Chapter 11: The Tranquility of the Black Lake
Time flew by, and it was soon Friday.
Early in the morning, Su Yu habitually lay on Daphne's lap.
The Great Hall was noisy; owls flew in through the windows above the Great Hall, weaving between the four long tables, dropping letters and packages to their respective owners.
Today was a massive team-building event for the Owlery; countless owls flew in, covering the sky, the sound of their flapping wings like a continuous gust of wind.
But the most conspicuous one was still Su Yu's Qingluan.
When she flew in through the archway of the Great Hall, the light in the entire Great Hall turned into a soft, pale-green hue.
She was a bit larger than an owl, with a wingspan of nearly a meter. Her feathers were verdant, shimmering with a metallic luster under the candlelight, and her tail feathers trailed behind her like a long cloak.
The Qingluan flew to Su Yu and landed. She rubbed her head against Su Yu's leg, emitting a low sound like a bell being rung by the wind.
Su Yu reached out to stroke her head, sat up from Daphne's lap, and took out several bags of potato chips and a bottle of Cola from his bag.
You heard that right. The Qingluan was a bit of a homebody and also liked eating potato chips and drinking Cola.
She stuck her head into the potato chip bag, crunching away. Su Yu helped her unscrew the bottle cap of the Cola; she held the bottle mouth with her beak, tilted her head back to take a swig, and let out a satisfied purr.
The young Wizards in the Great Hall were dumbfounded.
"What bird is that? So pretty—"
"She's drinking Cola..."
"She even eats potato chips..."
Several lower-year girls covered their mouths, their eyes full of stars. A Hufflepuff boy holding a plate forgot to put it down, and the fried egg inside slid onto the floor without him noticing.
Kurama poked her head out from the other side of the table, glanced at the Qingluan, and used her paw to push the untouched cheesecake in front of her toward the bird. The Qingluan looked down at the cake, then at Kurama, and gently touched Kurama's ear with her beak. Kurama's ear twitched, and she hummed.
Daphne's eyes were almost turning into stars. She shook Su Yu's arm, her voice half a pitch higher than usual: "Su Yu, I want to pet her, can I?"
Su Yu leaned back in his chair and glanced at the Qingluan. The Qingluan was poking at the crumbs in the potato chip bag with her beak, indifferent to everything around her.
"The Qingluan is a bit cold," he said. "You can try feeding her something first like I do, then see if she's willing to let you pet her."
Daphne took a butter cookie from the table and carefully offered it to the Qingluan. The Qingluan looked at the cookie, then at Daphne, and then turned her head to continue poking at the potato chip bag.
Daphne switched to a chocolate cookie. The Qingluan ignored her.
Daphne switched again to a piece of pumpkin pie. The Qingluan still ignored her.
Daphne tried every snack she could reach on the table. The Qingluan maintained the same attitude throughout—not looking, not listening, not touching.
Daphne was a bit frustrated, her shoulders sagging slightly. But she quickly adjusted her mindset, put her handkerchief into her pocket, smiled, and said: "It's okay, next time I'll bring some potato chips too!"
Su Yu patted Daphne's head; he really loved Daphne's personality. Then he snatched the unfinished potato chip bag from the Qingluan's beak and put it into his bag. The Qingluan called out in dissatisfaction and slapped his head with her wing, but Su Yu then handed the bag to the Qingluan, telling her to go back and eat it herself. The Qingluan was overjoyed, spread her wings, and flew out of the Great Hall window with the bag.
The morning was Professor Binns's History of Magic.
Su Yu and Kurama slept through the class as usual.
The classroom was so quiet that only the buzzing sound of Professor Binns could be heard, like a fly circling in a glass bottle. Su Yu lay on the desk, his face buried in his arms, his breathing even and deep. Kurama lay on the other side of the table, her chin resting on her paws, her nine tails hanging off the edge of the table, swaying gently with her breathing.
Daphne sat beside them, her quill scratching on her notebook. Her handwriting was neat and beautiful, line by line, occasionally stopping to look at Professor Binns, then lowering her head to continue writing.
And then—
"Thump."
Kurama might have dreamed of something, turned over, and the whole fox rolled off the tabletop, falling onto the floor belly-up. Her nine tails only reacted after she landed, spreading out slowly over her like a blanket blown over by the wind. Her eyes were still closed, her four legs kicked in the air, and then dropped powerlessly.
The whole class froze for a second, then everyone started giggling secretly.
Daphne didn't react in time. She was still holding her quill, her mouth slightly open, the expression on her face frozen between "surprise" and "wanting to laugh," as if the whole person had been pressed on the pause button.
Su Yu woke up groggily, rubbed his eyes, and looked down at Kurama on the floor. Kurama was lying on the floor, her eyes still closed, but her ears were perked up—the tips twitching slightly, a small tell she only had when she was pretending to sleep.
Su Yu didn't expose her.
Daphne bent down and picked Kurama up from the floor. Kurama remained motionless in her arms, her four legs dangling, her tails hanging down, looking like a fox that had completely fallen asleep. But Su Yu saw the tip of her tail gently brush against Daphne's arm.
From then on, whenever Kurama slept, she would go to sleep on Daphne's lap. After all, Daphne never slept in class and could keep an eye on her.
At noon, Su Yu ate a king crab feast.
This was made by the house-elves Su Yu bribed. The house-elves went to Norway to catch them in the morning—it was said they used Apparition, and it only took ten minutes to go and back—and they also brought back some salmon and lots of Norway lobsters. Su Yu also had them get light soy sauce and wasabi from an Asian supermarket in Britain; of course, he left money for them.
Many king crabs were laid out on the Slytherin long table, the red shells shimmering with an oily luster under the candlelight, the crab legs as long as arms, with cracks at the joints revealing snow-white crab meat. The salmon was sliced into thick pieces, arranged on ice, the orange-red fish meat clearly textured, glistening with fresh oil. The Norway lobsters were piled on another plate, the shells bright red, the meat firm and plump.
Su Yu broke off a crab leg, used chopsticks to poke the meat out, dipped it in light soy sauce and wasabi, and stuffed it into his mouth. The crab meat was sweet and fresh, the spiciness of the wasabi exploding in his nasal cavity, making him squint his eyes in comfort.
Kurama also had a crab leg in front of her; she held it with her two front paws, chewing with a crunching sound, crab shell crumbs stuck to the tip of her nose, completely unaware. The Qingluan didn't know when she had flown back, crouching at the other end of the table with a small plate of salmon in front of her. She ate much more elegantly—gently pecking up a piece with her beak, tilting her head to swallow it, and then taking a sip of Cola.
Daphne and the other Slytherins also ate quite a bit.
This meal was very good.
There were no classes in the afternoon.
Hermione dragged Su Yu and Daphne to do homework in the Great Hall for the whole afternoon. There was an aisle between the Gryffindor long table and the Slytherin long table; Hermione sat on the Gryffindor side, while Su Yuand Daphne sat on the Slytherin side, the three of them spreading their homework on the table, with quills and ink bottles lined up in a row.
Su Yu wasn't going to write.
He wanted Kurama to write.
Kurama lay on the table with a piece of parchment spread out in front of her. She stared at Su Yu with her two amber eyes, her mouth slightly open, revealing two sharp canines. The meaning of that expression was very clear—Are you out of your mind to think that?
"Can't you write?" Su Yu said.
Kurama lowered her head and pushed the parchment toward Su Yu with her paw. Her expression was one of helplessness, like "I don't know a damn thing about magic."
Su Yu sighed.
In the end, he copied a bit from Hermione's, then a bit from Daphne's. Hermione's handwriting was neat but small, while Daphne's was slightly larger but elegant.
Hermione mentioned in the afternoon: "I saw Harry and Ron heading toward the Forbidden Forest."
Su Yu said "Hmm," and didn't say much.
"What are they doing in the Forbidden Forest?" Daphneasked.
"I don't know," Hermione said, wrinkling her nose, "I heard Professor Hagrid lives there."
Su Yu leaned back in his chair, recalling that plot. He didn't say anything, just turned to look at Daphne: "Let's go fishing tomorrow."
Daphne was stunned for a moment. "Fishing?"
"Yeah. To the Black Lake."
Hermione's eyes lit up. "I'm coming too!"
Su Yu glanced at Hermione, then at Daphne. "Sure. Tomorrow morning."
The next day, just as the sky brightened.
Daphne came to the door of Su Yu's dormitory. She had changed into a light-colored robe, her hair tied into a ponytail, and she was carrying a small basket—containing some sandwiches and juice. She knocked on the door.
The door was opened by Kurama. After opening the door, she crouched at the entrance, her amber eyes looking at Daphne.
"Where's Su Yu?" Daphne asked.
Kurama tilted her head toward the bathroom.
"Still showering?"
Kurama nodded.
Daphne walked in and sat on the sofa to wait. Kuramajumped onto the sofa, lay down beside her, and rested her chin on her leg. Daphne reached out and stroked her head; her ears twitched, and her tail curled into a ball.
When Su Yu finished washing and came out, he was already dressed neatly. He was tying his cuffs as he walked, his hair still carrying a bit of dampness.
"Let's go," he said.
The two walked out of the dormitory and just as they arrived at the common room, they saw two people also about to go out.
Gemma Farley stood by the fireplace, wearing a dark robe, her lazy, big wavy hair draped over her shoulders, holding a book of some sort. Cassandra Vole stood beside her, her light blonde hair slightly curled, and her green eyes lit up the moment she saw Su Yu, then returned to that half-smiling expression.
Ever since that night raid when she was knocked out by Kurama, Farley hadn't appeared again. Su Yu could be certain she was just shy and hadn't dared to show her face these past few days.
Seeing her today was just right.
Su Yu greeted the two of them. "Morning."
Daphne asked: "Where are you two planning to go?"
Cassandra and Farley looked at each other. Farley spoke first: "Nothing special, just wanted to go for a stroll."
Cassandra nodded, then asked Su Yu: "What about you guys? Where are you going?"
"Fishing," Su Yu said.
"Fishing?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow, "At the Black Lake?"
"Yeah."
Farley and Cassandra looked at each other again. This time, the two of them had an unexpectedly consistent look—they wanted to go.
"We're coming too," Cassandra said.
Su Yu looked at them, then at Daphne. Daphne had no expression, just nodded.
Su Yu never refused young ladies. He brought Farley, Cassandra, and Daphne to the Great Hall; Hermione was already waiting there. She was wearing an ordinary robe, holding a copy of Magical Drafts and Potions, and was stunned when she saw the group behind Su Yu.
"So many people?"
Four little snakes and one little lion arrived at the Black Lake like this.
The Black Lake in the early morning was very quiet. A thin layer of white mist drifted on the lake surface, Hogwarts Castle in the distance reflected in the water, and occasionally a fish jumped out of the water, splashing back down.
Su Yu asked the four girls to wait a moment, walked to the lakeshore, and put his hands together.
"Wood Style, Wood Boat Jutsu."
The four girls' mouths opened at the same time.
On the grass by the lake, several thick tree trunks grew out of the soil. They didn't grow upward, but extended toward the lake surface—as if someone had turned the growth direction of a tree by ninety degrees. The trunks intertwined, spliced, and merged on the lake surface, making a creaking sound of wood rubbing against each other. A few minutes later, a wooden boat appeared on the lake. The boat body was the color of raw wood, with fresh wood grain, and smelled of a fresh pine scent. The boat was not small—it had a canopy, a deck, a cabin, a bathroom, and a dining room; it was about the size of a yacht. There was also a small platform at the stern, just right for fishing.
Hermione was the first to react. She ran to the lakeshore, squatted down to touch the boat body, and turned to look at Su Yu, the expression on her face one of shock: "Just how many things do you have that I don't know about?"
Daphne followed behind, the corners of her mouth curled up, not saying a word.
Farley and Cassandra stood at the very back. Farley's eyes were shining a bit abnormally, her lips slightly parted, her hands clutching the hem of her robe. Cassandra quickly put away her surprised expression and returned to that half-smiling look, but her eyes never left Su Yu.
Su Yu helped the four girls onto the boat one by one.
Kurama was playing on the shore; after all the girls were on the boat, she gave a light leap and landed steadily on the railing at the bow, her nine tails spreading out behind her like a proud captain.
Su Yu was the last to board. He stood at the stern, pressed his hands on the deck, and Chakra seeped from his palms into the wood; the wooden boat vibrated slightly, then slowly sailed away from the shore.
The five of them spent the whole day on the boat.
Su Yu was fishing at the stern. He rested his fishing rod on the railing, the line hanging into the water, and then lay on Daphne's lap, preparing to take a nap. Daphne gently stroked his hair, humming an unknown song. Her voice was very soft, the tune very slow, like the sound of wind blowing through reeds.
Hermione was doing homework in the cabin. She spread the parchment on the table, her quill scratching away, occasionally looking up at the scenery on the lake, then lowering her head to continue writing.
Farley and Cassandra were also chatting about gossip at the stern. Their voices weren't loud, but Su Yu could hear a few words— "that one from the Malfoy family," "heard about that Potter from Gryffindor," "have you heard, Professor McGonagall..."
Kurama lay between Farley and Cassandra, her ears perked up, her tail gently swaying on the deck. She was just listening casually at first, but later her whole head lifted up, her eyes wide round.
Farley said: "I heard from my father that the Fawley familyhas an estate in the Eastern Continent as big as a mountain."
Kurama's ears perked up.
Cassandra said: "More than that. Su Yu's mother was the most beautiful in the entire wizarding world back then—Mr. Malfoy chased her for three years, and she didn't even look at him once."
The tip of Kurama's tail curled up.
Farley said: "Really?"
Cassandra said: "Really. My aunt told me. Later she ran off with Su Yu's father—Mr. Malfoy was so angry he smashed everything in his study."
Kurama's mouth opened slightly, revealing two sharp canines. She looked at Farley, then at Cassandra, and then turned her head to look at Su Yu at the stern with a look that said, "This kid never told me any of this."
Su Yu closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling up.
Not a single fish was caught. Su Yu didn't care. Daphne's legs were very soft, her song was very nice, the wind on the lake was very cool, and the sun overhead was very warm. Kurama was stunned by the gossip Farley and Cassandra were talking about, and was almost tricked into spilling all of Su Yu's secrets.
Su Yu liked it this way.
Chapter 12 Sunday and Flying Class
Everyone spent a leisurely and relaxing day.
On Sunday, Su Yu lay bored on the sofa in the Slytherin Common Room. Kurama squatted on the table with a cup of coffee in front of her. Mimicking Farley and Cassandra, she held the cup with both front paws and took small sips. However, after every sip, she would go "ptui, ptui, ptui," sticking her tongue out, her whole face scrunched up.
"What is this rubbish?" Kurama pushed the cup away. "It's bitter and astringent. How can you humans drink this?"
Farley sighed helplessly, got up, and fetched a cup of hot milk. Kurama took a sip, her ears perked up, took another sip, and the tip of her tail curled up. Then, she drank the whole cup in one go.
"This one is okay," Kurama licked her mouth and pushed the empty cup toward Farley. "Another cup."
Daphne sat beside Su Yu reading a book; she loved the feeling of being near Su Yu. No need to talk, no need to do anything, just staying quietly, flipping a few pages, and occasionally looking up at him. Su Yu's breathing was light, his eyelashes trembling slightly, not knowing if he was truly asleep or just closing his eyes to rest.
After a while, Su Yu turned over, his brows furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Daphne put down her book.
"Uncomfortable," Su Yu said.
He sat up and looked around the common room. The Slytherin Common Room was originally under the lake, with low ceilings and damp stone walls. No matter how brightly the fire in the fireplace burned, it couldn't dispel the cold, gloomy atmosphere. There were a few skulls in the corners, unknown bone specimens in the niches, and the candlelight flickered in the darkness, casting shadows on the walls like a group of ghosts ready to come alive at any moment.
"Too oppressive," Su Yu said. "I've had enough of this environment."
Kurama jumped down from the table, squatted at his feet, and looked around too. "It's not great," she said. "Not much better than the seal."
Su Yu stood up, his voice not loud, but the whole common room could hear: "Farley, Cassandra. Get everyone in the dormitory to gather!"
Farley and Cassandra looked at each other. They didn't know why Su Yu liked calling them that, but they still got up to call people. Before long, everyone came to the common room hall. Some had been dragged out of their afternoon naps, their hair messy and robes untied.
Su Yu stood in front of the fireplace and scanned the room.
"Who knows the Undetectable Extension Charm?"
Several senior students stepped out. Su Yu told them his idea—to expand the common room, raise the ceiling, and clear out those eyesore bone racks. After hearing this, the senior students looked troubled.
"Chief," a sixth-year boy said, "We don't know the permanent Undetectable Extension Charm. And even if we did, it would need approval from the school and the Ministry of Magic."
"Forget it then," Su Yu said.
He walked to the center of the common room, crouched down, and pressed both hands on the floor.
Several lower-year students stepped back. Farley and Cassandra didn't move, just stood with their arms crossed, watching.
Su Yu closed his eyes, Chakra seeping from his palms into the stone floor, spreading downwards along the foundation. He sensed the structure underground—under the stone was soil, under the soil was rock, and under the rock was the lake water. The entire Slytherin Common Room was like a shell embedded in the mountain, low, damp, and stifling.
Then let's dig it deeper.
"Earth Style."
His voice was soft. But the ground was not.
The entire common room shook violently. The stone floor creaked as if something was turning over underground. Several students lost their footing and bumped into each other. Sparks flew from the fireplace, and the candlesticks on the walls clattered.
Then, the ground began to sink.
It wasn't a collapse—it was as if an invisible hand was pressing the entire floor down. The cracks in the stone were filled with new soil, and the bone specimens on the walls fell off during the tremor, shattering into pieces. The ceiling didn't move, but the floor sank a full two meters, and the space in the common room suddenly became spacious.
Su Yu stood up and dusted off his hands.
"Alright. Now you can just throw away those bones and trash. We are nobles, not the undead!"
He took a deep breath. The air was still damp, but not as stuffy as before. The firelight from the fireplace shone on the walls that were now two meters higher, and the shadows were no longer so oppressive. The lake water above still shone through the windows just as before, but the perspective had changed—looking out now, the fish at the bottom of the lake swam lower.
Everyone was astonished. The senior students had their mouths agape, unable to close them for a long time.
Su Yu didn't say anything more. He waved his hand, dismissing everyone to go about their business.
Daphne sat back down, opened her book, and the corners of her mouth curled up. Kurama jumped onto the sofa, lay on Su Yu's lap, and rested her chin on his knees.
Time flew by, arriving at Thursday of the second week.
Early in the morning, Su Yu heard everyone talking about today's Flying Class. Malfoy stood in the center of the common room, one hand in his pocket, the other gesturing, recounting his legendary experience of riding a toy broomstick from the east tower to the west tower of the manor when he was three.
"—The wind was very strong at the time," Malfoy said, "At least level six. I made a sharp turn, the tail of the broom brushed the tip of the tower, but I stabilized it. My father was watching from below and said—"
"Said you were blowing hot air?" Farley passed by without turning her head.
Malfoy choked, but quickly recovered his expression. "My father said I am a once-in-a-century flying genius of the House of Malfoy."
Cassandra walked past him, glanced at him, and left without saying anything.
However, for the past week, Malfoy hadn't gone to trouble Harry. He felt his former self was childish—chasing after Potter every day saying "My father will know about this," "I'm going to tell my father," like a weaned child. But the love for showing off was a trait all Slytherins had, and couldn't be changed.
It wasn't just Malfoy; the Slytherins now had a new look.
That air of arrogance made other houses dislike them even more. Because in their eyes, everyone looked like trash, and they would open their mouths to say, "I am someone you can't reach, get lost!" and close their mouths to say, "Are you worthy of entering my eyes?"
The other three houses weren't without temper, right? The Ravenclaw prefect had a row with Farley in the hallway, several senior Hufflepuff students blocked Cassandraonce, and the Gryffindor Weasley twins even tried to secretly change the Slytherin Common Room sign to "Toilet." But every night when Su Yu returned, he would teach them how to skillfully cast spells, fight, and even use Dark Arts... As they continuously improved themselves, they looked down on those people from other houses even more. All of them carried an attitude of "I feel disgusted even talking to you."
Su Yu's comment on this: As long as you don't cause me trouble, do whatever you want.
Just before class, Malfoy and Harry started arguing again.
But this time it wasn't Malfoy's fault. A group of people stood on the steps at the entrance of the Castle waiting to go to the playground. Harry said to Ron: "Thinking about the Flying Class later, sitting on a big broom in front of Malfoy makes me feel a bit like a fool."
Ron quickly replied: "I don't know if you'll look like a fool on it, but as far as I know, Malfoy has always been proud of his Quidditch, and I bet he's definitely bragging about himself again right now."
It happened to be heard by Malfoy, who was following behind him.
Malfoy's face flushed red, then turned white, then flushed red again. His lips moved, and his knuckles turned white.
"You—" Malfoy's voice was very low, but every word carried fire, "Dare to say that again?"
"Say it again, so what?" Ron lifted his chin, "Who's afraid of whom?"
Harry took a step forward and stood next to Ron.
Malfoy sneered and slammed his broom on the ground. "Duel. Tonight. Trophy Room."
"Fine," Harry said.
Ron added: "Don't be too scared to come."
Fortunately, Professor Hooch appeared in time. She walked quickly from the direction of the playground, the whistle hanging around her neck, her brows knitted into a knot.
"You lot, what are you doing?" Her gaze swept from Malfoyto Harry, and from Harry to Ron, "Flying Class is about to start, everyone get into line!"
The few dispersed and returned to their respective lines. When Malfoy left, he turned back to glare at Harry, and Harry glared back. Ron made a face behind him.
Hermione stood on the other side of the line, not in a good mood either.
At noon, Hermione told Su Yu it was because this kind of practical work was not as easy as reciting knowledge from books—besides, she had never flown before. So on Thursday morning, Hermione decided to pass on the flying techniques she had learned from a book called "QuidditchThrough the Ages" to her classmates. However, this decision of hers annoyed everyone, and she could feel it.
Su Yu comforted her for a long while, sat with her in the Great Hall for a while, and even asked the house-elves to make her a portion of macaroni and cheese. After Hermione finished eating, her mood improved significantly.
Professor Hooch stood on the playground, whistle in her mouth, hands on her hips, and shouted loudly: "Hey, why are you standing there blankly? Everyone get to the side of your broom! Quickly, hurry up!"
The first-year students swarmed toward their respective brooms. Su Yu walked slowly to a broom, looked down—the broom looked very old, the twigs were uneven, and the paint on the handle was worn off.
"Extend your right hand over the broom," Professor Hooch said, standing in front of the line, and then shouted: "Up!"
Professor Hooch demonstrated how to ride a broom for everyone again. She mounted the broom, kicked off, rose steadily into mid-air, circled around the playground, and landed, her movements clean and neat.
"Did everyone see clearly?" She said, "After mounting it, lean forward, hold the broom handle tightly with both hands, and clamp your legs—don't clamp too tightly, otherwise the broom will be uncomfortable. Do you think brooms have no feelings?"
She let everyone practice their sitting posture one by one, and walked around the line herself, correcting their wrong postures. When she walked to Malfoy, she paused.
"Your posture is not correct at all," Professor Hooch said, her voice not low, "Your back is too straight, and your body is too stiff. Do you think you're riding a dragon?"
Harry and Ron were overjoyed. Ron covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking. Although Harry didn't laugh out loud, the corners of his mouth were raised high.
Malfoy's face turned red again. He adjusted his posture, but it looked wrong no matter how he looked at it.
Then Professor Hooch let everyone try flying.
"Listen to my whistle," she said, "When it blows, you lightly kick the ground and rise to a height of two feet above the ground. When I say stop, you stop. Understand?"
Everyone nodded.
Su Yu placed Kurama at Daphne's feet and mounted the broom himself. Kurama squatted on the ground, looking up at him.
As soon as the words fell, the whistle blew.
Neville flew out.
He was shot out like a slingshot, zooming into the sky. His face was as white as paper, his eyes wide open, his hands clutching the broom handle tightly, his whole body pressed against the broom like a leaf blown away by the wind.
"Ah—ah—ah—" Neville's scream came down from the high sky, getting further and further away.
Su Yu's sand poured out from his sleeves, chasing after him rapidly along the ground. But Neville's broom was too fast, and the sand chased for a distance, always falling a little short.
Neville drew a huge parabola in the sky, knocked down several buildings, and then began to fall.
The screaming became louder.
The sand finally caught up with him. When Neville was less than two meters from the ground, the sand spread out a thick cushion beneath him. Neville fell into the sand pile, and the raised dust filled the entire playground.
When Professor Hooch ran over, her face was as white as Neville's. She bent down to check Neville's arms and legs, and Neville lay on the ground, tears and snot covering his face, crying woo-woo.
"Arm is broken," Professor Hooch stood up, turned to look at the rest of the students, "While I take this student to the infirmary, no one is allowed to try flying without permission. Whoever dares to move, get out! Understand?"
No one spoke.
"Little one, come, let's go." Professor Hooch carefully helped Neville stand up and led him toward the Castle.
The playground was quiet for a few seconds.
Then Malfoy moved.
He mounted his broom, kicked off, and zoomed into mid-air. He didn't fly high, but his posture was very steady—even steadier than when Professor Hooch demonstrated earlier. He circled in the air, stopped not far from Harry, and looked down at him.
"Potter," Malfoy said, "The score between us hasn't been settled yet."
Harry looked up at him, his hand already gripping the broom handle.
"You want to race?" Harry said.
"Do you dare?"
Harry didn't answer. He mounted the broom, kicked off, and flew up too.
The two hung face-to-face in mid-air, with more than ten meters between them. Malfoy's broom was motionless, Harry's broom trembled slightly, then stabilized, and then the two began an aerial chase.
Professor McGonagall appeared on the side of the playground at some point. Her face was pale, her lips pursed into a line, and the eyes behind her glasses were like two balls of fire.
"Potter! Malfoy!" Her voice was not loud, but it pierced through the entire playground, "Come down! Immediately! Right now!"
When the two landed, their legs were shaking.
Professor McGonagall didn't say a word. She just looked at Harry, then at Malfoy, and turned and left.
"Harry, come with me." She said.
Harry followed her. Malfoy stood in place, his face turning white and red, Crabbe and Goyle leaned over and were pushed away by him with a slap each.
During dinner, Hermione was still complaining to Su Yu.
"What did I do wrong?" Her eyes were red, and she hadn't taken a bite of the food in front of her, "Why is the whole class isolating me?"
Su Yu leaned back in his chair, listening.
Su Yu felt she wasn't wrong either. She was just a girl who cared about credits and shared her opinions. Although sometimes, it really did make people feel like she was just showing off, rambling on. But she never went to snitch, did she?
Daphne's object of embrace this time had become Hermione. She held Hermione in her arms, patted her back gently with one hand, and wiped her tears with the other. Hermione leaned on Daphne's shoulder, her shoulders heaving, crying very softly, but couldn't stop.
Kurama lay on the table, her ears drooping, her tail curled into a ball. She looked at Hermione, then at Su Yu, then at Hermione.
"So noisy," Kurama said.
No one paid attention to her.
Kurama buried her face in her paws and said gloomily again: "That bunch of idiots in Gryffindor, I really want to eat them all. If it weren't for them, Hermione wouldn't have run over crying and given me a headache."
Daphne looked down at Kurama, smiled gently, but didn't speak. She continued to pat Hermione's back, one tap, another, very slowly, very lightly.
Su Yu reached out and took a piece of cheesecake, placing it in front of Kurama.
Kurama lifted one eye from her paws, looked at the cake, and then at Su Yu.
"Don't think a piece of cake will make me not angry." She said.
Then she ate the cake.
Chapter 13: Two Months Later
In the morning, Su Yu was still having breakfast with the rest of the Slytherin group.
Malfoy sat at the other end of the long table, his fork held up to his mouth, but he didn't take a bite. His gaze kept following the two people from the Gryffindor side—Harryand Ron were walking into the Great Hall laughing and chatting. They looked a bit tired, but they were in quite a good mood. Harry was talking to Ron with his head down, and Ron was laughing so hard he was leaning back, completely unaware of Malfoy's gaze.
Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes. He thought that after the midnight brawl last night, Potter would at least be punished with detention by Professor McGonagall. Yet here they were, walking around the Hogwarts campus, free and unscathed, laughing so happily?
Malfoy threw his fork onto his plate, making a crisp clanging sound.
Su Yu sat at the other end of the long table, holding a sandwich, watching all of this. He took a bite of the sandwich and chewed twice; not bad, it was tuna mayo and beef. Actually, Malfoy had done quite well; he had utilized the rules, Harry had almost gotten into big trouble, and Malfoy had not only cleared his own name but also shifted the blame onto Potter. It was just that his methods were a bit underhanded.
But when did Slytherin ever use fair methods? They weren't a group of heroes, after all.
Su Yu swallowed the sandwich, took a sip of pineapple juice, and stopped paying attention to these children's squabbles. Kurama was lying next to him with a piece of cheesecake in front of her, using her little paws to break off tiny pieces to eat, acting slow and elegant—a far cry from the whirlwind eating style she had two months ago.
"Look at Malfoy's expression," Kurama said without looking up, "like he swallowed a fly."
"He brought it on himself," Su Yu said.
"Aren't you going to do something about it?"
"Do what? He didn't lose."
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Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
During these two months, the Slytherin students seemed like different people. They used to huddle in the common room gossiping, comparing family wealth, and mocking the poverty of Gryffindor, but now they huddled in the common room—practicing magic.
After Su Yu lowered the floor of the common room by two meters, the space was much more spacious, enough for dozens of people to practice at the same time. Every night, the Slytherin students would either be in the common room or the Forbidden Forest, practicing in groups of two or three. Farley led the senior students in practicing non-verbal spells, Cassandra led the middle-grade students in practicing Dark Arts, while Su Yu sat on the sofa, having his shoulders massaged by Daphne while he pointed out their shortcomings.
"Why are you so energetic at night these days?" Daphnestood behind the sofa, her fingers pressing and kneading Su Yu's shoulder blades with moderate pressure, "Did you fall asleep at your desk again?"
"No," Su Yu said.
"Every time you say 'no', it means 'yes'."
Su Yu went silent. Daphne's fingers pressed on his shoulders a few more times, she sighed, and continued kneading.
Su Yu had also created some new spell combos for everyone.
"Avada Kedavra Lightning Chain" was the meanest one. First, use spells like "Flipendo" that could mark the enemy with a curse, and then cast Avada Kedavra—the Avada Kedavra would jump between the marked targets like lightning. With one bolt of green light, a whole line of people would fall.
During the first demonstration, Su Yu stood in the Forbidden Forest, facing a group of Acromantulas. He first cast a few "Flipendo" spells, covering all the Acromantulas. Then he raised his wand and whispered a incantation.
A bolt of green light shot from the tip of his wand, hitting the first spider. It didn't stop—the green light bounced from the first spider to the second, and from the second to the third, jumping between the spiders like lightning. In less than a second, all seven spiders fell.
The Forbidden Forest was quiet for a full ten seconds.
"Chief," a sixth-year boy said, his voice trembling, "is this... an Unforgivable Curse?"
"So what? It's better for the enemy to die than for us to die," Su Yu said.
No one asked again. Farley leaned against a tree trunk with her arms crossed, watching Su Yu's back with a half-smile on her lips. Cassandra stood next to her, her gray-green eyes shining, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just licked her lips and said nothing.
Su Yu also used Wood Style Chakra to grow a lot of Cabbage-Eaters in the common room; this stuff grew fast. Cabbage-Eaters didn't have legs, but they could bite. If you threw one out, it would automatically roll toward the nearest living thing, open its jagged leaves, and bite down hard. The biting force was astonishing, capable of biting through armor.
Slytherin students could carry a few on them to use as grenades.
The effect was surprisingly good, but the duration was a bit short. They would wither and die about ten minutes after being thrown. But those ten minutes were enough.
Su Yu often took them to the Forbidden Forest to "grind mobs".
In Su Yu's eyes, the creatures in the Forbidden Forest were just mobs. Acromantulas, Red Caps, Grindylows—he led the Slytherin students to sweep through them over and over again, which was both good for practice and allowed these little snakes, who were cooped up in the common room all day, to release their excess energy.
The first time they went to the Forbidden Forest, several lower-grade students had trembling legs. When an Acromantula rushed out of the bushes, a girl screamed and ran backward, only to be dragged back by Farley.
"Why are you running?" Farley's voice was cold, but her movements were swift—an Impediment Jinx fixed the spider in place, and another Slytherin student followed up with a Reductor Curse. The spider fell to the ground, its legs curled up, and it stopped moving.
"See that?" Farley patted the girl's shoulder, "Nothing to be afraid of."
The girl nodded, her face still pale, but her hands had stopped shaking.
Later, as they went more often, everyone got used to it. The Slytherin students marched in formation in the Forbidden Forest, grouping up to encircle and annihilate any Acromantulas they encountered, their coordination becoming increasingly tacit. Su Yu walked at the back of the team, occasionally taking action—with a roll of his sand, he could wipe out an entire nest of spiders.
This series of operations by Su Yu once made the Slytherinstudents feel that Su Yu was more of a Lord Voldemortthan Lord Voldemort himself.
Was the killing intent of Easterners always this strong?
The most shocking time was on the night of the full moon. Su Yu was leading a squad on patrol at the edge of the Forbidden Forest when they encountered a few Werewolves. Before those Werewolves could even let out a howl, Su Yu's sand had already rolled over. The Werewolves reacted quickly and turned to run. Su Yuchased them for half a mile, the sand slithering across the ground like a yellow snake, nearly wrapping around the legs of the last Werewolf several times.
In the end, they still let them run away.
"What a pity," Su Yu stood in the moonlight, watching the direction the Werewolves disappeared in, his tone as flat as if he were saying the weather was nice today, "I was hoping to slice them up for research."
The few Slytherin students behind him looked at each other. Slice for research? Werewolves?
Since then, Daphne had been trying to persuade Su Yu to act like a human every day.
"What did those Acromantulas ever do to you?" Daphnesat next to Su Yu, tidying his collar while nagging, "They are slaughtered in large numbers by you every day. Professor Hagrid has already complained to Dumbledore, saying that you Slytherins never respect life."
Su Yu leaned on the sofa, letting Daphne fuss with his collar, and said nonchalantly: "We are doing this to maintain the balance of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid's Acromantulas have already seriously threatened every ecosystem in the Forbidden Forest. We Slytherins are trying to restore peace to the entire Forbidden Forest."
Daphne's hand paused, and she looked up at him.
"The Centaur tribe can prove it for us," Su Yu continued, his tone righteous, "we Slytherins are correct."
The corner of Daphne's mouth twitched.
"But," she said, "the night before last, your Slytherinstudents 'dueled' with the Centaur leader and broke his leg. They can't come to the scene to testify anymore."
Su Yu was silent for a moment.
"That was an accident," he said.
"You sent five people to beat up an old man."
"Centaurs aren't old men. Centaurs can live to be two hundred years old; their leader is only sixty, in his prime."
"That's still not a reason for you to break someone's leg."
Su Yu didn't speak. Kurama was lying nearby, ears perked up, listening for a while, and couldn't help but interject: "That Centaur moved his hooves first."
Daphne glanced at Kurama.
Kurama buried her face in her paws, pretending she hadn't said anything.
Actually, they had just gone over to threaten them, wanting to get the Centaur tribe to come out and testify. As a result, the two sides didn't see eye to eye and started fighting. There were five people from Slytherin and only the Centaur leader on the other side. They were heavy-handed and beat him until he couldn't get out of bed. The Centaurtribe had even sent two tribesmen to guard the Hospital Wing to this day, fearing that the Slytherin people would go and cause trouble again.
Daphne sighed and continued to help Su Yu tidy his hair.
"Can you not fight next time?"
"Depends," Su Yu said.
Now the creatures in the Forbidden Forest were all avoiding this group of Slytherins. A bunch of annoying guys; they would start a duel as soon as they saw you, and run away after fighting—who wouldn't be annoyed by that? The Acromantulas would shrink back when they saw green robes, the Red Caps would burrow into the ground when they heard the footsteps of the Slytherins, and even the Unicorns would walk around the Slytherin students—and you have to know that it was usually hard to even catch a glimpse of a Unicorn.
Dumbledore was helpless too. He comforted Hagrid, saying that there were indeed too many Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest, and although the Slytherin students' methods were a bit rough, they did objectively play a role in ecological regulation. However, he also issued an order—forbidding the Slytherin students from harassing other animals again.
"Especially the Centaurs," Dumbledore added, his gaze sweeping from Professor McGonagall's face to Professor Snape's face, "I don't want to receive any more reports about 'inter-species diplomatic disputes'."
Snape said expressionlessly: "The Slytherin students are just exercising their practical skills."
Professor McGonagall sneered: "Breaking the leader's leg, you call that a practical skill?"
"That's called combat experience," Snape said.
Professor McGonagall almost dropped her teacup.
Su Yu's comment on this order was: "Annoying."
However, with the battles reduced, the Slytherin students started to get bored again. Su Yu sat on the sofa, flipping through a directory of world magic schools, and his gaze stopped on the page for South America.
"I heard there is a Castelobruxo school in Brazil," Su Yusaid, spreading the book in front of Daphne, "There are more magical creatures there. I can take the Slytherinstudents there to hunt. It's just that I don't know where the location is."
Daphne looked down at the map in the book speechlessly, then looked up at Su Yu. "How are you going to go?"
"I'll ask home when I have time, I guess my father and mother should know."
"Do you think they will tell you?"
Su Yu thought about the hands-off attitude of his parents. His mother said in her last letter that they were watching penguins in Antarctica and even attached a photo—his mother was wearing a down jacket standing on the ice, and his father was shivering with cold next to her. A note was tucked into the envelope, which read "Your dad didn't say he missed you, but I think he's being a tsundere."
Su Yu felt this was unlikely.
"Let's try it," he said.
In these two months, Su Yu's relationship with Farley and Cassandra had also been constantly heating up.
Cuddling and hugging had become the norm.
Every time Farley saw Su Yu, she wanted to hang on him. She was half a head taller than Su Yu, and every time she hugged him, she had to bend down slightly, resting her chin on the top of his head. Her hair had a faint floral scent, and every time Su Yu was hugged by her, he felt like he was wrapped in a big flower.
"Farley, you need to lose weight," Su Yu said once.
Then he was held down on the sofa by Farley and tickled for three minutes. Kurama crouched to the side watching, her tail swaying behind her, laughing so hard she showed two sharp fangs. Daphne sat on the other side, pretending not to see, and turned a page of her book.
Cassandra wasn't that clingy, but she liked to wrap her arms around Su Yu's neck from behind and press her face against his ear to talk. Her breath was very light, and her lips almost touched his earlobe when she spoke. Every time like this, Su Yu could feel her heartbeat—it was much faster than he imagined.
"Your heartbeat is so fast," Su Yu said once.
Cassandra's hands tightened, then let go. She took a step back, her face returning to that half-smiling expression.
"Your imagination," she said, and then turned and walked away.
Su Yu saw the tips of her ears turn red.
If you omit the fact that Farley would break into Su Yu's bedroom in the middle of the night from time to time, the two older sisters were actually quite sweet.
Daphne was the same as usual.
Like a gentle neighborly big sister, she spoiled everything Su Yu did. Su Yu didn't want to do homework, she let Su Yucopy hers. Su Yu didn't want to go to class, she helped him sign in. Su Yu lay on the sofa and didn't want to move, she would sit beside him, letting him use her legs as a pillow, sitting for a whole afternoon. Her legs were very soft, and Su Yu felt it was more comfortable than any pillow when he lay on them.
But now she had learned to nag.
"Su Yu, you didn't eat vegetables today."
"Su Yu, your robe is dirty, change it."
"Su Yu, don't put your feet on the coffee table."
"Su Yu, you forgot to wash your hands again."
One by one, unhurriedly, the tone was as calm as if she were reciting a textbook.
Kurama lay on the sofa, ears perked up, listening to Daphne count them one by one.
"A second Butler Carson," Kurama said, "exactly the same. Even the tone of voice is the same."
Su Yu buried his face in Daphne's lap and said muffledly: "Can you say less?"
Daphne looked down at him.
"No," she said.
She reached out, brushed the hair on Su Yu's forehead aside, pressed her finger lightly between his eyebrows, and then continued reading.
Kurama jumped off the sofa, walked to Daphne's feet, and looked up at her.
"Is he asleep?" Kurama asked in a low voice.
Daphne looked down at Su Yu. His breathing was very even, his shoulders were completely relaxed, his fingers were drooping off the edge of the sofa, motionless.
"Asleep," Daphne said.
Kurama jumped onto the sofa, lay down at Su Yu's feet, and spread her nine tails over his legs. She yawned and then closed her eyes.
Daphne didn't speak. She turned a page of her book, her fingers gently stroking Su Yu's hair.
The fire in the fireplace jumped on the logs, making a crackling sound. The water of the Black Lake outside the window flowed slowly, casting green light spots on the stone wall. The common room was very quiet, with only the sound of turning pages and the occasional mumbled, indistinct murmurs from Kurama.
Su Yu turned over on Daphne's lap and mumbled something indistinctly. Daphne looked down and listened, but couldn't hear clearly, but she said "Mm", as if answering him. Su Yu went quiet.
Daphne looked down at him, then continued reading.
Chapter 14: The Halloween Fire Troll"Halloween had finally arrived.""Early in the morning, everyone could smell the scent of special pumpkins wafting from the corridor.""Sweet and warm, mixed with the aroma of cinnamon and cloves, it drifted from the dungeons all the way to the top of the Castle.""As Su Yu walked through the corridor holding Kurama, he saw Filch hanging jack-o'-lanterns on the armor, each one grinning with a wide, eerie smile.""Su Yu hadn't seen Hermione all day. Whether at lunch or the evening feast, she hadn't appeared at the Gryffindortable. Su Yu couldn't help but marvel at the power of the timeline; it wasn't something he could contend with.""What was meant to come would come, and what was meant to happen would happen.""Arriving at the Halloween feast, Su Yu sat at the Slytherintable, watching the festive decorations in the Great Hall.""The scene in the Great Hall was quite spectacular. Thick swarms of about a thousand live bats circled the walls and ceiling, the sound of their flapping wings like a constant gust of wind.""Other bats swooped up and down, their wing beats making the candlelight flicker, casting shifting light and shadows on everyone's faces.""Still others swarmed onto the tables; from a distance, they looked like a large, moving storm cloud.""A few Hufflepuff girls huddled, laughing as they dodged the bats.""Just like during the feast at the beginning of the school year, in the blink of an eye, the golden plates were filled with sumptuous dishes.""Roast turkey, pumpkin pie, toffee apples, peppermint candies—the Halloween dishes were more than twice as abundant as usual. The aroma filled the Great Hall, mixing with the sound of flapping bat wings, creating a strange, festive atmosphere.""Su Yu was leaning on Daphne's shoulder, lazily opening his mouth to catch the food Farley was feeding him.""Farley sat to his right, skewering a piece of roast pumpkin with a fork and bringing it to his lips.""Her fingers were long and fair, her nails painted a faint cardamom color, and the way she held the fork was like holding a paintbrush.""Then Su Yu said he didn't eat pumpkin..."""Open up," Farley said.""Su Yu had no choice but to open his mouth; they wouldn't care if he was a picky eater.""The pumpkin was roasted until soft and mushy, melting in his mouth with the sweet fragrance of honey and butter."""Is it good?" Farley asked, her tone as if she were asking a very serious question."""It's okay."""Farley's lips curled up, and she skewered another piece.""She felt that feeding Su Yu was exciting in itself—this boy who could scare everyone in Slytherin until they wet their pants was, at this moment, like a lazy cat, mouth open, waiting to be fed. This contrast was addictive to her.""Su Yu didn't mind. He leaned on Daphne's shoulder; her shoulder was very soft and just the right height, more comfortable than any pillow.""Kurama lay on the table with a small piece of pumpkin pie in front of it, breaking it off piece by piece with its little paws to eat.""But before he could be fed a few more bites, Professor Quirrell stumbled into the Great Hall.""His turban was crooked, the purple fabric hanging loosely to one side, revealing the bald top of his head underneath.""His face was full of terror, his lips pale, and his eyes were bulging as if they were about to pop out.""Everyone watched as he ran to Headmaster Dumbledore, grabbed the table, and gasped for air."""That—that mountain troll—" Professor Quirrell's voice was intermittent, as if he were being strangled, "—got into the dungeons—I came specifically to tell you—"""Having said that, he could no longer hold on, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.""The Great Hall immediately descended into chaos.""Students from other houses screamed in terror and scattered.""The Gryffindor table was the first to descend into disorder; several lower-year girls hugged each other and screamed, knocking over several chairs.""Over at Hufflepuff, someone stepped onto the table, spilling pumpkin juice everywhere.""A few Ravenclaw students were calmer, but their faces were pale, and they swarmed toward the door one after another.""Only the Slytherin students continued to eat their meal unhurriedly.""Farley's fork paused in mid-air, and she glanced at Su Yu. Su Yu didn't move, so she continued to feed him the food on the fork.""Cassandra picked up her goblet and took a sip, her gaze sweeping over Professor Quirrell before withdrawing.""Malfoy sat at the other end of the long table, took a look at the panicked Gryffindors, sneered, and continued cutting his steak.""Is a mountain troll very strong? Can it withstand a few Avada Kedavra?""Headmaster Dumbledore had to raise his wand and fire a few purple crackers into the air. The crackling sparks overhead finally made everyone quiet down."""Prefects, listen," he announced loudly, his voice echoing in the enchanted Great Hall, "lead your house members back to their dormitories immediately!"""His gaze swept across the four house tables, pausing for a moment on the Slytherin side."""Ten points to Slytherin for your composure just now!"""The prefects of the other houses had already begun organizing their students to evacuate.""Gryffindor prefect Percy shouted at the top of his lungs, "Line up! Don't push!", but no one was listening to him.""The Slytherin students were still waiting for Su Yu's instructions.""No one stood up, no one left. They sat in their seats; some put down their cutlery, others picked up their goblets, but everyone's eyes were focused on Su Yu.""Dozens of pairs of eyes waited quietly and patiently for him to speak.""Su Yu slowly stood up.""Farley's hand paused, the fork hanging in mid-air. Daphne's shoulder tensed slightly, but she didn't speak."""Farley, Cassandra," Su Yu said, his voice not loud, but everyone in Slytherin could hear him, "lead everyone back first. I have something to take care of.""""As you command."""She put down the fork and stood up from her chair, the laziness and coquettishness on her face vanishing in an instant.""Replacing it was a cold, sharp edge devoid of any unnecessary expression.""She turned to face the Slytherins, her voice clear and powerful, every word sounding as if it were being carved into ice:"""First and second years, follow me! Form a single column! Third, fourth, and fifth years, keep alert! Sixth and seventh years, follow behind in case anything happens!"""Cassandra had already stood up, standing next to Farley, her gray-green eyes sweeping through the crowd to confirm everyone's position.""Her expression was calm, but that calmness was not relaxation; it was the silence before a storm.""The Slytherin students stood up silently, their movements as uniform as an army.""The first and second years formed a line in the middle. The third, fourth, and fifth years surrounded them, hands already gripping their wands. The sixth and seventh years walked at the very back, with no more than two steps of distance between each person.""Farley walked at the very front of the procession, her large black waves whipping an arc behind her.""She looked back at Su Yu, her gaze lingering on his face for a second.""Su Yu nodded at her.""Farley turned back and led the procession out of the Great Hall.""Su Yu had already walked out of the Great Hall and was walking quickly toward the girls' lavatory.""The corridor was empty; students from other houses had already retreated to their respective common rooms.""Jack-o'-lanterns hung on the walls, grinning, their candlelight flickering in the deserted corridor.""Su Yu's footsteps echoed on the stone floor, and Kuramafollowed at his heels, its four legs moving fast."""You know where she is?" Kurama asked."""The girls' lavatory," Su Yu said."""How do you know?""""I just know."""Professor McGonagall flashed out from around the corner, blocking his path.""She was wearing a dark green robe, her black hair pulled back tightly, and the expression on her face was ten times more serious than usual.""Her eyes behind her spectacles stared at Su Yu, her lips pressed into a thin line."""Mr. Sean Foley," her voice was not loud, but every word was like a nail driven into a board, "where are you going? The Slytherin common room is in the other direction."""Su Yu stopped and looked at her."""Hermione is missing," Su Yu said, "I'm going to find her."""Professor McGonagall's brow furrowed. Of course she knew who Hermione was—that little girl from Gryffindorwho raised her hand the highest in every class, answering questions as if she were in a quiz bowl."""Hermione's safety is the responsibility of us teachers," Professor McGonagall said, "you should return to your own—""""You also know my power," Su Yu interrupted her, his tone calm but leaving no room for negotiation, "a mountain trollis nothing; I don't take it to heart."""Professor McGonagall's lips pressed even tighter. She did not refute him. The whole of Hogwarts knew of Su Yu's power—the Nine-Tailed Fox in the Forbidden Forest that night, which the entire Castle could see."""It's you that I'm afraid of," Professor McGonagall said, her voice lowering, "I'm afraid that if you're not careful, you'll tear Hogwarts apart."""Su Yu was taken aback.""At this moment, Dumbledore walked over from the other end of the corridor. He was not walking fast, his silver beard gleaming slightly in the candlelight, his deep purple robes trailing on the floor, every step steady.""He walked to Professor McGonagall's side, glanced at Su Yu, and then at Professor McGonagall."""Let him go, Minerva," Dumbledore said, his voice gentle and calm, "after all, Hermione is his friend, isn't she?"""Professor McGonagall was silent for a moment. Her gaze lingered on Su Yu's face for a few seconds, as if judging something. Then she took a deep breath and stepped aside to make way."""Take it easy," Professor McGonagall said, her tone carrying a helpless warning, "don't cause that kind of commotion again."""Su Yu had already started walking. He waved his hand with his back to Professor McGonagall, his voice drifting back lazily: "Got it."""Kurama followed at his heels, its little paws clicking on the floor."""She's afraid you'll tear the school apart," Kurama said."""I didn't do it on purpose.""""You did it on purpose."""Su Yu ignored her.""Because Professor McGonagall had wasted quite a bit of time stopping him, Su Yu quickened his pace. The corridor grew darker, the torches on the walls became fewer, and the air began to fill with a damp, rotting stench. The smell of a Troll.""When he reached the door of the girls' lavatory, Harry and Ron arrived as well. The three of them bumped into each other right at the door. Harry's face was pale, Ron's lips were trembling, and both of them had their wands in their hands, but their hands were shaking.""Su Yu didn't look at them. His gaze fell inside the lavatory—on that thing.""Something was wrong.""Wasn't the mountain troll in the movie very weak? Gray, dusty skin, clumsy, knocking itself out with its own club. Why was this one he saw—""The Troll was covered in flames.""It wasn't ordinary fire. It was that kind of dark red flame, like magma surging up from the depths of the earth. The flames clung to its skin like a living armor, flickering uncertainly with its breathing. Its skin wasn't the gray kind from the movie, but a scorched dark brown, with dark red light shining through the cracks, like a piece of burnt-through charcoal. Its eyes were two balls of fire, with no pupils, no whites, just two burning, scorching flames. It held a huge wooden club in its hand, which was also wrapped in the same flames, dragging trails of scorching light through the air.""What on earth is this?"""Su Yu!" Hermione's voice came from inside the lavatory, sharp and terrified, "I'm inside!"""Su Yu didn't think about the Troll issue anymore."""Kurama!""AI Model: gemini-3.5-flashKurama instantly turned into a streak of golden light and merged into Su Yu's body. Yellow Chakra surged from Su Yu's body like a layer of burning armor, wrapping around his entire body. The Tailed Beast Cloak appeared on him, and the golden light burst out in the dim corridor, illuminating the entire hallway.Su Yu turned his head toward Harry and Ron, his voice leaving no room for doubt: "Go save Hermione! Now!"Harry and Ron froze for a moment, then nodded at the same time. Sticking close to the wall, the two of them slipped past the Troll and ran toward where Hermione was hiding.Su Yu turned back to face the Troll, which was covered in flames.His eyes changed. Three black tomoe connected into a circle—the Mangekyo Sharingan.Red Chakra surged from his body, condensing into a spear in his right hand. The shaft of the spear was deep red, almost black, and the tip was bright crimson, like iron fresh from the forge. The spear was a full two meters long, held steadily in Su Yu's hand, its tip pointed directly at the Troll.At the same time, a large amount of sand suddenly surged from the ground. It seeped out from the gaps in the stone slabs, the sewer drains, and the cracks in the walls, like golden snakes silently blanketing the entire bathroom floor. Then, it erupted—surging like a rising tide, instantly wrapping around the Troll's entire body."Sand Waterfall Funeral!"Su Yu clenched his fist.The sand suddenly tightened. The immense pressure was enough to crush a car into a pancake. Then it suddenly exploded; the bathroom walls cracked under the impact, and tiles shattered all over the floor with a loud clatter. The water faucets were blown apart by the shockwave, and jets of water sprayed from the broken pipes.But the Troll wasn't dead.After the sand dispersed, the Troll was still standing. The flames on its skin had only dimmed for a brief moment during the sandstorm before flaring up again, burning even brighter than before.It was too tanky. The Troll's defense far exceeded Su Yu's expectations. The flames on its body not only boosted its attack power but also protected it like a layer of armor.Su Yu did not hesitate any longer. He kicked off the ground and shot forward like an arrow, his spear thrusting straight at the Troll's chest.The Troll's reaction was not slow. It swung its massive, flame-wrapped club, sweeping it across. The wind pressure kicked up by the club sent shattered tiles flying in all directions, and the flames traced a dark red arc through the air.Su Yu sidestepped to dodge. The club swept past his ear, the scorching wave of heat baking his face. Seizing the momentum, he thrust his spear toward the Troll's flank.The Troll dodged to the side and swung its club back down.Su Yu raised his spear horizontally to block. The shaft of the spear clashed with the club, letting out a dull, thunderous boom, as if two mountains had collided. Su Yuwas forced back two steps, the web of his hand numbing. The Troll's strength was astonishing—his current physical fitness was more than ten times stronger than that of an average Wizard, yet his arms still felt sore from the shock.Flames leaped from the club, spreading down the shaft of the spear. Su Yu withdrew his spear and retreated, shaking his wrist.The trio was completely terrified by now.Hermione was hiding behind the sinks. Harry and Ron had just reached her side, and the three of them huddled together, watching Su Yu's fight with the Troll, frozen in place. Every time the Troll's club swung down, another crater was smashed into the floor. Several of the bathroom stalls had been pulverized, with shattered wood and tiles flying everywhere. The faucets were still spraying water, but the moment the water touched the Troll's flames, it turned into steam, filling the entire bathroom with a scalding mist.The Troll suddenly turned and swung its club toward Hermione.Hermione screamed, instinctively closing her eyes.Su Yu rushed over.His speed was almost too fast to track—the golden light of the Tailed Beast Cloak dragged a residual image through the air. He scooped Hermione up, shielding her in his arms, while a semi-transparent red ribcage rose behind him—the first form of Susanoo.The skeletal frame was covered in red Chakra muscle, forming what looked like a Giant hand that blocked the path in front of Su Yu and Hermione.The Troll's club slammed into Susanoo.Boom—The entire bathroom shook. Several chunks of debris fell from the ceiling, and the sinks cracked completely in half. A tiny crack appeared on Susanoo's surface, but it did not shatter.Su Yu took the opportunity to share a portion of the Tailed Beast Cloak with Hermione. Golden Chakra spread from Su Yu to Hermione, forming a thin protective film over her skin."Be good," Su Yu said, looking down at Hermione. His voice was soft but firm. "Hurry and get to safety. This power will protect you. Don't be afraid, go quickly, listen to me."Hermione's eyes welled with tears and her lips trembled, but she nodded. She let go of Su Yu's collar, took two steps back, and was pulled out of the bathroom by Harry and Ron.Su Yu turned his head.The red in his eyes deepened. The pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan spun slowly in his pupils like two miniature vortexes.The first form of Susanoo fully manifested. A Giant red arm extended from behind Su Yu, firmly grabbing the Troll's wrist that held the club. The Troll struggled, but could not break free. Susanoo's arm squeezed tighter and tighter, and the flames on the Troll's wrist began to dim before the red Chakra.Su Yu once again condensed the deep red spear in his right hand. At the tip of the spear, black flames began to burn—Amaterasu.Su Yu gripped the spear tightly and thrust it toward the Troll's eye.The tip of the spear pierced the Troll's eye socket. The black flames of Amaterasu instantly spread, clashing with the dark red flames on the Troll's body. The two types of fire clashed, tore, and devoured each other on the Troll's skin.The Troll let out a deafening shriek of pain. Its body trembled violently, and the club slipped from its hand, crashing to the ground and smashing a large crater into the floor. It reached up with its free hand to grab the spear in its face, but Susanoo's other hand had already pinned its wrist.The flames of Amaterasu and the Troll's flames began a silent war. The dark red flames tried to consume the black flames, but the flames of Amaterasu were like the thickest ink—once they touched, they could not be shaken off. It spread across the Troll's skin, consuming the dark red flame armor bit by bit.The Troll's screams grew weaker and weaker.After a moment, the flames on the Troll's body began to slowly recede. First from its arms, then its thighs, and finally its chest. The dark red flames vanished into the air thread by thread, as if being drained by something. The Troll's skin turned from dark brown back to gray, and the red light in its cracks died out, returning to ordinary, rough skin.The flames of Amaterasu were still burning. Su Yuwithdrew his spear and waved his left hand, instantly extinguishing the black flames—he did not want to burn down the entire bathroom.The Troll knelt on the ground, blinded in both eyes, the wound on its face from the spear still smoking. It could no longer stand; its massive body slumped against the smashed sinks, letting out indistinct grunts from its throat.Su Yu conjured a slender Tang sword in his hand. The blade was long and thin, glinting with a cold red light in the dim bathroom. He walked up to the Troll, gripping the sword with both hands, the edge facing upward.With a single horizontal slash.The blade's flash traced an arc in the air, slicing in from the Troll's left waist and exiting through its right. The Troll's body froze for a moment, and then its upper torso slowly slid off its lower half, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.The bathroom fell silent.The faucets were still spraying water, but the sound seemed distant. Steam still lingered, but it was no longer as hot. Su Yu stood before the Troll's corpse as the Tang sword in his hand turned into red Chakra fragments, dispersing into the air. The Tailed Beast Cloak faded, and Kurama hopped out of his body, landing at his feet and shaking her fur.He turned around and saw Hermione standing at the bathroom door.She rushed forward and hugged Su Yu tightly. Her body was trembling, her fingers gripping the back of his robes tightly as she buried her face in his chest. Her tears wet his collar, burning hot, falling one after another."I was so scared," Hermione's voice was muffled against his chest, halting and trembling. "I was so scared..."Su Yu gently hugged her back, placing one hand on the back of her head, his fingers running through her bushy curls."It's alright now." His voice was incredibly gentle, a complete contrast to the cold sharpness he had shown during the fight.Hermione cried in his arms for quite a while before slowly lifting her head. Her eyes were red, her nose was pink, and tears still clung to her eyelashes."How did you know I was here," Hermione whispered, "and come to save me again?"Su Yu smiled gently."Because I really didn't want to lose you, so I came."Hermione's face flushed red instantly. With her eyes still red, she lowered her head and buried her face back into Su Yu's chest, saying nothing.A flurry of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. The four of them looked toward the entrance.They hadn't realized how much noise they had just made. Half of the bathroom's ceiling had collapsed, the walls were covered in cracks, several craters were smashed into the floor, the sinks were reduced to rubble, the faucets were still spraying water, and the entire room was filled with steam and a burnt smell.Professor McGonagall was the first to burst into the room. Her face was pale, her eyes wide behind her spectacles. Her gaze swept from the collapsed ceiling to the cracked sinks, from the shattered stalls to the craters on the floor, and finally landed on the Troll's corpse.Professor Snape followed closely behind, his black robes billowing in the steam. His eyes swept quickly across the room, lingering on Harry for a brief moment before landing on the Troll, saying nothing.Last was Professor Quirrell. He scrambled through the door, and at the sight of the fallen mountain troll—which had been sliced in half, its upper and lower body lying apart, the floor covered in dark red blood—he let out a soft whimper and quickly slumped onto a toilet, clutching his chest, his face even paler than his turban.Professor Snape bent over to examine the mountain troll. He used his wand to part the wound on the Troll's face, inspecting the cross-section of the cut, then looked at the bruises on the Troll's wrist squeezed by Susanoo. His expression remained unchanged, but Su Yu noticed his eyebrow twitch slightly.Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, glared furiously at Harry and Ron. Harry had never seen her in such a rage. Her lips were white with anger, her chin was trembling, and her eyes behind her spectacles looked like two balls of fire."What on earth were you thinking?" Professor McGonagall's voice was terrifying, every word hissed through gritted teeth.Harry looked at Ron. Ron's face was as white as paper, his lips trembling, and the wand in his hand almost slipped to the floor."You're lucky you weren't killed!" Professor McGonagall's voice rose higher and higher. "Why aren't you in your dormitory?"Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked down. He wished Ron would have the sense to put his wand down—Ron was still holding it up, his knuckles white, as if ready to duel someone at any moment.Then, a small voice came from Su Yu's arms."Professor McGonagall, please—they were only trying to help me."Hermione turned around in Su Yu's arms to face Professor McGonagall. Her eyes were still red, and tear tracks still stained her face, but her voice was steady.Professor McGonagall's gaze shifted to Hermione. Her expression softened slightly, but remained stern."Miss Granger!"Hermione finally found the strength to stand up straight and stepped out of Su Yu's embrace. She took two steps forward, standing before Professor McGonagall."I came looking for the mountain troll," Hermione said, "because—because I thought I could deal with it on my own... I thought I had learned how to defeat it..."AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-liteHarry and Ron were so shocked that their wands nearly slipped from their hands.Hermione—Hermione had actually told the teacher a massive lie? That Hermione who never broke the rules, raised her hand highest in every class, and would feel guilty all day even for being late?"If they hadn't come to find me, I would definitely have been killed by the Troll," Hermione continued, her voice trembling slightly. She didn't look at Professor McGonagall, but kept her eyes fixed on the floor. "They really didn't have time to go and get anyone else. By the time they arrived, I was already terrified."Harry and Ron tried their best to pretend they weren't hearing this story for the first time. Ron kept his mouth tightly shut, and Harry stared at the floor.Professor McGonagall looked at her.Then Professor McGonagall glanced at the smashed bathroom, then at the Troll cut into two halves, and then at Su Yu—Su Yu was leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets.Professor McGonagall was so angry she laughed.She was not a fool. Looking at the signs of the fight, the signs of destruction, what little girl could fight this thing? The cracks in the ceiling were clearly caused by some massive external force, the holes in the floor were made by the Troll's club, but the bruise on the Troll's wrist—that was pinched. Since Su Yu had fought it to this extent, what about the strength of the opponent? Professor McGonagallglanced at Su Yu, who was currently exchanging glances with Kurama."Miss Hermione," Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, her voice returning to that business-like coldness, "you are so foolish! How could you think you could fight this Troll that is like a small mountain?"Hermione lowered her head. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her fingers twisted the hem of her robe.Harry couldn't say a word. Hermione was the student least likely to break the rules, yet here she was, pretending it was her own fault to help them get out of trouble. It was as unbelievable as Snape giving them candy to eat."Alright, Professor McGonagall," Su Yu spoke up from the side, helping to smooth things over for Hermione, "at least this matter has ended perfectly, hasn't it?"Professor McGonagall glanced at him."Miss Hermione," Professor McGonagall turned back, her voice stern again, "Gryffindor will lose five points for this. I am very disappointed in your actions."Hermione nodded, her lips pursed, and said nothing.Professor McGonagall then turned to Harry and Ron: "I think you two are very lucky. Very few first-years could deal with a mountain-like Troll. Gryffindor gains five points. I will inform Headmaster Dumbledore.""If you are not injured, you may leave now," Professor McGonagall said. "The students are holding a Halloweenfeast in the common room."The three of them turned and walked toward the door. As they passed Su Yu, Hermione paused and looked up at him. Her eyes were still red, but she had stopped crying.Su Yu waved his hand at her. "Hurry back and eat."Hermione nodded and walked out. Harry and Ronfollowed behind. When they reached the door, Ron looked back at the Troll's corpse, then at Su Yu, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and followed Harry away.The sound of the three people's footsteps gradually faded away.The bathroom became quiet. The faucet was still running, and Snape tapped it with his wand, stopping the water. The steam slowly dissipated, revealing the devastated room.Su Yu looked at the four Professors in front of him.Then he spoke to the empty air."Professor Dumbledore," Su Yu's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet bathroom, "you should come out and explain the situation to me, shouldn't you?"The three Professors looked toward Su Yu.Dumbledore walked out of the shadows at the door. He didn't walk fast, but in a few steps, he arrived in front of Su Yu.Su Yu looked into his eyes."Professor Dumbledore," Su Yu's voice was still calm, but it lacked some of its lazy tone, "can you explain to me what is going on with the flames on this Troll?"Dumbledore's eyes flashed behind his spectacles."I do not know," Dumbledore said, his voice gentle and calm, "I am also trying to find out what the situation is."Su Yu looked at him with an expression of disbelief.Dumbledore's expression did not change at all. On that wrinkled face, there remained that gentle, composed smile, as if he knew everything but wouldn't say anything. Su Yustared at him for several seconds, wanting to find a flaw in his gaze—but there was none. Dumbledore's eyes were like a pool of deep water; you could see the surface, but not the bottom.Su Yu had no choice.He straightened up, scooped Kurama up from the floor into his arms, and nodded to the four Professors."I'll take my leave."He turned and walked out of the bathroom.The corridor was empty, and the pumpkin lanterns were still grinning on the walls. Su Yu carried Kurama, his steps unhurried. Kurama lay in his arms, her tails hanging on both sides of his arms."That old guy is lying," Kurama said."I know.""Aren't you going to ask clearly?""Even if I ask, he won't tell."Kurama huffed and buried her face in the crook of his arm.Su Yu walked through the corridor, went down the stone steps, and returned to the entrance of the Slytherincommon room. The stone wall was closed; he whispered the password, and the wall slid open silently.Then he froze.The Slytherin common room had changed its appearance.The fire in the fireplace was burning three times brighter than usual, illuminating the entire hall warmly. Deep green ribbons and silver stars hung from the ceiling, and fresh holly and mistletoe had been placed in the wall niches. Several long tables were pushed together in the center of the hall, covered with silver tablecloths and laden with pumpkin pie, roasted chestnuts, and hot butterbeer. In the corner, there was even a small band—four older students were playing a lively tune with magical drums and harps.People were everywhere. The Slytherin students had changed into different attire, gathering in twos and threes. The girls were wearing various kinds of formal gowns, and the boys were wearing well-tailored suits or robes, holding wine glasses and chatting in low voices. If it weren't for knowing this was the Hogwarts dungeon, Su Yu would have thought he had walked into a ball at some noble's estate.Then he saw Farley.She was standing by the fireplace, holding a glass of red wine. She wore a small black hat tilted to the side, with a thin layer of black veil hanging from the brim, covering half of her face, making it appear faintly visible. Her eye makeup was heavy, with the corners of her eyes swept upward, matching her languid yet sharp temperament, like a cat squinting in the shadows. Her lips were coated with rose-red lipstick, glistening with a moist sheen in the firelight. She was wearing a black long dress that trailed on the floor, with a tight waist that perfectly outlined her tall figure.She was truly beautiful.Cassandra was standing next to Farley, wearing a dark green long dress, her hair pinned up, revealing her slender neck and delicate collarbones. Her makeup was lighter than Farley's, but those grey-green eyes appeared deeper and brighter in the candlelight, like two polished gemstones. She was also holding a glass of wine, with a half-smile on her lips, and was leaning down to talk to the girl next to her.Daphne was sitting on the sofa, wearing a pale gold long dress, her hair draped over her shoulders, and a pair of small pearl earrings on her ears. She wasn't as sharp as Farley, nor as mysterious as Cassandra; she was like a ray of sunshine—quiet, warm, and inviting. She had no wine in her hand, but was holding a cup of hot tea, looking down at the tea leaves in the cup, as if counting something.Su Yu stood at the door, stunned for a moment.The three of them looked up at the same time and saw him.Daphne put down her teacup and was the first to stand up. She walked to Su Yu, reached out to straighten his collar that had been pulled askew by the Troll, pulled down his sleeves, and brushed the dust off his shoulders. Her movements were very natural, as if she were doing something she did every day.Farley walked over from the fireplace, still holding the glass of red wine. She came up to Su Yu and looked him up and down."Everything handled?" Farley's voice was low, with a kind of languid huskiness, "My Chief?"This tone. Truly the big sister archetype. Su Yu felt his ears getting a little hot."Handled," Su Yu said.Cassandra also walked over and stood next to Farley. The three of them surrounded Su Yu, six eyes staring at him. Su Yu felt a bit uncomfortable being watched, so he reached out and put his arms around Daphne and Cassandra, one on each side."What is all this tonight?" Su Yu asked.Cassandra smiled. That smile was different from her usual half-smile; it was a genuine smile, the corners of her eyes slightly curved, revealing a small row of white teeth."It's just to cultivate some noble temperament," Cassandrasaid, "we came back early tonight, and with nothing else to do, we decided to host a party."She raised the wine glass in her hand and shook it at Su Yu."Want a drink?" Cassandra's voice dropped, with a cunning smile, "I'll tell you a secret: all this wine was stolen by the House-elves. The school doesn't allow it."Su Yu took the wine glass from Cassandra. It was silver, carved with delicate vine patterns, filled with a deep red liquid that shimmered with an amber luster in the firelight. He sniffed it—the fruit aroma was strong, with a hint of oak, and it didn't seem like very strong liquor.Farley and Cassandra exchanged a glance. That look meant "here we go."Su Yu raised the glass to his lips and downed it in one gulp.The first second the liquid hit his throat, he only felt sweetness. The second second, spiciness. The third second—he felt as if someone had lit a fire in his esophagus; the fire burned all the way from his throat to his stomach, then exploded from his stomach, surging into his limbs and bones. His face turned crimson in an instant, his ears were hot enough to fry an egg, and everything before his eyes began to spin.He had overestimated his alcohol tolerance.And he had underestimated Cassandra's bottom line.This wasn't wine! This was clearly strong liquor that the House-elves had distilled repeatedly countless times, poured into a seemingly harmless fruit wine glass.Su Yu's legs went weak, and Daphne was quick to support him. Farley held his arm from the other side, and Cassandra stood in front, looking at his face, smiling until her eyes curved like crescent moons."Are you okay?" Daphne's voice came from beside his ear, sounding as if it were separated by a layer of water."I'm... I'm fine..." Su Yu's voice was slurred, his tongue feeling as if it had been tied in a knot.Farley looked down at him, her lips curled high. "My Chief, your alcohol tolerance isn't very good."Su Yu wanted to say something, but his mouth wouldn't obey him anymore. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and the three figures before him became increasingly blurred, overlapping, separating, and overlapping again.Then he drifted off into a daze and knew nothing more.