The next day, September 2nd, Monday, at five in the morning, Loren's internal clock woke him as usual.
He got up quietly so as not to disturb his four roommates, washed up, and slipped out alone. After climbing down the spiral staircase, he entered the common room.
As expected, there wasn't a soul there. Clearly, Gryffindor students were not early risers.
With a faint sigh, Loren pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and stepped out of the tower.
He intended to head out onto the grounds for his daily training—a long-standing habit. Though it no longer advanced his martial cultivation, it loosened his body and sharpened his mind for the day.
Standing in the corridor, however, he found himself staring at the countless shifting staircases and felt a headache coming on. Without hesitation, he turned back, opened a window in the common room, and performed a leap of faith—jumping straight out. A quick Levitation Charm on his clothes slowed his descent, and he landed silently on the grass below.
It was simple and efficient. No need to deal with the maze of moving staircases. Loren was the sort to cut through a labyrinth with a straight line. If it hadn't been the first day of school, when breaking property would leave a bad impression, he might have just jumped down from the corridor earlier.
On the grass, he began his morning training. Nothing worth narrating—just stretches, forms, and combat drills.
An hour later, training done, Loren started climbing back up. Using Mana Release to mimic chakra, he walked steadily along the castle wall—until Professor McGonagall caught sight of him.
She was carrying a stack of parchment to distribute timetables in the common rooms when she glanced up and nearly dropped dead from shock. The stack of parchment really did spill to the ground as she flicked her wand, flinging the nearest window open and yanking Loren inside with a thread of magic.
He immediately felt the pull of magical force, but realizing it was McGonagall, he didn't resist and let her draw him in.
"How dare you do such a thing! Why were you walking on the wall?" McGonagall demanded, furious.
"I was going to exercise outside this morning, but the staircases kept shifting. If I jumped from there, I might hit one midair. And it's a long walk through the castle to get out anyway. So I just jumped from the common room window—shorter distance. After I was done, I walked back up the wall," Loren answered with complete nonchalance, as if it were basic common sense.
"You jumped off the tower? Are you trying to kill yourself?" McGonagall gasped, her heart thumping wildly at the thought.
"You said spells are allowed in the castle, right? One Levitation Charm is all it takes. I've practiced it many times at home," Loren replied, feigning innocence.
McGonagall swayed with rage, nearly fainting. "Many times? How could you dare—this is far too dangerous! Five points from Gryffindor!"
"But I didn't break any school rules. I don't remember any that forbid practicing charms," Loren said, still wide-eyed and guileless.
Her patience snapped. "That's insolence toward a professor—another five points! And you are never to use such dangerous methods again. I will tell Professor Dumbledore to have this added to the school rules. Not another word—follow me!"
With a sharp flick of her wand, the scattered parchment flew back into her arms. Bristling with fury, she marched Loren back to the common room.
By then, several students were already awake and chatting. At the sight of McGonagall storming in, they leapt to their feet.
She thrust the timetables into Percy's hands, yanked Loren forward with her wand, and said sternly, "Percy, I leave him to you. You will teach him how to practice magic safely."
Then, in one breath, she recounted everything Loren had done. Gasps and murmurs of awe rippled through the room.
Finally, she turned back to Loren. "You're Muggle-born, so you misunderstand wizarding ways. Percy will teach you properly." With that, she swept out, likely heading for Dumbledore's office to propose a new school rule.
The moment she was gone, the Gryffindors crowded around Loren, showering him with praise, marveling at his audacity.
Percy silenced them with a stern look, pressed Loren into a chair, and sat opposite him.
"How did you think of using the Levitation Charm to break your fall? It doesn't even work on your own body," Percy demanded.
"I didn't use it on myself," Loren replied matter-of-factly. "I used it on my clothes. They carried me down slowly."
Percy rubbed his temples. "Fine. Next question. How did you ever think of practicing charms this way?"
"From TV, of course. The strong wizards there teleport instantly. Weaker ones fly. Even weaker ones can glide. And at the very least, no wizard with time to prepare ever injures himself in a fall. I needed to get to the grounds fast—so the window was the quickest route."
His innocent tone drew murmurs of interest. Several Muggle-borns eagerly began explaining "television" to their wizard-born peers.
"That's just Muggle fantasy," Percy explained, resigned. "In our world, older students can test for an Apparition license to teleport. Otherwise, we use Floo Powder or the Knight Bus. Hardly anyone travels by broom anymore."
Loren sat upright, nodding seriously, the picture of a good student. "I see. Please explain more—I'm just a poor, ignorant Muggle-born."
So Percy kept lecturing on wizarding customs. By now, more and more students had gathered. Word of Loren's daring stunt had spread like wildfire among Gryffindor lions.
At last, Percy was hoarse. Seeing all the first-years gathered, he ended his lecture and distributed the timetables, then hurried off in search of water.
The crowd surged back in, especially the twins, who seized Loren's hands, declaring he was the coolest Gryffindor they had ever seen.
Hermione squeezed through next, glaring at him. She demanded to know why he hadn't taken her along. She reminded him how she'd wanted to try it atop St. Paul's Cathedral before he stopped her because of the crowd. She had already heard the full story from others, and with the inevitable new rule coming, her chance might soon be gone.
Other students, hearing her, felt tempted as well—perhaps they could try before the new rule came. But the more level-headed reminded them: if they panicked mid-fall and failed to cast the spell, they'd break their necks.
That only increased their admiration for Loren. To leap off a tower, calmly enchant his clothes mid-fall, and land without so much as a stumble—this was Gryffindor courage incarnate.
After dismissing his admirers, Loren pulled Hermione onto his chair and they studied the timetables together. Mondays had no classes in the morning, and Fridays were free from the afternoon onward. "Dumbledore really does understand people," Loren thought, impressed by the humane schedule.
With the morning free, he decided to explore the library with Hermione. Hogwarts claimed to hold the greatest wizarding library in Britain—perfect for grinding his skills.
Once they had looked over the schedules, they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
The tables were laden with every variety of English breakfast. But Loren, faced with greasy sausages and eggs, lost his appetite. Still, he forced himself to eat a little—he was still growing.
"All the more reason to teach the house-elves some proper cooking," he thought. "I recall the kitchens are near the Hufflepuff common room. But where exactly? The twins sneak food all the time—they'll know."
Glancing around, he found the hall still sparse, too early for most. Finally, he asked an older student and learned the location.
With that, he pushed aside his plate and, grabbing Hermione, hurried straight toward the kitchens.
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