The next morning, snowflakes drifted past the castle windows, falling in thick, swirling waves. As a result, the final Herbology lesson of the term was canceled. Professor Sprout was busy tending to the Mandrakes and didn't trust anyone else to handle them. Right now, helping the Mandrakes mature as quickly as possible to save Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey was of utmost importance.
By then, everyone had already learned that Harry was a Parselmouth. At breakfast, Harry and Ron nearly occupied an entire table by themselves. Only Hermione and the Weasley twins dared to sit anywhere near them.
Lewis couldn't help recalling the Sorting Ceremony, when the Gryffindors had cheered, "We've got Potter!" He remembered how similar scenes had played out when Harry and Ron lost a huge number of points for night wandering, and later when Harry earned points back by saving the Philosopher's Stone. Their earlier arrogance followed by later flattery—it was an ugly sight to behold.
For Harry, at least Lewis and Hermione's presence offered some comfort, but the twins' version of "comfort" was far too unconventional. They marched through the corridors clearing a path for Harry, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin! He's off to have afternoon tea with his evil servants in the Chamber!"
Unfortunately, Gryffindor wasn't the only house capable of such ugliness. Ravenclaw had its share too.
Back in the Ravenclaw common room, Lewis noticed a long lost-and-found notice posted on the bulletin board. It belonged to Luna Lovegood. He remembered her well—the girl whose beauty was overshadowed by her eccentric appearance. Since she happened to be in the common room, Lewis walked over curiously. "How did you lose so many things?"
Luna blinked, her voice soft. "People like to play jokes on me. They hide my things."
"It's almost the holidays, so I need them to give everything back before going home."
Her tone was calm, but Lewis's expression darkened. "Hide"? This was outright bullying.
He had just criticized Gryffindor—was this supposed to slap him in the face? And they were in the same house. If Mr. Lovegood asked about it when he returned home tomorrow, what was he supposed to say?
This needed to be dealt with.
"Don't worry, Luna. I'll make sure they return everything to you."
Lewis took charge and immediately went to find Cirilla. As a popular figure among Ravenclaw girls and close friends with Prefect Penelope, she would know more.
After asking around, Cirilla learned that Luna's strange behavior had made her the target of jokes. People called her "Loony" behind her back. Her indifference to everything only made things worse, turning her into an easy target for teasing and ridicule. In fact, despite being a Ravenclaw, her closest friend was Ginny from Gryffindor.
Lewis made his judgment immediately. This was a serious violation of school rules and required decisive action.
Soon, all first- and second-year Ravenclaw girls were gathered in the common room, seated in rows on the sofas. Lewis stood before them, his expression stern.
"I always thought this kind of discrimination only came from Slytherin, but I never expected bullying to exist in Ravenclaw."
"We often say Gryffindor is reckless, Slytherin is obsessive, and Hufflepuff is mediocre. But what you're doing is worse than any of them. At least this wouldn't happen in Hufflepuff."
"The Sorting Hat says Ravenclaw values wisdom and knowledge, but if you can't accept or tolerate the people around you, then all your intelligence is nothing more than petty cleverness. True wisdom lies in understanding that no one can solve everything alone. Everyone needs the strength of others."
Lewis fully unleashed the authority he had built over the past two years, delivering a firm and impactful lecture. He didn't name anyone directly, but everyone knew exactly what he meant. A few first-year girls even burst into tears.
After they left, Lewis comforted Luna. "Even among Ravenclaw students, not everyone truly understands wisdom."
Like Professor Quirrell. Like Lockhart. Why did two consecutive disasters come from Ravenclaw? Couldn't Dumbledore find someone else for once?
"So don't worry too much about it. You don't need to force yourself to fit in. You're you—unique, aren't you?"
Luna nodded, half understanding, and thanked him.
Most of her missing items were returned by the mischievous students, and some even apologized. Though she might not suddenly gain friends in Ravenclaw, her situation had clearly improved.
After dealing with all that, Lewis finally had time for himself. Sitting by the fireplace in the common room, he eagerly worked on a new alchemical design for Arcane Sword 2.0, trying to replicate the inspiration he had during the dueling club. If successful, he would be able to literally cut through magic with a blade.
Cirilla sat beside him, diligently finishing her homework. She didn't want assignments interfering with their winter break. Recently, she preferred studying in the common room rather than the library, because Hermione couldn't come here, allowing her to enjoy uninterrupted time with Lewis.
But studying in the common room had its own problems.
The door suddenly burst open, and Cho Chang rushed in with Marietta, both looking pale and terrified. The moment she saw Lewis, Cho hurried over, eager to share the news. Cirilla nearly snapped her pen in half—here came trouble again.
"Something big happened, Lewis! Another attack—and this time there are two victims!" Cho spoke rapidly. "Justin and Nearly Headless Nick have both been petrified! Your friend Harry Potter is the culprit—Peeves caught him on the spot!"
Poor Potter. If he knew that in his crush's eyes he was just "Lewis's friend," how devastated would he be?
Lewis thought silently. Out loud, he defended him. "The culprit shouldn't be Harry Potter. With his current level, he couldn't possibly petrify a ghost."
Still, he put away his notes and stood up. "But I've never seen a ghost get petrified before. That's definitely interesting. Let's go take a look. Where is Nick now?"
"Near the third-floor corridor!" Cho led the way.
Though she was clearly frightened, having Lewis by her side made her feel much safer.
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