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Chapter 274: "Absolutely No Thorns"
Chapter 274: "Absolutely No Thorns"
Chapter 274: "Absolutely No Thorns"
"Perhaps Professor Lupin... hiss~"
A sudden gust of cold wind swept into Ron's collar, causing him to swallow the remaining half of his sentence. He examined the window of the common room and cautiously picked up a piece of broken glass. "There's actually a hole here, hasn't anyone fixed it?"
Impatiently, Hermione said, "It's just a matter of casting a spell, can't you give it a try?"
Back in their dormitory, Ron said to Harry, "Maybe it was her cat, I find it a bit odd, especially the way it looked at me..."
Harry didn't pursue this topic, nor did he tell Ron about the fact that he had tossed Crookshanks off his bed two or three times. In his mind, the cat seemed to have a peculiar fondness for Scabbers' scent. Even after his disappearance, it often came around, perhaps regretting not getting a snack? But Harry couldn't be certain that if Scabbers were still here, he wouldn't have been driven to suddenly become a dark wizard due to the cat's pestering. "Maybe he couldn't bear Crookshanks' harassment, so he left," he thought. In a way, this cat seemed to have saved both him and Ron's lives.
As Harry took off his clothes and searched for a new topic, he asked, "By the way, what were you about to say just now?"
Ron's hands, which were about to take off his shoes, paused, and he furrowed his brow, carefully recollecting, "I was going to say, maybe Professor Lupin intended to use your Boggart-banishing spell doll instead of the boggart."
After a few seconds, Harry suddenly realized, and he exclaimed excitedly, "You're right, Professor Snape wrote on the card that the doll could help me. I originally thought I could use it to overcome my fear of the boggart, to prevent another mishap during the Quidditch match. But now, it seems that Professor Snape had foreseen this day long ago."
Ron chuckled as he changed into his pajamas, "Well, the difference isn't that big. You used it to convince Wood to let you continue in the match. Remember, the first time he saw that thing, he nearly passed out..."
Even though Ron was exaggerating a bit, Harry couldn't help but burst into laughter, especially when he imagined the burly Wood shrinking into the chair like a kitten.
From the bed across the room, Neville mumbled sleepily, "Harry? What's going on?"
"Nothing, just go back to sleep," he quickly replied.
Lying in bed, Harry hoped fervently that he wouldn't miss the upcoming Quidditch practice, just like how Hermione never missed any of her elective classes - it was magical, but he wanted the results.
...
In the following days, besides attending classes and going to the library, Felix spent a considerable amount of time sorting through ancient magic - the instructional steps for the Lumos spell - which he had borrowed from Dumbledore.
He was preparing this as an end-of-term reward for the club. Although this magic could only be considered an infinitely enhanced version of the Wand-Lighting Charm, both its effects and safety were satisfying.
The only consequence of this magic going awry was draining the magic of careless learners. Compared to the examples of spells backfiring and reducing someone to ashes or desiccating them into mummies, this one was quite friendly.
Felix planned to break down this ancient magic and incorporate the knowledge into the upcoming club meetings, teaching it after the end-of-term exams.
Additionally, his communication with Nearly Headless Nick resumed. Even though they only communicated through photos, Felix keenly sensed a hint of melancholy in Nick's words. His heart sank involuntarily, Dumbledore's words resurfacing in his mind: Nick's wife might not make it through this winter...
But Nearly Headless Nick avoided discussing this, and Felix could only pretend not to know, avoiding reopening the old wounds of the elderly ghost.
Perhaps during the summer break, he could talk to Nearly Headless Nick about staying with him for a while.
During this period, Mundungus contacted him several times, sending over a few ancient alchemical products. He even presented an exquisite piece of silverware. From its craftsmanship, Felix deduced that it was crafted by the hands of a fairy, and such items were always valuable. It was clear that the owner had used it frequently. Felix speculated that it might have come from a pure-blood family.
Montague tentatively inquired if he wanted more. He had a stable supply, which only further confirmed Felix's suspicions. He couldn't help but reflect that even some seemingly prestigious pure-blood families were discreetly selling off their assets.
In the first Dueling class of January, Felix explained the rules of a small-scale duel and arranged for some older students to demonstrate. Besides the prohibition on using Dark Magic, the restriction on using semi-permanent Transfiguration, high-risk curses, and potions, there weren't many limitations.
"In this competition, we'll strive to mimic real-life conditions. The venue won't be a dueling stage. With the collaboration of several professors, we've decided to make full use of Classroom Seven. Yes, the one that was converted from the Ancient Runes classroom."
"There's still a month until the official duel competition begins. You can prepare adequately."
In this Dueling class, apart from the information Felix divulged, the most eye-catching figure was Neville. His Silencing Charm successfully incapacitated several opponents, surprising those who knew him.
Neville's heart was pounding. It was the first time he had won so swiftly and cleanly. Seeing Harry give him a thumbs-up, he grinned. After being awakened by Nearly Headless Nick, he playfully thumped Neville's chest, "Hey, mate, did you swallow some potion or what?"
Although everyone was happy for Neville's progress, his transformation also triggered a sense of crisis in many. The most immediate consequence was the intense activity within the Dueling practice group formed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
In an abandoned classroom, Ron's face was determined. "Come on, Harry." A small group encircled him, making his expression even more solemn.
Harry hesitated a bit but eventually complied. He pointed his wand at Ron and shouted, "Impedimenta!" A magical rope formed and wrapped around Ron, binding him from head to toe. Ron crashed onto the cushion with a thud.
Running over, Harry lifted the spell and helped Ron up, whispering, "Are you up for another round?"
"Bring it on, I want to experience your magic a few more timeshiss~" Ron grimaced, "Did your magic mutate? I feel like my arse got pricked by thorns."
The students surrounding them all took a step back. A few girlsLavender Brown, Parvati Patillooked at them with disdain.
Harry hastily explained, "No, it's probably just his skin swelling, which caused the sensation. I've experienced it" He stopped short, realizing he was digging himself into a hole.
Now even Ginny's gaze towards him turned odd.
Harry gave up on explaining, and he glared at Ron, irritated, and said, "Are you ready?"
"Wait"
"Bang!"
Ron fell to the ground again. Harry earnestly addressed the others, "You can check, there are absolutely no thorns..."
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