Chapitre 172: Chapter 172: Dumbledore's Attitude
Once upon a time, someone reviewed the Hogwarts Express in the Daily Prophet as follows:
"You can complain about its slowness, and you can complain about its lack of punctuality, but you can always trust its mission. No matter how long the journey, it will eventually deliver young wizards to Hogwarts."
...
The train in motion began to slow down again, and the station announcement echoed through the carriages.
A quarter of an hour later, the train came to a shuddering halt once more.
This time, all the young wizards scrambled off the train as if something terrible was chasing them through the night.
Unlike the others who rushed and scrambled, Ino followed Snape at a leisurely pace, walking along the quiet path towards the carriages.
Suddenly, Snape stopped.
"I have other matters to attend to. You don't need to follow me."
Ino looked at Snape's back somewhat confusedly. Although curious, he didn't think much of it. Today's experiences had already left him feeling a bit worn out.
If possible, he didn't want to attend the opening feast at all. He just wanted to lie down on the soft bed in his dormitory and have a good night's sleep.
Though he thought this way, it was impossible to achieve. Some rules can be broken, while others must be followed.
Walking alone, Ino noticed that the path was almost empty, perhaps because everyone else was in a hurry to return to the castle.
"Ino!" A clear voice called from ahead.
Looking up, he saw Hermione standing not far away.
"Hermione, why are you here alone?" Ino asked, forcing himself to stay awake.
"It's not why I'm here but why you took so long. I've been waiting for ages and didn't see you get off the train. Hurry up, there might not be many carriages left..." Hermione spoke quickly, her tone a mix of nagging and concern.
"Thank you, Hermione!"
Ino's gaze softened as he looked at the girl before him.
Although it was a misunderstanding due to a lack of information—many in Slytherin knew he was with Snape—this friendship was genuine and unblemished.
...
Talking as they walked, they soon arrived at the grassy area where the carriages were parked.
"Luckily! There's still one left!" Hermione sighed, then quickly walked towards the carriage.
Ino followed leisurely behind Hermione.
Seeing the Thestrals again after a year, his feelings were entirely different.
For some reason, the words the nameless Goblin had written on the front page resurfaced in his mind.
Looking at the skeletal Thestral in front of him, he couldn't help but say:
"Invisible things often bring us closer to the truth."
Suddenly, a voice came from the seat in front of the carriage.
"I like that saying. Many things are invisible but not nonexistent. Like Wrackspurts, many people can't see them."
At the mention of Wrackspurts, Ino immediately knew who was sitting at the front of the carriage—it was the eccentric Ravenclaw girl, Luna Lovegood.
"Although I haven't seen Wrackspurts, I'm quite certain of one thing: invisible doesn't mean nonexistent."
As Ino finished speaking, a figure dressed in quirky attire appeared on the front seat.
A striking girl, perhaps not traditionally beautiful, but her unique charm was impossible to ignore.
Ethereal and otherworldly, like a fairy living in the forest.
Her hair seemed a bit messy, likely from lying on the seat earlier, but this perfectly messy look, paired with her exaggerated butterbeer cap necklace, gave her an air of being untouched by the world.
"If you don't mind, could you please get in the carriage now!" Hermione said somewhat angrily.
Just moments ago, he looked exhausted and ready to collapse, but now he was suddenly full of energy and enthusiastically chatting with another girl.
Although she didn't understand the Wrackspurts, after hearing about the visible and invisible, Hermione roughly knew what they were talking about.
Hogwarts' history records that from the second year on, students would take carriages to the castle, pulled by the magical creatures known as Thestrals, which are generally invisible to most people.
Although there's a legend that seeing a Thestral brings bad luck, she really wanted to see one at this moment, rather than just watching Ino chat with others, like she used to in primary school...
Luna seemed to sense something and turned her head to look at Hermione.
"You're lucky not to see them; it spares you a lot of trouble."
Suddenly having her thoughts exposed, Hermione blushed but stubbornly said:
"That's not necessarily true. How do you know I can't see them? They look like horses, very tall, with bat-like wings, and so skinny you can see their bones..."
Hermione recited from memory the description of Thestrals in her books.
However, Luna didn't continue the conversation and instead lowered her head to examine the bottle cork necklace hanging around her neck.
To be honest, this behavior was a bit rude. As the initiator of the conversation, Luna suddenly ignoring others after they said just one sentence was unusual.
But with Luna, it's hard to judge by normal standards.
Seeing Hermione about to explode, Ino reached out and patted her shoulder to prevent any conflict.
"Let's get in the carriage, or we'll be late for the feast."
Perhaps the word "late" has magical power over good students. Hermione suddenly became obedient and quietly got into the carriage.
Seeing that no one else would be getting in, the Thestral slowly began moving towards the castle.
...
The carriage traveled along the quiet path, with no sound except for the rolling of the wheels.
Thinking it would remain silent like this, Luna's ethereal voice came from outside the carriage.
"Do you believe in Wrackspurts? They are invisible creatures that fly into people's ears and mess up their minds. But strangely, there don't seem to be any around you; they seem to fear you."
Unlike before, when he would laugh off such stories, Ino seriously pondered this time.
Regarding the fear Luna mentioned, he thought of a reason. After all, the Mirror of Erised, which could peek into minds, had been sealed in ice. If there truly were creatures that could disrupt thoughts, they would not dare approach him.
But what intrigued him most was the nature of the Wrackspurts—were they biological, spiritual, or just an emotion?
Too much was unknown, so he chose the most conservative answer:
"I'm sorry, but as I said, I've never seen Wrackspurts, so I can't say whether I believe in them or not. If you have seen them, then they probably exist! Even if only you can see them, existence is existence!"
After Ino spoke, the carriage fell into silence once more.
Hermione chuckled, seeing him receive the same treatment.
However...
"Thank you! Even though you didn't blindly believe, you didn't dismiss it without thought. This is a significant breakthrough. I must write to my father because there's another person who's close to believing."
Hearing Luna's voice from outside the carriage, Hermione's smile froze.
"Oh, by the way! If you really want to see Wrackspurts, the girl next to you is surrounded by many right now."
Many? Hearing this, Ino couldn't help but turn to look at Hermione. Honestly, he wanted to examine her with a lamp.
But seeing her eyes, he gave up the idea.
There was a complex expression in her eyes—some grievance, some anger, like a cat with its fur standing on end.
Ino smiled apologetically and gave her a reassuring look.
Checking Hermione was impossible, but he could examine Draco when they returned to the dormitory later.
...
The carriage moved slowly and soon arrived outside the castle.
Fortunately, the feast had not yet begun, and the Great Hall was slightly noisy.
As Ino entered the hall, he noticed that it suddenly fell silent.
It was a true silence, with everyone stopping their chatter and turning to look at him. In darkness and fear, the first person to light a flame is always remembered.
For Ino, this was a familiar scene. He silently raised his arm and waved in the air, then gave a brilliant smile.
"Clap! Clap clap!"
Someone started clapping, and soon everyone joined in, the atmosphere in the Great Hall becoming lively.
Even George and Fred stood on their seats, holding a small burning torch.
It seemed to be their new concept product, although hastily made with Transfiguration, the torch burned with a blue flame.
Perhaps because it wasn't time for the feast yet, even the strict Professor McGonagall didn't stop the students' antics.
Moreover, she had heard about what happened on the train. Letting the students have fun could help them quickly move past the fear brought by the Dementors.
Professor McGonagall always believed that school rules were important, but when it came to students' safety and well-being, rules became insignificant.
Similarly, Dumbledore, sitting at the head table, also watched the scene with a smile.
It seemed like fate, the blue torch George held aligned perfectly with Ino.
However, the head table was quite far from the entrance of the Great Hall, so from Dumbledore's perspective, Ino appeared to stand within the blue flame.
This image felt familiar to him.
Then he thought of another thing: from blue flames, a phoenix is born.
Unconsciously, Dumbledore also gently clapped his hands.
...
After a moment, the applause gradually subsided.
Ino waved his hand again and quietly walked to the Slytherin table.
From start to finish, he hadn't said a word, not because he had nothing to say, but because he couldn't.
Speaking before the headmaster and professors at the opening feast? That wasn't just impolite; it would be seen as a sign of disrespect and usurping the host's role.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore slowly stood up, which seemed to be a signal. Professor McGonagall also headed towards the front hall, where a group of first-year students awaited sorting.
The sorting ceremony for the First-year students began.
Watching the nervous first-years, who looked like little quails, everyone smiled knowingly, even the second-year students.
Happiness is contagious. When everyone in the hall was joyful, the new students in the center also began to relax.
Likewise, the fear from encountering the Dementors earlier gradually dissipated in such a cheerful atmosphere.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone