People who have never lost anything will never understand the value of what they possess.
Life is full of things like this—so unremarkable when you have them, yet losing them can leave you heartbroken and filled with endless regret.
Rey was incredibly thankful to have his magic back.
Now that he could cast spells again, regardless of the results, he could at least practice.
After that cliff jump, Rey had a deeper understanding of the magic within him.
It was a gut feeling—a sense that his magic didn't belong to the darkness, nor did it belong to the light. It felt more like a new creation, a fusion of both light and dark.
This brand-new type of magic was the root cause of the unfamiliarity between his body and his power.
Excitement aside, Rey returned to Hogwarts.
Night had fallen, though it wasn't too late.
Unless it was summer break, there were usually plenty of professors staying at Hogwarts.
During this short break, upper-year students were visiting Hogsmeade, and professors had to prepare lesson plans. And, of course, since the school allowed students to stay over the break, professors were needed for supervision.
Young wizards with magic weren't your average brats; when they caused trouble, it was endless.
The Forbidden Forest was inherently dangerous, and the areas surrounding Hogwarts had their risks too. Professors took roll call every day to ensure none of the students staying behind wandered into the forest and got into accidents.
Rey didn't get back too late—it was just after dusk, though he had missed dinner.
However, as he walked through the castle, he was surprised to find that he couldn't see a single other student.
The empty Hogwarts gave off a mysterious vibe. Walking alone in such a massive castle felt like wandering through a haunted mansion in a horror movie.
The feeling wasn't an exaggeration, especially after Rey realized there truly was no one around.
No people, no ghosts. Just emptiness. Even the sound of his own footsteps in the corridor seemed exceptionally loud.
---
"Mr. MacFusty, where have you been at this hour? Why are you wandering the corridors alone?"
Professor McGonagall's stern voice suddenly rang out in the empty hallway.
Rey turned around to see McGonagall, wearing her pointed hat, standing at the end of the corridor behind him.
Seeing Rey stare at her without answering, McGonagall walked over quickly and said, "Did you not receive the school's notice?"
"Professor, what notice?" Rey had been outside all day, so naturally, he knew nothing about any notice.
McGonagall frowned slightly and turned, signaling Rey to follow her. They weren't heading back to the dormitory, but to the Great Hall.
"When it got dark this evening, did you not hear the roar of a flying dragon?" McGonagall asked, glancing back at Rey as she led the way.
"A flying dragon's... roar?"
Taking long strides to catch up, Rey froze for a second before realizing what was going on.
It got dark right around the time he jumped off the cliff and transformed into the Black Dragon. That meant the dragon roar everyone heard was actually him.
I didn't expect that!
I really didn't expect that!
Rey followed closely behind McGonagall to the Great Hall, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Alright, let's go in first. Mr. MacFusty, I hope you will listen carefully to the school's arrangements in the future."
McGonagall pushed open the heavy doors, and a wave of noise immediately washed over them.
All the students were there, sitting at tables with empty plates in front of them.
Usually, feasts were only held on major holidays or the start-of-term banquet on September 1st. Rey hadn't expected a feast today. And it seemed like every single student was present.
"Is the break over? I really didn't pay attention to the date," Rey sighed internally. He had spent the entire month trying every method to transform into a dragon. He only just realized that the holidays were over and everyone was back.
Time flies, leaving Rey feeling a bit disoriented.
"Hey, Rey. How was your break?"
As the dazed Rey walked to the Ravenclaw table, a classmate immediately greeted him.
"Oh, it was okay, Besai."
Still trying to figure out the situation, Rey replied casually and sat down.
"Hey, are you still asleep? I haven't seen you since we got back to school. Where were you?" seeing Rey looking out of it, Agnes, who was sitting nearby, asked with concern.
"Hi, Agnes. You're back too?"
"What are you talking about? The holidays ended today, of course I'm back," Agnes stared at Rey, unsure why he was so out of it.
"Agnes, why is there a feast tonight?" Rey asked, still confused.
"Merlin's beard, didn't you get the emergency notice? Maybe they have something important to tell everyone."
Agnes replied, then leaned in close to Rey's ear and whispered, "I heard it has something to do with that dragon roar this evening."
"Dragon roar?"
"Yeah. On the train ride back, the whole train heard it," Agnes nodded, answering seriously.
"You don't know, Rey? I heard the Fat Lady in Gryffindor was scared witless. She kept screaming that the legendary Wicked Dragon has resurrected..."
Besai suddenly chimed in from across the table, speaking excitedly about the aftermath of the roar.
"Wicked Dragon? What Wicked Dragon?"
"The Wicked Dragon that burned the entire Forbidden Forest and the mountain where Hogwarts stands into scorched earth a thousand years ago? You don't know that legend?"
Excited, Besai looked at Rey in surprise. Everyone knew that legend; he couldn't believe Rey didn't.
"I also heard the house-elves were trembling with fear. Some were so scared they couldn't even cook and just hid in the corners shaking..."
The students started discussing it, leaving Rey bewildered. After a while, he muttered to himself, "It seems... I really blew this up."
Ding, ding, ding...
The sound of a spoon tapping against a glass rang out, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
"Quiet, everyone! Headmaster Dumbledore has something to say," Professor McGonagall said slowly once the students settled down.
Dumbledore stood up and scanned the room. His gaze paused briefly when he saw Rey, then he spoke: "The holidays are over. I hope you will all settle down and study hard for the upcoming curriculum.
"I have an announcement to make. The Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures will be sending personnel to Hogwarts to investigate the source of the dragon roar. I ask that you all cooperate with their investigation when the time comes.
"Also, please do not leave your dormitories after curfew. This is an existing rule, but I am repeating it for everyone tonight."
"Now, let the feast begin."
With Dumbledore's announcement, the atmosphere heated up. Plates filled with all kinds of delicious food, and the students began to dig in. Dumbledore didn't mention another word about the roar itself.
---
The feast didn't last long; it was mostly just to gather the students and tell them to cooperate with the investigation.
After the feast ended, the students returned to their dormitories led by the prefects.
Just as Rey was preparing to leave the hall, Professor McGonagall stopped him again.
"Mr. MacFusty, please wait a moment."