Their footsteps echoed along the wide stone corridor. Terry Boot walked at the front with a step that was almost a skip. His hair was still messy from the mountain winds, but his eyes shone brighter than the candles on the castle walls.
"Did you guys see that?! When I took that sharp turn near the West Tower?" Terry babbled incessantly, his hands moving through the air to demonstrate the broom maneuvers. "I swear, for a second I felt like a real eagle! Kenzo, you have to teach me how to stabilize the broom like you did. That was absolutely insane!"
Michael Corner could only shake his head with a wide grin. "Calm down, Terry. If you keep shouting like that, the whole castle will think you just won the Quidditch World Cup, when that was only our first practice."
Behind them, Kenzo walked with unshakable elegance. To his right, Cho Chang walked with a suppressed sweet smile, occasionally glancing at Kenzo with a look of pride. On his left, Marietta Edgecombe walked closer, feeling much calmer and braver after experiencing Kenzo's protection on the pitch earlier.
"He's right, Terry," Kenzo interjected softly, his voice clearly cutting through his friend's chatter. "Freedom in the sky is indeed intoxicating, but do not let it make you forget how to walk the earth."
Terry laughed loudly, looking back for a moment. "Oh, come on Kenzo! Be a normal teenager for once! You flew back there like you've been doing it for a hundred years. Michael, right?"
Michael nodded in agreement. "At the very least, you made the upper-year team look like amateurs, Kenzo."
Cho Chang nudged Kenzo's arm gently. "They're right. You have a terrifying natural talent, Kenzo. But I'm glad to see you enjoyed it."
Marietta, who was usually quiet, suddenly emboldened herself to join the conversation. "I'm just happier to see you land safely, Kenzo. That last maneuver... it almost gave me a heart attack."
Kenzo glanced at Marietta for a moment, giving her a look that made her feel truly valued. "I won't let gravity win, Marietta. You know that."
Just as the five of them nearly reached the magnificent double doors of the Great Hall, the bustling corridor was suddenly colored by a small panic. From a side corridor, a boy with brownish-blonde hair ran hurriedly, his face flushed red and his breath coming in gasps.
It was Neville Longbottom. He appeared to be chasing something hopping along the stone floor—a small green object that was none other than Trevor, his toad with a hobby for escaping.
"Wait! Trevor! Stop!" Neville cried out in a panic.
Terry Boot, who was walking backward while demonstrating how he held his broom, didn't look behind him at all.
THUD!
Neville crashed hard into Terry's back. Both staggered and nearly fell to the floor. However, before Terry's back could hit the cold tiles, a hand swiftly gripped his robe collar, while another hand steadied Neville's shoulder to keep him upright.
It was Kenzo. His movement was so fast that to the average eye, he seemed to have shifted positions in an instant.
"Watch your step, Longbottom," Kenzo said lowly, his voice remaining calm despite the extraordinary reflex he had just performed.
Neville looked up, his eyes widening as he realized who had just helped him. "O-oh! I'm sorry! I... I was looking for Trevor. He hopped this way and... Kenzo Otsutsuki! Forgive me, I didn't mean to!"
Terry Boot, still startled, rubbed his chest. "Good grief, Neville! You were running as if Fluffy was after you! The inner peace I just built was almost destroyed again!"
Michael Corner laughed heartily at Neville's terrified expression. "Relax, Neville. Terry is just over-excited because it's the first time he flew without falling off."
Cho Chang smiled kindly at Neville, trying to settle the atmosphere. "It's alright, Neville. Did you catch Trevor?"
Neville pointed toward a gap beneath a suit of armor statue. "He went in there! Oh no, he'll definitely get lost again."
Kenzo released his grip on Terry's robe. He stared toward the statue. Without needing to stoop, he flicked his finger once. A very thin pulse of Chakra traveled through the floor, making the toad—Trevor—suddenly feel "summoned," hopping out obediently right toward Neville's open hands.
Neville gasped. "H-how did you do that? You didn't even use a wand!"
"He has his own 'ways,' Neville," Marietta Edgecombe remarked with a hint of pride in her voice. She looked at Neville as if to show that being near Kenzo meant all problems could be solved in an instant.
Neville thanked them repeatedly while clutching Trevor tightly, before finally running toward the Gryffindor table to tell Ron and Harry about Kenzo's "miracle."
"You really are a magnet for both problems and solutions, Kenzo," Terry said as they finally sat at the Ravenclaw table. "Just survived Snape, flew with Cho, and now saved Neville Longbottom's dignity."
"It is merely efficiency, Terry," Kenzo replied flatly.
At that moment, the silver plates in front of them suddenly filled with various foods. Fragrant roast chicken, Yorkshire pudding, and fresh pumpkin juice.
Cho Chang sat right next to Kenzo, with Marietta on the other side. The upper-year Ravenclaw team that had practiced earlier began to join in, and the table became the center of attention. They talked about how "elegant" Kenzo looked while in the air.
"If Wood from Gryffindor had seen you earlier, he'd definitely try to kidnap you into his team, Kenzo," joked one of the Ravenclaw Chasers.
The atmosphere in the Great Hall grew calm, but the Ravenclaw table became the center of attention once again as a tall, well-built young man approached. He wore robes with a Prefect badge and a shiny Quidditch team emblem on his chest.
It was Roger Davies, the Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He stood before Kenzo, ignoring his own meal for an ambition he had long held.
"Otsutsuki," Davies' voice was heavy, halting the light conversation between Terry and Michael. "I don't like wasting time. I saw you on the pitch this morning with Cho. Your way of controlling gravity... that wasn't just talent. That was absolute dominance."
Kenzo set his fork down calmly, meeting Davies' gaze with his unreadable, flat eyes. "I only ensured the broom did its job, Davies."
"Don't be modest," Davies interrupted, leaning in slightly, his voice low but emphasized. "Ravenclaw has always been known for our wit, for our perfect grades. But in Hogwarts history, our Quidditch trophy cabinet is the dustiest. We haven't won the Quidditch Cup as champions since before my great-grandfather was born."
Davies stared at Kenzo with a spark of obsession. "With you at Chaser and Cho as Seeker, we won't just win. We will make history. I want Ravenclaw to lift that cup for the first time as a dominant force in Hogwarts history. You are the final puzzle piece we need."
Cho Chang held her breath beside Kenzo, her hands squeezing the edge of her own robes. "Kenzo... if you join, our team will become a legend. We can change this house's history forever."
Zetsu (chuckling softly, his voice vibrating within Kenzo's mind):
"Hee-hee! Father, I must admit, this is much more interesting than sitting for hours helping Tony work on those AI prototypes. Those rows of binary code and boring algorithms really give you a headache, don't they? Here, everything feels much more... primitive yet enjoyable."
Zetsu squirmed within the shadows of Kenzo's robes, his yellow eyes scanning every corner of the high castle ceiling with a tone of disdain.
Zetsu:
"Speed... these humans have no idea what they're talking about. In all of Hogwarts, there isn't a single creature that can match your pure speed, Father. Except perhaps... that old man Dumbledore's bird, Fawkes. That Phoenix indeed has a natural talent for space displacement."
Zetsu paused for a moment, his laugh turning into a sharp, arrogant tone.
Zetsu:
"But a Phoenix is still a bird. If you decided to use your space-time Teleportation, even Fawkes would look like a snail crawling before you. You don't just move fast, Father. You erase the distance itself. Let them dream of the cup, while you rule the arena and ensure their victory only ever happens within those dreams."
Kenzo only gave a thin smile hearing Zetsu's rambling in his head. "The laws of gravity were made to be broken, Zetsu. If that Phoenix is considered the fastest here, then I'll be the reason they have to set new records," Kenzo replied internally.
He then looked at Roger Davies, who was still waiting for his answer with a serious face. Kenzo smiled slightly—a rare smile that managed to make the atmosphere at the Ravenclaw table feel much cooler.
"Alright, Davies. I'm in," Kenzo said calmly. "Let's write a new history in the Hogwarts sky."
Hearing that answer, Roger Davies was stunned for a moment before grinning very widely. His dignity as a usually stern Prefect and Captain vanished instantly. He looked as happy as a child receiving the most expensive gift. Davies almost wanted to jump for joy in the middle of the hall, because he knew that with Kenzo, the Quidditch Cup was practically Ravenclaw's.
Beside him, Cho Chang couldn't hide her delight. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She was happy not just because her house would win, but because she had a reason to spend more time alone with Kenzo in the sky.
Michael Corner just smiled casually, while Terry Boot immediately gave a high thumbs-up.
"Awesome, mate! Great choice!" Terry exclaimed enthusiastically. "I can't wait to see the other houses' jaws drop when they see you flying like lightning past them!"
Marietta Edgecombe also nodded with a shy smile. In her head, she was already planning to always bring a bottle of fresh water whenever Kenzo finished practice. She wanted to be the first person to greet Kenzo every time he descended from the sky.
The excitement at the Ravenclaw table attracted the attention of other houses:
At the Gryffindor Table: Hermione Granger didn't stop watching Kenzo. Even though they hadn't had a serious talk, Hermione kept monitoring everyone who approached Kenzo, including Cho Chang. She was like a girl constantly monitoring her partner so he wouldn't be bothered by others. She felt there was something very strange yet interesting about Kenzo.
At the Slytherin Table: Daphne Greengrass only gave a cold snort at the commotion. Her face was so sour that the friends near her became afraid and moved away. Daphne felt everyone was being over-dramatic, even though she herself was secretly watching Kenzo with a sharp gaze.
At the Hufflepuff Table: Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones didn't want to be left out either. They both stopped eating and kept turning toward Kenzo. They were truly curious about what Kenzo was talking about that caused such a stir in Ravenclaw, which eventually made the whole school buzz.
After that drama-filled lunch, Kenzo stood from his chair. His movements were calm and efficient, making his blue Ravenclaw robes fall neatly. Instantly, the volume of conversation at other tables dipped slightly, as if they were all waiting for Kenzo's next move.
Kenzo stepped away from the Ravenclaw table, followed by his friends. As he walked past the Gryffindor table, he could feel Hermione Granger's piercing gaze. Hermione didn't even look away as Kenzo passed right beside her; she seemed to be trying to dissect the secret behind Kenzo's flat expression.
Zetsu (whispering amusedly):
"Hee-hee! Father, look at that little lion. If glares could poke holes in robes, your back might be riddled by now. She is truly obsessed with knowing who you really are. It's hilarious to see humans who think they know everything when they know nothing at all."
Kenzo didn't look back, but he slowed his pace slightly as he passed Neville Longbottom, who was still busy stroking Trevor. Neville looked up and gave a shy, grateful smile. Kenzo only gave a very thin, small nod before continuing toward the exit.
Right at the threshold of the great doors of the Hall, Kenzo crossed paths with a group of Slytherins who were just about to leave. At the very front, Daphne Greengrass stood with a very cold aura. Her face looked as "sour" as usual, yet there was an undeniable noble elegance.
Instantly, the corridor fell silent. Other students automatically made way, feeling the unusual pressure from the encounter of these two people.
Daphne stared at Kenzo with her sharp blue eyes, then glanced at Cho Chang for a moment with a judgmental look before returning to Kenzo. As their eyes met for one second, Kenzo saw a flash of something else—not hatred, but an acknowledgment of equal power.
"So, the rumors are true," Daphne said in a low, elegant yet curt voice. "An Otsutsuki has finally decided to become a 'ball player' for the bird house. Quite unexpected for someone of your clan."
Kenzo looked at Daphne with his trademark flat expression. "The world needs a little entertainment, Greengrass. And I have the free time for it."
Daphne snorted coldly, but there was a nearly invisible curve at the corner of her lips. "Congratulations on your new team. But remember one thing: don't fall in your first practice. It would be quite embarrassing if a noble fell just because of a light breeze."
Without waiting for a reply, Daphne walked away with her chin held high, followed by her friends who still seemed to tremble from the girl's cold aura.
Terry Boot nudged Kenzo's arm while whispering in horror, "Goodness, Kenzo. Just a few days here, and you're already the center of attention for the Slytherin 'Ice Queen' and 'Smarty' Gryffindor. Your life is truly full of challenges."
Kenzo only stared at the long corridor ahead. "That is not a challenge, Terry. It is merely unnecessary noise."
"Let's go," Kenzo invited. "We have History of Magic next. I hear Professor Binns can make people fall asleep in just five minutes."
Terry and Michael laughed, while Cho Chang glanced at Kenzo with a slightly more serious gaze. She knew that from this moment on, Kenzo was no longer just a quiet new student—he was the eye of the storm that had just begun at Hogwarts.