The announcement of the rules and the singing of the school song set a harmonious atmosphere, at least among the students around Zhao Lun, who were all smiles.
On the way back, they kept chatting with Zhao Lun.
"Have you been to the Forbidden Forest? Is it fun?"
"It's really exciting, and quite thrilling! We'll take you there, and you'll have an unforgettable experience."
"How about Quidditch? I've never played it. Is it fun?"
"Quidditch is the favorite sport of wizards... To join, you must learn to fly on a broomstick. Can you do that? What? You can? Impressive..."
"These portraits look... strange."
"They make you uncomfortable, right? These portraits move. I wasn't used to them the first time I saw them, either. But after a while, you get used to it."
"Come out, Peeves," came Percy's voice from ahead. With a "bang," a mischievous little imp with black eyes and a wide grin appeared. He was floating in mid-air, legs crossed, holding a bundle of canes.
"Oh, don't worry, it's just Peeves. Percy will handle it," Fred said, unbothered.
Sure enough, soon Percy used the reputation of the Bloody Baron to scare Peeves off.
"See? You can use the Bloody Baron's name to frighten Peeves away too," George said.
At the end of the hallway, a portrait of a plump woman in a pink silk gown hung on the wall. "What's the password?" she asked.
"Dragon Dung," Percy answered.
The portrait tilted forward, revealing a round hole in the wall. Behind the portrait was a cozy circular room, filled with plush armchairs, and two spiral staircases, one leading to the boys' dormitory and the other to the girls'. This was the Gryffindor Common Room.
Zhao Lun and the others followed the students in front of them and entered.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
"Goodbye."
The two brothers left.
Percy then took the boys and girls in batches through the dormitory doors. They finally found their beds: five four-poster beds, each with deep crimson velvet curtains. Their luggage had already been brought up.
Zhao Lun noticed a bag he had placed earlier, with his mattress and books neatly arranged.
After the long journey and endless walking, seeing all the novel sights, he still didn't feel tired. He immersed his mind in his virtual brain, reviewing the scenery recorded along the way.
The train station, the crowds, passing through the station, boarding the Hogwarts train, meeting classmates, introductions, and then the Sorting Ceremony, the feast... all of it created a virtual scene, which appeared again in his light brain. He could now experience the journey again from this scene.
This time, he observed it from a third-person perspective, thoroughly examining every scene he had witnessed on the way.
Whether it was professors or other students, he could examine them closely.
The more he looked, the more joy he felt from the discoveries.
At some point, Zhao Lun exited the virtual world and fell asleep.
In his dream, he saw a lock that appeared in front of a door. With a click, the lock closed the door.
He felt as if his mind had been locked away, and no one could intrude without his permission.
At that moment, a shabby hat came, trying to read his thoughts but failed to gain any information. The hat screamed in frustration, causing a loud, irritating noise.
Zhao Lun, irritated by the hat invading his thoughts, felt a surge of anger and tried to tear it apart. The shock woke him up.
Looking around at the unfamiliar environment, Zhao Lun realized he was not at home.
Outside, the air was quiet. Having grown accustomed to early morning exercise, Zhao Lun couldn't fall back asleep. He got up early and ventured out to familiarize himself with his surroundings.
There was a faint mist outside, bringing a coolness that was much lower than the temperature outside, resembling the early autumn chill.
As Zhao Lun walked down the corridor, with each step, he recorded the path in his light brain, setting up reminders for any anomalies. By the end of his walk, he had memorized the area and no longer had to worry about getting lost.
After washing up, he returned to find the place lively with many students looking toward them.
Zhao Lun glanced over and realized these were upperclassmen, some from Gryffindor, others from other houses. They were gathered in small groups, pointing at two people coming out.
"Over there, look!"
"Which one?"
"Next to the tall guy with the red hair."
"The one with glasses?"
"Can you see his face clearly?"
"Do you see the scar on his forehead?"
They were talking about Harry Potter, with Ron standing next to him as a background figure. Ron, thinking they were looking at him, cheerfully waved at them.
Zhao Lun observed them, feeling unfamiliar, as if seeing strangers, with no excitement at all.
Before arriving here, he had some ideas about them, but now, seeing them in person, those thoughts faded away.
"Meeting them in person is not as great as hearing about them." Once seen, the fairytale in his heart shattered.
At that moment, he realized that what he truly desired was a beautiful magical world.
They were just children, and naturally, their perspective on the world was biased toward them. When others looked at them, the view would differ.
A savior? Just a child, really.
Zhao Lun had his own pride. He didn't plan to make new friends or go out of his way to target anyone.
Hogwarts was still small in the grand scheme of things, and it wasn't where his focus lay. As for saving the world, it was too troublesome and offered no benefit; he wouldn't waste his energy on it.
Zhao Lun returned to his room and began writing a letter to his family, informing them that he was safe.
He hadn't forgotten to send a letter home. After finishing, he took out the things he bought on the train yesterday from his storage space and summoned his owl. After feeding it and giving it a bit of enchanted water, he sent the letter off.
When he stepped out, he encountered Norway. The poor boy had no idea where to eat or sleep. Seeing Zhao Lun, he looked like he had found a savior and begged for help.
"Good thing you didn't forget about me, or I would have thought you were just wandering around," Zhao Lun sighed, exasperated.
Norway had been traumatized as a child and later suffered from a memory charm, which affected his normal cognitive development, making him forgetful.
Of course, Norway wasn't the only one who couldn't find their way. Other students, too, came into the dining hall with him.
This couldn't be blamed on them. Hogwarts was a magical school full of life. The buildings were constantly shifting, and only the four founders knew the full secrets of the castle. For freshmen, remembering everything was quite the challenge.
The school year began, and Zhao Lun began his studies.
Among his most memorable encounters were Peeves the Poltergeist, Argus Filch the caretaker, and his cat Mrs. Norris.
Peeves was a constant troublemaker, causing lots of trouble for the first years.
Filch and his cat were equally unpleasant, always finding ways to make life miserable for students, much to everyone's annoyance.
In his spare time, Zhao Lun explored every allowed part of the academy, documenting everything in his light brain.
Along the way, he crossed paths with Peeves and Filch but was careful not to give them anything to hold against him.
On Wednesday night, he took a telescope to observe the stars, recording their names and trajectories. It was a simple task for him.
Having learned similar knowledge from books, all of it was stored in his light brain, and he could now easily verify it with what he saw.
Botany knowledge was also recorded, allowing him to test his learning.
This was the magical world, and plant knowledge here was different from that of Muggles. It gave Zhao Lun a new direction in his knowledge base. There were also many legendary plants in this world.
Professor Pomona Sprout, who taught Herbology, was the head of Hufflepuff House. She was short with flowing gray hair, wearing a patched-up thick hat, and covered in soil. She was always cheerful and approachable, often found in the greenhouse. Zhao Lun had not seen her during the sorting ceremony, so this was his first time meeting her. He found her more agreeable than the portrayal in the films.
Professor Binns, who taught the History of Magic, was a ghost. Most students respected the subject, though it was the most boring. Binns lectured in a monotonous tone about goblin rebellions and other ancient magical histories.
The students, including the first years, found his class dull, and nearly everyone struggled to stay awake.
Only Zhao Lun and Hermione in Gryffindor paid attention. Strictly speaking, as long as Hermione listened, Zhao Lun didn't need to, since his light brain would record everything the professor said.
Zhao Lun had to admit, Professor Binns's lectures were so boring they had a hypnotic effect, and he nearly fell asleep.
He now understood why his classmates were struggling.
Professor Flitwick, who taught Charms, was short and had to stand on books to reach the desk. When calling the roll, he was shocked by the mention of the Savior's name and fell off the stack of books. His tiny size made it impossible for the students to see him.
Flitwick's voice was high-pitched, but his spellcasting was precise. He was relaxed in class and taught with great energy. His lessons helped recover some of the points lost from Binns's class.
After every class, Zhao Lun would meet up with Norway, who still hadn't gotten used to the academy's routine.
To avoid missing anything, Zhao Lun would wait until Norway had eaten and settled before starting his own study session.
That night, they sat in front of a fire in the Common Room and talked for a while. Norway's transformation from a stranger to someone Zhao Lun could talk to had been quite sudden.
"Are you trying to impress me?"
Zhao Lun said with a half-smile.
"Not really, just wanted to chat."
At this point, the two settled down, their faces glowing under the firelight