After going through all the rules and warnings for the semester, Dumbledore seemed to shift from the serious headmaster role into something more playful. His wizard hat sat slightly crooked on his head as he announced loudly, "Before going to bed, let us sing the school song together!"
As Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall, Adrian clearly saw the professors' faces change on the stage. Several looked like they'd swallowed something particularly unpleasant, and the older students wore expressions of barely concealed horror.
Dumbledore paid no attention to their reactions. He waved his wand with enthusiasm, and a long golden ribbon floated out from the tip, twisting through the air like a serpent before forming words that hung in the air. Using his wand like a conductor's baton, Dumbledore began leading the entire school in what could only be described as organized chaos which was the Hogwarts anthem.
What followed was a wild mix of melodies and rhythms as students chose their own tunes for the same lyrics. The Weasley twins, naturally, seemed determined to lead everyone astray with their own creative interpretation. Adrian found himself singing along despite himself, and afterward, he was genuinely surprised to discover that the chaotic mixture actually sounded... not terrible?
Adrian couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with his musical taste.
Fortunately, he wasn't alone in his assessment. Principal Dumbledore himself appeared genuinely moved by the performance, his eyes actually glistening with what might have been tears. It took him several long moments to compose himself, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand before finally dismissing the students to their respective dormitories.
Adrian followed the stream of Gryffindor first-years as they made their way up the spiral staircase that led to the highest floors of the castle. The moving portraits watched them pass with mild interest, some calling out greetings or comments about the new arrivals. At the end of a long corridor lined with suits of armor, Percy stopped before what appeared to be a blank wall dominated by the portrait of a rather plump woman in a pink silk dress.
Before any of the new students could voice their confusion, the woman in the painting shifted her considerable bulk and spoke in a surprisingly stern voice.
"Password?"
"Dragon dung," Percy replied without hesitation.
The Fat Lady nodded with approval and swung forward like a door, revealing a perfectly round hole in the wall behind her portrait. Adrian recognized this as the famous entrance to Gryffindor Tower that he'd read about, though seeing it in person was quite different from imagining it.
Once they stepped through the portal, Adrian realized the common room was significantly larger than he'd expected from the books' descriptions. Gryffindor's crimson and gold banners hung from the ceiling, while the space below was filled with comfortable armchairs and long tables perfect for studying or socializing. A massive stone fireplace dominated the far wall, its dancing flames casting warm light throughout the room and driving away any chill from the Scottish highlands.
The dormitory that housed the first-year boys was spacious enough for five four-poster beds, each draped with heavy red curtains that could be drawn for privacy. Personal belongings sat neatly arranged beside each bed, but without any corresponding memories to guide him, Adrian found himself unable to identify which items belonged to him.
As Adrian stood there uncertainly, waiting for his new roommates to claim their beds first, a gray-white owl suddenly swooped down from the rafters near the western window. The bird landed gracefully on his shoulder and began pecking at his face with obvious affection.
The owl was smaller than most, with soft gray feathers touched here and there with silver. Its round face looked neat and even, with one unusual feature, a faint red ring around one eye. Its eyes were wide and bright amber, with tiny red specks that glimmered when the light hit them. It didn't look scary, just different, with a quiet air that made it feel a little more special than the rest.
"Echo?" The name emerged from Adrian's lips without conscious thought, as if some deep part of his fragmented memory had recognized the creature.
"Hoot~" the owl replied, as if confirming his guess.
"Whether that's your actual name or not, I'm calling you Echo a from now on." Adrian reached up to scratch the owl's neck, and the bird closed its eyes contentedly, clearly enjoying the attention.
With Echo's obvious guidance, Adrian quickly identified the bed positioned against the western wall as his own. His possessions were rather sparse compared to what he imagined other students might have brought, sheets and pillows, a modest selection of clothes, essential toiletries, and the required first-year textbooks. Most importantly, he discovered a small wooden nameplate beside the bed frame with "Adrian Blackwood" carefully carved into its surface.
Looking around, Adrian noticed that the other beds had similar nameplates, though he'd been too distracted earlier to pay them proper attention.
Adrian hadn't been alone in the dormitory for very long when he heard the sound of the door opening, followed by a voice that was becoming increasingly familiar.
"I honestly can't believe the Sorting ceremony was just putting on a hat! I thought we'd have to wrestle trolls or duel with older students or something equally dramatic. I really shouldn't have believed George's ridiculous stories."
Through the doorway came a young wizard with red hair and a generous sprinkling of freckles across his nose and cheeks. He was still muttering complaints about his brothers' tendency to embellish the truth. Close behind him walked a thin, somewhat nervous-looking boy wearing glasses that were slightly too large for his face.
Adrian felt genuinely surprised. What were the odds he'd end up rooming with Harry Potter? It seemed too convenient to be just coincidence.
"Hello there, I'm Adrian Blackwood," Adrian said, stepping forward with what he hoped was a friendly smile.
"Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Ron Weasley." Ron seemed happy to have another roommate to talk to.
"Pleasure to meet you too. I'm Harry Potter." Harry extended his hand with a slightly cautious expression, still getting used to introducing himself in the wizarding world.
Adrian shook Harry's hand first, then turned to Ron with an easy grin. "Your brothers George and Fred mentioned you to me during the welcome feast. They seemed quite fond of talking about their little brother."
"Oh no, I can't even imagine what sort of embarrassing stories they shared about me." Ron's expression immediately darkened as he contemplated the various pranks and humiliating incidents his older brothers might have described to a complete stranger.
Harry seemed quite happy by Adrian's casual, normal reaction to meeting him, so refreshingly different from every other encounter he'd had since entering this new world. Most people either made an enormous fuss about his status as The Boy Who Lived or desperately tried to catch a glimpse of the lightning bolt scar hidden beneath his messy hair. Frankly, Harry was beginning to find that sort of behavior rather tiresome.
Friendships can sometimes form with surprising speed, especially when people are thrown together in unfamiliar circumstances. Adrian had the distinct advantage of knowing both boys' personalities and backgrounds from his extensive reading, which allowed him to engage with their interests and concerns in a way that felt natural and unforced. Within a relatively short time, he found himself accepted into their small circle.
As the evening progressed, Harry shared stories about the unfair and often cruel treatment he'd endured while living with his aunt and uncle before discovering his true heritage. Ron, meanwhile, entertained them with amusing tales about the various pranks his twin brothers had subjected him to over the years, along with stories about life in a large magical family. When Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas, their remaining roommates, finally arrived, the conversation continued well into the night, covering everything from Quidditch to the various magical creatures they hoped to study.
The successive changes and revelations throughout the day had left Adrian feeling totally drained, but as his head touched the pillow, his mind refused to quiet despite his body's desperate need for rest. The mysterious system that seemed to be connected to his situation would have to wait, right now, he needed to think.
What a crazy mess I've gotten myself into, he thought, staring up at the red curtains of his four-poster bed. One day I'm lying in a hospital bed, again, watching the ceiling tiles while machines beeped around me, and the next I'm being sorted into Gryffindor like some character from a badly written story.
At least this new body was an improvement over his old one. Gone was the sickly pale skin that had made him look like he belonged in a morgue, replaced by a healthier tone that actually had some life to it. His eyes had changed too, instead of the dull brown that had stared back at him from hospital mirrors, they were now a sharp green that seemed to catch the light. It was probably the only good thing about this whole situation, really.
His previous life hadn't exactly been exciting. Most of it spent in hospital rooms, watching other people live through windows and screens. The Harry Potter books had been one of his escapes from that white-walled reality, along with whatever else he could get his hands on. Now here he was, living it. The irony was almost funny, he'd finally escaped those hospital walls, only to end up in one of the most dangerous places imaginable.
And here I am, Adrian Blackwood. The name still felt strange in his head. He'd read every book, watched every film, even looked up random wizarding families online when he was bored, and he'd never seen that surname anywhere. Was he nobody special, or was there something about his family he didn't know? Either way, he'd need to look into it.
But first things first, he needed his memories back. The fragments he had were useful but incomplete, like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing. Occlumency seemed like the logical starting point. If he could organize his thoughts, maybe he could unlock whatever was blocking his past. The irony of learning a mental discipline while his mind was already fractured wasn't lost on him.
Then there was Dumbledore. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Just thinking about those twinkling blue eyes made Adrian uncomfortable. He got why the man did what he did, fighting Voldemort wasn't exactly a job for nice, simple methods. But understanding someone and trusting them were completely different things.
The way those eyes had looked right through him during the feast... Adrian wasn't paranoid, but something about the headmaster screamed danger. Not the obvious, in-your-face threat of dark wizards, but something worse, the kind of person who moved you around like a chess piece because he thought it was for the greater good.
I need to be careful, he thought. Polite and respectful, but never completely honest. The man's pulled too many strings for anything around him to be an accident.
Which brought him to his next worry, how much was he going to change just by being here? He was Harry's roommate now, which meant different conversations, different choices. Ron seemed like himself, loyal but insecure, with that jealous streak that got him in trouble. Maybe Adrian could help with that before it became a real problem. The kid was good at heart, just... well, eleven.
And that's the problem, isn't it? Going from hospital beds to magic classes felt completely unreal. How do you make friends with actual kids when you feel decades older?
But what was the point of all this worrying and scheming if he was powerless? All the plans in the world wouldn't matter if he couldn't back them up with actual skill. He needed to focus on what really mattered, learning magic. Real magic, not just the basic stuff they'd teach in first year.
He needed to master spells, learn defensive magic, maybe even get ahead on the more advanced subjects. Knowledge from books was useful, but magical power was what would keep him alive. If he wanted to change anything, save anyone, or even just survive what was coming, he had to become strong enough to matter.
Still, sticking close to Harry and Ron had its advantages. He might be able to help them avoid some of the worst mistakes, maybe save some lives along the way. Not because he thought he was some great hero, but because it was the right thing to do. And if he happened to learn a few useful things or pick up a helpful artifact in the process... well, that was just practical.
The bigger question was whether he should try to befriend an adult. Someone with actual life experience, someone he could have conversations with that went beyond "Wow, magic is cool" and "I can't wait for our first flying lesson." The mental age gap between him and his roommates was already making him feel isolated, despite their friendly acceptance of him.
Maybe I'm overthinking this, he admitted to himself. Maybe I should just take it one day at a time. Learn what I can, protect who I can, and try not to let Dumbledore turn me into another one of his chess pieces.
The soft sounds of his roommates' breathing filled the dormitory, Ron's slight snores, Harry's restless shifting, the distant scratch of Scabbers moving in his cage. Normal sounds, peaceful sounds. For now.
Hello, Hogwarts, Adrian thought drowsily as exhaustion finally began to claim him. Let's see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully, it won't involve any life-threatening situations before breakfast.
Adrian woke up the next morning feeling disoriented and foggy. It took several moments to remember where he was and that he now had actual classes to attend. Going from hospital beds to preparing for magical education felt surreal and overwhelming, and he needed time to properly adjust to his new reality.
But he wasn't about to be late for his first Hogwarts class, no matter how weird everything felt. It was still quite early, but knowing the castle's moving staircases and corridors that led to different destinations depending on the day, leaving with plenty of extra time seemed wise.
Before leaving the dormitory, he made sure to wake both Ron and Harry, who were still buried deeply beneath their blankets, reluctant to face the day ahead.
Whether it was due to Harry's protagonist-level luck or Adrian's own bad luck, their journey down to the Great Hall turned out to be much more eventful than they had expected. They faced unexpected obstacles on the way, such as disappearing steps on two different staircases and a magical illusion that made a wall look like a doorway. Ron's mishap with the illusion wall helped prevent Harry and Adrian from making the same mistake as they navigated through the castle's constantly changing layout.