Everyone had a nightmare about the three-headed dog that night—except Adam, who was still stuck in his dream world that felt real to him, though he couldn't remember anything the next morning.
The next day, early in the morning, Adam and Hermione went to the school grounds for their daily exercise. Noticing that there were no professors around, they decided to start with magic practice instead. It had been a while since they had practised spells, so they decided to cast all the previously learned ones as a warm-up. Thanks to Adam's system, he could cast all the spells without any problem, but he was genuinely surprised to see Hermione casting them too, after only a couple of failed attempts at the start. They had only learned these spells and hadn't practised them much, so even Adam had to admit that Hermione was a really talented witch.
"Are you sure you haven't been practicing without me?"
Hermione laughed at this praise. Adam was best wizard of their age in her eyes, so it felt good for her to hear this compliment. "I have been revising and reading about them, but I didn't practice alone."
By the end of their practice, Adam decided to try riding a flying broomstick. He had bought a Nimbus 2000 and a Cleansweep Seven from his system. He wanted to practise on the Cleansweep Seven before using the Nimbus 2000. Hermione was surprised to see the broomsticks, but Adam convinced her that learning to fly was necessary if she wanted to do well in class. Slowly, he was brainwashing her into breaking rules.
Both of them tried riding the broomstick one by one. Adam could easily summon the broomstick into his hand when he said "Up." He mounted it and lightly jumped into the air. He hovered for a bit before landing. Since it was their first day and they didn't have much time, Adam decided to ride it just once. Hermione, ready with her wand in case Adam fell, couldn't use the Levitation Charm on him yet but could still slow down his fall by casting it on his clothes.
Next, it was Hermione's turn, but she failed miserably. She couldn't even get the broomstick to respond. Adam laughed as he watched her struggle. Instead of imagining herself picking up the broomstick when she said "Up," like Adam had, Hermione just stood there waiting for the broom to float into her hand—just like the book said it would. They were running out of time, so Adam pulled a reluctant Hermione toward the Great Hall for breakfast.
In the Great Hall
"Why can't I do it?! I heard from Percy that we'll be having our first flying class in the second week, so it might be this week or the next. I want to learn it before the class!" Hermione grumbled. She was annoyed that Adam had succeeded on his first try while she couldn't even summon the broom. Adam was her best friend, but he was also her biggest rival at Hogwarts. She didn't want to fall behind, and it was also the reason for her relentless hard work since arriving.
"Don't worry, you'll definitely learn it. We can't practise out in the open, so let's look for an empty classroom or a place where we'll be alone after classes. We really need to practise. We can't just abandon those spells after learning them. Let's also visit the library to find more information about the spells we need to learn. There's a lot to do, so don't focus only on flying—we'll get there sooner or later."
Adam looked around the Great Hall as he sat at the Gryffindor table. He spotted Daphne, who looked dazed and confused. She had also seen the three-headed dog, so it was easy to guess she had nightmares, just like Hermione.
Adam wanted to invite her to sit with them, but he thought someone might see her at the Gryffindor table, which could lead to more conflict—so he decided against it. At the teacher's table, he saw Snape reading the Daily Prophet.
"Maybe Snape patrols every Monday," Adam guessed. He had also seen Snape in the Great Hall the previous Monday. Adam thought about going to speak with him but remembered their last Potions class and decided against it.
Breakfast appeared in front of them, but just as Adam was about to begin, his eyes caught sight of a familiar transparent figure passing through the Slytherin table and heading toward them. He had seen her many times over the past week. He didn't know much about her, except that she was Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. She also seemed strangely familiar to him, but he couldn't explain why. He always smiled and nodded whenever their eyes met to avoid appearing arrogant, like Draco.
At first, he thought their frequent encounters were just coincidences, but after hearing Daphne's words, he began to feel something was off. It was too strange to see someone so often in a castle this big.
Just as Helena was about to pass the Gryffindor table, Adam quickly said, "Good morning, Ms. Grey."
Many students called Helena "Ms. Grey" or "Grey Lady," as she was known.
Helena was tall and beautiful, with waist-length hair. She had a proud expression that gave off an aloof air. Adam thought it was a pity that she was now just a ghost as he sneakily glanced at her from head to toe.
Helena paused and turned to face Adam. She looked at him for a few seconds before nodding. She rarely spoke, so most students—except Ravenclaws—believed she couldn't talk. Her cold attitude toward non-Ravenclaws made her unapproachable, which is why most students knew little about her.
Just as she was about to leave, her gaze fixed on something near the entrance. Adam followed her gaze and saw a white owl flying toward him, carrying a large box in its claws.
Adam stood and stretched out his arms to receive the box from his owl, Athena. He smiled, knowing it was his birthday gift from his parents. There was also a small box tied on top.
He placed the box on the table, but just as he was about to open it, Athena landed on his shoulder and pecked him—hard.
"Ouch! Ouch! That hurts! Stop it, Athena!" Adam yelped, picking her up and holding her away from his face. Athena stared at him silently.
"She looks tired. Maybe she's angry because she had to carry this big box all the way here," Hermione said, gently stroking Athena's head. Athena responded warmly and leapt from Adam's hand, landing on Hermione's bushy hair. Hermione tried to remove her but failed—Athena had latched onto her tightly.
Adam knew Athena wasn't tired at all—she just wanted a reward. Still, he was too happy about the gift to be annoyed.
"I'll get you something to eat after breakfast. Thank you for your hard work, Athena," Adam said. But Athena didn't react; she just made a soft noise and kept staring at him. Clearly, she wouldn't leave until she got her reward.
Adam's mouth twitched, but he stayed composed and looked into his system.
"Athena, Adam will get you something nice after breakfast. Can you wait?" Hermione tried to coax her. As soon as she finished speaking, Athena flew off Hermione's head. Hermione smiled, thinking Athena had listened to her—but just as she was about to tease Adam, she saw Athena swoop down to Adam, grab something wrapped in black plastic, and fly out of the hall.
"Don't eat plastic, you maniac!" Adam shouted, loud enough to draw the attention of Snape and Daphne. Embarrassed, Adam quickly sat back down.
Helena, silent all this time, was visibly amused. She murmured, "That owl is smart."
Adam was surprised to hear her voice—it was as beautiful as her appearance. He glanced at her again and sighed before replying, "Yeah, she's really too smart."
Hermione was about to say something about Athena but changed her mind and asked about the box instead. "What's in these boxes?"
"Birthday gift," Adam replied casually, opening the letter attached to the large box.
" Dear Adam,
We won't be able to celebrate your birthday together, so I (your mom) made you a cake. Cut it with your friends. We miss you very much. Take care and write to us if you need money.
I (your dad) decorated the house for your birthday. I'll keep pictures for you to see at Christmas. There's also a gift in the small box—don't open it until you cut the cake.
Your father cried after you left. He won't admit it, but he misses you deeply.
We both love you very, very much."
It was a short letter, but enough to bring faint tears to Adam's eyes. Just then, Hermione interrupted.
"It's your birthday today?!! Why didn't you tell me? I didn't even get you a gift!"
Adam quickly pulled her hand and whispered, "It's not today. It was yesterday. I forgot to tell you. Don't worry. Let's celebrate now—my mom made a chocolate cake."
Hermione was annoyed but also felt guilty for not knowing her best friend's birthday. She decided to make it up to him later. She asked Adam to invite Professor Snape while she went to get Daphne.
Adam nervously approached the teacher's table.
"What is it, Taylor? I don't have time for your silly things," Snape said gruffly, looking more annoyed than usual.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Professor. I just wanted to invite you to celebrate my birthday." Adam turned to leave, but behind him, Snape quietly walked toward the Gryffindor table—keeping a safe distance, of course.
Daphne reluctantly joined them with puffy eyes. She looked like she could fall asleep any moment but stayed for the celebration.
It wasn't what Adam had imagined, but his birthday was still celebrated properly—with Hermione's cheerful singing compensating for Helena and Daphne's quiet voices and Snape's silence. A month ago, Adam would never have imagined celebrating his birthday at Hogwarts—let alone with Helena and Snape.
Snape's presence made Adam wonder if he was genuinely nice in this world—or dangerously scheming. As for Helena, her motives remained unclear. But she stayed and even sang a barely audible "Happy Birthday," which still meant a lot to Adam.
Afterward, Snape took his slice of cake and left. Daphne chatted briefly with Hermione before heading to the dormitory. Daphne wished to talk with Adam but she couldn't do it in front of Hermione and also in front of her Head of the House. They also found out that Draco had been caught sneaking out for the duel the previous night—making Snape seem like Harry's guardian angel again.
Adam apologized to Helena, feeling guilty for enjoying cake in front of someone who hadn't been able to eat for a thousand years.
"I don't need it. I'm used to it," Helena said and passed through a wall, disappearing.
Back in the common room, Hermione insisted Adam open the small box before showering. Nervously, he did so.
Inside was a plain-looking pocket watch. Adam's eyes lit up.
"I saw this in a shop years ago but didn't tell my dad—it was too expensive. But he still noticed and bought it. I even forgot about it until now."
Hermione leaned in. "Is that… a pocket watch?"
"It's not just any pocket watch," Adam said, flipping it open. "The old woman who sold it said it was magical—never needed maintenance and never stopped working. She might've lied, but something about it felt… strange."
Adam fell silent, but Hermione said softly, "Mysterious and really old. Like it's been this way for a long, long time."
Adam was surprised—he had felt the same.
They stared at the watch until they heard the Weasley twins coming downstairs.
"Let's talk about this later. We better get ready for classes," Adam said, slipping the watch into his pocket.
Both of them returned to their respective dormitories and got ready for their classes. Today was the day when the professors would officially begin teaching and allowing the students to cast spells. However, it wasn't all that exciting for Adam and Hermione, as they already knew most of the basic spells the professors were planning to teach.
Both of them could cast the Levitation Charm, which was the first spell taught by Professor Flitwick. They were also capable of using the basic Transfiguration spell taught by Professor McGonagall to turn a matchstick into a needle.
Adam attended his classes as usual. Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts turned out to be quite boring, as no magic was involved yet. Still, Adam managed to enjoy learning about plants. During Herbology, Neville answered most of the questions, earning many house points for Gryffindor. Adam also learned many interesting facts about magical plants from Neville—many of which weren't even recorded in their textbooks. He could easily guess that Neville had probably been interested in Herbology since childhood.
Neville was also Adam's friend, but they only talked when there weren't many people around. Adam didn't want Neville to be seen with him, as Neville's grandmother had warned him to stay away from Adam. Neville himself didn't seem to mind, but Adam didn't want to cause trouble for his friend. Even during their explorations of the castle, Adam avoided speaking to Neville in public. Many students saw them together but assumed Neville was just Hermione's friend, as Adam always acted cold toward him. However, today Neville seemed unusually brave. He ignored Adam's warnings and kept talking to him openly.
Meanwhile, Hermione was caught up with Parvati and Lavender, leaving Adam all alone. It was rare for Adam to be by himself, and he realized then that he didn't really have any friends at Hogwarts besides Hermione and Neville. Harry and Ron were nearby but didn't speak to him. Dean and Seamus always avoided him, as if he carried some strange infection. Some Gryffindor seniors would occasionally speak to him, but not in a friendly or casual way.
The Weasley twins were the only ones who didn't avoid him, but they were always busy with their pranks, making it hard to spend time with them.
Gryffindor shared Herbology with Hufflepuff, so Adam had some interaction with Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones. They had asked about his background on the first day, but afterward, they spoke to him normally—likely due to their Hufflepuff nature. However, the rest of the Hufflepuffs weren't as open-minded and mostly ignored him. As for Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley, Adam even wondered why they were sorted into Hufflepuff. All they ever did when they saw him was gossip and come up with absurd theories. Adam didn't mind much, but those theories made many first-years fearful of him.
Ravenclaws rarely interacted with Adam. Aside from Padma Patil, who was Parvati's twin sister, the only other Ravenclaw he had spoken with was Lisa Turpin—whom he had helped when she got lost in the castle. The Ravenclaws were too absorbed in their studies to pay attention to Adam's background. They had started studying from the very first week. Adam had no problems with the Ravenclaws, but he also didn't have any friends among them.
As for the Slytherins, their hatred toward Gryffindors made them irrelevant to Adam. Except for Daphne, nearly all of them had joined Draco's gang. Draco was more powerful and wealthier than the rest, and his status as their leader was already solidified. This made Adam realize something important.
If he truly wanted to ensure his own safety and his family's, while also making a name for himself in this world, he would need more than just magical power.
Power was essential, but along with it, he also needed wealth and reputation. He couldn't match the resources of the pure-blood families, but he needed to earn enough to provide for himself. While he could buy many things through his system, there were limitations—mainly gold and special points, which were not unlimited.
He now had to think seriously about how to earn Galleons. The easiest and quickest way was to make potions and sell them. However, without a Ministry license, he couldn't sell potions officially. His only option would be to sell them in Knockturn Alley. It was a viable short-term solution, but he didn't have the time to keep brewing large quantities, especially with so many other problems to handle.
Another option was to create something new for the wizarding world using his outside knowledge. This was one of the best long-term ideas, but with his current magical knowledge, it wasn't feasible yet.
Reputation was even harder to manage. He already had some notoriety, which had brought him enough danger. If his fame increased, he would likely attract the attention of more—and possibly hidden—pure-blood families, leaving him with even fewer safe options in the wizarding world.
He couldn't gain enough power to protect himself in a short time. He didn't have the magical foundation needed to start a long-term wealth plan. That meant he had to work on smaller goals while keeping a low profile. Reputation without the power to back it up was a liability, not an asset.
So now, the only option left for Adam was to find himself a backer. The Greengrass family was a potential candidate, but he couldn't trust them just yet. Even though he had only met Astoria once, he already liked her. As for Daphne, she was also quite different from other pure-bloods. But basing his judgment solely on those two wasn't enough to fully trust Sophie Greengrass or the Greengrass family.
If he truly wanted their full support, he would first need to get his hands on the book about blood magic that Rowena Ravenclaw had left behind in her trial. That would give him a bargaining chip.
For now, all he could do was work on building a good image in front of his schoolmates and professors. He also wished for a normal school life—something he had been denied in his previous life—so he didn't want to be isolated due to all the rumors circulating about him.
Hermione spent the entire day with Parvati and Lavender, who seemed to be getting along with her after resolving their initial disagreement. Hermione was happy to have cleared up the misunderstandings and was even happier to have made two new friends.
During Charms class, Professor Flitwick taught them how to cast the Levitation Charm. As Adam had predicted, many students failed. It was still too early for most of them to successfully cast spells, just as Professor Flitwick had mentioned. Many had incorrect wand movements, while others mispronounced the incantation.
This led to a familiar scene from the movie: Hermione correcting Ron's sloppy wand waving and mispronunciation. She told him how to pronounce it properly, and in response, Ron muttered something Adam couldn't hear—but whatever it was, it made Hermione furious. She stormed off immediately after class.
Both Adam and Hermione received 10 house points each for successfully casting the Levitation Charm, and an additional 5 points for answering questions. But that wasn't enough to calm Hermione down, and Adam could only watch as she left.
A new task appeared in Adam's system: he could now earn Gold and Special Points as a reward for every house point he received. That motivated him to answer more questions in the following classes.
In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall asked them to recall the transfiguration alphabets and formulas. But after seeing everyone's blank and confused expressions, she became furious. She canceled her plan to teach new spells and instead told them to revise what they had supposedly learned over the past week—much to the class's disappointment. But Professor McGonagall didn't care.
After classes ended, Adam couldn't find Hermione, so he headed to the library alone. A while later, Neville arrived and asked Adam to help him practice the Levitation Charm. Neville was nervous about falling behind compared to Adam and Hermione. He wanted to work hard and catch up, fearing he would be left too far behind.
Adam was happy to help and took Neville to the school grounds for practice. Many students gave Neville odd looks, but he ignored them and continued practicing with Adam.
While Adam was helping Neville with spellwork, Hermione finally emerged from her room after calming down. As soon as she entered the common room, she overheard a conversation that piqued her curiosity.
"Ron, look at this news. The goblins are still refusing to say what that thief tried to steal from Gringotts. I think he was after whatever Hagrid took from vault 713. Maybe we should warn Hagrid—or even Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, pointing to an article in the Daily Prophet.
He had already seen a similar article the previous week, but this was a follow-up that reminded him of the small object Hagrid had taken from vault 713. It had been stored in a large, heavily protected vault, so it had to be important.
"Yeah, we should talk to Hagrid," Ron replied. "And maybe ask him about that three-headed dog. I heard he knows a lot about magical creatures."
Both Ron and Harry had already moved past their initial fear and now saw the encounter with the dog as an adventure. They were eager for their next one.
"Hagrid should know," Harry agreed. "But why would the school keep such a monster in the castle? Someone could get hurt."
Hermione, still hiding near the stairs, listened in disbelief to their increasingly absurd ideas. She had seen the trapdoor beneath the three-headed dog and guessed it was guarding something. Eventually, she had heard enough.
"You two are idiots," she said, stepping into view with a mocking tone. "You didn't even notice what the monster was standing on."
Ron scowled as soon as he heard her voice. He was already tired of Hermione's bossy, know-it-all attitude. But before he could say anything, Harry spoke up with curiosity.
"What do you mean? What was it standing on?"
Hermione, always eager to demonstrate her knowledge, walked over and sat in an empty armchair near the sofa. She explained about the trapdoor and her suspicions. Harry added his own theory—that the object taken from vault 713 was now hidden beneath that trapdoor.
Their conversation grew more animated and continued for nearly two hours. If Adam had seen them together like that, he would have immediately thought: The Golden Trio is starting to come together. And that was definitely not acceptable to him, just because he didn't want to lose Hermione as his BEST FRIEND.