章 34: Chapter 34: Two Months Later
Time always slips away unnoticed, like a silent journey that takes away the noise of youth and leaves behind the erosion of years.
It had been exactly two months since the start of the school year.
During this time, the once-new students had fully integrated into Hogwarts. They had gradually transformed from being bewildered to becoming familiar with everything about the castle.
Perhaps around this time next year, they could look down on the new students with the demeanor of experienced upperclassmen.
As the end of October approached, the temperature at Hogwarts had already dropped below 10 degrees Celsius. If it rained a few more times, the temperature would fall even further.
Now, not only in Slytherin but in all four house common rooms, fireplaces were lit, and the rising flames dispelled the chill in the air.
Of course, all of this seemed insignificant to the young wizards in the castle.
Because as November approached, they would celebrate their first holiday since the start of the school year: Halloween.
On the last day of October, in the Charms classroom.
"The key point of the Levitation Charm is to remember the subtle wrist movement we've been practicing."
As usual, Professor Flitwick stood on his desk, explaining the key points of casting the charm to everyone.
"A swish and flick, remember, a swish and flick," the short professor emphasized repeatedly in his sharp voice.
"The precise incantation is also very important. Don't forget Baruffio, who said 'f' instead of 't' and ended up on the floor with a buffalo standing on his chest..."
In the classroom, Ino listened attentively. Although he had already mastered the Levitation Charm, he still learned many practical techniques in Charms class.
Moreover, the knowledgeable Professor Flitwick could always perfectly answer all his questions.
For instance, at this moment, Ino raised his hand again. After getting the professor's permission, he slowly asked:
"Professor, what I want to ask is, if I prepare in advance and then deliberately mispronounce the spell, can I get a free buffalo?"
Ino asked the question that had puzzled him for a long time and was very important to him.
In the Fantasy world, although people wouldn't starve, who wouldn't prefer tender beef to dry cheese if they could improve their meals?
"Great question!" Professor Flitwick clapped as he spoke.
"Theoretically, yes! But this involves a more advanced spell—Summoning Charm. It's like the basic Transfiguration rules you learn in Transfiguration class; you can't create food out of thin air."
"Similarly, I must emphasize that magic doesn't create objects. Just like this accidental buffalo, it wouldn't appear under certain conditions, such as in the deep sea or desert, where there's no environment for a buffalo."
Professor Flitwick said this all in one breath. While other young wizards seemed confused, Ino listened carefully and developed his own understanding.
In short, it was similar to the summoning technique in Naruto, where the summoning contract equals the surrounding environment. With this prerequisite, you can use a technique or magic to summon something regardless of distance.
Time ticked by.
In Charms class, as more feathers floated above the desks, the smile on Professor Flitwick's face never faded.
By the end of the class, about half of the students had successfully cast the Levitation Charm. The remaining few just needed more time.
With such excellent classroom performance, Professor Flitwick decided to cancel this week's Charms homework, a decision that made everyone cheer and enjoy the Halloween joy in advance.
After class, everyone wore relaxed smiles, especially with the enticing aroma of pumpkins wafting through the castle.
The Great Hall, corridors, and even the moving staircases were decorated with colorful Halloween decorations: flapping bats, low-hanging clouds, and creepy masks...
Overall, it looked both eerie and mysterious.
In the evening, the Great Hall was brightly lit as everyone gathered to celebrate the annual Halloween feast.
At the Slytherin table.
"Ino, are you starving?" Malfoy asked in surprise.
In his memory, Ino always ate slowly and gracefully, never rushing or competing for food. But now, he seemed to disregard all manners.
"Starving?" Ino looked up in surprise. Seeing Malfoy's hesitant expression, he suddenly understood.
"Today's steak and pumpkin pie are amazing, Draco. Trust me, you should eat more!"
Without waiting for Malfoy's reply, he focused again on the food on his plate.
Watching Ino eat heartily, Malfoy hesitated before taking a piece of pumpkin pie himself. Perhaps it was psychological, but it did taste different to him.
The two's unusual eating habits caught the attention of many Slytherins.
But since Ino and Malfoy were not to be trifled with, everyone just glanced curiously without saying anything, unlike when Pansy scolded Goyle for his poor manners.
The feast proceeded smoothly.
Suddenly, Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, stumbled into the Great Hall.
"Troll... in the dungeon... thought you ought to know..."
As if carrying out a mission, Quirrell uncharacteristically managed to speak a whole sentence without stuttering before collapsing to the floor with a 'thud.'
Quirrell was silent, but the Great Hall erupted into chaos. The older students remained calm, but those below third year were already panicking.
"Silence!"
With the aid of magic, Dumbledore's voice drowned out everyone else's.
"Prefects! Lead the students back to their dormitories immediately!"
No further words were needed. At the Slytherin table, including Montague and the fifth, sixth, and seventh-year prefects, all drew their wands, showing neither fear nor concern about a troll.
It made sense, as the difference between a high-level student and an adult wizard wasn't significant. Especially prefects, who were elite, had no reason to fear a troll.
Here, it's worth mentioning the Ministry of Magic's puzzling classification of magical creatures.
It was baffling that a stupid troll was rated XXXX, on par with unicorns, Graphorns, and even phoenixes.
In the Great Hall.
The Slytherins followed the prefects orderly, heading towards their common room.
Ino also followed the group. Although he knew what would happen tonight, he had no intention of getting involved.
Perhaps in the past, he would have considered Hermione's safety, but after talking with Dumbledore in the Astronomy Tower, he fully understood the headmaster's control over Hogwarts.
Listen to him: there's no need for fear, no need to hide from anyone...
If technology could function in the castle, he would suspect Dumbledore had installed surveillance cameras to monitor everything. Otherwise, how could he know so much?
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