The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ark was already awake.
After washing up in the bathroom, he put on his plain black Hogwarts robes—but skipped the pointed hat.
Hogwarts required all students to wear the school uniform during term. Hats were optional, but robes were mandatory—whether in class, at meals, or studying in the Great Hall. Only in their dormitories or during holidays were students allowed to wear other clothes.
It was already September, and the Scottish Highlands had begun to cool. Wearing robes wasn't stifling—it was actually a bit chilly.
Ark was used to it by now. At half past seven, he left his dormitory and stepped into the Ravenclaw Common Room.
At this hour, the common room was nearly empty. Most students were still asleep, buried under their blankets.
At Hogwarts, breakfast began around seven-thirty, and the first class didn't start until nine. For most students—especially the lazy ones—getting up even an hour later was still enough to make it on time. Those awake before eight were a rare breed indeed.
Ark wasn't particularly fond of early mornings himself, but as someone new to the castle, he didn't want to risk getting lost and being late. He planned to eat first, then explore the school to get familiar with the grounds.
Carrying his book, he left the Ravenclaw Common Room, descended from Ravenclaw Tower, and made his way through a long corridor toward the Great Hall.
Just like the common room, the hall was almost deserted. Of the four long House tables, one or two were completely empty, and the quiet atmosphere stood in stark contrast to last night's bustling Welcoming Feast.
Ark looked around and spotted a familiar face at the Gryffindor table—Hermione Granger.
"Byrne!"
She saw him at the same time, her eyes lighting up as she waved.
"Morning, Granger," Ark greeted as he walked over with a smile. "You're up early."
"I wanted to explore the castle a bit," Hermione said earnestly, hugging a book to her chest. "According to Hogwarts: A History, the staircases move. You never know when one will send you back where you started—or somewhere completely different."
She sighed dramatically. "A lot of students who don't understand how the staircases move end up late to class. And the school rules specifically say you can't use them as an excuse."
Of course. That was so very Hermione.
"So you woke up early to study the castle?" Ark chuckled. "What a coincidence—I was planning to do the same. Want to look around together?"
"Can I?" Hermione's eyes widened again, then she asked quickly, "I mean, you're not meeting anyone else, are you?"
"No," Ark said, shaking his head. "There's an odd number of first-years this year. I ended up with a dorm to myself, so I don't have any set plans with anyone."
He tactfully left out why she might be alone too.
He already knew that Miss Know-It-All's personality didn't always mesh well with her peers—especially in Gryffindor—so she hadn't made friends yet.
It was no surprise, really. Hermione often kept to herself until she eventually met her famous two companions.
Knowing this, Ark decided to reach out first.
"That's great!" Hermione said brightly, flashing a wide smile that revealed her front teeth—then she blushed, hastily adding, "I mean, I didn't have plans either, so I'd love to!"
Clearly, she didn't want him to realize she'd been left out.
Ark just smiled, pretending not to notice. "See you in a bit, then."
"Mm! See you soon!"
After they parted, Ark headed to the Ravenclaw table and sat down.
The moment he did, breakfast appeared—porridge, rolls, eggs, bacon, and toast. It wasn't as grand as the Welcoming Feast, but it was more than enough to fill him up.
He ate his porridge slowly while flipping through his book, reading as he ate. Across the hall, Hermione noticed and, feeling inspired, did the same.
By the time Ark was finishing his meal, a parchment drifted down from midair and landed in front of him—his class schedule.
He picked it up and scanned it.
To his mild surprise, first-year coursework was incredibly light.
There were seven main subjects: Transfiguration class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Herbology.
Each day had three classes—usually two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Occasionally, there'd be an evening lesson or a day with only two. All told, classes rarely exceeded three hours a day. The rest of the time was entirely free until after dinner, when students could study in their common rooms or join clubs.
Since Hogwarts didn't have a massive student body, most classes were shared between two Houses.
For example, today Ravenclaw had Potions in the morning with Hufflepuff, and History of Magic in the afternoon with Slytherin. Charms, Transfiguration, and Astronomy would be with Gryffindor—but those were scheduled later in the week.
Starting next week, they'd also have Flying lessons—a mandatory first-year course teaching how to fly a Flying Broomstick. It was easily the most anticipated class among new students, though it wouldn't begin until the second week.
"Not bad," Ark murmured. "First-year workload's pretty light. That means plenty of free time to use as I like."
He began mentally planning how best to spend it.
Of course, first he had to master the castle's mischievous staircases—those things seemed designed to confuse newcomers.
"I'm ready, Byrne! Can we go now?"
Hermione trotted up to him, clutching her book.
"Sure." Ark downed the last spoonful of porridge and stood. "Oh, and call me Ark. Using my last name feels a bit formal, doesn't it?"
"All right." Hermione hesitated for a second, then said softly, "Then you can call me Hermione. My parents do."
Ark almost teased, And what do your friends call you?—but wisely swallowed the thought.
After all, the future Minister for Magic didn't have any friends yet.
He couldn't help smiling at the thought. I wonder if anyone at school will regret not befriending her someday.
Shaking his head, Ark left the hall alongside Hermione.
...
There were one hundred and forty-two staircases in Hogwarts Castle, and every single one seemed to have a mind of its own.
Some were wide and grand, others narrow and creaky. A few swayed dangerously underfoot, and several changed destinations every Friday. One moment a staircase would be there—then the next, gone entirely. One wrong step could send you tumbling.
Starting from the first floor, Ark and Hermione spent the next hour struggling through them all. Sometimes they were whisked past their intended floor and dumped elsewhere; other times, just as they reached the top, the stairs carried them right back down again. It was enough to make anyone want to kick them.
Hermione, of course, actually did.
Unfortunately, the staircase took offense and promptly vanished beneath her feet.
Luckily, Ark had already mastered the Levitation Charm and caught her easily before she hit the floor. Even so, Hermione went white as a sheet, trembling as though she'd just had a near-death experience. After that, she didn't dare lose her temper again and moved carefully from step to step.
From before eight until nearly nine, the two of them wandered the moving stairways until they'd finally learned their general layout—at least enough not to get hopelessly lost.
As the clock neared nine, they said their goodbyes, and Ark hurried off toward the Potions classroom for his first lesson of the day.