The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

As the night deepened and the clamor of Hogwarts subsided into slumber, Kayson, who had just been reminding Julien not to snore, was now snoring loudly, the sound like sawing wood.

Julien, however, did not fall asleep. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, his consciousness quietly slipping into that wondrous realm that belonged only to him: the Library of Magical Resonance.

In the center of the library, Murphy, the black cat who called himself the "librarian," was sprawled out on an open book titled "Higher-Order Space Folding Theory - Origami Crane Tutorial," his tail swishing leisurely back and forth, occasionally unconsciously pawing at the edge of the pages with his paws.

Julien coughed lightly: "Murphy, wake up, I have important business to attend to."

Murphy lazily lifted one eyelid, his pupils shining like two different colored gems in the darkness: "Oh? It's you, newbie. Here to ask about 'Animagus' again? Save it, you can't even turn a match into a needle."

"That's no problem for me. Oh, I wasn't talking about that!" Julien said helplessly. "I'm looking for books about magical nodes. You know, the kind that... can sense the energy of the earth's veins? Or some kind of book about guardian stone tablets."

Murphy's ears perked up instantly, and its tail stopped wagging. It slowly sat up straight, giving Julien a look that said, "You've got some nerve, kid."

"Magic nodes?" It stroked its beard with its paw, its tone suddenly becoming serious, even a bit scholarly. "Hmm... there are some. For example, 'The Strings of the Earth: On the Resonant Frequency of the Three Main Nodes in Europe,' 'How to Create a Miniature Ley Line in Your Backyard,' and that book hidden away in the forbidden section—'What Voldemort Also Wanted to Know: Node Stabilizers.'"

Julien's eyes lit up: "Quick! Let me see it!"

Murphy snapped his paws shut and shook his head with a regretful look: "Insufficient permissions, dear little wizard. Your current mental strength level is barely enough to read 'Elementary Meditation: From Counting Sheep to Counting Magic Particles.' Magic nodes? Just flipping through a page of that stuff, you might wake up tomorrow morning to find yourself sprouting roots, or starting to chat with the stones in the castle."

"Is it that dangerous?"

"It's more dangerous than being chased by Peeves yelling 'Snotty!'" Murphy jumped off the pile of books, strolled to another bookshelf, hooked a book down with the tip of his tail, and tossed it to Julien. "Here, since you've already taken Defense Against the Dark Arts, finish this first, build a solid foundation, and don't always think about achieving everything at once. Do you think you're Merlin reincarnated? Even Merlin had to learn not to blow up his cauldron when he was a kid."

Yu took the book, and the cover had the words "Introduction to Defense Against the Dark Arts: From Screaming and Running Away to Elegant Disarming (with three pepper spray spells as a bonus)" in gold lettering.

"This... is too basic, isn't it?" Julien's lips twitched.

"Basic knowledge is essential for survival!" Murphy rolled over, lay back down on the advanced theory book, and yawned. "Especially since the 'professor' you're dealing with now has a breathing sticky note stuck to the back of his head. Quickly learn some practical skills—like 'how to pretend you're just a walking stone when being targeted by a possessed person.'"

Julien: "...Is this chapter really in the book?"

Murphy narrowed his eyes and smiled mysteriously: "The title of the third chapter is 'On the Art of Being Low-Key: When You Don't Want to Be a Dark Wizard's Breakfast'."

Julien: "...Thank you, I'll go back and carry it now."

He turned to leave, but Murphy lazily added, "Oh, and remember to bring some catnip next time. This staff member's under a lot of KPI pressure lately and needs a mental massage."

Julien nodded, both amused and exasperated, as his consciousness slowly withdrew from the library. Back in reality, he stared at the ceiling, the tactile sensation of the "Escape Guide" still lingering in his hand.

The next morning, there were no classes at Ravenclaw, and Julien slept in, a rare occurrence, partly because he had stayed up too late reading the night before. Julien wasn't lazy, but he wasn't as disciplined as the protagonists in other fanfiction, such as always getting up early to exercise, rain or shine.

Julien discovered that as his magical power increased, his body would naturally be cleansed and improved by the magic, even more effectively than with regular physical exercise. Of course, this could also be an excuse for his laziness.

When Julien arrived at the common room, he found that almost all the newborn eaglets had gathered together excitedly discussing something, and even quite a few Hufflepuff badgers had come here.

Because they often attended classes with the Hufflepuff freshmen, they had the best relationship with them. Besides, they disapproved of Slytherin's "cunning" and Gryffindor's "recklessness."

This afternoon, they will have their first flying lesson with the Hufflepuff badgers. Everyone is very excited, so many badgers and eaglets came to the Ravenclaw common room to continue their conversation from the dining room.

If Defense Against the Dark Arts ignited curiosity about danger (though that flame has now been extinguished by Professor Quirrell), then Flying Lessons awaken the oldest and most romantic desire in every child's heart (whether wizard or Muggle)—to fly.

"I practiced broomstick riding with my uncle in the Ambury Valley last year. My uncle said I'm a flying genius!" said Wayne Hopkins of Hufflepuff.

"That's nothing!" Kayson Moretti immediately looked up from his pumpkin juice, nearly knocking the glass over. "I flew a Nimbus 1000 in my backyard when I was five! My dad said I was born to be a Quidditch player—Goalkeeper? No, no, Seeker!"

"Don't brag. The Nimbus series wasn't even in production when you were five." Ravenclaw's Terry Boots was clearly a stickler for research. "I've already checked the records. The Nimbus series only started production three years ago."

"No matter what, it's true that I have good eyesight. My eyes can lock onto a fly fifty meters away, as long as it dares to move!" Kayson didn't care about Terry's doubts and took out the golden thief model in his hand again.

"Yes, yes, it's definitely a problem with your eyesight. Last time you wrote your homework in tiny print, smaller than a fly, it was impossible to read. As a result, Professor McGonagall returned it." Edgar didn't hold back in exposing your shortcomings.

"That's a lighting problem!" Kayson's face flushed red. "And I had just drunk hallucinogenic pudding tea that day!"

"By the way, is flying really that great? I'm a little... worried." Muggle-born Justin Finley didn't say the word 'fear' aloud, but his fear was evident in his expression.

At this moment, Hannah Abbott, who was usually as quiet as a closed book, raised her voice unusually: "Justin, don't worry, my uncle said that the first time you ride a broom, it feels like being kissed by the wind!" Hannah's face turned red, even though she had never ridden a broom before.

The new students huddled in a circle, chattering excitedly about their afternoon flight lesson. It was unusual for the Ravenclaw common room to be so lively.

Some said they wanted to challenge themselves with a vertical climb, others said they wanted to try doing a handstand in mid-air, and still others confidently claimed they could tame a volatile comet 260—even though they'd never even touched a broom before.

This enthusiastic commotion quickly attracted the attention of older students.

Roger Davis, who was leaning back in his armchair under the starry dome, flipping through a book called "Advanced Quidditch Tactics Analysis," couldn't help but laugh when he heard this: "Did you hear that, Cho? They're planning to use the wrist strength of a first-year student to tame Comet 260? That broomstick is even more stubborn than Peeves."

Qiu Zhang picked up a cup of hot cocoa, a gentle smile in her eyes: "Don't laugh at them, Roger. Weren't we the same back then? I still remember my first flight lesson, I was so nervous that I pronounced 'come up' as 'go down,' and as a result, I threw my broom straight into Professor Sprout's mandela haystack."

"Haha, at least you didn't get dragged around waltzing by a broom like Michael." Roger shrugged, his tone teasing but not malicious. "But speaking of which, Ravenclaw has a secret weapon like you this year. Give the other houses a good 'surprise'."

"I'll practice hard, but there are still too few good Ravenclaw Quidditch prospects. I wonder if there are any promising newcomers. That Julien seems to have good physical attributes."

"Julien?" Roger frowned. "He walks around as if he's contemplating the truths of the universe. Surely he wouldn't be afraid to even touch a broom."

We'll find out this afternoon.