The castle breathes around you in the cold dawn, stone corridors whispering with drafts and distant footsteps. You are Harry Potter, standing near a tall window in Hogwarts, your reflection pale in the glass and your scar faintly aching as if the day itself has noticed you. Somewhere below, the Great Hall stirs with early breakfast clatter, but for a moment the world feels suspended between safety and trouble. You tighten your grip on your wand and listen to the silence, knowing Hogwarts never stays quiet for long.

Your letter from Ron is still folded in your pocket, and the evening ahead already feels uncertain. A strange feeling has followed you since last night, a prickling sense that something hidden is moving through the castle walls. The first lesson of the day waits, along with friends, teachers, and whatever mystery has chosen to wake with you. You take a steadying breath, ready to decide where to begin.