Harry Potter: From Baldur's Gate to Hogwarts

Before anyone realized it, a month had passed. The weather grew colder by the day. With several heavy snowfalls, Hogwarts Castle was surrounded by layers of snow several feet thick. The lake had frozen over with a thick sheet of ice, and the distant mountains were now blanketed in white, resembling fluffy marshmallows.

Snowball fights, building snowmen, and skating on the frozen lake quickly became the students' favorite outdoor activities. Thanks to magic, young wizards were having far more fun than Muggles ever could.

Fred and George, in their usual mischievous fashion, were flinging magically enchanted snowballs at each other when they "accidentally" hit Professor Quirrell in the back of the head with a barrage of snow. Naturally, this came at a cost—they were each given a month of detention and Gryffindor lost 20 points (despite their insistence that it was a magical mishap).

--

As Christmas approached, the temperature continued to plummet. Although the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall were warmed by roaring fires, the drafty hallways remained bone-chillingly cold. Even the glass windows rattled and shivered against the howling wind.

Most students bundled up in thick coats and wrapped themselves in long scarves—except for three first-years.

Thanks to a clever charm Harry cast on their wizard robes before every class, Ron and Hermione walked around in thin sleeves, unfazed, even as others shivered and huddled together for warmth.

Unsurprisingly, this sparked envy and dissatisfaction among some students. The resentment was most palpable during Potions class in the dungeons, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat comfortably on warm stools while others huddled near their cauldrons, desperate for heat.

"I truly pity some people," Draco Malfoy sneered during one such class, his voice loud enough to carry across the room. "Imagine, it's supposed to be a family holiday, yet certain people are stuck here at Hogwarts because their own family doesn't even want them."

He shot a smirk at Harry, flanked by his ever-loyal lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle. His words dripped with mockery.

Harry, however, didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he kept his head down, holding his breath as he carefully poured the powdered lionfish spine onto the paper on the brass scale. Ron had already wasted one dose of the rare ingredient, and if Harry messed this one up, the two of them would have to face Snape's wrath while begging for more materials.

Malfoy's words rang true in one sense—Harry had no intention of returning to the Dursleys. The moment Professor McGonagall handed out the holiday stay-over forms last week, Harry had signed his name without hesitation. He was joined by the Weasley twins, who were staying because their parents were visiting their second eldest son, Charlie, in Romania.

After class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione bumped into Hagrid, who was carrying a fir tree on his shoulder, clad in a thick fur coat. He was heading toward the Great Hall.

"Hagrid, need a hand?" Ron eagerly pulled out his wand. "I've been practicing my Levitation Charm!"

"Thanks, Ron," Hagrid's deep, gruff voice rumbled from behind the tree. "But it's just one tree; I've got it."

"Oh, look who's so eager to help!" Malfoy's drawling voice interrupted from behind.

"You're so enthusiastic about helping others, Weasley. I suppose you're practicing for your future career as a groundskeeper," Malfoy sneered. "Actually, that makes sense—compared to your pigsty of a house, even a groundskeeper's hut must seem like a palace. But really, Weasley, you shouldn't hate your home just because it looks like a dung heap!"

Before Malfoy could finish, Ron lunged at him. Crabbe and Goyle immediately stepped forward, grinning menacingly.

Harry hesitated briefly, then decided to back Ron up. With a flick of his hands, he cast several buffs on both himself and Ron.

A chaotic scuffle ensued, filled with grunts and the thud of fists meeting flesh. Moments later, Crabbe and Goyle were sprawled on the ground—one clutching his stomach, the other nursing his face—while Harry and Ron advanced toward Malfoy with mischievous smirks.

Just then, Professor Snape appeared at the top of the stairs.

"What is going on here? Weasley! Potter!"

Ron reluctantly released Malfoy's collar, and the latter staggered backward until he leaned against the wall, glaring at Ron and Harry with hatred.

"Malfoy started it, Professor Snape," Hagrid interjected, poking his head out from behind the tree. "He was insulting Ron's family."

"Regardless, fighting is unacceptable," Snape drawled, glancing at the fallen Crabbe and Goyle. "Ten points from each of you—Potter, Weasley. Now leave."

As they turned to go, Malfoy called out mockingly, "Weasley, Potter, if you're so upset, why don't we settle this tonight at midnight in the Trophy Room? Just us—if you dare, that is."

He cackled as he brushed past them, Crabbe and Goyle limping after him.

Ron fumed, clenching his fists. "Harry, Hermione, we have to teach him a lesson tonight!"

"Don't rush into this, Ron," Harry said firmly, placing a hand on Ron's shoulder. "I don't trust Malfoy. It's probably a trap."

"Yeah, Ron," Hagrid chimed in. "The Malfoys are trouble through and through. You don't want to walk into one of their schemes."

"Exactly," Hermione added. "Sneaking out at night to fight is a terrible idea."

"Fine! If none of you will help me, I'll find someone who will!" Ron snapped, shrugging off Harry's hand and storming away.

The rest of the afternoon, neither Harry nor Hermione saw any sign of Ron.

Late that night, the Gryffindor common room was dimly lit by the dying embers in the fireplace. Several shadows crept out of the boys' dormitory, slipping through the portrait hole.

As the door closed, Hermione's voice came from a dark corner. "Harry, Ron actually went out—and he took…"

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "Seamus and Dean. Three out of five of us fell for Malfoy's bait. Looks like I'll have to follow them to make sure they don't get into trouble. Let's hope Malfoy didn't tip off Filch or a teacher."

"By the way, Harry," Hermione said, her curiosity piqued as she glanced at the package in Harry's hand. "Did Professor Dumbledore really give you an invisibility cloak?"

Harry nodded, pulling the shimmering fabric from the package. Inside lay a gift he'd retrieved earlier that day from the headmaster's office.

"According to Professor Dumbledore, this is called 'returning something to its rightful owner,'" Harry said as he unwrapped the package. Something silvery-gray, like liquid, slipped to the floor with a rustle, pooling into a heap that seemed to disappear into the darkness.

"Professor Dumbledore said this is a family heirloom from my father," Harry said, picking up the Invisibility Cloak. His palm brushed lightly across its surface, and for a moment, he felt as though a piece of himself was missing—hollow and empty.

"Harry! Harry, are you okay?" Hermione called out several times, stepping closer to Harry. Only then did he snap out of it.

"Sorry, I spaced out just now," Harry said, taking a deep breath and suppressing the strange feeling in his heart. He draped the Invisibility Cloak over both of them. "Alright, let's go."

Amid the Fat Lady's sleepy complaints, Harry and Hermione, hidden beneath the cloak, left the dormitory. They carefully avoided Professor Flitwick, who was patrolling, and dodged Peeves, who was humming an unknown tune. Eventually, they arrived at the Trophy Room.

In the moonlight, the crystal display cases in the Trophy Room emitted a dim glow. The medals, statues, and trophies gleamed with either golden or silvery light in the darkness.

"Strange. Where are Ron and the others? Didn't they leave before us?" Harry looked around, scratching his head.

Then he heard voices—not Ron's group.

"Sniff around, my dear. They might be hiding in some corner," came Filch's voice from the adjacent room.

Moments later, Harry saw four figures sneaking out of the shadows at the far end of the room, running desperately away from Filch. Wait—four?

Harry stared in surprise at Neville, who had somehow joined the group. He watched as the four of them darted down the hallway, disappearing around a corner.

"Let's follow them," Harry whispered to Hermione.

The two hurriedly trailed after the group, still hidden under the Invisibility Cloak. Fortunately, Ron's group, worried about making too much noise, didn't run too fast. Before long, Harry and Hermione caught up.

And then Harry witnessed Neville tripping over nothing and crashing into a suit of armor. The suit of armor collapsed spectacularly, scattering in all directions, with the broadsword clattering to the ground in a loud metallic clang.

"Run!" Ron shouted. The group bolted down the hallway, with Harry and Hermione—two invisible bystanders enchanted by the chaos—hot on their heels.

They wove around doorposts, dashed down corridor after corridor, and turned corner after corner. Eventually, Ron's group burst out near the Charms classroom. Wait—the Charms classroom?

Harry felt something wasn't right. He mentally retraced the path they had just taken. It seemed... they hadn't climbed any stairs. But how did they get from the third-floor Trophy Room to the fourth-floor Charms classroom?

"Hermione, did you notice anything strange on our way here?" Harry whispered in her ear.

"Ah—" Hermione let out a startled gasp as she felt a warm breath tickling her ear. But before she could say more, Harry's hand quickly covered her mouth.

"Don't freak out!" Harry said softly.

Hermione nodded, and Harry released her.

"Strange. I think I heard Hermione's voice. Was it just my imagination?" Ron, sitting on the ground and panting heavily, looked around suspiciously.

"It'd better be your imagination," Seamus, equally out of breath, rolled his eyes at Ron. "If that arrogant, know-it-all Granger were really here, she'd report our nighttime escapades to Professor McGonagall for sure!"

Ron wanted to argue but gave up, knowing Hermione's tendencies.

"What kind of comment is that?!" Hermione fumed quietly. "What do you mean, 'if that arrogant, know-it-all Granger were here, she'd report us'? Even I'd assess the situation before deciding whether to tell a teacher!"

"So you would report to McGonagall?" Harry teased, narrowing his eyes at Hermione.

"Harry!"

Whether it was bad luck or something else, Ron's group wasn't about to catch a break. Just as they had recovered and were about to head back to the dormitory, the door to a nearby classroom slammed open. Out rushed a small, wide-faced ghost with a broad mouth and round, gleaming eyes—Peeves.

"Get lost, Peeves! Go away and leave us alone!" Ron swung a fist through Peeves' translucent form in frustration.

Ron attempted a punch. It was not very effective.

Peeves used a shriek. It was super effective.

"Students out of bed!" Peeves yelled gleefully. "Students out of bed! In the Charms corridor!"

Ron's group took off running again, this time pursued by Peeves' cacophony. They fled to the end of the corridor, only to slam into a locked door.

Neville reached out and jiggled the handle. The door rattled in its frame.

"We're doomed. It's locked..." Neville looked as though he might cry.

"This is unbelievable. Didn't Professor Flitwick go over the Unlocking Charm in class?" Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at the locked door. "Alohomora."

With a click, the door swung open. Ron's group piled into the room. Harry and Hermione tried to follow, but Dean quickly shut the door behind him. Left with no other choice, Harry and Hermione stood awkwardly outside, listening as Filch's voice drew closer.

Less than a minute later, Filch, holding a lantern and accompanied by Mrs. Norris, appeared in their line of sight.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch asked, craning his neck to look at the mischievous ghost. "Tell me quickly!"

"Say 'please,'" Peeves said in his infuriating sing-song voice.

"Stop messing with me, Peeves! Just tell me where they went!"

"If you don't say 'please,' I won't say anything to you."

"Peeves—fine. Please tell me."

"What's that? Haha! I told you if you didn't say 'please,' I wouldn't say anything! Haha! Hahahaha!"

------

more advance and fast update chapters on

pat reon.com/yuuwand