While everyone else was enjoying their dinner in the Great Hall, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley—who had been caught by Snape—had the misfortune of being stuck in his office with nowhere to go.
Waiting was never easy, especially when you were anxious and on edge. The fear of the unknown made the minutes drag even more painfully.
It wasn't until Professor McGonagall brought them dinner and told them there would be no punishment that the weight on their chests finally lifted. Under Snape's grim stare, the two of them were finally allowed to return to their dormitory...
For most Gryffindors, adventure was something to be celebrated and dreamed of. So while other wizards might view their actions as reckless or dangerous, within Gryffindor, that kind of behavior earned admiration.
And no one embodied that better than Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
The moment they stepped into the Gryffindor common room, one of the Prefects spotted them and walked over with a strange expression.
"Where have you two been? Everyone's been talking—some of the stories are absolutely wild. Someone even said you flew to school in a car and were going to be expelled!"
"Lucky for us, we weren't expelled," Harry said.
His words left the entire common room in stunned silence—until Hermione finally broke it, her tone sharp and serious, sounding almost exactly like Professor McGonagall.
"So... you really did fly here?"
"Don't start scolding us now. Harry and I just want to go to bed."
"You…"
Ron's total lack of remorse only made Hermione angrier, but before she could get another word out, loud cheers interrupted her.
It was Lee Jordan, the Quidditch commentator.
"Incredible! What a brilliant way to arrive! I bet they'll be talking about this for years!"
As expected of a Quidditch announcer, his voice alone was enough to whip the room into a frenzy. With just a few well-placed words, every Gryffindor in the common room erupted into cheers and rushed over.
"That was awesome, Harry!"
"Brilliant!"
"Hahaha! That's our little brother!"
The sudden outburst left Harry flustered. As his back was slapped over and over and compliments poured in, he couldn't help but grin stupidly. Whatever embarrassment he'd felt earlier quickly gave way to excitement. With a reaction like this... maybe he would do it again next time.
Ron, meanwhile, blushed from ear to ear, clearly embarrassed—but the way he held his chin high, and how his eyes kept darting toward Hermione, made it obvious just how pleased he was with himself.
What they didn't notice, though, was that aside from Hermione, who looked exasperated, there was one more wizard whose expression showed anything but joy.
The Prefect who'd asked where they'd been—Ron's older brother, Percy Weasley...
...
The day after the Sorting Ceremony...
"Draco, did you hear?"
"Gryffindor was wild last night."
Draco had just sat down and hadn't even taken a bite when Goyle and Crabbe, who had arrived early for breakfast, eagerly shared what they'd found out.
Sipping the Gurdyroot Infusion he'd come to like in Romania, Draco looked curiously at Goyle and Crabbe, both cramming huge slices of pumpkin pie into their mouths.
He wondered what those little lions were up to this time. If he wasn't mistaken, it was only the first day of school.
"Look over there."
"It's them again?"
Following Goyle's pointing finger, Draco spotted Ron Weasley puffing out his chest, talking animatedly to a group of wizards. With that smug look on his face, anyone who didn't know better might think he'd done something impressive.
But judging by the irritated expression on Hermione's face, it clearly wasn't anything worth boasting about...
"What are you guys talking about? And what's up with those people?"
Pansy suddenly appeared, snatched Draco's sandwich right from his mouth, and took a bite. Only Pansy would dare be that rude to him. If it were anyone else, they'd probably get hit with a Sectumsempra—unless Draco happened to be in a very good mood.
Still, it said something: Pansy clearly held a special place in Draco's heart.
Pretending not to have seen a thing, Goyle started explaining.
"Didn't the Chosen One and his gang miss the Hogwarts Express yesterday? That's because they took a different route."
"A different route? Floo powder? But isn't that only allowed for professors to use to get into Hogwarts?"
"No, definitely not Floo powder. It was a method you'd never guess, boss lady."
"Whether I'd guess it or not isn't the point. What matters is if you don't start talking... hmph, then forget it!"
"..."
Under Pansy's airy gaze, Goyle—who had still wanted to act mysterious—winced, sat up straight, and obediently spilled everything like a loyal sidekick. His complete surrender made Draco chuckle and take a bite of the sandwich Pansy had fed him.
Wait a second—wasn't that the sandwich he was holding just a minute ago?
"I heard they flew to Hogwarts in a car. From King's Cross Station. A flying car."
"..."
"..."
Draco and Pansy stared in stunned silence. First they wondered if they'd misheard, then they turned to look at Harry Potter and Ron Weasley as if they were some kind of rare magical beasts.
No normal wizard would ever come up with something like that.
It was utterly un-wizard-like...
"Hmph. What a stupid thing to do."
"But very Gryffindor, wouldn't you say?"
Their reaction wasn't without reason.
Taking that route meant no food, no water, and having to stay hidden above the clouds under the blazing sun. And if there weren't enough clouds, they'd have to fly even higher—because the Disillusionment Charm wasn't strong enough to keep the car concealed all the way to Hogwarts.
Incredible.
Just imagining that torturous trip made Draco take another sip of his Gurdyroot Infusion to calm his nerves.
Honestly, in this particular case, Ron Weasley probably deserved to feel proud of their recklessness...