Night fell, and Harry and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room together. Neville had accidentally bumped his head during spell practice and had to go to the Hospital Wing to see Madam Pomfrey.
At that moment, only two or three students remained on the sofa. The fire in the fireplace danced in the hearth, casting mottled and flickering shadows on the walls, like a mysterious, ancient painting.
"Good night, Harry," Hermione said. "Get some rest tonight."
"Okay, good night." Harry watched Hermione head towards the girls' dormitory. He, too, happily made his way up the spiral staircase to the boys' dormitory, even bouncing a couple of times when no one was looking.
During that evening's practice, Harry was the only one who successfully disarmed his opponent. It was the first time he had learned a spell faster than Hermione. Almost everyone else struggled to cast their spells effectively; by the end, Hermione had only managed to make her opponent step back two paces… then there was Michael, who made his opponent flinch… but that might have been because the beam of light from his Wand was a bit startling…
Harry remembered everyone's surprised and admiring gazes—not because he was "Harry Potter," nor because he was "The Boy Who Lived," but because of the talent he displayed in spell-casting.
Every member of the SSC had their own strengths. Harry had initially thought he had nothing to boast about except Quidditch, but now he knew he must be very good at Defense Against the Dark Arts spells… Wade had even praised him, saying he was a natural talent in practical application…
All this joy came to an abrupt halt the moment he pushed open the dormitory door.
Ron was leaning against his bed, flipping through a magazine. He didn't look up when he heard the door open. Seamus and Dean were probably already asleep, their figures behind the curtains breathing evenly.
The atmosphere in the dormitory felt unusual.
Harry suddenly remembered that before he left, he had promised Ron that if Wade and the others welcomed Ron to join the SSC, he would send a message in the Book of Friends, and Ron would come over immediately.
Harry noticed Ron was still wearing his outdoor clothes and hadn't changed into his pajamas.
"Hi, Ron," Harry said dryly, almost wanting to bolt.
Ron looked up at him, then slowly asked, "Done? How was your club activity?"
"—It was okay," Harry said stiffly. "We learned the Disarming Charm."
He didn't know why he added that last part, and by the time it was out, he couldn't take the words back. Harry instantly regretted it.
"So, did you ask for me?" Ron asked. "You must have, right? It's okay even if they said no, you can tell me the truth—I can handle it."
Harry didn't know what to say: "I—I didn't—"
"—Didn't?" Ron's eyebrows rose.
"The SSC has a rule, you can't just let anyone join, everyone has to agree… and I'm just a new member… so…" Harry stammered out his explanation, finding it unconvincing even to himself.
"Oh," Ron said coldly. "I see."
He yanked his curtain shut abruptly and lay down, pulling the covers over himself.
Harry stood alone by the door, a mix of emotions swirling inside him.
...
A pure white orb of light slowly floated to the candlestick and settled there, illuminating the entire dormitory brightly.
Wade sat by the window, beginning to check the messages in the Book of Friends.
The Book of Friends couldn't retain text for long; if someone checked a message promptly, the text would quickly disappear from the page. If it wasn't opened, the text would vanish within thirty minutes at most.
So, his parents and friends usually chose to communicate before bed.
[Zoe: Zoe is very grateful for the candy given by Wade Gray! Zoe shared it with her friends, Mikey and Tess will try to replicate it. Wade Gray will be able to eat them at the breakfast table too!]
[Steven: I've collected some information about Occamies and sent it all to you. I hope it helps. Oh, Mr. Scamander wrote back to me, and he said I'm welcome to help out! I'm so happy, Wade! I never thought this day would come! It's all thanks to you; luckily, you reminded me, my friend!]
[Marchioni: Regarding the revision of the Book of Friends, I'd like to discuss it with you in person—can we meet in Hogsmeade on Saturday? I know third-years only get permission to go out, but maybe Professor Murray could take you? Actually, I also know a secret passage that leads out of the school…]
[Ferdinand: Wade, I received a reply from the person you mentioned.]
Wade's eyes lit up, and he quickly wrote on the parchment—
[Wade: Remus Lupin?]
[Ferdinand: Yes. Just as you requested, he claims in his letter to be proficient in most Defense Against the Dark Arts, including the Patronus Charm, has an Outstanding in Transfiguration Spells, is familiar with the Animagus training method, and is willing to accept a weekly payment of 10 Galleons. The letter is signed Remus Lupin. I've arranged to meet him tomorrow at The Leaky Cauldron.]
Wade let out a long breath, unable to suppress a smile.
He could consult Professor Flitwick about Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he couldn't always do so. Professor Flitwick had classes to teach, assignments to grade, Ravenclaw House to manage, and sometimes even patrols in the castle. When he had free time, he also wanted to go to the pub with friends for a couple of drinks to relax. Wade couldn't always monopolize his time, and the same applied to Professor Murray.
During the Christmas holidays, Professor Flitwick had given Wade a Compendium of Spells, but Wade later discovered it was an abridged version. Most Dark Magic, curses, and hexes had been removed by Professor Flitwick. He had also taken out some spells he believed Wade shouldn't be exposed to yet—such as Apparition, the Disillusionment Charm, Animagus, Portkeys, and so on.
Professor Flitwick's stance was clear—while he believed Wade was exceptional in Charms, he insisted that as a first-year student, Wade should learn and master safe, harmless spells, and advanced magic should be gradually learned in higher years.
Wade didn't want to argue with the professor about whether his concern was what he needed, because Professor Flitwick was inherently a very upright and kind person. But some of the things Wade wanted to learn, Professor Flitwick could never teach him. And if he were to practice them himself, even with his Golden Finger bonus, there would be considerable danger.
More than half of each chapter in the textbook usually emphasized the same thing—failed spells could lead to extremely severe consequences. Some caused Wizards to die tragically, some transformed humans into non-human creatures, and some resulted in irreversible damage that even magic couldn't undo.
So he needed a teacher.
A highly skilled, trustworthy, and not-so-conventional teacher.
Was there a better choice than Remus Lupin?
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