As the young wizards groggily shuffled into the Great Hall, ready to start breakfast, it was an eagle-eyed little fellow who noticed the new announcement on the bulletin board. Overjoyed, he shouted out loud, waking all the sleepyheads.
"Woohoo! Herbology class this afternoon is canceled due to heavy snow! No classes today!"
"Yay!"
"Oh my goodness, this is awesome!"
"Darn it, I'm going back to the dorm to sleep till the world ends!"
"Can't you aim higher? Since there's no class, playing all day is the best choice!"
"Wow, still have energy to play? You must have been slacking off during last night's activities!"
Cheers erupted one after another, and although their words differed, their mood was the same.
Originally, the young wizards were curious about what fun activities the Dueling Club would offer as a break from their dreary study life.
It turned out to be fun, but also exhausting. Although the intensity of the young wizards' battles was generally low, their bodies couldn't handle the excitement.
Almost everyone, upon diving into their warm and cozy beds last night, fell into a baby-like sleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow, feeling as invigorated as if they'd drunk a small vial of life and death water.
As a result of sudden intense activity after long periods of inactivity, they felt terrible when they woke up in the morning.
In magical duels, not only magic power is consumed; mental energy and physical strength are also major drains.
With sore backs, stiff muscles, and weak limbs, they found themselves unable to sit up from bed. Their abdominal muscles ached fiercely with any exertion.
But there was no choice; they still had classes today, so they struggled to support each other and reluctantly left the dormitory.
Now, learning that today's class was canceled, they were naturally delighted!
Several young lions let out a shout, skipping breakfast and rushing towards the stairs, grimacing as they slowly climbed the stairs with aching thighs.
What a joke, as fast as they went downstairs, that's how painful it was climbing back up. Climbing stairs with sore leg muscles can be a real killer (personal experience, remember to relax after exercising!).
Not only that, but they had to climb eight floors!
But... they endured! They could rest well once they got back.
The Ravenclaw eagles, whose dormitory was also in a high tower, wore bitter expressions. Their dormitory was the furthest from the Great Hall, in the Ravenclaw Tower!
"...Why don't we go to the library? It's quite large, and we can rest when tired, then pray Madam Pince doesn't kick us out?"
"Rejected, you don't know how loud your snores are at night. If you dare sleep, Madam Pince will dare throw you out."
Initially, only two eagles whispered to each other, but gradually more joined the discussion on how to plan today's activities based on their physical condition. Even the sleepy little ones perked up, and soon the spirited scholars returned.
Since they weren't sleepy anymore and didn't want to head to the tower, the library was the next best choice!
With action matching words, the Ravenclaw young wizards lined up in groups, grimacing as they clung to the stair railings, inching their way up.
Watching the two high-dwelling house wizards struggle, the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, whose common rooms were both underground, exchanged knowing glances and shared smiles.
No choice, they had endured the same pain and grimaced faces to reach the Great Hall earlier.
What goes around comes around, heaven spares no one, everyone shares the hardship!
The hardships we've endured, you must endure too.
For a moment, the houses that were already on good terms became even more agreeable.
Glenn and Hermione naturally didn't plan to return to their dormitories; firstly, last night's exercise wasn't much for them, and secondly, they had plenty to do, preparing for the troubles caused by the Slytherin heir.
"What do you think we should do today?" Glenn watched as fewer people surrounded them and asked Hermione. During this period, they usually stayed in the library or headed to the Room of Requirement when they had no classes, and Hermione often made the decisions.
The young girl was much more organized than Glenn in planning things. He was used to acting on instinct, while Hermione preferred to mentally map out the next steps before acting, and results showed that following Hermione's plans for study and training was indeed more efficient.
"Well... I'm more concerned about something else right now." Hermione frowned slightly, having been discreetly observing her surroundings since earlier, seemingly searching for something. "...For some reason, I haven't seen Ginny in the Great Hall."
"I'm a bit worried about her."
Both Glenn and Hermione knew about the use of sanctity power on Ginny last night, and Ginny's subsequent behavior confirmed that sanctity could alleviate some of the negative influences on her.
However, since it was the first time using this power on someone other than Glenn, and it was merely an output of energy, Hermione hadn't utilized the sorcery recorded in the Sacred Book.
(Hermione: Ask and I'll say I haven't fully understood it, shut up.)
Thus, she didn't know the extent and duration of her influence on Ginny, but most of her energy and strength last night were spent on alleviating Ginny's condition.
"It shouldn't wear off so quickly..." Hermione suddenly felt unsure, starting to doubt herself. "I've almost drained all the sanctity from my body."
"It won't," Glenn said, wiping his mouth with a napkin for himself and Hermione. As a long-term beneficiary of Hermione's sanctity, he felt his words carried some weight.
"Ginny might have been noticed by the Slytherin heir for her abnormal state and controlled again," he suggested after some thought.
Hermione's eyes widened in shock, her hair frizzing with surprise. "You noticed Ginny wasn't in the Great Hall earlier, didn't you? And this guess... why didn't you tell me sooner?!"
"Just a guess," Glenn smoothed the girl's fluffy hair, calmly saying, "Maybe she just wanted to sleep in?"
Hermione: ...
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