After comforting Hermione, the two read for a while before saying goodnight and returning to their respective dormitories.
The next morning at breakfast, Hermione sat beside Ryan, still preoccupied with the mysterious package they had discovered.
"It's either extraordinarily precious or extraordinarily dangerous," Hermione mused, recalling her analysis from the night before.
"Or both," Ryan replied, swallowing a mouthful of cereal. He still wasn't used to having bacon for breakfast—why did British people eat such greasy food in the morning?
But with so little information—not even knowing the size of the item—any speculation seemed pointless.
Daily Routine and Experiments
For the next few days, Ryan returned to his usual routine: attending classes during the day, reading with Hermione in the library, and doing homework with classmates in the common room. The excitement of their late-night adventure had worn off, and he decided to put future nighttime explorations on hold.
During several walks around the castle, Ryan discreetly poured acid secreted by tombstone moss onto a secluded section of Hogwarts' outer walls. Normally, this acid could erode a door-sized piece of marble in minutes. However, it had no effect on the castle walls.
In his previous life, he had read theories suggesting that every inch of Hogwarts was reinforced with powerful protective magic. This experiment seemed to confirm that notion. The castle held deeper secrets than even the books described.
A Walk to Clear the Mind
By the time the next Wednesday arrived, Ryan felt restless. The Scottish Highlands, where Hogwarts was located, were often overcast as winter approached. Frequent rain and the castle's dimly lit atmosphere left him feeling as if mushrooms might start growing on his skin.
Even though the house-elves kept the fireplaces burning, he needed fresh air.
So, after dinner—despite the sun having already set—he decided to step outside for a walk.
Hermione, of course, refused to join him. "I still have a ton of information to review for Transfiguration, and I have Astronomy class later," she said, casting him a disapproving look before diving back into her notes.
Ryan simply shrugged. He was used to Hermione's dedication by now.
Visiting the Quidditch Field
Since it was a Wednesday evening, Ryan decided to visit the Quidditch pitch to watch the team practice.
He had been in the wizarding world for a while now, but he had never actually seen a Quidditch match. Considering it was the most popular sport among wizards, he figured it was about time.
When he arrived at the stadium, he took in the massive wooden structure draped with colorful banners. At each end of the field, three golden poles stood tall, each topped with a ring—resembling oversized bubble wands. They were nearly fifty feet high.
The stands were scattered with students, some chatting, others watching the practice. As Ryan scanned the crowd, he spotted a familiar head of red hair—Ron Weasley.
Since he knew at least one person, he climbed into the stands and took a seat beside him.
"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Ron asked, surprised.
Ryan was fairly well-liked among his classmates, mostly because he often organized study sessions. He got along with Ron reasonably well.
"I just needed some fresh air," Ryan replied. His gaze shifted to the players soaring through the air. "I don't know much about Quidditch. Can you explain it to me?"
Ron perked up instantly. As the youngest son in his family, and constantly overshadowed by both his older brothers and Harry Potter's fame, he rarely had moments where someone wanted to hear his expertise.
"Quidditch is the most popular sport in the wizarding world!" Ron said eagerly. "The rules are pretty straightforward, though it's not easy to play. Each team has seven players—three of them are Chasers."
He pointed toward the players battling over a bright red ball, roughly the size of a football.
"That ball is the Quaffle," he explained.
Then, he gestured to the golden rings at the ends of the field.
"The Chasers pass the Quaffle to each other and try to score by getting it through any of the three rings. Each goal earns ten points."
"Of course, there's also a Keeper, whose job is to block the opposing team's shots. Our Keeper is Captain Wood."
The Dangerous Side of Quidditch
"Okay, so that accounts for four players. What about the other three?" Ryan asked.
"See those two black balls flying around?" Ron pointed toward two fast-moving objects darting unpredictably through the air, seemingly attempting to knock players off their brooms.
Ryan noticed two red-haired figures wielding baseball bat-like clubs, actively swatting the balls away.
"Those are Bludgers," Ron continued. "They fly around trying to knock players off their brooms. But my twin brothers—Fred and George—are Beaters. Their job is to hit the Bludgers toward the opposing team to mess up their play while protecting our own players."
Ryan flinched as he heard the loud crack of a bat striking a Bludger. "That seems... dangerous. Do people actually get hurt?"
Ron scratched his head. "Well, at Hogwarts, no one's died—yet. Worst I've seen is a broken jaw."
Ryan made a mental note to never try Quidditch himself.
"Finally," Ron added, "there's the Seeker. The Seeker's job is to catch the Golden Snitch—a tiny winged ball that moves super fast. It's even smaller than Neville's Remembrall."
Ryan watched as players zipped through the air, weaving between the Quaffle, Bludgers, and their teammates.
"If a Seeker catches the Snitch, their team gets 150 points," Ron continued. "Most of the time, that means an automatic win."
Quidditch's Popularity
Watching the players soar through the sky, Ryan had to admit the game looked thrilling—much more exciting than basketball or football. The wizarding world didn't have much in the way of modern entertainment, so it made sense that Quidditch was so beloved.
Seeing Ryan's interest, Ron eagerly launched into stories about famous Quidditch teams and historical matches. He even shared tidbits about the players on the field.
For someone often overlooked, Ron was surprisingly knowledgeable. His passion for the sport shone through, making Ryan appreciate him in a new light.
Harry's Secret
Suddenly, a thin figure streaked across the sky at high speed on a broomstick.
"Is that Harry Potter?" Ryan asked, pointing.
Ron glanced in the direction of Ryan's finger. "Yeah, that's him. He's the new Seeker. But keep it quiet—he's our secret weapon this year."
"I think the other teams might already know," Ryan replied with a grin. "I overheard some Hufflepuff students talking about Harry after class yesterday."
Ron tensed. "What did they say?"
"Mostly that they don't believe he can fly at all," Ryan reassured him.
Ron relaxed, clearly relieved.
As they continued chatting, time slipped away. Before long, night had fully fallen. Ryan and Ron waited for Harry to finish practice before heading back to their dorms.
They had Astronomy class that night, and neither of them wanted to be late.
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