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After bidding farewell to Professor McGonagall, Ryan, Harry, and Ron walked down the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower. A few minutes later, they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Oh, you're here so early? That's unusual," the Fat Lady commented, raising an eyebrow at the three of them.
"Honey-eater, honey-eater," Ryan muttered. After spinning in the fireplace and bouncing around in the carriage, he felt a bit dizzy and really didn't feel like talking. It seemed Harry and Ron felt the same way.
The portrait swung open, and the three of them climbed through the hole, collapsing onto the nearest sofa.
After a moment, Ryan exhaled deeply and noticed a plate on the coffee table before them. It held Yorkshire pudding, roast beef, roast potatoes, and pea shoots, all topped with rich brown gravy. Nearby, a pot of pumpkin juice and three cups awaited them.
"If you don't get punished, Hogwarts meals are quite generous," Ryan remarked, pouring gravy over the pudding and pairing it with the roast beef. They were all starving after the hectic morning.
Once they finished eating, the dishes vanished, just like in the Great Hall. The house elves at Hogwarts were truly exceptional, serving wizards without ever being seen.
After resting for a while, Ryan asked, "Why couldn't we get through that wall? Was it broken?"
Harry thought for a moment before answering, "Maybe. The Hogwarts Express has been running for over a century. Considering how often the subway gates break, it's not surprising if the platform entrance malfunctions once in a while."
Ron shook his head. "No, things in the wizarding world don't break that easily, especially something as important as that barrier. It gets checked every year." He looked at Ryan, his expression grateful. "Thanks for helping us out. If you hadn't been there, I might've tried taking Dad's car. Mum would've killed me for that. Not to mention, we'd probably still be sitting in that cramped car, roasting under the sun."
Ryan waved off the thanks. "Don't mention it. I just try to look out for people sometimes. I'm exhausted, though. I think I'll take a nap."
He trudged up the stairs and flopped onto his bed, falling asleep almost instantly. When he woke up around three in the afternoon, he showered, changed into fresh robes, and headed downstairs. He found Harry and Ron playing Exploding Snap. Just as he approached, one of Harry's cards exploded, nearly singeing his eyebrows.
Seeing Ryan, Harry suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Ryan! Thanks for the letter and postcard over the holidays."
Ryan joined the game, his steady hands—thanks to the Assassin's inheritance—allowing him to build impressively high card castles. Unfortunately, his skills in wizard chess were lacking, and Ron defeated him easily.
When they started feeling tired, it was time for dinner. They hurried down to the Great Hall for the start-of-term feast.
The hall was not yet full, so they waited near the entrance. Soon, the corridors echoed with chattering voices as students filled the hall. Ryan followed the crowd to the Gryffindor table. Like last year, the enchanted ceiling was dotted with floating candles, and the hall was filled with pointed black hats. The only difference was that this year, Ryan wasn't a nervous first-year waiting to be sorted.
Just as he sat down, Hermione rushed over, a worried look on her face. "Where were you? I didn't see you or Harry on the train. I thought something terrible had happened!"
Ryan quickly explained, "We were late because my dad had a minor car accident. Then, for some reason, the barrier at the platform malfunctioned, trapping us outside. We had to go to the Leaky Cauldron to send for help. Professor McGonagall used the Floo Network to bring us to school."
Hermione looked relieved. "I was so worried! I kept asking around, but no one knew where you were."
Ryan was about to respond, but Dumbledore stood up to speak, and the hall fell silent.
The Headmaster announced the start of the Sorting Ceremony. The doors to the hall opened, and the new first-years shuffled in, looking as nervous as ever. Ryan couldn't help but chuckle, remembering his own sorting last year. It seemed to be a Hogwarts tradition to keep the specifics of the ceremony a secret, adding to the first-years' anxiety.
Watching the sorting, Ryan thought about the graduates who had left last year. It dawned on him just how influential Hogwarts was in shaping the British wizarding world. Almost all Ministry of Magic employees were Hogwarts alumni. Since Dumbledore had been Headmaster since 1956, nearly every Ministry worker was his former student.
His thoughts were interrupted by the Sorting Hat's song. Despite a year of anticipation, the hat's singing was still as off-key as ever.
The ceremony continued, and Ginny Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, joining her brothers. Ryan also noticed Colin Creevey, who was already buzzing with excitement about Harry. Ryan couldn't help but imagine Colin and Ginny forming a Harry Potter fan club—they'd have plenty to talk about.
After Dumbledore's brief welcome speech, the feast began. The hall filled with laughter and the clatter of cutlery as plates piled high with delicious food appeared on the tables.
When the last dessert vanished, Dumbledore announced it was time to head back to their dormitories. As they made their way out, Hermione finally got a chance to speak with Ryan again. "I'm glad you didn't listen to Ron's crazy ideas. If you had taken that car, you'd probably have lost Gryffindor a lot of points, maybe even gotten expelled!"
Back in the Gryffindor common room, the story of their unusual journey to school quickly spread. Ron seemed to enjoy the attention, eagerly recounting every detail to anyone who would listen. Ryan just shrugged, amused by his friend's enthusiasm.
After saying goodnight to Hermione, he went up to his dormitory. Finding it empty, he practiced some spells in the quiet room before heading to the bathroom to wash up. Finally, he crawled into bed, reflecting on the eventful first day of the new school year.
Just before sleep claimed him, Ryan realized that despite all the chaos, it was good to be back at Hogwarts. Tomorrow would bring new challenges and adventures, but for now, he was glad to be home.
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