Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was illuminated by thousands of floating candles, and starlight streamed through the enchanted ceiling, weaving with the candlelight to create a dazzling galaxy. Cullen stood among the first-year students, his eyes slightly narrowed. In his special vision, the magical flow throughout the Great Hall resembled a magnificent aurora borealis, intertwining and swirling in the air.

Is this the magical essence of the ancient magic castle? Karen wondered, looking at the flowing magical trails.

The young wizards were all captivated by the sights in the Great Hall, chattering excitedly about it.

Professor McGonagall stood at the front, her sharp gaze sweeping over the new students, the parchment in her hand swaying gently.

"Quiet." Her voice wasn't loud, but it silenced all the whispers.

Karen's gaze fell on the worn-out Sorting Hat on the four-legged stool. In his view, this hat was no ordinary magical object, but rather woven from countless intricate runes, with golden magic flowing between its folds, like flowing liquid wisdom.

Suddenly, the folds of the hat twisted and split open, revealing a gap that looked like a mouth opening—

"Oh, you might think I'm not pretty enough, but please don't judge a book by its cover..."

The hat sang lyrics about the disagreements and ideals of the four founders. Karen listened intently, observing the flow of the hat's magic.

When the song ended, the auditorium erupted in enthusiastic applause. Professor McGonagall unfolded the parchment and began calling the roll.

"Salonso!"

A blond boy stumbled forward, put the hat on his head, and soon shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

Immediately afterwards, applause erupted from the Hufflepuff table.

"Rom Beaton!"

"Gryffindor!"

……

Cullen waited patiently, her gaze inadvertently sweeping across the faculty seating area. Dumbledore sat in the center, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles gleaming with intelligence. Snape's face was grim, as if he were ready to deduct points at any moment. At the far edge of the faculty seating area sat an unfamiliar young professor—long blond hair tied back, a pale and sharp face, a black eyepatch over his left eye, who was thoughtfully observing him.

"Karen Hawthorne!"

Karen took a deep breath, walked over, and sat down. The Sorting Hat was placed on his head.

"Hmm... very interesting." The hat's voice rang in his ears, but unlike when it was singing, the voice was unusually soft.

"Can you see my thoughts?" Karen asked in her mind.

"I can only see what you're thinking right now," the hat chuckled. "For example, you're pondering whether Ravenclaw or Slytherin is a better fit for you..."

Karen felt a chill run down her spine, but remained outwardly calm.

"Ravenclaws value wisdom, Slytherins pursue power, and you seem to want both," the Hatter pondered. "But your thoughts tell me that you crave understanding the nature of magic more than mere power."

Karen didn't argue; the hat was right, he did indeed prefer Ravenclaw.

"Well then, since your thirst for knowledge is so strong..." The hat took a deep breath (if it could inhale), and announced loudly:

"Ravenclaw!"

Applause erupted at the Ravenclaw table, but it was somewhat restrained compared to that of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.

Karen took off his hat and walked toward the long table decorated with blue and bronze. As he passed the Gryffindor table, he caught a glimpse of a pair of red-haired twins making exaggerated heartbroken expressions.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw!" A girl with long, curly blonde hair shook his hand. "I'm Penelope Crivart, a fourth-year student. Feel free to ask me for help if you need anything."

As soon as Karen sat down, she noticed a sharp gaze from the long table of teachers; the unfamiliar professor with long blond hair was staring at her.

As the dinner began, the long table was instantly piled high with delicious food—roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, syrup tarts… Just as Karen picked up a pumpkin pie, a pearly white figure slowly rose from the center of the table.

This is a female ghost, her face beautiful yet sorrowful, her silver-white robes fluttering like mist.

"The new Ravenclaw," her voice was ethereal and cold, "your eyes are 'very special'."

Karen looked up and met her gaze. Around her spirit form, the Eye of Truth could see ancient magical runes, older than the castle itself.

"Thank you, ma'am," he replied cautiously.

Ms. Grey leaned slightly forward and whispered, "Be careful of that new professor... 'He has the aura of death about him.'"

After saying that, she drifted away, leaving behind a chill.

Karen frowned and looked again at the faculty seating area, at the professor who had just been paying attention to him.

"Who is he?" Karen asked Penelope beside her in a low voice.

"Oh, that's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Penelope whispered. "Victor Eisenberg, invited personally by Dumbledore."

Karen narrowed his eyes. In his True Eye, the magical flow around the professor was unusually complex, interspersed with many ominous black threads, unlike the asphalt-like black light he had seen before; it seemed to be something else entirely.

As the banquet drew to a close, Dumbledore stood up, and the Great Hall immediately fell silent.

"Before everyone returns to their dormitories, please allow me to introduce this year's new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—Mr. Victor Eisenberg."

The applause was sparse, and many people exchanged puzzled glances. It seemed that no one had ever heard of this person, and the professor's demeanor was too sharp, clashing with the gentle atmosphere of Hogwarts.

Victor stood up, his movements elegant yet dangerous, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

"Thank you, Principal." His voice was deep and clear, with a hint of cold arrogance. "I know that some people will feel uncomfortable with my teaching methods."

He glanced around the auditorium, his gaze finally settling on Karen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is not just about chanting spells," he said slowly. "It's about 'understanding the nature of darkness,' about 'choices and consequences.'"

Snape's brow furrowed even deeper, while Professor Flitwick tilted his head curiously.

"This year, I will lead you to confront the true nature of Defense Against the Dark Arts," he said, his tone almost provocative. "Of course, all within the bounds of school rules."

Dumbledore coughed lightly, as if to remind him to stop.

Victor smiled slightly, placed one hand on his chest, and gave an elegant bow: "I look forward to seeing you all in the classroom."

After speaking, he sat back down, his gaze still fixed on Karen, as if silently conveying some kind of message.

This time, Karen observed the professor closely. Apart from the black eyepatch over his left eye, he had long, blond hair tied in a low ponytail, a black glove on his left hand, and numerous rings on his right hand that emitted different colors of light. He wore a black, asymmetrical, high-collared robe over what appeared to be a deep red turtleneck shirt, and his waist was adorned with jeweled ornaments and a belt with a gold pocket watch chain.

Victor noticed Karen's observation, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.