Summer was drawing to a close, and the time to return to school had arrived.
Melvin walked along the road, a suitcase in his right hand, his left brushing ash from his sleeve.
Sunlight pierced the clouds over the Scottish Highlands, the morning mist already dissipated. The cobblestone street was still damp, and to the left, a candy shop stood closed, its window displaying a leaning tower of creamy toffee, topped with a slowly spinning sugar star. At the base, a cluster of cockroach-shaped sweets scuttled in a small hole.
A colorful sign read: Honeydukes.
Nearby were Dervish and Banges, Zon Zone's Joke Shop, and the Owl Post Office…
This was Hogsmeade.
Roughly four hundred miles from London, the fastest way to get here was by Floo powder, taking just thirty seconds from the Leaky Cauldron to the Three Broomsticks.
Hogwarts' gates were three or four miles away, about an hour's walk at a normal pace.
Melvin opted for a slightly quicker method.
Pop…
With a step at the village's edge, the air hummed softly, and the space around him warped faintly. He reappeared hundreds of meters down the road.
A refined version of Apparition.
Whether Disapparating or Apparating, it was essentially a Vanishing Charm applied to the caster, using their memory of a destination to set coordinates and cross space. With practice, one could pinpoint a landing spot just by line of sight.
The route was straightforward, with clear signposts and no major forks. A few short Apparitions later, Hogwarts' gates came into view.
Pop…
Melvin stood at the crossroads, looking up at the school's entrance.
The gates matched the grandeur of a thousand-year-old institution: two towering stone walls flanked a pair of black iron doors, intricately carved, standing twenty to thirty feet tall. Bronze statues of winged boars perched atop the pillars.
The boars were male…
He didn't quite get it, but it felt impressive.
Carrying his suitcase, he stepped through the gates. A figure emerged from a corner, and Melvin noticed a badge reading "Caretaker: Argus Filch."
"Professor Melvin Levent?"
Filch's voice was raspy, his face sallow, eyes slightly bulging, draped in an old, mouse-gray robe.
"That's me," Melvin said with a nod and a smile.
"Professor Levent, follow me. Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to meet you here."
"Thank you."
Melvin followed the caretaker, glancing at the surroundings.
The scenery was stunning—lush greenery, well-kept but not overgrown.
Hogwarts likely started as a noble estate, its surrounding lands repurposed from farmland. The path from the gates was smooth and flat, bordered by a forest on the left and the Quidditch pitch on the right, where Slytherin's green banners fluttered in the breeze.
Nearly every wizard worldwide knew that Hogwarts sorted students into four houses, named after its founders:
Gryffindor, for courage;
Ravenclaw, for wisdom;
Hufflepuff, for kindness;
Slytherin, for glory.
In the school's early days, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were the closest of friends, the kind of duo that should've inspired epic tales on Chocolate Frog cards…
But, predictably, things went wrong.
Decades after the school's founding, Slytherin grew obsessive, insisting only pure-bloods be admitted. The other founders firmly disagreed, and their differences escalated until Slytherin stormed off, leaving bad blood behind.
That much was in the school's history.
Lesser-known details:
First, before leaving, Slytherin built a secret chamber, hiding a basilisk inside.
Second, in his later years, Gryffindor searched for Slytherin but never found him.
Unlike Helga Hufflepuff, who lived a full life, or Rowena Ravenclaw, who died unfulfilled, no one knew what became of the two legendary wizards or where they were buried.
Passing a particularly robust Whomping Willow, Melvin spotted the greenhouses for Herbology, where a stout witch in gardening attire bustled about.
A short walk up some steps led to the Entrance Hall.
"This is as far as I go. The headmaster will take you to your office," Filch said.
"Where's the headmaster…?"
Melvin looked up and saw a white-haired figure by a corridor near the courtyard, crouching to play with a dark gray cat. Hearing their approach, the figure glanced over, smiling warmly.
The cat trotted over, gently brushing against Filch's trouser leg.
"Thank you, Mr. Filch," Melvin said with a nod.
"…"
Filch gave him an odd look, then turned away. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Professor Levent."
"Goodbye."
Dumbledore approached at a leisurely pace.
Today, the headmaster wore a vibrant red-and-gold robe, grand and flowing, paired with plain trousers. His hair and beard were neatly groomed, cascading fluffily. Half-moon glasses framed his bright blue eyes, and he stood tall and sprightly in the late summer sunlight.
"Good to see you again, Headmaster Dumbledore."
"I've been looking forward to this day, Melvin."
Dumbledore's eyes crinkled with a smile. "I'd planned to introduce you to my capable staff, but Minerva's buried in paperwork, Severus is inventorying potion supplies, Filius is tweaking Ravenclaw's bronze eagle knocker to avoid riddles that stump students all summer, and Pomona's tidying the greenhouses… Forgive me, today's rather hectic."
Melvin: "…"
Sounds like you're the only one slacking, Headmaster.
"Come, let's see your office, and I'll introduce you to my alma mater."
Dumbledore led him upstairs, pointing out landmarks. "That hall we passed is the Great Hall, where we dine. Nearby are the caretaker's office and the staff room.
"On the second floor, you'll find the Transfiguration classroom, the deputy headmistress's office…
"Your office is on the third floor, next to the gargoyle guarding mine. Feel free to drop by anytime."
Melvin listened closely as they climbed the marble staircase.
"You've probably read up, but our school has four houses. The Sorting Hat assigns students, though it respects their choices… Speaking of which, I'm curious—how does Ilvermorny sort its students?"
"Ilvermorny's four houses are chosen by enchanted carvings in the hall. The Horned Serpent favors avid readers, much like Ravenclaw. The Thunderbird picks adventurers, the Wampus prefers resilient spirits, and the Pukwudgie seeks kind-hearted healers."
"I've heard only a rare few are chosen by all four houses…"