Harry Potter: The Legend of Nero Ravenclaw

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.

"So, Callum," he said thoughtfully, "do you know what talent ranking my ancestor, Rowena Ravenclaw, received?"

By now, other Ravenclaw students had begun to tune into the conversation, drawn in by curiosity.

"I don't know," Callum admitted. "Probably EX, SS, or O."

Nero shook his head. "The crystal used for talent evaluations was created after her time. There were no rankings back then, no neat little categories telling her what she could or couldn't do. Rowena Ravenclaw and her peers had to carve their own paths without guidance, without a predefined route to greatness. That's the entire point of the talent testing, to give us a roadmap. But a roadmap is not the journey itself."

A murmur of agreement spread among the listeners.

"When I took my test," Nero continued, "Professor Flitwick shared something with me that I've made my own. Talent is a foundation, not a ceiling. Passion, perseverance, and curiosity, those are what define a truly great wizard. Do you know that Professor Flitwick himself was rated only 'Acceptable' in Charms? Yet he became one of the greatest duelists of our time."

A small smile played on Flitwick's lips as he overheard the conversation from the staff table, nodding approvingly.

"So tell me, Theo, Callum, why are you already deciding where your ceiling is when you've barely started climbing?"

Callum and Theo exchanged glances, their expressions slowly shifting from resignation to something more thoughtful.

"One day," Nero continued, "I may face a wall that seems impossible to break. But I refuse to accept that it's unbreakable. I will do everything it takes to shatter it. And so will you."

By now, the entire Ravenclaw table had fallen silent, every student hanging onto Nero's words.

"Theo, Callum, we are Ravenclaws. We value wisdom, wit, and creativity. We have seven years at Hogwarts, with direct access to some of the finest professors in the world. More importantly, we have thousands of books, thousands of pieces of knowledge we may never have the chance to access again after we graduate."

Nero's voice carried a newfound passion. "Do you understand how many obstacles you can overcome with knowledge? How many spells, enchantments, and breakthroughs lie just beyond our current understanding? Do you really want to leave Hogwarts one day and regret not taking this opportunity seriously enough?"

Theo and Callum slowly nodded, the fog of their despair beginning to clear.

"Marcus," Nero called to another of his roommates, "how many days do we have left until we graduate?"

"Err… I'm not sure, Nero," Marcus admitted.

"Hogwarts starts on September 1st and runs until the end of June. We have breaks for Christmas, Easter, and summer. That means students who stay at Hogwarts all year have around 280 days to learn from one of the greatest libraries in the world. Those who go home for every holiday? They only have about 170 days."

Murmurs spread through the group as they did the math.

"We stay at Hogwarts for seven years," Nero continued. "That's 1,960 days if you stay for every holiday. If you leave for every break, you get only 1,190 days. And we've already lost two months of our first year." He let that fact sink in. "For those who stay, we've already used up 21% of this year. For those who leave, it's 35% gone."

Silence. Then, realization dawned on their faces.

"Callum, Theo, Marcus, our time is limited and precious. If we are true Ravenclaws, shouldn't we make the most of the invaluable days we have left this year?" Nero's eyes burned with determination. "Wouldn't we be disrespecting Hogwarts' library itself if we didn't try to absorb every ounce of knowledge it offers?"

The weight of his words settled over the table. A slow but steady transformation spread through the Ravenclaw students. Callum and Theo sat up straighter, their expressions shifting from self-pity to resolve.

"You're right," Theo said, standing up. "We'll define our own ceilings."

Callum nodded firmly. "Yeah. Time to hit the books."

One by one, Ravenclaw students began to rise, murmuring to each other, determination replacing their earlier gloom. Within minutes, a study frenzy had erupted. First-years, second-years, even some upperclassmen, everyone was rushing to the library, eager to seize the opportunity they had been neglecting.

Madam Pince would later describe it as one of the most unexpectedly joyous days of her career.

Yet, Nero's words resonated not just with the Ravenclaw students, his speech reached the ears of those from every house, those who bore the courage of a lion, the loyalty of a badger, and the cunning of a serpent.

Hogwarts was about to enter an unprecedented period of agitation.

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