Alex’s eyes shift toward two other figures, instantly recognizing Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. He rubs his eyes, surprised by how unimpressive they appear. Harry, in particr, looks extremely average,cking the typical main character energy Alex expected, with only his lightning-shaped scar confirming his identity.


    <em>He’s part of our mission; better be careful around him,</em> Alex decides, filing Harry away in his mind as a potential focus forter.


    After the short introduction in the Great Hall, Dumbledore leads the group of yers, along with the professors, into a side room behind the hall.


    The professors take turns exining the rules of the castle to the yers. Snape, in particr, takes every opportunity to admonish them, his tone dripping with disdain:


    “I warn you, should you disrupt my lessons or throw this castle into turmoil, I will take immediate action,” Snape says coldly, ring at the group.


    Alex hears some of the male yers snickering behind their hands, muttering insults about Snape under their breath. Meanwhile, a group of female yers giggle softly, whispering among themselves about the dark, brooding professor.


    <em>Are they using the same tactic as us, or are they just stupid?</em> Alex wonders, narrowing his eyes at the yers’ antics. <em>Even I wouldn’t insult him so openly. Snape’s the kind of unstable character you don’t want to provoke without a damn good reason.</em>


    Dumbledore clears his throat, redirecting everyone’s attention. “Now… please get serious. For now, I want you to patrol the castle without disrupting the lessons. I’ll grant you free ess to the castle grounds, but do not abuse my trust.”


    His tone shifts slightly as he continues. “Of course, your primary task is to address the corruption spreading from the Forbidden Forest. If left unchecked, it could pose a serious threat to the school and the tournament in the long run.”


    The yers exchange nces, listening closely as Dumbledore borates.


    “We will pay you each 100 Galleons a week for your services. Your pay will be delivered to your temporary homes in Hogsmeade. Additionally, as a gesture of good faith, I will provide a 100-Galleon bonuster today to help you get settled.”


    Alex raises an eyebrow at the mention of the bonus, his attention sharpening.


    “Furthermore,” Dumbledore continues, “should you find valuable items in the Forbidden Forest, I have tasked Hagrid with facilitating their exchange for various rewards. Some of you foreign witches and wizards have expressed interest in our unique brand of magic, and I am happy to add that knowledge as a reward option. Of course, you can also exchange your finds for simple Galleons—no questions asked. Should you seed in felling corrupted beasts, we’ll take note of that as well. The choice of how you approach your task is yours.”


    Alex can’t help but smile at this. <em>The good old system of exchanging prey for contribution points and then for sweet rewards. I’ve seen it before, and it’s always reliable and I got a head start! </em>ncing to his side, he notices Tereza smiling brightly as Dumbledore mentions magic.


    “Now then… you are dismissed. Every week, I will call you to my office to discuss your progress. Expect an owl to deliver your summons.”


    With a casual wave of his hand, Dumbledore sends six keys flying from his pocket. Each keynds in the hands of a team leader, one of them instinctivelynding in Rishi’s palm as though the castle itself recognized their group’s strategy.


    Dumbledore and the professors then leave promptly, exiting the backroom of the Great Hall and leaving the yers behind. The room falls silent, the yers looking around at one another with confusion and unease.


    “...”


    Alex breaks the silence. “Let’s check out the castle and visit Hogsmeade,” he suggests, excitement creeping into his voice at the thought of exploring Hogwarts freely.


    The teams split up, each heading in different directions. Roja, watching the others carefully, suddenly drops her angry act, her demeanor shifting in an instant.


    “Nice acting, Alex. Damn impressive. We’ll discuss everythingter. For now, the early bird gets the worm, so let’s move. We need to be the first yers to act,” Roja says quickly, her tone sharp and decisive.


    Turning to her teammates, she issues orders: “Peh, to the seventh floor—you know what to do. I’ll try to catch some of the professors. Tereza, you’re checking out the Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack. If you run into trouble, use that hidden escape method you mentioned, just as we discussed. Alex, the kitchens. Rishi, the girls’ bathroom on the second floor. Let’s go!”


    Without waiting for a response, Roja swiftly heads toward the grand staircase, moving as though she had known the castle’syout for years.@@novelbin@@


    Alex sighs inwardly. <em>I already miss my bed. For now, I’ll let her have her way, this ends after today, however. I have a feeling this is going to be a VERY long day. At least Rishi gets to y the creepy part and snoop around the damn girls’ bathroom, while I only have to deal with those small creatures….</em>


    With that thought, Alex obeys Roja’s orders, at least for now, since they align with his own goals, quickly heading toward the castle’s kitchen, hoping his research into the castle is enough to find it.


    Alex rushes through the castle, slightly panicking as he fails to recognize much. The halls lookpletely different from the games and movies he used as reference.


    <em>Don’t blindly rush through the damn castle,</em> he reminds himself. <em>Think about it—aren’t the kitchens rumored to be near the Hufflepuffmon room? Let’s just abuse my authority and save time.</em>


    He quickly scans his surroundings and spots a group of 13- to 14-year-old students wearing yellow robes. Alex immediately approaches them and asks, “Hello there, students. Can you lead me to the entrance of your house’smon room? Or, even better, straight to the kitchens?”


    “Kitchens? Where are they?” one of the students responds, looking genuinely confused.


    Alex’s eyes narrow as he notices a chubby girl in the group nervously looking at the ground, avoiding his gaze.


    <em>She knows!</em>


    Alex wastes no time. He activates <strong>[Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag]</strong>, his eyes emitting a brief butpelling sh of blue light.


    “You there, the beautiful student,” Alex says with exaggerated charm, locking his gaze on the chubby girl. “I think you know where it is. Can you please lead me there? You heard what the headmaster said. I’m trying to protect the castle, and I think the kitchens may be in danger. It’s urgent and important that I inspect them immediately.”


    The girl’s cheeks flush as she looks up at Alex, suddenly flustered. After a few moments of hesitation, she gives a shy nod.


    “Perfect! Thank you so much!” Alex says with a pleased smile.


    Less than 10 minutester, the girl escorts Alex to a small set of stairs and a door leading underground.


    “This way, sir. The kitchens are just through there,” she says, still blushing.


    “Thank you so much! I owe you one, beautifuldy,” Alex says before descending quickly down the stairs.


    <em>So… ording to Roja’s n, visiting certain ces as the first yer can trigger rewards or special opportunities. I don’t think anyone beat me here! Time to try my best and remember how to act around house elves,</em> Alex thinks, preparing himself.


    He quickly approaches the location and sees a portrait with a lot of different fruits on it.


    <em>Ah, I nearly forgot. I have to tickle the Pear on that painting right?</em>


    As Alex literally tickles the pear, a door knob magically appears and Alex enters the kitchen, Alex sees dozens of house elves scurrying about, busily cleaning, preparing ingredients, and carrying trays of ingredients. The atmosphere is bustling, and the small creatures seempletely absorbed in their tasks.


    <em>Man, I feel a bit sorry for these poor elves,</em> Alex thinks, his sympathy threatening to break through his act. <em>But still… I need to get my act together. Focus.</em>


    After a few moments, one of the house elves finally notices Alex and cautiously approaches him. “A guest in the kitchen! Oh, I am so honored. Dear visitor, how can I help you?”


    Alex, feeling slightly uncertain, decides to y it safe but bold, with not much to lose. He activates <strong>[Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag]</strong> again, this time emitting a strong red sh. His eyes shine with a menacing crimson glow, the intensity even surprising himself.


    “I’m not a mere visitor, house elf,” Alex deres, his voice firm andmanding. “I am a recently employed guardian of Hogwarts, responsible for protecting the castle and eradicating any corruption that threatens its students. I am conducting an emergency inspection of this kitchen.”


    Suddenly, every house elf in the kitchen freezes. Their movements halt, and they all turn to stare at Alex, wide-eyed and silent.


    “You,” Alex says, pointing to the house elf who first approached him. “You will give me a tour. The rest of you, stay here. This won’t take long, and you may resume your duties afterward.”


    The selected house elf nods quickly and obediently, motioning for Alex to follow him. The rest of the elves remain frozen in ce, waiting for Alex’s inspection to conclude.


    <em>Shit, what do I do now?</em> Alex wonders, his expression confident. <em>Let’s just do the usual and see if the system recognizes anything interesting.</em>


    Alex sees numerous ingredients, variousrge pots, pans, and the sort of equipment any kitchen should have. However, the items used by the house elves appear almost ancient to Alex. He sighs a little, almost ready to give up until he finally spots something glowing, the system reacting immediately.