"Freedom…"
Dana cut a piece of steak and placed it in front of himself.
"Indeed, freedom is more important than anything else."
"Right? Right? That's what we all think!"
Dana wasn't a real child. The twins had come to sit next to him, even ignoring Harry Potter. They certainly weren't there just to talk about Azkaban—
They had asked about it, but Dana hadn't shared any details. And yet, the twins had moved past the topic entirely.
So what was their real reason for approaching him?
They couldn't stand seeing him isolated and came to offer warmth.
"Thank you," Dana said.
Fred grinned.
"What's there to thank? It's your first night at Hogwarts! How about some after-dinner entertainment?"
"What kind of entertainment?"
George leaned in, whispering conspiratorially,
"A nighttime stroll, of course."
Dana raised an eyebrow.
"Where do you usually wander at night?"
"Where? Everywhere we can in the castle!"
The twins were immensely proud of their nighttime escapades. Other than Dumbledore, they knew Hogwarts Castle better than anyone.
Dana smirked, slicing into his beef.
"Have you ever been to the Slytherin common room?"
The twins looked stunned. Fred glanced at George before turning back to Dana.
"If you were talking about Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, sure—we've snuck in. But Slytherin?"
George shook his head.
"Their common room requires a password, just like ours. And trust me—no Slytherin would ever tell us what it is."
Dana took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.
"I'm going to the Slytherin common room tonight. Interested?"
The twins froze.
"You can get into the Slytherin common room?" Fred whispered, eyes wide with excitement.
George choked on his pumpkin juice.
"Of course," Dana replied casually. "But the question is—do you dare to go?"
"Go?! Why wouldn't we?!"
The twins' expressions lit up. Originally, they had only come over to keep Dana company, but now they were realizing—
This kid was crazier than they were.
Sneaking into the Slytherin common room?
This was a feat that many Gryffindors had tried and failed.
At this point, it didn't even matter whether Dana could actually do it. What mattered was that he wanted to try.
"It's settled then!" Fred grinned. "We'll meet in the common room later tonight."
With that, the twins dashed off to bother Harry—after all, the Boy Who Lived was the most talked-about person at Hogwarts, and they couldn't just ignore him.
Harry, for his part, had a good impression of the twins. He had seen them go over to keep Dana company and thought they must be good people.
The rest of dinner passed uneventfully—other than the occasional strange looks from the other students.
Dana wasn't interested in the young wizards interacting with the ghosts.
He did notice Harry's scar hurting when Professor Quirrell entered, and he did hear Dumbledore's warning about the forbidden fourth-floor corridor.
And when everyone sang the Hogwarts school song together?
Dana hummed A Man Should Stand Tall under his breath—but so softly that no one could hear him.
After dinner, the students headed toward Gryffindor Tower.
On the way, Peeves the Poltergeist blocked their path—only to be chased off by Percy Weasley, who threatened him with the Bloody Baron's name.
This scene should have interested Dana, but instead, he felt… nothing.
Ever since he had arrived at Hogwarts, something felt off.
He couldn't bring himself to be interested in anything.
The only thing in his mind was revenge.
Especially after seeing Dunat Avery.
He knew this wasn't good, but he couldn't stop himself.
The journey to Hogwarts, which should have been an adventure, felt like he was merely an observer—as if nothing around him mattered.
They reached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room—the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password?" she asked.
"Dragon dung," Percy said.
The portrait swung forward, revealing a circular opening.
One by one, the students climbed through. Someone had to pull Neville inside.
The Gryffindor common room was cozy and warm, decorated in deep reds and golds. The furniture looked inviting—plush armchairs scattered around the room.
Percy directed the girls to their dormitories first, then led the boys through another door.
Up a spiral staircase, they arrived at their dormitory.
Six four-poster beds were neatly arranged. The students' luggage had already been moved inside.
Ron frowned.
"Wait—six people in one dorm? I thought Fred said there were only four in his year."
Percy explained,
"Gryffindor dormitories usually have four to six people. Fred's year had more students, so they split into two rooms—one with five people, the other with four.
"But this year, there are six of you, so there's no need to divide you up."
Before anyone could respond—
"I won't live with a criminal."
The words came from Dean Thomas. His voice was firm, unwavering.
"My father died fighting criminals."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Ron muttered under his breath,
"Actually, I don't really want to live with Dana either."
His voice was barely audible, meant only for himself.
Percy sighed. He turned to the others.
"What do the rest of you think?"
Harry was the first to speak.
"Dana is my friend. I won't kick him out."
Neville stammered,
"I-I don't have any opinions. I—I'm fine with whatever."
Seamus Finnigan, however, firmly sided with Dean.
"For our safety, I think it's best if Dana Emrys doesn't stay here."
Two against, one in favor, and one abstaining. Percy looked at Ron.
"Ron?"
Ron hesitated. He wanted Dana gone—but he also didn't want to upset Harry.
"…I'm with Neville."
Final count: Three votes against Dana staying, one for, and two neutral.
Percy sighed, turning to Dana.
"Emrys… I'm sorry. But you probably can't stay in this dormitory. I'll arrange another place for you to stay. A house-elf will clean it up later. Until then, you'll have to wait in the common room."
Dana felt nothing.
The argument, the decision—none of it affected him.
He nodded and silently left the room.
Percy quickly instructed the remaining boys before hurrying after him.
"I'll take you to your room," he said, leading Dana up the tower's winding stairs.
They reached a small, dust-covered room near the top of the tower.
Percy pushed open the door.
"…I'm sorry, Emrys," he said. "This used to be a storage room. But at least here, no one will bother you."
A storage room.
This was meant to be an insult.
But Percy genuinely meant well.
He knew how Gryffindors were—
Their excessive sense of justice made them enthusiastic about "fighting evil," but their recklessness meant they couldn't grasp the limits.
If Dana had been anyone else, the result would have been harmless fights.
But Dana wasn't just anyone.
He was the first student in Hogwarts history to transfer from Azkaban.
Even if Percy had no prejudice against him, he couldn't risk putting Dana in the same room as the other students.
Because if something happened—
He wouldn't be able to handle the consequences.
End of the Chapter.