As the prefect wrapped up his brief but energetic welcome speech, polite applause echoed through the Ravenclaw common room.
The prefect smiled and waved his hands to quiet the first-years down. "Alright, off to bed, everyone. Don't loiter down here. Have you all got your schedules? Your room assignments are listed on the back."
Right on cue, a voice called out from the crowd.
"Charlie Wonka? Wonka! Hey, found you."
A boy with short blonde hair pushed his way through the sea of students. "Wonka, right? I'm pretty sure I remember you. You're the one with the rabbit. I'm Anthony Goldstein. Looks like we're sharing a dorm."
Behind Anthony, a dark-haired boy shuffled forward nervously. "I'm Hector Williams. Hello."
"Nice to meet you both. Are we all in the same room?" Charlie asked, shaking their hands.
"We sure are. Let's head up," Anthony said, already acting as if they had been friends for years.
Hector, who had been lingering in Anthony's wake, was clearly the introverted sort. He merely nodded in agreement and followed Anthony up the spiraling staircase.
Following the brass numbers on their schedules, Charlie took the lead and pushed their dormitory door open.
They were greeted by three tall, arched windows. Tucked neatly against the wall beneath them were three beds placed side-by-side.
"Looks like we'll be woken up by the sun every morning if we forget to draw the curtains," Anthony noted, looking pleasantly surprised by the room's airy layout.
Their trunks had already been delivered and placed at the foot of their respective beds. The pillows and mattresses were dressed in crisp, brand-new bedding, beautifully coordinated in Ravenclaw's signature brilliant blue and bronze. It looked incredibly inviting.
"You guys unpack first. I'm going to go check out the room next door." Anthony could barely sit still. After a cursory glance at his luggage, the extrovert waved at the two of them and darted back out into the corridor.
On the other side of the room, Hector quietly unpacked his belongings, carefully stacking his textbooks on his desk. Feeling a bit awkward in the sudden silence, he glanced over at Charlie.
"So, Mr. Wonka, what's your family like?"
"Just Charlie is fine," he replied, casually tossing a handful of food to Alice the rabbit. "My family? Are you asking if my parents are wizards? I honestly have no idea."
He suddenly caught himself wondering if Alice might have been happier had he been sorted into Hufflepuff, near the kitchens. Not that Ravenclaw wasn't brilliant, of course.
"You don't know? What... what do you mean?" Hector looked completely lost. Being naturally timid, his first thought was that he had somehow offended his new roommate. "Um, if you don't want to talk about it, just pretend I never asked."
"It's not that I don't want to talk about it. I'm an orphan, Hector. That's why I don't know if my parents had magic or not. It's that simple, mate."
Hector drew in a sharp breath. He sat in stunned silence for a long moment before whispering, "I'm so sorry..."
Charlie turned to look at Hector, whose face was a portrait of deep guilt.
"Don't be! It means I get to go to bed whenever I want, and absolutely nobody yells at me. It's brilliant, right?"
Hector blinked in surprise, then offered a slow, agreeable nod. "I suppose it is."
"Glad you understand. Just don't get too jealous." Charlie offered a wry smirk, instantly evaporating the heavy, depressing air that had threatened to settle over the dorm.
Right then, the door flew open, and Anthony bounded back inside. "Lads, we hit the jackpot. The room next door is a four-person dorm, and they've got bunk beds! We definitely got the better end of the deal."
Watching Anthony, Charlie was sharply reminded of those relentlessly social butterflies from his past life who could make friends with a brick wall.
"Plus, there's a bloke next door... wow. His good looks might actually rival my own."
"You mean Michael Corner?" Hector asked tentatively.
"You noticed him too? But of course, he still falls a bit short of our dorm's collective charm," Anthony declared smoothly.
Hearing that name jogged Charlie's memory. Michael Corner. The future romantic rival of Harry Potter and Ravenclaw's resident ladies' man. Not that it had anything to do with him right now.
The three boys spent the next half hour unpacking and chatting. Soon enough, exhaustion thoroughly eclipsed their excitement. They climbed into their beds and quickly drifted off.
Charlie lay on his back, staring at the moonlight filtering through the window. Suddenly, a soft, fuzzy lump wiggled its way right up to his pillow. It was Alice.
He didn't say a word, merely watching as the rabbit nestled against his head and closed her eyes. Smiling faintly, Charlie shut his own eyes and surrendered to sleep.
Charlie was the first to wake the next morning. He headed to the en-suite washroom to freshen up. Coming back out, he cheekily dried his slightly damp hands on Alice's incredibly soft fur before turning to the mirror to fix his hair.
His morning routine complete, he looked down at his pet. "You just stay here and play in the dorm today."
Alice immediately sprang into the air and delivered a fierce, thumping kick straight to Charlie's kneecap.
Squeak!
Rabbits usually don't make noise. That is, unless they are absolutely furious.
"Mate, you aren't a pocket mouse. I really can't carry you around with me everywhere," Charlie sighed in exasperation.
Squeak!
Alice leaped up and kicked him a second time. Then, doing a mid-air somersault, she seamlessly transformed into a stylish hat and floated gently to the floor.
"I'm not going to wear a hat all day either. Be a good girl." He scooped her up coaxingly and placed her gently on his bed.
With another dizzying spin, Alice returned to her rabbit form. She hopped over to the window, her long ears drooping pathetically all the way to her paws. She looked utterly heartbroken.
"See, an owl is just better. They don't throw tantrums," Anthony whispered, leaning in close to Charlie.
"Shh. If she hears you, she'll sneak onto your face tonight and poop chocolate beans into your open mouth," Charlie warned with a deadpan expression.
Anthony violently shuddered at the thought. He shot a nervous glance at Alice, only to find the rabbit had already turned her head and was glaring unblinkingly right at him.
Anthony swallowed hard. "Actually, rabbits are great. Rabbits are adorable. Owls? Never liked 'em."
"Alright, enough messing around. Let's go," Charlie laughed. "Our first class is Charms. I've heard the stairs and corridors in this place are a total nightmare, so we'd better get moving."
Navigating Hogwarts wasn't quite as difficult as Charlie had imagined. At the very least, as long as you weren't too proud to ask the portraits for directions, it was manageable.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the Great Hall right in the middle of the breakfast rush.
Countless owls swooped in through the high windows. Some carried the morning paper, others letters or bulky parcels. Tiny feathers and bits of fluff drifted down from the canopy of wings. However, the moment any feather fell within two meters of the dining tables, an invisible, gentle magical breeze swept it harmlessly away toward the edges of the hall.
"I was just sitting here worrying a feather was going to land in my porridge," Hector admitted, moving a textbook safely away from his bowl.
"Honestly, I was thinking the exact same thing," Charlie nodded, thoroughly impressed by the school's hygiene charms.
After finishing their breakfast, the trio gathered their bags and headed toward the Charms classroom.
"Professor Flitwick is our Head of House. Do you think he'll go easy on us?" Hector asked, a hopeful gleam in his eye.
Anthony shook his head definitively. "Not a chance. I asked around last night. The professors here don't play favorites. Well, except for the Slytherin Head of House. The guy who teaches... teaches..."
"Potions," Charlie supplied.
"Right! Except for the Potions master."
Charlie shot Anthony a look of genuine admiration. The guy was an absolute gossip machine. He had managed to gather all this intel in a single evening. While this information wasn't exactly a secret to Charlie, it meant that whenever real drama unfolded, Anthony would be his premium source for firsthand scoops.
"Mate, if you ever hear any juicy gossip, you have to promise to share it with me," Charlie said, clapping a hand on Anthony's shoulder.
"Huh?" Anthony blinked, looking utterly bewildered by the sudden compliment.