"I don't think so."
Theo replied lightly, stepping into the Great Hall with a quick stride.
"You don't think so?" Adam turned to Rock, hoping for some support.
"You should probably rethink that. Honestly, I feel like living people can be scarier than ghosts sometimes."
Rock patted Adam on the shoulder and followed Theo inside.
"How can people be scarier than ghosts…?"
Adam muttered under his breath as he rushed to keep up.
"What's going on?"
The moment Rock walked in, he noticed the lively atmosphere—especially around the Gryffindor table.
"Tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the year."
Theo pointed toward the Gryffindors. "Upper-class students say their captain, Oliver Wood, keeps saying Harry Potter's got real talent."
Rock nodded, not particularly invested.
Quidditch, to him, wasn't exactly thrilling.
"Wanna go watch?"
Adam was genuinely curious. He'd seen soccer and tennis… but never broomstick sports.
"Oh, we're definitely going!" Theo slung an arm around Rock. "Buddy, don't even think of saying no. You need a break."
Rock wasn't planning to refuse anyway.
"Sure. A little downtime sounds good."
Honestly, Rock was more interested in watching Snape's reaction when Harry nearly fell off his broom.
Yeah… it was a bit dark, but whatever.
Since Dumbledore had already pulled him into this whole situation, he might as well show the right attitude. At least the Quidditch stands made for great observation spots.
Right as he finished speaking, someone tapped his shoulder.
"Hey there, little first-year."
The Weasley twins' voices chimed in perfect sync as they leaned down toward him.
"Hi, Fred. Hi, George."
Rock greeted them from left to right.
"I'm not Fred—I'm George."
"I'm not George—I'm Fred."
They said it simultaneously.
"Got it. Fred. George."
Rock repeated, still going left to right.
"Merlin's beard!"
Fred stared at George in disbelief. They were just about to switch places to confuse him when—
Rock raised a hand. "No need, you two."
The twins blinked in surprise. "Why not? Even our mom gets fooled!"
"Fred, you usually stand on the left, and you're more outgoing. You're almost always the first one to speak."
Rock explained casually.
"And honestly? I'm pretty sure Mrs. Weasley can tell you apart. She's probably just playing along for fun."
A mom not recognizing her own twins? Not a chance.
Especially not someone as gentle as Mrs. Weasley… well, most of the time.
The twins were stunned for a second. Rock used the moment to introduce his friends.
"These are Gryffindor third-years. Theo, you can learn a lot from these two."
Theo's eyes immediately lit up.
If Rock said they were fun, then these two definitely knew how to play.
"Guys, these are my friends—Theo and Adam."
The twins greeted them enthusiastically, then flanked the trio in a perfect pincer formation.
Fred leaned in, lowering his voice.
"Rock, judging by how you carry yourself, you're a connoisseur of the fine art of calculated risk."
George jumped in right on cue. "Which is perfect! Tomorrow's the showdown of the century—Gryffindor vs. Slytherin!"
"And it's also our savior Harry Potter's first game as Seeker. The odds are looking reaaal nice~"
Rock smiled.
So the Weasley twins had started running betting pools this early. No wonder they were pros by the Triwizard Tournament.
Seeing no reaction, Fred blinked.
"So? Wanna take a shot? Maybe bet Harry catches the Snitch within five minutes? Ten-to-one odds! Of course, we recommend 'Gryffindor wins'—we've got insider info—"
"Sure. I'll take Harry catching it within five minutes."
Rock nodded and pulled out a pouch, dropping two gold Galleons onto George's notepad.
George froze mid-scribble. Fred recovered first.
"Only two Galleons to test the water? I think—"
Rock waved him off and subtly pointed toward Slytherin's table.
"Two is plenty. It's ten-to-one, after all. But here's a suggestion: Malfoy over there would definitely be willing to throw in a lot more."
"At least enough to cover your losses. Right, guys?"
Fred let out a whistle. "Wow, I love your confidence in Harry. Done deal!"
George scribbled down Rock's name and wager, then held the notebook up dramatically.
"All set, Mr. Scamander. Please confirm."
Rock glanced, then pushed it back. The twins tucked the book away and grinned.
"Thanks for your business! Come again!"
And off they strutted—straight toward the Slytherins.
"You got some insider info?" Theo asked.
"Yeah! If you do, I'll go grab more Galleons from the dorm!" Adam nodded eagerly.
Money was money—who complains about having more?
Rock rolled his eyes.
"Don't. If you bring your stash, the Weasley family might actually have to pawn heirlooms to pay you back."
Adam didn't have a handful of Galleons in his dorm—he had hundreds.
Why he brought that much money to school… who knew.
If Adam bet, the twins definitely wouldn't dare take it.
"Relax. I'm not sure who'll win, but I know for a fact Malfoy's going to lose."
Rock chuckled, raising his pumpkin juice.
"Cheers!"
Theo and Adam grinned and clinked glasses with him.
When it came to Malfoy, the three of them were perfectly aligned:
If he messes with us, we hit him. If we catch him, we drain him dry.
"Vera Verto!"
In Transfiguration class, Rock flicked his wand again. He'd lost count of how many times he'd said the spell, but finally—
The beetle on his desk transformed into a beautifully patterned button.