History of Magic was a joint class for Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Rowan had barely stepped into the classroom when he spotted Luna Lovegood, her radish-shaped earrings gently swaying as she walked.
Despite being in Ravenclaw, Luna sat alone.
Her mannerisms, her voice, the way she spoke as if the world followed a different rhythm. Even her own housemates kept their distance, including her dormmates.
Rowan wasn't much better off.
After his words in the Great Hall that morning, no one was eager to sit beside him either. Until it was clear whether he was truly exceptional or just loud, most students preferred not to be associated with him. As for his three roommates, the bruises on their faces hadn't faded yet. They were certainly not coming anywhere near him.
Luna glanced at Rowan, hesitated only briefly, then stood and moved to the seat beside him.
"Other people's opinions don't really matter," she said calmly, tucking her wand behind her ear. "We should just be ourselves."
Rowan smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
He didn't need comfort, but the gesture mattered.
Luna was younger than Harry and the others, yet in many ways she was more grounded than most adults. She held firm beliefs, never doubted herself, and treated mockery as background noise. Rowan knew, with quiet certainty, that at her age, he could never have been like her.
The bell rang.
Professor Binns drifted through the blackboard wall and floated to the lectern.
Hogwarts' only ghost professor had been teaching History of Magic even in life. Legend had it that one morning he stood up to teach, left his body behind in an armchair by the staffroom fire, and simply carried on.
"In the Middle Ages," Binns began in his breathless, dragging monotone, "non-magical folk feared magic deeply, yet understood it poorly. On rare occasions, they captured genuine witches or wizards. Burning them, however, proved ineffective. A simple Flame-Freezing Charm allowed the victim to scream convincingly while experiencing a pleasant tingling sensation. Wendelin the Weird enjoyed this so much that she allowed herself to be captured forty-seven times…"
No greeting. No introduction. Just the voice, steady and hypnotic.
Within minutes, several students were fighting sleep.
Half an hour later, Binns paused.
"Can anyone tell me," he asked mechanically, "how many times Wendelin the Weird was captured by Muggles?"
He didn't expect an answer. He never did.
"Forty-seven times, Professor."
Rowan stood.
Binns blinked. "Correct."
And immediately turned back to the lecture.
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
No points.
Of course.
Binns wasn't stingy. He simply forgot. After becoming a ghost, history was all he remembered clearly. Everything else slipped away.
Answering questions wasn't enough.
"Professor," Rowan said, "if witches and wizards could defend themselves with magic, why were so many persecuted in the first place?"
"Because magical knowledge was passed only within families," Binns replied. "Many witches and wizards knew very few spells."
"So the founding of Hogwarts," Rowan continued, "was meant to teach magic systematically, so future generations could protect themselves?"
"Yes," Binns said slowly. "That was one of the reasons. You seem… familiar with the subject."
"I've memorized A History of Magic, Hogwarts: A History, Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century, Modern Magical History, Medieval Magical Conflicts, and over forty related volumes."
Silence.
"You're certain you memorized them?" Binns asked, visibly startled.
Around the room, heads lifted. Even the drowsy students were suddenly alert.
"Then I shall test you."
What followed was a barrage of questions. Dates. Locations. Causes. Consequences.
Rowan answered every single one without hesitation.
"Rowan Mercer," Binns said at last, his rigid expression softening into something like pride. "It has been many years since I've seen a student this devoted to magical history. Your understanding surpasses that of many fifth- and sixth-years."
For a ghost bound by his obsession with teaching, there was no higher praise.
"I believe History of Magic is essential," Rowan said clearly. "It lets us learn from the successes and failures of those before us. It improves spellcraft, guides reform, and teaches us how witches should treat one another, and the non-magical world. If studied properly, history doesn't just explain the past. It illuminates the future."
The classroom was stunned.
They didn't fully grasp his words, but they understood one thing.
Professor Binns was trembling.
"Well said. Well said indeed," Binns exclaimed. "A reward is in order. I can award house points. I had forgotten… Rowan Mercer, I award Slytherin fifty points!"
The room erupted.
"Merlin's beard, Binns gave points!"
"Fifty points? On the first day?"
"So he wasn't bluffing this morning…"
Rowan sat back down as the noise swelled around him.
Slytherin's reputation had just shifted.
And this was only the beginning.