Bab 130: Chapter 130: The Gradually Growing Study Group
Time passed slowly, like the grains of sand in Gryffindor's hourglass, thanks to Snape's friendly assistance.
As December arrived, the atmosphere in the castle became visibly more restless because the long-awaited Christmas was approaching, a holiday everyone eagerly anticipated.
Everyone! Although summer vacation is great, for seventh-year students nearing graduation, summer often signifies farewells and sadness. But the Christmas break is different; everyone can fully enjoy the holiday's joy.
In the Slytherin dormitory.
After using a cleaning spell to tidy up the dormitory, Ino sat quietly aside, fully focused on three brand-new clay pots on the table.
These pots contained the magic beans given by Wilhelm Green.
It was fascinating; William had given a whole half-box of 163 beans, but under Scarpin's Revelaspell, only three were found to be alive.
This made him ponder. The tavern had three legendary stories and fairly exchanged three magic beans with William. On the tower, three were burned, and now three show signs of life...
It seemed that in the world of fantasy, everything had a price.
As long as the hidden price was found and reasonable rules were applied, each world was like a treasure waiting to be discovered.
After a moment of thought, Ino stood up and carefully placed the three clay pots on the shelf by his bed to avoid them being accidentally knocked over.
After all, the dormitory would soon become lively again.
Because after another unwavering History of Magic class this morning, Draco had already gone to call others to listen to the lecture.
...
In the dormitory.
Ino stood alone at the back of the room, and on the wall behind him hung a temporary blackboard created by a Transfiguration spell.
This was necessary because, unexpectedly, twenty-three little wizards had shown up today, including all of Slytherin's second-year students, which naturally required a bit of formality.
But he understood today's surprise; it was a clear case of peer pressure!
If all your classmates start attending extra lessons while you are chatting, boasting, or playing wizard chess, it might not bother you in the short term, but over time, it would start to feel unsettling.
After a brief thought, Ino decided not to dwell on the number of people and instead looked at the twenty-three young wizards.
"Ahem! Good afternoon. Although we are all familiar with each other, some of you are here for the first time, so I must emphasize the nature of our gathering."
At this point, Ino turned around and wrote a few words on the blackboard: Correct Learning, Independent Thinking.
After writing, he turned back and looked at everyone: Draco, Pansy, Daphne, Goyle...
"Why do we study the History of Magic? Does it have educational value? I think everyone here has thought about this. Listening to a ghost professor drone on endlessly seems like nothing but a waste of time; sometimes, you might even want to hit your head with a Stunning Charm."
After a small joke, the atmosphere in the dormitory relaxed.
After a moment, Ino cleared his throat, refocusing everyone's attention.
"Why study the History of Magic? My answer is: history is like an axe; it can break the frozen sea within us."
"We all desire knowledge, power, and peace. But before that, we must have the ability to think independently."
Ino paused as he noticed Pansy raising her hand quietly.
"Miss Parkinson, please speak!" In a formal setting, he didn't call Pansy by her first name.
"I'm curious, do we really lack the ability to think independently from the start?"
Pansy seemed to voice everyone's question. All the young wizards, including Goyle, showed curious expressions.
"That's a great question!" Ino clapped lightly, looking appreciatively at Pansy, who responded with a proper, ladylike smile.
"What is independent thinking? Independent thinking means not blindly believing anyone or anything. We must examine others, our environment, the Ministry of Magic, and even the entire era with a critical eye!"
"And what helps us develop independent thinking is the History of Magic. Now, everyone turn to page 167 of Modern History. Professor Binns talked about a wizard movement from half a century ago today…"
...
When focused, time always flies by.
An hour of reviewing the History of Magic covered the major events from 1926 to 1945 and the shift in the overall wizarding mindset.
"Alright! That's all for Professor Binns' lesson today. Finally, don't forget to complete the essay assignment he gave."
As he finished speaking, Ino undid the Transfiguration spell on the blackboard behind him.
When all the young wizards had left the dormitory one by one.
Only Pansy and Daphne stayed behind. Draco, who had walked to the door, noticed and returned.
...
In the dormitory.
Seeing the familiar three, Ino relaxed and lay down on his bed, leaning against his thick pillow and soft duvet, half-reclining.
"You three… okay, not counting Draco! What groundbreaking statements do you have? Say them quickly while I still have some energy!"
Since he started talking about the Goblin Rebellion, he had gotten used to the little snakes' extreme remarks, which were crazy.
This was why he added some personal insights before the review. Independent thinking is crucial for Slytherin wizards.
"Hahaha! Look! Less than half a term has passed, and someone's already tired of us. How sad!" Daphne joked, covering her chest in a dramatic display of heartbreak.
"Stop fooling around!" Ino rubbed his temples helplessly. He felt like he had gained a sister out of nowhere with this quirky girl.
"I'm not kidding. This time, it's Pansy who wanted to stay. I was really going to leave!" Daphne walked over and sat on Ino's bed without hesitation.
"Alright! I misjudged you." Ino spoke without raising his head and then sat up slowly.
Unlike Daphne's relaxed manner after becoming familiar, Pansy always maintained basic courtesy, which made it hard for him to be too casual.
"Pansy, do you have something you want to discuss?"
With his words, Pansy unusually showed some emotion:
"Ino, you talk about independent thinking! But after thinking, I found I can't see the future of wizards… Since the Statute of Secrecy in 1689, our living space has been shrinking."
At this point, Pansy seemed agitated, her eyes flashing with a hint of sharpness.
"Why do we have to retreat? I can't understand! Since the signing of the Statute of Secrecy in 1692, wizarding communities in Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Hertfordshire have disappeared. Only Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade are left in the British Isles! We keep retreating and avoiding!"
"But today, after what you said, I independently thought about the wizard movement from half a century ago, and I think I found the answer!"
Listening to Pansy's statement, Ino felt a strong urge to leave.
Talking about independent thinking and examining everything might have calmed the other little snakes, but it seemed to have led Pansy astray.
It was like playing whack-a-mole; one problem was solved, and another popped up.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone