Morning arrived at Hogwarts without asking permission.
Amber woke first, not because of noise but because the castle had a way of changing the air when it decided the day had begun. Light filtered in through the tall windows, pale and cool, carrying the distant echo of footsteps and the soft clatter of movement somewhere far below.
Wayne was already awake.
He stood near the window, fastening the cuff of his shirt, calm and unhurried, as if mornings like this had never stopped being familiar.
"You don't sleep in castles," Amber said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "You negotiate with them."
Wayne smiled. "You get used to the terms."
Before she could reply, a soft knock sounded, followed by a gentle pop. Tibbles the house-elf appeared, bowing low.
"Breakfast is served in the Great Hall," he said. "The Headmaster extends his welcome."
Amber glanced at Wayne. "That sounds formal."
"It's meant to," Wayne replied.
They followed Tibbles through the corridors, which felt livelier than the night before. Students moved in clusters now, laughing, arguing, yawning, all flowing toward the same destination. Amber tried not to stare, but everything demanded attention, the way the walls curved, the ceilings stretched, the staircases shifted when no one seemed to be watching.
"Do they ever stay still," she asked.
"No," Wayne said. "That would make things too easy."
The doors to the Great Hall opened wide.
Amber stopped just inside.
Floating candles hovered overhead, steady and bright, their light reflected in the polished tables below. Four long house tables were already filling with students, robes in different colours mixing with noise and movement. At the far end, the High Table stretched beneath banners, professors seated and speaking quietly among themselves.
"It's bigger than I imagined," Amber said.
"It always is the first time," Wayne replied.
They were guided to seats slightly apart from the student tables, close enough to observe without being part of the crowd. Plates filled themselves as they sat, the smell of fresh bread and warm food cutting through the morning air.
Amber laughed softly. "Okay. This part I approve of."
Wayne reached for a cup. "Most people do."
As they ate, Amber noticed it first.
A pause.
Not dramatic, not obvious, but real. A few professors at the High Table glanced their way, then looked again. One leaned back slightly, another stopped mid-sentence. No one approached. No one pointed.
Recognition passed quietly, like a note struck too low for the room to hear.
Amber leaned closer. "They're looking at you."
Wayne nodded. "Some of them remember."
"Should I be nervous."
"No," he said. "If they were concerned, we'd know."
At that moment, Professor McGonagall's gaze met Wayne's. She held it for half a second longer than necessary, then inclined her head once, precise and composed, before returning to her conversation.
Amber blinked. "Was that—"
"Yes," Wayne said. "That was her."
Before Amber could ask more, Tibbles appeared again, clearing his throat softly.
"The Headmaster requests your presence after breakfast," he said, addressing Wayne directly.
Wayne nodded. "Of course."
Tibbles vanished.
Amber looked at Wayne. "That didn't sound optional."
"It wasn't," Wayne replied easily.
They finished their meal at an unhurried pace. The Great Hall buzzed around them, students rising, benches scraping, owls swooping down with mail. The day was clearly underway.
When they stood to leave, Dumbledore was already waiting near the doors, hands folded, expression pleasant.
"Good morning," he said. "I trust you slept well."
"Well enough," Wayne replied.
Dumbledore turned slightly, gesturing toward a side corridor. "If you would walk with me."
Amber hesitated.
"This won't take long," Dumbledore added kindly. "And you are welcome to join us for part of it."
They followed him out of the Hall, the noise fading behind them. The corridor ahead was quieter, lined with tall windows that let in the full light of morning.
Dumbledore walked slowly. "I thought it best," he said, "that we speak before the day becomes… complicated."
Wayne glanced at him. "You've planned this too."
Dumbledore smiled. "Naturally."
They stopped before a stone gargoyle set into the wall, its expression stern and unimpressed.
"This," Dumbledore said lightly, "is where we pause."
He did not give the password.
Instead, he turned to Wayne. "We will not speak as Headmaster and guest today," he said. "We will speak as two people who remember the same place very differently."
Wayne studied him for a moment, then nodded. "All right."
Amber watched the exchange, sensing the weight beneath the calm words.
The gargoyle shifted slightly, stone grinding softly, as if listening.
Dumbledore placed a hand on the wall, then stopped, turning back once more.
"Some conversations," he said, "deserve a clear beginning."
The castle seemed to hold its breath.
And the day, far from monotonous, had only just begun.