Led by Prefect Percy, the first-years made their way through the noisy crowd, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. The figures in the portraits lining the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed. Twice along the way, Percy led them through doors hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.
Ryan recalled reading that Hogwarts had once been a sanctuary during the Dark Ages. It made sense—only a castle designed as a military fortress would have so many hidden passages and barriers meant to block invaders.
Everyone was yawning, including Ryan. It seemed that even at eleven years old, their bodies weren't fully developed for long days. Otherwise, given his past life spent cultivating immortality, he wouldn't have been this exhausted so soon after nine o'clock.
As they trudged up the seemingly endless stairs, Ryan began to feel as if the staircase itself were enchanted to prevent them from ever reaching the top. Just as he was wondering if they would ever arrive, the person in front of him suddenly stopped.
It turned out that Peeves was causing trouble in mid-air. Fortunately, Percy managed to chase him away, and they continued on their way. At the end of the corridor, Percy came to a stop and turned to address them.
Hanging on the wall at the end of the hallway was a portrait of a rather plump woman dressed in pink.
"Password?" she asked.
"Dragon scum," Percy replied. The painting swung forward, revealing a circular hole in the wall. One by one, they climbed through the opening—Ryan even helped pull Neville in—until they found themselves inside the Gryffindor common room.
It was a cosy, circular chamber, decorated in shades of gold and red, with plenty of soft, cushioned armchairs. Against one wall, a large fireplace roared, driving away much of the gloominess of the ancient castle.
The first-years were clearly exhausted, and the older students knew it. Without much fuss, Percy led the girls through one door to their dormitory, then guided the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase, Ryan finally found his bedroom.
Thankfully, he and Harry weren't in the same dormitory. Otherwise, by third year, there was a one-in-five chance that he'd wake up in the middle of the night to find a terrifying, single old man staring at a gift bag beside his bed with a knife in hand.
The bedroom contained five four-poster beds, each draped with crimson flannel curtains. Their luggage had already been brought up. After a long day of travelling by train and feasting in the Great Hall, no one had the energy to chat. One by one, they collapsed onto their beds and drifted into sleep.
Morning in the Gryffindor Dormitory
Due to habits formed in his previous life, Ryan woke up early the next morning. The sun had just risen, and his roommates were still fast asleep.
A first-year timetable lay neatly at the head of his bed, which surprised him. He was usually a light sleeper and would wake up if anyone approached him. The fact that this timetable had appeared without him noticing meant only one thing—the house-elves were truly formidable.
Looking at the schedule, he saw that first-years had eight subjects. Classes generally ran from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Only Astronomy was scheduled from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Compared to a British secondary school, the study hours were quite reasonable.
After washing up, Ryan considered waking his roommates but decided against it since they had no classes in the morning. Instead, he made his way downstairs to the common room.
There, he spotted Hermione already seated on a sofa, engrossed in a book.
"Good morning, Hermione," Ryan greeted, waving.
Hermione looked up briefly before turning back to her book.
"Even though we don't have class this morning, we still need to eat breakfast," Ryan said, settling onto the sofa next to her. "Skipping meals isn't a good idea."
Hermione nodded, flipping to a particular page in her book.
"I was just reading A History of Hogwarts," she said, pointing to the passage. "Did you know the castle has 142 staircases? Some are broad and sweeping, while others are narrow, rickety, or even disappear on Fridays. Some lead to different places at random, and others won't open unless you tickle a certain spot. There are also fake doors that look real but are actually solid walls. The people in the portraits visit each other, and even the suits of armour move around!"
She sighed, closing the book. "I thought it would be better to wait here and see if an older student can show me the way to the Great Hall… Ah, there we go!"
Footsteps echoed from the staircase. A tall, black-haired girl with a ponytail descended into the common room.
Ryan immediately stepped forward. "Excuse me, could you help us find the way to breakfast?"
The girl introduced herself as Angelina Johnson and happily agreed to help. As they followed her through the castle, she explained useful tricks for navigating Hogwarts, such as remembering the special staircases and secret passageways.
Finally, they arrived at the Great Hall. Before leaving, Angelina reminded them that the layout of some staircases changed regularly, but with a little observation, they'd soon be able to find their way around.
During breakfast, Ryan couldn't help but envy the Hufflepuffs. Their dormitory was the closest to the Great Hall and right next to the kitchens.
A Change of Plans
After finishing his meal, Ryan originally planned to explore the castle. As a long-time Harry Potter fan, how could he resist visiting the iconic locations from the books?
Unfortunately, Hermione had other plans.
"Since we don't have class this morning, we should go to the library," she said firmly. "Self-study is important!"
Ryan hesitated. If he refused, Hermione would likely give him a disapproving look, making him feel like a complete slacker. Besides, the library was an important location in the books. In the end, he decided to go along with her.
The Hogwarts library was located on the second floor, housed under a high, domed ceiling. Thousands of bookshelves lined the vast space, filled with countless books.
Since it was still early, the library was mostly empty. Hermione immediately settled at a table, opening a textbook and taking notes.
Ryan browsed the shelves, selecting a few books about the modern wizarding world. While he had knowledge from his past life, it was far from comprehensive. The novels he had read only provided snippets, but these books contained structured, detailed information—essential for survival in this magical world.
Over an hour later, the library became crowded as students arrived, searching for materials and completing their homework.
The sudden influx of people made Ryan feel restless. Not wanting to disturb Hermione—who was still deeply engrossed in her studies—he checked out a few books from Madam Pince and decided to head back to Gryffindor Tower.
Unfortunately, he had yet to memorise the route.
Luckily, he ran into Nearly Headless Nick on the way, and with the ghost's help, he managed to return to Gryffindor Tower without getting
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