Chapter 21: Ravenclaw's Tower
The reason Alexander could think so clearly and deeply was because he had deliberately trained his mind. After all, genius is said to be one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
With the blessing of his talents, even the "ninety-nine percent perspiration" became much easier—and by steadily honing his skills, he could even overcome the need for pure inspiration.
But this time, Alexander wasn't just relying on practice. He was consciously working to connect his skills together, making sure that one plus one became greater than two.
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, near the stone gargoyle on the eighth floor—
"Cockroach Cluster," said a tall, burly man who looked more like a brown bear at first glance.
The stone gargoyle leapt aside, and the wall behind it split open, revealing a spiral staircase winding upward.
The man stepped onto the staircase, which slowly carried him upward until he reached the brass knocker on the door of Dumbledore's office.
He knocked.
"Come in," came Dumbledore's voice from within.
"Good evening, sir," said Hagrid as he entered the office.
"Ah, good evening, Hagrid. Please, have a seat," Dumbledore said kindly. "I assume you're here about the unknown phoenix sighting?"
"Yes, sir. I searched the entire Forbidden Forest, even asked Aragog and Bain. You know Bain's temper... but he's the most reliable among the centaurs. Otherwise, I'd have gone to Faerun."
Hagrid's beetle-black eyes gleamed with excitement beneath his shaggy hair.
"Hagrid, don't get too excited," Dumbledore said gently. "Perhaps it was just passing through..."
"Or...?" Hagrid pressed eagerly.
"Or... nothing," Dumbledore smiled, shaking his head. "It's probably just a legend. I had hoped that Fawkes might find a companion. Though phoenixes are solitary by nature, it would be nice if Fawkes had someone besides an old man like me."
"No, no, sir! You're not old at all!" Hagrid blurted.
Meanwhile, Alexander—completely unaware that his phoenix form had caused such a stir—had been extremely cautious.
The magic of phoenix incarnation, after all, was a secret art, so ancient and rare that even legends like Herpo the Foul had kept it hidden.
For a time, Alexander avoided appearing at Hogwarts in his phoenix form at all.
If it weren't for Penelope's subtle hints—and news leaking out from the famously loose-lipped Hagrid—he might never have risked it again.
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Late at night, in the empty Ravenclaw common room, Penelope Clearwater sat alone, flipping through a book as she waited for the time Alexander had mentioned in his letter—the promised appearance he called "unimaginable."
The Ravenclaw common room was large, circular, and filled with an ethereal beauty unseen elsewhere at Hogwarts.
Elegant arched windows lined the walls, draped with blue and bronze silks. During the day, the view of the surrounding mountains was breathtaking.
The domed ceiling overhead was painted like a starry night sky, and the deep blue carpet below was also speckled with stars.
Tables, chairs, and bookshelves filled the room, and in a niche opposite the entrance stood a tall white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.
The statue wore a serene, almost teasing smile. A delicate marble crown rested atop her head, inscribed with tiny words:
"Extraordinary intelligence is mankind's greatest treasure."
Suddenly, a beautiful creature appeared silently at one of the arched windows.
It was Alexander—transformed into a phoenix. After much practice, he had learned to suppress the loud bang that usually accompanied a phoenix's teleportation.
He tapped the window gently with his beak.
Despite his powers, he couldn't enter without someone opening the window. The magic Rowena Ravenclaw had laid over the tower had lasted for centuries, barring even magical creatures from slipping in uninvited.
Had Harry Potter ever stayed in the Ravenclaw tower after breaking his arm, even Dobby might not have been able to reach him—unless Dumbledore had personally opened a way through.
At that moment, Penelope glanced at the clock—it was exactly midnight—and heard the soft tap on the glass.
A phoenix!
Could it be the Headmaster's phoenix? Penelope wondered excitedly.
But then she spotted the blue ribbon tied neatly around the phoenix's right leg.
"Alexander!!" she cried, rushing to open the window.
Alexander had written to her: there would be no classes the next morning, and he would meet her at midnight in the Ravenclaw common room—identifiable by the blue ribbon on his leg.
Penelope was thrilled, but also confused. She lowered her voice and whispered, "Is this... Animagus magic? But... how could you transform into a magical creature?"
Alexander gently pecked her head with his beak, and spoke directly into her mind:
"It's not Animagus magic. This is my incarnation—another version of me."
Penelope, holding the phoenix gently, blushed pink. "It's incredible," she murmured.
"This is my unique magic," Alexander explained through thought.
In fact, it was a combination of two magics: one was the phoenix incarnation, and the other was a mind-communication technique he had developed in just ten days—originally to communicate with Jack without language barriers.
Otherwise, the phoenix form would be as silent as a Patronus, and he would have needed to scratch words onto the ground to communicate.
"It's really amazing," Penelope whispered.
Across the castle, Dumbledore, still chatting with Hagrid, suddenly paused and smiled mysteriously—as if he had sensed something.
At that moment, a small figure emerged from under the sofa.
"Hmph, so it's you, Alexander," the girl whispered, pointing at the phoenix.
The moonlight illuminated her mischievous grin.
"Kate!" Penelope gasped.
"Kate!" Alexander echoed in her mind, startling the girl despite her preparations.
"Kate, what are you doing here? You were supposed to be in bed!" Penelope scolded.
"You're acting way too suspicious today," Kate said, grinning. "Going to bed early for once. I knew something was up."
"Ahhhh—you spied on my letter, didn't you?!" Penelope cried, barely keeping her voice down.
"No need. I was right behind you when you were in the library. You didn't even notice. Originally, I just wanted to give you a little scare..."
Alexander, still in phoenix form, felt a twinge of worry.
From now on... he thought ruefully, Kate might show up every time I try to meet Penelope.
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End of Chapter 21.
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