Hogwarts Raven

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(Translator- In this chapter there is a Character who wasn't supposed to be here: Daphne Greengrass. She came to Hogwarts with Harry Potter and was one year below Cho Chang but here she is present with Cho Chang. Maybe the Author made a mistake or maybe he planned something for the future so I will keep it as it is. So consider this an AU Harry Potter Universe)

"What crisis?" Cho Chang spoke up before Ian could respond.

"Of course, it's the Sorting test," The aloof girl said, her gaze sweeping over the three of them one by one. "There's a special test at the school that determines the final house for each student."

"My family told me a few days ago that it's a terrifying experience no one wants to recall," The blonde girl added, her expression serious and solemn.

"My dad also told me this would be an unforgettable memory. They wouldn't make us fight a dragon, would they?" Cho Chang widened her eyes in worry.

Across from her, Aurora suddenly raised her head, her eyes sparkling with eagerness. 

"What do you want to do?" Cho Chang seemed startled by Aurora's enthusiasm.

"She wants to fight a dragon," Ian chimed in, knowing full well the anticipation brewing in Aurora's heart. 

He shook his head and whispered to her, "Think about it. The materials from a dragon are incredibly precious. The school wouldn't just give them out as benefits."

Hearing this, Aurora's eyes immediately dimmed.

"?????"

"?????"

The two girls exchanged glances, both falling into a state of disbelief. Were kids these days really this brave, not knowing their place? That was a dragon!

"Are you from Muggle families?" The blonde girl blurted out after regaining her composure.

"What difference does that make?" Aurora replied, looking at the girl with her heterochromatic eyes, her expression calm.

"I guess you are," The blonde girl said, her voice cooling significantly. She regarded Ian and Aurora with disdain. "Otherwise, you wouldn't spout nonsense about wanting to fight a dragon."

The girl, who had been merely aloof before, now spoke with a condescending attitude.

"It seems you'll be a Slytherin," Aurora remarked casually, showing no anger.

"Of course. Remember my name: Daphne Greengrass. My whole family is in Slytherin, the most outstanding house in all of Hogwarts. I will undoubtedly achieve things you can never reach."

Daphne's gaze shifted to Ian as he pulled a small metal box from his suitcase.

"What are you going to do?" She frowned at him.

"Continue, don't mind me. I also want to learn more about the school. After all, I'm just an orphan from a Muggle family," Ian sighed as he pressed a button on the device.

"So, you're a Mudblood," Daphne said, her voice dripping with disdain.

"People like you will never be sorted into Slytherin. It's only for the glorious purebloods. Maybe only Hufflepuff would kindly take you in."

Clearly, she was a pureblood supremacist, a sentiment not uncommon in the wizarding world.

"Uh... Greengrass, you shouldn't refer to our classmates like that," Cho Chang frowned, trying to persuade her, but Daphne clearly didn't care.

"I'm just stating facts. I'm not as hypocritical as you, thinking they are like us." Daphne's words grew increasingly harsh, and she moved her wand behind her as if she didn't want Ian and Aurora to touch even a bit of her light. Cho Chang's expression also became awkward.

"That's just your own opinion," Cho said, annoyed by Daphne's remarks.

"Well, we're indeed not the same," Aurora said calmly. She turned to look at Ian, who was staring at her hand to see if she would reach for her wand.

"You don't need to worry; I can tolerate this situation," The German girl sighed helplessly, sensing that her friend might have some misunderstandings about her.

"Then you're better than me," Ian said, putting the small device back into his suitcase. Seeing the light source he could have used move away because of Daphne, he had no choice but to take out his elder wood wand.

The Black Lake at night was too dark.

"What are you planning to do?" Aurora reacted more strongly than Ian, grabbing his arm that held the wand. Her heterochromatic eyes were filled with rare tension.

"Hmph, do you want to duel?" Daphne stared at the wand in Ian's hand, her eyes full of disdain. Cho Chang quickly tried to calm the two down.

"I'm not the one getting carried away, and I'm not interested in childish duels," Ian said, shaking his head in frustration. He just wanted to light up the surroundings.

The light from Daphne's wand was as small as a sesame seed.

"Lumos!"

As the sky darkened, Ian cast the spell. Light erupted, bright and powerful, illuminating half the lake where the boats were.

"What's happening over there!?"

"My goodness! Such a bright Lumos Charm!" 

"Merlin's beard! I haven't even learned the Levitation Charm yet!"

Voices rose from the various boats, and even Hagrid at the front couldn't help but turn around, looking in surprise at the boat where Ian and the others were.

"How is this possible? A mere Mudblood!!"

Daphne was dazzled by the sudden light, shielding her eyes with her hand while exclaiming in disbelief.

"Nothing is impossible. Practice more if you're weak." As Ian sat back down, he noticed Aurora had turned her head toward the outside of the boat. The light hadn't blinded her.

"How do you have such powerful magical power?" Cho Chang, struggling to adapt to the bright light, was surprised in a way different from the others. She was more concerned about the strength of the charm.

"Of course, it's because the four founders just bestowed their baptism upon me," Ian said, starting to spout nonsense again.

"..."

Cho Chang was speechless.

Daphne, sitting next to her, wore a grim expression but didn't dare to provoke further. She was a pureblood supremacist, but not a fool who would lose her mind in the heat of the moment.

"He's just a Mudblood who's been studying secretly! After school starts, I'll surpass him soon!" Daphne's heart was still filled with indignation.

The little episode made the atmosphere on the boat delicate.

Once they adapted to the light from Ian's wand, it no longer felt so blinding.

Ian and Cho Chang occasionally chatted, but compared to the leisurely silence of Aurora, who kept looking at the lake, Daphne felt like every moment was an eternity.

"Why aren't we at the school yet?" She complained, her eagerness palpable.

Finally, the boat reached the other side of the Black Lake.

"Follow me!" Hagrid called, carrying an oil lamp as he continued to lead the way. The gravel path wound toward the castle's main gate, and he guided the group of little wizards up the stone steps in front of the castle.

"That Lumos Charm just now came from their boat."

"Is it that handsome boy?"

"I think it's Daphne Greengrass. My dad said she's really impressive."

Although freed from the confines of the boat, Daphne Greengrass's torment was clearly not over. The surrounding whispers made her want to turn around and go home.

"Professor Snape, why are you here?" Hagrid asked, using his red umbrella to knock open the door, only to find that the person waiting inside wasn't the usual Professor McGonagall.

"Do you think I'm not qualified to welcome new students?" Snape sneered his greasy black hair and hooked nose casting a shadow that made many little wizards hesitate to speak.

"Of course not. Then I'll leave these first-year wizards to you," Hagrid said, scratching his head in confusion before turning around and leaving the castle.

"If you don't want to pack up and go home right now, shut up and follow me," Snape said, his gaze lingering on Ian and Aurora for a moment before he coldly issued orders to the group.

Perhaps Snape's oppressive aura was indeed frightening, as he walked ahead, and the wizards following behind dared not speak.

Everyone was nervous and anxious.

Even Aurora felt slightly uneasy— she was, after all, just a little girl.

Perhaps only Ian, who had been spoiled by J.K. Rowling's insights about the Sorting Ceremony, had the mood to curiously examine the legendary castle's decorations.

Everywhere was filled with traces of time, and it was evident that countless students had studied and played here.

The castle's stone walls were lined with blazing torches, and as they delved deeper into the castle, the heat from the flames dispelled the chill from the wizards.

"Creak~"

As Snape pushed open the doors to the Great Hall, the magnificent space immediately presented itself to the new students. Thousands of candles floated in mid-air, making the Great Hall as bright as day.

The banners representing the four houses fluttered slightly in the air. The plates and goblets on the long tables shimmered in the brilliant firelight.

The most attention-grabbing feature was the Great Hall's dome, where the black velvet-like ceiling was dotted with starlight, just like the real sky above the Black Lake.

"It's beautiful," Aurora said, gazing up at the dome.

"This place has been enchanted with extremely advanced magic, so it synchronizes with the sky outside..." Ian felt a sense of wonder at the moment.

"Well, I've seen someone read 'Hogwarts: A History'," he added, feeling comfortable. He turned his gaze to the high platform at the front, where Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, and many other professors sat solemnly, welcoming the arrival of the new students.

Ian was curious about all these professors.

However, what he was most curious about was the seemingly ordinary four-legged stool, on which sat a somewhat tattered pointed wizard's hat.

The Sorting Hat.

A thousand years of history witnessed by it.

So many stories... also began here.

(End of chapter)