I woke up early once again, the first one in the room. Quietly, I slipped out into the dormitory common room, where I found a couple of other sleepless souls. I didn't know if, like me, they had woken up early, or if they simply hadn't slept all night. I gave them a brief greeting and went on my way.
I headed outside the school and began my morning run. I had picked up the habit shortly after arriving at Castelobruxo; honestly, it was a good way to get familiar with the grounds.
We had already been here a month and had seen much of what they had to offer. The first week had been dedicated to reviewing last year's material, and only in the second week did we finally start the actual course content. Almost nothing I didn't already know, but it was interesting to notice the differences compared to Hogwarts.
After several laps around the castle grounds, I reached the main staircase, where Hannah and Neville were waiting for me, both dressed in exercise clothes. Together, at a pace more suited to their physical condition, we were going to do one last lap.
Yes, we had started training together. It was Hannah who had wanted to join after seeing me and remembering the training sessions I gave them back in the Lair, and since we had promised to help Neville, we included him, too.
There were some boys and girls nearby, talking with them, but they stepped aside the moment I arrived, letting us start our group run. Back then, some had tried to follow us, but sooner or later they gave up. Only a handful truly had the stamina to join our morning routines… though I myself made sure to discourage them with a little emotional manipulation. I didn't like people interrupting my time with my friends, especially boys who were a little too interested in Hannah. She was quite the object of attention here, just as a certain guide had warned me.
We ran for quite a while, until Hannah and Neville ended up exhausted, sweaty, and gasping for air. It was always the same: they still needed work to reach the kind of shape required to keep up with me without struggling.
Like every morning, we finished our marathon at the small buildings in front of the school, where the shops and businesses were. With a few simple spells we cleaned and refreshed ourselves, then chose where we would have breakfast that day.
Sitting at the table, we ate slowly. It was Saturday, and we had no classes. Hannah had signed up for a couple of special courses on topics she was interested in, but at least this morning she was free. Same with Neville. I was the only one who hadn't joined anything in particular. Not that there weren't interesting options, but honestly, sending an invisible clone to spy on the classes felt like enough and way less troublesome.
I watched my companions and couldn't help but think that we had adapted well. Though they still needed my help with the language, in everything else they were much more at ease. The castle was sometimes confusing, both because of its structure, so different from what we were used to, and its magical quirks, but they could now go out on their own without getting lost… too much. They had even gotten used to most of the local food, though there were a few dishes they never tried again after some bad first experiences. Even their clothing had started to resemble that of the students here, suitable for a hot, humid climate.
I looked at Hannah, devouring her food without worrying too much about manners, and still she looked adorable. She was always starving after our morning training… more intense than what she used to do back at Hogwarts. But she herself said how satisfied she felt afterward. Now, despite the cleaning spells, sweat was beading again on her forehead from the heat.
I don't know why, but that detail made her look even cuter. My mind kept imagining other activities that could also make her sweat… Yes, I was aroused, which felt odd considering that my main body was having sex regularly with several girls, so I should've been satisfied. Surely it was the side effect of that experiment with…
"What's up, guys? Oooh… breakfast." Malena appeared out of nowhere, greeting us and, without asking permission, snatched the arepa from Neville's hand, took a bite, and handed it back as if nothing happened, sitting down beside him to continue eating straight from his plate.
Yes, there she was again: our enthusiastic and slightly shameless guide. Almost every day she would "just happen" to pass by and end up sharing our breakfast. By now, she didn't even bother to hide it.
"You know you could just come run with us in the mornings and eat breakfast together, right?" I said, taking a sip from my drink.
"I don't like waking up early," she shot back, now drinking from Neville's glass. "Besides, I can't afford breakfast every day… I'm not like you rich bastards."
Hannah could barely contain her laughter watching Neville turn red as a tomato, stiff and clueless about what to do, as always when Malena clung so close. At first, she would steal bites from everyone's food, but lately she focused only on Neville. And of course, since we knew this, we secretly always ordered a little extra for him, so he wouldn't go hungry.
"I think we can afford an extra breakfast… no need to put Neville on the spot," I remarked, pointing at the poor boy who looked like he could hardly breathe with her so close.
"Come on, Neville doesn't mind," Malena said, hugging him against her chest. "He's a good boy, kind and helpful, who doesn't mind sharing his food with a needy soul, right?" she added, holding an arepa to his lips as if to make him confirm with a bite.
Neville was on the verge of fainting from all the stimulation, but forced himself to accept that indirect kiss with all the willpower he could muster… though, truth be told, he didn't even feel hungry anymore.
"See? He's perfectly fine. We're super close friends who share food," Malena declared with a mischievous grin.
"Whatever you say… just don't break Neville. We need him in one piece when we get back to Europe," I replied calmly.
Breakfast continued as usual, with Malena telling us the latest happenings at Castelobruxo. She got along very well with Hannah, especially with jokes, and together they dominated the conversation. Hannah had already adapted to her senior's extroverted style, and they could talk about almost anything, though some topics made her blush too much when I was present. Neville also chimed in at times, at least when Malena didn't have him pressed against her, because under those conditions he was totally incapable of uttering a word.
When we finished eating and were about to leave to bathe and change, Malena stood up first:
"See you in an hour. Today I've got a very special place to show you… but it's a secret," she said, winking and pressing a finger to her lips before walking away.
That wasn't unusual either. Every weekend she took it upon herself to be our unofficial guide around Castelobruxo. Each time she brought us somewhere new: from abandoned classrooms to corners where students held underground duels. Not everything was impressive, but with a place as enormous as Castelobruxo, Malena never ran out of new spots to reveal. And she always added some funny anecdote from that place, which made every outing special.
In a way, weekends had become the most entertaining days thanks to her, who kept acting as our guide even though she had only been assigned that role during the first week. Malena was simply like that: pleasant, spontaneous, and our very first friend at Castelobruxo.
...
After meeting up with Malena once more, she started guiding us through the castle with no clear destination. She seemed to be deliberately avoiding classrooms, professors, and staff. Considering we were on the upper floors, I was grateful; ever since that prophecy on the bus, Professor Sílvia hadn't stopped making me her main focus in class, constantly insisting I join divination clubs and courses to "not waste the unmatched gift that God had given me."
We reached a certain floor but didn't stop. We kept going until we came upon a peculiar hallway. It wasn't one of the wider ones and formed a closed square, with a few doors and windows to the outside, but none toward the interior. The walls were decorated with carvings, though less detailed than in other parts of the castle. Mostly jungle murals: vines, leaves, animals… with barely any human presence.
"You know, there are places in the castle that not even the professors know about," Malena said as we walked. She kept her hand on the wall, brushing over the sculpted jungle surfaces. "Or they know, but can't get in."
At one point, she stopped. Her hand had gone still on the carving of a jaguar. She drew her wand and traced a strange "S" in the air. The animal faded away, and the stone wall slid open to the sides, just enough to leave a gap the width of a head. On the other side was only a white light—bright but opaque—that lit nothing around it and revealed nothing inside.
"The position changes with each entrance, and it's always a specific jaguar," she explained. "If you're not good at spotting it, the best way is by touch: the right one gives a very slight shiver when you touch it. But you have to be discreet—this is one of the most secret places in the school… at least, one that students can actually access."
With that, Malena slipped through the narrow opening. It wasn't easy—her boobs made it a little difficult—but she managed to squeeze past the light.
We followed her without thinking too much, trusting that she wouldn't take us anywhere dangerous… and even if she did, I wasn't worried. The space was narrow, but since we were "small" youngsters, we managed to pass without trouble.
On the other side awaited something unexpected: a kind of jungle, though tamed. The grass barely reached our shoes and there were no signs of wild animals or dangerous creatures. More than a jungle, it looked like a huge, exotic hidden garden.
"Welcome to the Clareira da Paixão," Malena announced, spreading her arms. "This is a very special inner courtyard; besides students, almost no one else can enter."
We stood amazed as she continued:
"Not only is the entrance narrow. Adults of a certain age simply can't get through: if they try, the light becomes a solid wall. A few very capable ones or those with special permission, like the headmaster, could enter… but they rarely do. It's hard and costly." She began walking ahead, motioning for us to follow. "Also, you must never enter if anyone sees you. Even though many professors don't know it, the older ones do, and if they catch you, you get punished. And the worst part: if they manage to come in, everyone inside gets punished. So you mustn't share this secret with anyone you don't fully trust. That's the only reason this place still exists and hasn't been shut down."
"Why do they punish anyone who comes here?" Hannah asked innocently.
Malena smiled… and didn't even get to answer before a sound interrupted us