Hermione had a grin that stretched from ear to ear as she walked into her room. She had just caught a glimpse of the Ravenclaw library, and honestly, she was more than sure that choosing this house over Gryffindor had been the best decision of her life. Though, deep down, she still felt a tiny bit sorry that Harry hadn't ended up there. With all that bizarre, advanced magic he knew, she had been completely convinced he'd wear a blue tie.
The moment she pushed the door open and stepped into the room, she froze on the threshold. She clutched the books she was holding tightly against her chest, almost like a shield, while scanning the place.
Truth was, the room looked nothing like what you'd picture when thinking of a school dormitory; it felt way more like a private astronomical observatory. The ceiling was incredibly high, vaulted, and painted a blue so dark it was hard to see where the walls actually ended. It had three massive windows that let in all the starlight. From up here, the Black Lake looked like a silver mirror, and you could hear the constant hum of the wind hitting the glass. It was a soft, gentle sound, the kind that relaxes your whole body without you even noticing.
There were three huge four-poster beds arranged in a circle, draped with heavy navy-blue silk curtains. Hermione's eyes went straight to the desks. Each bed had its own right next to a window, lit by a floating magical lamp that gave off a warm light—perfect for staying up reading at night without bothering anyone.
"Well, you finally made it. I was starting to think you'd fallen asleep in the library," a voice said from the back of the room.
It was Padma Patil. She was sitting cross-legged on her mattress, already in loose, comfortable pajamas, arranging some small vials on her nightstand. She gave Hermione a pretty friendly smile.
A bit further over, Su Li was completely buried in her own business. She had a stack of parchments perfectly lined up and was placing her quills down one by one, sorting them by size with almost exaggerated care. Hearing Padma, Su tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and greeted Hermione with a soft wave.
"Your bed is the one on the west side," Su let her know, pointing toward the corner where Hermione's trunk was already sitting. "The wind hits a little harder by that window, but you get the absolute best view of the constellations."
Hermione walked over to her corner, finally letting out the breath she'd been holding. She ran her hand over the blue quilt, which was embroidered with silver threads forming the constellation of Orion. She dropped her books onto the wooden desk, which still smelled clean and waxy, and glanced sideways at her new roommates before looking back out at the starry sky.
"Hi... I'm Hermione Granger," she said, climbing onto her bed and sitting down cross-legged, trying to sound confident.
"Padma Patil," the other girl replied with a light smile, setting her vials aside.
"Su Li. You can call me Su or Li, whatever's easier for you," the other girl said, finally leaving her quills alone and leaning back against her desk.
Padma shifted in her spot, hugging her pillow tightly against her chest and narrowing her eyes with a curious little smirk. "By the way, Hermione... you know Harry Potter, right?"
Su Li, who had looked completely tuned out, snapped her head up instantly, waiting for the answer. The whole vibe in the room changed in a second; the air got strangely heavy.
"I met him today on the Express," Hermione mentioned, shrugging her shoulders, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal.
"You know, I was totally sure he'd go to Gryffindor," Su Li piped up, crossing her arms. "Like his parents or the past Potters, you know? I never imagined he'd end up in Hufflepuff. I think a lot of families are going to be pretty disappointed about that."
"Why would they be?" Hermione asked, her forehead wrinkling immediately. The tone had sounded a bit dismissive.
"I mean, you know Hufflepuff is where everyone goes when they don't fit into the other houses, right?" Su Li asked, tilting her head casually, like she was just explaining that the sky is blue. "Though, I still don't get why the hat took so long with him if the answer was that obvious."
"I highly doubt his family would be disappointed," Hermione snapped back defensively, tensing her shoulders and straightening her back. "He's incredibly smart. Honestly, I thought he'd come here, to Ravenclaw. And I know for a fact his grandmother was a Hufflepuff, so there's absolutely nothing wrong with it."
Su Li raised her hands immediately in surrender, catching the sharp edge in Hermione's voice. "Relax, Hermione. I didn't mean anything bad by it."
"Hey," Padma chimed in, leaning forward a little, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Do you think... you could introduce us to Potter? I mean, if you guys are on good terms."
"We're meeting up tomorrow for breakfast in the Great Hall," Hermione answered, relaxing her posture a bit when she realized they weren't trying to pick a fight. She grabbed her sleepwear from her trunk and slid off the bed. "I'm going to change in the bathroom, I'll be right back."
The second the bathroom door clicked shut, Padma turned quickly toward Su Li. The innocent little smile was completely gone; she looked way more calculating now.
"Did you already write to your house to tell them the Peverell family is active again and the boy is the one representing the name?" Padma asked in a hurried whisper.
Su Li nodded seriously, looking out the window. "Yeah, I sent the owl before she even got here. At least we know one thing for sure now... he's going to need two wives because of the two lineages, right?"
Padma smiled out of the side of her mouth, smoothing her hair down, and gave a quiet nod. 'This is going to get very interesting.'
In another part of the castle, far away from the eagles' tower, Albus Dumbledore was pacing rapidly around his office. His footsteps echoed on the stone floor as he tugged at his beard in sheer frustration.
"Hat, I told you clearly," Dumbledore growled, stopping right in front of the shelf and glaring fiercely at the old artifact. "Harry Potter needed to be sorted into Gryffindor. Why on earth didn't you listen to me?"
The Sorting Hat puckered up in a way that looked exactly like a mocking smirk. A tear near the brim slowly peeled open.
"You know perfectly well that you cannot influence my decision, Dumbledore. The founders made me with one exact command: sort the students based on what's inside their heads, and no one in this world can mess with that. I've never followed your orders, and I'm not about to start now," the Hat said in a raspy, unhurried voice. Then, its tone grew a bit sharper, almost like a warning. "And I'll give you a bit of advice from an old hat... never tickle a sleeping dragon. Leave the boy alone, Dumbledore. He just wants to live a normal life and make friends."