Chapter 127: Dismissing the Charges
This is a talent worth befriending, and he has been in the spotlight recently; it seems he even opened a shop, so I could go show some support.
Fudge looked at Lucius, his eyes filled with gratitude.
If he had let Malfoy continue questioning, it might not have been clear who was really on trial today.
Even if he could escape unscathed, he would lose face, and his authority would be greatly diminished.
Looking at it now, Harry's situation is linked to the House of Malfoy, so it is likely untouchable.
It is just a pity that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a name for himself has slipped away.
If he wanted to cause trouble again in the future, it wouldn't be as easy as it was today.
Dumbledore took up the thread of Malfoy's words.
"Regardless of the circumstances, these two gentlemen are innocent."
"I have great faith in the Ministry of Magic."
"If there was any instigation, the mastermind will naturally be ferreted out."
"If the Dementor escaped, I also hope Miss Umbridge will be more attentive and increase supervision."
"Nowadays, people have grown accustomed to escalating the matter of children using magic to the level of a trial."
Fudge felt a bit helpless; he already had a premonition that this trial would not hold up.
"Those in favor of the charges, please raise your hands."
Very few people raised their hands.
"Those in favor of dismissing the charges, please raise your hands."
Most of them raised their hands.
With a helpless expression, Fudge declared the outcome of the trial.
"Charges dismissed!"
"Meeting adjourned!"
The people on the tribunal seats trickled out one by one.
Malfoy immediately jumped off his chair and rushed toward Lucius.
"Father!"
Lucius looked at Malfoy with a smile, patted his head, and looked up at Xiao Deng.
"Mr. Hehuan, thank you so much for today."
Xiao Deng waved his hand.
"This is all thanks to Malfoy's own efforts."
Lucius squeezed his cane, his smile remaining unchanged.
"You are too modest."
"I am well aware of Draco's level."
"Thank you very much for your help with him."
Although Lucius was arrogant, he was very clear about right and wrong, and the pros and cons.
As the current head of the House of Malfoy, he knew who was useful to him and who had helped him, and he would express friendliness toward them.
At the same time, as Malfoy's father, he also knew that it was Xiao Deng who had allowed his child to have some breakthrough growth.
That was why he had come over specifically to express his gratitude.
Unlike Harry, who was still sitting on the bench, looking at the group with a bewildered expression.
Harry:???
After greeting Harry and Dumbledore, Lucius left in a hurry; he had other matters to attend to.
Dumbledore came to Xiao Deng's side and patted his shoulder.
"Well done."
"That was a line of thinking that even I hadn't expected."
Xiao Deng took out some melon seeds and shared some with a few people.
"Principal, you are too powerful. Most of the time, if you didn't restrain yourself, you wouldn't even need to use your brain."
"And when we were chatting, Hermione brought up a very sharp question."
"Most Wizards nowadays have extremely backward logical skills."
"Much of their thinking is superficial, and their judgment comes solely from what they see."
"But it's not too bad; at least we have overcome this difficulty this time."
Dumbledore also laughed.
"Let's go, back to Hogwarts!"
Dumbledore and Xiao Deng each took one of them, and the four of them returned to Hogwarts together.
"The holiday is still early. If you want to go back, I can grant you special permission to use Apparition."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Deng jumped up.
"Principal, don't slander good people; we don't know Apparition."
Harry and Malfoy exchanged glances and both shook their heads gently.
They didn't have the guts to confront Dumbledore to his face.
Xiao Deng cracked melon seeds and reached out his hand to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore reached one hand into the drawer and the other toward Xiao Deng.
"You give first."
"No, you've eaten so much of mine, you give first!"
"You are the Principal, what's wrong with letting me have some?"
"You are a young Wizard, what's wrong with showing some respect to a Professor?"
...
While the two were in a standoff, a Witch entered the office.
Professor McGonagall came in and started lecturing immediately.
"Albus, how old are you? Still snatching things from a child?"
Dumbledore stared at Professor McGonagall with wide eyes.
"These are my lemon sherbets, how is this snatching?"
Professor McGonagall paused, looking a bit awkward; she had forgotten that the lemon sherbets belonged to Dumbledore.
"Well, what's wrong with giving the child some to eat?"
"Are you really that stingy?"
Xiao Deng immediately put on a wronged expression.
"Professor McGonagall, you have to save me! You have to stand up for me!"
"If the Principal won't give me any, fine, but he even wants to take my melon seeds."
"These were all bought with my own hard-earned money."
Upon hearing Xiao Deng's words, Professor McGonagall became even more serious.
"Albus, as the Principal, you are actually snatching snacks from a young Wizard?"
"Is this how you act as a Principal?"
"Why haven't you given the lemon sherbet to Xiao Deng as an apology!"
Dumbledore comforted himself in his heart: that is respecting women, respecting women, it is not being afraid of the lioness!
Dumbledore reluctantly handed the lemon sherbet to Xiao Deng.
Professor McGonagall's expression softened quite a bit, but she remained stern, turning her head to look at Xiao Deng.
Seeing that the situation was not right, Xiao Deng immediately wanted to take his leave.
"Professor McGonagall, our holiday isn't over yet, we'll be going now."
"Wait!"
Professor McGonagall's voice sounded like a Killing Curse, freezing Xiao Deng in place.
Xiao Deng turned his head with a stiff neck.
"Professor, is there anything else?"
"Of course there is!"
Before Professor McGonagall could finish speaking, Harry interjected.
"Professor, is there anything for us?"
"Malfoy and I have been standing here for a long time."
Professor McGonagall glanced at Dumbledore.
"Nothing now, you may go."
Harry and Malfoy immediately hurried out of the office, which made Xiao Deng grit his teeth.
These two disloyal guys!
At the very least, you should have left after making Professor McGonagall angry!
How could you leave me here to suffer alone!
"I have heard that recently you..."
Before Professor McGonagall could finish her sentence, Snape entered the office.
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall."
"Good morning!"
Snape immediately looked at Dumbledore.
"What was the result of Harry Potter's trial?"
Professor McGonagall, who originally wanted to lecture someone, was immediately distracted by Snape's words.
Dumbledore slowly sat down in his seat.
"Harry did indeed use magic in front of a Muggle."
"But the purpose was to drive away a Dementor."
There was no expression on Snape's face, but the words were squeezed out through his teeth.
"Those idiots at the Ministry of Magic shouldn't just drop the trial of Harry Potter because of this."
Dumbledore unwrapped a new lemon sherbet from his drawer.
Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, a hand appeared in front of him.
Dumbledore was not surprised and gave it to him immediately, as if it were a habit formed over many years.
Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed at this scene, looking incredulous.
She couldn't understand why Xiao Deng, who already had some, would still chase after Dumbledore to ask for another one.
This completely defied normal human logic.
Could it be that the previous events really traumatized the child?
Chapter 128: Professor McGonagall Scolds Someone
Xiao Deng sensibly left a handful of melon seeds on Dumbledore's desk.
This gesture softened Professor McGonagall's gaze.
The child still knows how to return a favor; he is a good child.
It must have been Albus or Severus who scared the child.
Snape didn't pay much attention to Xiao Deng's actions; he was waiting for Dumbledore's answer.
"You are right, Severus, the Ministry of Magic will not give up on judging Harry because of this."
"But before I went, Xiao Deng had already thought of a solution."
"Xiao Deng paved the way for me, giving me plenty of room to maneuver."
Snape and Professor McGonagall both looked at Xiao Deng, and in the end, Professor McGonagall couldn't help but ask.
"Albus, what did Xiao Deng do?"
After eating a lemon sherbet, Dumbledore looked satisfied.
"He only did two things."
"He made Harry say only one sentence, and made Malfoy do only one thing."
Professor McGonagall asked anxiously, "What sentence? What thing?"
"'I am The Chosen One!', that is what Harry said."
"As for Malfoy, it was to make him hold the Ministry of Magic accountable."
Professor McGonagall looked at Xiao Deng in disbelief.
"How dare you?"
Xiao Deng was eating a lemon sherbet while cracking melon seeds.
Hearing Professor McGonagall's question, he finally looked up.
"Professor McGonagall, it would be more reasonable for Professor Snape to ask this question than you."
"I am Gryffindor, aren't you?"
Professor McGonagall was actually amused by Xiao Deng's words and chuckled.
That's right, Xiao Deng is Gryffindor, what is there not to dare?
But ever since the Unicorn incident, this child's pressure seems to have never diminished.
Xiao Deng has really been wronged!
Then Dumbledore told the two about the situation at the Ministry of Magic.
"You don't know, the three of us coordinated perfectly on the scene."
"It was truly a sea of people, without the sound of gongs and drums, without firecrackers, without fluttering red flags."
"All there was, was silence and my soul-stirring voice."
Professor McGonagall impatiently stopped Dumbledore.
"Fine, fine, I know, I know!"
"How old are you, still learning that style from Xiao Deng; your skin is really thick."
Xiao Deng chimed in from the side, "Exactly, exactly."
Professor McGonagall continued, "You don't learn the good things, you only learn these useless ones!"
Xiao Deng's expression froze on his face for a moment.
Professor McGonagall, weren't you just scolding Dumbledore?
Why did you include yourself in that sentence?
Professor McGonagall turned to face Xiao Deng with a kind smile.
"Xiao Deng, you did a really great job!"
"Helping Harry get through such a big hurdle."
"This is also helping Hogwarts get through a difficult time."
"If Harry's reputation dropped, and it happened during his time at Hogwarts."
"It would be of no benefit to anyone."
"Fearless in the face of danger, brave and resourceful, helping classmates, helping Hogwarts."
"Twenty points added!"
It is truly a happy thing for Gryffindor to have a student like Xiao Deng.
Just when Professor McGonagall was happy, Dumbledore's voice, neither too loud nor too soft, came over.
"But he called me Old Bee."
Professor McGonagall's expression also froze on her face, and she turned her neck stiffly to look at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore shrugged, and looking at Dumbledore's reaction, Professor McGonagall figured it was probably true.
Although he is a child from her own house, she still cannot shield him.
Professor McGonagall put on a serious expression.
"Xiao Deng, this matter is your fault."
"Although Albus is always buzzing around and is annoying, you must accept punishment."
Dumbledore was still watching the show, but his expression of watching the show also froze on his face.
Wait, no, you were clearly scolding Xiao Deng, why does it feel like I was scolded too?
"Ten points deducted for disrespecting a Professor."
As soon as Professor McGonagall finished speaking, Dumbledore called out to her.
"Minerva, this was taught by Snape, Xiao Deng said so himself."
Professor McGonagall looked back at the expressionless Snape in shock.
"Severus, is this really true?"
Actually, Snape didn't remember very clearly either; maybe he said it one day and it just happened to be heard by Xiao Deng.
After all, Xiao Deng often went to him; he might have heard it at any time.
"You are already a Professor, how can you still do such childish things as giving nicknames."
"Is it because you taught Xiao Deng everything that he doesn't learn well?"
"You should be a role model!"
"Look at the three of you, the old one is not serious, the young one is causing trouble."
Dumbledore and Xiao Deng looked at each other, both seeing the thoughts in each other's hearts.
If you want to scold Snape, just scold Snape, why include us two?
"Can any of you be someone who doesn't give me a headache? It's really a headache!"
Dumbledore, Snape, and Xiao Deng said in unison:
"You chose it, friend!"
"You chose it, student!"
Professor McGonagall looked at the three of them blankly, and for a moment she was speechless.
After a while, Professor McGonagall chuckled.
"The three of you, did you plan this?"
"Snape disrespected a Professor, ten points deducted from Slytherin."
"Albus, you don't have any objections to buying some catnip for my cat as an apology, do you?"
Dumbledore quickly shook his head to indicate he had no objections.
After finishing, Professor McGonagall snorted coldly and strode out of Dumbledore's office.
"Principal, is the catnip for the cat to eat or for Professor McGonagall to eat?"
Dumbledore looked at Xiao Deng and shook his head.
"You ask me, how would I know? Why don't you ask her?"
"Xiao Deng!"
A piercing scream rang out in Dumbledore's office.
"Behave yourself recently!"
After shouting, Professor McGonagall pinched her eyebrows and disappeared at the office door.
It is truly a headache for Gryffindor to have a student like Xiao Deng.
Dumbledore also pinched his eyebrows.
"If you have nothing else, you should all go back."
"I feel more tired than dealing with Fudge!"
Without a word, Snape flicked his robes and strode out of the Headmasters Office.
Seeing that everyone had left, Xiao Deng had nothing left to watch, so he also took his leave of Dumbledore.
Xiao Deng walked out of Dumbledore's office, not knowing where to go for a moment.
Walking aimlessly, he saw Hermione leaning against the railing reading a book.
"Little treasure, why don't you go to the Library to read?"
Hermione's face turned red. She glanced around to make sure no one was there before giving Xiao Deng a punch.
"Be normal, this is Hogwarts."
"It's the holiday season now, the Library isn't even open."
"I'm even worried, without students, will the canteen still supply food?"
Xiao Deng stroked Hermione's hair.
"Since Headmaster Dumbledore and the others are all back, the canteen should be making some special supplies for the Professors."
"We can just go and mooch off them then."
"Let's ask Harry and Malfoy and the others later."
"If they are going back, we'll send them off after dinner."
"If they aren't going back, then we don't need to make the trip."
"Most importantly, do you want to go back?"
Chapter 129: Hermione and Xiao Deng's Duel
They were already like an old married couple; how could Hermione not understand what Xiao Deng meant?
This bastard was asking about the location—whether to go to her house or stay at Hogwarts.
Hermione said nothing, looking at the sky; it was already dinner time.
Xiao Deng didn't tease her on purpose either; little Hermione had been a bit irritable lately.
Who knew who had provoked her!
"Let's go eat first. We can also ask Harry and Malfoy what they think."
Hermione nodded and followed Xiao Deng to the Great Hall.
Sure enough, the Great Hall was serving a small amount of food, and Harry and Malfoy were eating there too.
Xiao Deng led Hermione to sit across from them.
"The Headmaster said to ask if you want to stay at Hogwarts or go home."
Malfoy was the first to shake his head.
"I'm not going home!"
"This is the first time I've realized how comfortable it is when no one is controlling me."
"You guys have no idea, my parents are extremely strict with me."
"If I'm not careful even for a moment, I get criticized."
Xiao Deng didn't feel much, but there was a hint of envy in Harry's eyes.
Xiao Deng sighed inwardly; Harry hadn't experienced the hardships of an elite family, so he had no idea of the high pressure within a clan.
Only the family atmosphere of Weasley Family might suit Harry.
But the size of their house was a bit concerning; it couldn't accommodate so many people.
Malfoy probably wouldn't go to Weasley Family's home to play either.
If he did, he would be dragged off for a lecture by Lucius upon his return.
Harry glanced at Malfoy, then at Xiao Deng and Hermione, and shook his head as well.
"I'm definitely not going back to my aunt's house."
"I don't want to be mistreated for another month or so."
"I don't lack food or clothes now, so I don't need to put up with their attitude."
"As for Xiao Deng's house, Hogwarts is actually a bit better."
"Once you step out of your house, you get chased by Dementors. Honestly, it's not much different from Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts is bigger and safer."
"Besides, we've caused such a big mess; it's better to stay safe and quiet."
Hermione glanced at Harry and sneered.
"You might as well just say that causing trouble at Hogwarts means you don't have to go to the Ministry of Magic."
"Everything is covered by Headmaster Dumbledore."
Harry's face flushed as he argued back:
"Hermione, don't talk nonsense. That's not what I was thinking."
Malfoy turned to look at Harry.
"What's wrong with thinking that way?"
"Making reasonable use of the rules is the right way to do things. There's no shame in thinking like that."
Harry patted Malfoy on the shoulder.
"Don't try to argue with Hermione!"
"She has memorized all the school rules."
"Whether it's reasonable or not, rules or no rules, she can always find a corresponding school rule to shut you up."
Malfoy fell silent, exchanging a look with Harry.
Hermione is really tough to deal with!
Seeing the conversation stall at the dining table, Xiao Deng cleared his throat.
"Why do you think Hermione memorizes the school rules?"
"To not break them?"
"Remember, she is a Gryffindor!"
"She memorizes the school rules so she can break them one by one."
"It's not about not breaking them, but breaking them gradually, slowly, and optimally."
"Breaking them strategically, letting those who have a plan break them, and letting those who are prepared break them."
"Using specific points to influence the whole, having the early rule-breakers lead the later ones."
"It's not about breaking them blindly, but breaking them precisely, scientifically, and efficiently."
...
"Xiao Deng, shut up!"
"Don't slander me! I am the most law-abiding person at Hogwarts when it comes to school rules."
Xiao Deng put down Hermione's pumpkin juice and smiled slightly.
"If I didn't know you, I would have almost been fooled."
"Have you never snuck out at night?"
"Have you never been to the Forbidden Forest?"
"Have you never been to the Fourth Floor?"
"Have you never gossiped about Professor Snape behind his back?"
At this point, Harry tugged at Malfoy's sleeve.
Malfoy silently moved away from the table along with Harry.
"You're only one step away from going into Dumbledore's office and making him put on Merlin's lace stockings!"
Hermione's face flushed red with anger, and she pulled her wand straight out of her Wizard robes.
"Xiao Deng, you bastard!"
"Tarantallegra!"
"Densaugeo!"
"Alohomora!"
"Locomotor Mortis!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
...
Hermione's Spells flew out one after another as if they cost nothing.
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Deng blocked one spell after another.
Professor McGonagall, who wanted to stop them from a distance, was held back by Dumbledore.
"Don't you think this is a wonderful time to watch the show?"
Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes at Dumbledore.
"Albus, you really are too carefree."
Dumbledore chuckled.
"Oh, no, don't you want to see the results of Xiao Deng's training of the young Wizards?"
"The clever Hermione should be the one who has mastered the most under his training."
A sharp cry echoed from a distance:
"Levicorpus!"
Professor McGonagall immediately turned to look at Snape.
"Why does she know the spell you invented?"
Snape was a bit overwhelmed; he had just finished being lectured by Professor McGonagall, and now he was being questioned again.
"I don't know, maybe Xiao Deng taught her."
Seeing that Xiao Deng was not hurt for the moment, Professor McGonagall set the question aside and continued to watch their duel.
"Judging by the rhythm and proficiency of her casting, the training has indeed been very effective."
"She's not at all inferior even when compared to the upperclassmen."
"Not to mention Xiao Deng; even if he were to face us, he wouldn't be far behind."
"What a freak!"
Malfoy shivered as he tugged at Harry.
"How did I never notice before? Has Granger's spellcasting reached this level?"
Harry shrugged.
"Isn't this quite normal?"
"She used to get up at five or six every morning to train with Xiao Deng."
"If she wasn't reading in the Library, she was training."
"Xiao Deng gave us days off, but Hermione never gave herself a break."
Malfoy said nothing, only watching the two in the center.
Xiao Deng was still blocking Hermione's Spells with ease, which made her even angrier, causing her to speed up her casting.
Xiao Deng saw that it was about enough.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Finite Incantatem!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
With a wave of Xiao Deng's hand, three Spells hit Hermione simultaneously.
Hermione's wand spun rapidly through the air toward Xiao Deng, who caught it between two fingers.
Hermione's spell was cancelled, and she herself was suspended in mid-air.
"Xiao Deng, you bastard!"
"Put me down!"
Xiao Deng walked unhurriedly beneath Hermione, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.
"Alright, I'll put you down right now."
Immediately, a sharp scream rang out through the Great Hall.
"Ah~"
Hermione fell from over two meters in the air.
Xiao Deng caught Hermione just in time.
Falling down, Hermione tightly wrapped her arms around Xiao Deng's neck, her eyes already squeezed shut.
Xiao Deng whispered in Hermione's ear:
"How could I ever let you get hurt?"
Hermione's face was flushed red and she said nothing, unsure if she was frightened or embarrassed by Xiao Deng.
Dumbledore's mouth curled up slightly.
"Ah, youth!"
"It's so good to be young, wouldn't you say, Severus?"
Chapter 130: Three Professors Watching the Show
Snape glared at Albus Dumbledore.
"Old Bee, do you want to listen to what you're saying?"
"I really hate that Fawkes didn't burn you to death, you old turtle bastard!"
However, Snape saw Professor McGonagall standing nearby.
"Professor McGonagall!"
"I heard..."
"When you were young..."
"You also had a youth."
Professor McGonagall's expression became dazed, and she rolled her eyes at Snape.
"You've heard too much!"
"Albus, on the other hand, did you have someone you loved when you were young? Where are they now?"
Albus Dumbledore's expression froze; he shouldn't have brought up this topic.
"Let's just eat."
Professor McGonagall held her head high and sat down with him.
"Tch, who doesn't know how to expose someone's shortcomings!"
"Come on, let's hurt each other!"
Xiao Deng slowly put Hermione down.
Hermione looked around and asked: "Where are Harry and Malfoy?"
Xiao Deng returned the wand to Hermione and teased: "They were scared away by you long ago; you were casting Spells like crazy."
"Are you still eating?"
Hermione took the wand and rubbed her stomach.
"It's all your fault!"
"Casting Spells made me hungry!"
The two sat back down at their seats, tapped the table, and some food appeared on the table again.
"If I go home, will you be happy?"
Xiao Deng didn't even look up and immediately asked: "Are you coming back?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xiao Deng cursed internally and looked up to see Hermione's reaction.
Hermione's death stare was already bearing down on him.
"No, I meant when are you coming back."
Hermione's expression softened as she thought about it.
"What if I go back for a day?"
Xiao Deng slowly poked at his food and muttered.
"A day, right?"
"You'll be back before I can even be happy."
"Deja vu; Hermione's death stare returned."
"Can't you go back with me?"
"What would I do if I went back with you? Return the goods?"
Hermione silently took out her wand.
"Besides, you can't get much money back from returning goods."
Hermione kicked Xiao Deng.
"You didn't even pay for me, so how can you return the goods!"
Xiao Deng wore an expression of sudden realization.
"Oh, right!"
"Then just return the goods without a refund."
Hermione was so angry she laughed, stood up, and punched Xiao Deng on the shoulder.
"You're so annoying!"
"Can't you be serious for once!"
Xiao Deng finished his meal and elegantly set down his utensils.
"If I go to your house again, it might be a bit impolite."
"There's no reason for your family to host me twice, even if your parents don't mind."
"So now it depends on whether you're coming back."
Hermione emphasized: "Those are my parents!"
"But all this back and forth has tired me out."
"This holiday feels like it's been so busy!"
"I'm not going back!"
"I want to go back to sleep; I didn't sleep well last night."
Xiao Deng nodded.
"Alright, go ahead."
Watching Hermione's retreating figure, Xiao Deng let out a long sigh of relief.
Indeed, high concentration is exhausting.
Xiao Deng glanced at the three Professors; the reason he didn't walk Hermione was that he didn't want the three of them to gossip.
They all looked so serious!
Xiao Deng slowly stood up and walked towards the door.
"Minerva, Severus."
"What do you think of those two?"
Snape said nothing, slowly chewing the food in his mouth.
Professor McGonagall let out a cackle.
"Albus, are you asking on purpose?"
"They are still young and might not realize it yet."
"And they don't know that friendship can change."
"However, they are indeed quite good."
"At least Xiao Deng can help Harry and the others grow faster, and Hermione can help Xiao Deng restrain himself a bit."
"It's quite good!"
"But who can say for sure about the future?"
Xiao Deng slowly walked outside and gradually entered the area of the Forbidden Forest.
Now he no longer needed to avoid Hagrid; even if he were seen, Hagrid would only say, "Going out to play again!"
Unknowingly, he had grown into a young Wizard comparable to a Professor.
Entering the Forbidden Forest, the sunlight from outside was instantly blocked.
Xiao Deng came to the lakeside where he used to practice, looking at the dark lake water.
The animals sleeping by the lake saw Xiao Deng come alone and did not move.
He likely wouldn't cause trouble if he came alone.
The surroundings became quiet, and Xiao Deng finally felt a trace of inner peace.
This peace deepened as time passed.
Xiao Deng couldn't help but slowly close his eyes, and the spiritual energy in the Forbidden Forest began to fluctuate.
Xiao Deng sat cross-legged by the lake, his Wizard robes fluttering without wind, making a rustling sound.
The animals sleeping in the lake were startled awake.
"Moo~"
"What's going on?"
"It seems to be caused by Xiao Deng!"
"Can he stop causing trouble!"
"He has fallen into some unknown state and seems unaware of it."
Wind blew over the lake, and waves rose.
Seeing the situation intensifying, Xiao Deng casually set up a barrier around him.
The impact on the environment was effectively stopped, but spiritual energy continued to pour into Xiao Deng's body in large quantities.
This situation continued for a quarter of an hour before slowly stopping.
Xiao Deng opened his eyes; the Deity Transformation stage was achieved!
He looked at the sky; crossing a major realm still didn't bring any lightning tribulation.
This made Xiao Deng breathe a sigh of relief.
If he underwent tribulation in the Forbidden Forest, the entire Hogwarts might be gone.
Xiao Deng stood up and stretched his joints, making a crackling sound, feeling refreshed.
"It's over, let's go back."
Just in this unremarkable holiday, Xiao Deng unremarkably ascended to the Deity Transformation stage.
If this were to reach the Cultivation World, it would surely drop the jaws of the old fogies.
Although it was uneventful, Xiao Deng had a feeling that a storm was coming.
He was now almost fearless of anyone; even if ten Lord Voldemorts came, he could toy with them.
But judging by his previous temper, that thing liked to play dirty.
He had no problems himself, but he was truly worried about those few good-for-nothing guys.
According to the life path of a Child of Destiny, the more opportunities and growth one obtains, the closer the danger.
He had to be on guard!
Xiao Deng returned to Hogwarts and saw someone unexpected.
Lockhart had actually returned to Hogwarts at this time.
When he saw Xiao Deng, Lockhart's expression was slightly unnatural, and a flash of hatred and unwillingness flickered in his eyes.
Xiao Deng saw it clearly but didn't point it out.
"Professor Lockhart is so diligent, arriving so early."
Years of habit allowed Lockhart to maintain a proper smile.
"Of course."
"I was careless before the holiday, didn't dodge, and lost the duel."
"But during this period, I will definitely work hard, and my club will surely be in full swing."
"Just like I wrote in my book, my battles are magnificent and passionate."
"I believe I will also present a satisfying duel to the young Wizards."
...
Xiao Deng couldn't listen for another second; this guy couldn't remember the beating he took once he started talking.
Had he forgotten that he lost to him?
Xiao Deng decided to go find Albus Dumbledore to talk about this topic.
Chapter 131: New Students Arrive
"Principal, why is there such a shameless person?"
"Xiao Deng, why are you getting worked up over him?"
"You should know very well what his level is."
"Besides, his position as a Professor won't last long."
When Xiao Deng asked for details, Dumbledore was unwilling to say more.
Xiao Deng walked out of the office looking bored.
...
Time flew by, and the holiday passed extremely quickly, just like those final three seconds, with happiness fleeting in an instant.
"Oh, shit!"
"I feel uncomfortable just thinking about meeting that poor wretch!"
Xiao Deng glanced at Malfoy, the corner of his mouth curling slightly.
"Are you feeling irritable?"
"You know?"
"Are you looking forward to seeing him, yet simultaneously disgusted by him?"
"It seems… a bit like that."
"Do you feel hot and bothered when you think of him?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"That describes it perfectly! My anger is rising."
Xiao Deng suppressed a laugh: "Maybe you need to vent some pent-up frustration!"
Hermione kicked Xiao Deng under the table and gave him a big eye-roll.
Malfoy was a bit confused; the symptoms Xiao Deng described were similar, but the description felt slightly off.
"What 'pent-up frustration'?"
Xiao Deng cleared his throat.
"You two might need to get face-to-face and have a shouting match or a physical fight."
Xiao Deng received another loving stomp from Hermione's little foot under the table.
Xiao Deng turned his head with an expressionless face, looked at Hermione, gritted his teeth, and whispered:
"Why do you keep stepping on me, you Mudblood!"
Hermione was a bit triggered, staring at Xiao Deng with wide eyes.
"Aren't you?"
"I am, yes!"
"Then why did you say that!"
"Does that stop me from saying it to you?"
Hermione's expression froze; what Xiao Deng said actually made some sense.
He was one too, but that didn't stop him from saying it!
This jerk is really infuriating sometimes!
"Mudblood! You jerk!"
"Thanks for the compliment!"
"Oh god! Merlin's big pants, I wasn't complimenting you, you idiot!"
"Do you believe I'll poke you to death with my wand!"
"Then I'll stab you with my wand too!"
"You shut up!"
"Fine, then you open your mouth!"
"I'll fight you to the death!"
...
Malfoy looked at his nose and then at his heart, avoiding looking at the two people fighting across from him.
Although he couldn't understand it, Malfoy enjoyed the atmosphere.
After all, this was the last meal they would eat together before school started.
His little lackeys didn't have this kind of joyful, bickering atmosphere.
After school started, he would have to go back to the Slytherin table to eat; tonight was the opening feast.
Night fell.
The new students this year were brought in by Hagrid.
Professor McGonagall was already standing behind the door in her formal robes, waiting to greet them.
Xiao Deng leaned against the wall, looking at Professor McGonagall with a smile.
"Professor, do you feel nervous?"
Professor McGonagall's mouth curled slightly.
"When I was young, I was a bit nervous at first."
"It's been so many years, I've seen all sorts of storms, so it's really nothing."
"I've long since forgotten what it's like to be nervous about welcoming new students."
"However, seeing the lively and cheerful appearance of the new students, I feel very happy."
"Welcoming batch after batch, sending off batch after batch."
"Only this kind of happiness and gratification remains."
Xiao Deng started cracking sunflower seeds on the side.
"Professor, want some?"
"I won't eat; I have to welcome the children."
"They aren't here yet, sunflower seeds won't affect anything."
Professor McGonagall was somewhat tempted, and finally, under Xiao Deng's temptation, she reached out her hand.
"Crunch~"
Cracking sunflower seeds, how happy!
"Professor McGonagall, are you happy even when new students cause trouble?"
Professor McGonagall glanced at Xiao Deng.
"Happy, of course I'm happy. Only energetic, optimistic, and cheerful children cause trouble."
"But only you give me a headache!"
Xiao Deng's face darkened. What kind of talk is that?
Professor McGonagall is really something, scolding him directly like that.
Scolding him is one thing, but what's the meaning of taking a detour to single him out by name!
"Stand aside, don't affect me welcoming the little Wizards."
"I'll just lean here, I won't disturb you."
Professor McGonagall didn't speak because it was already too late.
The magic had already started outside!
Xiao Deng watched Professor McGonagall go to welcome the new students just like she had welcomed them before.
Once again, the eccentric hat was brought out for its self-introduction.
When Ginny got on stage, Xiao Deng noticed that the eyes of many boys were drawn to her.
It must be said that Ginny's aura was still very dazzling.
At this moment, a pair of small hands had already touched the tender flesh at Xiao Deng's waist.
"Your eyes seem to be popping out!"
Xiao Deng pretended not to know and said casually:
"This is the opening ceremony. Before, everyone was looking at me; now I can finally look at others."
"Look at everyone here, whose eyes aren't popping out?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at Xiao Deng—what a good excuse!
Xiao Deng patted Ron's shoulder.
"Ginny should be the youngest child in your family, right?"
Ron nodded excitedly and said:
"Yes, the youngest and only girl in our family."
"She's finally come to Hogwarts!"
Immediately after, the hat also shouted out Ginny's destination.
"Ginny Weasley, Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table immediately erupted in applause.
The four Weasleys almost jumped onto the table to cheer.
Dumbledore appeared in full dress and slowly stood up.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, old students, and welcome to Hogwarts, new students."
"Next is the banquet."
"However, before the banquet, I need to emphasize a few things and school rules."
"Night wandering is prohibited. If you have done it, correct it; if not, guard against it. I hope students who often committed this in the past will keep it in mind."
"Entering the Forbidden Forest is prohibited; it is very dangerous inside. Some students should have some self-awareness."
Xiao Deng silently fished a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket, pretending it had nothing to do with him.
"Respect the Professors, cherish the Professors!"
"One more thing, keep an eye on your Owls and other pets."
"Having been at the school for several years, breeding is inevitable, but please consult the Professors for orderly and stable breeding."
"Don't graduate without knowing who the father of the babies is."
The students below started to roar with laughter.
Professor McGonagall's face darkened. Why is this Old Bee saying everything? Did he eat too much lemon sherbet?
Dumbledore pressed his hands down to signal for quiet.
"Now, let us enjoy the food to our heart's content!"
A sumptuous dinner instantly appeared on all the tables.
Hermione swirled the pumpkin juice in her cup, her tone somewhat teasing.
"Xiao Mudblood, why do I feel like the school rules the Principal mentioned were all tailored to the things you've done."
"Cough, cough~ cough, cough!"
Xiao Deng choked on his throat, and Hermione helped pat Xiao Deng on the back.
Xiao Deng glared at Hermione.
"What do you mean tailored to things I've done? Didn't you do them too?"
"Also, what does those Owls have to do with me?"
"Tailored to me? Do I have that much power?"
Hermione burst out laughing.
"I didn't say it was you, why are you projecting?"
Xiao Deng ignored Hermione and silently ate his food.
Only in the distance, a pair of eyes was silently watching Xiao Deng.
So, what the older brothers said was true!
Chapter 132: Performing a Show for the Professors
It was common knowledge that Xiao Deng was popular with girls; you only needed to chat with them for a few sentences to find that out.
Ginny was so smart that she quickly understood Xiao Deng's status in the eyes of the senior girls.
Xiao Deng secretly spread out his spiritual sense; he was looking for someone.
He had seen her during the Sorting earlier, but he got distracted chatting and lost track of her.
That girl had golden hair reaching down to her waist.
He seemed to recall her being sorted into Ravenclaw.
He found her soon enough, but Xiao Deng wasn't in any rush to strike up a conversation.
Things like this are better handled by attraction, of course!
However, today's occasion wasn't quite right; he'd check it out later.
His gaze inadvertently drifted to the staff table, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Holding a chicken leg in one hand and Hermione's pumpkin juice in the other, he walked toward it.
Professor McGonagall was the first to notice Xiao Deng.
"Xiao Deng, is something the matter?"
Xiao Deng chuckled.
"Nothing much, just that I've been taken care of by the Professors for so long, so I came over to toast everyone."
Hearing this, Professor McGonagall's eyes curved into two arcs.
"That's very thoughtful."
"We're all very touched!"
Other Professors chimed in to praise him, echoing Professor McGonagall's words, but only Snape remained silent.
"Professor Snape, is my gesture not good enough?"
"No, it's fine."
"Then why are you saying nothing?"
Snape glanced at Xiao Deng expressionlessly and still didn't speak.
"If you're not satisfied, I can perform a show for you."
Professor McGonagall suddenly became interested.
"A show?"
"That's good! I'd like to see it."
Xiao Deng chuckled, stretched out the hand holding the chicken leg, and struck a pose.
"Huh? It feels a bit like Albus."
Then, Xiao Deng's figure began to change, and within a second, he had transformed into Dumbledore.
Only, this "Dumbledore" had floral socks on his hands and was holding a chicken leg.
This made Dumbledore's face go dark.
"Severus, you are not allowed to wander at night!"
"If I catch you, I'll deduct your salary."
Snape's face also darkened.
"Giggle, giggle, giggle~"
Only Professor McGonagall laughed without any restraint.
The other Professors wanted to laugh, but they could only suppress their smiles.
Suddenly, the scene shifted; Xiao Deng's "Dumbledore" immediately changed into black robes.
Snape's eyelids twitched as he watched Xiao Deng's transformation.
"Professor McGonagall!"
"You cannot..."
"Wander in the Forbidden Forest..."
"Otherwise, I'll take your catnip."
Professor McGonagall's smile froze on her face before she could suppress it.
Immediately, Dumbledore's loud, hearty laughter rang out.
Just as Professor McGonagall was about to glare at Dumbledore, Xiao Deng changed his outfit.
He turned into "Snape" again, expressionless, and the words were squeezed out through his teeth.
"Old Bee, you are not allowed to go to the Owlery at night; you're too old for that."
Snape's previously gloomy expression faded quite a bit, and he glanced at Dumbledore intentionally or unintentionally.
But before he could react, Xiao Deng transformed into Professor McGonagall again.
"Severus, you cannot go into the Forbidden Forest; Old Bat is not compatible with other species."
Snape's face darkened again.
Xiao Deng transformed into Dumbledore and approached Trelawney.
"Professor, please divine whether Professor Binns's head has been secretly hidden away by Professor Sprout's herbs?"
Trelawney was a bit bewildered and hurriedly looked toward the real Dumbledore.
Xiao Deng also knew her personality; teasing a little was fine, but too much would make her doubt herself.
"Xiao Deng, come here!"
Dumbledore's tone was full of gentleness.
Xiao Deng's heart skipped a beat, and he shuffled over to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore actually mimicked Snape's fake smile.
"You performed a show for us, so I must give you a return gift."
Xiao Deng reverted to his original appearance and waved his hands.
"No need, no need."
"Getting along harmoniously with the Professors is only right."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement.
"You're right, we should coexist harmoniously."
"So the gift I will give you is detention!"
Professor McGonagall continued after Dumbledore: "One month!"
Snape also stepped in to kick him while he was down.
"After the detention is over, come to me and brew three hundred batches of Potion."
Xiao Deng's eyes were welling up!
The sky had fallen!
He hadn't been struck by lightning during his tribulation, yet he got ambushed by these three old geezers at the start of the school year.
Ginny looked at the seemingly shining Xiao Deng and felt she really couldn't live without him.
Ginny used to admire Harry Potter quite a bit, but she had never seen him in person.
But after meeting Xiao Deng, she didn't think about Harry Potter anymore.
Even though he was within reach right now, and Harry Potter was sitting not far from her.
But in her heart, Xiao Deng's radiance had long since eclipsed Harry Potter's.
However, what her brother said was also something she needed to consider.
Just a moment ago, while Xiao Deng was chatting and laughing with the Professors, she had made up her mind.
She wanted to stand by Xiao Deng's side, even if there were many people around him.
Ginny was never one to drag her feet; after clarifying her thoughts, her gaze toward Xiao Deng became even firmer.
However, this change was captured by Hermione's eyes.
Hermione sighed deeply; there was going to be another sister soon.
Who told Xiao Deng to be so outstanding?
She could also see that, for the moment, nothing was going on between Xiao Deng and Ginny.
It was likely Ginny's unrequited love, but Ginny was so pretty—what cadre could withstand her test?
Given Xiao Deng's personality, he probably wouldn't break Ginny's heart.
With the end of the feast, some people in the room were happy while others were sad!
Xiao Deng belonged to the sad group.
Detention!
And it was detention in Professor McGonagall's office.
This was proposed by Principal Dumbledore.
That old geezer must be afraid that I'd ask him for lemon sherbet.
Such a stingy Principal, how did he manage to sit in that position for so long?
Xiao Deng thought this indignantly to himself.
As soon as the feast ended, Xiao Deng's little group gathered together.
He had already had Ron and the others run errands to notify them during the meal.
"The new semester is coming!"
"There are some newcomers below, you mustn't be outdone by them."
Ron scratched the back of his head.
"That can't be, right!"
"I feel like we're already quite amazing now."
"Can the lower grades really surpass us?"
Xiao Deng's mouth curled up.
"Back when we were freshmen, did the upperclassmen ever think that I could stand above them?"
Several people rolled their eyes and said in unison.
"Because you're a freak!"
Hermione continued: "Who can compare to you? Who can outplay you?"
Xiao Deng pressed his hand down in the air, and everyone quieted down.
"Today is the first day of school, so I won't make you train."
"Starting tomorrow, we will resume the training from before the holidays."
No sooner had Xiao Deng finished speaking than he heard Ron wailing.
"You can't just let Ginny surpass you, right?"
Chapter 133: Ron's Dream
Hearing what Xiao Deng said, Ron scratched his hair.
As a brother, naturally, he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of his sister.
That would be too embarrassing!
"Ask Ginny later and see if she's willing to learn too."
"But the prerequisite is that her basic coursework is fine."
"Don't be a half-baked amateur like you."
Ron looked up and stared at Xiao Deng with wide eyes.
"Xiao Deng, I'm not that bad, am I?"
"So it turns out a pauper isn't just poor financially."
"Malfoy, shut up!"
"The pauper can actually fight back."
"Say that again, you reptile!"
"Pauper!"
"Reptile!"
"You're just a pauper!"
"You're the reptile!"
"Your dad is a pauper too!"
"Your dad is a Death Eater!"
...
The people around them silently moved away from the two.
"Let's stop here for today. I'm sure everyone is tired on the first day of school."
After the others dispersed and left, only Xiao Deng and Hermione remained.
"You should go back too. There's been a lot going on tonight, you should get some good rest."
Hermione looked at Xiao Deng with some concern.
She knew that Xiao Deng was definitely the most exhausted person in this group, he just didn't say it.
Xiao Deng waved his hand to signal Hermione not to worry, and only then did Hermione head toward the Dormitory.
Xiao Deng arrived at the Eighth Floor, originally wanting some peace and quiet, but then remembered that Dabai and the other were no longer here.
"Forget it, I'll just go back to the Dormitory to sleep."
Xiao Deng returned to the Dormitory, having an illusion that he hadn't spent the night here for a long time.
Harry saw Xiao Deng and sat up.
"I thought you were going to spend the night in the Forbidden Forest again."
Xiao Deng's mouth twitched; spending the night in the Forbidden Forest was just a lie to these roommates.
Not returning to the Dormitory naturally meant being with Hermione.
"School has officially started. I am a good Wizard who obeys school rules."
Seamus silently retorted: "Bullshit!"
"Agreed +1."
"Agreed +1."
"Agreed +1."
"Motion passed by the group."
Xiao Deng tidied up his bed and lay down.
"Everyone has extra training tomorrow."
"Foster father, you can't do that!"
"Foster father +1!"
"Foster father +1!"
"Seamus, why aren't you saying anything?"
"I'm practicing explosions, dammit, we're not the same."
Harry looked at Seamus and spoke: "We're all the same."
Even Neville spoke up.
"What more do you want from me?"
Ron, with a mouth shaped like a charging port, came to Xiao Deng's bed.
"We shouldn't be like this!"
Xiao Deng was silent for a moment before saying: "Then Seamus will be with you guys."
The three said in unison: "Oh yeah, hooray!"
Seamus's face had turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"You bunch of bastards!"
Ron returned to his bed, satisfied.
...
The next morning.
Everyone went to class according to the schedule, and the new students were also actively integrating into Hogwarts to a great extent.
Xiao Deng applied for special permission from Dumbledore; he no longer needed to attend classes.
He had basically finished reading all the books in the Library.
His combat ability could no longer be viewed through the eyes of an ordinary young Wizard.
Although he didn't attend classes, he had to be kept in confinement; he was only allowed to leave Professor McGonagall's office when eating or sleeping.
Finally, it was time to eat. As soon as Professor McGonagall let him go, Xiao Deng took off running.
Watching Xiao Deng rushing out, the corners of Professor McGonagall's mouth slowly curled up.
"Hogwarts has a very promising future!"
"If Albus really succeeds."
As a big shot at the Transformation stage, Xiao Deng could completely go without eating.
But well, life still needs a touch of mortal flavor.
Thinking this to himself, Xiao Deng gulped down Hermione's pumpkin juice in one go.
"Xiao Deng, you scoundrel, you stole my pumpkin juice again!"
Xiao Deng gently placed the cup on the table.
"It's just a cup of pumpkin juice, why are you making such a fuss?"
Before Hermione could retort, a greeting appeared at the side of the table.
"Hello."
"I'm Ginny, Ron's sister."
"Can I sit with you guys?"
Ron asked his sister, his brain acting up.
"Shouldn't you be sitting with the other new students?"
Ginny rolled her eyes at this meddlesome brother in her heart.
"I want to sit with my brother!"
This answer made Ron extremely pleased.
"Alright, alright, alright!"
"Come and sit."
Ginny slowly sat down next to Ron.
Ron poked the table, and a large pile of food immediately appeared.
Ginny smiled slightly; although this brother looked very stupid, he was actually quite good to her.
Once Ginny arrived, Hermione didn't say another word.
Picking a fight with Xiao Deng at this moment was a very unwise move.
Xiao Deng came from the Hehuan Sect, how could he not understand the thoughts of a girl?
He wouldn't deliberately expose Hermione's temporary pretense of reserve.
Otherwise, he would be in trouble later in private; she would really dare to poke people with her wand.
Although he could poke back, he could also just stab without being poked; why suffer this for no reason!
At the same time, it also reflected some problems on the side.
The moment Ginny appeared, Hermione's warning light went off.
This showed that Hermione clearly knew Ginny's intentions, or perhaps Ginny was being very obvious?
He could ask about this indirectly in private.
Ron was eating a chicken leg, but it didn't affect him talking.
"Do you know?"
"I had a dream yesterday, it was really interesting."
"I wanted to tell you all day, but Xiao Deng was in confinement and not around, so I held it in until now."
Harry timely took over Ron's words.
"What kind of dream? Tell us about it."
With Harry's encouragement, Ron's desire to share was ignited.
"This dream is probably related to you fighting the Dementors."
"After hearing about what happened to Harry over the summer yesterday, I had a dream that same day."
Neville scratched his scalp, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Ron, can you just get to the point!"
"You're really dragging it out!"
Ron's expression froze, then he relaxed.
"Fine, I'll just say it directly, listen up."
"You have no idea!"
"I dreamed that a bunch of Dementors were robbing us yesterday."
Harry fed him the line: "And then?"
"To protect you guys, I started fighting the Dementors."
"You have no idea how valiant I was."
"I swept through the army alone, fighting the Dementors with wit and courage."
"I fought my way in and out seven times, saving you from fire and water."
"The scene was truly filled with gongs and drums, firecrackers blaring, red flags waving, and a sea of people."
Harry patted Ron on the shoulder.
"If you don't know how to use the phrases Xiao Deng said, don't use them blindly. Is that even the same meaning?"
Neville sat too far away to pat him, but he mimicked Malfoy's tone and said: "Pauper, wait until you reach Xiao Deng's level before you dream."
Ron's face darkened, and he grimaced.
"I just had a dream, and you all keep attacking me."
Xiao Deng smiled slightly and looked at Ron.
"Ron!"
"Do you know you were talking in your sleep last night?"
"Was it really a great battle against the Dementors that you dreamed of?"
"And fighting your way in and out seven times?"
Ron's eyes widened as he asked: "What did I say?"
The others curiously looked at Xiao Deng, who was drinking pumpkin juice.
"You said,'Stop hitting me, big brothers, spare my life! I'll give you the two copper Knuts in my pocket!'"
Chapter 134: Future Planning for the Shop
The dining table went silent for a moment, then immediately erupted into laughter.
Even Ginny couldn't help but cover her mouth, trying her best to keep quiet.
While they were talking, the Weasley Brothers walked over.
"Xiao Deng, we have no class this afternoon, come find us."
Hearing this, Xiao Deng knew they had new products ready.
That's great! Their design speed is truly no joke.
Then, seeing Ginny sitting next to Ron, the two narrowed their eyes.
This is clearly a case of ulterior motives!
The twins walked over to their younger brother and sister.
Fred placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder.
"Ginny, come on, sit with your brothers."
Ginny refused directly: "I want to sit here!"
George rested one hand on Ron's shoulder.
He pinched a sausage, put it back down, then picked up a cucumber, swirled it in the pumpkin juice, and held it to Ron's mouth.
Ron widened his eyes in terror; the last time a sausage was shoved into his mouth, he nearly choked to death on the spot.
If this cucumber gets shoved down his throat, would he even have a chance to survive?
Ron gritted his teeth and refused to open his mouth.
Ginny had just finished answering when she saw Ron's predicament.
She immediately slapped George's hand away.
"You're bullying Ron again!"
George shrugged innocently.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm just feeding him vegetables; it's for his own good."
Ginny waved her little hand and blocked Ron behind her.
"Do you think I believe that?"
"You two have a track record!"
"Your credibility in this regard is so low that I wouldn't even lend you a wand."
Xiao Deng's lips curled up.
Ginny was, after all, the apple of Weasley Family's eye, so the twins weren't angry at all.
If it were Ron saying this, the number of pranks they'd pull on him would be enough to fill a whole play.
"Mom said you should learn from Xiao Deng and stop messing around all day."
The twins glanced at Xiao Deng, their expressions meaningful.
Xiao Deng's heart skipped a beat. No way, could he have been exposed?
That shouldn't be right; Ginny even told him to keep that matter a secret!
Looking at Ginny, she didn't seem guilty either.
Could it be that they realized Ginny has feelings for him?
As expected of brothers, their sensitivity is really high!
But why does Ron look so unintelligent?
Xiao Deng looked at Ron, and Ron happened to look back.
Ron performed a goofy grin for Xiao Deng.
Xiao Deng's mouth twitched, telling himself to stay calm, he must stay calm.
This guy Ron sometimes has a different thought process than normal people.
Just at that moment, Xiao Deng felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
Xiao Deng kept his expression unchanged and smiled at Ron.
But secretly, his divine sense surged out; he had just sensed an unusual aura.
It was on one of the four Weasleys opposite him!
That aura was a bit familiar, but it vanished in a flash; the other party was quite quick.
But how long can they jump around in front of a master at the Deity Transformation stage?
Very quickly, the situations of the other three were ruled out.
Only Ginny remained, with a faint hint of something unusual about her.
Xiao Deng didn't want to alert the enemy; he would wait until tonight to see.
After all, Ginny is still a freshman, and school rules still constrain her quite a bit.
But for him, there was basically nowhere in Hogwarts he couldn't go.
Waiting silently for the other party to jump out and then cleaning up the mess would be fine too.
Xiao Deng placed a divine sense mark on Ginny without anyone noticing.
The twins knew about Ginny's feelings for Xiao Deng, and after chatting a bit, Ginny still wouldn't go with them.
They could only sigh that she was truly like spilled water!
After the Weasley Brothers left, the people at the table had also finished eating.
"You guys rest first, we'll be busy tonight."
After parting ways with them, Xiao Deng went to the place agreed upon with the Weasley Brothers.
When he arrived at that classroom, the Weasley Brothers were already there.
Seeing Xiao Deng come in, both of them crowded around him.
"Thanks to your guidance last time, the things we made this time are no longer limited to just pranks."
"We have prank props, and we also have daily necessities; take a look."
The brothers opened a small box and took out the samples one by one.
"This one is for scaring people, and this one is for comedy."
Xiao Deng nodded; pranks were the brothers' specialty.
The ideas were clear, the uses were obvious, and the gimmicks were plenty.
These were things that could instantly capture the psychology of a child.
Even adults would be interested.
These days, when selling things, you don't fear that people won't buy; you fear that customers won't have any interest at all.
As long as there is interest, they will become potential customers.
"And there's this, an improved quill."
"There are obedient ones, and there are disobedient ones."
"There are also normal ones; the normal ones have more even ink flow, write more smoothly, but have a shorter lifespan."
Xiao Deng looked at the brothers in surprise.
"You've even implemented the 'planned obsolescence' strategy."
Fred smiled and said: "It's thanks to your explanation."
"Otherwise, we wouldn't have understood the situation inside at the time."
"Look at this ink; the pen's lifespan is reduced, but I designed this ink to be more durable."
"It can also carry 10% more magic than ordinary ink on the market."
"And look at this cauldron..."
"And this stationery..."
There were quite a few items made this time, and they all had some innovative elements.
After looking them over, Xiao Deng felt there were no problems.
Xiao Deng also checked for anti-theft issues, and they were all at the highest specifications currently in the Wizarding World.
"If these are to be mass-produced, how much time and capital would be needed?"
George, holding the ink in his hand, spoke up.
"It's slower during the design and research phase, but now that they've been designed, it will be much faster."
"We can ship in large quantities in a week."
Fred continued after George:
"Xiao Deng, I don't think this way will work."
Xiao Deng didn't speak, signaling him to continue.
"Look, we are in the early stages of opening, and there aren't many categories, so it's not noticeable."
"Our shop is so big, there will only be more categories in the future."
"This month after opening in the summer holidays, we've been able to sell out our stock almost every day."
"This shows the market is still huge!"
At this point, Xiao Deng already knew what Fred was going to say.
"You mean we don't have enough manpower."
"Once there are more categories, if we rely only on the two of you, the volume will definitely drop."
"Right now, with Xiao Deng's reputation supporting us, it's very hot."
"But in the future, we will still need products to support the store's turnover."
"Running out of stock once is fine, but when more and more people can't buy what they want, we will lose a lot of customers."
Fred looked at Xiao Deng excitedly.
"Yes, yes, yes, that's exactly what I mean."
"There will eventually be a day when we can't keep up; what will we do then?"
Xiao Deng thought for a moment and looked up at the two.
"Then you need to add anti-theft measures to every step of the process."
"I'll find people to assemble a large-scale manufacturing plant."
"Each step of the process will be done separately, and finally, our own people will do the assembly."
"This should save a lot of time."
Chapter 135: Touring the Factory
The Weasley Brothers looked excited; every time they encountered a dilemma, Xiao Deng could offer the perfect solution.
"You don't need to worry about that aspect; I'll handle it."
"You just need to focus on designing new anti-theft measures and products."
"The few new items you brought are all fine. When will they be launched?"
Fred sat down and pondered for a moment.
"We'll make one hundred of each within two weeks to put on the market first."
"Then we'll design new anti-theft measures."
"Two weeks—is that enough time for you to find a large factory?"
Xiao Deng nodded and said, "It's enough!"
Afterward, the three of them chatted about some product matters, and Xiao Deng hurried out of the classroom.
George watched Xiao Deng's retreating figure, then turned his head to ask Fred, "Why did you stop me from asking just now?"
Fred patted George on the shoulder.
"What is there to ask?"
"Xiao Deng is so popular with the girls, yet we've never seen him go public with anyone."
"Maybe he has, maybe he hasn't, or maybe he has many."
"But that's not a reason for you to go asking. At best, we're just minor shareholders."
"If we force this issue, how can we continue doing business?"
"You know Ginny's temperament; once she sets her mind on something, no one can talk her out of it."
"Once she steps onto this path, she has to walk it herself; no one can help her."
"Even if Xiao Deng is surrounded by admirers, that's her choice."
"As long as we don't force the issue, no matter the outcome between Ginny and Xiao Deng, the family's relationship with him won't suffer."
"But if a third party gets involved, we would implicitly be representing Weasley Family."
"Sometimes you should learn from Ron; he's incredibly dense, but do you really think he doesn't see anything at all?"
"He pays no less attention to Ginny than we do."
After saying this, Fred left, leaving George to ponder his words.
There was a reason for Xiao Deng's hurried departure; dinnertime was almost here.
He needed to return to Professor McGonagall's office for detention!
Professor McGonagall looked at Xiao Deng as he arrived to report, the corners of her mouth curling upward. You have your days too! I've finally caught you when I can discipline you.
Professor McGonagall didn't want that capitalist Snape to exploit Xiao Deng ruthlessly, so she just let him sit quietly.
This made Xiao Deng anxious. Doing nothing but sitting here? Professor, changing into a cat to liven things up would be nice! But Xiao Deng didn't dare say that!
Xiao Deng carefully approached Professor McGonagall, who was reading.
"Professor McGonagall, could I ask for a leave?"
Professor McGonagall glanced at Xiao Deng.
"Asking for leave to go play?"
"No, please don't think of me as that playful!"
"I'm a good Wizard who follows the rules."
Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes at him.
"Shameless. You can actually say that out loud."
"I know you applied for special privileges from the Principal to skip classes, so what else could you possibly have to do?"
"I have class in a while, so you just stay here and serve your detention honestly."
"If you aren't here when I return, I'll have Severus add one hundred sets of Potion work for you."
"Hee hee hee hee~"
Professor McGonagall was in a good mood, laughing as she walked out the door.
Professor McGonagall didn't lock the door, though locking it wouldn't have made any difference to someone of Xiao Deng's level.
The only thing that could keep him in that room was himself.
As soon as Professor McGonagall left, Xiao Deng's divine sense followed her.
It wasn't that Xiao Deng was suspicious; it was the caution of a Gryffindor.
What had he relied on all these years at Hogwarts? Caution!
As an old Gryffindor, he really couldn't be sure she wouldn't double back to conduct a sting operation.
After confirming that Professor McGonagall was indeed going to class, Xiao Deng couldn't sit still anymore.
He casually found a pen in Professor McGonagall's office and, with a wave of his hand, transformed it into his own likeness.
At the same time, Xiao Deng vanished from the office.
Xiao Deng entered the Leaky Cauldron; he was no longer an unknown kid.
He was a newly minted recipient of the order of merlin, and there were quite a few people who recognized him.
As soon as he entered the pub, he encountered many faces greeting him.
Xiao Deng smiled and nodded to those he knew and those he didn't.
He declined the owner's invitation for a drink and headed into Diagon Alley.
He had things to do and couldn't waste time drinking Butterbeer.
Xiao Deng didn't go anywhere else; he went straight to Gringotts.
When Griphook saw Xiao Deng, it was as if he'd seen his own parents.
This was a big client, and every time, he could skim off a fair amount in management and handling fees.
Other Goblins watched as Griphook enthusiastically welcomed Xiao Deng.
Xiao Deng sneered inwardly; he was such a snob.
If it were some poor young Wizard coming here, just look at their attitude; it would be no different from excrement, except for the smell.
Griphook didn't rush to speak, immediately ushering Xiao Deng into a VIP room.
"Respected Mr. Hehuan, what business would you like to conduct this time? I will do my best to serve you."
Xiao Deng didn't speak, picking up the black tea prepared by the Goblin and taking a sip.
"A factory, a large one, for assembly lines."
"Does your Gringotts have business in this area?"
Griphook winked and said, "You're joking with me!"
"If there's a business that even Gringotts isn't involved in, it won't exist anywhere else."
"As for factories, we actually do have one; you've come at just the right time."
"The economic system of the Muggle world hasn't been very stable recently."
"Previously, someone opened a factory in the Wizarding World to imitate the Muggle world."
"But the outside is already in a slump, and the Wizarding World doesn't really take to that kind of model."
"Most Wizards prefer products that are purely handcrafted."
"And assembly lines are also a huge problem; the population capacity of the Wizarding World sometimes can't absorb the output of an assembly line."
"If you make too much, it's wasted and can't be sold; if you make too little, factory expenses become a big problem."
"So, there is an owner right now who is desperate to offload this factory."
"According to my projections, if there are no special circumstances, it would go unwanted for three to five, or even ten years."
While speaking, Griphook had already handed the paper documents detailing the factory to Xiao Deng.
Xiao Deng looked at them carefully; Griphook's point just now was indeed a problem worth deep consideration.
But if it can't be sold in the Wizarding World, it can be sold in the Muggle world.
The extra spare time could fully be used to make some Muggle world items.
Then he could take them out himself, and while he was at it, open a shop in the Muggle world too.
Magical items would be sold in the Wizarding World, and Muggle goods would be sold in the Muggle world.
However, there was one problem: would Ron's dad arrest him?
In his memory, his dad worked in Muggle artifact regulation.
He could ask about the specifics later.
He couldn't let his son-in-law get arrested!
By then, it wouldn't just be Ginny's problem; it would involve the happiness of several people.
"Did this factory just come on the market recently?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Times are tough outside; although it doesn't have much to do with us, it still affects us slightly."
"After all, exchange rates still exist."
Xiao Deng put down the documents in his hand and looked at Griphook.
"Take me to see it!"