"Ravenclaw!" the Sorting Hat shouted loudly.
When I opened my eyes again, they needed a moment to readjust to the bright light. Loud applause erupted on the left side, specifically where the Ravenclaws were sitting. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my robes transforming, with navy-blue and bronze accents appearing on them. A bronze eagle appeared on one side of my chest. Ravenclaw's famous animal. For the next seven years, I would be wearing this animal on my chest.
I sat near a girl who was excitedly talking to her seatmate. Suddenly, she turned towards me.
"Did you know you were one of the longest Sorting ceremonies in a decade?!"
Annoyed, I turned towards her. I wanted to reflect on what the Sorting Hat had told me…why was this…shitty kid interrupting me now?
"Oh, really?" I replied, my tone more apathetic than usual.
"Yeah! The last one also ended up in Ravenclaw. Isn't that cool?"
An interesting thought flashed through my mind. I turned towards her.
"Do you know what the person's name was?"
"Uhh, well, no idea. How am I supposed to know?" the eleven-year-old girl said, her head tilted to the side.
My headache worsened.
"Then how do you know that there was someone in Ravenclaw about ten years ago who had a long Sorting time?"
A mischievous expression spread across her face. With a quiet grin and in a whisper, she answered, "I have very, very good ears." Without waiting for my response, she turned away from me and excitedly continued talking to her seatmate.
Very, very good ears? An interesting Inner Gift, very much in contrast to her personality… This could prove useful in the future.
I closed my eyes, attempting to block out the emotions in my surroundings. The storm of feelings strengthened my resolve to find out more about natural Occlumens. There must certainly be a solution to my telepathic problem.
The Sorting Hat mentioned that Salazar Slytherin was also a natural Occlumens, just like me. Perhaps he had left something about this… curse in the library. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the school had restricted access to the school library. After all, they hadn't even unlocked the pages of my schoolbooks yet. The sentence displayed on the pages as an explanation still caused my magical power to stir inside my body to this day.
According to the Sorting Hat, Severus Snape, my Potions professor, was also a natural Occlumens. The book 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' supported its claim. In the first book, Harry Potter often felt as though Snape could read his thoughts. He described it as an 'unpleasant feeling'.
I don't need to worry about Legilimency attacks. The Sorting Hat couldn't penetrate my mind. It said that it couldn't sense my "Inner Landscape", whatever that represented. Either way, as a natural Occlumens, I should have some kind of innate resistance against Legilimency attacks.
With my current Legilimency abilities, I can't do that yet.
Not yet.
If the books in the library are also censored, I'll have to develop a counterspell for this enchantment. Without a doubt, the general counterspell: Finite Incantatem, won't be enough. However, I haven't the slightest idea how to create a spell. The books on spell creation have undoubtedly been sealed for my own 'safety'.
I shook my head in my mind. I didn't yet know whether the library had sealed the knowledge contained in its books in any way at all. Just because the contents of the pages in my schoolbooks had been sealed didn't automatically mean that the same applied to the library. Of course, there was plenty of evidence supporting that possibility… However, the absolute certainty with which I believed my conclusion to be accurate was strange.
Perhaps I was simply paranoid, but it wouldn't hurt to go through my thoughts from the last few days. Hm, even after reviewing all my thought processes from the past few days, I couldn't find the reason for my unusual certainty.
However, I noticed a change. When I got off the Hogwarts Express, I had thought a little about the library. That was when this certainty had formed.
Sigh. Whatever. I have more important things to think about.
Gradually, the Sorting Hat sorted more students. A few joined us Ravenclaws. Surprisingly, the distribution among the four houses was roughly equal. Gryffindor and Slytherin, however, received more students. Compared to them, my house and Hufflepuff were in the minority.
I didn't care. A few students from the upper years, however, didn't seem too pleased about it. Apparently, the wizard who was complaining was the Quidditch team's captain. Last year, the Ravenclaw team had barely been able to put together a team because the members of their house were more interested in their academic success than, and I quote, 'honour and house glory'.
Perfectly understandable, if you ask me. Instead of flying on a broomstick and wasting your time performing life-threatening manoeuvres, you should use your time better by developing a flight spell. Of course, I only thought that. I wasn't like a certain idiot to my left who, I speculate, had said something similar and had gotten punched in the face. If he had said that to a Gryffindor, he wouldn't have gotten away with just a red nose. Quidditch was worshipped almost in the same way as the Great Mother. In that regard, magical British society wasn't so different from the Muggle citizens of Britain.
The 139th student joined the house of the otter. Professor McGonagall joined her colleagues at the teachers' table. The Sorting Hat was summoned by Dumbledore without a wand. His hand rose slightly and was clearly visible to everyone.
The newly enrolled first-years couldn't hide the admiration on their faces. At first glance, the headmaster didn't react to their response. His carefree reaction reinforced the mysterious image the first-years had formed of Albus Dumbledore.
Huh, even I can do that, Professor Dumbledore. What an average act of intimidation. Casting magic without a wand can't be that difficult, can it? Even I, who had only known that the wizarding world existed for a few days, had managed to learn wandless telekinesis myself with my 'Muggle perspective'. Of course, my innovative 'new Muggle perspective' might be the reason I was able to accomplish a difficult magical feat at such a young age.
However, I'm not arrogant and ignorant enough to believe that magical society hasn't figured it out themselves. How did they cast spells in ancient times without foci? This knowledge might have been preserved in books and magical equivalents of storage devices…
Well, it was clear that the general population seemed to believe that wandless magic was only possible for powerful wizards. For Albus Dumbledore, who was titled and recognised as the most powerful wizard in Britain, this Herculean achievement was obviously a piece of cake.
Magical particles gathered around the Sorting Hat, which was floating in front of the headmaster's hand. The light surrounding the Sorting Hat bent, making it appear blurry. Suddenly, there was a loud crack, and the Sorting Hat disappeared. The magical particles where the Sorting Hat had vanished settled down again.
The way the magical particles gathered, as well as the iconic loud sound, could only mean that the headmaster had teleported the Sorting Hat away. The only difference was that Professor Dumbledore hadn't Apparated away along with the Sorting Hat. I had no idea how spatial spells worked, or whether Apparating with the desired object was easier or more difficult. Nevertheless, I had to admire the headmaster for this spell.
The headmaster rose from his seat, which more closely resembled a magnificent throne, and positioned himself behind a lectern that, judging by its details, could only have been made with magic. The Great Hall, where a thousand students had been making noise just a moment ago, fell silent.
Unlike Professor McGonagall, who exerted magical pressure by actively releasing magical particles from her body to draw attention to herself, the notorious headmaster didn't do so. His mere, unique presence drew attention to him like a magnet.
I myself was affected by his natural charisma. I neither felt nor saw a spell. With both hands on the lectern, he spoke, his voice echoing throughout the entire hall with the help of the voice-amplification spell: Sonorus.
"Welcome to a new year! I welcome you, new and returning students, esteemed professors, and apprentices. It is always a pleasure to see new faces arriving at Hogwarts year after year."
Apprentices? Professor McGonagall had mentioned apprentices. After the N.E.W.T. examinations, one could be accepted by a master in a particular subject. What they did at Hogwarts was unknown to me. Perhaps the professors who had completed an apprenticeship under a master had taken them on as apprentices themselves. Did they live at Hogwarts in the meantime?
"Our school has the pleasure of welcoming Master Louis Bonaparte from France. He will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year."
Louis Bonaparte? Was he a descendant of Napoleon?
At the teachers' table, a man in his late fifties stood up, wearing an elegant coat. His long, full head of white hair fell over his back. A small smile rested on his lips, while his eyes appeared distant.
When he sat down again, Dumbledore continued his speech.
"All students are reminded that entering the forest on the school grounds is strictly forbidden to all students. Furthermore, I would like to remind you that casting spells in the corridors between lessons is prohibited."
"I wish you all a wonderful banquet and a good start to the new year!" Without saying his usual eccentric final words, he turned towards his seat.
Food began appearing in large bowls on all the tables in the Great Hall. Vegetables, fruits, meat. The Great Hall quickly grew noisy again. At the end of the table near the entrance, I saw a large bowl of salad that was moving on it's own. Fortunately, only ordinary Muggle delicacies had appeared near me.
I observed a first-year near me who focused on a bowl, spoke, and suddenly the bowl began emitting magical particles. A large number of roasted potatoes flew towards his plate. Afraid that I might violate some etiquette, I waited a little until most people had served themselves.
The bowl to my right, which still contained plenty of potatoes, was my target.
Based on my previous observations, one had to concentrate on one of the bowls and verbally express one's wish. One had to state the type and quantity of food verbally. Based on the people in my immediate vicinity whose emotions I could sense, they had also emotionally wished for the food.
That meant the bowl should also be mentally sensitive in some way. Octavià Dolohow, in whom I hadn't sensed any emotional change on the boat, had also managed it, and I hadn't detected any emotions from her. So it should work with my mental state as well.
Of course, I could do it with telekinesis,…but only if it didn't work.
I concentrated on the bowl and tried to mentally send my "intention" to the magical bowl.
I opened my mouth to express my wishes verbally without interrupting my concentration. Movement in the bowl made me pause. The golden, sizzling potatoes flew towards me. One after another, they flew onto my plate until they occupied a third of it.
Hm, I hadn't needed any verbal expression. I repeated the action for a tomato salad and chocolate pudding. Neither time had a verbal statement been necessary. The quantity of tomatoes also matched my intention. Lost in thought, I picked up my fork and began eating my tomato salad.
This magical action, which didn't require words, reminded me of something in the Harry Potter boo—
"How did you do that?" The annoying girl to my right interrupted my thoughts again. This time, I didn't even turn towards her. I had to suppress the urge to telekinetically hurl her plate into her face.
"Heeey, how did you do that?!" Louder this time. No, now I had to suppress the urge to fling her across the Great Hall. What a shame that I wasn't capable of that yet. Although I had only known this girl for a short time, it was clear to me that she expected an answer and wouldn't give up. The bubbling emotions she was projecting spoke of her curiosity, which was literally making my migraine worse. I didn't want to blurt out my non-verbal accomplishment. She seemed practically predestined to gossip about others.
So annoying.
The girl had been sorted into Ravenclaw, which already spoke to her curiosity. Well, the fact that someone had made the bowl artefact serve food non-verbally was new to her. Wait, if I wasn't mistaken, my non-verbal casting was comparable to a non-verbal spell, which was only taught in the sixth year. Based on the previous conversations she had had with her other seatmate, she came from a magical family. Her parents must also be able to summon food non-verbally.
"Haven't you already asked your parents about that?" I replied.
"Huh, how do you know that?" she responded, her forehead furrowed.
"That's not important. Your parents have already given you an answer, so why are you asking me?"
"They only told me that it would still be too difficult for me," the girl said stubbornly.
"Exactly. There's your answer…"
".."
I turned away from her and continued eating my tomato salad. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her opening her mouth in an attempt to get me to give a better explanation. But she closed it again. As she turned away, I still heard her muttering.
"Hmph, then don't tell me your secret. Asshole…"
The last word came unexpectedly, but it was a welcome surprise. In the near future, she wouldn't voluntarily talk to me anymore. Unfortunately, children of this age forgave others very quickly after a "misdeed". I estimated that my peace would last for about… half a week.
An additional advantage was that, as a "gossip", she would quickly make friends with others, and my unfriendly character would spread throughout my year. This was the outcome I hoped for most. Of course, things could also go in other directions. However, I trusted her character.
After three quarters of an hour, all the teachers and the headmaster had already disappeared from the Great Hall. A few minutes later, a prefect from my house approached us first-years. His styled blonde hair and blue eyes gave him an attractive appearance. Combined with his tall stature, one would have estimated his age to be between seventeen and nineteen. He stopped at the beginning of the table where all my classmates were sitting.
Before introducing himself, he waved his wand and murmured an incantation. Magical particles streamed from his wand and formed something resembling a dome, enclosing the area where all the first-years of Ravenclaw were gathered. The sounds in the Great Hall immediately became muffled. It was as if one were trying to speak underwater.
I opened my mouth and made a sound. All I could hear from my own ears was an indistinct noise. With my magical sight, I could clearly see that the magical particles in the area of the dome had intensified considerably. The sound I had made a moment earlier touched the numerous magical particles. The magical particles, whose concentration had increased significantly, served as a "barrier" and prevented my sound from passing through.
However, the prefect's spell allowed a few indistinct sounds to reach my ears. One would probably hear even less, or no sound at all, if the prefect channelled more magical power into his spell.
With a friendly smile, he introduced himself. "Hello, everyone. My name is Jonathan Arteam. I've been studying at Hogwarts for six years now. I'm one of the many prefects at Hogwarts. Apprentice White has asked me to familiarise you with Hogwarts at the beginning of the week. Have you all finished eating?"
Nobody answered his question, which sounded rhetorical to my ears.
"Great! Then we can get going. Follow me!" Prefect Jonathan Arteam obviously expected us to follow him. Unlike the newly sorted Ravenclaws, I didn't ignore his request. I was the first to stand up and follow the prefect. Only after I had walked a few metres away from the table did the others awaken from their state.
A group of eleven-year-old Ravenclaws walked out of the Great Hall, led by an attractive blonde. Octavià Dolohow, who had been sorted into Ravenclaw like me, walked beside me behind the prefect. We exchanged no words. I sensed no emotions or fluctuations from either Dolohow or Prefect Arteam.
Could it be that they both practised Occlumency?
Dolohow, who was beside me, addressed our prefect. "Prefect Arteam? Do you already know how our first-year timetable is structured and how often we'll be taught by masters?"
The prefect addressed looked briefly over his shoulder and examined Octavià. Magical particles streamed out of him. No wand or incantation was used.
Is he casting a spell wandlessly? No, most likely it's his Inner Gift…
Prefect Arteam looked forward again and continued leading us through Hogwarts. After a brief moment, he answered her question.
"The masters here at Hogwarts—you've already met one: Professor McGonagall, Master of Transfiguration—teach their respective subjects only once a month. For you first-years, the masters' apprentices teach the rest of the year. You'll soon meet Apprentice White. She's one of Professor Flitwick's apprentices and takes care of organisational duties in Ravenclaw. You'll learn more details about your timetable shortly, so don't worry."
Prefect Arteam climbed a staircase before continuing.
"I'll do you both a favour and give you an advantage at the beginning of your time at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall should have mentioned it outside the doors of the Great Hall. If I remember correctly, she said something along these lines: 'Our faculty rewards effort and results and punishes laziness and shortcomings. Regardless of your background, talent, or sponsors, only results count at Hogwarts.' "
'Impressive memory', I thought, chuckling to myself. When Professor McGonagall had said that, it had seemed strange to me. I had dismissed it as an attempt at intimidation and hadn't thought about it any further. It seemed she had intended it as a warning to us first-years. Like Dolohow, I addressed the prefect.
"Prefect Arteam, what advantages can one get, for example, by achieving good results in Charms?"
Prefect Arteam snorted in amusement. The directness of the question seemed to surprise him. Dolohow also gave me a sideways glance.
"Huh, if you catch Apprentice White's or even Professor Flitwick's eye in a positive way, they can unlock books from the library for you that normally go beyond your Qualification Class. Of course, only within the limits of the subject. Professor Flitwick raises the Library Qualification Class of some students he particularly favours. I've actually already said more than I'm allowed to. Just one more thing: concentrate on only a small number of magical disciplines. You can't excel at everything…"
Prefect Arteam closed his mouth and increased the distance between Dolohow and me. With my magical and enhanced sight, I saw him move his wand in his hand, hidden inside his wide cloak. The magical particles in the surroundings then changed.
My attention, which had previously been directed only towards Prefect Arteam in front of me, opened up in all directions. The surroundings became clearer and more noticeable in a certain way. I became more aware of the other children walking behind me. While I had been listening to Prefect Arteam and asking questions, their conversations had somehow seemed to have their volume turned down.
A brief glance to my left confirmed my suspicion that Dolohow hadn't noticed the spell Prefect Arteam had cast and lifted. Could this be a mental spell? In the first four Harry Potter books, very little was said about the mental arts. Legilimency and Occlumency were the only cases explicitly mentioned.
In my case, Prefect Arteam seemed to have cast a spell that centred Dolohow's and my attention on him while pushing everything else into the background.
Thoughtfully, I went through my memories. The result made me see the prefect, who was walking a few metres ahead of us, in a different light.
He had already cast a mental spell in the Great Hall. When he asked us first-years to follow him to Ravenclaw Tower, he had most likely cast a spell intended to measure our mental defences. Ergo, he had tested who in Ravenclaw practised Occlumency. Only the witches and wizards who followed his request had passed his test.
Prefect Arteam had waited until all the professors and apprentices had left the Great Hall. Once all the wizards and witches who could potentially notice his mental spell had left the Great Hall, he introduced himself to the newly sorted Ravenclaws. Finally, he had presumably cast some kind of spell that shocked the mind for a brief moment. People who hadn't been trained in the mental arts would have frozen for a moment.
The only people who had passed his test were Octavià Dolohow and myself, Mordret Noir.
His little test didn't seem to have ended in the Great Hall. He cast another spell that directed Dolohow's and my attention towards him. The other Ravenclaws didn't interrupt the conversation between Dolohow, Prefect Arteam, and me. Prefect Arteam casually shared important information that we weren't supposed to know yet. He wasn't afraid that other people, such as other first-years in Ravenclaw, would overhear him. The probability that a spell had been cast on the rest of the group was therefore very high.
Afterwards, he gave us "tips" and "information" that were useful to Dolohow and me.
We were both first-years trained in the mental arts. Well, only Dolohow was trained in this discipline. I was a natural Occlumens, and mental defence was innate to me… I could presumably thank my natural Occlumency for eventually noticing the spells that had been cast on me. Octavià Dolohow still hadn't noticed this little test, despite her Occlumency.
The mental arts really are terrifying!
The important thing was that, for some reason, Prefect Arteam wanted Dolohow and me to see him in a positive light. I examined his back, trying to understand the reason for his behaviour. It was clear that the answer wouldn't simply fall into my lap. I continued speculating. However, the annoying feeling of unease buzzing inside my head wouldn't leave me alone.
My brooding was interrupted by Prefect Arteam, who was waiting in front of an inconspicuous door. A spiral staircase was located to the left of the door. From my perspective, accustomed to Muggle architecture, the corridors at Hogwarts could be summed up in one word: chaos. The corridors didn't change direction at the familiar ninety-degree angle. The castle contained numerous staircases, doors, and corridors that followed the logic of a labyrinth.
If not for my eidetic memory, I wouldn't dare wander around the castle.
Prefect Arteam waited until all the Ravenclaws arrived. Some were breathing more heavily than usual. Climbing the five floors hadn't been accomplished without effort.
"This door," he said, pointing at the inconspicuous door behind him, "is the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. And don't worry if you haven't memorised the way here yet. During the first week, I'll guide anyone who needs it through the castle."
"To enter our common room, you have to solve a riddle. This is the first and last time I'll solve the riddle for you. So pay close attention."
As if it had been waiting for this moment, the inconspicuous door transformed. A wooden door knocker in the shape of an eagle appeared in the middle of the door.
The eagle opened its mouth and croaked:
"I am not afraid of the masses,
I bring progress to the world,
And I can be expressed through the colours of a rainbow.
What am I?"
The prefect hesitated for a moment before replying, "A person's creativity."
The eagle didn't keep Prefect Arteam waiting long.
"Adequate."
The door opened silently. A spiral staircase leading down appeared.
I stepped through the door third, after Octavià Dolohow.
[Words: 4045]