[Note: Read up to Chapter - 100 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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The next morning, bright and early.
Aris opened his eyes just as the first ray of sunlight spilled across the windowsill.
He'd slept like a log last night—partly because Hogwarts felt far safer than the outside world, and partly because he'd already sorted out his plans for the days ahead.
First on the list: setting up his lab within Hogwarts, and the most ideal location was, of course, the Room of Requirement.
Next was pushing forward with the research into the magical array recorded in Merlin's Manual. That mysterious, intricate formation held immense potential—it was versatile, powerful, and bound to help Aris accomplish things the current wizarding world hadn't even imagined.
Take, for instance, the possibility of spell storage.
Then there was regular school life. Aris had made a few plans there, too.
With the level of knowledge he already possessed, sitting through standard first-year classes would be a complete waste of time. That's precisely why he'd tried to get access to the Restricted Section of the library as soon as he arrived.
Still, that kind of leap required the right opportunity. The professors weren't going to let him skip classes on a whim.
"Oi, Aris, up you get or you'll be late!"
Terry's voice rang through the door. He gave it a few knocks, but hearing no response from within, he seemed to rush off in a hurry—likely headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.
For first-years, it made sense to leave early on the first day of lessons. The staircases were notorious for shifting about at random, and it was all too easy to get lost if you weren't careful.
Aris recalled how little Harry and Ronald had ended up late on their first day for just that reason.
But Aris had no such worries.
He already knew the best way to find his bearings—just ask the portraits. Most of them were more than happy to give directions to a fresh-faced first-year.
"Iris!" he called, once he'd finished getting ready.
A babyish "Waww~" echoed through the dormitory as the little dragon appeared. She looked half-asleep, wobbling across the bed before giving a little hop straight into Aris' arms.
"I've got class soon, so I might not be able to let you out this morning," he said gently, giving her head a fond pat. "So, you've got two choices: either stay tucked away in the pet space, or head out for a bit of a fly and come back around midday."
At that, Iris perked up. She turned to glance at the window, eyes gleaming, and let out another chirp of excitement.
"Alright then," Aris chuckled. "You can go stretch your wings—but remember, stay out of sight. No popping up in front of other creatures, especially the sentient ones. Understand?"
"Hmm~" Iris nodded enthusiastically, practically bouncing in his arms.
"Off you go, then." He smiled, setting her gently on the windowsill and pushing it open.
With a gleeful "Waww~", the little dragon leapt into the morning sky and, in the blink of an eye, vanished into the ether.
Still, thanks to their magical bond, Aris could feel exactly where she was heading.
Straight for the Forbidden Forest.
A twinge of unease crept into his chest.
She's not going to cause any trouble, is she? he wondered, frowning slightly.
That forest is anything but safe...
Still, when he thought about Iris's strength, Aris felt reassured.
If anything, it was the magical beasts in the forest who ought to be worried—not her.
After leaving the dormitory, he made his way down to the Great Hall without a hitch.
Just as Anthony had said, the moment Aris stepped inside, he caught a fair few stares from every corner of the room. Clearly, the students hadn't forgotten his rather eventful entrance the night before.
Some looked on with admiration, others with curiosity. A few just couldn't hide their jealousy or disdain.
Aris ignored the lot.
He glanced around the hall and, just as he expected—no sign of Harry or Ronald. Figures. Those two were probably still fast asleep or stuck on one of the castle's shifting staircases.
"Aris!"
A cheerful voice called out behind him. He turned to see Cho Chang beaming as she approached.
"Morning, Cho," he greeted her warmly.
She slid into the seat beside him.
"Your first class is with Professor Flitwick, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, looks like it's paired with Hufflepuff," Aris replied.
At Hogwarts, class schedules were assigned at random between the four Houses, with two Houses typically attending each session together. The pairings changed day to day and were only posted the night before.
The official reason? To encourage camaraderie between students of different Houses.
Though, frankly, it hadn't been working all that well.
Gryffindor and Slytherin were practically born to butt heads. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, meanwhile, seemed content to keep to themselves.
Most of it came down to House personalities, really.
"Don't worry," Cho smiled, "Professor Flitwick's lovely—proper kind and dead patient. You'll get on fine!"
Afterwards, Cho kindly filled Aris in on the personalities of several professors and what to watch out for when dealing with them.
Even though Aris already knew most of it, he listened patiently to the enthusiastic upper-year. She meant well, after all.
Once breakfast in the Great Hall was done, Aris made his way straight to the Charms classroom.
"Oi, Aris! Over here!"
As soon as he stepped inside, Terry and Anthony waved him over.
"Morning!" Aris greeted them warmly and slid into the seat beside them.
Seeing that today's lesson was paired with Hufflepuff, Aris couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed. Truth be told, he'd been hoping for a class with Gryffindor or Slytherin—just to catch one of those infamous clashes the school was known for.
"I heard Professor Flitwick's really easy-going with us Ravenclaws," Terry said cheerfully. "Feels like we've lucked out having him first! Even if we make a pig's ear of things, I doubt he'll kick up a fuss."
"Could be," Anthony chimed in. "But honestly, I don't think anyone's expecting us to get the hang of proper spell work on the first try. First class and all that. He must be used to it by now."
Compared to Terry's cautious optimism, Anthony seemed far more relaxed.
Aris smiled and nodded along, amused by their conversation as he got settled for his very first lesson.
Aris listened to the pair's banter with an amused smile, nodding occasionally to show he was following along and agreed with their points.
Caught up in the chat, none of them noticed the short figure who had quietly appeared at the front of the classroom.
"Settle down now!"
Professor Flitwick gave his wand a flick, causing himself to levitate gracefully into view.
"You've likely heard of me already—Filius Flitwick. But you may call me Professor Flitwick. I'll be teaching Charms to all of you first-years."
"Now then, your very first spellwork lesson of the term is about to begin. Kindly open your textbooks..."
As his voice echoed through the room, the quiet rustling of pages filled the air as students scrambled to open their books.
Meanwhile, Aris gazed at Professor Flitwick thoughtfully.
He hadn't forgotten—he still had three system tasks to complete before the day was out.
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 100 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]