Most of the books had been taken by Ravenclaw and its students, which showed just how skilled they were, not only in magic but also in standing their ground and going after what they wanted.
Their head, Filius Flitwick, was a perfect example of this, a top-notch fighter leading a school full of bright minds. If Ravenclaw had been full of just bookworms, he never would have gotten the job.
In many ways, Ravenclaw was the ideal place for Aldric to build his own group. Back in the Great Hall, Aldric picked up the Sorting Hat.
Even though it alive, he didn't hesitate. Quietly, he told himself, "Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw, please let me be Ravenclaw."
When he placed the hat on his head, a quirky voice spoke inside his mind. "Hmm, an unusual young wizard. Ambitious and talented, if it weren't for your family background, Slytherin would be a perfect fit," the hat said, pausing for a moment.
"What? Ravenclaw? That's possible, I suppose, but maybe Gryffindor would suit you better. Are you sure? Alright then."
"RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat announced loudly. The students at the second table on the left immediately broke into applause. Having the first new student of the year sorted into their house was a great sign.
After being warmly welcomed by the older students, Aldric was led to a chair where introductions began. When they found out Aldric was a Muggle-born orphan, some of the wizards around him immediately showered him with kindness, though a few cast looks of disdain.
Seeing the group of wizards flocking around him, Aldric couldn't help but think, "Joining Ravenclaw was definitely the right choice!"
Just like in the original story, the trio who saved him were sorted into Gryffindor. When Harry learned that Aldric wasn't in the same house, he nearly burst into tears.
Even though they hadn't spent much time together yet, Harry already considered Aldric a good friend. By the time the feast ended, it was late at night.
Aldric and the others followed their upperclassmen to the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room, standing before the bronze eagle-shaped door knocker. "What is mankind's most valuable treasure?" the prefect asked.
"Exceptional intelligence is mankind's most valuable treasure!" all the Ravenclaws answered together. The door opened silently.
"Remember this well," the female prefect said. "We Ravenclaws are the smartest of the four houses, and we sail the farthest seas in the ocean of knowledge. Let this truth guide you to go even further."
Walking into the Ravenclaw common room felt like stepping into a library bathed in blue light. Shelves lined the walls, packed with books donated by generations of Ravenclaw students.
Most were notes and assignments from past students, along with novels, biographies, and magical texts. These books were one of the reasons Aldric chose Ravenclaw, having access to such notes meant he could learn advanced spells usually reserved for upper years.
But to his surprise Ravenclaw somehow has uneven gender ratio, with boys being a rare minority, that was a pleasant surprise. Because there were so few boys, the Ravenclaw boys' had their own rooms. Compared to the bunk beds in other houses, these accommodations were far better.
Aldric's first class at Hogwarts was Potions with Professor Snape, two lessons back-to-back. As usual, Snape gave his customary speech about death and glory, which Aldric guessed was repeated every year to new students.
Aldric's thin, flimsy cauldron was clearly not up to the task. Even brewing a simple sleeping potion, intended to encourage young witches and wizards, failed spectacularly, it exploded. What surprised Aldric most was that Snape, with his usual gloomy expression, didn't dock points from Ravenclaw for the poor cauldron.
Instead of punishing Aldric harshly, Snape simply scolded him verbally. At the end of class, he even kept Aldric behind and handed him a replacement cauldron, secondhand, but almost intact. Snape warned him that if anything like today's mishap happened again during Potions, Aldric would face detention.
Aldric held the cauldron without a care. Having worked as a "cook" in a gang, he was no stranger to chemistry or potion-making. What surprised him more was Snape's attitude; it seemed most of Snape's harshness was aimed at Gryffindors, especially Harry Potter.
Hogwarts didn't have many classes, so Aldric found himself with plenty of free time. He spent it all buried in books in the Ravenclaw common room.
Unlike students from other houses who rushed around the castle after lessons, many Ravenclaws, like Aldric, preferred to read quietly. He felt right at home there.
When reading became tiring, he'd joke around with the girls nearby; if a spell confused him, he'd ask the older girls for help. Spending so much time with them, Aldric even felt like he'd picked up their feminine scent.
If his body weren't still so young, he might have already made a move, especially since at Hogwarts, girls could freely enter boys' dormitories. After long hours of study, Aldric realized that blindly cramming alone wasn't helping much.
He talked with upperclassmen and gained new insights, turns out, his self-taught spells had plenty of flaws. But when he asked why his spells always felt weak, no one could give a clear answer. They just shrugged and said maybe his magical power wasn't strong enough.
Aldric scoffed at that, they'd never seen him use his full strength. "Say my magic's not enough? What a joke."
Soon it was time for Aldric's first Charms class, taught by the head of their house, Professor Flitwick. Flitwick introduced them to a simple spell called Densaugeo Hex.
With a solid foundation, Aldric almost instantly made the little mouse on the desk grow two huge front teeth alongside the professor's demonstration. "Excellent! Ten points to Ravenclaw! I've never seen a first-year wizard with such talent!"
Flitwick nearly toppled off the lectern in excitement. "Oh, and the Gryffindor girl did well too. Five points to Gryffindor."
Hermione shot Aldric a fierce glare. Looking at the mouse's oversized teeth, just like her own, she felt like the world was against her and blinked back tears. Aldric didn't notice her reaction; he was too focused on making a good impression on Professor Flitwick.
After class ended, Aldric didn't rush out like the others. Instead, he waited patiently until Professor Flitwick had packed up his things, then approached him.
"Professor Flitwick, may I have a moment? I have some questions about spells," he asked.
"Of course! Aldric, why don't we head to my office? I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things too," Flitwick replied cheerfully.
As they walked down the corridor, Aldric noticed that even though Flitwick's legs were short, he moved briskly, and Aldric had to quicken his pace just to keep up. Once inside the cozy office, Flitwick invited Aldric to sit and poured him a cup of tea.
"Professor, I feel like my spells are much weaker than those of the older students. Why is that?" Aldric asked without hesitation.