Exploration, Introductions & Breakfest!

Early in the morning.

Altair woke up to a still-dark dorm room. His mind was pretty groggy, probably since he usually didn't wake up this early. The fact that most of the castle was probably still asleep made him roll his eyes.

Weak plebians, sleep is for the weak. HAHAHA! Cough–Cough!

Rolling over in his bed, he glanced at his two roommates, still wrapped in their blankets, peacefully sleeping. Deciding not to disturb them, he whispered, "Tempus," and a glowing set of numbers appeared in front of him.

[06:30]

Much earlier than I thought…

Sighing, Altair sat up in bed and spotted a class schedule neatly placed on the desk beside him. Curious, he walked over and scanned it.

Today, they had Charms first, followed by Herbology, and then Transfiguration. A free period before lunch seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore the castle and familiarize himself with the place.

Maybe I can start exploring now?

Deciding not to stay in bed, he figured he might as well start 'Altair's epic adventure through an ancient castle that is probably sentient' now.

Smirking to himself, he quickly slipped on his robes and quietly exited the dorm, leaving his sleeping roommates behind.

The castle was silent as he wandered through the corridors. The early hour gave everything a peaceful, almost eerie feel. Even the portraits seemed to be asleep.

Do paintings sleep?

He shrugged. It didn't make any sense, But magic is le magico so he didn't thonk much of. He'd learn why eventually.

Wandering through a dimly lit hallway, he suddenly heard a burst of laughter coming from a side corridor. Curious, he turned the corner and spotted Fred and George Weasley, who immediately grinned when they saw him.

"Up early, aren't you?" they said in perfect unison, their shit eating grins widening.

"Yeah, mate," George added. "Not even breakfast yet and already exploring?"

"The new firstie must be very adventurous. Too bad you didn't come to Gryffindor!" Fred chimed in with a teasing tone.

Altair raised an eyebrow. "I figured it'd be a good idea to explore so I don't get lost later." He paused, glancing curiously at the twins. "What about you two? Why are you guys up so early?"

The twins exchanged a mischievous glance before shrugging in unison again.

"Oh, you know," Fred began. "We placed a few things."

"In Filch's office," George continued.

"That might stink."

"Really bad." They both burst into laughter, and despite himself, Altair couldn't help but join in. These two were exactly as amusing as he had imagined.

"You wouldn't mind giving a tour to a confused first-year, would you?" Altair smirked.

Fred and George shared another glance before shrugging again. "Sure, we'll show you around!" Fred said with a grin.

"Let's see what kind of trouble we can find along the way," George added with a mischievous chuckle.

…

A few minutes later.

"Why do you even have ao many?!" Altair groaned, his face turning green as the foul stench hit him. "I can feel myself getting closer to death just smelling that sbit, oh wait IT IS SHIT!"

Fred and George erupted into laughter, thoroughly amused by his reaction.

"Oh, come on, mate!" Fred said, still chuckling. "It's just a little stink."

"A rite of passage for every firstie!" George added with a wink.

Altair shook his head.

'Only a little stink my ass, those dungbombs smell worse than rotten damn eggs!'

Grumbling while holding his breath, the trio continued exploring.

As much as the Weasleys loved pranks, they were pretty good tour guides. they showed a few of their secret and hidden passages which were mostly shortcuts. But it was extremely useful for speedrunning, though he'd rather not %any yet.

Chuckling to himself they approached the Great Hall once more, Altair bid the twins farewell as they went off to carry out more of their so called 'welcome' (chaos).

The Hall was still mostly empty, with only a few early risers—Ravenclaws and Slytherins, mostly—quietly eating their breakfast.

Looking toward the professors' table, Altair noticed Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and a woman he hadn't seen before.

He hadn't introduced himself to many of the professors yet, so he figured now was as good a time as any.

So, Why the hell not? Altair thought as he made his way up to the staff table. He approached with a polite smile, feeling a bit excited.

After all, most peofessors, except DADA where atop their fields.

They were basically a treasure trove of knowledge in said subject you could access during your stay at hogwarts, so he'd milk them as much as Triple A Producers milk a dead game!!

"Good morning, Professors," he greeted, giving a respectful nod to the trio at the table.

Professor McGonagall was the first to look up from her breakfast. She gave him a warm, though somewhat surprised, smile. "Ah, Mr. Salvatore. Early, aren't we?" she said with a hint of approval in her tone.

Altair shrugged lightly. "Couldn't sleep. Figured I'd get a head start on things and explore the castle a bit."

"That's a good idea," McGonagall responded with small smile. "Hogwarts is big afterall., and some students end up lost sometimes.."

"Don't you mean you're lions? My eagles are always on time." Professor Flitwick chimed in, looking up from his own plate. The diminutive Charms professor smiled kindly at Altair. "I hope your exploration hasn't led you into too much trouble already?"

"Not yet, Professor Flitwick, Though I did have the pleasure of meeting the Weasley twins earlier," Altair said with a grin.

Flitwick chuckled, his small frame shaking. "Ah, yes, those two... They certainly keep it lively."

Lively my ass!! They are hazard zones!

Altair's attention turned to the third professor at the table, a woman with short-cropped brown hair and sharp, intelligent eyes. She had a serious but not unkind demeanor and looked younger than most of the staff. Altair realized he hadn't seen her before.

"Good morning, Professor. I don't believe we've met. Altair Salvatore." he said with a sheepish smile as he extended his hand.

The woman smiled slightly, shaking his hand. "Professor Bathsheda Babbling," she introduced herself. "I teach Ancient Runes."

Ancient Runes, Altair thought.

It was a subject that was introduced as the basis for most magic, which was summarised in magical theory.

He hadn't really bought a book about the subject itself, but just from the short summary in the book, he was quite intrigued.

"Ancient Runes? I haven't read any books on the subject yet, but it was briefly summarized in Magical Theory. It seemed very interesting."

He was genuinely curious, most games, had eunes as some kind of building some for spells, some for traps and way more shit he couldn't count from media.

Professor Babbling smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting? Well, I'd hope so. Ancient Runes are a foundational part of magic—once you begin to understand them, you'll see how integral they are to how everything works."

"Foundational, huh?" Altair said, rubbing his chin as he pondered the subject. "I'm just curious since I haven't read anything on the subject but, could runes be used to imbue objects with magical qualities? Or utilize some kind of rune to cast spells such as the levitation charm by writing the rune down in some kind of circle or formation..?"

Professor Babbling tilted her head slightly, intrigued by the direction Altair's thoughts were taking. "That's… an unusual way to think about it, but not entirely incorrect. Imbuing objects with magical qualities using runes is certainly possible as runes are an integral part for alchemy and warding, but casting spells…" she paused for a moment.

Altair continued.

He was somewhat excited that his speculations weren't denied,

"Then… if imbuing something with magical qualities wouldn't it then to somehow recreate a spell through it?

something like teleportation circles? I know apparation is taught in later years but wouldn't it function the same as a teleportion rune then? Of course, it's all just superficial speculation, but—"

Professor Babbling interrupted with a raised hand, her eyes gleaming with amusement and fascination. "You certainly have some wild ideas, Mr. Salvatore. I'll admit, some of what you're suggesting is more advanced and not something most first years would think about. But who knows? Perhaps there's merit in your line of thought. Runes do have the potential to be quite versatile."

Altair grinned. "So, some of these ideas aren't entirely impossible?"

Babbling gave him a thoughtful look. "Not impossible, but difficult to achieve. Many of the things you've mentioned require a deep understanding of not just the runes themselves, but the interaction between other subjects. It's fascinating to hear a first-year thinking about them in such an innovative way."

"I've always been a bit... creative with my ideas," Altair said with a smirk. "But I'm really interested in anything related to magic, so runes are probably something I'll learn."

Professor Babbling chuckled, clearly impressed. "Well, I'd be delighted to have you in my class when you're ready to take on Ancient Runes in your third year. And if you're ever curious, feel free to stop by and observe a lesson. I'm sure we could discuss some of your theories in more detail."

His grin widened.

"I'd like that, Professor. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure," she replied. "Your enthusiasm is refreshing."

With that, He turned back to Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, thanking them for their time as well.

"It's good to see your willing to learn, Mr. Salvatore," McGonagall said with a warm nod. "I expect to see you apply that same enthusiasm to your other studies."

"Of course, Professor," Altair said, his smile genuine.

Flitwick gave him a wink. "Hope you do! Though I wonder why someone as studious as you didn't end up in Ravenclaw?"

Altair grinned at that.

"The sorting hat did consider it, but Hufflepuff is closest to the kitchens." Altair said looking a bit embarrassed.

Flitwick chuckled at his that, while McGonagall lips curled up slightly.

Bidding the professors farewell, Altair walked back toward the Hufflepuff table.

His stomach growled in response to the food…

FOOD!! Haha

Taking a seat he began munching like his life depended on it.

And boy oh BOY was it better than anything he's ever eaten.

Chapter end