"Ron Weasley! How dare you do such a thing?
"Do you realize your father is being investigated by the Ministry of Magic because of you?
"If you dare to cause such trouble again, I swear I will drag you back from Hogwarts myself!
"Also, congratulations, Ginny."
The Great Hall of Hogwarts fell into stunned silence as all eyes turned toward Ron Weasley, whose face had turned deathly pale. Then, as if on cue, laughter erupted across the room. It was undeniable—this Howler was simply too funny.
Noah couldn't quite understand what Ron was thinking, choosing to open the Howler in front of everyone like this. It was as if he was personally adding fuel to the fire of his own humiliation!
And Molly Weasley, true to form, did not hold back in the slightest. She tore into her son without a shred of mercy, her voice amplified by the Howler for all to hear. Looking at Ron now—his face ashen, cold sweat dripping from his forehead—Noah could only imagine how shattered he must feel inside.
"Hey, still think it's cool?" Noah turned to the students around him, his expression amused.
The ones who had been laughing just moments ago suddenly went quiet, their faces paling.
Cool? How was this cool?
Whether Noah had done it on purpose or not, their seats were positioned quite close to the Gryffindor table, giving them a clear view of Ron's mortified expression. The Howler's every word had reached their ears with perfect clarity.
"Merlin's beard! If that happened to me, I think I'd just go home," Kenn muttered, shaking his head before taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
The others nodded in agreement. This was beyond embarrassing. If something like this had happened to them, they wouldn't even need their parents to come fetch them—they'd leave Hogwarts willingly out of sheer shame!
"What are you all whispering about?" Hermione asked as she approached, her brows furrowed in suspicion.
"Nothing much," Noah replied with a grin. "Just that some of these guys thought Harry and the others were cool for what they did last night. I told them Ron would definitely get a 'gift' for it. Turns out, I was right."
"It's not cool at all!" Hermione huffed. "This is a blatant violation of the Ministry of Magic's regulations!"
"Right, right," Noah said, waving his hand dismissively. "Now, hurry up and eat. We're heading there after breakfast. I feel like I've regressed over the summer."
"Then why didn't you come train with me and Kenn?" Lance chimed in between bites of his chicken leg. "We sparred all summer. I'm getting sick of it."
Kenn rolled his eyes and smacked Lance on the shoulder. "You're sick of it? I should be the one complaining! If it weren't for the fact that I was at your house, I would've gone all out on you. You really think you can keep up with me?"
Lance smirked. "Oh? Then let's have another match later. See if you can win!"
Noah chuckled as he watched their back-and-forth. Though they bickered constantly, their bond was obvious. Spending the summer training together had undoubtedly strengthened their friendship.
Still, a small part of him couldn't help but joke internally—this was England, after all. He hoped his two friends weren't about to go that route.
Shaking off the thought, Noah quickly finished his meal, and the group made their way toward the Room of Requirement.
It had been two months since their last visit, and Noah found himself feeling strangely nostalgic. He had only been at Hogwarts for two years, but the thought of eventually leaving made him unexpectedly sentimental.
As they reached the Room of Requirement, Noah turned to Hermione and Ernie. "By the way, there's something I need to tell you two."
"What is it?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It's about me. Kenn and the others already know, and so does Professor Dumbledore. But as members of the Mage Alliance, you should be aware too."
Ernie and Hermione exchanged glances before nodding. "Go on."
Noah didn't bother with unnecessary details. He recounted his experiences in America, the trials he had undergone, and—most importantly—the fact that he had become a disciple of the Ancient One.
Silence followed.
Then—
"Merlin's beard!" Ernie gasped, staring at Noah in awe. "You're actually a disciple of that great sorcerer?!"
As someone from a magical family, Ernie understood exactly what that meant. The reputation of the Sorcerer Supreme was legendary. Even if most wizarding families had no access to Kamar-Taj, they still revered its existence.
Ernie looked like he might faint from excitement, and even Hermione seemed completely stunned.
"Wait… the Ancient One?" Hermione repeated, frowning in thought. "Who's that?"
Before Noah could answer, Kenn, Ernie, and the other boys jumped in, all talking at once.
"She's the Sorcerer Supreme!"
"Guardian of the Earth against supernatural threats!"
"Controls the Mirror Dimension!"
"Manipulates time and space!"
As they rattled off information, Hermione's eyes widened in realization. Thanks to her extensive reading, she had come across some references to Kamar-Taj before—but now she truly grasped the weight of Noah's achievement.
When the noise finally died down, Hermione took a deep breath and smiled. "Congratulations, Noah!"
Though there was a flicker of disappointment in her eyes—perhaps at the realization that she might never catch up to him—she still offered her heartfelt support.
"Thank you," Noah said sincerely. Then, he added, "But don't worry. If I get the chance, I'll recommend you for training at Kamar-Taj as well. Hermione, you do know what most Muggle-borns do after turning eighteen, right?"
Hermione blinked. "You mean… go to university?"
"Exactly," Noah nodded. "We graduate from Hogwarts at eighteen—that's way too young to jump straight into the workforce. I'll try to talk to the Ancient One about selecting promising students to study at Kamar-Taj after graduation. But…"
"We have to keep working hard," Hermione finished his sentence, determination lighting up her eyes.
Noah grinned. "Of course. No half-measures. If you want a chance, you need to prove your worth."
"I understand!" Hermione said firmly. "Thank you, Noah!"
As the group moved deeper into the Room of Requirement, Noah couldn't help but think about the future.
If things went as planned, Hermione was destined to become Minister of Magic one day. In the original timeline, she wouldn't take office until 2017—meaning she'd be in her thirties by then. But if they played their cards right, maybe she could rise to power even sooner.
The Ministry of Magic was in desperate need of change, and Dumbledore's faction lacked strong leadership.
But that was all in the future. Right now, their priority was growth. Knowledge, magic power, personal combat ability—these were the true foundations of strength.
After all, in a world full of dangers, politics could only take you so far.
"Keep training," Noah said, looking at his friends. "The future isn't as simple as you think."
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