A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Cedric pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket, filled with handwritten notes.

"Here, this is a map of Hogwarts I've put together."

The parchment was filled with information he'd gathered from his own experience and years of observation. 

For seasoned upperclassmen, it wasn't all that useful, but for lower-year students like William, it was invaluable.

After all, first-years were always either lost or on the verge of getting lost.

William looked it over carefully. "Thanks. I got lost this morning and only made it thanks to Mrs. Norris."

"Who?" Cedric raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

William quickly recounted the morning's events.

"Incredible," Cedric chuckled. "Are you sure your Boba tea isn't Mrs. Norris's long-lost kitten?"

William glanced at Boba tea, who was happily munching on a fish snack. "Not a chance. Hogwarts is too far from home, and if Mrs. Norris had kittens, you think Filch would let one go?"

"Definitely not!" Cedric agreed emphatically. Filch, though strict towards others, doted on Mrs. Norris as if she were his child.

Cedric grinned suddenly. "The twins will be so jealous when they hear about this. Last year, Mrs. Norris caught them sneaking out at least a dozen times. I think they even joked about slipping her some rat poison!"

"I bet Mrs. Norris wouldn't eat anything from a stranger," William mused, recalling the cat's demeanor.

Cedric nodded. "You're right. She only eats what Filch gives her. She's picky like that."

Suddenly, Cedric stood up, his attention caught by someone entering the hall.

Cho Chang had arrived, wearing a light blue wizard robe as she slowly made her way in. Cedric hurriedly pulled out another piece of parchment—this one more polished, with detailed sketches of Hogwarts staircases on the back. 

His cheeks flushed, and his movements were... less than dignified as he approached Cho(in William's view).

There it was again—the blissfully mundane joy of a lovesick puppy.

Watching Cedric awkwardly approach Cho, William held the parchment in his hands, deep in thought.

He had just stumbled upon a brilliant business idea!

Even a smart wizard like him got lost—what about the others? Why not create a comprehensive map of Hogwarts, one that accounted for all the shifting staircases and could instantly show the shortest path to any location?

It was like a magical version of Google Maps!

When Cedric returned, William eagerly shared his idea.

Cedric, momentarily distracted from Cho, thought about it. "That would be tough. You'd need advanced Transfiguration skills, plus help from other disciplines."

William nodded. "We can't do it alone. We'd need help. What about Fred and George?"

Cedric grinned. "They got caught by McGonagall last night and were hauled into her office for quite a scolding. After that, they received additional punishment. They're probably still in bed."

"So, who's going to tell them about this project, you or me?" William asked.

"I'll do it," Cedric replied. "Our first class is Herbology, and Hufflepuff has it with Gryffindor."

Cho sat quietly beside them, eating her breakfast in silence. She didn't contribute to the conversation—being a first-year, her knowledge of magic was minimal, and there wasn't much she could do to help.

But that would change soon. After all, she was a Ravenclaw.

…

After finishing breakfast, the three of them headed toward their classrooms.

At a fork in the corridor, William and Cho parted ways with Cedric, who gave William a sympathetic look.

Words like "greasy," "bat," "black underpants," and "Mudblood" were all on Snape's blacklist, and the Sorting Hat had somehow managed to say two of them last night.

Snape was bound to make William's life miserable today.

And to make matters worse, after last night's milk-drenching incident, Snape was undoubtedly still seething, looking for an outlet for his anger. 

Being in his first class today meant William was the most likely target.

The Potions classroom was in a dungeon-like basement, much colder than the rest of the castle.

Glass jars filled with preserved animal specimens lined the walls, giving the room the eerie air of a medical school. 

Boba tea, walking with a swagger that suggested he owned the place, hesitated at the sight of a floating Persian cat's body preserved in one of the jars.

With a startled meow, his fur stood on end, and he bolted out of the room. Clearly, no amount of coaxing from William could get him back inside.

So, leaving Boba tea in the corridor, William and Cho entered the classroom alone.

Soon after, Snape stormed in, his black cloak billowing behind him. The room's temperature seemed to drop even further as he strode to the front.

He scanned the room, his eyes narrowing when he reached William's name on the attendance list. 

Snape drew out the syllables of his name, giving William a deathly glare, as if he were plotting to dump formaldehyde down his robes.

Suddenly, the wooden door creaked open, and William's roommates, led by Bradley, shuffled in, late.

"Sorry, Professor," Marcus Belby stammered. "We got lost—"

Snape cut him off coldly, "If your intelligence is higher than that of a troll, you wouldn't get lost. I seem to have overestimated Ravenclaw students."

His words hung in the air, the only sound coming from the crackling torches lining the walls.

Bradley and the others stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"Find a seat and sit down quickly," Snape barked. "You're lowering the collective IQ of the entire class."

Amidst the murmuring, Snape turned his attention to William.

"Stark," Snape drawled, "why didn't you help your classmates find their way this morning? Their tardiness makes you look good, does it? Minus one point for Ravenclaw because of you."

William exchanged a look with Cho. Both were utterly speechless.

Snape let out a satisfied huff before addressing the class. His eyes were cold and empty.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began, his voice barely louder than a whisper, yet every word was crystal clear.

"As there will be no silly wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I do not expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…"

He paused, scanning the room with an icy gaze.

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

William suddenly realized that Snape had the perfect voice for telling ghost stories.

If he ever started a podcast called "Snape's Spooky Story Time," it would be a huge hit.

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