The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

The first day of classes at Hogwarts is like navigating a rushing stream for newly enrolled young wizards.

Judging from the schedule alone, the courses seem to be quite relaxed. However, each class is rich in content, requiring full concentration to listen and practice.

Not to mention the discomfort caused by Professor Snape's ever-present, chilling gaze during Potions class. (Of course, young wizards would have a different perspective if they took History of Magic.)

As the last rays of the setting sun bathed the castle's spires in a warm golden-red hue, the first-year Ravenclaw students dragged their weary yet fulfilled bodies back to their common room in the West Tower.

The raven on the door knocker asked again.

"Listen carefully: A knight who always lies and a guard who always tells the truth are guarding the city gates. One guards the gate of life, the other the gate of death. The knight says, 'The guard will tell you he guards the gate of life.' So, which gate should I use to ensure my safety?"

This is a classic variation of a logical paradox, which poses no problem for the eaglets. This time, Padma Petit stepped forward, saying, "I choose the door guarded by the knight."

The raven's eyes flickered. "You guessed right." But the door didn't open.

"Very well, but this is just the prelude. If I told you that the knights and guards are still there, but you know nothing about their identities and can only ask one of them one question, what would you ask, and how would you ensure you find the way out?"

"This? Let me think." Padma was a little confused.

Julien smiled. This was a classic "Gatekeeper of Hell" riddle; he had solved similar riddles in his past life, so he knew the answer. But he wanted to wait and see if the 11-year-old eaglets could solve the riddle.

The eaglets pondered for a while, and time was running out. Just then, Lisa Dupin, who had been relatively unknown among the new students, walked over.

This is a thin, frail little girl with pale yellow hair and a pair of black-rimmed glasses on her small face, looking underdeveloped.

"The answer is: Ask anyone, 'If I ask another person which door is the door to life, what would they point to?' Then choose the opposite door they pointed to. The logic is that whether you ask an honest person or a liar, this complex question will ultimately point to the door to death."

"You got it right!"

The door opened with a click. Everyone turned to look at Lisa with admiration, and the eaglets clapped in unison. At this moment, Lisa blushed with embarrassment.

"It seems there are quite a few smart people in Ravenclaw," Julien thought to himself. "By the way, Miss Dupin should also be a member of the DA army in the future."

Inside the lounge, the starry sky on the dome was even more dazzling and profound than during the day, seemingly within reach. The crackling fire in the fireplace dispelled the evening chill of the Scottish Highlands.

The older students were either reclining on the sofas reading or discussing complex magical theories in small groups, creating a tranquil and focused atmosphere of learning.

The new students gathered on a large, sky-blue carpet, eagerly sharing their experiences of the day.

"Professor McGonagall is so cool!" Edgar Finch pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "The moment she transformed into a cat, I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. When do you think we'll ever learn such advanced Animagus transformations?"

"Stop dreaming, Edgar," Kayson Moretti said lazily, leaning back in his armchair and toying with the golden Snitch model in his hand. "I've heard there are only seven Animagus registered with the Ministry of Magic in all of Britain. We're lucky if we can turn matches into needles right now."

“Speaking of needles,” Padma turned to Julien, her tone full of curiosity, “Julien, that hairpin you conjured up today… it was truly amazing! How did you come up with that idea? Professor McGonagall even kept it!”

Julien smiled and whispered to Padma the origin of the hairpin, "The end of the needle can also be made into the shape of a phoenix feather." He even drew a sketch.

"Wow! It's so beautiful!" Girls are always powerless against beautiful things. "I must practice this well so I can get one for myself."

At this moment, a boy named Michael Corner chimed in, "I think Professor Snape is absolutely terrifying. I glimpsed him from afar in the hallway, and it felt like the temperature around us dropped several degrees. I heard he deducted fifteen points from Harry Potter of Gryffindor today!"

"That's right," another girl added quietly. "Look, he deducted a lot of points from us this afternoon too. I heard from Gryffindor students that he only doesn't deduct points from Slytherin students."

"No wonder Slytherin has won the House Cup for the past few years."

The crowd chattered excitedly, some marveling at the course, some in awe of the professor, and others curious about the students' special abilities.

Just then, light footsteps echoed from the spiral staircase. Qiu Zhang walked over, carrying a cup of hot chocolate, a gentle smile on her face.

"You must be exhausted from the first day?" She placed the hot chocolate in the center of the carpet and sat down cross-legged. "I just came back from the library and saw you having a meeting here."

The freshmen immediately quieted down and greeted the friendly senior student.

"Don't be nervous," Cho Chang said with a smile, waving her hand. "I just wanted to tell you that everyone's first day is like this. I also thought Professor McGonagall was terrifyingly strict, and Professor Snape was like a character straight out of a horror story. But you'll gradually discover that the charm of Hogwarts lies in this—it's both challenging and surprising."

"By the way, I just heard you guys talking about a Hufflepuff classmate's nature magic."

"Yes, it's Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. Lyria from Hufflepuff can change the shape of objects using natural magic. That's amazing."

"No, she can't change the properties of objects, so it can't be considered a transformation."

"But Professor McGonagall approved of it."

"Senior Qiu," Julien asked, "why do you think Professor McGonagall was so lenient towards Liria's non-standard transfiguration?"

Cho Chang thought for a moment and said, "I don't know what Professor McGonagall's opinion is. But we in Ravenclaw respect all forms of wisdom. Lyria's power comes from her blood and her land; it's a unique system of knowledge that deserves to be studied, not denied."

Her words plunged the new students into deep thought. Julien nodded, his opinion of Ravenclaw rising even higher.

"By the way," Qiu Zhang suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Did you know what? I heard that the kitchen is preparing a special dessert tonight called 'Moonlight Pudding,' which only appears on the night of the new moon. It's said that eating it will make you see what you want most in your dreams."

"Really?" Several freshmen were immediately drawn to the question.

“It’s true, of course,” Cho Chang winked, “but getting to the kitchen won’t be easy. You’ll first have to find that still life painting of fruit near the Hufflepuff common room, and then tickle that pear…”

She vividly described the route to the kitchen, captivating the freshmen who seemed to have all their previous fatigue vanished. Julien watched this scene with a warm feeling welling up inside him.

There is no Gryffindor's boisterous passion, no Slytherin's undercurrents, and no Hufflepuff's excessive tolerance here; there is only a pure curiosity and exploration of the unknown world.

"Senior, this is what Cedric from Hufflepuff told you, right?"

"You're asking for it!"