Hogwarts' John Wick

The carriage passed through the gates flanked by winged boar statues. 

On the spacious, muddy road, the rain splattered while the wind shook the carriage. Inside, there were five people. 

Heinrich looked pale and sickly, Daphne was engrossed in a small pink notebook, and Malfoy, lost in his own thoughts about how to humiliate Potter later, had a smirk plastered across his face. 

Astoria, expressionless, watched her sister study the little notebook with an air of intensity. Anyone unaware might think Daphne was learning some advanced magic. 

Only Astoria knew it was a cookbook Daphne had picked up from who-knows-where. 

Crackle~!

John raised his gaze, looking out of the window. 

Rain, driven by the fierce wind, streaked past. Shadows of trees swayed deeply in the storm. 

A bolt of lightning tore across the sky as the carriage came to a halt by the stone steps near Hogwarts' oak front doors. 

John got up and stepped out. The rain, as if recognizing him, shifted direction just before touching him. 

The others in the carriage followed suit. None of them opened an umbrella; the rain simply veered away, avoiding them entirely. 

Inside the entrance hall, students who had been chatting about their holidays went silent as they witnessed the scene. 

Especially the Slytherin students. Their gazes burned with admiration as they looked at the group, as if they were beholding living legends. 

"Look, it's John Wick. Do you think I could talk to him?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Didn't you see who he's with?"

"Daphne Greengrass, the undisputed flower of Slytherin and the smartest woman here!"

"Heinrich Edgar, from a family of legendary Dark Lord lieutenants, the second most powerful Slytherin!"

"Draco Malfoy, the core Quidditch player of Slytherin, with two and a half years of flying experience. Though, uh… he didn't catch the Golden Snitch in the end… Oh my gosh, he's looking at me!"

The whispers were filled with words like admiration, charm, and elegance.

At first, Malfoy basked in the attention, feeling quite smug. But as the conversation went on, his expression cracked.

His murderous glare swept over the gossiping students. Don't bring up losing to Potter! We're still good friends. I used to like you all.

Wait, I shouldn't make such a face in front of John or he'll double my training—!

With a pained sigh, he smoothed down his meticulously styled middle-part hair and vowed silently to reclaim his dignity.

Meanwhile, Astoria felt increasingly out of place, as if the weight of everyone's stares was suffocating her.

Noticing her discomfort, Daphne reached out and held her younger sister's hand, whispering softly, "Are you okay, Astoria?"

The warmth from Daphne's hand pulled Astoria out of her overwhelmed state. Grateful, she glanced at her sister, but her eyes eventually landed on the pink cookbook clutched tightly in Daphne's arms.

Astoria: "…"

...

Originally, Peeves was hiding above, preparing to drop water balloons, but as soon as he spotted that familiar black figure below, he shivered in fear.

The water balloon slipped from his grasp.

Before it could hit John, Peeves himself intercepted it—using his own face.

"Mr. Wick," Peeves greeted, hanging upside down like a waiter bowing respectfully.

John glanced at him and chuckled. "You washed your hair?"

Peeves' face froze in embarrassment before he quickly disappeared into the wall.

After he left, the wizards entering the area weren't so lucky.

One by one, water balloons rained down. Harry took several hits square on the head, and even Hermione couldn't dodge them all.

When Professor McGonagall noticed the chaos, she stormed out of the Great Hall, roaring furiously.

...

In the Great Hall,

Tonight, the enchanted ceiling wasn't showing stars but a dramatic display of thunder and lightning.

When John entered, he nodded in acknowledgment toward Cedric, who had arrived earlier.

After sitting down, he noticed that not everyone had arrived yet.

"Oh?" John suddenly sensed something, his brow furrowing as he stepped out of the Great Hall. 

His movement caught the attention of many, but no one said anything. 

He is John Wick. 

Everyone knew him as a mysterious figure. Some whispered that he was the night stalker, wandering the castle after curfew. 

The reason for John's departure was that someone had triggered the Constellation Society's magic. 

He made his way to the Constellation Society's secret chamber, arriving at a wooden door. 

The eye on the door was closed. 

Tapping the eye with his wand, it reopened. Seeing this, John muttered to himself, "Confundus Charm, huh?" 

He pushed the door open, revealing the chamber of the Constellation Society. 

Inside, everything appeared untouched. He stepped in and cast a heightened sensory spell. 

The entirety of the chamber's contents came into his "view," and nothing seemed disturbed. 

Frowning deeply, he murmured, "Who could have entered? The anti-theft charm was disabled by a Confundus Charm. Whoever it was has professor-level skill." 

Spending some time in the chamber, John found no further clues. 

Whoever had entered was incredibly skilled. Among Hogwarts students, no one other than himself should have such ability. 

Then the candidates narrowed down to the professors. 

"Professor Flitwick, perhaps? He has the skill, especially if he stumbled upon an interesting room." 

Thinking of the Charms professor, John quickly dismissed the idea. 

Professor Flitwick was indeed powerful, but he was the type to exclaim over exceptional magic used in a prank, not engage in something as sneaky as this. 

That shifted the suspicion to Professor Snape. 

From what John could tell, Snape was a strong candidate. 

He was aware of the Constellation Society's existence and had declined John's invitation last term. It seemed unlikely that Snape would suddenly sneak in now. 

Could it be Professor McGonagall? The likelihood was slim; John had just seen her in the Great Hall. 

"Forget it. There's no real damage anyway." 

John dismissed his thoughts. Since he was already there, he decided to install the Philosopher's Stone. 

Taking out the blue gem, John released it from his hand. The Philosopher's Stone floated in midair. 

From the ceiling, thirty-six beams of light descended, enveloping the stone. 

The Philosopher's Stone rose steadily, eventually vanishing into the starry canopy of the ceiling, transforming into a brilliant, shining star. 

"With the Philosopher's Stone now augmenting it, the Constellation Society has essentially become a massive magical siege engine."

Originally, the Constellation Society's secret chamber wasn't intended for offensive purposes. However, with the addition of the Philosopher's Stone, it could now act as a powerful amplifier, turning even ordinary spells into devastating attacks. 

Having completed everything, John headed back to the Great Hall. 

By this time, the Sorting Ceremony had already begun. 

"♫Over a thousand years ago, 

I was woven into form, 

By four great and famous wizards, 

Whose names are still known...♪" 

The Sorting Hat was once again belting out its raspy tune. 

As John entered, his presence drew the attention of everyone in the hall, especially the first-year students, who were trembling with nerves. 

To the young newcomers, John's aura was nothing short of intimidating. 

He walked to his seat and sat down, his gaze moving toward the staff table. 

One seat was conspicuously empty—the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's. 

As his eyes wandered, they met Snape's cold stare. 

For a moment, their gazes locked. 

John's gaze held a hint of inquiry, as if speculating whether his Head of House, Professor Snape, had decided to check on him to ensure he wasn't causing trouble around Hogwarts.

Shifting his focus, John's eyes met another pair—sharp, wise, and unmistakably blue.

Dumbledore.

John's expression flickered subtly before he looked at his nose.

Dumbledore, watching him closely, smiled gently.

John responded with a polite nod.

Between the two of them, an invisible barrier seemed to have risen at some point, silent yet palpable.

Dumbledore sighed inwardly at the sight, a deep, quiet sadness crossing his heart. Have I made a mistake? he wondered.

His gaze then moved away, settling on Harry.

Noticing that Dumbledore was no longer paying him any attention, John dismissed the thought and turned his focus elsewhere.

Professor McGonagall presided over the Sorting Ceremony, holding an impressively long scroll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the nervous first-years. "Once the hat announces your house, you will join your house's table."

"Stewart Ackerley!"

At her announcement, a boy nervously stepped forward, his entire body trembling as he placed the hat on his head.

The Sorting Hat's voice rang out: "Ravenclaw!"

John watched the scene with mild interest.

Soon after, a boy named Malcolm Baddock was sorted into Slytherin.

Applause erupted.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Malcolm hurried toward the Slytherin table, aiming directly for John's seat.

However, he didn't succeed. The collective gazes of the other Slytherins stopped him in his tracks.

In Slytherin, it was an unspoken rule: the closer one sat to John, the higher their status and strength were perceived to be.

A new kid like you? Dream on.

Under the suffocating silence of Slytherin's collective stares, Baddock finally chose a seat next to another Slytherin boy.

The boy leaned over and started explaining a few important rules about Slytherin:

First: If you see a dog wandering around the Slytherin common room, don't be scared—that's John Wick's dog.

Second: If you're caught breaking curfew and don't make it back to the dorms on time, there's a good chance the Night Stalker will catch you, knock you out, strip you down, and leave you in the Great Hall—naked and feasting with knife and fork in hand.

Third: In Slytherin, conflicts can be resolved by requesting a duel. It's best to have witnesses present and prove your point through strength. Otherwise, the person you defeat might claim you used potions or other foul play.

The boy continued listing rule after rule, astonishing Malcolm with dozens of them.

By the time the final student was sorted into Hufflepuff, Dumbledore cheerfully signaled the start of the feast.

John ate only a little and then stopped, his attention elsewhere.

As the meal neared its end, Dumbledore stood and made an announcement: This year's House Cup Quidditch matches would be canceled to prepare for a bigger event coming in October.

Just as murmurs of disappointment spread through the hall, the doors were suddenly flung open with a resounding bang.

A man stood at the entrance, leaning on a long staff and wrapped in a black traveling cloak.

John looked up, intrigued, as the man pulled back his hood, revealing long, grizzled gray hair.

The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor: the legendary Auror, Alastor Moody.

In John's mind, the system chimed:

[Ding! Hogwarts Phase Task Four Activated: Successfully complete your fourth year as a magical apprentice. Task Rewards: +1 Magical Blood, +3 Attribute Points.]

____________

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