requested a round of breakfast food to join the feast.
“We all ate about the same amount, so how come I’m the only one with a stuffed belly?” Jack complained, casting a puzzled glance at his two companions, who still looked completely unbothered.
*In truth, I ate way more than you,* Raven thought, though he said aloud, “I digest food quickly and don’t get full easily. You’re the same, aren’t you, Poppy?”
Poppy Sweeting nodded in deep agreement.
“It’s a trait. My great-grandaunt had it too. Though I had no idea you possessed it too, Raven. This is the first time I’ve seen it in a wizard outside my family. Perhaps our ancestors intermarried at some point?”
*Of course—because I copied an old friend’s talent!*
“Perhaps,” Raven said without elaborating.
The three arrived at the Charms classroom door.
A few students were already seated inside, all wearing Ravenclaw robes.
Ravenclaw’s study-maniacs.
Here, one detail warrants mentioning: Raven had already retrieved his four House relic uniforms from his base.
However, he was in no hurry to overlay them onto his robes; today, he still wore the standard Hufflepuff uniform.
He saved those outfits to cause trouble later, but that would come into play another time.
Seeing everyone assembled, Professor Filius Flitwick stepped onto his stack of books and began teaching in his usual orderly fashion.
“Good morning, class!
I am delighted to see you in this new term.
Today, I will be teaching you an offensive spell.
Please remember: it is strictly forbidden to use it in private.
Violators may face up to two weeks of detention.
“Additionally, I notice a new face among us today. Mr. Weasley, if there is anything you do not understand, feel free to come see me after class.”
Raven nodded to show he understood.
“Very well. Now, the magic I shall impart to you today is… [*Incendio*] …also known as the Fire-Making Spell. I shall demonstrate on this dummy. Please watch closely.”