**Chapter 4: Greetings, Hogwarts**
After emphasizing the semester's important notices, Dumbledore seemed to revert to that somewhat eccentric yet kindly headmaster. His wizard hat sat slightly askew as he announced in a loud voice, "And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!"
As Dumbledore finished speaking, Ivan clearly noticed the expressions of the professors on the platform change, and several older students looked as if they were constipated.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore, paying no heed, waved his wand. A long, golden ribbon floated out from its tip, twisting like a serpent into lines of lyrics.
Using his wand as a conductor's baton, Dumbledore led the entire school in a rousing, if chaotic, rendition of the Hogwarts school song that echoed through the Great Hall.
"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..."
Various versions and melodies clashed and merged, further complicated by the Weasley twins' enthusiastic attempts to lead everyone astray. Ivan took the opportunity to mumble along a few lines. Once the song ended, he surprisingly found the cacophonous mix... rather pleasing to the ear.
Ivan couldn't help but wonder if his musical taste had somehow become corrupted.
Fortunately, Headmaster Dumbledore seemed to share this sentiment. The venerable white wizard appeared deeply moved, almost moved to tears by the musical experience. It took him a moment to emerge from the melody's embrace. Wiping a tear from his eye, he reminded the prefects they could lead their houses back to their dormitories.
Ivan followed the stream of Gryffindor first-years up a spiral staircase to the highest floor.
At the end of a corridor, Percy stopped before a portrait on the wall depicting a very fat lady in a pink silk dress. Before anyone could ask, the portrait figure moved, shifting her pose and asking solemnly, "Password?"
"Dragon dreg," Percy replied.
The Fat Lady nodded, swung forward, and revealed a round hole in the wall behind her. Ivan knew this led to the Gryffindor common room.
Once inside, Ivan found it far more spacious than he had imagined.
The red and gold Gryffindor lion banner hung proudly overhead. The cozy common room was furnished with several long tables and comfortable armchairs. A deep brown fireplace set against the left wall crackled with a warm fire, providing light and driving away the night's chill.
The Gryffindor dormitory rooms were designed for five students each. The spacious room held five four-poster beds, with their respective trunks neatly stacked at the foot of each.
Lacking the relevant memories, Ivan couldn't even identify which trunk or bed was his.
Just as Ivan decided to wait for his roommates to choose their beds first, a greyish-white owl swooped down from a rafter and landed gracefully on his shoulder, affectionately nibbling his ear.
"Maka?" Ivan blinked, the name surfacing in his mind unbidden.
"Hoot, hoot~" the owl responded as if confirming.
"Whether you were or not, your name is Maka now," Ivan said, gently scratching the owl's neck feathers. Maka closed its eyes contentedly.
With Maka's help, Ivan quickly identified the bed against the western wall as his. His belongings were sparse: bedding, a pillow, some clothes and personal items, and a few required textbooks.
It was worth noting that Ivan found a small plaque beside his bedpost, thoughtfully engraved with the name *Ivan Harus*. Similar plaques adorned the other beds, which Ivan simply hadn't noticed earlier.
Ivan hadn't been alone in the dormitory for long when the door creaked open, followed by a somewhat familiar voice.
"Turns out the Sorting was just putting on a hat. I thought we'd have to wrestle a troll or something. I knew I shouldn't have believed George's nonsense."
The speaker was a boy with fiery red hair and a smattering of freckles across his nose, muttering to himself. Behind him followed a bespectacled boy who looked rather thin.
Harry? Ron?
Ivan was somewhat surprised, but then he realized. Hogwarts didn't have many new students each year. Being in Gryffindor, it was natural he'd share a dorm with Harry.
"Hello, I'm Ivan Harus," Ivan stepped forward and introduced himself.
"Hey, I'm Ron Weasley," Ron said, finally noticing Ivan.
"Hello, I'm Harry Potter," Harry offered his hand.
Ivan shook Harry's hand first, then smiled at Ron. "Your brothers, George and Fred, mentioned you at the feast earlier."
"Oh, blimey, I doubt they said anything good," Ron grumbled, thinking of the twins' usual pranks, a wave of annoyance washing over him.
Harry, however, was pleased with Ivan's demeanor, which was different from others he'd met since entering the wizarding world. Most either made a fuss or were desperate to see his lightning-shaped scar. Harry had to admit, he found that behavior rather daft.
Friendships among young wizards could sometimes form quickly. Moreover, Ivan, familiar with them from the original story, naturally found common ground. Soon, they were chatting like old friends.
Harry shared stories of the unfair treatment he'd endured before discovering the wizarding world. Ron contributed a couple of amusing tales about being pranked by the Weasley twins. Before long, Neville and another dormitory mate joined in. They talked until late before finally retiring to their respective beds.
The whirlwind of events throughout the evening had left Ivan utterly exhausted. The moment his head touched the pillow, his body relaxed completely, any plans to explore the so-called "system" forgotten. Vaguely, he could hear Ron complaining about his rat, Scabbers. Ivan lifted his head, glanced over, then pulled the covers over his head, his lips moving silently.
Greetings, Hogwarts!
......
Early the next morning, Ivan jolted awake from a dream, disoriented as he looked around. It took him a moment to remember—classes.
The sudden shift from a hospital bed to a classroom was a bit much to process immediately.
However, Ivan had no intention of being late for his first class at Hogwarts. Even though it was still early, considering the notoriously fickle moving staircases at Hogwarts, he thought it best to set off ahead of time.
Of course, he didn't forget to rouse the still-sleeping Ron and Harry on his way out.
Whether it was Harry's "Chosen One" aura at work or Ivan's own streak of bad luck, they encountered two vanishing steps during their descent. Poor Ron even walked straight into a section of wall disguised as a door!
Fortunately, thanks to Ron's unfortunate demonstration, both Ivan and Harry managed to avoid the same fate...