From a mystical perspective, having a nightmare often means a stroke of good luck the next day.
However, this mysterious power from the Far East seemed to malfunction at Hogwarts.
It was early the next morning, and William was already lost.
Hogwarts had a total of 142 staircases, some wide and grand, others narrow and unstable.
At specific times, some staircases would shift destinations, more punctual than Aunt Flo's monthly visit.
Certain staircases would suddenly have a step vanish halfway up, and if you weren't careful, you'd step right through it and plummet.
While magic would ensure a safe landing, it meant you'd have to start all over from the first floor again!
If this happened during class, you might as well hope for an injury and a trip to the hospital wing—that way, you'd at least have an excuse and avoid house points being deducted for tardiness.
Smart students even figured out how to use these staircases to descend quickly to the first floor for meals, instead of waiting forever in blocked hallways while a prefect dealt with Peeves' pranks.
They gave these staircases a thrilling nickname: "Jumping Stairs."
Furthermore, Hogwarts had many doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely or poked the right spot. Some weren't even real doors but solid walls disguised as doorways.
Memorizing the layout was no easy task, as everything seemed to move constantly. Portraits moved around for visits, and even suits of armour strolled about.
Legend had it that Rowena Ravenclaw herself designed this setup to discourage less intelligent students.
As a first-year student, having spent only one night at Hogwarts, William's understanding of the staircases was zero. Despite his diligent reading of Hogwarts, A History, it wasn't much help.
Boba tea, yawning lazily, followed behind William, waiting for him to find the way to the Great Hall.
If William couldn't figure it out soon, Boba tea was ready to return to the dorm and eat some honey. A new underling—Mini Bear—had offered it as tribute.
Suddenly, Boba tea's ears folded back into airplane mode, signaling alertness.
"What's wrong? Did you find the way?" William asked.
Boba tea let out a cautious meow. Following its gaze, William spotted a cat crouched beneath a suit of armor.
It was a skinny cat, with a medium-width head, a square muzzle, a pointed chin, and ears that were large and tufted with fur. Its big eyes and long tail, paired with its dark gray fur, made it a striking figure.
—A Maine Coon.
William recognized the breed immediately.
However, this cat was gaunt, and its overall appearance seemed eerie. Its bulging eyes stared coldly at William—or rather, at Boba tea.
The icy stare belonged to none other than Mrs. Norris, the pet of Hogwarts' caretaker, Argus Filch.
According to the Weasley twins, Filch was one of the three terrors of Hogwarts!
Wherever Mrs. Norris appeared, Filch wasn't far behind, and she was often his accomplice in causing trouble.
William was ready to leave, hoping to avoid an encounter with Filch, which could make him late for his morning class.
That's right—his first class on Monday morning was Potions with Snape!
When William saw the schedule posted in the Ravenclaw common room, he was stunned.
What terrible luck!
But just as William was about to leave, Boba tea slowly walked over and crouched near Mrs. Norris.
The two cats locked eyes in a tense standoff.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Mrs. Norris finally stood and, without a sound, began walking down a nearby hallway.
Boba tea glanced back at William with a quick meow and leapt into his arms, blinking its blue eyes as if urging him to follow.
Was this a trap?
Was Mrs. Norris leading them into restricted territory, where Filch would be lying in wait for some "fishing enforcement"?
William couldn't shake the feeling that Mrs. Norris was pulling a "cat's gambit" on them!
If the adult world was full of tricks, then surely the world of grown-up cats wasn't much more honest.
Fortunately, nothing happened along the way. Following Mrs. Norris through several secluded corridors, William safely made his way to the Great Hall.
Pulling a small fish snack from his pocket as thanks, William tossed it toward Mrs. Norris—but the gesture was ignored.
Mrs. Norris merely glanced at Boba tea before turning and leaving, as if William were nothing more than a piece of misplaced trash.
Merlin's paws! William thought.
He was the new "pretty boy" of Ravenclaw, and he'd just been snubbed by a cat!
Clearly, this was an era where even species mattered.
Determined, William silently vowed to fatten up his Niffler into a proper orange tabby, all in the name of revenge against Mrs. Norris.
Bring it on— it'll end in mutual destruction!
The Great Hall wasn't too crowded; most students were still struggling to recover from the summer break.
The first class of the day wouldn't start until nine o'clock, and it was barely eight.
As soon as William sat down at the Ravenclaw table, Cedric joined him with two small rolls in hand, having crossed over from the Hufflepuff table.
Cedric took a seat beside him, biting into his roll. "Where is everyone?"
William picked up a pumpkin pasty that smelled faintly of matcha, the side of it stamped with a Hogwarts castle design.
After downing the whole thing in one bite, he replied, "Marcos and the others are still sleeping."
Last night, after the prefect Robert's motivational speech, the first-years had been fired up, swearing to change the wizarding world with their intellect.
That didn't stop them from sleeping in this morning, though.
Taking a swig of milk, Cedric, now sporting a milk mustache, looked exasperated. "I wasn't asking about your roommates."
William shrugged. "Oh, you're asking about Cho? I don't live in the girls' dormitory, how would I know?"
Then, with a teasing grin, William added, "Cedric, if you're so curious, why don't you ask Professor Flitwick to transfer you to Ravenclaw?"
Cedric chuckled and offered some sage advice, "William, you just don't get it. Have you ever seen anyone date someone from their own house? It's always from other houses—that's called maintaining the balance!"
William had to admit, Cedric might have a point.
As the saying goes, "Don't foul your own nest!"
But on the other hand, another saying goes, "The closer you're to the water, the sooner you'll get the moon!"
[tl/n: it's a chinese proverb meaning "people who are in close proximity to a valuable resource or opportunity are more likely to benefit from it or take advantage of it before others."]
Cedric, after all, was always asking William for updates about Cho.
Sometimes, language can be very profound! William realized he had a lot more to learn.
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