Hogwarts Raven

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The banquet began and all the students dove into a frenzy of eating.

At that moment, countless ghosts emerged from various corners of the castle, startling many of the newly enrolled young wizards. Ian looked at these ghosts with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

One by one, they floated by, transparent and ethereal, lacking the vivid colors of the living, quite different from the deceased in the 'Twilight Zone'.

"Young wizards! Eat! Eat! Eat more!"

"Ha ha ha ha! Another crybaby!"

These ghosts added to the lively atmosphere of the banquet.

Nearly Headless Nick, the Bloody Baron, the Fat Friar... Ian couldn't spot Helena Ravenclaw among them; perhaps her ghost hadn't attended the banquet in years.

He continued to focus on his meal.

"I'm Penelope Clearwater, the other Prefect of Ravenclaw. Welcome to our house."

The female Prefect of Ravenclaw greeted Ian from across the table shortly after she began eating. Like Dietrich, she was one of the clever ones.

"Hello! Just call me Ian; that works for me..."

Ian stuffed a large pork chop into his mouth, his words slightly muffled.

"Okay, Ian. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask me." Penelope smiled at the younger student, clearly looking forward to the excitement the new semester might bring.

"Need any help?"

Ian was taken aback.

"Really?"

He did have something that might require the assistance of a senior. The older students, having spent years at the school, could do many things that a newcomer like him couldn't.

"Of course." Penelope's smile remained warm.

After a moment of thought, Ian set down his food.

"Actually, it might seem a bit rude to bring this up suddenly, but I'd like to ask a favor. Could you help me find out if there's any student in the school who has lost a younger sister?"

Ian hadn't forgotten his promise to a friend.

"Huh?"

Penelope looked surprised.

"Due to some sensitive reasons, this is really important to me..." Ian watched as the last fried chicken leg on his plate was snatched by the young wizard next to him.

"No problem, I'll help you find out." Penelope didn't pry further and readily agreed.

"Any useful clues?"

She resumed eating, likely worried about going hungry if she didn't fill up tonight.

"The person I'm looking for might be a twin, or maybe not, but that's definitely two brothers."

"They unfortunately lost a younger sister in the past. Her name should be... Ariana, but I'm not entirely sure." Ian wasn't certain if Ariana's brothers were still at the school.

No one knew how long Ariana had been gone, nor how many years she spent in the 'Twilight Zone' after her death. Even her name might not be the one she had in life.

Just like Pandero.

He had forgotten his original name and given himself a new one in the 'Twilight Zone'. No one could say for sure if Ariana was in a similar situation.

"Since there's a name, that makes it easier. Leave this to me. As long as there's someone who fits the description in the school, I'll definitely find them."

The female Prefect of Ravenclaw confidently assured Ian.

"Thank you for your help. Having a Prefect like Miss Clearwater is a blessing for us younger wizards." Ian expressed his gratitude, adding a touch of flattery.

"It's not a big deal."

Penelope, while enjoying her meal, made an OK gesture to Ian with her hand, her face beaming with pleasure at his compliment.

"You can call me Penelope. All my friends call me that."

…

The banquet continued.

Cho Chang was clearly hungrier than Ian.

From the start of the feast, she had been focused on her meal, even ignoring Ian and Penelope's conversation, fully engaged in battling the food on her plate.

Next to Ian sat a young wizard who was much quicker at grabbing food, leaving Ian with little fried chicken and fries.

When everyone was full and satisfied, all the food vanished, and desserts were brought out. However, the watermelon jelly that Ian had hoped to enjoy was quickly snatched by the nimble young wizard.

He had to settle for a cream chocolate pudding instead.

After everyone had savored their desserts, everything on the long tables, including the plates, disappeared, and Dumbledore slowly stood up again.

"Let me say a few more words."

Dumbledore signaled for everyone to quiet down before continuing, "First-year students, please note that the Forbidden Forest near the castle is off-limits to all grades."

"Many of our senior students also hope they will remember this." His voice was loud, possibly amplified by some magic.

"Are there any other dangerous places near our school?"

Cho Chang seemed to regain her ability to speak after the meal, her tone laced with concern.

"Whether it's dangerous or not, I don't know. I only know that if Dumbledore hadn't mentioned it, we probably wouldn't have realized there's a new area to explore nearby."

Ian found this perspective quite interesting. He glanced toward the Slytherin table, where his little friend Miss Grindelwald was also focused on her meal, both hands busy.

"You're braver than Gryffindor."

Cho Chang was still mulling over Ian's imaginative thought.

At that moment, Dumbledore had already helped the school's caretaker, Filch, warn the students not to perform magic in the corridors and definitely not to misbehave in front of Filch's dormitory.

A wave of laughter erupted from the young wizards.

As the laughter subsided, Dumbledore, following tradition, led everyone in singing the Hogwarts school song.

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald,

Or young with scabby knees,

...

The lyrics were simple and catchy.

Everyone could choose different tunes, freely and without constraint, with some jokers at the Gryffindor table even using the tune of a funeral march.

Ian chose the melody of "Secondhand Rose," astonishing the Ravenclaws around him, who quickly moved to stand further away.

The joyful time soon came to an end.

Ian was still basking in the afterglow when Dumbledore announced it was time for everyone to return to their dormitories to rest. Led by the Prefects of each House, the young wizards began to queue up and leave.

Ian waved to Aurora in the Slytherin line not far away; she hesitated for a moment before waving back.

Everyone was leaving in an orderly fashion.

The professors also began to depart.

After all the young wizards had exited the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall was about to return the Sorting Hat to the headmaster's office when a slender hand suddenly snatched the Sorting Hat from her grasp.

"What are you doing? I am the inviolable property of Hogwarts!" The Sorting Hat, held by Snape, let out a shriek sharper than a groundhog's.

"Save me! McGonagall! Save me!"

"Dumbledore! Dumbledore, look back!"

(End of chapter)