A Certain Magical Hogwarts

William pulled out a vial of Polyjuice Potion. It was one of those commonly used potions that he always carried in bulk, sparing him the need to pilfer from Snape's office.

He plucked a hair and tossed it into the bottle, turning the liquid an inky green.

Cedric downed it in one gulp, and his body quickly underwent drastic changes. He glanced down at himself, inspecting his new appearance, then suddenly grabbed William's robes, trying to pull them off.

William, startled, stepped back. Why did this scene feel so familiar?

The practiced motion, the anxious energy, the faint glimmer of anticipation…

Wait a minute, wasn't this exactly how Cedric had tried to strip Warrington in the first time loop?

Cedric looked equally baffled. "Aren't we swapping robes? I can't exactly walk out there wearing oversized clothes. That'd be too weird!"

Cedric, being almost two years older than William, was slightly taller and broader.

"I've got clothes for you," William said hastily, pulling a set of robes out of his ring.

Cedric tore off his clothes in a few swift motions and started changing into William's.

Honestly, watching someone who looked like himself undressing was a strange experience.

The strangest part was Cedric making odd noises as he dressed, sounding unnervingly like a certain flamboyant pop star.

"Mm-hmm~ William, I didn't realize… huh? You look so lean but are actually this strong… Just look at these biceps, been working out, haven't you? Ah, ah, ah~"

"…" William awkwardly turned his head, feeling as though the air was thick with tension.

Once dressed, Cedric, now sporting William's dashing face, headed off to the Great Hall. William, meanwhile, made his way toward the Ancient Runes office.

…

Ancient Runes was a genuinely fascinating subject. The term didn't just refer to the symbols themselves but encompassed books, spells, and other magical artifacts from ancient times.

To truly master the subject, Hogwarts students started with the basics, learning the simplest runes. It was like historians deciphering early pictographs like Oracle Bone Script.

Some ancient runes, however, were inherently magical and couldn't be transcribed onto paper, and can only be passed down through word of mouth.

The applications of Ancient Runes extended far beyond this. 

In today's world, many spells have been simplified for ease of use. Magic rooted in ancient runes, by contrast, was much more powerful.

However, casting such spells was slower due to the lengthy incantations involved.

That era's wizards often mastered swordsmanship to defend against close combat, Godric Gryffindor being a prime example.

"William!"

As William walked down the fourth-floor corridor, someone called out to him.

Turning, he saw Hermione accompanied by her roommates.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the match?" Hermione greeted him casually, her two roommates eyeing him curiously.

Too curiously. After all, this was the same guy who, on the first day of term, had flown over the Black Lake with a group of wizards.

An entrance that flashy, combined with being the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin, a shop owner raking in profits "just for fun," and an academic prodigy beloved by every professor?

It was enough to leave these small-town girls utterly stunned.

William was the kind of student that didn't just fit the "perfect neighbor's kid" trope, he was more like the "neighboring royal family's child."

Many students had tried to get close to William and his circle, but so far, only Hermione had succeeded.

Since they'd bumped into each other, William stepped forward to exchange greetings.

Hermione enthusiastically introduced them, "These are my roommates, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. And this is William Stark, you've probably heard of him."

Lavender Brown had a chubby, doll-like face, a quirky yellow ribbon tied around her hair, and an outfit that was a bit too flamboyant.

Parvati Patil was a dark-haired Indian girl with a natural red bindi on her forehead, making her look particularly striking.

Even more impressive, she had a twin sister, Padma Patil, currently in Ravenclaw.

A beautiful pair of lotus blossoms indeed.

"Hello," William said with a bright smile, "Hermione talks about you two all the time."

"Oh? What does she say?" Lavender Brown asked curiously.

"She was worried before term started about getting along with her roommates, but when she got to Hogwarts, she found two warm-hearted and beautiful roommates."

"She really said that?" The two girls giggled, covering their mouths.

"Of course. I never lie," William said, his smile widening.

"But I think Hermione wasn't entirely accurate, you're even more beautiful than she described."

"William, do you really think so?" Lavender instantly perked up, her tone overly familiar.

"Why would I lie to you? I never lie to pretty girls."

At his words, the girls broke into bashful laughter.

Hermione, meanwhile, stole a glance at William's profile, looking utterly bewildered.

She'd known Lavender for a whole term, and the girl had never been this warm toward her. Yet William, whom they'd just met, was already this chummy?

Also… when had she ever described them as warm-hearted and beautiful?!

William noticed Hermione's confusion out of the corner of his eye and suppressed a smirk. Thankfully, she wasn't socially inept enough to call him out on the spot.

No wonder Hermione had trouble making friends, her IQ soared, but her EQ was practically nonexistent.

William chatted with the group a while longer, talking about some interesting things that won a few bursts of laughter.

"Well, I have some things to do, so I won't keep you from heading to the Great Hall. Hermione, why don't you come with me to see Professor Babbling?"

After some thought, William decided to bring Hermione along, lest she end up getting roped into Harry's lure and meeting Voldemort.

William was also curious. Without Hermione's help, how far could Harry and Ron get in the forbidden corridor?

Hermione didn't hesitate for even a second before nodding. Honestly, she didn't care much for Quidditch.

As the two walked away, Lavender and Parvati stared after them, their gazes a mix of curiosity and envy.

Lavender took a deep breath and asked, "What do you think their relationship is?"

"Are they… already dating?"

"No way. They look like they're just friends," Parvati replied, "I heard from my sister that Stark is still single."

Lavender was unconvinced. "But when Hermione started at Hogwarts, no one talked to her except William."

"I heard they knew each other before term started," Parvati explained, "They were neighbors, maybe."

Lavender sighed wistfully. "I wish I could find a boyfriend like that. But honestly, I'm not boy-crazy. It's just that I'm face-blind. I can't tell who's handsome and who isn't."

"Also, just because William seems rich doesn't mean I care about Galleons. I've never even touched a Galleon.

"I just want to date an average-looking guy like William, have a simple relationship, and eventually build a normal family."

Parvati: "…"

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