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Four days had already passed since the end of the Triwizard Tournament, and during all that time, our families — mine, Harry's, Fleur's, and even Krum's mother — had been staying at Hogwarts, with the Headmaster's permission, of course.
With my parents and Cele temporarily living with me inside the castle, they spent practically every single day by my side.
The only times my parents were away from me were when they went to spend some time with the other adults — Nick and Penny, Andromeda, Ted, Sirius, Remus, and Fleur's parents.
Other than that?
They barely let me out of their sight for even five minutes.
It was as if they were convinced I would disappear the second they looked away.
That overprotective, clingy, slightly excessive behavior was their way of showing just how worried they were about me.
And honestly?
I didn't mind it at all.
In fact, I found it strangely comforting.
Some people probably would have found their behavior a little suffocating. But in my case, I found it reassuring.
After everything that had happened, feeling their affection and concern constantly reminded me of how loved I was.
So even with my parents practically acting like my personal bodyguards, I didn't complain a single time.
Come on! They were my parents!
My family!
I had just gone through something no teenager should ever have to face.
An experience that had been dangerous, traumatic, and could have very easily ended much worse.
It would have been strange if they hadn't been worried or cautious.
And honestly, it would have been far more concerning — and even frightening — if they had seemed indifferent.
Besides, it wasn't like the time we spent together had been bad or anything.
Quite the opposite.
It was fun as hell.
For the first time, I was truly able to properly show my family the place that had now become a part of my life as well.
And the first step was turning the three of them into Hogwarts' newest official explorers.
Of course, they had already toured the castle before during the first two tasks.
But back then, everything had happened so quickly.
They barely had time to explore the countless corridors, admire the architecture, visit the more interesting rooms, or simply appreciate all the little magical absurdities scattered throughout the castle.
This time was different.
There were no tasks, competitions, or obligations getting in the way.
Nobody was there to interrupt us.
We basically had entire days available just for ourselves.
And I fully intended to make the most of that.
So that's exactly what I did.
I showed them corridors, towers, courtyards, classrooms, interesting passageways, and practically every place I considered worth seeing.
And once we finished exploring the more ordinary parts of the castle, I started introducing them to the truly special and magical parts of Hogwarts.
Naturally, Cele was the one who enjoyed the whole experience the most.
I still remember her spending nearly half an hour trying to talk to the portraits.
Unfortunately for her, some of the people living in the portraits were incredibly rude.
Especially one grumpy old wizard who made the mistake of complaining that she asked too many questions.
To his absolute horror, that only encouraged Cele to ask even more.
The poor man eventually fled into another portrait just to escape from her.
My little sister considered that a personal victory.
Apparently, the two of us shared a special talent for tormenting people trapped inside magical paintings.
Maybe next time we visit Sirius's house, I'll bring her along for a friendly little chat with the lovely Walburga.
Let's see whether the late Mrs. Black's venomous tongue and prejudice can defeat the endless curiosity of a hyperactive nine-year-old.
Anyway... back to the point.
After that first stage of our exploration, I also took the opportunity to show my parents one of the most important places in Hogwarts.
Or rather, one of the most important places for any Ravenclaw.
The Ravenclaw Common Room.
Since I spent a good portion of my time there studying, reading, talking with friends, or simply relaxing, I thought it was only fair to introduce it to them.
Of course, getting to Ravenclaw Tower ended up being an adventure all by itself.
On the way there, we passed by some of the castle's famous moving staircases.
They weren't exactly new to my parents at that point, but that didn't stop Cele from remaining completely fascinated by them.
Or rather... it didn't stop her from treating them like a giant playground.
At one point, she decided to run across one of the staircases at the exact moment it chose to change directions.
We had to prevent at least three minor accidents.
Maybe four... honestly, I had already lost count.
Cele only calmed down a little after Dad gave her a mild scolding.
What made the whole thing even funnier was that only a few minutes later, he almost had an accident himself.
One of the steps vanished beneath his foot without any warning.
That treacherous step earned an impressive amount of swearing — something quite rare coming from a man who was usually so calm.
Mom and I had a great time watching that, mostly because it made it painfully obvious how embarrassed he was about nearly being defeated by a flight of stairs.
After surviving the combined threat of a hyperactive child and a castle that clearly possessed occasional homicidal tendencies, we finally arrived at the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.
And it was there that I introduced them to one of the most peculiar security systems in all of Hogwarts.
The famous eagle-shaped knocker.
And my parents' reaction to that enchanted animated object was absolutely priceless.
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~Flashback~
"So this is it?" my dad asked, studying the passageway in front of us with a raised eyebrow.
"Yep," I nodded.
"And how do you get in?"
Instead of answering, I simply pointed at the bronze eagle knocker attached to the door.
A few seconds later, it came to life.
"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"
Silence filled the corridor.
Mom blinked.
Dad blinked.
Cele blinked.
"...what was that?" my dad asked.
"A riddle."
"A riddle?"
"Yes, a riddle."
"To get into the common room?"
"Exactly."
My dad stared at me for a few seconds.
"You have to solve a riddle every single time you want to get in?"
"Yep," I nodded once again.
"And what happens if you get it wrong?"
"You stay outside."
He made a face of complete disbelief.
"That is the most pointless and idiotic thing I've ever heard."
"I agree," I shrugged.
My mom let out a small laugh, clearly amused.
"So what's the answer?" she asked with a smile.
"An echo," I answered simply.
The moment I finished speaking, the door immediately swung open.
My parents watched it in silence.
Then they kept watching.
And watching.
Clearly expecting something else to happen.
Maybe a burst of magical light. An angelic choir.
Or perhaps some dramatic effect announcing that we had been deemed worthy to enter.
Unfortunately for them, none of that happened.
After a few seconds, the two of them finally realized that was all there was to it.
"That was..." my mom began.
"Anticlimactic?" my dad suggested.
"I was going to say too simple, but that works too."
Hearing that conversation, the corners of my lips twitched slightly.
I wasn't exactly sure what they had been expecting.
But clearly reality hadn't lived up to their expectations.
Shaking my head in amusement, I stepped into the room, with my family following close behind.
The moment we crossed the entrance, all the criticism of Ravenclaw's security system disappeared almost instantly.
Looking around, they were completely impressed.
Arched windows that offered a spectacular view of the castle grounds.
Bookshelves scattered throughout the room, filled with books, scrolls, and journals left behind by former students.
Comfortable armchairs, study tables, and elegant celestial-themed decorations inspired by stars and constellations that gave the place a calm and welcoming atmosphere.
And right in the center stood the imposing statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, watching over everything with a serene expression.
After that introduction, it was impossible to deny that the Ravenclaw Common Room was one of the most beautiful places in Hogwarts.
"Okay..." my dad admitted after a few seconds. "This is genuinely impressive."
My mom immediately agreed.
"It's beautiful."
"Very, very beautiful," Cele nodded with a 'serious' look on her adorable face.
I smiled proudly.
I felt like an artist receiving praise for his masterpiece.
Of course, I had absolutely nothing to do with the design of the Ravenclaw Common Room.
But that was just a minor and completely irrelevant detail.
As Professor McGonagall herself had said on the day I first arrived at Hogwarts, the House we were sorted into would become our home within the castle.
And in that moment, I couldn't help but feel satisfied seeing my House so appreciated by my family.
'That's the reaction I was hoping for,' I thought, nodding to myself.
End.
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