A Certain Magical Hogwarts

What happened next? William wasn't sure.

The Ravenclaw students, urged by their head of house, Professor Flitwick, quickly left the Great Hall to avoid getting caught up in the escalating chaos. 

Staying any longer might have resulted in an all-out inter-house brawl, something that wasn't uncommon at Hogwarts.

The Ravenclaw common room was located in a high tower on the west side of the castle. 

Led by the prefect, Robert Hilliard, they slowly climbed the winding staircase that seemed designed to make everyone dizzy.

Eventually, they arrived at a door.

The door had no handle and no keyhole, just an old, smooth wooden surface with a distinctive bronze eagle-shaped knocker attached to it. The knocker looked quite antique, but that wasn't unusual—Hogwarts was full of ancient artifacts.

Robert knocked once, and the eagle's beak opened.

Instead of a bird call, a gentle voice, reminiscent of a certain famous actress's voice from a GPS system, asked, "What is something you cannot see, but is essential to you?"

William seriously wondered if the knocker was equipped with a fancy Natural voice pack.

Robert didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned to the group with a smile. "Unlike other houses, Ravenclaw doesn't have a hidden entrance to the common room.

"We use this magical eagle-shaped bronze knocker. When you knock, the eagle will ask a question, and if you answer correctly, the door opens."

He added proudly, "For nearly a thousand years, no one outside of Ravenclaw has been able to get past this simple barrier.

"Some first-years are afraid of the eagle's questions, but don't worry. In Ravenclaw, we love to learn, and you'll soon find yourselves enjoying the challenge posed by the knocker. 

"It's common to see twenty people gathered outside the door, trying to solve the riddle together. It's also a great way to meet students from other years and learn from them.

"That said, you might find it a bit annoying when you're in a rush and forget your Quidditch gear," Robert added with a grin.

He then asked, "So, who wants to give it a try?"

Cho stepped forward first and answered confidently, "Air."

"Correct," said the knocker in its soothing voice, and the door swung open.

William was about to follow the others inside when Robert suddenly slammed the door shut again.

He knocked on the door.

The same calm voice asked, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

No one responded at first. Cho gave William a playful shove, almost knocking him into Marietta Edgecombe.

William glared at Cho before answering, "It's a cycle—there's no beginning or end."

The knocker replied, "Very clever!"

The door opened again.

But just as William was about to walk through, Robert slammed it shut once more.

"… Seriously?"

Robert knocked again.

This time, the knocker asked, "Which came first, the chicken egg or the duck egg?"

William answered sarcastically, "Depends on whether you raise chickens or ducks first."

The knocker replied, "Smart!"

The door opened, and again Robert shut it promptly.

This game of opening and closing the door went on for nearly half an hour. 

William could have sworn that the knocker's voice, initially that of a soothing actress, gradually shifted to something harsher—almost like the voice of an annoyed aunt, and by the end, it resembled the raspy tone of a tired old lady.

The knocker's mood was probably as bad as Professor Snape's at that point. It had likely never encountered such a stubborn group of students!

Looking at Robert's amused expression, William suspected the prefect was just enjoying the voice.

He was probably a voice enthusiast. Maybe even a closet cosplayer!

Yawning, the group finally made their way into the Ravenclaw common room.

The common room was a large, circular space, elegantly decorated. Graceful arched windows lined the walls, draped with blue and bronze silks. 

The ceiling was painted with stars, and the deep blue carpet beneath their feet was also dotted with stars. The room was furnished with tables, chairs, and bookshelves, while a white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stood in a niche opposite the door.

The statue of Ravenclaw was strikingly lifelike, with sapphire-blue eyes that seemed to be deep in thought. 

She wore a faint, knowing smile, and her gaze was directed toward a large floor-to-ceiling window, which looked out into the pitch-black night.

On her head, she wore a delicate marble circlet engraved with tiny inscriptions.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

Robert beamed as he introduced the room. "Welcome to our common room, everyone! Our house emblem is the eagle, soaring high where no one else can reach. Our colors are sky blue and bronze.

"I'm not trying to boast, but this is where the smartest witches and wizards live—just like our founder, Rowena Ravenclaw.

"We carry a unique label: individuality. Some might even call us eccentric, but geniuses often don't follow the same path as everyone else.

"Unlike other houses, we believe you should wear whatever you like, think however you like, and say whatever you like.

"We don't reject those who are different. In fact, we accept them, we admire them!"

The students clapped, forgiving Robert for the endless door-closing routine earlier.

Being a little eccentric was expected at this age—everyone wanted to feel special.

And with Robert's speech, the students became even more convinced that being in Ravenclaw made them unique.

Sometimes, it's through repeated affirmations like this that certain qualities are strengthened, eventually forming the distinct character of an entire house!

Under the guidance of the male and female prefects, the first-years were led to their dormitories.

The dormitory was a large room, decorated similarly to the common room, with sky-blue accents and five four-poster beds draped in bronze velvet curtains.

Their trunks had already been brought up.

Boba tea was sitting proudly on William's bed, eyes half-closed in a lazy nap. Not far from it sat a rabbit, a toad, a rat, and a small yellow teddy bear.

The four other pets huddled beneath the bed, wide-eyed and too afraid to sleep.

Somehow, Boba tea had already established itself as the dormitory's undisputed leader of the pet hierarchy.

After washing up and changing into their pajamas, the boys climbed into their beds.

Boba tea curled up in William's arms as they both looked out the window.

From here, they could see the moonlight reflecting off the Black Lake and the dark, dense Forbidden Forest.

William soon fell asleep, with Boba tea snuggling into the blankets, its tail wrapped around his arm, purring softly.

That night, William had a dream: 

The eagle-shaped door knocker transformed into a monstrous creature with the body of a human and the head of an eagle. 

It spoke to him in the voice of that GPS system, seductively calling out his name.

As he approached, the eagle's beak opened wide, revealing a gaping maw that swallowed him whole!