The Magical Snowball Duel was held a week before Christmas. The first-year students participating in the match seemed extremely excited. Apart from using magic in class, they rarely had the chance to practice it, but this couldn't suppress their eagerness to show off what they had learned to everyone!
However...
"Robert, have you forgotten? Last semester, Professor McGonagall banned you from approaching the match grounds... If you're caught, you might lose house points..." Stebbins said cautiously, "So, we really can't take you with us..."
Summers licked the cream off the corner of his mouth, glanced around, and leaned closer to the two, whispering hesitantly, "Actually, we could sneak in..."
"Huh?" Stebbins blinked.
Robert stared in shock at the giant plush toy in front of him.
It was a common white rabbit with big, sparkling eyes that blinked. If they were careful, two people could hide inside it.
"Merlin, Summers, how did you manage to bring this thing to school..." Robert was utterly impressed by his roommate's creativity. He had actually gotten his hands on a giant festival plush toy! And he had brought it into the school!
Summers, munching on a chocolate frog, grinned foolishly, "Well, I didn't know what to put in the bag you gave me, so I thought of Christmas..."
Robert looked puzzled. Shouldn't it have been a Santa Claus or a reindeer for Christmas? What was with the rabbit?
"Alright, though it feels a bit off, are we supposed to squeeze into it together?" Robert asked doubtfully.
Summers widened his eyes and said matter-of-factly, "Of course, you're the one going in!"
Robert was stunned, "Wait, if that's the case, wouldn't Professor McGonagall immediately recognize that it's me in the rabbit suit?"
Summers' eyes grew even bigger, "But you have a mask, don't you?"
"..." Robert felt a surge of frustration he couldn't express.
"Summers..." Robert patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Stay away from promising careers like robbing Gringotts, alright?"
Summers looked utterly confused.
Robert pinched his chin and reconsidered. Maybe sneaking into the match wouldn't be so bad after all. It wasn't explicitly forbidden in the rules, and... who said you had to watch the match from the stands?
"I didn't expect you to be interested in the Ravenclaw common room," Penelope said, standing in front of a door—or rather, an old wooden board with a bronze eagle-shaped knocker. The door was open, and Penelope led him in with a hint of complaint, "You came at just the right time, Robert. Today's riddle almost kept me out of my dorm."
She paused, then added, "Actually, before you arrived, I just helped a bunch of poor first-years get in."
"...No wonder your house is always stocked with bedding and pillows. Do you guys need sleeping bags? I can sell you some," Robert asked helplessly.
"Uh..." Penelope twitched her lips and replied awkwardly, "They might like that..."
The Ravenclaw common room was a large, circular room with two levels. In fact, many important rooms at Hogwarts were circular, including the Headmaster's office.
The room gave off an ethereal vibe, with elegant arched windows lining the walls. Blue and bronze silk curtains hung from the windows, and outside, mist-covered mountains were visible.
Looking up, the starry dome ceiling made one feel insignificantly small. The deep blue carpet was adorned with silver star charts.
Scattered around the room were blue and bronze chairs and tables, with bookshelves leaning against the walls. Opposite the door stood a tall white marble statue in a niche.
"That's the statue of Ravenclaw's founder—Lady Rowena Ravenclaw," Penelope explained softly.
"Hey, Penelope, who's this? Your little boyfriend?" A teasing voice rang out.
Robert turned to see an older girl wearing a deep V-neck gradient blue silk dress. Her figure was stunning, and she stood on the stairs, smiling at them.
"Darling, don't say that," Penelope winked at her and then laughed, "This is Robert. By the way, darling, aren't you going to grab a coat?"
The witch gave Penelope a flirtatious glare, "So, this is another Robert? Haha, I should introduce you to Hilliard. You two would get along."
With that, she swayed her hips and went upstairs.
Robert's eye twitched. Thankfully, he had seen enough in his past life, or he might have made a fool of himself.
Huh? Why did his nose feel itchy?
He quickly covered his nose, trying not to think about the beautiful senior.
And...
"You and her..." Robert gave Penelope a strange look, feeling like Percy's first love might be coming to an end.
Penelope laughed heartily, "That's Holly! We all call her darling!"
Robert stared at Penelope helplessly, "Senior, don't scare me like that!"
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore," Penelope smiled and pointed to the door beside the statue,
"That's the entrance to the dorm. Don't go into the girls' dorm, or you'll definitely get thrown out."
Robert shrugged, "Yeah, I get it. Girls can enter the boys' dorm, but boys can't enter the girls' dorm."
"Exactly," Penelope nodded, "As for the spot with a good view..."
She gestured with her right hand, "You can look around the bookshelves upstairs."
Robert thanked her and climbed the spiral staircase.
It was said that Ravenclaw had a library, and Robert had initially thought it was just a rumor. But when he reached the top of the stairs, he realized it was true!
Like a small library, dozens of three-meter-tall bookshelves stood on the second floor. Some Ravenclaws were sitting among the shelves, searching for materials or doing their homework.
Seeing Robert come up, wearing the yellow-and-black scarf symbolizing Hufflepuff, a few of them frowned.
"Hey, badger!" A stern-looking Ravenclaw with glasses spoke up, "This isn't a place for you."
Robert looked at him in surprise and greeted, "Good afternoon, seniors."
The Ravenclaw pursed his lips and said harshly, "Ravenclaw's library isn't open to students from other houses!"
Robert blinked, ignoring his tone, and instead looked at his blue badge with interest, asking a seemingly unrelated question, "Are you the prefect who thinks Bridget Wenlock was a Ravenclaw alumnus?"
The other's face turned pale, and he immediately pulled out his wand, snarling, "I think you need a lesson in how to speak to your seniors!"
(End of Chapter)