Chapter 361: Souls Have No Hierarchy, Cognition Gathers magic
If explained more directly, it's as if Dylan, with the help of time, achieved the effect of continuously casting the Cheering Charm day after day at the moment of magic application. This long-term accumulation of magical imprints could break through the boundaries and ultimately affect living creatures in reality.
This association with the influence of time made him involuntarily think of the topic of House-elf status evolution he had discussed with Ravenclaw before. The cognition of House-elves living in Wizardfamilies by the Wizard community has actually been constantly changing over time.
For example, in the early days of Hogwarts's founding, the relationship between House-elves and Wizards was relatively harmonious.
Even if they were not regarded as family members, Wizards treated them with a gentler attitude, at least not abusing them casually like slaves.
However, in recent centuries, the status of House-elves gradually declined, eventually becoming a slave-like existence. Wizards became increasingly demanding of them, even considering such exploitation as a matter of course.
This shift in cognition spread over time, gradually solidifying into a universal concept throughout the magic world, making most Wizards tacitly accept that House-elves should live this way.
It's not just social cognition; magic itself also exhibits similar temporal changes.
For example, the most basic Levitation Charm could only levitate small, light objects in the early stages of magic development, but over time, the spell's effect continuously strengthened. Now, it can easily levitate large furniture and even small carriages, and the weight it can bear has also increased.
This evolution of magical effects is essentially also the result of continuous accumulation. Countless Wizards' fine-tuning of spells in practice and the advancement of magical theory, after time's precipitation, ultimately transformed into the strengthening of magic itself.
Dylan continued to delve deeper along this line of thought, and a brand new understanding gradually became clear: memory is an important part of the soul, and soul energy can be materialized into magicthrough specific spells. The Patronus Charm is the most typical example, using beautiful memories in the soul as a guide to give birth to visible silver creatures.
If so, can the collective cognition formed by humans with souls, after long-term accumulation and transformation into memories, also be considered a special form of magic?
This idea lit up his eyes, and he immediately thought of the evolution of House-elf status, which could be perfectly explained by "cognitive memory transforming into magic."
The Wizard community's cognition of House-elves gradually solidified into collective memory over time. These memories converged, forming an invisible but powerful magical force.
The core function of this magic is to shape concepts. It not only made more and more Wizards tacitly accept that House-elves should be slaves, normalizing exploitation, but also permeated into the consciousness of the House-elves themselves, making them accept this concept, willingly live as slaves, and even consider their master's approval as their highest pursuit.
But not all Wizards were affected by this magic.
A minority, like Hermione, always believed that the concept of House-elves being slaves was wrong. Their cognition of treating House-elves equally was also quietly converging into another weak magical force.
And Dobby is the embodiment of this force. He broke free from the shackles of traditional concepts, dared to pursue freedom, and became a unique existence among the House-elf community.
Unfortunately, there are too few Wizards who hold such progressive views, and this magical force is too weak, so much so that among the vast House-elf community, so far, only Dobby seems to have truly broken through the shackles of concepts.
This perspective of cognition as magic is full of inspiration, and Dylan's thoughts involuntarily drifted to another deeper question—the origins of Wizards and Muggles.
Previously, he had discussed with Ravenclaw, believing that after humans were born, individuals sensitive to magical energy became Wizards, while those who were dull became Muggles.
But now, it seems this statement might have missed a key premise: this world has had traces of magicsince its birth, which are the imprints left by gods in legends. These could be energy fluctuations in mountains and rivers, or the magical logic behind natural phenomena.
The true origin might be this: early humans accidentally discovered these divine traces and developed a strong curiosity and desire to explore the unknown magical power.
This desire, as a pure emotional energy, was transmitted and converged among countless human individuals, ultimately forming a powerful magical force.
It was this force that awakened the human soul's ability to perceive magic, allowing some people to be the first to master the methods of using magic, thus giving birth to the Wizard community.
This association is undoubtedly subversive, and Dylan is well aware that for most Wizards who adhere to traditional cognition, such an origin story would likely be difficult to accept.
However, from his long-term research on the soul, this conjecture highly aligns with logic. In his eyes, human souls inherently have no hierarchy; there is no innate difference in being suitable for magic or innately repelling magic, only differences in the depth of exploration of soul energy.
Even without actively exploring the connection between soul and magic, humans can, relying on the potential of their own souls, achieve remarkable accomplishments in fields such as art and science, regardless of whether they possess magical abilities.
The space where the system taught him magic, on the other hand, became excellent evidence.
As both his knowledge and magic became more profound, Dylan now realized a key issue: the wisdom contained in magic does not come solely from the Wizard community but encompasses the cognition and memories of all humanity. Whether it's Wizard magical theories or Muggle scientific discoveries, corresponding elements can be found in the system space.
This further confirmed the view that human souls have no hierarchy, and cognition converges into magic.
This stimulating association made Dylan immediately decide to record it as a direction for further in-depth exploration.
And the best way to verify this conjecture, in his opinion, is to try to artificially create a magical creature species. If he can create a new magical creature in reality by guiding collective human cognition, and observe corresponding biological light and shadow within, it would directly prove the logic of cognitive memory transforming into magic.
In fact, he himself was researching whether he could create new species.
Coincidentally, a particular Wizard he is currently focusing on might just be the key to this experiment.
However, the preparatory work for this experiment is exceptionally complex, requiring precise guidance of cognitive direction, control of energy convergence intensity, and design of magical imprints for biological forms. Each step needs repeated debugging and refinement before the experiment can officially proceed.
After all, such a special Wizard is extremely rare, and finding a second similar experimental subject would be extremely difficult, allowing no room for error.
After organizing his experimental notes in the Chamber of Secrets, Dylan walked along the Castlestairs towards the common room.
Passing the second-floor corridor, a quarrel mixed with shouts and screams drifted in through the open window. He instinctively stopped, turned to look out the window, and saw the Black Lake's surface shimmering. Durmstrang's iconic magical ship was anchored not far from the shore, and the window's position allowed a clear view of the ship's hull near the bank.
At this moment, the magical ship was in a strange state of swaying. The hull tilted left at times, then violently swayed right, with no discernible pattern. The splashing sound of the hull hitting the water continuously echoed, and even the distant lake surface rippled with turbidity.
Dylan immediately determined that the ship was not encountering natural storms but was being attacked by underwater creatures. The force and frequency of the hull's shaking clearly indicated that creatures were continuously hitting or dragging it underwater.
Remembering that just a few hours ago, he was interacting with the light and shadow of Grindylows and Merpeople in the Black Lake's reflection with magic, and even left magical imprints, Dylan instantly developed an interest in investigating.
Combining his newly derived conclusion that energy channels exist between the real world and that other world, a thought emerged in his mind: could the attack Durmstrang's magical ship was currently experiencing be a chain reaction caused by his experiments in that other world?
Perhaps the magical influence received by those light and shadow had already been transmitted through the energy channels to the aquatic creatures in reality, changing their behavior patterns.
To get a full view, Dylan quickly walked through the corridor and circled to the lakeside from the side door of the Castle.
From a different angle, the other side of the magical ship was fully exposed: dozens of Grindylows were gathered beneath the hull. Their skin was deep ink-green, almost blending with the color of the lakebed weeds, covered in slippery mucus. Three sharp black horns protruded from their heads, and half their bodies were submerged in the water. Their forelimbs tightly grasped the ship's planks, and they were collectively pulling to one side, trying to capsize the large ship.
On the deck, a dozen students in Durmstrang's dark blue uniforms were holding wands, continuously releasing offensive magic. Some shot orange-red sparks, some waved their wands to cast rope-like binding spells, and some tried to use Water-prison Charms to trap the Grindylows underwater.
But each time the magic was about to hit its target, a sharp cry would come from the distant lake surface, like a command from some creature.
Dylan followed the sound and saw a dozen Merpeople floating on the water about twenty meters from the large ship.
Their skin was grey-blue, their scales glinting coldly in the sunlight, and when their lips parted, a mouthful of sharp teeth could be seen.
Whenever Durmstrang students cast spells, the Merpeople would quickly open and close their mouths to make a sound. The Grindylows, hearing the command, would immediately react, either diving sharply into the water to avoid the magic or pressing themselves against the hull, causing the attacks to miss.
The Merpeople were not just directing; they also launched attacks. A few Merpeople bent down to scoop up fist-sized stones or jagged shells from the lakebed and threw them with outstretched arms towards the deck. Several other Merpeople held slender Lobbugs in their foreclaws. These insects had bodies like dried vines, with a round, bulging venom sac at one end, giving them a peculiar appearance.
The Merpeople squeezed the venom sac, and the Lobbug would open its mouth at the top, spraying pale green venom. Although most of the venom landed on the edge of the deck, a few drops still splashed onto the ship's side, leaving dark corrosive marks, forcing the students to divert their attention to dodge.
In the few minutes Dylan observed, the conflict escalated. Another dozen Durmstrang students rushed out of the ship's cabin. Some joined the attack, while others moved planks from the storage room, attempting to reinforce the hull, which was being scratched and deformed by the Grindylows.
Meanwhile, Hogwarts students in the Castle also gradually discovered the anomaly in the Black Lake. Many ran out of the Castle with books, gathering along the pebble path by the lakeside, quickly forming a crowd of onlookers. Everyone stood on tiptoes, peering into the distance, quietly discussing the chaotic scene before them.
To quickly understand the cause of the conflict, Dylan knew that asking Hufflepuff students was most suitable. Students from this House were always good observers and particularly knowledgeable about trivial matters both inside and outside the campus.
He scanned the crowd and quickly spotted Ernie Macmillan. He was discussing the lake with a few classmates.
Dylan quickly walked over and waved to Ernie: "Ernie, hello, do you know what's going on here at the Black Lake? Why is Durmstrang's ship being attacked by these creatures?"
Ernie Macmillan turned around, and seeing it was Dylan, he recounted the news he had just heard: "I just heard from the lakeside caretaker that about half an hour ago, a few Merpeople surfaced and sang. Some Durmstrang students thought it was fun, so they threw small stones into the water and mocked the Merpeople's singing, saying it sounded like a broken gong. The Merpeople got angry and first made warning cries, but those students didn't take it seriously and continued to jeer. As a result, the Merpeople summoned the Grindylows and Lobbugs and started attacking their ship. That's how the situation escalated."
"But honestly, listening to those Merpeople sing just now, it was indeed a bit strange." Ernie Macmillan scratched his head, his tone reflecting genuine confusion. "It wasn't just not good to listen to; you could vaguely make out a few syllables like lyrics, but in between, it was mixed with strange cries like a beast's roar, completely out of tune."
Dylan supplemented his words: "This should be related to the current environment. It's afternoon now, and most of the water vapor on the Black Lake's surface has evaporated. Merpeople's singing needs enough water vapor as a 'transmission medium' to remain clear. Insufficient water vapor will cause the sound to become distorted, leading to the situation you described, where it sounds like both lyrics and strange cries."
"No wonder!" Ernie suddenly understood, then continued, "Maybe it's because the singing was too unpleasant that the Durmstrang students got impatient and tried to drive the Merpeople back into the water to avoid hearing those strange sounds."
He paused, then added with a frown, "But I've been at Hogwarts for so long, and I don't recall Merpeople actively surfacing to sing, let alone gathering to sing."
"This kind of scene, it's the first time I've seen it too," a gentle and familiar voice suddenly came from behind.
Dylan and Ernie turned around simultaneously to see Headmaster Dumbledore slowly walking over, his white beard glowing with a soft luster.
Chapter 362 Sudden Realization
"Merpeople are differentiated by their waters; their habits vary greatly," he said, looking towards the Black Lake and continuing to explain, "The merpeople in the Black Lake rarely display their singing to outsiders. On one hand, it's because specific humidity conditions are needed for their songs to sound pleasant. On the other hand, perhaps they are simply shy and reluctant to perform such a relatively private act in front of strangers."
Ernie quickly greeted Dumbledore.
Dylan also nodded.
Ernie savored the words he had just heard and couldn't help but ask, "But, Principal, they are just magical creatures. It's one thing for them to have intelligence, but do they really experience such human-like emotions?"
He looked towards the Black Lake again. The Durmstrang students confronting the Merpeople were still on deck, on guard. The Merpeople, however, were full of rage, veins bulging on their grey-blue skin, their sharp teeth exposed with every roar, coupled with their rugged appearance... wasn't this a bit too much?
"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded gently, walking without stopping towards the lake shore. "We need to find a way to mediate this now. We can't let our esteemed guests feel that Hogwarts can't even maintain order in its own waters."
No sooner had he spoken than a marvelous scene unfolded. Dumbledore walked to the lake and stopped. The lake surface beneath his feet suddenly glowed with a faint blue magic, and a transparent bridge, condensed from water, slowly emerged from the surface, extending steadily to the area where the Merpeople were gathered.
Dumbledore stepped onto the bridge and walked with steady steps to stand before the Merpeople. He then crouched down and began to converse softly with the leading Merperson.
From the shore, the communication process was clearly not going smoothly. The Merpersoncontinuously raised its arm, pointing towards Durmstrang's magical ship, its mouth opening and closing rapidly, its tone full of dissatisfaction, clearly not intending to easily quell its anger.
"It looks like this won't be easy to resolve," Ernie stroked his chin, his tone filled with worry. "And besides, the Durmstrang students were the ones who started being unreasonable, throwing stones and mocking them. If this continues, with Principal Karkaroff's temper, who knows how he'll twist the truth!"
Dylan strongly agreed with Ernie's assessment.
He carefully observed the lake. The Merpeople moved with extreme agility in the water. Even though the Durmstrang students continuously cast Charmss, only a few Grindylows were hit and injured. In contrast, on the Durmstrang side, several students had already been hit by stones and shells thrown by the Merpeople, clutching their wounds and collapsing on the deck, quickly being carried into the ship's cabin by their companions.
In such a situation, once Karkaroff intervened, given his usual style of favoring his own students, he would most likely blame the Merpeople. At that point, the situation would only become more complicated.
Dumbledore's choice to crouch down and communicate with the Merpeople clearly showed he didn't want to resort to violence. With his magical strength, forcibly ending the conflict would be a trivial matter.
Thinking of this, Dylan quickly walked onto the water bridge Dumbledore had summoned, came to his side, and whispered, "Headmaster Dumbledore, perhaps you could try the Cheering Charm? Based on my observations, this Charms should be effective in calming the Merpeople's emotions and making communication smoother."
"Cheering Charm?" Dumbledore repeated softly, then looked up and gazed deeply at Dylan, a hint of understanding in his eyes. "Dylan, it seems you not only solved the riddle of the golden egg but also made other discoveries regarding the secrets of the Black Lake?"
"Yes," Dylan nodded candidly. "Through experimentation, I found that the Merpeople population of the Black Lake has a unique reaction to the Cheering Charm. This Charms can quickly calm their anger and lower their guard."
"A magical effect that is only effective on specific populations?" A hint of surprise flashed in Dumbledore's eyes, followed by an approving smile. "It seems you've made more new progress on your path of learning magic."
Before he finished speaking, Dumbledore gently waved his wand. A soft, pale pink magical ripple spread from the tip of his wand, like ripples on the lake, slowly covering the angry Merpeople.
The effect of the Cheering Charm was immediate. The Merpeople's tense bodies gradually relaxed, the angry expressions on their faces slowly faded, and their previously rapid breathing became calm.
"Very good," Dumbledore smiled.
The content of this communication was consistent with the previous one: to ask the Merpeople to stop their attack, and he would negotiate with Karkaroff to have Durmstrang provide appropriate compensation to make up for the offense the Merpeople had suffered.
Perhaps the Cheering Charm had completely calmed their emotions; after listening, the leading Merperson waved an arm and issued a low command.
The surrounding Merpeople and Grindylows immediately ceased their actions, and with a splash, they all dived into the depths of the Black Lake. The lake surface quickly returned to calm.
Karkaroff, upon hearing about this, rushed over, actually intending to extort a hefty sum. However, facing Old Deng's, he still couldn't muster the courage to say anything. After the negotiation was complete, Dumbledore walked back along the water bridge to the Black Lake shore.
By now, on the lakeshore, Dylan was standing with a group of people, laughing and chatting. Sunlight spilled over them, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, completely devoid of the tension from the confrontation earlier.
Seeing Old Deng's approach, Dylan and Dumbledore turned into a relatively quiet corridor, continuing their previous conversation.
As they conversed, Dylan's previously somewhat vague ideas gradually became clear and transparent during the process of recounting his experiences.
This was also why he was willing to share proactively; often, organizing and expressing one's thoughts can help one discover previously overlooked details.
However, he did not elaborate on the deeper connection with soul research. These contents involved overly private magical explorations and were not suitable for casual sharing with others.
"Your views on that world are very interesting," Dumbledore said as he walked. "And it seems you're still holding back some things you haven't fully explained."
Dumbledore's tone shifted, still gentle, but with a keen insight. "To be honest, although I'm old and my hair is white, I'm quite willing to understand the things you young people like and care about. I'm not that old-fashioned."
He picked up a pale pink juice jelly ball, gently swirled it between his fingers, slowly popped it into his mouth, and after chewing it slowly, continued, "I can probably guess why you're reluctant to say more. Is it because you think some ideas are too bizarre, and as a traditional Wizard, I might find them difficult to accept?"
That was definitely not the case.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, it's actually not like that," Dylan paused, then explained, "It's mainly because my ideas are currently only theories, without enough experimental data to support them, so their accuracy cannot be fully verified. I'm worried that being too absolute might mislead your judgment."
"So that's why, then I'm relieved," Dumbledore said after listening, stroking his white beard on his chest with a smile. The inquisitiveness in his eyes faded, replaced by gentle understanding. "Having ideas but not being reckless, knowing how to verify carefully—that's the right attitude for research."
As they spoke, they entered the Principal's office.
As soon as the door opened, a fiery red figure flew from its perch, flapping its wings and lightly landing on Dylan's shoulder—it was Fawkes.
Dylan skillfully pulled out a small bag of pre-prepared berries from his pocket, opened his palm, and carefully offered them to Fawkes's mouth.
Fawkes immediately lowered his head, pecking at the berries in his palm, his eyes narrowing into a slit, looking exceptionally content.
Dumbledore sat in the armchair behind his desk, picked up another juice jelly ball and put it in his mouth, watching Dylan's interaction with Fawkes with a slight smile.
"I greatly appreciate your research into ritual magic, Dylan. You are a good boy, and I am very pleased to have you as a youth representative."
Dylan smiled, "I still have to thank the Principal for his promotion; otherwise, how could I have such an honor at this age."
Dylan paused at this moment.
His thoughts were occupied by another strong sensation.
His understanding of ritual magic seemed to have made groundbreaking progress in an instant.
This breakthrough did not appear out of thin air.
Firstly, it was supported by long-term accumulation. From the moment he first encountered magical theory, he developed a keen interest in ritual magic. For years, he consistently read relevant ancient texts, recording the ritual processes and energy application methods of different schools.
This accumulation laid a solid foundation for the breakthrough. Secondly, the research method was well-suited.
He was accustomed to using the core logic of ritual magic to interpret other seemingly unrelated magical principles, such as connecting the form transformation of Transfiguration Magic with the energy channeling of ritual magic. This cross-disciplinary way of thinking perfectly matched his cognitive habits, allowing him to find commonalities across different magical systems.
As his thoughts flowed, Dylan recalled a core inference he had made while studying the space he encountered in the Black Lake: magic is not exclusive to Wizards, but rather a form of energy that has existed since the world's inception.
If the world were further broken down, it could actually be divided into several key parts: nature shared by all living things, Muggles and ordinary animals and plants, and Wizards and various magical creatures.
Regarding the question of whether magic exists in the Muggle world, Dylan was well aware that it was not yet time to delve deeply into it. After all, Muggles' way of life and energy perception patterns are fundamentally different from Wizards', and understanding their connection to magic would require more systematic observation and experimentation.
But in terms of the magic of nature, he had already made initial contact through many Charmss, and this contact, in turn, deepened his understanding of the magic related to nature itself.
Especially after accepting and digesting Ravenclaw's Transfiguration Magic theory, his understanding of nature advanced further, realizing that the relationship between Wizards and nature is not one of control and being controlled, but rather one that requires mutual adaptation and harmonious coexistence based on understanding.
In Dylan's view, nature itself possesses powerful magical energy.
The changing seasons, the shifting climate, from a small rain or a gust of wind to a thunderstorm with lightning and thunder, or snow falling from the sky, are all concrete manifestations of nature's magic.
It's just that this magic is too grand and dispersed, like an invisible net covering the world, making it difficult for creatures living within it to perceive its existence, just as people rarely consciously notice the flow of air when they breathe.
And the process of a Wizard casting a Charms is essentially the guidance and adjustment of natural magic.
When casting, a Wizard needs to mobilize their emotions to determine the tone of the weather, for example, using joyful emotions to bring clear skies, serene emotions to summon a drizzle, and clear memories to set the scale of the weather. Recalling a scene of a heavy rain can make the summoned rain more intense, while recalling the morning mist can create a hazy foggy scene. Then, a firm will is used to define the specific form of the weather, such as controlling the frequency of lightning or adjusting the size of snowflakes.
Through this series of combinations of emotion, memory, and will, the Wizard acts as a coordinator, guiding nature's own magical energy to be released in the desired direction, ultimately achieving the magical effect.
This process is less about casting magic and more about cooperating with nature, guiding magic, much like an orchestra conductor using a wand. The Wizard's role is to mobilize each instrument to collectively complete a symphony of weather.
This understanding brought Dylan a sudden realization: isn't the core of ritual magic precisely about establishing a connection with existing energy and guiding it through specific procedures to achieve a goal?
Controlling nature's magic and ritual magic.
Seemingly belonging to different categories of magic, they are in fact highly consistent in essence. They both achieve harmonious interaction between humans and nature, and with magic, through the understanding and guidance of energy.
And this insight also gave him a deeper direction for thinking about the energy connection between the Black Lake world and the real world.
"Actually, the Wizard themselves is the most crucial factor," Dylan tilted his head. "A complete ritual magic, perhaps in some special circumstances, the weather conditions, the position of the required 'medium', and even the trajectory of energy flow, might coincidentally align. But if the Wizard's participation is missing, no matter how perfect the framework of this ritual magic is, or how powerful the energy it contains, it cannot truly be unleashed—because it lacks the Wizard as the core 'initiator' and 'guide'."
Dumbledore watched Dylan, who suddenly didn't care that he was right there, but was instead pondering new magical ideas. He didn't speak, but quietly observed him.
Dylan paced back and forth a couple of steps, his fingers gently tapping the desk, his thoughts racing: "Ritual magic requires nature to provide basic energy, a 'medium' to build energy channels, and a Wizard to control the entire process."
Dylan suddenly looked at Dumbledore: "Headmaster Dumbledore, I would like to ask you a question."
"Go ahead," Dumbledore gestured for him to continue.
"Do you think the Merpeople in the Black Lake, is their singing pleasant? Or, more accurately, if you compare their singing with that of Merpeople from warm waters, which would be more melodious?" Dylan's question was clear and specific, clearly indicating a definite direction of thought.
Dumbledore heard this, gently shook his head, and said objectively, "If I absolutely had to compare, I would say that the singing of the Black Lake Merpeople indeed cannot compare to that of the Merpeople from warm waters. The warm water Merpeople's singing is clearer and more rhythmic, while the Black Lake Merpeople's singing always carries a hint of roughness."
Chapter 363 Hibiscus actually took the initiative to invite Dylan to be her dance partner!
"That's exactly what I thought." Dylan chuckled, "Many people are misled by preconceived notions and a certain subconscious will, believing that Merpersons in cold water are not true 'Merpersons,' and prefer to call them 'sea monsters' or 'water monsters.' It is this cognitive bias that slowly affected the cold-water Merpersons—their appearance gradually became rougher, and while they could still sing, and their melodies retained the characteristics of Merpersons, they could no longer reach the standard of warm-water Merpersons."
He paused, then added, "This situation is actually very similar to that of House-elves. They also gradually accepted their status because they were long influenced by the collective will and consensus that they 'should be slaves,' even deeply believing from within that they should live such a life. The difference in Merperson songs is essentially also the result of the long-term interaction of cognition and will."
"A very interesting point of view!" Dumbledore listened, a gratified smile on his face, and couldn't help but praise repeatedly, "This perspective is very novel, and very profound, very, very interesting!"
Some time had passed since the first task of the Triwizard Tournament ended.
The students' discussions about the fierce duel between the dragon and the champion gradually faded.
A new topic quickly occupied everyone's chat time.
And it was the Christmas holiday, which was relevant to everyone.
Less than half a month remained until the holiday.
Students were privately speculating that perhaps in another day or two, Hogwarts' prefects would distribute the forms for staying at school.
Those students who hadn't planned to go home yet gathered together and chatted non-stop. Some said they wanted to visit the newly opened magic toy store in Diagon Alley during the holiday, some planned to go with their families to a magical resort in the Scottish Highlands, and others debated which country had the liveliest Christmas magic market. Topics followed one after another, and the air was filled with anticipation.
This afternoon was the Transfiguration Magic Class for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor combined.
As soon as the bell rang for class dismissal, Professor McGonagall waved her wand with satisfaction, closing the iron cages holding guinea pigs on the podium one by one.
The practice goal for this class was to transfigure guinea fowl into guinea pigs. Students from both Houses performed beyond expectations; every guinea pig in the cages was plump and had smooth fur, with none being "half-finished" — partially transfigured or still retaining guinea fowl feathers.
After locking the last iron cage, Professor McGonagall turned around, looked at the students still packing their books, and cleared her throat: "Students, please stay. Before you leave the classroom, I have two announcements to make."
At the other end of the classroom, Harry, Ron, Neville, and Dylan were huddled together.
Neville was engrossed in a worn-covered book titled "How to Make a Longsword as Reliable as a Wand," while Harry and Ron each held their wands, striking fencing poses.
They were clearly using their wands as longswords, "attacking" each other back and forth, imitating the movements quite realistically, and quietly making "swish swish" sounds with their mouths.
Seeing this scene, the smile that had lingered on Professor McGonagall's lips from the students' excellent performance instantly vanished, replaced by a hint of sternness.
"Potter! Weasley!" she called out in a low, severe tone, "Shouldn't you first consider your age, and then what appropriate activities are suitable for it?"
Harry and Ron looked up instinctively when they heard Professor McGonagall call their names, but their hands didn't stop. Their two wands clashed in mid-air, locked in a "tug-of-war" stalemate, neither willing to let go first.
Neville, seeing this, quickly closed his book and sat up straight, pretending he hadn't seen anything.
Just as Professor McGonagall was about to speak again, the wands in Harry and Ron's hands suddenly changed simultaneously. The tip of Harry's wand gradually swelled, turning into a soft, rubbery haddock, its surface still gleaming wetly, while Ron's wand slowly transformed, finally becoming a small, tin-plated parrot statue, its beak sharp, as if it could really peck someone.
"Clatter—"
With a soft sound, the victor was instantly determined.
The tin-plated parrot statue in Ron's hand used its sharp beak to cut through the rubber haddock in Harry's hand. The haddock's "fish head" fell to the floor, bouncing twice before stopping.
Ron was stunned for a moment, then broke into a triumphant smile, clearly very satisfied with his victory in this "sword fighting" competition.
Seeing this absurd and mischievous scene, Professor McGonagall's expression grew even more serious, her brows furrowed tightly, and even her cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly indicating she was somewhat angry.
Meanwhile, the surrounding Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students had already turned red in the face, pressing their lips together, trying hard not to laugh out loud. After all, Professor McGonagall was angry, and no one dared to incur her wrath.
Harry and Ron also realized they had caused trouble and quickly lowered their heads, like children who had misbehaved, tiptoeing back to their seats, even deliberately minimizing the sound of chair legs scraping the floor, afraid of attracting more criticism from Professor McGonagall.
Watching the two of them sit properly and upright, Professor McGonagall's expression softened slightly.
She took a deep breath, composed herself, and resumed her usual calm teaching tone: "All right, now for an important announcement."
She paused, then continued, "The Triwizard Tournament has always had a traditional event—the Christmas Ball. Although this year is hosting the Triwizard Tournament, after a vote by the Principals of the schools, this tradition has been preserved. This is not only a celebration but also a good opportunity for all of you to interact and socialize with guests from other schools."
As soon as the words "Christmas Ball" left Professor McGonagall's mouth, the classroom instantly erupted. The tense atmosphere caused by Harry and Ron earlier vanished, and students excitedly whispered among themselves.
Neville excitedly clenched his fist and turned to Dylan beside him, saying, "This is great! A ball!"
"The Christmas Ball is only for…" Professor McGonagall had barely begun when the classroom completely boiled over.
The students could no longer contain their excitement, whispering among themselves, and their enthusiastic discussions instantly drowned out her voice.
Some excitedly shared their expectations for the ball with their deskmates, some were already planning who to invite as their dance partners, and laughter rose and fell, growing louder and louder, with no sign of stopping.
Professor McGonagall watched the lively scene before her and simply pursed her lips, not stopping them immediately. She knew the appeal of this news to the students, so she allowed a few minutes for everyone to release their excitement.
Just then, Ron suddenly heard Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil's conversation from the front row, which happened to be about ball gowns.
His face instantly changed, and he subconsciously muttered, "Oh no! My gown, why now of all times…"
Before he could finish, Professor McGonagall raised her wand.
A silver flash, and the iron cages on the podium that had held guinea pigs instantly transformed into a soaring eagle.
The eagle flapped its wings, circled the classroom once, let out a clear, long cry, then landed steadily on the ground, transforming back into the iron cage, and the guinea pigs inside still maintained their plump forms, not having reverted to guinea fowl.
Under the deterrence of Professor McGonagall's magic, the students gradually suppressed their smiles, sitting up straight. The discussions in the classroom slowly subsided, and everyone quieted down, waiting for Professor McGonagall to continue announcing the specific rules of the ball.
Once the classroom was completely silent, Professor McGonagall continued, "Regarding partners, you are free to choose and invite any student to accompany you."
"Anyone can be invited?" Michael Corner immediately raised his hand, his tone barely concealing his anticipation, "Professor McGonagall, can we invite students from other schools… female students, too?"
"Of course, you can." Professor McGonagall nodded, her gaze sweeping across the class, "If you have any other questions, you can all raise your hands like Mr. Corner and ask. Don't be shy. As I said before, this ball is specifically held to help us and the guests from other schools get to know each other better and engage in friendly exchanges."
She added, "Mr. Corner just mentioned formal robes, which is very important—you need to wear formal dress robes, and your partners do too. Also, the Ball is scheduled for 8 PM on Christmas Day, in the Great Hall, and will officially end at midnight."
As soon as she finished speaking, a new wave of whispers rippled through the classroom. Students exchanged glances, discussing who to go with and what kind of robes to prepare. However, this time their voices were much more subdued than before, and they didn't interrupt Professor McGonagallagain.
"Perhaps this Christmas Ball will give you all a chance to…" Professor McGonagall's tone held a hint of subtle amusement, "…unleash your hair and relax a little."
Many girls, hearing this, subconsciously tilted their heads slightly, gently turning their necks to try and catch a glimpse of Professor McGonagall's perpetually immaculate bun.
In their minds, Professor McGonagall's hair was always neatly combed and firmly secured with a hairpin in any public setting; they had never seen it down. So everyone felt that Professor McGonagall's words were actually more directed at themselves.
"But please pay attention!" Professor McGonagall suddenly raised her voice slightly, her tone instantly becoming stern, "Students from other schools will be present, and your words and actions represent the image of Hogwarts. The school will not relax its expectations for your behavior in the slightest. If any Hogwarts student shames the school in any way, I will be deeply pained!"
Harry and Ron exchanged another glance. Ron quietly shrugged and whispered to Harry, "She…she's not talking about us, is she? What happened earlier should be over."
Harry also shrugged, and just as he was about to say "Who knows," he was interrupted by Professor McGonagall's voice: "Mr. Potter, Mr. Hokewood, please stay behind. I have a few words to say to you two."
"That's good, that's good." Harry breathed a sigh of relief, whispering to Ron, "Dylan's name was mentioned too, so it's not just me. Maybe it's not a bad thing."
"We'll wait for you outside." Ron and Hermione packed up their textbooks, greeted Harry and Dylan, and then left the classroom with the other students.
Soon, all the students had left the classroom, and only then did Professor McGonagall walk up to Harryand Dylan, saying directly, "According to the tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, each Champion needs to have a partner."
"Huh?" Harry's eyes widened in surprise, and he stammered, "But…but I can't dance. I've never danced before."
"It has nothing to do with whether you can dance or not." Professor McGonagall continued, "After the Ball begins, the Champion and his partner are required to open the dance. This is a long-standing tradition and cannot be changed."
"Oh my goodness! We have to open the dance too!" Harry's voice was full of helplessness, almost a groan, "Why didn't anyone write down such an important rule for us to know beforehand!"
Dylan glanced at the sky outside the window and reminded him, "We can go to the next class first. This matter can be discussed later…"
"Right! Good idea!" Harry's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped a life raft, "It's not time to decide yet! I can think about a partner later!"
He quickly grabbed the textbooks from the table and walked quickly towards the door, "The next class is Defense Against the Dark Arts Class. Professor Moody hates tardiness the most. Let's go first!"
At this time, it was still break time, and the Beauxbatons students took advantage of this gap to descend from the giant carriage parked in the Corner of the campus and get some fresh air.
Among the crowd, Fleur Delacour's figure was particularly striking. Perhaps because of the Veela blood flowing in her veins, every movement she made carried a unique elegance. Even just casually tidying her hair always attracted the gaze of those around her.
Many Hogwarts boys saw her and immediately changed direction, hurrying towards her, clearly wanting to take this opportunity to talk to her.
"It's Fleur!" Ron spotted Fleur in the crowd at a glance. "My goodness, she's so beautiful."
Hermione glanced at him.
"Is she looking at us?" Neville said.
Dylan and the others turned to look. Ron's eyes widened: "Look, Fleur is really walking towards us, and her direction is very clear!"
At this moment, the boys who had run to Fleur first were gathered around her, gesticulating and saying something, their faces full of excitement.
But Fleur's expression remained calm, with no extra curve to her lips and calm eyes, as if she was already accustomed to such scenes, like treating a gentle breeze that occasionally blew by, without the slightest ripple.
She slowly walked up to Dylan, stopped, tilted her head slightly, looked at Dylan, and asked naturally, "Dylan, on the day of the Christmas Ball, would you like to attend with me?"
Hearing these words, Ron and Harry, standing beside Dylan, both gasped in unison, their eyes filled with surprise.
They never expected that Fleur would actually invite Dylan to be her partner!
Can a Champion find another Champion to be their partner?
Looking at Fleur again, she still maintained her previous calm expression, but a closer look would reveal clues. Her body was held ramrod straight, as if deliberately maintaining her posture; her eyes were fixed on Dylan without blinking, even her gaze carrying a hint of imperceptible tension, her nostrils slightly flared, and her breathing a half-beat faster than before.
These subtle movements all indicated that her inner self was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface, even hiding a trace of nervousness.
Dylan was also visibly stunned when he heard the invitation.
His interactions with Fleur were not extensive. Their few previous conversations had focused on topics like magic theory and Alchemy innovation. He had never expected her to suddenly invite him to the Christmas Ball.
He blinked, then nodded: "Of course, if you'd like."
He added, "However, to my knowledge, according to the tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, Champions usually need to invite students who are not Champions as their partners. I guess the original intention of this tradition was to make the Ball livelier, allowing more ordinary students to have the opportunity to participate and interact with people from different schools."
"So there's such a tradition." Fleur took a deep breath, trying to make her tone sound natural, "If that's the case, it does make a lot of sense."
Her blinking speed noticeably quickened, and her eyes were a bit unfocused. She clearly hadn't anticipated such a reply and didn't know how to respond, and the atmosphere instantly became a bit awkward.
Just then, her gaze inadvertently swept over the Hogwarts Voice in Dylan's hand, and then she saw the notebook and quill still gently swaying beside him, as if she had suddenly found a breakthrough. She quickly spoke to break the silence: "By the way, what do you think of that Alchemy paper? I originally thought the Hogwarts portrait review would be very strict, but I didn't expect it to pass on the first try and even be published in this issue of the magazine. That actually surprised me."
"Oh, that paper really opened my eyes." Dylan smiled slightly, "Optimizing Charms casting through the principles of Alchemy—this angle is very novel and gave me a lot of inspiration. I was just thinking that if we follow this line of thought, perhaps even the difficulty of casting the Shield Charm could be significantly reduced—for example, by first using Alchemy to create small, portable shields, and then layering the Shield Charm on top of the shields."
To explain more intuitively, he drew his wand and pointed it at the snow piled on the ground.
As the wand waved, a snowball leaped from the ground and floated steadily into mid-air.
Chapter 364 Christmas Ball, Would You Like to Come With Me?
"Suppose this snowball is a shield made with Alchemy," he said, pointing at the snowball. "Now, using this 'shield' as the core, what effect do you think would occur if you cast a Shield Charm on it?"
He paused, then continued, "According to my conjecture, if cast this way, the Shield Charm would transform from its original invisible barrier into a tangible protective body, and its material would be similar to the 'Alchemy shield.' The specific effect would probably be something like this—"
"Protego!"
Dylan softly chanted the spell, pressing the tip of his wand against the snowball, then gently swishing it downwards.
Pale blue magic light surged from the wand tip, enveloping the entire snowball. A few seconds later, the light dispersed, and a circular shield, similar in color to the snowball, appeared before him.
This shield not only matched the snowball in color but even had the rough texture of snow on its surface, as if it had been directly sculpted from ice and snow.
Fleur subconsciously took a deep breath when she saw this, her eyes involuntarily widening, filled with surprise. Although she knew Dylan was very talented in magic, she hadn't expected him to be able to so quickly translate the ideas from his paper into actual spellcasting, and even demonstrate innovative effects on the spot.
"Sorry, because I used snow found on the spot for the demonstration, the effect is a bit crude," Dylan said, raising his wand and gently poking the shield. The wand tip easily pierced the shield, and snow crumbled down. "After all, it's just ordinary snow, not truly purified and reinforced by Alchemy, so its strength is naturally much weaker. If proper Alchemy materials were used, the protective effect would be much better."
"It's already quite excellent," Fleur replied, regaining her composure, her tone feigning calmness, but the surprise in her eyes hadn't completely faded.
She seemed to want to continue the topic and quickly added, "Dylan, have you seen similar magicpractice methods in the Hogwarts library before? I'd like to find some more information to research it further."
"Not really," Dylan shook his head gently, admitting candidly, "Perhaps it's because I usually enjoy contemplating magic principles, so whenever I encounter a spell, I instinctively try to dissect it from multiple angles and experiment with different applications. This time, it was an accidental combination method I thought of."
Not far away, Anthony saw that Dylan and Fleur were completely engrossed in discussing magic, so he quickly pulled Chris and Terry back a few steps to avoid disturbing their discussion.
"Do you guys remember?" He blinked, lowering his voice, "The original topic was clearly the Christmas Ball invitation, how did it unknowingly turn into a magic seminar?"
"Who cares about a ball invitation now?" Terry shrugged helplessly, a hint of teasing in his tone. "From inviting a dance partner to Alchemy innovation, only Dylan could manage that—sure enough, in his eyes, magic will always be more attractive than a ball."
After Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, it was Care of Magical Creatures Class.
Care of Magical Creatures Class was always primarily hands-on.
Students needed to personally care for various magical creatures, and every class was full of novelty.
As Dylan and Harry stepped into the hunting grounds, a wave of warmth washed over them.
Unlike the cold wind outside, the air in the hunting grounds carried the warmth of a bonfire, instantly releasing them from the confines of their heavy coats.
Looking around, a dozen bonfires were scattered across the center of the hunting grounds, their orange-red flames dancing. Several Fire Salamanders were curled up in each fire.
They glowed with a warm golden luster, their scales reflecting fragmented light in the fire. Occasionally, they would gently wag their tails, stirring up a small cluster of sparks, but without igniting the surrounding firewood.
Not far away, Hagrid stood by the fence, holding a wicker basket. Seeing the students arriving, he immediately waved his large, fan-like hand and boomed, "Come on in! Today's lesson won't be easy, so pay attention!"
Dylan remembered that they had encountered Fire Salamanders last school year.
The task then was to collect dry oak branches to keep the bonfires burning, thereby maintaining the Fire Salamanders' vitality, as these creatures would become listless once they left a heat source.
Today, Hagrid clearly intended to increase the difficulty: "Before, we just kept them active. Today, we're going a step further; we need to draw blood from the Fire Salamanders. This blood is an important material, so you must be gentle and not hurt them."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hagrid beckoned to Dylan: "Dylan, come here. I'll teach you how to soothe them first. You demonstrate the blood-drawing, so everyone can see the standard procedure."
Dylan stepped forward and watched Hagrid extend his rough palm, gently placing it on the back of a Fire Salamander. The slightly restless Fire Salamander instantly calmed down, and even the luster of its scales softened a bit.
"You have to stroke them in the direction their scales grow, don't use force, make them feel safe," Hagridexplained, gesturing for Dylan to take the specialized silver blood-collecting needle.
Following the instructions, Dylan gently pricked the Fire Salamander at the base of its tail, and transparent blood flowed through the needle into a glass vial. The Fire Salamander did not struggle at all during the entire process.
During the demonstration, Dylan could clearly feel the gazes of many girls around him.
Those gazes carried a distinct warmth, more scorching than the nearby bonfire, making him instinctively speed up his movements.
After the demonstration, Hagrid distributed the glass vials from the basket to each student and then divided everyone into groups of five, requiring each person to personally complete the blood collection.
Dylan, holding his own glass vial, walked with Harry and the others to a bonfire near the fence. As soon as he put his things down, a girl wearing a Hufflepuff yellow and black uniform walked over.
The girl clutched the Corner of her clothes, her cheeks slightly flushed, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she spoke: "Dylan, um... the Christmas Ball, would you like to go with me?"
Dylan was already accustomed to such invitations. He smiled politely: "I'm sorry, I'm still considering my dance partner. Thank you."
The girl's eyes instantly dimmed. She said, "It's okay," and slowly walked away with her head down.
As soon as she left, her roommates immediately gathered around, chattering and joking.
Just then, Harry suddenly changed the subject, staring at Dylan curiously: "Oh, Dylan, you just said you had someone in mind to invite, it wouldn't be Luna, would it? I usually see you two quite close."
As soon as these words were uttered, the others immediately fell silent, all looking at Dylan, their curiosity almost overflowing.
Dylan tilted his head: "Of the girls I know who are available, I guess she's the only one, or maybe Ginny?"
"I think Ginny would be good."
At this point in the hunting grounds, other groups had successively completed the blood collection task. Everyone only needed to maintain the bonfire's flames to ensure the Fire Salamanders wouldn't lose vitality due to a drop in temperature.
Students gathered in twos and threes, chatting.
Listening to the others' conversations, Dylan blinked.
The Christmas Ball, did it have so many deeper meanings?
Should his invitation be more cautious then?
Should he prepare a small gift in advance?
Or confirm if Ginny had someone else she wanted to go with?
As soon as Hagrid finished collecting all the glass vials containing Fire Salamander blood, the class bell rang.
Harry stood up and turned his back to the bonfire to warm himself.
While crouching to collect blood earlier, his back had gotten quite a bit of snow on it, and now was a good time to dry it.
Harry looked around and suddenly realized someone was missing: "Hey? Where's Dylan? I just saw him packing up his tools, how did he disappear in a flash?"
Dylan asked around and, knowing that Ginny's last class in the morning was Herbology Class, he hurried over.
Not long after, Ginny walked out of the Greenhouse.
She saw Dylan, and her eyes lit up.
"Brother Dylan! Why are you here? Did something happen?" she asked.
"Ginny, I need a dance partner for the Christmas Ball. I was wondering if you would accompany me?"
"Hmm..." Ginny blinked, seemingly understanding his meaning instantly. Her originally fair cheeks visibly flushed, even the tips of her ears turned pink, but the Corners of her mouth subtly curved upwards.
"Of course!"
By mid-December, the weather in the Scottish Highlands finally stabilized, though it was mostly overcast.
Most of the time, the sky was covered by thick clouds, a dull gray, and today was no exception.
Only when gusts of wind rolled the clouds, making them churn across the sky, could a few golden rays of sunlight leak through the gaps, briefly illuminating the spires of Hogwarts Castle and the snowy ground, bringing a fleeting warmth.
Dylan did not return to the Castle as usual but instead walked slowly along the Castle's outer wall, towards the Forbidden Forest.
He walked very slowly, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the roadside bushes and snow.
The crisp air carried the unique chill of winter, and as a gentle breeze blew, tiny snowflakes immediately drifted down from the sky.
The snowflakes resembled delicate feathers, slowly falling from the clouds, forming a flowing "stage" in the invisible sky. Some snowflakes intertwined, densely sweeping past the Castle's stone walls, while others drifted alone, leisurely flying towards the Forbidden Forest, as if performing a silent dance.
Lately, when he had free time, he also enjoyed taking casual walks, which helped him relax.
Since Professor McGonagall announced the news of the Christmas Ball, in the following days, Hogwarts Castle was more lively than in the same period in previous years, by more than double.
In the corridors, in the dining hall, students could be seen everywhere in groups of three to five, discussing the ball, and even the noise during class breaks was louder than usual.
The most obvious change was among the girls.
Previously, they mostly went around in pairs or threes, but now it was common to see small groups of five, six, or even seven or eight, moving in clusters around the campus.
This sight put considerable pressure on many boys. Whenever a boy wanted to individually invite a girl to be his dance partner, as soon as he approached, he would feel the collective scrutiny from the group of girls. Those inquisitive and teasing gazes made many boys who had originally mustered their courage instantly back down, only able to awkwardly make excuses and leave.
Besides the sight of girls in groups, a string of rumors about the ball also emerged on campus.
Some said that Dumbledore, to make the ball livelier, specially ordered thousands of barrels of scented mead from a pub in Diagon Alley, enough for all teachers and students to drink until the New Year. Others vividly spread the rumor that Dumbledore's order of sweets was even more astonishing. According to so-called "reliable information heard from Honeydukes employees," to prepare for the ball, Honeydukes' warehouse of Chocolate Frogs, Licorice Wands, and Fizzing Whizbees was almost emptied, and even the usually slow-selling Acid Pops were running low.
However, these rumors were quickly debunked by Hufflepuff students.
Several Hufflepuff students responsible for assisting the kitchen in preparing ingredients revealed while chatting with classmates that they had specifically asked the House-elves in the kitchen and confirmed with the owner of Honeydukes that most of the rumors were false. Their sole purpose was to exaggerate the lavishness of the Christmas Ball, to make more students who originally planned to go home change their minds and stay at school.
After all, the more people who stayed at school, the higher the probability everyone would find a dance partner.
At noon that day, the atmosphere in the dining hall was livelier than usual.
At the Ravenclaw long table, Michael Corner saw Anthony Goldstein walk back dejectedly and immediately leaned in, asking anxiously, "How was it? Anthony, did you talk to Linny? Was the invitation successful?"
Anthony walked to his seat and sat down, irritably running his hand through his hair, sighing heavily: "Failed. She already agreed to go with someone else."
"Who is her dance partner?" Michael pressed, a hint of speculation in his eyes. "It wouldn't be Andrew Kirk from Gryffindor, would it? I saw them together in the library before."
"You!" Anthony suddenly looked up, glaring at Michael, his hand already in his pocket pulling out his wand, its tip pointed at Michael, his voice filled with anger, "You knew about this already? Why didn't you tell me in advance?"
"Put your wand down first! Let me explain!" Michael quickly raised both hands, assuming a surrendering posture, his voice urgent as he defended himself, "I only found out this morning! I heard it from Justinfrom Hufflepuff—Zacharias Smith told Andrew that Linny was looking for a dance partner, and Andrew rushed to invite her. As for Linny wanting a dance partner, I also heard it from Zacharias before, I had no idea he told anyone else!"
"Zacharias?" Anthony frowned, raising an eyebrow skeptically, and stood up, looking towards the Hufflepuff long table, as if confirming something, "Are you talking about that Zacharias Smith who's always prying for information?"
"Yes! That's him!" Michael quickly nodded.
Over in Gryffindor, the people around Dylan were also constantly discussing.
George pressed Dylan: "Dylan, even though you've already found a dance partner, it shouldn't be like this, right? It's only been a few days, so why is no one inviting you anymore? This is too strange!"
He paused, his tone full of confusion: "You completed the first task of the Triwizard Tournament alone. Whether it's courage or magic ability, you're stronger than many people. There should at least be a few girls inviting you to the ball, not like this, so quiet?"
Just as Dylan was about to explain, a girl's voice suddenly came from nearby: "Fred, do you know if Dylan is free right now? I have something I want to talk to him about."
When George heard this, he suddenly widened his eyes, first looking at Dylan beside him, then vigorously rubbing his own eyes. After confirming it wasn't a hallucination, his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg, looking at the girl in surprise. He had just been saying that no one was looking for Dylan, and in a blink of an eye, someone had actively sought him out.