Harry yawned as he woke up in his bed. He first glanced at the clock — it was eleven in the morning. He jumped out of bed, alarmed, and fumbled to put on his glasses. "Ron, wake up! We have to go to Classroom Seven for the selection today. It's the last day."
Ron lay on the bed like a dead pig, one arm sticking out, snoring loudly. This content belongs to n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
Harry pulled back Ron's blanket and looked at him in astonishment. Ron was wearing a tattered robe, covered in dust. His face was bruised and swollen, as if he had been beaten for half an hour.
Even during their practice of the Restriction Curse in their study group, Ron had never looked this miserable.
Had their dorm been targeted by thieves?
Did someone break in and beat up Ron?
Harry shook Ron awake desperately and asked, very seriously, "Did you see who did this to you?"
"What?" Ron opened his bleary eyes and mumbled.
"Who attacked you!" Harry shouted.
"Who else but Malfoy…" Ron said with his eyes closed. Harry couldn't contain his anger and was about to storm into the Slytherin common room to confront Malfoy, but Ron added, "He had it worse. I had him in a neck-lock, made him beg on his knees…"
In his dream, Ron grinned broadly, mumbled a few incomprehensible words, and went back to sleep.
Harry was puzzled for a moment, unsure of the situation. He walked out of the dormitory in a daze and found Hermione in the common room, to whom he recounted the incident.
"He couldn't have dreamt of fighting with Malfoy and ended up hurting himself, right?" Hermione said with a cold tone.
"Hermione, that's impossible," Harry said, "His robe is torn to shreds…"
"Then maybe he went out at night and got into a fight with someone. But I doubt he has the courage for that!" Hermione stood up and said, "I'll ask the Fat Lady. She must know if anyone went out last night."
She hurried off, leaving Harry sitting in a chair, feeling agitated. Had Ron gone out in the middle of the night? What could he be doing?
Harry glanced at the table and noticed a stack of parchment on Hermione's spot. He found it strange, hadn't she finished her assignments? He picked it up and saw that it was a collection of tips and experiences from those who successfully passed the selection. It was more comprehensive than what he and Ron had gathered, obviously taking a lot of effort.
Soon, Hermione returned, looking astonished. "He really went out last night. The Fat Lady remembers him vividly and even said she'll incorporate him into her opera."
"But where did Ron go?" Harry pondered. "He was with me all afternoon yesterday, and he went to bed early. There was no chance for him to meet Malfoy alone, let alone a fight."
"Maybe they went to the same place," Hermione analyzed.
Harry nodded, the same place… He suddenly looked up at Hermione, and she looked at him with a shocked expression.
At noon, Harry returned to the dormitory as if nothing had happened. Ron was already up and had changed his clothes.
Seeing Harry, Ron said excitedly, "Harry, you won't believe it, really! I repelled nineteen big spiders. As I went further, I stopped feeling scared. Those furry legs, the stench, the splattering green liquid everywhere… I did it, Harry! And those magic spells you mentioned on the cards, they are truly awesome!"
Harry gave him an odd look. "When did this happen? I remember you saying you saw no hope when we got back yesterday. And I never mentioned any magic spells on the cards…"
"Uh," Ron hesitated, blinking his eyes, "Didn't you say that?"
"I never said that. Oh, right." Harry pulled out a stack of parchment, saying, "Here's some information I found that we can study together."
"That's fantastic!" Ron took it happily, looking at the familiar handwriting and becoming uneasy. "Oh... yeah, that's great."
"Do you have something to say?" Harry asked.
Ron hesitated for a moment, stared at the stack of parchment, and slowly took out a golden card from his pocket.
The Weasley couple had set up an exquisite table of dishes, taking a break from work and staying at home.
During lunch, the doorbell rang, and Mr. Weasley went out for a while before returning. When they parted, Mrs. Weasley brought out two large packages she had prepared.
"Mom..." Justin rolled his eyes and said helplessly, "There's too much stuff, I can't possibly carry it all."
"I'll do it." Felix said, waving his hand towards the packages, and stored them in the ring on his left hand. The Weasley couple looked at this in amazement.
"Is this magic? It's truly astonishing... I wonder if we could buy one?"
Felix shook his head. "Items like these are strictly regulated by the Ministry of Magic. It's manageable for wizards, but if it falls into the hands of Muggles—non-magical folks, it could attract the attention of specialized authorities."
"It's not like that fairy-made antique vase, which can be kept in the house for personal enjoyment, with very little chance of discovery. As soon as you use it, there's a risk of exposure."
Mrs. Weasley said regretfully, "We have a few magical items at home, trinkets we bought in Diagon Alley. We keep them in a room that's off-limits to outsiders."
"Yeah, Mom collected a whole set of Lockhart's books," Justin added.
Mrs. Weasley shot him a glare.
Before leaving, Mr. Weasley handed Felix a business card. Felix took it, sensing a faint magical trace on it. Curiously, he asked, "What's this?"
"It's from a friend. He's a collector who stays in touch with many well-connected people. This card is from a mysterious seller who's provided quite a few artifacts in recent years." Mr. Weasley said cautiously, "Including that vase..."
Felix understood immediately. The card only had a phone number on it, no name, truly mysterious.
"Do they communicate through the phone?"
"Hard to tell," Mr. Weasley said. "The mysterious seller instructed my friend to call the number on the card, but there's never an answer when he calls. However, if you wait a day or two, he'll show up and visit in person."
Felix smiled, "Mr. Weasley, thank you for your trust. I can assure you that your family won't be troubled by this."
"That's a relief," Mr. Weasley sighed.
He had thought about it for a long time last night and concluded that the Hogwarts professors should know about this matter. Otherwise, having a wizard with hidden intentions around felt unsettling.
After returning to school, Felix played with the business card. "Interesting, who could be behind this?"
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