Just before curfew, Wade escorted Caryll to the Gryffindor Tower and pointed out the classrooms they passed along the way.

At the entrance to the Gryffindor common room stood the Fat Lady, dressed in a pink gown. As they approached, she asked, "Password?"

"I don't know the Gryffindor password, but I can find someone to take you in," Wade said.

"No need," Caryll waved him off with a smile. "Percy already told me the password, I can go in by myself."

"Oh." Wade glanced at him and said, "I should head back too. Get some rest early, so you don't end up late tomorrow."

"Alright." Caryll nodded.

With that, Wade turned to leave and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Even though he had agreed to Dumbledore's request out of a moment of weakness, he quickly realized he wasn't the right person for this task.

Wade felt that he wasn't as socially adept as Michael, as kind and considerate as Theo, as pure and sincere as Ryan, nor did he have the enthusiasm and liveliness of the Gryffindors.

If Dumbledore was hoping he would positively influence Caryll, he had clearly picked the wrong person.

"I need to speak with Violet! Either tell me the password or leave!"

A little farther down the hall, Wade vaguely heard the Fat Lady grumbling.

Turning back, he saw Caryll still standing in front of the portrait. When he noticed Wade looking, he even waved happily.

The torches in the corridor never seemed bright enough, making distant figures appear as though they were always standing in the shadows.

Wade gave a small wave in return, then finally walked away for good.

"Password?"

The Fat Lady urged impatiently once again.

"Fortune favors the bold," Caryll finally responded.

He watched in amazement as the portrait suddenly swung forward, revealing a large hole in the wall.

He crawled through the opening and entered the Gryffindor common room, where plush armchairs filled the space, a roaring fire burned in the fireplace, and red-and-gold drapes cascaded from the ceiling.

The common room was bustling with students—some doing homework, some playing chess, some teasing their pets, and others practicing magic. The entire space was filled with noise and energy.

Caryll stood at the entrance for a long moment.

He silently took in everything before him.

Until Percy Weasley finally noticed him.

"Johnson!"

Percy's eyes lit up as he pushed through the crowd toward Caryll.

"What?" Angelina called out loudly.

"Not you!"

Percy replied just as loudly, then decided to change his wording.

"Caryll, you're finally here! I need to give you your class schedule for tomorrow. Also, your assigned dormitory is upstairs—follow me…"

Caryll followed him silently, but his gaze couldn't help but flicker over the necks of the people around him. He licked his lips as if he were incredibly thirsty and his Adam's apple moved up and down.

"Here we are—this is your dormitory."

Percy pushed open a small door, revealing a rather spacious single room.

Inside, there was a sturdy orange-wood desk, a cushioned armchair, and a thick, soft bed. Deep red curtains draped down from the ceiling, and in the center of the bedding lay a long-handled warming pan filled with charcoal to keep the bed warm.

—Even though it was only early autumn, the castle nights were already chilly, and many students had started wearing scarves.

"If you're missing anything, you can come to me or any of the prefects. You can also write to Dervish & Banges in Hogsmeade—they sell all kinds of magical supplies."

"If you need Muggle items, the shop can help you purchase those as well."

"Alright, thank you." Caryll responded.

After Percy left, he stepped inside and carefully examined his new room. Then, he noticed something on the desk that he had initially thought was a vase—inside was a small bottle of fresh blood.

Caryll sniffed the air and muttered to himself, "Goat."

He stood still for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.

"Hogwarts."

…

Out in the corridor, Wade had walked a good distance before he couldn't resist turning back for one last glance.

This time, there was no one behind him.

The long hallway stretched out like a deep tunnel. When there were no students around, the ancient castle always seemed unnervingly eerie and quiet.

He recalled what Dumbledore had told him earlier—

The headmaster had disguised himself as an ordinary Auror while tracking the group of vampires, and even pretended to be defeated to make them lower their guard.

After a game of cat-and-mouse, the vampires, thinking they had successfully shaken off pursuit, retreated to a temporary base in Britain to heal and regroup.

Then, the base was gone.

The vampires fled in panic, and after another round of pursuit, they inadvertently led the headmaster to their base in France.

That base was also gone.

But this time, of the three adult vampires, two were killed, one escaped, and the last—a young one—was captured by Dumbledore.

Caryll was still underage, which gave him a significant advantage when facing a wizard like Dumbledore. Despite his resistance, it probably seemed no different from a child throwing a tantrum in the headmaster's eyes.

However, among a group of equally underage wizards, none of whom had mastered the Sunlight Charm, the presence of a vampire posed an undeniable threat.

"You don't need to worry about him biting anyone."

A voice suddenly sounded beside him.

Not far away, an extremely old house-elf stood under the moonlight streaming through the window, illuminating his silver-white eyebrows.

"Mr. Ralph," Wade paused before greeting, "Good evening."

He knew this house-elf. Despite Ralph's aged and frail appearance, he possessed immense magical power—even enough to transport Wade across the Atlantic Ocean from America to Britain.

Previously, when the Ministry of Magic was hunting Sirius Black, it was Ralph who brought Wade back to England.

Wise and experienced, he is deeply respected by the many house-elves of Hogwarts. Wade had often heard Zoe and others mention his name in admiration.

He was, in a way, the "Dumbledore of house-elves."

"Good evening," Ralph said in his slightly hoarse voice. "Since Dumbledore dares to let him into the school, you can be sure he has taken every precaution to ensure the students' safety. You need not worry."

"May I ask what kind of precautions?" Wade inquired.

A vampire's urge to feed is instinctual. Even magical contracts might not fully suppress such urges.

Take the Unbreakable Vow, for instance—it isn't truly unbreakable; breaking it simply results in death.

As long as one has enough determination, nothing in the world can completely restrain a person.

Then, Wade heard the house-elf's response:

"Me."

He was momentarily stunned.

Ralph lifted his gaze and looked at him kindly.

"I have watched the werewolf sneak out of the castle through hidden passages at night, and I have seen you spend nearly an entire evening standing on the terrace."

"I follow Dumbledore's orders—I am the guardian of you children."

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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters

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