The alarm clock chimed softly at five in the morning, pulling James from sleep. He rubbed his eyes, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar room, before memory caught up with him.
This was Hogwarts. Ravenclaw Tower. His own private room.
He stretched, working the stiffness from muscles not yet accustomed to the bed, then climbed down the ladder. His toiletries bag sat on the desk where he'd left it last night. He grabbed it and made his way to the bathroom.
The corridor was silent, lit by enchanted torches that never went out. The bathroom was empty, which was hardly surprising at this hour.
James used the facilities, washed his face with cold water that shocked him fully awake, and brushed his teeth. The mirror over the sink whispered sleepy compliments about his dedication to hygiene at such an early hour.
Back in his room, he pulled on his Hogwarts uniform: white shirt, grey trousers, his new Ravenclaw tie in blue and bronze, and the black robes with the house crest. He used a small hand mirror from his trunk to comb his hair into something presentable.
By the time he finished dressing, it was nearly five-thirty. Far too early to head to breakfast, but he wasn't tired anymore. The castle was his to explore while most students still slept.
But first, precautions.
James drew his wand from its holster and pointed it at himself. "Silencio."
The silencing charm settled over him. Now, no matter how he walked, his footsteps would make no sound.
Next came the trickier part. He'd spent months perfecting this combination, experimenting with his father's help to understand how the charms interacted. The order mattered, which had taken him some time to discover.
He whispered the Notice-Me-Not charm first.
There was no physical sensation with applying this spell to himself. People's eyes would simply slide past him, their attention finding more interesting things to focus on. Not true invisibility, but close enough for most purposes.
Then, immediately after, the Disillusionment Charm.
This one he felt. Like a cold egg breaking over his head, the sensation of cool liquid running down his body from crown to feet. He looked down and watched his body fade, blending perfectly with his surroundings.
The crucial discovery had been that the Notice-Me-Not charm had to come first. If he cast the Disillusionment Charm first, the Notice-Me-Not spell would simply slip off, failing to take hold. But cast in the proper order, they worked together beautifully. None of the DADA books actually mentioned it, but it must be something that people just know in the field. Although he can admit the DADA wasn't a subject he committed most of his time or attention to, especially when compared to Charms or Transfiguration.
His mother had made him promise never to use these spells in Muggle London after she'd walked right into him one morning, convinced he'd somehow get hit by a car if drivers couldn't see him. His father had been fascinated, turning it into a game of hide-and-seek that tested the limits of the charms.
They'd discovered his father could sometimes spot his disillusioned form if he concentrated hard enough, catching the telltale ripple in the air. But with the Notice-Me-Not charm active, his eyes would slide away before he could focus. The addition of the silencing charm made James nearly undetectable, though they'd had one memorable incident where James sneezed and gave himself away completely.
Now, properly concealed, James closed his room door and cast a simple locking charm.
He made his way down the stairs to the common room, moving carefully despite the silence of his footsteps. The stairs were old stone, and he had no desire to trip and break the spells.
The common room was empty, as expected at this hour. The skylight showed the still dark sky, with the stars still bright against the darkness. Torches and floating candles provided warm light, casting dancing shadows across the circular space.
James stood for a moment, simply taking it in. Without the crowd of students, he could truly appreciate the room's beauty. The tall windows, the regal yet comfortable furniture arranged for both study and conversation, the instruments waiting to be played.
And the books. So many books.
He drifted toward the nearest bookshelf, examining titles. These weren't textbooks or light reading. These were serious magical texts, heavy on theory and covering obscure, esoteric subjects. Advanced Arithmantic Sequences. The Metaphysics of Transfiguration. Cosmological Magic and Stellar Influences. Pre-Roman Druidic Practices.
One entire shelf was dedicated to works by Rowena Ravenclaw herself. James pulled one out carefully, flipping through pages written in elegant script. The book was old, possibly an original copy, and he handled it with appropriate reverence.
Another section held practical spells, and James's attention sharpened. Furniture Charms and Modifications. Creating Your Ideal Study Space. Transfiguration: An Art. Ah, these must be for helping students modify their rooms. He'd need to come back and study these later.
The specialized spells interested him little. Beginner books contained dozens of specific spells, each one carefully crafted for a single task. Match to needle. Button to beetle. Each transfiguration required memorizing a new incantation, a new wand movement.
But as wizards advanced, the number of spells they needed actually decreased. Once you understood the fundamental principles, once you had experience and knowledge of the magical theory, you could use general spells to achieve the same results. A master of transfiguration didn't need to memorise dozens of specific incantations. They understood transfiguration itself, and their will and power could shape the magic to their needs.
His consumption of so much advanced theory has helped him to come to this point at least. He understands the theory well enough that he can transfigure anything with a single general spell. It was efficient and deeply satisfying to put into practice.
James continued browsing. Books on rare magical plants and animals. Travel guides to magical locations around the world. Wizarding literature, from epic poems about ancient battles to contemporary novels about life in magical Britain. Adventure books recounting real expeditions to dangerous places. Historical texts on witch hunts and the founding of magical governments.
He was sorely tempted to settle into one of the comfortable chairs and start reading. But he'd have time for that later. Right now, with the common room empty and his concealment active, he had a unique opportunity to explore.
James turned his attention to the walls themselves. The golden runes etched into the stone had caught his eye last night, but now he could examine them properly. They moved, shifting and rearranging themselves in patterns that seemed almost meaningful. He recognized some of them from his study of ancient runes, but they were modified, combined with other symbols and designs that made them unreadable.
It looked like a code. Or a puzzle.
James pulled out a small notebook from his robes and began sketching the runes he could identify, noting how they moved and connected. His eidetic memory would preserve every detail, but sometimes the act of drawing helped him think. The patterns seemed to follow some kind of logic, but he couldn't quite grasp it yet.
He made his way around the entire common room, documenting rune patterns, examining the instruments with fascination, and investigating every corner and alcove. Most of the portraits on the walls were sleeping, but a few remained awake. James made careful notes of their positions and sight lines, ensuring he didn't move objects within their field of vision.
The marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stood against the far wall, looking over the common room. James studied it from a distance at first, admiring the craftsmanship. Then something odd caught his attention.
The eyes followed him.
The statue's eyes actually moved, white marble pupils shifting to watch him despite his concealment charms. Wherever he went, the statues gaze followed.
It was both fascinating and deeply unsettling.
James approached slowly, his wand ready. When he was close enough, he cast a detection spell. "Homenum Revelio."
The spell hit the statue and simply... stopped. No reaction. No hidden magic revealed. The spell identified nothing unusual, suggesting it was just an ordinary statue.
But ordinary statues didn't track invisible students with their eyes.
James made a note to research this later. Everything in Ravenclaw Tower seemed designed to encourage curiosity and investigation. Perhaps this was another puzzle for students to solve.
Lost in his exploration and note-taking, James didn't notice time passing. The sky through the windows gradually lightened, stars fading as dawn approached. The portraits began to wake, stretching and yawning. And students started emerging from their dormitories.
A group of older students settled near the fireplace, talking quietly about their summer holidays. A few seventh or sixth years claimed a study table, already pulling out books and parchment. More students trickled down, filling the common room with soft conversation.
James realized he needed to end his concealment. He made his way casually toward the staircase area, checking to ensure no one was watching, then ducked into a shadowed alcove near the entrance to the boys' dormitories.
First, he removed the Disillusionment Charm. "Finite Incantatem."
The cold sensation was felt again as the charms were lifted, and he watched his body fade back into visibility.