"But-he's even cuter than most girls here!"
"I guess that's why I saw her-I mean him-walking out of the boy's dorms this morning..."
"I-I didn't mean to embarrass you!" Susan stammered out quickly, looking mortified as Gasper buried his crimson face in his trembling hands.
Rias chuckled softly, shaking her head in amusement. She moved closer, gently placing a comforting hand on Gasper's shoulder. "Gasper has always had this effect on people," Rias explained lightly, trying to ease everyone's embarrassment. "It's completely understandable. Also he likes to dress like a girl, but he does still identify as a boy."
A low, excited whisper swept through the Hufflepuff common room as Rias watched, amused. Students started murmuring to each other, some looking skeptical, others utterly fascinated. More than one boy stole another glance at Gasper, clearly struggling with how cute he still looked even after the reveal. A couple of them looked mortified by their own reactions, while others just looked even more interested now that the 'legend of traps' had been confirmed real right in front of them.
"A nervous-looking Hufflepuff boy finally blurted out, "Wait-so Gasper, you're really a boy? But you're... honestly, you're cuter than half the girls in this whole castle!"
Gasper managed a tiny, embarrassed laugh, still half-hiding behind his hands. "Um... sorry. I just... I like dressing this way."
Susan let out a shaky breath, still visibly blushing. "I'm really sorry, Gasper," she apologized sincerely. "I honestly didn't know!"
"It's... it's okay," Gasper squeaked softly from behind his hands, still looking terribly shy and embarrassed.
Hannah tried to change the subject quickly, turning her attention toward Rias instead. "Um, you're Rias, right? Welcome to Hufflepuff!" she said with a bright smile.
Rias smiled warmly, appreciating their efforts to move past the awkwardness. "Thank you both," she said softly. "I'm sure we'll all become good friends."
Koneko simply continued eating her chocolate, unaffected and unbothered by the entire scene. "He'll get over it," she muttered quietly. "Eventually..."
Rias smiled warmly as she turned her attention toward Koneko, who was quietly nibbling away at another chocolate bar.
"So Koneko, how are you liking Hogwarts so far?" Rias asked gently.
Koneko paused to carefully swallow her mouthful of chocolate before turning her emotionless golden eyes towards Rias. Her usually blank expression briefly showed genuine excitement.
"We have three huge meals a day," Koneko stated seriously, holding up a second chocolate bar as if it were irrefutable evidence. "All-you-can-eat food and unlimited snacks whenever I want. This is literally the greatest school ever!"
Well, at least she was easy to please.
Rias laughed softly, pleased that Koneko was finding her own source of happiness here. She glanced over at Gasper, who was still awkwardly trapped between the overly eager Susan and Hannah. Despite the earlier embarrassment, the two girls were stubbornly determined to befriend him.
"And how about you, Gasper?" Rias asked gently, trying to rescue her poor bishop from further awkwardness. "How do you feel about Hogwarts so far?"
Gasper looked up nervously, his face still flushed bright red from Susan and Hannah's well-meaning attention. "I-um, it's... okay, I guess?" he mumbled shyly, shifting in his seat and avoiding everyone's eyes. "But there's no electricity or Wi-Fi here! How am I supposed to game without any electricity?"
Susan and Hannah both blinked innocently at Gasper, sharing a confused glance. "What's gaming?" Susan asked curiously.
"Is that like a sport?" Hannah added innocently.
Oh wow, these girls were sheltered, weren't they? Poor Gasper.
Gasper let out a quiet whimper, looking like he was moments away from bursting into tears. His face fell completely, staring hopelessly down at the floor.
Rias couldn't help but burst into laughter at Gasper's tragic expression. She gently patted him on the shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "Maybe a break from electricity will actually be good for you, Gasper," she teased lightly.
Gasper gave her a pitiful look but didn't argue, simply slumping further into the cushions.
Rias sighed fondly. Despite his moping, she noticed something positive already. The natural ambient magic within Hogwarts castle seemed to be doing wonders for Gasper's Sacred Gear. Back at Kuoh Academy, it would occasionally activate accidentally and cause him to freeze time or panic uncontrollably. But ever since they arrived here, his gear had stayed completely dormant.
It was time.
Rias felt her heart beat faster as she walked across the cool, dewy grass, the fresh Scottish morning air gently brushing against her face. Beside her, Akeno moved gracefully, wearing the same new black-and-yellow Hufflepuff robes as her.
"It's going to be strange adjusting from regular Japanese classes to magical lessons, isn't it?" Rias whispered softly to Akeno.
Akeno gave her a teasing smile, brushing her long black hair behind one ear. "Ara ara, I think it's quite exciting. Who knows what interesting things we'll learn today?"
Their first lesson was Care of Magical Creatures with the gentle giant Hagrid they'd met the previous night. Elective classes included students from every house, so she knew she'd be meeting Harry first thing.
As they approached Hagrid's wooden hut, Rias spotted a decent-sized gathering of fourth-year students already waiting outside.
Suddenly, she felt a gentle jolt in her chest as she saw Sona standing next to a tall, dark-haired young man-Harry Sitri. As if sensing her presence, Harry stiffened slightly and turned to face her, their eyes immediately meeting just like they had the night before.
Rias felt warmth rise in her cheeks as Harry's piercing gaze traveled slowly over her body, clearly taking in her beauty and then appreciatively shifting to Akeno beside her. Rias didn't mind. She'd always been confident in her attractiveness, and it felt strangely pleasant to know Harry found her so appealing.
He was so unlike her previous fiance, Riser Phenex-that spoiled, arrogant playboy.
Akeno gently nudged her with an elbow, clearly noticing Rias's stare. "You seem to have caught your fiance's eye already," she teased playfully, a wicked smile gracing her lips. "Not that I blame him. You're quite breathtaking this morning."
Rias chuckled softly, unable to suppress a faint smile. "You're one to talk. He seems equally interested in you."
Hagrid finally appeared from his hut, breaking the spell of the moment, his booming voice calling for the students to gather closer.
"Alrigh', everyone, gather 'round!" the gentle giant announced warmly. "Got somethin' special planned today!"
Hagrid enthusiastically unveiled his Blast-Ended Skrewts to the class, his eyes sparkling with pride. Rias watched in fascinated horror as the creature scuttled awkwardly across the grass, its hard, shell-covered body glistening grotesquely in the morning sun. She exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Akeno, who looked equally baffled and disturbed.
"Have you ever seen something like this, Akeno?" Rias whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Akeno shook her head slowly, eyes never leaving the bizarre creature. "Not even close. The Underworld might have plenty of terrifying beasts, but this...this is something else entirely."
The Skrewt scuttled forward again, abruptly stopping as a loud, fiery blast erupted from one of its ends, making several students jump back with startled yelps. Hagrid laughed heartily, clearly delighted by their reactions.
"See tha'? Marvelous creatures, ain't they?" he boomed cheerfully. "Bit fiery, though. Might wanna keep yer distance 'til they get used to ye."
"Did that creature just-fart fire?" Rias muttered incredulously, eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"Apparently," Akeno murmured back, visibly trying to suppress laughter despite her bewilderment.
A pretty blonde girl from Slytherin raised her hand hesitantly, wrinkling her nose as she stared at the bizarre creature scuttling around. "Professor Hagrid, what exactly is today's lesson supposed to be?"
Hagrid beamed enthusiastically, proudly puffing out his massive chest. "Glad yeh asked! Yeh see, I bred an' created these beautiful creatures myself!" He waved his enormous hands toward the Blast-Ended Skrewts, his voice thick with obvious pride. "Today we're gonna be experimentin' to see what these lovely beasts prefer eatin'."
Rias's eyes widened in disbelief, her jaw practically hitting the ground. She shared a quick, bewildered look with Akeno, both silently mouthing their confusion.
Akeno leaned closer, fighting back laughter as she whispered, "Rias, am I missing something? How exactly do we feed a creature that literally has two backsides and no mouth?"
Rias shook her head slowly, trying to hold back her own laughter as the absurdity of the situation hit her fully. "I have no idea," she whispered back incredulously, her voice shaking with suppressed amusement. "This might just be the strangest thing we've ever seen-and that's saying something."
The other students looked equally baffled and disgusted, exchanging glances and quietly murmuring their confusion and unease.
Akeno finally lost the battle, covering her mouth with her hand and bending over slightly, shoulders shaking with barely-contained laughter.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Rias noticed movement. She stiffened instinctively, her laughter dying down instantly as she saw Harry and Sona moving toward them.
"Hello, Rias," Sona greeted her with a weary sigh, adjusting her glasses as if already exhausted by the situation. "Welcome to Hogwarts."
Rias offered a polite but slightly stiff smile in return. "Hi, Sona," she replied, aware of how awkward this moment was bound to be.
After all, Rias was explicitly here for Harry-and from the way Sona stood protectively near him, shoulders almost touching and their hands brushing lightly together, it was glaringly obvious how much Sona cared for him herself.
Feeling the gentle nudge of encouragement from Akeno beside her, Rias straightened her shoulders slightly, stepping forward and offering her hand formally to Harry. "It's good to finally meet you properly, Harry."
He reached out to gently take her offered hand. He bowed slightly and brushed a soft, lingering kiss to the back of her hand, the warm touch of his lips sending a pleasant jolt straight through her. He then repeated the gesture to Akeno, whose cheeks flushed a charming shade of pink at the unexpected attention.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, both of you," Harry said warmly, his gaze lingering briefly on Rias before glancing back to Akeno. "I hope your first day hasn't been too overwhelming yet."
Rias felt herself blushing a little despite herself, clearing her throat quietly to regain composure. "I suppose you already know why we're here now," she began cautiously, studying Harry closely for his reaction.
To her genuine surprise, Harry tilted his head slightly in confusion. "Actually, I have no idea," he admitted bluntly. "Should I?"
Rias shot an incredulous glance at Sona. "You didn't tell him?"
"It wasn't my place to tell," she responded coolly, her eyes glinting with a hint of playful vindictiveness behind her glasses as she glanced briefly at Harry.
"Is this the girl, Harry?" A confident, feminine voice interrupted their conversation, making Rias turn to see a striking blonde girl from Slytherin approaching them. It was immediately obvious to Rias that she was from noble human lineage. "The girl that has already become enemies with half of the female student body..."
'WAIT WHAT? What did I do?!' Rias thought to herself.
Beside the blonde, another girl-a playful brunette with a mischievous smile-clung to her arm affectionately. The two moved in easy harmony, their closeness reminding Rias strongly of her relationship with Akeno.
Harry's posture changed slightly, becoming more guarded as the two Slytherin girls drew closer. Rias noticed it immediately, wondering what could cause him to be wary of the two apparently friendly newcomers. It couldn't be because they were magically dangerous.
"Hello, Daphne," Harry replied dryly, shifting his stance as if bracing for whatever the Slytherin girl had to say. "And what exactly are you talking about...?"
Daphne tilted her head slightly, her piercing blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully at him. "I'm asking if this lovely new arrival is your fiancee," she clarified bluntly, her tone cool but clearly amused by his confusion. "Because if she is, you've already broken the hearts of half the female student body overnight. Sona's been quite the gossip lately-she was chatting openly yesterday about it with your two veela mistresses."
She'd expected Harry to know at least something about their engagement already. Instead, his eyes widened with shock, his jaw literally dropping open in stunned disbelief.
The raw surprise and confusion on his handsome face made her heart twist with sudden guilt and embarrassment.
"Sona?" Harry turned sharply to face the girl beside him, his voice carrying a note of betrayal that even Rias felt uncomfortable hearing. "You knew about this and didn't tell me?"
Sona visibly winced beneath his piercing gaze. She adjusted her glasses nervously, dropping her eyes to avoid his accusing stare. "It... wasn't my place to tell you, Harry," she finally murmured quietly, looking uncharacteristically unsure. "I didn't want to overstep..."
Harry shook his head, disbelief evident on his face, before glancing back toward Rias, still clearly taken aback.
Rias offered him an apologetic, hesitant smile, unsure what else she could possibly say to ease the awkwardness.
"Well, things just got interesting around here," Daphne remarked with a calculated glint in her eye.
"Harry visibly stiffened, he was obviously upset. He drew in a sharp breath, shaking his head slightly as if trying to clear the shock and confusion from his mind. "I need some air," he muttered, his voice tight and strained. Without another glance at anyone, he abruptly turned, ditching the class and heading swiftly back toward the castle.
Rias watched him go. She reached out instinctively, as if she could pull him back or somehow explain herself better, but her hand dropped uselessly back to her side.
Shit... That did not go well...
Beside her, Akeno gently squeezed her shoulder, offering silent comfort, while Sona stared down at the grass, her jaw set in a tense, frustrated line.
Daphne turned back toward Rias, Sona, and Akeno, her voice dripping with mockery. "You know," she drawled, placing one slender hand casually on her hip, "keeping secrets like that is a fantastic way to destroy a relationship before it even begins."
