The First Day

Alex climbed the spiraling staircase to the Ravenclaw Tower, where the bronze eagle knocker awaited with its customary riddle.

"If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you don't have me. What am I?" it asked.

"A secret," Alex replied without hesitation.

The door swung open, revealing the cozy and serene Ravenclaw common room. The chatter among the students inside hushed as they noticed Alex entering.

"Alex, hello! I didn't get the chance to introduce myself earlier. I'm Robert Hilliard, the boy prefect," said a friendly-looking older student, stepping forward to greet him.

Alex offered a polite nod, scanning the room briefly but finding no familiar faces. "I'd like to be shown to my dormitory, please," he said.

"Of course! Come with me," Robert replied, motioning for Alex to follow. "You're in luck, you'll have a single room."

"Is that so?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep! First-year boys are already assigned, and most of the second-year boys too. Ravenclaw tends to have more girls than boys, so you get the luxury of your own space," Robert explained with a wink.

The two reached a door off the staircase. Robert opened it, revealing a cozy room adorned in Ravenclaw's signature blue and bronze tones. Two large windows overlooked the shimmering Black Lake, and the furnishings were elegant.

"This is it. Make yourself at home," Robert said, turning to leave. "If you need anything, let me know!"

Alex smiled in thanks but didn't invite further conversation. Once alone, he set his belongings down from the ring and took in the warm, tranquil atmosphere.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common Room across the castle, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in their usual corner, digesting the surprising news from earlier.

"That's Alex? Wicked, I thought it was his son or something," Ron said, still processing.

"How did he... you know, become small?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Magic, obviously," Hermione answered, though her tone betrayed her curiosity. "But the real question is: what is he? Is he an adult Alex or... the child Alex?"

The trio exchanged puzzled looks until Hermione offered a suggestion. "We'll ask him tomorrow. No point in speculating."

Ron and Harry nodded, and the three eventually headed to bed.

The next morning, Alex descended to the Ravenclaw common room, finding Luna sitting alone on a large sofa.

"Good morning, Luna. Care to join me for breakfast?" he asked with a kind smile.

"Yes," Luna replied simply, giving him a small nod.

As they walked toward the Great Hall, Alex noticed Luna glancing at him as though she had something to say but was unsure how to phrase it.

"Something on your mind, Luna?" he prompted gently.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your pet... where is he?"

Alex chuckled softly. "Oh, him? He's not really my pet," he said casually.

Luna tilted her head in confusion. "Then where is he?"

"In my dormitory," Alex lied smoothly. "I brought him along because his fur is nice to fluff."

"Is that so?" Luna murmured, her tone thoughtful. After a moment, she asked, "Can I name him, then?"

Alex smiled, amused by her earnestness. "Sure, you can even keep him as a pet if you'd like."

Luna's eyes sparkled. "Really?"

"Really," Alex confirmed as they reached the Great Hall.

Inside, Alex spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. He guided Luna to their side.

"Good morning, Mr. Alex," Hermione greeted him hesitantly, her gaze shifting curiously between Alex and Luna.

"This is Luna, a first-year," Alex introduced.

"Hello," Luna said serenely, glancing at each of them.

"Ron Weasley," Ron said.

"Harry Potter," Harry added with a smile and a polite nod.

"Hermione Granger," Hermione offered, her tone slightly cautious.

Alex exchanged a friendly smile with them before leading Luna to sit at the Ravenclaw table.

Later, as they were leaving the Great Hall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione intercepted Alex in a side corridor.

"Alex, we've been meaning to ask," Harry began hesitantly, "are you, you know... an adult Alex or..."

"Or this," Ron finished, gesturing at Alex's child figure.

"Do you really want to know?" Alex asked, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

All three nodded eagerly, while Luna tilted her head, clearly intrigued but not following the conversation.

"Alright, I'll show you," Alex said, leading them to an empty classroom.

Inside, he turned to face them, his grin widening. A golden light enveloped him, and in seconds, he grew taller, transforming into the adult version of himself towering over them.

The trio gasped.

Before they could recover, Alex shrank into a small, childlike form, barely five years old.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, his jaw-dropping.

Harry simply stared, mouth agape, while Hermione's eyes sparkled with fascination.

Luna, however, remained characteristically unperturbed, watching the transformations with a dreamy expression.

Finally, Alex returned to his current thirteen-year-old appearance.

"So," he said with a smirk, "I'm neither an adult nor a child. I can be whatever I want to be."

Hermione's hand shot up as though she were in class. "How does it work? Is it a spell? A potion? Special ability?"

Alex chuckled. "That's a secret."

Hermione pouted, but Alex kept his mouth shut.

They talked and laughed as they made their way to their respective classes. Second year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had Herbology, while Slytherins and Ravenclaws headed to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Knowing that Lockhart's lesson would be full of nonsense, Alex decided to wander off toward the Forbidden Forest.