My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

This year, apart from everyone growing taller, there haven't been many changes in appearance.

Ian is just a bit dark-skinned.

He said that his family took him to the beach for more than a month this summer, no wonder he got so tanned.

While they were chatting, the door to the private room was suddenly opened from the outside.

"Has anyone seen a toad around here? Neville's toad has gone missing."

The little girl with brown hair peeked out from the door and asked, then she said with delight.

"So, Lynn, you were here!"

It was Hermione, whom they had only recently separated from.

"You're helping someone find a toad." Lynn opened the door and let her in.

Seeing that there were other people present, she spoke frankly.

"Yes, Neville is a little shy. I saw he was in a hurry, so I offered to help him find it. I have to go to the next private room to ask now."

"Want to take some snacks with you?"

"Is it okay?" She tilted her head and looked at Lynn's friend.

Cedric and Ian naturally agreed, nodding in unison.

Then Hermione took a box of chocolate hazelnuts.

After Hermione left, Cedric asked in confusion.

"Your friend?"

Lynn nodded.

"Isn't she my neighbor's daughter, a very lively little girl?"

"She is quite helpful."

Just then, an owl flapped its wings and flew alongside the train.

Lynn stared blankly through the glass for several seconds before realizing that it was the owl she had bought this summer.

He quickly rolled down the car window to let it in.

Lynn's owl looked extremely disheveled, its feathers ruffled as if it had just been ravaged by another owl. As soon as it flew in, it eagerly pecked at the back of Lynn's hand.

Lynn immediately understood what it meant, opened a bag of cookies, broke them into pieces, and placed them in front of it for it to eat.

He also received a reply from Professor Fox.

Ian took a towel and helped him take care of the owl.

"It seems to have flown back from a very far place."

Lynn opened the letter and stared wide-eyed.

"It was indeed very far; it flew from Britain to the border of Eurasia and then back from there."

In his reply, Professor Fox explained that he had traveled to the Bulgarian border and was just a short distance from Turkey. He also earnestly boasted to Lynn about how delicious the kebab rice there was, lamenting that he couldn't try it with him.

Along with the letter came a thick stack of more than a dozen parchment sheets, which were handwritten materials sent back by Professor Fox based on the conjectures Lynn had proposed in his previous letter.

Lynn wasn't in a hurry to look at these; he'd have plenty of time when he got to Hogwarts.

……

The train was approaching the station, and the little wizards in each compartment began to stir, changing their robes and preparing to disembark.

Lynn and his group were no exception.

"You're in second grade now, so you'll be taking a Thestral carriage to school, just like me." After the train came to a complete stop, Cedric led them off the train.

It was still night, and Hagrid stood in front of a small, dilapidated platform, shouting, "First-years, come this way! Hey! Harry, are you all right?"

Lynn watched as he greeted the black-haired, bespectacled boy he had met in Diagon Alley. Beside him was a red-haired child who looked somewhat like the Weasley twins; that must be Ron.

Hermione was still among the new students, seemingly comforting Neville, who was crying because the toad was missing.

The first-year students were naturally led by Hagrid, while Lynn and the others followed the prefects to ride in the Thestrals' carriages.

Because the seventh-year students were graduating, there were new prefects this year. Lynn, the prefect of Gryffindor, recognized him; he was Percy, one of the Weasley brothers, whom he had met when school started last year.

The Slytherin prefect had also changed; Betty had graduated, which pleased Lynn greatly, as the female upperclassman who had been lusting after him was finally gone.

At the edge of the woods, Lynn saw a herd of Thestrals.

They were emaciated, with heads resembling Western dragons or lizards, and huge bat wings growing from their sides. Their overall color was black, and the core of the wand Lynn was currently using was the heartstring of one of these creatures.

Only those who have witnessed death can see them; of the three, Lynn and Ian can see them, but Cedric cannot.

In truth, Lynn didn't know why he could see it; in both his past and present lives, he had never witnessed anyone die in front of him...

That's not right either, he witnessed his own death.

Perhaps that's why he was able to see Thestrals.

As for why Ian could see it, if he didn't say it, everyone would be understanding and no one would ask, just like no one asked Lynn either.

The carriage carried them to the gates of Hogwarts, and then, led by the prefects, they returned to the Great Hall after two months.

Everyone sat at their own tables. The professors on the high platform were mostly seated, but Professor McGonagall, who was missing, was waiting behind the castle gate for Hagrid to take over the new students.

Lynn chatted idly with the snakes at the Slytherin table, but his eyes and attention were constantly glancing at the table on the high platform where the professor sat.

Professor Quirrell sat on the edge of the professors' chair, his head wrapped in a scarf that resembled that of an Indian, making him stand out among the other professors.

Lynn thought with a strange expression, "With such an obvious change, did the professor really not notice Quirrell's unusual behavior?"

Just as he was maliciously speculating about which professors had guessed the truth but were pretending not to know, he suddenly noticed a gaze directed at him from the high platform.

Lynn turned to look at him, pretending to be nonchalant.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded at him, and Lynn also gave a polite grin.

lyb, stop smiling at me! Go smile at your Harry Potter!

Just as he was thinking this, Professor McGonagall led a group of freshmen out of a booth next to the auditorium.

She placed the Sorting Hat on the high platform, and the Sorting Ceremony officially began.

As Professor McGonagall shouted, Lynn silently repeated in his mind:

Hannah the blacksmith.

"Hannah Abbott!"

The girl with two little golden braids ran up to the platform, and unsurprisingly, she was assigned to Hufflepuff.

There are more familiar faces this year.

Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor again, which Lynn didn't find strange.

Given her personality, only Ravenclaw and Gryffindor are suitable for her at Hogwarts, but if she wants to become a leader, she will only choose Gryffindor.

And Harry Potter.

When Professor McGonagall called his name, the young wizards in the Great Hall erupted in noise.

Countless people were watching to see where he would be assigned.

"Gryffindor!"

The Sorting Hat's loud voice rang out, and the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers.

Lynn couldn't help but smile as she watched this scene.

Normally, this year would be the year Gryffindor successfully reaches its peak.

If he weren't there.