The morning in the great hall following the "Troll incident" was noisy and chaotic. The air was thick with the scent of pumpkin porridge and the frantic, uncoordinated energy of three hundred students trying to take all the information in, and are concerned about their perceived safety.
Albus Dumbledore was standing at the High Table. He didn't need to do anything special to get everyone's attention; his presence was enough to quiet the room. It was as if he had a way of making everyone stop talking and listen, without even saying a word. The room fell silent, not because anyone had told them to be quiet, but because they all seemed to sense that Dumbledore was about to say something important.
Dumbledore started talking in a calm voice, "Something scary happened at our dinner last night. But because of three of our students—Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger—the problem was solved quickly. The danger is gone now. Our school is still a safe place. I want you all to keep learning and not let fear stop you."
Arthur Pendergast was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, looking rather serious. He was watching Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. They seemed like they were about to explode. Ron was eating like he was trying to prove something, Harry was staring at his food, and Hermione was bent over a book, glancing over at the Ravenclaw table every now and then. She was clearly trying to keep an eye on something, or someone. The tension at the Gryffindor table was palpable, and Arthur's face didn't change, but you could tell he was intrigued by what was going on.
Arthur went back to eating his breakfast, not giving them another thought. It wasn't worth his time, so he just ignored it and focused on his meal instead.
At 8:15 AM sharp, a bunch of owls showed up. They were all flapping around, a big cloud of grey and brown feathers. One little owl, pretty plain-looking, landed right in front of Arthur. It was carrying a crumpled-up envelope that looked like it had been through a lot. The address on the envelope was written in messy handwriting that seemed to jump all over the place.
As Arthur opened it, his movements became really precise.
'Hi Artie!
It's Halloween, and we got a special treat from Mrs. Cole—an extra apple for each of us. The house feels really quiet without you here. I've been trying to take care of things, but there's a problem with the radiator in the basement; it's making that loud clanking noise again. I tried to fix it like you taught me, by hitting it with a wrench, but I think it needs your help to really work properly. You know, when you give it that serious look, it seems to behave itself.
Are the ghosts scary? Do they eat? Tell me something about the magic! Is it like the sci-fi movies we saw?
Missing you tons,
Billy'
Arthur looked at the letter for a moment, just twelve seconds. But in that short time, something changed. His eyes, which were usually cold and hard, got a little softer. It was a small thing, but it was there. Then he got out a piece of paper and his special pen.
To: Billy (St. Jude's)
From: Arthur
Billy,
To fix the radiator, you need to make a small change to the pressure valve, just 15 degrees. Don't use a big wrench and try to force it; that's not the right way. Instead, use the smaller pliers that I left in a hidden spot under the floorboard that's a bit loose.
Hogwarts is a pretty interesting place, despite its weird architecture—some parts of it just don't seem to follow the normal rules. And then there are the ghosts, which are basically like imprints of people who used to be alive, but now they're more like... a recording. They don't eat or drink anything, but they seem to be able to exist because of some kind of leftover magic, or mana, that's still hanging around in the castle walls. It's like they're feeding off that, somehow.
The magic here is not like the movies. It is not a 'wish.' It is a similar programming language for reality. If you speak the syntax correctly and provide the necessary energy(mana) input, the physical properties of an object are forced to realign. I recently read a text on 'Advanced Transfiguration'—it suggests that if I can map the atomic structure of an object, I can change its material entirely.
I'm really into Arithmancy right now; it's the one subject that makes magic seem like science, you know, with rules and patterns you can figure out. All the other subjects are so much about instinct and feeling, but Arithmancy is different. I'm actually top of my class in it, which is pretty cool. Anyway, I was thinking, over winter break I'll bring back some of my arithmancy textbooks, and we can take a look at them together. Who knows, maybe the same principles that apply to magic can help us make sense of the wiring in the basement; it's definitely a puzzle that needs solving.
Stay focused on your studies. Information is your only shield.
— Arthur
Arthur sealed the letter and sent it off with a flick of his wrist, the grey wax stamp glistening in the light. He didn't bother mentioning the happenings of the school. What would be the point, really, for someone stuck in a Muggle orphanage? It wasn't like they'd ever have to deal with that kind of thing. As he watched the owl disappear into the distance, his thoughts started to wander back to his next class, and he wondered what other interesting things they'd be learning about. The troll was already a distant memory, replaced by visions of dusty old text,books and lecture halls.