Hogwarts: The Bloodline Wizard

Chapter 4: Hello, Hogwarts

October 31, 2020

After emphasizing the important notices for the term, Dumbledore seemed to revert to his usual eccentric and amiable self. His wizard's hat tilted slightly to one side as he announced in a loud voice:

"Before we retire for the night, let us all sing the school song!"

As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, Ivan noticed the expressions of the professors on the stage change. Several older students also looked as if they were suffering from constipation.

Unbothered, Dumbledore waved his wand, and a long golden ribbon floated out, twisting and turning into words like a snake. The wand acted like a conductor's baton, guiding the entire school as they sang the Hogwarts school song, which echoed through the hall.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald,

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling,

With some interesting stuff…"

The song was a chaotic mix of different versions and tunes, further complicated by the Weasley twins, who were doing their best to derail the singing with their antics. Ivan joined in the chaos, humming along, and by the end, he found himself oddly enjoying the mishmash of melodies.

He couldn't help but wonder if his taste in music had somehow been compromised.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who felt this way. Headmaster Dumbledore, moved to tears by the musical performance, took a moment to compose himself before reminding the prefects to lead their houses back to their dormitories.

Ivan followed the stream of Gryffindor first-years up the spiral staircase to the highest floor.

At the end of the corridor, Percy stopped in front of a portrait of a fat lady. Before anyone could ask, the portrait came to life, shifting her pose and speaking solemnly.

"Password?"

"Dragon dregs," Percy replied.

The fat lady nodded and swung open, revealing a round hole in the wall. Ivan knew this led to the Gryffindor common room.

Once inside, Ivan was surprised by how much larger it was than he had imagined.

The crimson and gold lion banner of Gryffindor hung proudly in the air. The spacious common room was furnished with several long tables, surrounded by comfortable armchairs. A deep brown fireplace against the left wall provided both light and warmth, driving away the chill of the night.

The Gryffindor dormitories were arranged with five beds to a room. The spacious room was furnished with five four-poster beds, each with its own luggage neatly stacked beside it.

Without any relevant memories, Ivan couldn't even recognize his own trunk or bed.

Just as Ivan was about to wait for his roommates to choose their beds first, a grayish-white owl flew down from the top of the west railing and landed on his shoulder, affectionately pecking at his cheek.

"Maka?" Ivan was momentarily stunned, but the name inexplicably popped into his mind.

"Hoot hoot~" The owl responded as if confirming.

"Well, whether that's your name or not, I'll call you Maka from now on," Ivan said, scratching the owl's neck. Maka closed its eyes in contentment.

With Maka's help, Ivan quickly identified the bed against the west wall as his own. The area was sparsely decorated, with only bedding, pillows, some clothes, daily necessities, and a few required textbooks.

Notably, Ivan found a small plaque next to his bed, thoughtfully engraved with the name "Ivan Hales."

The other beds had similar plaques, though Ivan hadn't noticed them earlier.

Ivan didn't stay alone in the dormitory for long before the door opened, and a somewhat familiar voice rang out.

"I didn't expect the Sorting to just be about wearing a hat. I thought we'd have to wrestle a troll or something. I should've known not to believe George's nonsense."

The speaker was a red-haired boy with freckles on his nose, muttering to himself as he entered. Behind him was a bespectacled boy with a slightly thin frame.

Harry? Ron?

Ivan was somewhat surprised but quickly realized that, with the small number of first-years at Hogwarts each year, it made sense that he would share a dormitory with Harry in Gryffindor.

"Hi, I'm Ivan Hales!" Ivan stepped forward and introduced himself.

"Hey, I'm Ron Weasley," Ron said, finally noticing Ivan.

"Hello, I'm Harry Potter," Harry extended his hand.

Ivan shook Harry's hand, then turned to Ron with a smile. "Your brothers, George and Fred, mentioned you during the feast."

"Oh, no. I'm sure they didn't have anything nice to say," Ron grumbled, thinking about all the times the twins had pranked him.

Harry, on the other hand, was pleased with Ivan's casual attitude. Since entering the wizarding world, most people either made a fuss over him or wanted to see his lightning-shaped scar. Harry found such behavior utterly ridiculous.

Friendships among young wizards could form quickly, and Ivan, who knew the two from the original story, quickly became friends with them after a brief conversation.

Harry shared stories of the unfair treatment he had endured before entering the wizarding world, while Ron recounted a few amusing incidents of being pranked by the Weasley twins. Before long, Neville and another dormmate joined in, and they chatted late into the night before finally heading to bed.

The series of events throughout the night had left Ivan utterly exhausted. The moment his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light, forgetting all about his plans to explore the system.

Vaguely, he could hear Ron complaining about his rat, Scabbers. Ivan glanced over, then pulled the blanket over his head, silently mouthing a few words:

"Hello, Hogwarts."

The next morning, Ivan woke up with a start, disoriented as he looked around the room. It took him a moment to remember that he had classes to attend.

The sudden shift from a hospital bed to a classroom was a bit overwhelming, but Ivan had no intention of being late for his first class at Hogwarts. Although it was still early, considering the mischievous nature of the school's moving staircases, Ivan thought it best to leave early.

Of course, he didn't forget to wake up Ron and Harry, who were still in bed.

Whether it was due to Harry's "Boy Who Lived" luck or Ivan's own bad luck, they encountered disappearing steps twice on their way down. Poor Ron even walked straight into a wall disguised as a door!

Fortunately, thanks to Ron's unfortunate demonstration, Ivan and Harry managed to avoid the same fate.

End of Chapter