Rock headed up to the owlery on the top floor of the West Tower to send out a few letters.
Then he came back down the stairs, glanced up at the sky, and noticed how dark it still looked from this angle.
He slipped off the outermost layer of his wizard robe, set it on the stone steps, and began his warm-up routine.
Training in wizard robes wasn't ideal, but it couldn't be helped.
He was still new to Hogwarts and didn't know all the paths well yet. Once he got fully familiar with everything, he'd save a lot of time not having to stop and figure out where he was going.
Warm-ups done, Rock started jogging around the outer edges of the castle.
As he passed a certain spot, he noticed a small hut with lights on.
Hagrid's cabin?
He shook his head, brushing the thought aside. At this hour Hagrid was probably still asleep.
Besides, no rule said you couldn't sleep with the lights on.
As he got into rhythm, Rock's pace quickened.
In front of him, a translucent panel popped up and flashed rapidly:
[Completed 10-minute run. Physique Endurance +20 XP]
[Completed 30-minute run. Physique Endurance +75 XP]
[Physique Endurance Lv.1 (155/299)]
It was his first real morning run—honestly, his first time running this long at all—so it seemed the system was rewarding him with endurance experience. Rock wasn't sure how long-distance running connected to "physique endurance," but he assumed it fit under physical fitness.
When he passed Hagrid's hut again, he saw two figures stepping out, and he immediately paused.
What the…?
Who would be here at this hour?
Rock tightened his grip on his wand.
Sure, this was Hogwarts, and the strongest white wizard in the world was right here—but Rock wasn't the type to gamble his life on someone else's protection.
"Oh! George, guess what I'm seeing?"
Fred's excited voice carried through the air like he'd spotted something amazing.
Hearing the familiar voice, Rock relaxed. It was the Weasley twins—Fred and George.
But… they definitely didn't look like they'd been doing anything good.
Mud spattered on the hems of their robes, hair sticking up like they'd been electrocuted—everything about them screamed "spent the night in the Forbidden Forest."
Or… maybe they'd been punished with a night patrol around the forest with Hagrid?
Rock's mouth twitched. If he guessed right, Fred and George must've snuck into the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor again and gotten caught—either by Filch or Professor McGonagall.
"Morning, early bird from Ravenclaw!"
Fred trotted up cheerfully, though his voice was rough enough to betray exhaustion.
George yawned beside him. "Wow, a Ravenclaw who does more than just study. You even work out. Impressive."
Rock rolled his eyes and wiped sweat off his forehead.
"So you two got punished with a Forbidden Forest patrol this early in the semester?"
"I wonder if the Gryffindor hourglass even supports negative points."
Fred and George froze, shared a look, and tried to recover.
"Oh, no, no, dear first-year, we're model students who always follow the rules!"
Fred slung an arm over Rock's shoulder with exaggerated seriousness.
George leaned in. "At most, we helped Hagrid with a little outer-forest patrol."
"Right. And we only accidentally walked past that forbidden corridor on the fourth floor… and very unluckily ended up in a midnight sprint with a certain caretaker."
Rock just stared at them, silently telling them to continue their nonsense.
"Uh… pure accident," George muttered.
The twins exchanged a look. Normally they wouldn't back down from a first-year's stare—
But something about Rock's expression felt familiar.
Right—Professor McGonagall.
She always looked at them exactly like this whenever they'd pulled off a prank.
Rock chuckled. "So, did that cat at least leave you two a souvenir?"
Hmm?
Fred and George perked up at Rock's sudden shift in tone.
This Ravenclaw kid wasn't like the others, huh?
"Please, we're professionals. A couple stink bombs and dung pellets are enough to handle that cat and its master."
Fred puffed up proudly.
"Totally. If Peeves hadn't called the Head of House, we'd still be asleep in our beds right now."
George nodded with a dramatic sigh.
Wow.
Hogwarts at night really sounded lively.
Rock briefly wondered if he should try a midnight exploration sometime.
Hmm… better not. Not until he mastered the Disillusionment Charm. Getting caught now would just be annoying.
And Ravenclaw students doing this kind of thing… yeah, he'd definitely be labeled an oddball. Not that he cared—but still.
George nudged Fred.
Fred raised a brow—don't rush.
Corrupting a Ravenclaw first-year? That sounded thrilling.
Before they could continue scheming, the slow, grumbling shuffle of footsteps echoed from the direction of the castle doors.
"Oh, looks like our race partner is awake and ready for round two."
Fred winked at Rock. "We should get going, good student. If you get mixed up with 'troublemakers' like us—"
"You'll regret it~"
George finished smoothly. They pushed Rock toward a corner out of sight.
"Have a great day at class~ If we're not in detention until graduation, maybe we'll see you later~"
Suppressing their laughter, they sprinted straight toward Filch's direction.
Rock watched their figures disappear around the corner, half amused, half exasperated.
He'd run into Filch earlier on his way out of the castle, but thanks to some snacks he'd brought along, Mrs. Norris had given him a surprisingly affectionate greeting.
Cats really did love those treats.
Maybe he should chat with the Weasley twins sometime.
After all, they had the Marauder's Map—the perfect tool for a nighttime tour of Hogwarts.