Logan soon got his new schedule and started to attend his classes and pass time with his friends. There wasn’t that much of a change from last year, with the exception of the lack of any kind of curse actually affecting the school, for which he was quite pleased.

The first day after arriving there, he started using the Time-Turner and going towards the Room Of Requirements to practice every spell he has learned, and actually planning for his current year, looking through books of charms and jinxes to start practicing new ones. After getting into the RoR, he took the chance, while sitting inside the RoR, to take a look at the Marauder’s Map and check what were all the students doing around the castle.

It was quite strange to see himself walking on the map towards the Great Hall when was sitting in a secret room on the seventh floor. And for the first time since he got it the last year, he really felt thankful for taking it instead of leaving it for the twins. Just thinking of the possibility of Fred and George finding out that there were two Logans walking in the castle, even if he normally went directly towards the RoR, the possibility of getting caught still existed.

On a side note, after he stole the map, he actually got a few hundred points for it for breaking the original canon. Though not as much as when he killed the basilisk.

Outside of the RoR, he also talked with Tulip, Andrew, Tonks, and a few of his older friends, who were now in their last year of classes, and finally graduating.

Protectors of Hogwarts were back again, and as such, their training practices continued. At this point, things turned into more of a club than an actual organization, but in Andrew’s words, it was a great way for the younger ones and even some of the older generation, to win some experience with dueling, just in case something like what happened with R repeats again.

{You’re not even slightly aware of how true your words would turn out to be…} Logan chuckled awkwardly at Andrew’s words. After all, things were just going to get worse starting next year.

Instead of doing daily training, Protectors of Hogwarts actually decided to practice once a week. Sadly for them, Bill was unable to come back now to help them with their training. After all, he was getting more and more occupied in his work, and there was no actual need to recruit a helper for Defense Against the Dark Arts. The supposedly new teacher was supposed to have slightly more experience than the previous one.

{He will only last a year though… If not less...} Logan, and pretty much most of the older students had that idea.

During the first weeks of classes, Logan found it too normal. As normal as a Wizarding School could be, though. Even then, he actually wasn’t worried about any danger. His days went quite easy. Going to classes, spending time with his friends, using the Time-Turner to go back and look for the RoR, helping Protectors of Hogwarts, or simply spending time with them while talking about their adventures during the vacations.

During his third week, something finally happened, and it was more of history repeating itself than something else.

Getting back to the common room after looking at some books in the library, he actually found Marietta Edgecomb, Cho Chang, and Mark McCoy standing outside of the door of Ravenclaw. McCoy was visibly trembling in front of the door while a group of upperclassmen was standing beside him.

“Come on. You can’t even answer something so simple?” One of the upperclassmen said with disdain. “Are you sure you’re a Ravenclaw? Because I don’t think so.”

At these words, the freshman clenched his fists in frustration, while Marietta and Cho could only look apprehensively. They tried to help at first, but one of the two girls from sixth-year that were there, stopped them saying that it was a test for newcomers, to see if they really belonged to Ravenclaw and that soon it would be their turn to be tested. As such, she told them that it was prohibited for them to answer for McCoy.

“Ha…” Logan sighed at this scene and slowly walked towards the group. “You never learn, do you?” He said with a sigh.

“Who dares to-” The guy that was pressing McCoy to answer turned with slight anger towards Logan, only to freeze. “...Logan.” Fear clear in his eyes, while the two girls backed off in fright, with the other guy gulping hard and sneakily taking out his wand and gripping it hard.

“Will you really do this to all the freshmen?” Logan said with a tired face. “Seriously man… Grow up, will you? You seem more like a Slytherin doing this kind of things.”

“Shut up! It’s a tradition!” The guy said, taking out his wand. “It’s you who don’t understand what being a true Ravenclaw is! We must show we truly belong to this house in our first year!”

“That’s bullshit.” Logan said with a frown. “I spoke to Badeea and Tulip about this, and they told me it was no tradition, it was just some snobbish kids wanting to feel superior to others.”

“What would those two know!?” The guy said frustrated.

“Ha… Look, man.” Logan sighed and raised both of his hands to appear defenseless. “Let’s just leave things like this, okay? Let us all go in and leave the past as the past. You don’t have to do this to every single freshman. Why don’t you take these two years that you still have available and actually help your underclassmen for once?”

“Tch. I will help them.” He said while glancing at the three first-years. “Only if they prove themselves to be worthy of being in Ravenclaw.”

{Freaking idiots… This is why the other houses don’t take us seriously…} Logan thought with a deep sigh, before taking out his wand. “Okay, man. You wanna do this the hard way, let’s do this the hard way. I asked nicely this time.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Tch. Ex-”

“Expelliarmus!” Suddenly two shouts came from behind the sixth-year Ravenclaw, and his wand, along with his friend’s who was also trying to sneak a shot at Logan, went flying.

“Wha…? Who did it!?” He turned to look behind, only to find a frowning Talbot Winger, who was crossing his arms with his wand in hand, and a glaring Tulip Karasu, who still had her wand pointing at him. “Winger!? Karasu!? What do you think you’re doing?”

Tulip snorted. “Stopping an idiot. That’s what I’m doing.” She then turned to Logan who already had his wand down. “I know you can with these guys, but you surely wouldn’t like your freshman to see you violently beating some upperclassmen, right?” She winked.

“I wasn’t going to violently beat them…” Logan said with an awkward smile while scratching the back of his head.

“As if.” Talbot shook his head. “You are not usually one to hold back.”

“Oh come on… I’m usually a calm guy.” Logan rolled his eyes, before turning to the students from sixth-year. “As you can see, there’s nothing left for you guys to do here. So why don’t you four just go to your rooms and sleep?”

“Tch.” The one that was apparently the leader took his wand and rushed towards the common room under the glaring eyes of Tulip and the disdaining glance of Talbot. The others quickly followed behind him, with the other guy falling behind for having to look for his wand first.

“Ha… Seriously, is this going to be like a yearly thing?” Logan said after they all left.

“Hahaha.” Tulip chuckled. “Maybe? I mean… I think the only ones who are still doing this kind of thing are those four. There are others who prefer a more… discrete way of testing freshmen.” She said while quoting at the word testing.

“They should all grow up.” Talbot said shortly while shaking his head. He was usually a quiet guy who liked to tend to the birds on the owlery.

“True.” Tulip smirked, before moving towards Logan and grabbing his shoulders. “But that’s why we’re leaving our little Logan here, right?” She smirked. “After all, he’s the one that will lead Ravenclaw to an age of prosperity and calmness! Kicking the asses of everyone who dares to bully the firsties!”

“What do I look to you?” Logan said as he rolled his eyes.

“Like a really good underclassman that likes to help his fellow students?” She said with a smile.

Meanwhile, the three students that were in the middle of this all, couldn’t help but smile awkwardly.

“Oh right! I almost forgot about you three!” Tulip said with an apologetic smile. “I know that they looked threatening, but those fours are really harmless. If anything happens, you can just call any of us, really.”

Talbot snorted. “Talk about you. I just helped because I was already here. But I won’t bother to interfere in these petty scrambles.”

“Right…” Tulip smiled awkwardly, before looking at Cho and the rest. “In that case, just call me or this guy here.” She patted Logan on the head. “He’s more than capable of taking on those four.”

“Really?” Mark couldn’t help but ask with incredulity. After all, he knew that Logan was only a second-year, there was no way for him to be able to fight those from sixth-year.

“Really!” Tulip answered with a smirk. “When he was a first-year, something like this happened, and while he was grumping about something, those four dared to mess with him, only to be beating black and blue for a first-year! Hahaha.”

“It wasn’t exactly like that…” Logan muttered.

“Of course it was.” Tulip said.

“Ha… Can you stop already, Tulip?” Talbot said, before looking at the three freshmen. “You three can go inside. And you too Tulip. I actually need to talk to Logan.”

“Ha? Why can’t I hear?” She said while crossing her arms.

“It’s something private.” Talbot said with a shrug. “Men’s stuff.”

“Fine.” Tulip snorted as she started to walk towards the entrance of the common room, guiding her three juniors. “Guys are idiots.” She muttered, which made Mark smile wryly and both Marietta and Cho chuckle. Before going inside the three stopped and turned to the remaining two to thanks them for helping them. Logan said not to worry about it, and Talbot just nodded, before they went inside.

“So, what is it that you want to talk about?” Logan asked with a tilted head once they were alone.

“Andrew told me that you asked him if he knew how to turn into an Animagus. Is that right?”

“Uhm… Yes?” Logan scratched the back of his head. It was true that at the end of last year, while he was thinking about how to actually become an Animagus, he went to Andrew to see if he knew more of it. Andrew actually confessed that he is an Animagus, but that it was someone else who helped him during the process, so he wasn’t sure he could teach Logan. After all, it was a dangerous process.

He still offered to ask help from the person that actually helped him become one, but that it would have to wait until Logan’s second year.

“Mm.” Talbot nodded with a frown before giving Logan a parchment. “Here, this should help you. It’s a complete and really specific guide on how to go through the process.”

“What? Where did you get this?” Logan asked as he took the parchment with a confused face.

“I wrote it.” Talbot said, before getting closer. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m actually an Animagus, and I was the one who helped Andrew become one.”

“Whoa… So you were the one he talked about.” Logan nodded in realization, before looking at the parchment. “Is it okay? For you to give me this?”

“Ha…” Talbot pinched the break of his nose. “Look. I really didn’t want to. It’s not only my biggest secret, but it’s also a really dangerous process. But… You’ve been helping us a lot. And I’m really thankful for that. I also know I can trust you won’t speak a word of this to anyone.”

“Right…” Logan nodded.

“Be really careful. If something goes wrong, you’ll be in a really hard spot. Follow that parchment from start to end. And read it a hundred times before you actually try something.”

Logan smiled wryly at this, and nodded, before frowning. “Why not just guide me yourself?”

“Because it would be a bother. And I trust you’re more than capable to do it by yourself with the correct instructions. Which you will find on that parchment.” Talbot simply said with a shrug. “Well, that was everything I needed to tell you. We better go into the common room.”

“Right.” Logan hid the parchment inside his robe and followed Talbot into Ravenclaw’s common room.

***

Weeks passed by, and after a little bit of research, Logan decided that he will try to become an Animagus after Halloween, as he would need a storm to complete the process and from what he discovered, those were the days where it would be more probable for a storm to happen.

But the storm wasn’t even the weirdest thing for the transformation. As the whole process is a real pain and he needs to be really rigorous with it. During the entire process, he will even evade using the Time-Turner, just to be sure nothing happens. All in all, he would have to start preparing for this during mid or late October.

With an approximate date set for his Animagus transformation, Logan decided he would work his hardest to get better at transfiguration and potions. {Damn potions…} He thought with a sigh as he started to practice his potion-making abilities in the Room of Requirements. Sadly, all the potions he made in there would disappear once he went out of the room, as it’s apparently only for practicing. Which was still rather impressive if someone asked him.

He now had a new goal to work towards, and with a newfound determination, he started to work for this goal. If anything, to at least escape the worst-case scenario where he would end up as a really strange mutation of human-beast.