An Ancient Legacy || HOGWARTS LEGACY

#3: Spars and Spells

MICHAEL'S POV

After watching a man die and almost getting devoured by a dragon, Michael didn't anticipate that he would be starting classes already. He was sort of hoping for a day off to 'recover', yet he was expected to attend Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions and Care For Magical Creatures today. He had already used up all of the free time he had been given looking around his common room and the halls, yet by the end of his small tour had barely processed any of it.

One thing he did like was his house - He felt like he fit in perfectly with the other Slytherins, and he did always like the colour green. His housemates had welcomed him eagerly, immediately asking him questions about himself and his late arrival to the school. He had done his best to appear as outgoing and witty, cracking jokes and trying to be friendly with everyone.

He felt a bit down that none of the three students he had come with was in the same house as him, but then again he didn't expect this to be the last time they saw each other. There was no way they weren't going to speak about everything that had happened on that carriage - George's screams still made him shudder when he thought about it.

Near the end of the feast, a girl with dark brown hair tied into a low ponytail had approached him with a cocked eyebrow. Imelda Reyes. She had said, "You're Michael Adler, right?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me! It's nice to meet y-"

"You look like you could do good on the Quidditch team," Imelda had cut him off abruptly, looking him up and down with a thoughtful expression. Michael decided to take that as a compliment on how fit he must be, but after that she had added, "You seem agile." He'd take that.

Michael wasn't exactly sure where the interaction was going, and nodded slowly, "Thanks? I've never played Quidditch before, so I wouldn't be able to tell myself."

"You have a broom yet? I could test you, but don't go thinking you can beat me or anything. I'm the best at Quidditch in my year."

"Oh, no, I still have to go to Hogsmeade. I lost a bunch of my stuff along the way, so..."

Imelda's eyes had narrowed with clear suspicion, and he was not planning on telling her the details. Thankfully, at that moment the feast had come to a close and he had an excuse to get lost in the crowd of Slytherins to the common room.

Now, he was walking into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, surprised to see how many people were already there. For a moment he worried if he was late, but the old woman standing at the front of the class didn't acknowledge him, so he assumed he was alright.

The room was very spacious. It had a high ceiling, with the skeleton of some horned dragon hanging by it, and all of the tables and chairs had been pushed against the wall so the floor was completely free. Must be a practical class, then.

She was in the middle of some speech about knowledge, and Michael didn't bother trying to figure out what she was talking about, instead scanning the room for the three classmates he actually knew. He spotted Artemis standing near the edge, and he approached her, smiling crookedly.

The Ravenclaw noticed him, and her serious expression crumbled, having no hesitation in returning the smile. "Hey Michael. First class, huh? I've heard we'll be duelling."

Michael's eyebrows raised with interest. "Duelling? I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. Like, what if I really embarrass myself?"

Artemis laughed quietly, replying playfully, "That shouldn't be much of a challenge for you."

Michael put on an expression of mock offense, yet it faded as he glanced back at the grey-haired teacher. "What's her name?"

"Professor Hecate, I think. Apparently she's taken down the 'largest poacher ring in eastern Wales single-handedly' with the power of knowledge."