The castle was eerily quiet on Christmas morning.
Rowan woke early, as always, to find the dormitory empty save for himself and Hector Fawley, whose family lived too far away to make the journey home practical. The morning light filtering through the windows was dim and gray. Frost had formed intricate patterns on the glass overnight.
He performed his Occlumency meditation, then dressed and headed down to the common room.
It was deserted.
Most Ravenclaws had gone home for the holidays. The usual buzz of conversation and rustle of turning pages was absent, replaced by profound silence broken only by the crackling of the fire.
On the table beside his favorite chair, Rowan found a small pile of packages.
He stared at them in surprise. He'd expected Iris's gift, which he'd carefully set aside, but there were three others as well.
The first was from Edmund. A book titled Practical Household Charms with a note:
Thought you might find this useful once you leave school. Some of these are brilliant—there's a charm for keeping tea hot indefinitely! - Edmund
The second was from Celeste. A set of high-quality quills and a bottle of permanent ink. Her note was characteristically brief:
For all that essay writing you do. Try not to wear them out in a week. - C
The third was from Lawrence Goode, though Lawrence had gone home for Christmas. It was a slim volume titled Theoretical Foundations of Spell Modification with a note in Lawrence's precise handwriting:
Found this in a secondhand shop in Diagon Alley over summer. Thought it might interest you given our discussions. Be careful—modifying spells is dangerous. - LG
Rowan sat down slowly, unexpectedly moved.
He'd had friends before. Or rather, acquaintances who tolerated his presence. But he'd never had people who thought about him when he wasn't there, who noticed his interests and chose gifts accordingly.
He opened Iris's gift last. Inside the careful wrapping was a leather-bound journal, far nicer than the battered notebook he'd been using, along with a delicate silver bookmark. Her note read:
For recording your experiments and observations. The bookmark has a minor preservation charm—anything you mark will be protected from damage. Happy Christmas, Rowan. - Iris
Rowan ran his fingers over the smooth leather, feeling the quality of the binding. This had cost her a significant portion of her allowance, he suspected. The preservation charm on the bookmark was subtle but well-executed. Probably something she'd had done at a shop in Diagon Alley.
He'd have to get her something equally thoughtful when students returned.
Breakfast in the Great Hall was a strange experience. The four house tables had been replaced by a single small table where the dozen students who'd remained sat together regardless of house. Professor Weasley presided from one end, Professor Shah from the other, both looking more relaxed than Rowan had ever seen them.
"Happy Christmas, Mr. Ashcroft," Professor Weasley said as he took a seat. "I trust you're finding the quiet castle to your liking?"
"Very much, Professor. It's peaceful."
"Indeed. Though I suspect you're not planning to spend the entire holiday relaxing, are you?"
Rowan smiled slightly. "I thought I might explore some areas of the castle I haven't had time to visit during term."
"Explore away, but do avoid the Forbidden Forest. Headmistress Mole would be most displeased if I had to explain how a first year got eaten by a Troll over Christmas break."
"I'll be careful, Professor."
The breakfast was far more elaborate than usual weekday fare. Scrambled eggs with salmon, fresh pastries, honey-glazed ham, and various fruits Rowan had never seen before. He ate steadily, fueling himself for the day ahead.
After breakfast, Rowan returned to his dormitory to collect his wand and the new journal Iris had given him. Then he set out to explore the castle systematically.
He'd already mapped much of Hogwarts in his mind. The main corridors, the classrooms, the library, the common areas. But there were sections he'd only glimpsed in passing, areas that weren't relevant to his daily routine. With two weeks of relative freedom, he intended to discover what Hogwarts was hiding.
His first target was the Room of Requirement.