Chapter 31: Howler and Mandrake
The next day, Su Yu brought the Slytherin students to the Great Hall for breakfast. The table today was set with porridge, a few dishes of kippers, and bacon. Looking up at the enchanted ceiling, the sky was dark and cloudy, with grey clouds hanging low; occasionally, a few rays of sunlight leaked through the gaps, but they were quickly blocked again.
Kurama squatted on the table, patting the tabletop with her front paws, nearly smashing the table to pieces. Her tail puffed up into a ball, and her eyes were wide open. "What is all this? Porridge? Kippers? Bacon? Did that old man Dumbledore embezzle our food budget?"
Several lower-year Slytherin students nearby snuck a glance at her, then quickly lowered their heads in fear.
Fortunately, the Whisk appeared in time, and the food on the table was replaced with steaming cheesecake, pizza, sandwiches, fried eggs, grilled sausages, buttered toast, and a large platter of sliced fruit. Kurama's tail slowly lowered, she huffed, and lowered her head to start eating her cheesecake.
Su Yu felt like Kurama was on her period. Her temper was much worse than usual, but why was he feeling a bit irritable today too? He didn't know why; could this kind of thing be contagious? But he was a boy!
Poor him, he could only seek a hug from Daphne. He turned around and buried his face in Daphne's arms. Daphne froze for a moment, then reached out to hold him, one hand gently patting his back, the other stroking his hair. She just held him quietly, like holding a big, cranky cat.
This left Astoria, who was watching from the side, dumbfounded. She sat next to her sister, her fork suspended in mid-air, her mouth slightly agape, and her eyes wide round. Is this the Prefect? Is this still her sister? Astoria felt she might need to re-evaluate her sister.
Harry and Ron were sitting next to Hermione. Hermionewas propping a thick copy of "Voyages with Vampires" against a milk jug. Her brow was slightly furrowed; clearly, she was still very dissatisfied with what Harry and Ronhad done yesterday.
Su Yu had just started eating his pizza when, overhead, hundreds of owls flew by. They flew in one after another, circling the Great Hall, and then, one after another, threw letters and parcels into the crowd. A large, bulging parcel hit Neville on the head with a dull "thud". Neville clutched his head and let out an "ouch" as the parcel bounced onto the table and rolled twice. Just a second later, another grey, unidentified object fell into Hermione's milk jug, splashing milk out and covering them in milk and feathers.
"Errol!" Ron shouted, lifting the soaked owl out of the milk jug. The grey owl's wings were drooping, its feathers plastered to its body, looking both disheveled and pitiful. Errol couldn't stand steady and fell down again, unconscious, rolling its eyes back with its four legs in the air. In its beak, it was still holding a dripping wet red envelope.
"Ah, no way—" Ron gasped, his face instantly turning pale.
"It's fine, it won't die," Hermione said, while gently stroking Errol's feathers with her fingertips. Although her tone was still stiff, her movements were very gentle.
"It's not that—it's this." Ron said, pointing at the red envelope.
Harry couldn't see anything special about it. The envelope was just a normal red, slightly worn at the edges and soaked in a corner by the milk, but it didn't look like anything special. However, Neville looked at it with a terrified expression, as if the envelope might explode at any moment, shrinking back so much that his chair almost tipped over.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"She sent—sent me a Howler." Ron was almost fainting, his voice trembling.
Ron's attention was entirely focused on that letter, and the four corners of the letter began to smoke. White smoke emerged from the four corners of the envelope, getting more and more, and thicker and thicker.
"Open it quickly," Neville urged, "it'll be over in a few minutes!" His voice was anxious and fearful, like someone urging another person to quickly pull out a thorn stuck in their flesh.
Ron trembling took the letter from Errol's beak, smoothed it out, and tore it open. Neville stuffed his fingers into his ears. In the blink of an eye, Harry understood. He had thought the letter exploded, but an angry voice filled the entire Great Hall, even shaking the dust down from the ceiling.
"...stealing the car, if they expel you from school, I wouldn't be surprised at all. If I catch you, you'll be in for it. I don't think you ever thought about how worried your parents would be when they found the car missing..."
Mrs. Weasley's voice was amplified at least a hundred times louder than usual, howling in the air. The plates and spoons on the table were vibrating up and down, and the sound echoing back from the stone walls was deafening. Everyone in the Great Hall turned around to see who had received the Howler. Ron slumped in his chair, wishing he could curl into a ball to keep his scarlet face from being seen by others.
"...simply a disgrace to the family! Your dad is under investigation at work, and this is all your fault! If you dare to take one more wrong step, we will bring you home immediately!"
It finally finished, but people's ears were still ringing. The red envelope fell from Ron's hand to the ground, quickly caught fire automatically, and instantly burned to ashes. The black ashes floated in the air and slowly fell to the ground. Harry and Ron sat in their seats, unable to speak for a long time. Ron's mouth was open, his eyes staring at the tabletop, looking as if he had been drained of everything.
Su Yu and his friends couldn't help but laugh, and then whispers broke out in the Great Hall.
After a while, Professor Snape came to the Slytherin table to distribute the class schedules. He expressionlessly handed out the schedules to the Slytherin students. Su Yutook the schedule and glanced at it—this year, the number of classes they shared with Gryffindor had clearly increased; at the very least, today was all shared.
After finishing his meal, Su Yu quickly hugged Daphne and rubbed against her lips. His lips were still stained with pizza grease, which smeared onto Daphne's lips, making them shiny. Daphne pinched Su Yu's waist in disgust; Su Yuwinced in pain but didn't let go. Daphne then took out a handkerchief to wipe the grease from the corners of Su Yu's mouth, then wiped her own. Kurama also came over, tilting her face up, wanting Daphne to wipe her too.
Astoria had been shocked a thousand times this morning! She felt her sister was just a love-brain! Astoria sat on the side, her fork completely put down, just watching her sister and Su Yu, her expression one of confusion, as if saying, "I don't quite understand this world."
Then, the second-year Slytherin young Wizards followed Su Yu out of the Castle, crossed the vegetable patch, and arrived at the greenhouse where magical plants were grown.
Because the Slytherin students arrived a bit late, Su Yuhappened to see Lockhart bragging. Lockhart was wearing that emerald green robe today, spotless, without a single wrinkle, with a golden brooch pinned to his collar that shone in the sunlight. His neatly trimmed golden hair gave off a dazzling luster under his emerald Wizard's hat.
He actually liked wearing a green hat!
"Ha, hello everyone!" Lockhart greeted the students lined up, his voice bright and syrupy, as if coated with a layer of honey, "I just demonstrated the method for treating the 'Whomping Willow' to Professor Sprout. But I don't want you to think that I am more knowledgeable about Herbology than Professor Sprout. I just happened to encounter some of these rare plants during my travels..." While he spoke, he clutched his chest with one hand and gestured in the air with the other, his posture as exaggerated as if he were performing on stage.
"Greenhouse Three, children!" Professor Sprout was clearly dissatisfied; her tone was not as cheerful as usual, and she strode ahead with fast, heavy steps.
Everyone was chattering and discussing; usually, they went to Greenhouse One, where the plants were interesting but not dangerous. But the plants in Greenhouse Three were much more interesting and also very dangerous. Professor Sprout unfastened a large key from her belt and unlocked the door.
AI Model: gemini-3.5-flash
At once, Su Yu smelled the scent of damp earth and fertilizer, mingled with the heavy perfume of giant, umbrella-sized flowers hanging from the ceiling. The light in the greenhouse was dimmer than outside, and the glass overhead was covered in condensation, with droplets sliding down the glass and leaving streaks on the wooden frames.
Just as Su Yu was about to head inside, he saw Harry's hand being grabbed by Lockhart.
"Harry!" Lockhart said, pulling Harry in front of him and draping an arm over his shoulder, his smile so wide his back teeth were visible. He then began to boast about himself, assuming Harry had driven the car to school yesterday just to show off. He added that once Harry grew up, plenty of opportunities for fame would come his way, all while bragging about his own childhood exploits.
Things like, "I could knock down a Troll with Expelliarmuswhen I was eight," "I wiped out a nest of Vampires all by myself when I was ten," and "I had already published my first book when I was twelve," his tone filled with self-praise and condescending hints that Harry still had a long way to go.
Su Yu finally realized why he was so irritable today. It was all Lockhart's fault! The man was absolutely detestable.
Professor Sprout stood behind a trestle table in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of earmuffs of different colors were laid out on the stand.
When Harry returned, Professor Sprout said, "Today we are going to study Mandrakes. Now, who can tell me the uses of the Mandrake?"
As usual, Hermione was the first to raise her hand. It was shot straight up, and she was almost standing up from her seat, her face a picture of eager anticipation, screaming "I know, I know, call on me!"
"Mandrake is a highly effective restorative," she recited, sounding as if she had swallowed the entire textbook, "used to return people who have been cursed or transfigured to their original state."
"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," Professor Sproutsaid, nodding at Hermione. "While Mandrake is an effective restorative, it is also highly dangerous. Can anyone tell me why?"
Daphne raised her hand this time, while Hermione's hand shot up again so quickly that she almost knocked Harry's glasses off. Harry leaned back, adjusting his frames.
"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal," Daphne answered accurately.
"Quite correct. Ten points to Slytherin as well," Professor Sprout said with a satisfied smile. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young." She pointed to a row of pots in front. Everyone crowded forward to take a closer look; about a hundred tufty little plants were growing in a row, purplish-green in color with crinkly leaves.
"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," Professor Sprout said.
There was a mad scramble as everyone tried to grab a pair of pink, fluffy earmuffs, resulting in a chaotic scene.
"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place," Professor Sprout said. "When it's safe to take them off, I'll give you a thumbs-up. All right—earmuffs on."
Su Yu slipped the earmuffs over his ears, and the world instantly went silent.
Professor Sprout put on a pair of pink, fluffy earmuffs, rolled up the sleeves of her robes to reveal sturdy forearms, and walked over to a Mandrake. She knelt down, grasped the tuft of leaves firmly with both hands, took a deep breath, and pulled.
Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. His skin was a mottled pale green, covered in wrinkles and bumps, and the leaves grew right out of his head like a messy hat. His mouth was stretched wide open, and from the violent movement of his chest, it was clear he was screaming curses at Professor Sprout.
Neville fainted from fright. His eyes rolled up, his body tilted backward, and with a thud, he collapsed onto the ground, limbs splayed out like an upturned turtle.
Good lad, Su Yu thought, unable to help a chuckle as he watched. Malfoy and his crew laughed even more unrestrainedly; Crabbe was doubled over with laughter, and Goyle was slapping the table.
Professor Sprout took a large pot from under the table, stuffed the Mandrake inside, and buried him up to his head in dark, damp compost, leaving only the small tuft of leaves showing. She clapped the dirt off her hands, gave a thumbs-up, and took off her earmuffs.
"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet," she said calmly. "However, they will knock you out cold for several hours. I don't think any of you want to miss your classes on your first day, do you? All right, earmuffs back on, and let's get to work. I'll grab your attention when it's time to pack up."
"One pot per group of four, the compost is in those sacks, and watch out for the Mandrakes—they bite."
Just as she was saying this, Malfoy had already been bitten. He was just being his usual provocative self; thinking pulling them out wasn't fun enough, he just had to poke the thing. He reached out to touch the Mandrake's leaves, and the plant snapped its mouth open, biting his finger. But his reflexes were fast; he instantly let go of the Mandrake, drew his wand, and prepared to cast Incendio.
Professor Sprout rushed over in a panic, snatched the wand from Malfoy's hand, pried the Mandrake off his finger, and took it back.
He saw Professor Sprout's mouth shape what looked like "Ten points from Gryffindor," and he chuckled. Pansytapped his head with her wand and mouthed back, "It should be ten points from Slytherin!"
The little Gryffindor lions thought Professor Sprout made it look easy, but in reality, it was anything but. The Mandrakes did not like being pulled out of the soil, and they liked being stuffed back in even less. They squirmed constantly, kicking and thrashing violently, punching with their sharp, tiny fists, and cursing through gritted teeth. Several Gryffindor girls screamed in fright, and one was even kicked in the chin by a Mandrake, leaving her with tears welling in her eyes.
The Slytherin side was much darker. Seeing the Mandrakes dare to bare their teeth, the little snakes pinned their heads down and slammed them against the tables, some even swinging them back and forth.
Crabbe had already shoved his wand into his Mandrake's mouth, stretching it open so wide it couldn't make a sound, only able to whimper. Goyle was even more extreme; he was actually threatening his Mandrake with a knife. No one knew where he had gotten it, but its blade gleamed coldly under the light.
Su Yu was absolutely shocked. Who on earth taught them this? And Goyle, you big idiot, what~ are~ you~ doing! Where did you get a knife???
Professor Sprout looked about to go mad with rage. Her face was flushed red, her lips were trembling, and she was gesturing wildly in the air, but with everyone wearing earmuffs, no one could hear what she was shouting. The little lions were also shivering as they watched the little snakes. Several Gryffindor girls clung to each other, and the boys took a few steps back, their eyes filled with the terror of "are these people insane?"
Su Yu quickly buried their Mandrakes back in, though perhaps a bit too deep—he snatched the Mandrake from Crabbe's hand, stuffing it root and leaf into the pot, and then snatched the knife from Goyle's hand, confiscating it.
When class ended, the young Slytherins found out they had been docked another thirty points for damaging school property and nearly driving Professor Sprout to a faint. Professor Sprout's voice was still shaking when she said this, her finger pointing at Crabbe and Goyle, jabbing several times before she drew it back.
But the little snakes still felt the Mandrakes were too insolent. Malfoy rubbed his bitten finger and muttered, "We're not going to the Forbidden Forest tonight. We need to teach these Mandrakes a lesson." Goyle nodded beside him, his knuckles cracking.
Su Yu earnestly advised them from the side not to use violence. They were Slytherins! Aristocrats, and they couldn't do something so beneath them... Did he not feel even a little guilty saying that?
Chapter 32 Defense Against the Dark Arts Class
The second class was Transfiguration Class. Professor McGonagall's classes were always difficult, and this one was especially tough. Su Yu had forgotten everything he learned last year during the holidays. He had spent the entire summer traveling around Europe and hadn't even touched his wand, let alone practiced something that required daily training like Transfiguration.
Su Yu was supposed to turn a beetle into a button, but after struggling for ages, the insect just crawled around on the desk, as leisurely as if it were taking a stroll in its own back garden. Su Yu poked it with his wand; it sped up for a couple of steps, then continued its slow wander.
Su Yu took a deep breath, focused his mind, and waved his wand—the beetle didn't budge. He waved again—still nothing. He kept waving—the beetle finally moved, but instead of turning into a button, it crawled toward the edge of the table, probably thinking this human was a lost cause and it was better to run away.
The beetle crawled and crawled, right up to the side of Kurama's paw.
Kurama was napping on the floor. Feeling something small crawling around its paw, it reflexively swatted it down.
"Snap." A crisp sound rang out.
Kurama looked down at the black lump under its paw, then looked up at Su Yu, its expression completely innocent.
Having no other choice, Su Yu had to steel himself and walk up to Professor McGonagall, saying, "Professor, could I have another beetle?"
Professor McGonagall was patrolling to check on the other students. Hearing this, she stopped, looked down at Su Yu's empty desk, and then at the small smear of unidentifiable matter under Kurama's paw. The expression on her face shifted from confusion to understanding, and then from understanding to dissatisfaction.
"Mr. Sean Foley," Professor McGonagall said with a helpless sigh, "my beetles are not for entertaining your pet."
"Take another one," Professor McGonagall continued, taking another beetle from the box under her desk. As she handed it to him, she added a special instruction, "Please keep an eye on your Kurama."
But it was clear that Professor McGonagall was very unhappy about this.
Su Yu took the beetle, returned to his seat, placed it on the desk, and then gently nudged Kurama with his hand, signaling it to move away. Kurama huffed in dissatisfaction and shifted its position, but its eyes remained closed.
By the time the lunch bell rang, Su Yu still hadn't succeeded. The beetle, however, was doing quite well, crawling around the desk in circles until Kurama finally swatted it to the edge of the table with its paw, where it fell into Daphne's bag. Daphne picked it out and put it back on Su Yu's desk. Su Yu sighed and let it go.
Hermione was showing off the exquisite button she had made in class. Her button was so refined it looked like it had been bought from a store—round, smooth, uniform in color, and with a faint luster. She proudly held the button up, turning it in the sunlight, her face practically shouting "I am excellent," and said she would give it to Su Yu to use.
The moment Su Yu thought about it being transformed from a beetle, he declared he couldn't accept it.
"It's not a beetle anymore!" Hermione said anxiously, "It's already a button!"
"Its essence is still a beetle."
"Its essence has been changed!"
"Then you keep it; I really can't bring myself to accept it."
Hermione huffed and put the button back into her pocket.
When Su Yu finished lunch and took Daphne for a walk in the courtyard, he saw Malfoy and his group arguing with someone else.
The air in the courtyard was much fresher than inside the Castle. Although the sky was still gray, at least there wasn't that smell of old stone. A few old oak trees rustled in the wind, and occasionally a few withered leaves drifted down. Su Yu had intended to find a bench to sit for a while and digest his meal.
The situation was that Colin Creevey wanted to take pictures of Harry and Malfoy. Colin was a first-year Gryffindor this year; he was small, with a mop of messy brown hair, and always held his Muggle camera. He was incredibly excited to see Harry and raised his camera to press the shutter. Just then, Malfoy came out, and he wanted to take a picture of him too.
With his arrogant personality, Malfoy pointed at Colin's camera, his chin held high: "Don't point that piece of Muggle junk at me. I don't want such a cheap trinket to sully my portrait. Take a picture of Harry; he surely loves queuing up to sign autographs for others."
Harry's face flushed red instantly. He clenched his fists and took a step forward, but Ron held him back by his robes from behind.
Colin spoke up at this moment, his voice not loud, but very serious: "You're just jealous of Harry. Jealous that he's famous."
Malfoy's expression changed. He was jealous of Harry? Jealous that he was beaten so badly in the inner world he couldn't find his own mother? "I don't think having a scar on your head makes you look special. Of course, I don't know if others think so." Crabbe and Goyle laughed on the sidelines, sounding like two deflating balloons.
Ron also stepped out to stand up for Harry, standing beside him and glaring at Malfoy. Crabbe and Goylerubbed their hands, ready to strike, and both took a step forward, their fists crunching.
Malfoy was still mimicking Ron's mother's words from that morning, pretending to pinch his throat and shrieking: "If you take one more step—" His voice was high and thin; it sounded somewhat similar, though his expression was too exaggerated, his eyes squinted into slits and his mouth stretched wide.
A group of fifth-year Slytherin students nearby heard this and burst into laughter. They leaned against the corridor pillars, arms crossed, laughing hysterically, with a few even imitating Malfoy, pinching their throats and repeating the sentence.
"Weasley wants a signed photo of Harry," Malfoy said with a fake smile, turning to look at Crabbe and Goyle behind him, who laughed in coordination, "that's worth more than anything in his house!"
Ron's face turned bright red, and his hand had already reached for the wand in his pocket.
"What are you doing, what are you doing?" Just then, Lockhart strode toward them. He was wearing a bright green robe that shimmered in the sunlight, his robes billowing behind him, and the smile on his face was so bright it could blind someone. "Who is handing out signed postcards?"
Then he smugly took a photo with Harry. He put one arm around Harry's shoulder and made a "V" sign with his other hand, flashing a standard eight-tooth smile at Colin's camera. Harry was completely stiff, the expression on his face like he was enduring some kind of torture. Lockhartwasn't satisfied after one shot and changed poses to take several more.
Lockhart fussed for quite a while until the class bell rang, only then reluctantly letting Harry go. As Lockhartreleased Harry, he patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly: "I tell you, it's not very wise to be signing postcards at this stage—honestly, it makes people think you're a bit arrogant, Harry. You should do this when the time is right, like me. You should carry a stack of postcards wherever you go, as you might need them at any moment." Even as Lockhart walked to class, he continued to boast, "I don't think you're there yet."
Harry walked in front, not looking back, his pace getting faster and faster. Ron followed behind, his face even redder than before.
Finally, after reaching the classroom, Lockhart let Harryleave to return to his own seat. Harry practically fled back to his seat.
The rest of the students also walked into the classroom noisily. Su Yu and Daphne found a seat near the back. The spot was in the farthest corner of the classroom, furthest from the podium, with a window right next to it. Outside the window, the sky was gray, and one could see the treetops of the Forbidden Forest in the distance. Su Yudidn't want to see Lockhart's disgusting face.
After the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat and stayed silent. He stepped forward, picked up Neville's "Voyage with Giants," and held the book up, showing everyone the portrait of himself smiling and winking on the cover. The pages rustled in the air as he turned around with the book to ensure every student saw it.
"I," he said, pointing at the cover and winking as well, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class! Honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—I didn't want to bring this up, but I smiled at a 'wandering' banshee and made her vanish."
He waited for them to burst into laughter, but only a few people chuckled softly.
Lockhart's smile stiffened slightly, but quickly returned to normal.
"I assume you have bought my books—that's good. Today, I'll give you a little quiz, don't worry—this quiz is just to see how much you have read and how much of the book's content you have understood..."
Lockhart began to distribute the test papers to each student's desk as he spoke. Su Yu looked down at it.
It read: 1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? 2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest ambition? 3. What do you think is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement? Almost all the questions were of this type, spanning three whole pages. Su Yu flipped to the last page; the final question was: What is Lockhart's birthday? What is the gift he most wants to receive?
Su Yu simply handed in a blank paper. He flipped the test paper over face down on the desk, leaned back in his chair, put his hands in his pockets, and closed his eyes. He felt that anyone who asked these questions was an idiot, and if he answered them, he would be an even bigger idiot! Kurama lay beside him, glanced at the test paper, and used its paw to swat the paper to the edge of the desk, letting it fall off.
Daphne did try to answer a few questions seriously, but halfway through, she stopped her pen, turned to look at Su Yu, then looked at the test paper, hesitated for a moment, and put her pen down.
Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and flipped through them in class. As he walked, he kept saying: "Tsk, tsk—very few of you remember that my favorite color is lilac. I mentioned this in 'Year with the Yeti.' Also, you need to read 'Weekend with Werewolves' carefully; I wrote very clearly in Chapter Twelve that my greatest birthday wish is for magical and non-magical people to live in harmony—though, I wouldn't refuse a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!"
Lockhart continued flipping through the test papers, suddenly stopped, and his eyes lit up.
"...But Hermione Jean Granger knows that my greatest wish is to rid the world of evil and successfully promote my line of hair care potions—not bad! Actually—"
He flipped through her paper, "All correct! Who is Hermione Jean Granger?"
Hermione raised her hand with a tremble. Her face flushed slightly, but she held her back straight, looking forward with a firm gaze.
"Very good!" Lockhart said with a smile, "Very well done! Ten points to Gryffindor! Now, let's move on to the main topic..."
Lockhart bent down and lifted a large, cloth-covered cage from under his desk. When the cage was placed on the table, it made a dull "thud," and something inside was moving.
"Now—I must warn everyone! My duty is to let you understand the most vicious creatures in the wizarding world, so you can be mentally prepared for the future.
What I am about to show you is perhaps the most terrifying thing you have ever seen, but do not be afraid; as long as I am here, nothing will go wrong.
I ask you all to remain calm and not to panic."
Lockhart placed one hand on the cloth covering the cage; in the front row, Neville cringed into the corner of his chair, curling into a ball with only his eyes visible.
"I must have your assurance that you will not cry out when you see them," Lockhart said in a low voice, "because that might provoke them."
Suddenly, everyone held their breath. The classroom was so quiet that one could hear the wind blowing against the windows. Lockhart snatched the cloth away.
"Ta-da!" he said with dramatic flair, "Freshly caught Cornish Pixies."
Inside the cage were a group of little creatures about eight inches tall, flashing with blue electricity, with pointed faces and high-pitched voices, rushing and crashing around the cage, making the iron bars rattle with a clatter.
Seeing so many people, they were not afraid but rather more excited, making faces and sticking out their tongues at the students nearby; some even reached their hands through the bars to tug at the hair of the students in the front row.
Seamus Finnigan couldn't help but laugh, a sound even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror, and several Gryffindor students nearby followed suit.
"What?" Lockhart asked with a smile, though there was a hint of stiffness in it, "Ah, are they not—are they not—very dangerous?"
Seamus couldn't stop laughing, clutching his stomach and hunching over his desk.
"Do not jump to conclusions so soon!" Lockhart said, shaking his finger angrily in front of Seamus, "These little fellows are extremely vicious, clever, and terrifying!"
"Very well," Lockhart said loudly, "Let's see how you handle them."
Then, he opened the cage lid.
As soon as the lid opened, the pixies flew out of the cage like rockets, scattering in all directions.
Their speed was astonishing, leaving trails of blue electric light in the air.
Two of them grabbed Neville by the ears and lifted him into mid-air. Neville screamed, kicking his legs wildly in the air, his face turning pale.
Others crashed through the windows, showering the students in the back row with broken glass; they grabbed ink bottles and splashed them everywhere, shredded textbooks and test papers, and tore the paintings on the walls to pieces, causing the people in the portraits to scream and flee into adjacent frames.
They overturned the trash can and grabbed school bags and textbooks to throw out the window.
Within minutes, nearly half the class was hiding under the desks. Neville had been hoisted up to the chandelier on the ceiling, hanging from the light fixture, swaying, his lips trembling and tears welling up in his eyes.
"Come on, subdue them, catch them, they are only pixies..." Lockhart shouted.
He rolled up his sleeves, waved his wand, and yelled: "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
But it was completely ineffective. One pixie grabbed Lockhart's wand and threw it out the window; the wand spun in the air a few times and disappeared into the grass outside. Lockhart swallowed hard and hid under the desk as well.
At that moment, Neville fell along with the chandelier.
Su Yu could no longer tolerate it.
He stood up and caught Neville with one hand.
The terrifying malice of Kurama within his body instantly enveloped the entire classroom.
All the students began to tremble in earnest, and the pixies felt it too; they stopped flying, and every single pixie ceased its movements at the exact same moment.
They hovered in mid-air, their bodies stiff, and the expressions on their faces changed from mischievous to terrified.
Then, they began to burst.
One after another, the Cornish Pixies exploded on the ceiling, like blue balloons being pricked, bursting into a mass of flesh and blood. Blue fluid splattered on the ceiling and dripped down the walls.
Neville was completely limp, like a puddle of mud; Su Yuplaced him on a nearby chair and patted his shoulder. Neville's lips were still trembling, but he nodded.
Su Yu set Neville down and walked step by step toward the desk where Lockhart was hiding.
He arrived at the desk and looked down at the cowering, shivering Lockhart hiding underneath.
Su Yu kicked the table in front of him away. The table flew into the wall, instantly splintering into pieces, wood chips flying everywhere. Lockhart was exposed before Su Yu, bracing his hands on the floor and shrinking back, but his back was already against the wall, with nowhere to retreat.
Then, Su Yu stepped on Lockhart's head, forcing his face into intimate contact with the floor. Lockhart's face was pressed against it, his nose squashed out of shape, his lips against the stone slabs, emitting a muffled, pig-like grunt.
Su Yu bent down and revealed a smile.
"Lockhart, is it? I've tolerated you for a long time. Think about when I last killed someone? Two months ago? Three months ago?"
"Congratulations, you've successfully provoked my killing intent again."
As he spoke, he prepared to crush Lockhart's skull. The force on his foot increased bit by bit, and Lockhart's face was pressed flatter against the stone slabs; he began to whimper like a rat with its tail stepped on.
The little snakes of Slytherin didn't care about the frustration from the Mandrake incident in the greenhouse that morning; indeed, the Prefect was the Prefect.
A large group of them rushed over, some pulling at Su Yuto stop him, others trying to persuade him. Theodore, who usually didn't talk much, had a silver tongue at this moment, constantly persuading Su Yu: "Prefect, it's not worth it; this kind of person will dirty your feet."
Malfoy even cast aside his pure-blood pride, hugging Su Yu's thigh and begging him not to kill the Professor in front of so many people; if he wanted to kill him, he should do it when no one was around, Prefect! There are so many people watching right now!
Daphne had already drawn her wand, tilting her head as she stood behind Su Yu, green light flickering at the tip of her wand, ready to cast an Avada Kedavra on Lockhartafter Su Yu crushed his head, just in case he didn't die thoroughly enough; her expression was as calm as before.
Although Hermione was scared, between Lockhart and Su Yu, she would definitely choose Su Yu without hesitation. She stood beside the Gryffindor table, hands clutching the hem of her robes, her face a bit pale, but she did not stop Su Yu, nor did she step back.
At this moment, Professor McGonagall, who was teaching in the next room, sensed the deep malice of Kurama and rushed over. Her cry of alarm could be heard from far away, and her usually unchanging face looked somewhat flustered from running too fast, her glasses crooked.
"Let go of your Professor! Student Sean Foley!"
"A person like him, still worthy of being called a Professor?" Su Yu didn't even glance at Professor McGonagall, not reducing the force on his foot by even half.
At this moment, Headmaster Dumbledore also arrived by Apparition. He appeared in the center of the classroom, his long silver beard drifting gently in the air, his blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles looking calmly at Su Yu.
"Su Yu, let him go," Dumbledore's voice was not loud, still that unhurried tone: "He at least has a good heart, doesn't he? He is not a person who deserves to die, although he is indeed a bit annoying."
Su Yu discovered at this moment that his foot, no matter what, could not press down any further.
This old man, damn him! He was acting during the last team fight too!!!
Su Yu took a deep breath and instantly withdrew his strength.
Then he bent down, patted Lockhart's head which he had dirtied, and said to Lockhart with a grin: "Professor Lockhart, were you scared? It was just a joke, although I played a bit too rough, sorry, I hope you understand."
He paused, his smile unchanged, but his tone turned cold: "If you can't understand, that's fine; if you can't understand, I'll just play it again next time."
Lockhart's face lifted from the stone slab, half red and half white, his nose covered in dust, blood seeping continuously from his head; his eyes were still wide open, pupils shrunk to pinpoints, his whole body shaking like a sieve.
"Un... un... understand..." Lockhart's voice was intermittent, as if squeezed out by someone choking his throat.
He climbed up slowly with the help of Professor McGonagall, his legs still trembling, unable to stand steadily, leaning his whole weight on Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall's face was livid as she glanced at Su Yu.
"Fifty points from Slytherin for playing an excessive joke on a Professor!" Professor McGonagall's voice returned to that business-like, cold hardness.
Then she dragged the still-trembling Lockhart out of the classroom. Lockhart's feet felt like he was walking on cotton, stumbling step by step; when he reached the door, he tripped and nearly fell.
Dumbledore looked at Su Yu, shook his head helplessly, and sighed. "Alright, I hope student Su Yu can deeply realize his mistake this time. Everyone else, class dismissed."
After Dumbledore finished speaking, his figure flashed and disappeared into the air.
Apparating again and again, coming and going as he pleased, as if nothing had just happened.
Chapter 33: Old Friends
"Oh, my god, look who it is?"
Nurmengard, deep within the high tower.
The stone walls were cold, with only a narrow window letting in a grey, pale light.
Grindelwald sat on a tattered chair, his white hair disheveled, yet his eyes remained sharp, like a fire that still held warmth after burning out.
His robes had lost their original color, dusty and worn, with frayed cuffs, but his posture remained upright, like an imprisoned king.
Dumbledore stood a few steps away, his moonstone spectacles reflecting a faint glimmer, his robes dusted with the wind and snow from outside.
"You finally came, Albus. I thought you would never step foot in here again as long as you lived." Grindelwald's voice was hoarse, but every word was enunciated clearly.
Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then spoke: "I am not here to reminisce."
Grindelwald smiled slightly, continuing to talk to himself: "Dumbledore, you are still the same, you old bastard!"
"Are you here to show off that you won? You have become the greatest Wizard of the new era, and your—" He paused, his sharp eyes staring directly at Dumbledore, "And your reputation is built upon mine."
He leaned forward, and the iron chains rattled.
"Did you win? You won! The Statute of Secrecy still exists, the Dark Lord has been defeated, and he is locked in Nurmengard, the prison he built with his own hands."
"There is no 'Greater Good' anymore. But Dumbledore, that slogan was first proposed by you! You... why did you back down?"
Dumbledore's fingers twitched slightly.
"What are you afraid of? The order you want to maintain has long since passed, and you cannot even maintain this. You forcibly suppress all conflicts, relying on your own strength. That is why they call you—" Grindelwald smiled mockingly at Dumbledore as he said this.
"White Dark Lord!"
Dumbledore's fingertips tightened slightly, proving that he was not as calm as he seemed. His nails dug into his palms, but he did not speak.
Grindelwald did not give Dumbledore a chance to speak, continuing: "Because essentially, we are the same. We are both just tyrants who force everyone to obey by our own strength. You cannot be unaware of this, right? They resist you, undermine you, and act in defiance of you because there are sweeter benefits in doing so. Hmph, watching your former students turn into people you don't recognize, that's quite a challenge, isn't it? That's quite a sense of accomplishment, isn't it?"
He lifted his head, staring straight into Dumbledore's eyes. Those heterochromatic eyes, once burning with ambition, were now burning with something else—understanding, resonance, the pity of one lonely soul for another.
"Who loves you now? Dumbledore?"
"Those who survived because of you, who won because of you, are all... using non-magical curses, hoping you die soon!"
His voice suddenly dropped, so low it was almost inaudible.
"Only I love you."
The cell went quiet. Wind poured in from the narrow window, blowing the hem of Dumbledore's robes gently.
"Only I love you!" "Only I love you..." "You won... You won..." "But, why... why didn't you come to see me..." "Come see me..."
Dumbledore was silent for a moment. His lips moved, then closed again. After several seconds, his voice squeezed out from his throat, soft and low, "But I... I need you right now, Gellert."
Grindelwald froze, then jerked his head up, a flash of disbelief in his eyes, before he looked at him mockingly and laughed.
"Are you joking, Albus? The great White Dark Lord, in need of a loser?"
"I have also found a perfect successor for you, Gellert."
Grindelwald's expression changed. The mocking, sharp look vanished, replaced by a nearly greedy curiosity. His eyes lit up, like a hunter scenting prey, or a scholar hearing an exciting new theory.
"You should have said so earlier, Dumbledore! We can discuss this." His demeanor changed, his tone became much lighter, even carrying a hint of youthful eagerness.
"I came here to give you a choice."
"A choice? Albus, you and I both know that saving the world is your job! That is what you are best at!" Grindelwald leaned forward, the chains clanking again, "Who is this successor you speak of? Where is he?"
"At Hogwarts. I am also here because I truly need someone who understands the Dark Arts to stand before the senior students and teach them how to survive."
Grindelwald paused slightly, his brow furrowing. "What are you trying to say?"
"I would like to ask you to serve as the Professor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class for the senior students at Hogwarts, Gellert."
The cell went silent instantly, with only the wind howling.
Grindelwald, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, slowly stood up. The shackles dragged across the floor with a harsh sound, and his knees made a slight cracking noise—he had been sitting for too long, and his joints were stiff. He stood up straight, half a head taller than Dumbledore.
"Then let's have a good talk about the story of my successor..."
————————————
"Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco!"
In the Great Hall where lunch was being eaten, a crisp voice came from the entrance, getting closer and closer, like a little cannonball rushing into the Slytherin table area.
A little girl rushed to Draco's side and sat down directly, squeezing Goyle out.
Goyle was eating his fried chicken leg with his mouth full of grease, and didn't react until he landed on his bottom. He blinked, looked up to see who was being so brazen, and saw that it was Astoria, grinning at Malfoy.
Goyle got up, patted his bottom, and squeezed in next to Crabbe to continue eating. The two of them sat shoulder-to-shoulder in a space meant for one, heads buried in their food. Crabbe was pushed to the side, but didn't say anything; after all, he was still holding a roast chicken and had no time to fuss over such things.
Su Yu mourned for that bench for a long time. Poor thing, how did it withstand those two rough men?
Then he secretly tugged on Daphne's sleeve, letting her know to pay attention to Malfoy's side.
Daphne was elegantly cutting the fried fish on her plate—which was actually Su Yu's. She couldn't stand Su Yu just swallowing it in one bite, so she helped him cut it into small pieces. Although it was useless, Su Yu would still grab it all and shove it into his mouth.
Tugged by Su Yu, she raised her eyes to look at Malfoy's side, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
At this moment, Malfoy was looking at Astoria, this little ancestor, with a face full of sorrow.
His brows were knitted together, the corners of his mouth turned down, and he shifted slightly to the side, as if wanting to get further away from her, but there was nowhere to retreat.
"Why did you come here again?" Malfoy's voice was very low, low enough that only a few people nearby could hear.
Astoria didn't care about that; she propped her hands on the table, leaned forward, her big blue eyes staring straight at Malfoy, and continued to shout at him: "Draco, Draco, Draco!"
Malfoy already felt that something was wrong, his body shrinking down, and he lowered his voice again: "What on earth is wrong? Astoria?"
"I miss you so much!"
Malfoy's face turned red instantly, starting from the base of his neck and spreading upwards. His mouth opened, wanting to say something, but not a single word came out. After several seconds, he managed to squeeze out: "You... what are you saying? This is not something a lady should say!"
Astoria tilted her head, her eyes sparkling, looking innocent. "But I am telling the truth! Did you miss me, Draco?"
By now, Malfoy was so embarrassed that he started stuttering: "I... I... I don't miss you!"
"But your mother said you love to say the opposite! You definitely missed me too!"
Malfoy's face was beet red, his mouth opening and closing, opening and closing, like a fish thrown onto the shore. The surrounding Slytherin students had already started to giggle; some covered their mouths, some lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking.
The conversation was completely impossible to continue. Malfoy stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back with a harsh sound. "I have things to do!" He dropped this sentence, turned, and left. With a red face and lowered head, he fled the Great Hall at the fastest speed of his life, his robes even catching on the doorframe, and he almost fell flat on his face.
Pansy was fuming red on the side. Her face was flushed, her fists clenched until they creaked. She looked at the direction where Malfoy had disappeared, then turned to look at Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom were buried in gnawing on chicken legs, completely unaware of what had happened.
Pansy knocked on Goyle and Crabbe's blockheads: "Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating! Your boss is gone, what are you still eating for?"
Goyle and Crabbe raised their dazed little eyes to look around, but they couldn't find their boss's figure anymore. Crabbe still had half a piece of chicken in his mouth, saying vaguely that he couldn't find him, so they should eat first. Goyle nodded as well, the two looked at each other, and then continued to eat with their heads down.
Pansy held her forehead in speechlessness. She felt like she was becoming a mother hen like Daphne. She sighed, picked up the pumpkin juice on the table, took a gulp, and took another.
Theodore, to ease the awkwardness, asked Astoria: "Can you keep up with the new semester? I can lend you my notes from back then. Things in Potion Class are quite difficult; it took me a long time to figure them out back then."
Astoria turned her head and gave him a sweet smile: "You are the best, Theodore!"
Blaise also chimed in, leaning on the table, the corners of his mouth curled up, with a look of watching a good show. "Draco's expression just now was truly cute. You should keep pestering him like that, Astoria, you are the best!" Saying this, he burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the Slytherin table.
Slytherin has had plenty of excitement this year.
Su Yu, looking at the angry Pansy and the speechless Daphne, hurriedly put his arm around Daphne, comforting her: "She's just a little girl. You can't think all girls are like you, so mature, beautiful, and generous. It's okay, it's okay, the child is still young..."
But Daphne couldn't take it anymore. She broke free from Su Yu's embrace and grabbed Astoria's ear. The movement was so fast that Su Yu didn't even see how she did it. Astoria let out an "Ouch," the whole person lifted from the chair, her ear pinched bright red.
"Come back with your sister." Daphne's voice was not loud, but the tone was unquestionable.
Astoria covered her ears, muttering "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts," but she didn't dare stop, being dragged by Daphnetoward the common room.
Su Yu was just about to intervene from behind, to see if he could rescue Astoria, but he stretched his hand out halfway and retracted it.
Because after seeing Daphne's practiced ear-pulling technique, he became instantly speechless.
Su Yu followed silently behind them. Kurama also fearfully returned to Su Yu's body.
Su Yu thought in his heart, if you hit her, you can't hit me again.
Su Yu could feel Kurama also curled up into a ball in the soul space, wrapping herself tightly with her nine tails, revealing only a pair of eyes.
Daphne walked in front, striding with large steps, while Astoria trotted behind, her ear still being pulled, constantly crying out, "Sister, I was wrong," "Sister, be gentle," "Sister, I won't dare to do it again." Daphne didn't reply a single word.
At this moment, Professor McGonagall, who was about to enter through the Great Hall entrance, stopped and asked: "Mr. Malfoy, what are you sneaking around eavesdropping on at the entrance of the Great Hall? Why don't you just go in?"
Chapter 34: Quidditch Turmoil
Evening in the Slytherin Common Room.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, casting a warm glow over the entire hall. A few people were scattered across the deep green sofas; some were reading, some were playing chess, and others were chatting in low voices. Outside the window, the water of the Black Lakeflowed slowly in the darkness.
Malfoy had been standing at the entrance of the common room for quite a while before finally gathering the courage to walk over.
He approached Astoria shyly, his steps slow, stopping every two paces as if hesitating whether to continue. His eyes were fixed on Astoria's still-red ear, which still bore a faint red mark.
"What's wrong, Draco?" Astoria was as cheerful as ever. She sat on the sofa, swinging her legs, holding an open textbook in her hands, though she clearly wasn't reading it.
Malfoy stood before her, his mouth opening and closing. After several seconds, he finally managed to stammer out, "Are you okay today? Oh, I mean... I wanted to ask, how are your studies lately? My... I can also lend you my notes..." His voice trailed off, becoming quieter and quieter.
Astoria blinked her small eyes at Malfoy. "Draco, Theodorehas already lent them to me! What on earth is wrong with you?"
Malfoy's face turned even redder. His lips moved, wanting to say something, but not a single word came out. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, shoved it back in, and pulled it out again. He stood there, embarrassed to the extreme.
Astoria suddenly looked up curiously, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Malfoy on the cheek. Then she ran off, turning back after a few steps to laugh. "Hee hee hee, Draco is so strange today!"
Malfoy stood rooted to the spot, as if hit by a Body-Bind Curse, unable to move. He raised his hand to touch his cheek where he had been kissed, lowered it, then raised it again.
Su Yu smacked his own head from behind the wall. Malfoywas done for; in front of Astoria, he was truly like a raw recruit, being played with like a dog. Su Yu almost laughed out loud and quickly covered his mouth, but his shoulders were still shaking.
Blaise, leaning against the wall, was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. His face was buried in his arms, his shoulders heaving violently, occasionally letting out a muffled laugh. He looked up at Malfoy, then buried his face again to continue laughing.
Daphne was also helpless. Sitting on the sofa nearby with a cup of tea, she watched her sister's retreating figure with an expression of "I knew it would be like this." This little one had been mischievous since she was a child and never had a moment of peace at home. She could only silently pray for Malfoy, hoping he would be alright in the future.
Theodore had gone to rendezvous with his girlfriend, so he wasn't here now. Blaise really wanted to drag him over to see their Young Master Malfoy, hahahaha.
Not long after, Farley and Cassandra, who had gone out to lead training, returned. The two of them changed their clothes and came to the common room. Upon hearing Su Yu's account, Farley laughed until she was leaning on Su Yu's shoulder, and Cassandra laughed until she was clutching her stomach and leaning against the sofa.
It was a world where only Pansy got hurt; she had gone out for training for a while, and her home had been stolen...
She sat by the fireplace with a teacup in her hand, her gaze cutting across the common room and landing on Malfoy. Malfoy was sitting on the sofa, his hand still touching that side of his face. Pansy looked at him for three seconds, then lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and spat at him.
Time passed bit by bit, and the first-year Slytherinstudents had made great progress during this time. Every night in the common room, they could be seen practicing spells. Although they weren't very proficient, they were much better than when school first started. Su Yu had also issued them unique Slytherin badges bearing Kurama and his own power. When each first-year student received their badge, their eyes shone like two stars.
During this time, Su Yu also borrowed Ginny's diary and returned Luna's radish earrings to her.
That afternoon, Su Yu found Ginny in the corridor. She was leaning against the window alone, holding the old diary in her hands, engrossed in reading. Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on her red hair, as if plating it with a layer of gold.
"Ginny." Su Yu called out to her.
Ginny looked up and, seeing it was Su Yu, her face turned red instantly. She hurriedly closed the diary and hid it behind her back, her movements as fast as if she were doing something shameful.
"Su... Su Yu, why are you here?" Her voice was a little shaky.
Su Yu walked over and stated his purpose directly.
Ginny was still reluctant to part with the diary, but since Su Yu wanted to borrow it, she still gave it to him with a flushed face. After taking the notebook, Su Yu told Ginnythe truth.
This terrified Ginny, who hugged Su Yu in fear and almost burst into tears. But then she thought, that wasn't right; her diary couldn't talk, and this notebook had been bought for her by her father. Ginny, sobbing, asked Su Yu if he had made a mistake.
Su Yu was full of question marks—this wasn't right. He quickly opened the diary and found it filled with love letters Ginny had written to herself. Ginny, standing to the side, stopped crying, her face getting redder and redder. 'Oh no, my secret has been discovered... Should I get rid of him...' Ginny thought wildly to herself.
Su Yu also realized something was wrong; this wasn't Lord Voldemort's diary! Where had that diary gone?
Then he asked Ginny about what happened in Diagon Alley during the summer vacation and learned that while things had indeed happened, Ginny had not ended up with that diary in the end.
Since things had reached this point, and Su Yu didn't know where the diary had gone, he could only hug Ginny again, preparing to take her diary back to examine it properly.
Su Yu placed his hand on top of her head and rubbed it. Ginny's chaotic mind slowly regained its senses. She looked up, her eyes red, the tip of her nose red, and her face covered in tear stains.
"It's okay," Su Yu said. "I'll take the notebook. It's really great to see you're okay. Today was my fault, I apologize for making you worry for so long. Another day, I'll invite you to the Slytherin Common Room to see the Giant Squid!"
Ginny nodded, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and stood up. She lowered her head, remained silent for a while, and then pulled a small bag from her pocket and stuffed it into Su Yu's hand.
"These are gummy candies I made," her voice was still a bit hoarse. "You... you can take them back and eat them."
Su Yu took the bag and opened it to take a look.
"You're amazing! Thanks, Ginny." Su Yu said.
Ginny shook her head, turned, and ran off. After a few steps, she stopped, looked back at Su Yu, her lips moving as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she just waved at him and disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
It was much the same with Luna.
Luna was stopped by Su Yu after a Charms Class. She was holding a pile of books, humming a tune Su Yu had never heard before, her eyes looking dreamily out the corridor window, as if she were seeing something others couldn't.
"Luna." Su Yu called out to her.
Luna stopped, turned her head, and looked at Su Yu calmly with those gray-blue eyes. She tilted her head like a curious little bird.
"Su Yu," she said softly, "you smell like gummy candies today."
Su Yu was taken aback for a moment, then pulled the pair of radish earrings from his pocket and handed them to her. "These are yours, right? I found them when I was in Switzerland. I'm returning them to you now."
The moment Luna saw the earrings, she froze completely.
Those eyes, usually dreamy and vacant, suddenly held something different.
She took the earrings, cupped them in her palms, and lowered her head, looking at them for a very, very long time. Her fingers gently stroked the small radishes.
"I thought... I thought I had lost them..." Luna's voice was very soft. "I looked for them for a very, very long time..."
"These were... left to me by my mother."
Her eyes turned red, and then she could no longer hold back, hugging Su Yu deeply. Her body was very light; hugging her was like holding a ball of cotton. Her face was buried in Su Yu's shoulder, her shoulders trembling slightly. She didn't cry out loud, but Su Yu could feel her tears soaking his robe.
It wasn't that she didn't care; she was just enduring it in her own way.
"Thank you." Luna's voice was muffled against his shoulder, very small and soft.
Su Yu patted her back. "You're welcome."
Luna let go of him, stepped back, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She put the earrings back on, touched the pendants, and smiled. The smile was faint, but very beautiful.
"I will take good care of them in the future." Luna said.
Su Yu nodded and turned to leave. After a few steps, Luna's voice came from behind him: "Su Yu."
He turned back.
"You are a good person." When Luna said this, her expression was very serious, her gray-blue eyes looking straight at him.
Su Yu smiled. "I know."
Luna smiled again, waved at him, and turned to walk toward the Ravenclaw Common Room.
Su Yu stood in the corridor, touching the diary in his pocket, and then touching the bag of gummy candies.
In Friday's Charms Class, Professor Flitwick stood on a pile of books, teaching today's Lumos spell.
"Everyone, pay attention to my wand movement," Professor Flitwick said, his voice shrill but very patient. "Your wrists must be flexible, not stiff. When chanting the spell, the tip of your tongue should press against the roof of your mouth..."
Everyone raised their wands to start practicing. Soon, small balls of light lit up in the classroom.
Ron's wand suddenly exploded while he was casting the spell, and the wand flew past Hermione's hair—Hermioneshrank her neck in fright, her hair blown up by the air current—and then it hit Professor Flitwick squarely on the forehead.
Professor Flitwick was standing on tiptoe, watching every move the children made, when he was struck by this, staggering backward and nearly falling off the pile of books he was standing on. He steadied himself against the blackboard and looked up, a large, bruised, purplish bump rising on his forehead.
The classroom was silent for a second. Then, the little snakes of Slytherin burst into laughter; Malfoy laughed so hard he collapsed onto the desk, Crabbe laughed until he dropped his wand, and Goyle laughed so hard he knocked over the ink bottle on his desk, spilling ink all over it.
It was rare for Professor Flitwick to lose his temper. His face flushed bright red, his lips trembled, and he pointed a finger at Ron, his voice high and sharp: "Mr. Weasley! You—you—twenty points from Gryffindor!"
Ron's face was as red as his hair. He hung his head, wanting to explain something, but couldn't get a word out. Harry patted him on the shoulder, and Hermione sighed, tucking her hair, which had been ruffled by the air current, behind her ear.
It was Saturday.
Because Cassandra had to take the Slytherin Quidditchteam for practice, she dragged Su Yu up early to accompany her.
Su Yu poked his head out from under the covers and rubbed his eyes. Kurama was still curled up inside the quilt, with only the tip of her nose showing.
"Can't you go by yourself?" Su Yu's voice came from under the covers.
"No." Cassandra's tone was unquestionable. "Hurry up, who told you to be my boyfriend!"
Su Yu sighed and climbed out of bed. Kurama mumbled something from inside the quilt, turned over, and continued to sleep.
When he had finished washing up and stumbled out of the Slytherin Common Room, he found a group of people already standing outside.
Daphne was leaning against the wall, holding a cup of hot tea; it looked like she had been up for a while. Seeing Su Yucome out, she handed the cup to him.
"Drink something hot, it's cold outside," Daphne said.
Su Yu took the cup and took a sip; it was steaming hot black tea with a little honey added. He gave Daphne a grateful look, and Daphne smiled, reaching out to straighten his collar.
Pansy was standing next to Daphne, holding a copy of 'Quidditch Tactics Weekly'. She took one look at Su Yu's sleepy appearance and snorted: "Chief, will you be alright in that state?"
"I'm not the one playing Quidditch," Su Yu muttered again.
Astoria had arrived at some point too. She was wearing a Slytherin scarf and gloves, excitedly spinning around the common room, her face full of anticipation.
Blaise was leaning against the fireplace with a cup of coffee in his hand, his expression clearly saying, "I'm here to watch the show." Theodore stood beside him, pushing up his glasses with an expressionless face, but Su Yunoticed he was wearing new clothes today—probably because he had a date with his little girlfriend in the afternoon.
Goyle and Crabbe stood at the very back, both holding large sandwiches and eating breakfast. Their expressions were simple: if there was food, they were happy. However, they had brought some for everyone, and Su Yu took one and started eating.
A large group of people bustled out of the Castle, and with Malfoy and his bunch from the Quidditch team, there were over a dozen people marching imposingly toward the Quidditch Pitch.
Just as Su Yu reached the spectator stands, he could hear Wood's voice from far away.
Wood was saying that Colin Creevey, that little boy holding a camera, was a spy sent by Slytherin, and that the wretched little spy wanted to secretly photograph their Gryffindor tactics!
"But he's from Gryffindor," Harry said hurriedly, walking up to Wood and tugging on his sleeve.
"Slytherin doesn't need to send spies, Wood," George said, leaning on his broom.
"Why do you say that?" Wood didn't understand.
"Because they came themselves," George said, pointing to the side.
Cassandra led several people wearing green jerseys and carrying brooms into the Quidditch Pitch.
"I don't believe it!" Wood said in a low, angry voice. "I've already booked the pitch for today. Let's go see what's going on."
Wood shot down like an arrow, landed heavily on the ground, and got off his broom with unsteady steps. Harry, Fred, and George followed closely behind.
"Slytherin!" Wood shouted at the Slytherins. "This is our training time! We are doing special practice, you aren't allowed to watch!"
Marcus Flint, who was taller than Wood, said, "There's plenty of room here, Wood." His voice held a deliberately provocative tone.
Pansy and Astoria also walked over, standing behind Malfoy and eyeing Wood askance.
"But I booked this pitch!" Wood was clearly furious. "I booked it first thing this morning."
"Oh?" Marcus said. "But I have a note of special permission from Professor Snape." As he spoke, he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and shook it in front of Wood. The note read: "I, Professor Snape, in view of the need to train a new team member—a Seeker, hereby grant the Slytherinteam permission to practice on the Quidditch Pitch today."
"You found a new Seeker?" Wood's attention was diverted. "Where?"
A seventh person stepped out from behind the six tall figures. He was shorter, with a pale face wreathed in a smile. His hair was light blond and neatly combed, and his gray eyes shone in the morning light. His chin was slightly raised, and a smirk hung on the corners of his mouth. It was Draco Malfoy.
"You're Lucius Malfoy's son?" Wood said, looking at Malfoywith disgust.
Malfoy's smile didn't change, but he raised the Nimbus 2001 in his hand and struck Wood with it, knocking him to the ground. The movement was fast and vicious; Wooddidn't even have time to react. He fell backward, hitting the ground heavily, the back of his head striking the grass with a dull thud.
"Watch your eyes, scum!" Malfoy said, his voice cold.
Harry was stunned. How did it suddenly come to blows? And was that how flying brooms were used?
Fred and George hurriedly stood in front of Malfoy to block him from hurting Wood any further. Their expressions had changed; they were no longer wearing those lazy smiles, but a serious, angry, and cold hardness. "What do you lot in Slytherin think you're doing?"
Malfoy spat. "Why pretend when you have no skills?"
Just then, Hermione and Ron rushed over and helped Wood up. Wood's face was stained with grass and mud, and a bump had risen on the back of his head, but he gritted his teeth and didn't cry out in pain. Hermionehelped him brush the dirt off his body, and Ron supported his arm.
"What happened?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you practicing? Why was Wood on the ground?"
"I am the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," Malfoy said smugly, raising his chin even higher. "Wood was lying on the ground admiring the new brooms my father bought for our team!"
The Slytherin team burst into wild laughter.
Ron understood what was going on. Marcus and the others were blocking Fred and George, so Ron also drew his wand and pointed it at Malfoy. These Slytherins were going too far—how could they hit people?
Hermione had just shouted, "Can't everyone just talk properly?" when a loud "bang" echoed across the pitch. A burst of green light shot out from the other end of Ron's wand and hit him right in the stomach. Ron immediately fell straight backward, sitting on the grass with his mouth wide open and his eyes wide round.
Malfoy hadn't even used his rebounding spell before seeing Ron hit himself. The laughter from the Slytherinside grew even louder.
"Ron, Ron! Are you okay?" Hermione screamed, kneeling down to hold Ron's shoulders.
Ron opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't say a word. He coughed hard—several slugs fell from his mouth and landed on his lap.
The Slytherin side was laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Marcus was leaning against his brand-new broom, his body almost bent into a bow, one hand clutching his stomach while the other braced himself against the broom to keep from falling over. Malfoy was laughing so hard he was lying on the ground, pounding the grass with both hands, tears streaming from his eyes.
The Gryffindors formed a circle around Ron. Fat, glistening slugs kept spewing from Ron's mouth, one after another, falling onto the ground, onto his robes, onto the grass. No one dared to step forward to help him.
"We'd better take him to Hagrid's; it's the closest," Harrysaid to Hermione, then helped Ron up and pulled him along.
"What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he sick? Can you cure him?" Colin ran down from the stands, jumping around them with his camera held high, the shutter clicking non-stop.
At that moment, Ron opened his mouth wide, and a big pile of slugs fell onto his chest, plopping onto the ground.
"Huh? Huh?" Colin hurriedly raised his camera and said, "Harry, can you hold him steady? I want to take a picture—"
"Go away, Colin!" Harry said angrily, his voice sharp with urgency and frustration. Colin was so startled he took a step back, nearly dropping his camera. Harry and Hermione helped Ron out of the pitch and headed toward the edge of the forest.
Su Yu and his group were in the stands, watching the farce below without paying them any mind. He leaned against Daphne, watching the chaotic scene below with half-closed eyes.
Isn't it normal for kids to mess around?
Su Yu continued to lie on Daphne's lap, leisurely basking in the sun.