First Day At Class

"RAVENCLAW", the sorting hat's gruffy voice echoed through the great hall and the students on the Ravenclaw table erupted in cheers.

Solus quickly got up, as to not spend any more time than necessary under the thing controlling the hat.

But it wasn't over yet.

"I'm sorry Professor, could you allow me hold the hat for my sister myself?", he asked with the best pleading look he could manage in his current adrenaline-charged state. "She looks a bit scared, and I think it might calm her down if I did it instead of you."

McGonagall looked at him and then at the very pale and terrified looking Luna.

"All right mister Lovegood I shall allow it", she handed him the hat and called out his sister's name. "Luna Lovegood"

Luna slowly stepped to the front and sat down. She still looked very scared but also relieved that it was her brother holding the hat and not the professor.

Just like before he concentrated on that strange feeling, lowered the hat onto Luna's head and controlled it to announce her house before the ghastly pale arms were able to reach her brain.

"Has to be RAVENCLAW"

Again cheers erupted from blue and bronze decorated table. 

Luna, looking like a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, sprang up and hugged Solus tightly "Thank you Sol."

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*Shrieeeeeek* 

Solus slowly woke up and sleep drunkenly threw his pillow at his cuckoo clock. The weird mix between cat, dog and mouse dodged the pillow attack, condescendingly shrieked one last time and then retreated into its lair. 

After two more minutes of lazing around, Solus had finally got out of bed. Looking to his bedside table he saw Ib performing his morning exercise routine to an audience of spiders and bugs as usual.

"Care if I join you guys?", He asked.

In his previous life he had been pretty fit and stuck to a relatively consistent workout schedule. He had been a biologist after all and knew the human body's workings pretty well. Thus, he had never been able to not accept trading a few hours of working out every week for a few years more lifespan and a better quality of life.

Plus, with knowing what kind of cheat code puberty was for pretty much any athletic ability and general body development, starting his exercising routine now, seemed like a good idea.

Ib showed him a thumbs-up and gestured for him to stand behind the spiders and just like them follow his instructions. 

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An hour later, Solus was drenched in sweat and exhausted, but at the same time very satisfied.

He had to give it to Ib, the little guy was a very good instructor. The Spiders too, had been surprisingly supportive and encouraging workout buddies. They would cheer him on by pumping their front legs into the air to the rhythm of his repetitions and silently clap whenever he finished a set.

Solus grabbed his robes and went to the bathroom to take a much-needed shower. 

During this he couldn't help but let, his thoughts wander to last evening once again. 

After he rescued Luna from the thing on the hat as well, they both sat down at the Ravenclaw table and enjoyed the food that Dumbledore summoned after the sorting ceremony. 

With the adrenalin having worn off Solus had been very tired, so he mostly kept to himself and didn't socialize with the other Ravenclaws that much. His mood only lightened up a bit later, when Ib, back in his climbing gear, was scaling Cho Chang's hair while she was introducing herself to Solus and Luna. 

Following the feast, they were led to the Ravenclaw quarters by Penelope Clearwater, one of the current house prefects. Solus knew that she came up in the books, but the only thing he remembered about her was that she had been dating Percy Weasley for a while. 

The Ravenclaw quarters were located in one of the highest towers of Hogwarts castle and were decorated in blue and bronze all over. The most outstanding thing about them, however, was that every student had their own room. Not a big one to be fair, but still a personal room none the less. 

Solus dried himself with a towel and put on his Robes before, leaving Ib, who was currently relaxing in one of the many sinks with a cucumber mask on, behind and heading to the great hall for breakfast.

He didn't worry that Ib wouldn't be able to find him again. Their very souls were connected by a lifelong pact after all, finding out the other persons location was a trivial thing for them.

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Entering the Great Hall Solus saw his sister sitting together with Ginny and some other girls and waved at her. Receiving a smile and a wave back he went to get some food and looked for a place to sit.

After a few seconds a call sounded from one of the tables, "Hey, Solus! Here! Come sit with us" Seeing who had called out to him Solus smiled slightly and went to sit with Seamus and Dean.

"Yo. Slept all right?", Seamus asked him and gave him a friendly pat on the back when he sat down.

"Yeah, I was exhausted after the sorting ceremony."

"Oh yes, I still remember how nervous I was back then", Dean injected himself into the conversation. 

"I slept so well I didn't even notice the one-eyed cornerstalkers haha", Solus chuckled slightly and shoved some food into his mouth.

"One-eyed wha? .... ", Dean and Seamus looked at him dumbfoundedly.

"Ah just those weird spooky eye thingies that watch you in your sleep, everyone knows them, no?" Solus smiled, he was having quite a bit of fun teasing them and acting weird. He was a Lovegood now after all and being eccentric and a bit strange was in his blood.

Seamus swallowed, and looking a bit shaken he quickly changed the topic. "A-Anyways, excited for your classes?"

'I bet he'll check the dark corners in his room extra well the next few days before going to sleep', Solus thought amused. 

"Hm, I guess? I think I'm most excited about potions, but I mostly heard bad things about the teacher until now."

"Potions huh? Well good luck with that man, Snape's a monster. That guy has no shred of sympathy", Seamus shuddered as if he was reliving all the bad experiences, he had had with Snape internally.

"Eh, Snape isn't nice, but he isn't a bad teacher. Besides he mostly hates Gryffindor so as a Ravenclaw you'll be okay. He won't baby you like the Slytherins, but he'll at least leave you alone", Dean cut in. 

"What? No way, you just defended snape in front of me man. I thought we were friends. You traitor", Seamus playfully exclaimed in exaggerated outrage, but only received a scoff in response.

"What about you guys? I think you have herbology this year, right?", Solus interrupted their bantering.

"Eh I'm not interested in plants and gardening to be honest", Seamus dismissively answered.

"Well at least you won't be blowing yourself up again, we won't need our wands in Herbology after all", Dean grinned.

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""Acusignis!""

"Acusignys!! Damn it!"

"Why doesn't this work??"

Solus was currently attending Transfiguration class and chants and curses alike were thrown around generously by the students around him. 

Unfortunately, he himself was not doing any better. 

"Acusignis!", he ordered the stupid match to finally turn into a needle. 

The match in question did in fact turn grey and took on the shape of needle but...

"You nailed the aesthetics, Mr. Lovegood. But unfortunately, the material is still that of a wooden matchstick. Try again", Professor McGonagall's stern voice sounded from behind him. 

*Sigh* "But Professor I don't understand. How exactly does magic influence matter to turn wood into metal?"

"It's magic, Mister Lovegood, you do not need to know the how or why. Transfiguration is complicated enough, there is no need to mix in muggle science on top of that. You're a wizard, so think like one."

Over the course of this lesson Solus had learned a very annoying detail he hadn't considered at all when sketching out his future plans. 

He sucked at conventional magic and spellcasting. 

He had been a scientist for around 15 years in his previous life. Accepting a 'It just works, don't worry about the how'- kind of mindset was simply not possible for him. 

Some fields and spells he could probably get behind. Potions for example he was confident in his abilities to excel at. That was just alchemy or primitive medicine creation with some magic ingredients.

But in fields like Transfiguration and Conjuration, where 'will' and 'mindset' were very important, spells were difficult for him to perform without understanding how exactly the cast magic works. Subconsciously he would always wonder what exactly the spell did to achieve its effect, which in turn affected his will and trust in the spellmodel, thus preventing him from succeeding.

Solus took off his left glove, touched the match and tried to feel and influence it like he did with the sorting hat and his wand.

'*Sigh* Not even this works. I can't feel the match respond at all. Well at least I can now confirm that my ability only works on things with a consciousness, semiconsciousness or remnants of one of the two.'

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While Solus was struggling through his first day at Hogwarts, in front of the Ravenclaw common Room two figures were examining a hole in the wall.

One figure was wearing a deerstalker hat, a buttoned-up trench coat and practical boots. The other one a brown, slightly slimy looking suit.

"Destruction of public property? But why? And why cut out a perfectly circular shaped hole?", the brown suited figure spoke.

"No, this may look like willy nilly destruction at first glance, but I suspect it was more than that. Well, I'm sure we will know if I was right in but a moment", the other one answered.

If Trevor had not been used to these kind of outlandish, out of nowhere claims by his companion, he would have been dismissing this assumption as some kind of delusion. But the master detective sir Ib Holmes had never once been wrong before. 

"Heeelp! Someone please help!", suddenly cries could be heard from not far away. 

The detective only smiled at Trevor, before he promptly turned around and ran towards where the cries were coming from.

Trevor too, quickly turned to follow his partner. He did not at all seem to notice that the detective did not possess a mouth that would be able to smile at him. 

"Oh detectives! Good to see you. You have to help me, please", a very distressed appearing middle aged lady begged the two investigators when they arrived at the scene. Her hairless tail was wagging excitedly from side to side. 

"Now now Miss...?" Trevor began to placate her in a practiced and professional manner.

*Sniff* "Mortins" *Sniff*

"...Miss Mortins please calm down and tell us exactly what happened. We will try to help you as best as we can."

"Well, *Sniff* I had gone out this morning to procure some food, as my children would be visiting this Sunday. But when I came back, I saw that thing directly above the entrance to my home."

"Thing? What kind of thing?", Trevor asked. 

"Well, you'll recognize it immediately. It was a gigantic-"

"Hole", the person wearing the dearstalker hat cut her off. "It was a gigantic hole in the wall above your entrance. About twice as tall as me."

"Well yes, but... but how did you know this Mr. detective?", Miss Mortins looked flabbergasted by the precise and correct guess. 

"Yeah, how did you know another one would actually appear this soon sir?", Even though he was used to his partners genius, Trevor too was quite impressed by Ib's correct deduction.

The master detective looked at them and smirked. This time too, no one noticed the absence of a mouth in his Furry white face.

"Elementary my dear Trevor."

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A/N

Hey guys sorry for the delay. I was a bit busy with university stuff. 

I'm glad you guys enjoy reading the Ib sections as much as I enjoy writing them. I originally hadn't planned for Ib to play this big of a role in this story, but he somehow evolved to almost have more character than the actual mc haha. 

Also, Ib is not suddenly able to speak. His Sherlock Holmes persona is just what the animals he controls to take part in this play perceive him as.

A big part of the next chapter will be about Ib, trying to catch the mysterious hole creator. 

For those that didn't notice Trevor is Nevil's frog Trevor.

Thank you for reading!