Chapter 33: The Ravenclaw Spirit
A few weeks had passed since the "Verkor Incident" had shaken Hogwarts to its core.
While classes continued as usual, many first-years seemed dispirited, their enthusiasm dulled by recent events.
Nero couldn't help but notice that two of his roommates, Callum Ashridge and Theo Wainwright, looked particularly devastated.
Their shoulders slumped, eyes vacant, as if the weight of the wizarding world rested upon them.
He decided to call out to them.
"Callum, Theo, what's going on? You look like a Dementor just gave you a full-course meal."
Theo sighed heavily. "How could you understand, Nero? You're the great Ravenclaw heir. But us? We can't even lift a feather properly with our wands, while you make dozens of them dance wandlessly and chantlessly like it's nothing. Worse, our talent evaluations were... pitiful."
"How can we ever hope to become the legendary wizards we dreamed of being?" Callum added, his voice laced with frustration.
'Ah, I see how it is,' thought Nero. He recalled that Callum had once boasted about wanting to break every record in the talent testing. Seeing his crushed ambition now made Nero pause before speaking.