Dana passed through the Gryffindor common room.
The other first-year students barely spared him a glance before deliberately turning away.
It wasn't hard to guess what they were thinking—
"He's from Azkaban… and he was already sneaking out on his first night."
Dana ignored them and made his way up to his room.
The house-elves had done an excellent job cleaning it.
The four-poster bed was neatly made, and Dana couldn't help but suspect that it was simply an extra bed from Harry's dormitory that had been moved up here.
The room was spotless. Even the small table had been wiped down so thoroughly it looked brand new.
In some ways, this setup was actually better than a standard dormitory. It was quiet, perfect for studying, and completely his own space.
A small stove had been added to combat the cold, damp weather of the Scottish Highlands.
However, after enduring four years in Azkaban, Dana's resistance to the cold had been maxed out. The stove would likely just become decoration—
Or, if he managed to get some ingredients, he could use it for barbecuing.
(He had heard that the Hufflepuff dormitories actually had full cooking utensils, but Hogwarts technically forbade students from cooking in their rooms. Then again—who actually followed that rule? As long as you weren't caught, it wasn't a violation.)
The only downside to his room was that it didn't have an attached bathroom.
For that, he'd have to go back to the common room.
Still, this wasn't an issue. He had long since mastered the Cleaning Charm in Azkaban—who needed water when magic could handle everything?
With a quick flick of his wand, he cleaned himself off and climbed into bed.
"Not bad… this mattress is even softer than the one at the Leaky Cauldron."
Satisfied, Dana quickly fell asleep.
The Next Morning
While most first-years were still caught up in the excitement of their first night at Hogwarts, Dana had already settled into routine.
His biological clock woke him up at dawn.
A quick Cleaning Charm replaced the need for washing up, and then he headed straight to the Great Hall, carrying the books for his first Charms class.
As he sat at the long table, Dana noticed that Hermione Granger was already there, quietly eating breakfast.
Ignoring her, he focused on the food that had appeared before him—bread, sausages, eggs, milk, and oatmeal.
Scooping himself a bowl of thick oatmeal, he poured in some milk and started eating.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of cutlery being set down across from him.
Looking up, he found Hermione had moved to sit directly in front of him.
"Good morning," she greeted.
"Good morning," Dana replied casually.
Hermione studied him carefully before pursing her lips and asking:
"They say you're a criminal. Are you really a criminal?"
Dana twirled his fork between his fingers, making the sausage on it spin.
"If being in prison is the only criterion for judging whether someone is a criminal… then yes, I am."
Hermione tilted her head.
"So, you believe you were wrongly imprisoned?"
Dana smirked and took a bite of his sausage.
"Tell me, what kind of crime do you think a seven-year-old—who hadn't even learned any magic yet—could commit to be sentenced to Azkaban?"
Hermione paused, then nodded in realization.
"I see. You were framed."
Dana chewed slowly.
"Why are you asking, Granger?"
Hermione sat up straight and answered,
"Because I don't think someone who loves studying as much as I do could be a villain."
Dana chuckled.
"That's not necessarily true. The Dark Lord was also an excellent student."
Before Hermione could respond, a group of Slytherin first-years entered the Great Hall, looking miserable.
They were whispering among themselves, and while Dana couldn't hear everything, he picked up key phrases:
"Should we tell Professor Snape?"
"No! He'll scold us!"
"But the smell won't go away—"
Dana smirked.
The Weasley twins' Dungbombs must have been insanely strong if the Slytherin common room's ventilation charms still hadn't cleared the stench overnight.
He silently gave the twins credit for that one.
After finishing his meal, Dana didn't see any of the boys from his dormitory.
They had probably stayed up too late, too excited about their first night at Hogwarts.
Leaving the Great Hall, he made his way to Charms class.
Rather than asking for directions, Dana simply pulled out the Marauder's Map.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Ink spread across the parchment, revealing the layout of Hogwarts and everyone inside.
Dana quickly located Professor Flitwick's classroom.
At the same time, he also noticed Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean were still in the dormitory.
"What's That?"
A voice spoke up behind him.
Turning, Dana found Hermione peering curiously at the Marauder's Map.
Before she could examine it further, he swiftly folded it away.
"Nothing. Just a map."
"A map of Hogwarts?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Yeah."
"Where did you get that?"
Dana shrugged.
"From a senior I met in Azkaban."
(It wasn't exactly a lie—after all, Sirius Black had helped create the Marauder's Map.)
Hermione frowned but said nothing.
Then Dana added,
"Granger, you should probably stay away from me. If you keep following me, the others will isolate you too."
Hermione hesitated, staring down at the books she was clutching.
Then, in a soft voice, she whispered:
"I don't care."
Dana raised an eyebrow.
She was already isolated, wasn't she?
Considering her personality, her roommates were probably avoiding her.
This would only get worse until Ron Weasley's words pushed her over the edge, like in the original timeline.
"So… we're both outcasts."
Dana smirked.
"A league of isolates, huh?"
From that moment on, he didn't push her away.
Hermione followed him to class, though she chose to sit at a separate desk once they arrived.
Half an hour later, the other students finally arrived.
To Dana's surprise, Harry and his roommates actually made it on time—probably because the Charms classroom was one of the closest to Gryffindor Tower.
Today's lesson was on the Lumos Charm.
"Everyone, wave your wand like this, and say after me—Lumos!"
A glow flickered at the tip of the students' wands, though most only managed a weak spark.
Ron, in particular, struggled, glancing enviously at Harry's candle-like glow.
Then he looked over and saw Dana's wand—
The light at the tip was not only bright, but constantly changing colors.
Just as Ron was about to try again, he noticed Hermione's wand glowing perfectly.
Her smug expression made him grit his teeth.
"Excellent Lumos Charm! Amazing control! Mr. Emrys, you have earned 2 points for Gryffindor!"
From the podium, Professor Flitwick stood atop his usual stack of books, smiling at Dana.
Dana blinked, surprised.
Then he noticed Flitwick winking at him.
"Wait… is McGonagall right? Are the professors actually trying to take care of me?"
End of the Chapter.
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