After waiting for more than forty minutes, the class finally ended when the last student—mud-covered and panting—stumbled into the classroom. Apparently, he had fallen into a mud pit while navigating the maze.
"Pa pa pa." The professor, who had been absent the entire time, entered the room clapping his hands. Hearing the applause, all the young wizards blushed slightly. After all, most of them had failed to complete the maze.
"Don't be too discouraged, kids," the professor said with a smile. "This year's first maze test was actually beyond the standard curriculum. Due to the presence of exchange students this term, I brought forward material originally intended for the midterm."
"But you all performed well. One-third of you managed to complete the maze, which makes me very happy." Upon hearing this, the students' expressions lightened, and many smiled proudly.
"However…" The professor's tone shifted. "The three Hogwarts students who joined today's class had no prior experience with this type of training. Despite that, two of them made it farther than half of our class, and one student not only finished the entire maze but ranked third overall. He even used a Crushing Curse to blow up an obstacle—demonstrating more practical awareness than most of you. So, don't get complacent based on today's performance."
Using a blend of criticism and praise, the professor reignited the students' competitive spirits. Their eyes lit up with renewed determination. He then announced the names of the top three performers and instructed them to visit his office on Friday afternoon, when they had no classes, to cast the Patronus Charm. With that, he dismissed the class.
Afterward, David and his cousin approached Ryan, patting him on the shoulder.
"My friend," David said, "I didn't know you were so capable. How did you come up with the idea to blow up the obstacle?"
Several classmates gathered around, eager to hear his explanation. Ryan quickly organized his thoughts and replied, "It was simple. The professor never said we couldn't damage the maze's interior. So I identified the weakest obstacles and destroyed them, bypassing the harder traps. Blowing up a wall is easier than facing off against Keppola. Besides, if I annoyed Keppola, I might not have gotten any peace after class."
"I never thought of that," David admitted. "I used the Armor Charm to endure Keppola's attack and push through. You've got a natural combat instinct."
As David praised him, Ryan noticed Hermione standing nearby, gazing at him with admiration. This made Ryan feel a bit guilty. What he had just said wasn't the whole truth.
In reality, Ryan's decision to destroy the wall stemmed from his past experiences suppressing bandits in the federal wasteland. When enemies entrenched themselves in buildings and their firepower was too overwhelming for a frontal assault, his unit would often detour and breach the structure from the side. That tactical instinct carried over into the maze; tearing down the wall was second nature to him.
Following a simple lunch and a quick shower in the carriage, Ryan and his friends rushed off to their afternoon Transfiguration class. Fortunately, this class closely resembled what they were used to at Hogwarts, even using similar textbooks. As a result, the session went smoothly.
The day passed quickly. After finishing their homework, all the Hogwarts exchange students and two professors gathered in the common room to discuss their impressions of Castrobruchu's various courses.
The professors spoke first. Professor Bourne, who taught Care of Magical Creatures, began with enthusiastic praise: "There's a wider range of magical creatures here than at Hogwarts. For instance, today I saw Balam—creatures resembling giant jaguars. They can be tamed as wizard guards and are even capable of disrupting magic. The lesson plans here emphasize these powerful beings. It's very impressive."
Next, Professor Sprout commended the school's expansive greenhouses and plant diversity. She also praised the local Herbology professor for their deep knowledge of magical flora.
The students' reviews were more mixed. The combat course attracted the most interest. Other classes were broadly similar to those at Hogwarts, albeit with localized content.
For example, Defense Against the Dark Arts here focused more on curses and their removal rather than offensive magic or protection from dark creatures, as in the UK. Potion classes, too, leaned heavily on local ingredients. While these differences were interesting, the consensus was that, overall, the Hogwarts professors were more skilled.
One of the biggest challenges was the language. Although the instructors spoke English, they often slipped in Spanish words out of habit, which made comprehension more difficult.
Naturally, the Hogwarts students made some mistakes while adjusting to the local teaching style. Since the professors treated all students equally, the exchange students had to complete the same academic tasks. Unsurprisingly, many struggled at first. However, thanks to their solid foundation from Hogwarts, they managed to adapt and stay on pace with the lessons.
The discussion continued for hours until the professors finally insisted that everyone go to bed. Despite the day's setbacks, the Hogwarts students remained determined. Representing their school came with pride—and that pride wouldn't let them retreat.
Over the next week, the exchange students gave 120% of their effort. Their hard work paid off, and they eventually caught up with the class material. Along the way, they began to appreciate Castrobrusho's unique charm.
Every wizarding school has its own strengths. Outside of secret knowledge, most valuable resources are public—it's just a matter of whether someone has the insight to recognize their worth.
Sadly, most people lack this perspective. Take the Triwizard Tournament, for example: during Harry Potter's fourth year, students from visiting schools never entered Ravenclaw's common room. Unbeknownst to them, that room contained rare and valuable books. The truth is, Ravenclaw's common room welcomes any true seeker of knowledge, so long as they mean no harm. That was a classic case of standing on a treasure mountain without realizing its value.
In Castrobrusho, Ryan discovered such a treasure: the Emerald Dream.
Previously, he had entered the dream without encountering any resistance. At the time, he believed he had hidden himself using some clever method and considered himself lucky.
But upon reflection the next day, Ryan realized the "school projection" he saw must have been a domain—a space constructed within the Emerald Dream that mirrored the school itself. Such a powerful domain wasn't somewhere someone like him could sneak into unnoticed. In other words, he must have been tacitly permitted to enter. If he hadn't been, he would've been expelled from the dream long ago.
With this in mind, Ryan made a decision. After the Monday evening discussion concluded, he went straight to bed and re-entered the Emerald Dream. His goal: to visit Castrobrusho's projection once again. He hoped to make contact with whoever—or whatever—was inside and seek guidance.
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