The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

The bell rang nine times.

"Alright, it's getting late. Dinosaur is done." With these words from Dumbledore, the food and plates on the long table vanished.

"As we begin the new school year, I'd like to say a few things to keep in mind."

"One... Mr. Filch, the administrator..."

"Second...Forbidden Forest..."

"Three... register with Mrs. Hodge..."

"..."

"Finally, ... if you don't want to meet a tragic end, please do not go to the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor."

Many freshmen laughed when they heard the last sentence, thinking that the old man was talking nonsense again, especially the Gryffindor table where the laughter was the loudest.

"Alright, let's end our dinner with a song—the Hogwarts school song."

At this moment, Snape, McGonagall, and other professors all showed unnatural expressions.

As a result, under Dumbledore's command, the whole place descended into chaos, with all sorts of tunes playing.

Sure enough, the Gryffindor twins began singing a funeral march.

Julien used the melody of "Hey Jude".

Later, the twins also abandoned their own tune and joined Julien in, "Na~, Na~, Na~, Na Na Na Na~~~". Then, Hermione, Harry, Seamus, Cho Chang, and others joined in the Na Na Na.

Dumbledore also abandoned his own tune and began to direct them with great interest.

……

The echoes of the banquet still lingered under the dome of the Great Hall, and the aroma of the desserts had not yet dissipated when the tall, handsome prefect, Robert Hilliard, stood up at the Ravenclaw table.

He clapped his hands, his voice low but clear, cutting through the noise of the freshmen: "First-year students, follow me. Don't fall behind, and don't look around for too long; the Hogwarts staircases don't like being stared at."

Julien stood up with the others and looked around. He saw Hermione waving at him from the end of the Gryffindor table, while Harry and Ron were busy stuffing the puddings they had hidden into their mouths.

Julien smiled back and then caught up with the group.

A group of more than a dozen new students filed out, passed through the brightly lit hall, and stepped into the deep corridors of Hogwarts.

The stone walls here are no longer illuminated by candles, but are inlaid with glowing blue crystals, emitting a soft, cool halo, like lake water under the moonlight.

The air was filled with the scents of old books, parchment, and a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance of cedar.

"This is the road leading to our tower," Robert said as he walked, his tone carrying a scholarly composure.

"The Ravenclaw common room is located in the highest tower on the west side of the castle. Our symbol is the raven, representing wisdom and foresight. Remember, we value wisdom, not ostentation; knowledge, not competition."

He led the group up a spiral staircase. The staircase seemed to have its own temperament, sometimes rising slowly, sometimes stopping suddenly, and once, after Yulian stepped onto a step, the entire staircase began to move laterally, sending them to another corridor.

"Don't panic," Robert said, turning back with a smile. "It's just verifying your identities. Only genuine Ravenclaw students can reach the top of the tower. That's part of what makes Hogwarts so fascinating."

Finally, they arrived at a huge door made of smooth white birch wood.

There were no ordinary handles on the door, only a smooth bronze disc engraved with a raven with outstretched wings, poised for flight. The raven's eyes were two deep blue sapphires, gleaming with wisdom in the dim light.

“Our entrance doesn’t have a password,” Robert explained. “It will ask you questions. There are no standard answers, but your responses must demonstrate genuine wisdom, not just rote memorization. Who wants to try first?”

A thin, small boy timidly stepped forward. The raven on the disc's eyes lit up, and a clear, melodious female voice rang out: "What is it that grows the more it is shared?"

The boy scratched his head, stammered for a long time, and finally retreated with a red face.

When it was the next girl's turn, she thought for a moment and confidently said, "Knowledge!"

The raven's eyes flickered, and with a click, it seemed to be the sound of unlocking.

Robert clapped his hands happily. "Good, Emily has given a correct answer. Actually, this isn't the only answer; has anyone thought of any others?"

Seeing that no one responded, Julien stepped forward. Looking into those sapphire eyes, he softly replied, "And love. Because true love does not diminish with giving, but rather grows richer with sharing."

"Very good, very good. This answer is even more perfect. Let's try another question, who wants to?" With that, Robert turned around and closed the door again.

At that moment, another little witch walked up to the door knocker.

"I hang on the wall, lifeless, yet I can gaze upon everything. I never speak, yet I can tell everyone the truth. What am I?"

"A mirror." The little witch gave the correct answer without much thought.

"Excellent, excellent. Who else wants to come?"

"I want to come again."

"I want one too."

Seeing the new students so eager to try, Robert was very pleased. Ravenclaw welcomed the inquisitive young wizards. "Alright, let's try one last time." He said, closing the door again.

This time, a young man with brown skin came up.

Everyone possesses me, yet no one can give me away. Everyone seeks happiness and loses me in the process, but once lost, I will never return. What am I?

"This...?" Seeing that the brown-haired boy couldn't answer for a moment, Robert said, "It's okay, everyone can answer together. As long as you answer within 60 seconds, the door will open. If you can't answer, you'll have to wait for other students to come and help."

Julien waited a while longer, and seeing that no one still answered, he stepped forward again. "It's time!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the raven's eyes suddenly brightened, and it let out a clear, melodious cry. The entire door slid open silently, revealing a dazzling starry sky behind it.

The common lounge is a huge circular room with a dome that seems to connect directly to the night sky, where real stars slowly drift overhead.

Arched windows with blue and bronze silk curtains hanging in the walls, not yet drawn, offer panoramic views of the entire school and even the vast nightscape of the Scottish Highlands.

The Black Lake, like a mirror of black jade, reflects the starry sky. In the distance, the mountains and forests stretch endlessly, leaving only blurry silhouettes.

Comfortable sky-blue sofas and armchairs are scattered throughout the room, and each table has a book that automatically turns pages or a magic lamp that emits soft light.

The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, crammed with countless magical tomes. Some of the older students who had returned earlier were already browsing through the books.

Among them, Qiu Zhang, whom Julien knew, looked up when she heard the sound and saw him coming in with the new students. She even smiled and winked at him.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw Tower," Robert said with pride. "There's no curfew here, and you can read, think, or gaze at the stars whenever you want, as long as you keep quiet."

The dorms are on the second floor. Go up the spiral staircase; boys turn left, girls turn right. Breakfast is in the auditorium at eight tomorrow morning, followed by Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. Don't be late; she's not as easy to talk to as I am.

The freshmen didn't linger in the lounge but went straight upstairs to their dorm rooms. Julien went up two more floors along a spiral staircase to a quiet corridor with a dark blue carpet and walls covered with star charts and portraits of ancient philosophers.

There was a small brass plaque on the dormitory door, with the room number and the little wizard's name engraved in elegant cursive script.

Julien's name was in room 307. As I pushed open the door, a strong scent of pine filled the air.

The room was spacious and bright, with four four-poster beds arranged in a fan shape. Each bed was equipped with sky-blue curtains, an oak desk, and a small bookshelf built into the wall. Everyone's luggage had been brought in beforehand.

His two roommates had already arrived, and there are currently only three people living in their dorm room.