After dinner, Dylan chatted with his parents for a bit.
Mr. Hubert glanced at the time and announced he was taking Mrs. Maeve to catch a late-night movie at the cinema.
He even asked Dylan, with a thoughtful tone, if he wanted to tag along.
Dylan, naturally, declined without hesitation.
Hubert shook his head, spreading his hands. "That's a shame. But, lucky for me, I only bought two tickets, so I don't have to run back and grab another one for you."
With that, he slipped an arm around Maeve's waist.
Dylan's mouth twitched.
—You never actually planned on me coming along and playing third wheel, did you?
"Oh, Darling~ you take care at home by yourself, okay?" Maeve said softly.
Dylan nodded.
Hubert waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about him. He's got his own plans. Probably gonna tinker with some weird stuff we wouldn't get anyway."
He looked at Dylan. "Right, kid?"
The sudden, crisp London accent reminded Dylan of that curly-haired British grandma.
"Yeah, Dad, you're way too sharp. Nailed it in one go," Dylan replied, rolling his eyes.
With that, he saw his makeshift parents off and headed back to his bedroom.
Finally, he had time to take a closer look at the Ravenclaw portrait and figure out what made it so special.
He shut the door.
Coalball, his pet, scanned the room before hopping onto the bed and sprawling out comfortably.
Luna, being an owl, would've been a hassle flying around the house, so Dylan had already tucked her back into the pet space.
"Wanna head back?" Dylan asked Coalball.
The little creature shook its head vigorously.
"Moo~ (Nope!)"
Dylan nodded. "Alright, I'm heading in."
He opened his suitcase.
Coalball: ()?
Was it just tricked by some capitalist scheme?
"Moo moo moo! (I wanna go too!)"
Dylan chuckled, waved his hand, and brought Coalball along into the suitcase's space.
"Roar!"
The moment they appeared, Norbert zoomed over.
Dylan tossed a few strips of meat. "Go play for a bit. I've got some business to handle."
"Roar roar! (Got it!)"
Norbert bobbed its big head and shuffled off to mess around with the Basilisk, which Dylan had unsealed, letting it roam freely in the forest and ocean.
Most of the time, Norbert was the one toying with the Basilisk.
Like treating it as a giant spicy snack or a plaything, tossing it around.
Or using it as a sparring partner to sharpen its combat skills.
The Basilisk wasn't entirely helpless—it could fight back to some extent.
But for one, pitting it against a fire-breathing, flying dragon wasn't exactly a fair fight.
And two, after Dylan's relentless torment—peeling its scales, drawing its blood, slicing its flesh—the Basilisk's ferocious nature had been thoroughly tamed.
It wasn't exactly timid now, but it definitely didn't dare act too wild or harm Dylan's pets.
With those constraints, it couldn't even rely on its curse-inducing eyes, which weren't guaranteed to beat Norbert anyway.
Even if it managed to curse Norbert, a dragon's natural magic resistance was sky-high.
The Basilisk couldn't fully petrify it.
And if it did manage some effect, a single dose of Mandrake potion would undo it.
On the flip side, if it actually hurt Norbert, it'd probably face an even harsher round of Dylan's torture.
—It had learned that lesson the hard way.
Since then, it had no choice but to endure Norbert's teasing and roughhousing.
All it could do was keep slithering away.
Dylan ignored the chaos on Norbert's end and pulled the Ravenclaw portrait from his system panel.
He stood at the edge of a lush forest, with an ocean nearby.
The scent of earth mixed with the salty sea breeze swirled around him.
It was getting dark.
Both the forest and ocean were cloaked in twilight.
He carefully unwrapped the portrait, covered in deep blue velvet.
A familiar yet unfamiliar face slowly came into view.
The portrait wasn't small.
The woman in it wore an intricate diadem studded with sapphires and stars, her raven-black hair cascading like silk.
Her features carried an indescribable elegance and wisdom.
She wore a pale blue robe embroidered with silver eagles, symbols of intellect.
It was just a painting, yet her presence felt so lifelike, radiating a mysterious glow.
Dylan's gaze was drawn to her eyes.
They were deep blue, like a lake holding an entire starry sky.
As he stared, transfixed, those still eyes suddenly shifted, locking onto him.
Their gazes met in the air.
Dylan's heart skipped a beat, a tingling jolt running through him.
—Gotta admit, Ravenclaw's a real beauty.
That aura of wisdom wrapped around her made her stand out even more.
"Young wizard," Ravenclaw's voice came from the portrait, soft but carrying an undeniable authority.
"How did you bring me here?"
She tilted her head slightly, the sapphires on her diadem catching the light, adding a captivating charm to her face.
Dylan blinked, snapping out of it. "Headmistress Ravenclaw, how I brought you here isn't important. What matters is, do you have any memories from before? Like, where were you before you got here?"
Ravenclaw's eyes narrowed slightly. "It seems I have no recollection of that. Did you use a spell to affect me?"
Hearing her response, Dylan relaxed.
Looked like the system's item wouldn't leave him with any loose ends.
"Well then, Headmistress Ravenclaw, let me introduce myself."
He levitated the portrait frame in midair and gave a gentlemanly bow.
Ravenclaw's gaze swept over the forest and ocean.
"Such an unfamiliar space… Your explanation better be impressive."
Dylan grinned. "Didn't expect you to come on so strong. I always pictured you as the gentle type, Headmistress."
Ravenclaw paused, raising an eyebrow as she studied him. "From your words, are you a Hogwarts student?"
"Yep. This is my space, my world, my rules."
Dylan snapped his fingers.
The distant ocean waves froze into a transparent staircase, stretching up to the clouds.
He led the portrait upward, overlooking the scene below.
Suddenly, the forest lit up with countless fireflies.
A starry canopy wove itself above them.
Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow, gracefully lifting a hand within the portrait.
A burst of magic rippled out silently.
Her fingertips grazed the canvas's edge, a pale blue glow flickering.
She was clearly using magic to sense her surroundings.
"An intriguing space. I can feel the power of its rules," she said, her gaze landing on Dylan with a hint of curiosity.
"And those rules seem tied to you."
"What's happened at Hogwarts? How did a young wizard like you come to be?"
Dylan chuckled lightly. "Nothing's happened at Hogwarts. I'm just… different. From now on, this is your new home."
"I'll do my best to bring Gryffindor and the other founders here to keep you company."
"Oh? You can even bring Gryffindor and the others?" Ravenclaw asked.
"Well, maybe," Dylan replied with a pause, noting her lack of enthusiasm. "Don't you want to see them?"
Ravenclaw waved a hand lightly in the portrait. "It feels like one moment I was with them, and the next, I'm a painting. So, whether I see them or not doesn't stir much in me."
"But if you could bring Hufflepuff, I'd be quite pleased."
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
Made sense.
Hogwarts was built by the four founders, sure, but they were more like colleagues.
They got along well when they first started the school.
But later, their differing ideals caused rifts—starting with Slytherin clashing with the other three, which cracked their bond.
The other three stayed on decent terms, but it was never as close as it once was.
Dylan nodded. "I'll try."
Ravenclaw studied him. "Which house are you in?"
Dylan smiled. "Gryffindor."
"Oh, so you're not a pureblood?"
Dylan blinked.
Ravenclaw chuckled softly. "By Salazar's standards, I'd wager Slytherin doesn't take mixed-blood wizards anymore."
Dylan shrugged. "It's been a thousand years. Slytherin's turned into a bit of a pureblood elitist club, sure, but with Salazar long gone, his ideals don't hold everyone anymore."
Ravenclaw nodded slightly, her gaze softening.
Though she didn't fully understand her situation, she felt like she should be a portrait.
And this young wizard was a Hogwarts student—Gryffindor, not Ravenclaw, but still one of hers in a way.
Gryffindors, she knew, were good at heart.
As a founder, she was, in a sense, his headmistress.
How could she be too harsh on her own student?
"Oh, almost forgot the most important part—I'm Dylan Hawkwood. Just call me Dylan."
Ravenclaw nodded. "Dylan? Nice name. Are you from a Muggle family? Any wizards in your parents?"
Dylan shook his head. "My parents are Muggles. No magic."
Ravenclaw gave a small nod. "And this world…?"
Dylan grinned. "That's my little secret, Headmistress."
Ravenclaw paused, then smiled, dropping the topic. "I can sense this portrait world is somehow linked to your space."
Dylan's eyebrows shot up, recalling the system's note about the portrait's special effect in a unique world.
"You mean you might be able to step out of the portrait into my world?"
Ravenclaw nodded. "But I also feel restrictions. Perhaps… it needs your permission?"
Dylan blinked. "Is that so? Let's give it a try."
He stood on the water-staircase, the frozen waves holding firm beneath him.
Though no moon hung in the sky, a faint moonlight outlined his figure.
His black robe billowed in the high-altitude wind.
The breeze seemed to pierce the portrait, lifting Ravenclaw's hair.
Facing the floating portrait, Dylan's eyes glinted. He reached out, his hand passing through the canvas.
Ravenclaw tilted her head, watching the hand emerge from the void.
A faint smile curved her lips.
The silver eagle embroidery on her robe seemed to twitch, ready to take flight.
"Take my hand," Dylan said.
Ravenclaw raised her hand, her fingertips tentatively brushing his palm.
The moment their skin touched, ripples spread across the portrait.
Dylan gripped her hand and pulled.
Her pale blue robe slipped free of the canvas first, followed by her arm, then her entire form.
Finally, Ravenclaw stepped fully out of the portrait.
The empty canvas didn't vanish but shrank, becoming an embroidered patch on her robe's hem.
"I'm really out?" Ravenclaw's dark eyes sparkled with intrigue.
"This power… it involves not just spatial magic but souls…"
Dylan looked at the now-tangible Ravenclaw, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Welcome to my world, Headmistress."