Seven hundred and fifty Galleons had been exchanged for a Silver Forger.
Ryze felt a faint ache in his heart when he thought about the cost.
Still, a mature Body-Forging Enthusiast always believed that the next Forger would surely produce something extraordinary. There was always another attempt, another possibility waiting just around the corner.
What if the next body-forging attempt could produce an Amplifier?
Ryze quickly comforted himself with that thought. At the very least, this forging had produced a Dual-Attribute Shard, and Attack Speed and Haste were indeed attributes he currently lacked. In that sense, the result was not entirely disappointing.
Soon, the dormitory slowly fell into silence.
The soft breathing of the other young wizards gradually turned into gentle snores. The quiet rhythm of sleep filled the room, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Suppressing his lingering emotions, Ryze closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax.
This was his first real sleep since arriving at Hogwarts.
Surprisingly, he adjusted to the unfamiliar bed without any difficulty. The mattress was soft yet supportive, and the blankets were warm and comfortable. After an entire day filled with new experiences, his body quickly surrendered to exhaustion.
Before long, Ryze drifted into a deep sleep.
And then he began to dream.
In his dream, he saw a beautiful woman with long black hair standing at the top of a tall tower.
The wind gently stirred her hair as she gazed into the distance.
There was a trace of sadness in her expression.
Her eyes were fixed far away toward the southeast, as if she were watching something that existed far beyond the horizon. After a moment, she sighed softly, her voice filled with an emotion Ryze could not quite identify.
Ryze felt that the woman seemed strangely familiar.
Yet within the dream, his awareness was hazy and indistinct. He did not question where he was or why he was there. He simply stood quietly, watching her in silence, like an invisible observer.
Time in the dream felt strange—both fleeting and endless.
Eventually, the woman slowly turned her head.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Ryze could clearly sense the depth hidden within her gaze.
There was confusion there. And something else as well—something heavy, perhaps even sorrowful.
It felt as if she wanted to say something.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak—
Ryze suddenly woke up.
The first light of dawn was already creeping through the window.
The sky outside had begun to brighten, pale sunlight slowly spreading across the horizon.
Ryze lay still in bed, staring quietly at the ceiling while carefully recalling the dream.
Every detail remained unusually clear in his mind.
That alone was strange.
Normally, dreams faded quickly after waking. Within minutes, most of their details disappeared like mist under sunlight.
But this dream was different.
Even now, he could remember every scene vividly—the woman's expression, the tower, the direction she had been staring toward, and most of all, the moment their eyes had met.
After thinking for a moment, Ryze murmured softly to himself.
"Did I just dream about Ravenclaw?"
According to historical records, Rowena Ravenclaw had indeed been known as a beautiful witch with black hair.
Aside from the fact that the woman in his dream was not wearing a diadem, her appearance was actually quite similar to the statue of Ravenclaw located in the Ravenclaw Common Room.
But this raised another question.
Why would he suddenly dream about Ravenclaw?
Was it simply because he had been sorted into Ravenclaw House?
Ryze frowned slightly.
"That doesn't make much sense…"
Then another possibility crossed his mind.
"Could it be related to the Divination Talent granted by the Doomsayer?"
After all, ordinary dreams were fleeting and difficult to remember. Yet this one felt unusually vivid, almost like a memory rather than a dream.
He could even recall the final moment of eye contact.
And the words the woman seemed about to speak—words he never had the chance to hear.
Still, another doubt soon appeared.
Could Divination Talent really allow him to witness events from a thousand years ago?
Ryze thought carefully.
If the woman truly was Rowena Ravenclaw, then the timing of the dream might correspond to a specific event recorded in magical history.
It was said that Helena Ravenclaw, Rowena's daughter—now known as the Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw House—had once stolen her mother's diadem.
Perhaps the dream had taken place sometime after that incident.
But even if that guess were correct, Ryze still could not determine what the dream actually meant.
Was it some kind of message?
Or perhaps a warning?
Could it be suggesting that he should retrieve the lost diadem of Ravenclaw?
The idea sounded absurd.
Ryze shook his head lightly.
With so little information available, there was no point in overthinking it.
Dreams were mysterious things, and sometimes they meant nothing at all.
He decided that if he experienced similar dreams again, he would investigate the matter further. Until then, it was better not to waste too much time worrying about it.
After settling that thought, Ryze glanced at the time.
It was 6:15 in the morning.
He had slept for roughly seven hours.
The first class at Hogwarts would not begin until 8:50, which meant he still had about two and a half hours of free time.
As he stretched slightly, his attention instinctively shifted toward his Curse Energy.
A small smile appeared on his face.
There was good news—and bad news.
The good news was that his Curse Energy had indeed increased during the night.
The bad news was that the increase amounted to only 0.2.
Ryze rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So the curse on my body can only provide around 0.5 Curse Energy per day at most…"
Fortunately, the Adaptability attribute did not disappoint him. It maintained a perfect one-to-one conversion ratio, ensuring that the energy he gained could be used efficiently.
After making a few quick calculations in his mind, Ryze came to a conclusion.
If he relied solely on the curse affecting his body, he would gain roughly 15 points of Ability Power each month.
Honestly, Ryze was not too surprised by that result.
After all, he had been suffering from this curse since birth.
Whoever—or whatever—had placed the curse on him must have possessed considerable power.
However, Ryze suspected that it was not an extremely lethal curse.
If it had been truly powerful, he would have died long ago as an infant.
There would have been no way for him to survive this long.
Unless…
The curse had never been intended to kill him in the first place.
Perhaps its purpose was to keep him trapped in a miserable state—not allowing him to die, but never letting him live comfortably either.
That possibility made Ryze frown slightly.
Even so, he quickly adjusted his mindset.
From another perspective, the curse providing even 0.5 Curse Energy per day was already quite beneficial.
"Still… 0.5 a day isn't nearly enough."
If his Curse Energy was not stacked to its maximum limit, Ryze felt an irritating restlessness in his mind—almost like ants crawling across his skin.
Fortunately, he had already thought of several potential ways to obtain more Curse Energy during the previous night.
And with plenty of time ahead of him today, he could begin testing those methods one by one.
Just then, he sensed a familiar presence.
Ailey had quietly returned to his body sometime during the night.
Without disturbing the other three students in the dormitory, Ryze carefully climbed out of bed.
After performing a quick wash and using a bit of Everyday Magic to tidy his appearance, he scribbled a short note and left it on the desk.
Then he quietly walked out toward the Ravenclaw Common Room.
The previous night had been too late for him to properly observe the surroundings.
Now, with the early morning light filling the room, Ryze finally had the chance to examine the Ravenclaw Common Room in detail.
Ravenclaw's representative colors were blue and bronze, and the room reflected that aesthetic perfectly.
Elegant blue silk banners hung along the walls and across the high ceilings, giving the room a refined and scholarly atmosphere.
Above him, the ceiling resembled a deep blue night sky, decorated with small stars that shimmered softly in the dim light.
The carpet covering the floor was also blue, woven with subtle star patterns that matched the celestial theme of the room.
Directly opposite the entrance stood a white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.
The statue depicted her standing proudly, her expression calm and wise. Anyone entering the Common Room would immediately see her figure watching over the space.
Naturally, as the house most dedicated to knowledge and wisdom, the Ravenclaw Common Room was filled with bookshelves.
Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, packed tightly with books of various sizes and subjects.
In one corner of the room, there was even a small private library, complete with several reading tables.
Although it was still early in the morning, a handful of students were already seated there, quietly reading.
The sight made Ryze realize something immediately.
Overachievers existed everywhere.
When they noticed a first-year student like Ryze entering the room, their gazes lingered on him briefly before quickly returning to their books.
Ryze walked over and politely greeted them.
It never hurt to establish a good impression with older students.
One of them—a relatively enthusiastic older wizard—struck up a brief conversation with him.
After a few exchanges, the student asked if Ryze might be interested in joining something called the Early Reading Society.
It wasn't an official organization, but rather an informal group formed by several hardworking Ravenclaw students.
Their daily routine was simple.
They woke up at 5:30 in the morning, gathered in the Common Room, and studied until 8:30, just before classes began.
That meant they gained two extra hours of study time every single day.
The older student explained with a confident smile.
"Two extra hours might not seem like much. But sometimes those two hours are exactly what separates ordinary students from truly successful ones."
He also mentioned something else.
If Ryze didn't want to spend time going all the way to the Great Hall for breakfast, he could simply remain in the Common Room.
At around seven o'clock, the house-elves would deliver pastries, fruit, and other light breakfast items.
While it might not be as extravagant as the full spread served in the Great Hall, it was more than enough to satisfy one's hunger.
Ryze listened politely before shaking his head with a friendly smile.
"I appreciate the invitation," he said. "But since I've only just arrived at Hogwarts, I'd like to explore the school a bit more before settling into a routine."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Once I'm more familiar with the curriculum and the castle itself, I'll decide whether I want to join."
Ryze genuinely loved magic, and he was certainly willing to devote extra time to studying its mysteries.
However, he also preferred to follow his own rhythm.
Study when it was time to study.
Relax when it was time to relax.
If he joined the Early Reading Society, sleeping in even slightly would probably become impossible.
The older student did not seem offended.
He simply shrugged with an understanding expression.
"That's fair," he said. "If you ever change your mind, the Early Reading Society is always open to students who want to strive for excellence."
After saying that, the student immediately returned to his book, becoming completely absorbed in studying once again.
Watching this scene, Ryze quietly let out a small sigh of relief.
Nymphadora had once told him that she had never seen a young wizard as hardworking as he was.
But if she had ever glanced inside the Ravenclaw Common Room early in the morning—
She would probably never say such a thing again.
For more chapters
patreon.com/Liamlivingstone