A young wizard with a head of fluffy blond hair thought seriously for a moment.
"I don't know."
"You were thinking hard, and you don't know?!"
Michael felt that because of these two friends—Anthony and Terry—he was definitely going to die a few years early.
As for the dining etiquette he mentioned, being both elegant and fast...
A poor orphanage always finds many ways to get rid of orphans, even though these methods are utterly useless except for tormenting the children's minds and bodies. Perhaps the only ones who benefited were the caregivers, who found more reasons to criticize and scold.
Sean was forced to learn some things during this ordeal, such as etiquette, including a whole series of rules for dining, walking, and sleeping.
'Thank goodness I'm out of there', Sean thought, 'otherwise, Matron Anna, who's about to lose her job, would definitely not let me off easy.'
In the Hogwarts Great Hall, Dumbledore was chatting and laughing with the others at the staff table, while Sean was devouring his food. Michael was trying to chat up other witches, while Sean was devouring his food. Terry was taking notes on Dumbledore's words, while Sean was devouring his food.
This continued until the noise in the hall gradually subsided and the food on the tables vanished.
"And now, as we are all digesting another magnificent feast..." Sean heard Dumbledore's booming voice.
'Digesting? Not really.' Sean thought silently.
Dumbledore was still speaking, listing three warnings: including a prohibition against entering the corridor on the right-hand side on the fourth floor, a prohibition against entering the Dark Forest, and a prohibition against night-time wandering.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore called out loudly.
Sean watched Dumbledore and noticed the frozen smiles on the faces of all the professors around him.
Soon, Sean understood why.
"How awful," Sean covered his ears.
"If you don't want to listen, you have to sing!" Michael sang with great passion, despite being completely tone-deaf. "If you don't torment others, others will torment you!"
"That makes sense."
So Sean began to sing too:
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.
"You sang really well!" Michael leaned over after it ended.
Sean nodded; he had just used the tune of a popular song from his previous life, and the effect was pretty good. At least he noticed the cacophony of howls around him had lessened somewhat.
Soon, they were following a prefect with a tall, slender figure out of the Great Hall, up the moving staircases, up the moving staircases...
Still climbing the moving staircases...
"These stairs are long enough to be the death of me!" Michael leaned on the railing, looking utterly drained.
"Just a moment ago, you said the Prefect's legs were long enough to be the death of you," retorted the young wizard named Anthony, rolling his eyes.
"Hey?! You can't just say things like that, Anthony! That was a secret between brothers! How could you expose me!" Somehow, Michael found a burst of energy and instantly pounced on Anthony to tickle him.
By the time they entered the common room, Sean's face was deathly pale. If the stairs had been any longer, his body wouldn't have been able to take it.
"I have to find a way," Sean gasped for breath, muttering fragmented words to himself.
By now, all the Ravenclaw first-years had gathered in the common room. The blond Prefect waited with a smile for the young wizards to catch their breath.
Once everyone was breathing evenly again, the Prefect spoke: "Congratulations! I am Prefect Penelope Clearwater, and I am delighted to welcome you to Ravenclaw House. Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb. Our common room is situated at the top of Ravenclaw Tower. Through the arched windows of the circular common room, you can overlook the entire Hogwarts grounds: the Black Lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch, and the greenhouses. No other house is fortunate enough to enjoy this view."
"Of course, many might not see that as a good thing, but I can tell you, it's absolutely wonderful once you learn to ride a broomstick! Oh, and our house ghost is the Grey Lady. Others think she never speaks, but she will talk to Ravenclaws. A little insider tip: it's said the Grey Lady lived around the same time as our founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, so perhaps they are connected? She's particularly helpful if you're lost or can't find something."
"I'm sure you'll have a wonderful night's sleep. Our four-poster beds are made up with sky-blue silk eiderdowns, and the sound of the wind whistling past the windows is always very soothing. Let me say it once more: Congratulations on becoming a member of the cleverest, most sharp-witted, and most interesting house at Hogwarts!"
Without any unnecessary elaboration, her brief speech ignited a light in the young wizards' eyes. This was also why Michael and the other Ravenclaws applauded so enthusiastically.
"Flying broomsticks," Sean remembered. Some Ravenclaws with excellent flying skills did fly back to the tower. He made a mental note of this, placing its importance just after obtaining a scholarship.
Then he carefully surveyed the place: the Ravenclaw common room. It was said to be one of the airiest and most spacious rooms in Hogwarts Castle. It was a large, circular room with elegant arched windows draped in blue and bronze silk. Ravenclaw students could see beautiful scenery outside through the windows. The ceiling was a domed vault adorned with stars, and the dark blue carpet below was also studded with stars. The room contained tables, chairs, bookshelves, and a white marble bust of Rowena Ravenclaw stood in a niche opposite the door. A door next to the statue led to the dormitories above, which Prefect Penelope was currently pointing towards.
"Now, everyone, come get a timetable from me, then go through this door to the dormitories. Your dormitory information is on the back of the timetable." The Prefect methodically directed the young Ravens to line up for their timetables.
Sean took his and saw that the most challenging subject, Potions, was scheduled for Monday morning, a double period no less. This instantly gave him a sense of urgency. He wished he could go back to the dormitory immediately to review Magical Drafts and Potions; he had only memorized that book once. It wouldn't be good if he couldn't recall something instantly. The Half-Blood Prince certainly wouldn't be there to teach him carefully.
"Sean!" Michael called out excitedly. Sean turned, puzzled.
"My grandmother says people who love good food can't be bad!" He shook the timetable in his hand. On the back, one column read: Dormitory 404: Sean Green, Michael Corner.
Entering the dormitory with Michael's arm slung around his shoulder (a one-sided gesture from Michael), Sean's eyes fell upon walls hung with blue and silver decorations. Each bed had its own bookshelf, and the arched windows were draped with blue silk. Sean glanced past these and saw the thick, cyan-blue quilts.
'I won't be cold anymore', Sean thought.