The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

A tall, thin boy was standing in front of the bed by the window on the left, trying to shove a book that was so thick it could knock someone unconscious into the top shelf.

He wore round-framed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses focused and slightly tense, his light brown hair sticking up messily as if it had just been blown by a gust of wind.

When the boy saw him come in, he gave him a shy but polite smile. "Hello, you must be Shym Julien Black. My name is Edgar Finch, and I come from a magical family in Yorkshire."

Julien greeted him with a smile, "Just call me Julien."

"Hi, Julien!"

The speaker was the owner of the bed on the left, near the door. He was leaning against the headboard, tossing a golden thief figurine that changed patterns on its own up and down in his hand. He had slightly curly black hair, a dark complexion, and a nonchalant look in his eyes.

"My name is Casen Moretti. I hope you don't snore at night."

Julien couldn't help but laugh. He put down his suitcase and walked to his bedside—the one on the right by the window.

"Don't worry, I'm not old enough to snore yet. But if you guys grind your teeth at night, I might join in."

Eleven- or twelve-year-old boys are usually very active, and the three of them soon started chatting. The tall arched window was open, and the night breeze, carrying moisture, gently blew through.

On a Hogwarts morning, sunlight generously streamed into Room 307 of Ravenclaw Tower. Julien was awakened by Kayson Moretti throwing the Golden Snitch—the little thing landed precisely on the tip of his nose, the icy touch jolting him awake.

"Get up, young master!" Kayson leaned lazily against the headboard. "If you don't get up soon, breakfast will turn into lunch."

"The first class today is Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. I heard that people who are late or misbehave will be turned into porcelain dolls and placed on her desk as decorations."

Julien rubbed his eyes and glimpsed Edgar Finch, already fully dressed, meticulously straightening every fold of his robe in front of the mirror, muttering to himself, "The Elementary Metamorphosis Guide says 'Focus is the cornerstone of success'..."

"Don't be nervous, Edgar," Julien said with a smile as he put on his "haute couture" school uniform. "Professor McGonagall may seem stern, but she's actually quite fair if you're serious. And I bet she won't turn us into dolls; that would be such a waste. We'd at least be goblets."

As the three of them hurriedly arrived at the restaurant, joking around, they saw many young wizards already having their meals.

The restaurant is not usually set up with four long tables, but rather with tables placed in twos and threes.

Just as Julien found a table to sit down, he saw Hermione carrying a plate of toast walking briskly over from the side, her face radiating a confident glow that said, "I've already previewed all the lessons."

"Good morning, Julien!" She put down her bread. "What class do you have this morning? We have Potions with Slytherin. I went through 'Elementary Potions' again last night and memorized all the recipes. I think I'll definitely get extra points for Gryffindor."

Julien yawned, glanced at Hermione, and thought to himself that Hermione was still too naive.

"You've memorized it, but do you know Harry, Ron, and the other classmates? You might not only fail to gain points, but they might actually lose points."

"Ugh! You sound just like the Weasley twins. You two just can't stand seeing others do well." Hermione rolled her eyes at him, puzzled. "As for Harry, well, I've already warned them."

Just as Julien was about to respond, he saw Harry and Ron rushing over from the other side like two gusts of wind, with Ron still holding a half-eaten sausage in his hand.

"Thank God you're here!" Ron said breathlessly. "We almost got lost! The castle stairs were a complete rip-off!"

Harry seemed preoccupied. He leaned closer to Julien and whispered, "Julien, I think I just saw Professor Snape staring at me... My scar is hurting a little again."

"Don't worry, Harry," Julien patted him on the shoulder, "maybe it's just a coincidence, or maybe something else is watching you. But you should definitely watch out for Snape today; I've heard he's particularly difficult to deal with."

“Julien is right,” Ron added. “George and Fred told me that Snape was specifically targeting Gryffindor for point deductions.”

"It's Professor Snape!" Hermione corrected her from the side. She then stormed off, but after a few steps turned back. "Hey you lot, hurry up! Don't be late for the first class of the semester!"

"She talks like she's a professor." Ron had been quite dissatisfied with Hermione's attitude ever since they got on the train.

"Haha, that's just her temper, don't mind her," Julien explained from the side.

"By the way, Julien, what classes do you have this morning?" Harry quickly changed the subject.

"In the morning we have Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class with Hufflepuff, and in the afternoon we have Potions class."

"I wish I could join you guys," Ron muttered. "I just can't stand seeing those Slytherin guys."

Harry nodded repeatedly.

Sunlight streamed through Hogwarts' stained-glass windows, casting dappled patterns of light on the stone corridors.

Julien followed his roommates toward the Transfiguration classroom, stepping on the tail end of the morning mist. His silver linden wand vibrated restlessly in his pocket, as if anticipating something fun.

When the classroom door was pushed open, the Hufflepuff wizards were already there.

Julien spotted Liria in the corner immediately. She was still wrapped in her feathered cloak, looking down and fiddling with something. When she saw Julien enter, she merely raised her icy blue eyes briefly before quickly lowering them again.

Julien pulled Edgar and Kayson to sit in the back of the classroom by the window, a habit he had maintained for many years.

Following them, the young wizards from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, such as Hannah Abbott, Susan Burns, and Terry Boot, also entered one after another.

Julien recalled that these people later seemed to be members of the DA army, so who said Ravenclaw was just a bookworm who only knew how to study knowledge, and Hufflepuff was no fool either.

Professor McGonagall didn't seem to have arrived yet. A dark striped tabby cat with square-patterned markings around its eyes was perched on the podium.

Of course, Julien didn't have the same desire as other time travelers to go up and have a go at it to show off his uniqueness.

What he didn't know was that before he came in, Liria, who was close to living beings, wanted to go up and tease the kitten, but the tabby cat jumped away and refused.

The school bell rang.

The tabby cat that had been sitting on the podium suddenly leaped down gracefully, its fur rippling and swelling like waves, instantly transforming into a black wizard's robe.

The cat gracefully arched its back into an upright posture, the patterns on its square glasses fading into the air, leaving only the sharp and serious eyes behind the lenses.

Amidst the gasps of all the young wizards, Professor McGonagall straightened her collar, concealing all her emotions beneath her stern expression.