"Wingardium Leviosa!"
A few days later, in Charms class, Harry pointed his wand at a feather on the desk, loudly incanting the spell. But the feather only wiggled, showing no intention of floating up. It was hard to tell if the wiggle was due to magic or simply the wind from his breath. Disappointed, he set his wand aside, propped his head up, and gazed out the window, his thoughts drifting.
Although he had witnessed the showdown between Professor Kahn and Professor Snape in the Library, Snape's attitude towards him had indeed improved slightly since that day. The feeling was probably like going from seeing an enemy to seeing a slightly less annoying enemy. But Harry cherished the change; it at least made Potions class less unbearable. And thanks to Professor Kahn's old books, he had even developed a slight interest in the subject. At least Potions was much more interesting than History.
"How great would it be if Professor Kahn taught Potions class?" Harry thought to himself.
Professor Kahn's Care of Magical Creatures class was highly praised by the upperclassmen, and besides the reward he'd mentioned, there was another important reason. According to the older students, they no longer had to worry about getting a leg bitten off during class.
Although he had never met the former professor, the description made Harry shiver. What kind of being was Professor Kettleburn to leave such a terrifying psychological shadow? Even Snape wouldn't just dismember a student's leg at the drop of a hat, would he?
…He shouldn't, right?
Shaking his head, Harry cast the wild associations from his mind. He had been at Hogwarts for a full two months without realizing it. Looking at his classmates waving their wands, trying to make their feathers fly, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. The first thing he did every day was no longer being rushed to make breakfast, but freely choosing food in the spacious Great Hall. After breakfast, he didn't have to do chores; he could attend classes he had never imagined before. Waiting for him were no longer boring Math and History textbooks, but Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and even Quidditch practice every Wednesday evening.
Of course, History class still seemed unavoidable, and Defense Against the Dark Arts was also a bit boring. But these flaws could not overshadow the surprises this magical castle brought him. Such happy days were unimaginable just a few months ago, when his greatest wish was not to be woken up by Dudley's footsteps and not have to make breakfast.
Thinking of this, Harry recalled the overwhelming flood of letters, and that rainy night when Hagrid and Professor Kahn arrived at the isolated island hut. And Dumbledore, the Headmaster who had left his name on the letter, granting him this new life. Although he had only seen him a few times at the feast, the Headmaster had left a deep impression on him. His opening speech, so brief it was almost comical, and his majestic yet humorous image, were completely different from any important figure he had ever met.
He loved this school. And in this school, for the first time, he had friends.
Just as he thought this, he heard two voices enter his ears.
"…That 'gar' needs to be long and clear!"
"You're so clever, why don't you try it yourself?"
…They were arguing again. Glancing at the two who always argued whenever they met, Harry shook his head helplessly. Ever since they had secretly snuck out of the common room that night, these two had been at odds, with no sign of peace. Hopefully, this time it will end quickly, he thought.
By the way, tonight is Halloween. What kind of feast will the school prepare?
With anticipation for the evening's food, Harry picked up his wand again and aimed it at the feather on the desk.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
This time, the feather didn't just wiggle; it lifted slightly, an inch, before slowly falling back down. This height clearly wasn't enough for a successful cast, but there were already signs of success. Harry nodded with satisfaction.
A good start.
"Tents, food, water—it doesn't matter, I can just use the Aguamenti spell…"
Later that evening, in the Care of Magical Creatures hut, Evans was checking the items for his upcoming trip. Tomorrow was Halloween, and with the rest days, he would have a three-day mini-vacation. It was time to see if Firenze's prophecy was reliable.
Putting all the items into his coat pockets, he looked up at a map pinned above his desk. Large areas were stained, with only less than a quarter of the bottom left corner showing clear patterns. This was a map he had made in his seventh year, depicting his exploration of the Forbidden Forest. In fact, his exploration at that time was far from a quarter; some parts were only explored after he returned to the school. But this was enough to show how vast this forest, completely shrouded in magic, truly was. Those Muggles would never imagine that such a vast magical forest was hidden within the spectacular fault mountains of the Scottish Highlands.
Looking at the large stained area on the map, Evans shook his head slightly. Besides searching for Lethifolds, he also planned to explore the western side of the forest. Finding Lethifolds was uncertain, but exploring unknown areas was definitely not a loss. The strange seal in the center alone had greatly aided his magical career, and his research on Re'em bloodlines had laid the foundation for his future research direction. The subsequent rewards had further enhanced his spirit, saving him a lot of time on cultivation and allowing him to better study his talents and magical creatures. Without that seal, he could still achieve something, but it would not be as easy as it was now, not to mention becoming a Hogwarts professor at his age.
Hmm… not necessarily. If it were a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, I could really give it a try. After all, that cursed position seemed quite difficult to fill, and the Headmaster would definitely loosen some requirements.
Muttering to himself, Evans took the map from the wall and put it into his pocket. This map needed to be carried with him to record terrain; if he didn't bring it, he would have to manually add it, which was quite troublesome. After unlocking the third seal, he didn't want to touch anything related to drawing and sculpting for at least a year.
After double-checking his supplies and confirming that he was fully prepared and wouldn't end up in a wilderness survival situation, Evans put on his coat and embraced Alice and Nana, who were playing on the bed.
"Let's go, we're going to the feast!"
(End of Chapter)
***
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