Alex's scalp tingled.
Seriously? Even now, these two had time for jokes?
But thankfully, the three-headed dog wasn't particularly discerning in taste or musical preference. The moment the bizarre melody reached its ears, it slumped back onto the trapdoor and promptly dozed off.
Alex gave the twins a sharp look and gestured for them to quietly back out of the room. Together, they tiptoed out and gently shut the door behind them. Alex waved his wand, casting a Locking Charm for good measure.
Only then did he finally let out a breath.
Turning around, he was startled to find Fred and George Weasley staring at him with unconcealed curiosity.
Before he could speak, the twins exchanged a glance — and then, without warning, each slung an arm over his shoulders.
"Dear Master Gunter! Thank you for the daring rescue!" said one with a dramatic bow. "I'm Fred, and this is my brother George—"
"Idiot! I'm the older brother!" George immediately interrupted, jabbing a finger at his twin.
Alex raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous title.
Master Gunter?
Was this how they thanked their saviors?
He decided to play along.
"Dear Lords Weasley," Alex said gravely, "I was sent by none other than Professor Dumbledore himself to guard you from your own idiocy. You may call me... the Protector."
Fred blinked. George's smile froze.
Wait, really?
"Dumbledore sent you?" Fred asked, slightly uneasy. "Did he know we were sneaking out?"
"Of course not," Alex rolled his eyes. "I was out on a little stroll myself when you two dragged Filch to the library."
"Ohhh..." The twins exhaled together, realization dawning.
"So that noise was your doing?" they asked in perfect sync.
Alex shrugged. "I was reading in peace. Then came two howling hyenas and one very angry cat."
George leaned in, eyes twinkling with mischief. "How come we didn't see you, though? Was it some kind of spell?"
"Disillusionment Charm," Alex replied simply. "I learned it by accident. If you're keen, you might find it... deep in the Restricted Section."
The sparkle in their eyes turned to full-on fireworks.
"Restricted Section?" Fred grinned.
"Say no more," George whispered. "We know the way."
Alex yawned. "Alright, I'm calling it a night. Unless you noble Weasley lords have more chaos to unleash?"
Fred clapped his back. "Sleep well, Protector. You really should've been a Gryffindor."
George gave him a thumbs up. "Way more fun than my brother Ron, honestly."
Alex waved them off and didn't bother asking where they were headed — but wherever it was, it definitely wasn't Gryffindor Tower.
...
At the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, Alex tapped the bronze eagle knocker. It came to life, as expected.
Its voice rang out smoothly: "Two fathers and two sons go hat shopping. They buy three hats. Why?"
Alex answered without missing a beat. "It was grandfather, father, and son — three generations."
The door creaked open.
Just as he stepped in, he looked up — and froze.
There, standing at the entrance to the girls' dormitories, was Cho.
And she was staring right at him.
"Cho?" he asked, startled.
"Alex?" she blinked, equally surprised.
They spoke in unison, then Alex quickly followed up. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to get my Quidditch Training Manual," she said, a bit dazed. Then, after a pause, her brow furrowed. "But what about you? Why are you just coming back now?"
Faced with her sharp gaze, Alex gave up on lying. He recounted everything — from his trip to the library, to how he got tangled up with the twins, and eventually, the room with the three-headed dog.
When he told her about pranking Fred and George with the crashing armor, Cho laughed so hard she almost fell over.
But when he described the monstrous dog, her face turned tense, eyes wide. She only relaxed once he explained how the beast could be lulled to sleep with music.
"That's so cool, Alex!" she practically beamed. "You've only been here two days and you've already gone on a night adventure! I've been here for over a year and never dared!"
She was practically bouncing now. "Next time you sneak out, take me with you!"
Alex stared at her, stunned.
This calm, composed, seemingly quiet girl… was this her real side?
But then again, she was Ravenclaw's future Seeker. Of course she had fire in her blood.
He reached over, gently ruffling her hair. "Alright. But only when it's actually fun. Tonight was just me reading in the dark. Boring stuff."
Cho smiled sweetly, accepting his answer. They chatted a little longer, then both headed off to sleep.
...
The next morning, Alex joined the other Ravenclaws on their way to the dungeons for Potions class.
Along the way, they passed the Gryffindor students heading the same way. Harry gave him a friendly nod, but didn't linger — his dormmates quickly pulled him along.
Thanks to what must've been a butterfly effect caused by his arrival, this year's Hufflepuff intake was unusually large. So much so that Hogwarts had decided to separate them into their own classes, while Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin would attend together.
Which meant... Potions with Snape and the Slytherins.
Great.
Alex suddenly remembered.
"System, check-in."
"Ding! Congratulations, host. You've received: Advanced Potions Knowledge (Purple Tier)."
His eyebrows lifted. That's some rare loot.
With this and the earlier boost he got, he probably had the skill level of a top fourth-year student in Potions.
Perfect timing.
After humiliating Snape during the Sorting, the man was bound to come after him in class today.
And now? Let him come.
Alex cracked his knuckles.
Thank you, dear system. Truly, you're the son I never had.
And today?
Today, Daddy's cooking.
--------------
Access 30 chapters in advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/Ashborn60