Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 114, Section 113: The Untouchable Hand

Saturday night was unusually noisy.

This is because the wizards who went to Hogsmeade Village returned to Hogwarts still feeling excited.

At times like these, Mr. Filch would be very busy, always having to watch out for those mischievous little wizards, especially those two audacious red-haired wizards.

These two wizards caused him to develop a strong aversion to all red-haired wizards.

As Mr. Filch finished his day's work and was preparing to return to his dimly lit administrator's office, Sheen passed by, having just finished brewing a pot of [Expert] level swelling potion.

Above the potions in his notebook, he wrote down his recent progress in spells.

He's already a proficient in whispering spells, and his ability to stop spells instantly has reached the expert level. Now, without needing to chant any spells, Sheen can easily end Justin's levitation spell.

Professor Flitwick used some minor curses to hone his combat skills, and without exception, he neutralized all of them.

The professor then cast some weak poison spells, which Sheen barely managed to block. However, if the incantation were recited, Sheen's Curse Stop could block almost all poison spells, and even some weaker curses could not break through Sheen's defenses.

He can now say that no one among the first-year wizards can break through his defenses.

With his combination of transfiguration and spells, he seemed capable of easily defeating younger wizards.

But if they were to face those senior wizards, the outcome would be hard to predict.

So Sheen never stopped striving, and once he reached the Expert level in Whispering Charms, he could unlock new Charm titles and improve his Charm talent.

Furthermore, they continue to combine their own spells to enhance their combat power.

The corridor was deserted, and once again, Sheen did not see Mrs. Lorris.

Bruce and Sheen agreed on a time, which was two hours later than most of the returning wizards.

Bruce explained, "It's a two-hour race against time."

Before he could finish speaking, Senior Leon tried to turn back to Hogwarts Castle, as if Senior Bruce were about to sprinkle itching powder into the hat of the spice joke shop owner, and was then dragged away by Senior Bruce with a huff.

With a little while to go before the appointed time, Sheen once again heard the little wizard's cheerful laughter coming from the administrator's office.

He sighed softly—no little wizard will forever resent Mr. Filch, but there will always be little wizards who resent Mr. Filch.

After cleaning the office, Sheen neatly put away his wand.

Thanks to the widespread use of the Cleansing Charm, Sheen has become quite proficient with it. It won't be long before he's as good as the professors, able to clean the ground with a wave of his wand.

Watching the wooden cabinet collapse once again, Sheen used a repair spell he had only recently learned:
"Reparo!"

The wooden cabinet seemed to have turned back time; all the cracks from top to bottom were restored, and the sawdust on the ground flew back into the cabinet.

A fantastical scene...

Sheen's lips curled into a smile; he always got excited about magic.

As soon as he left the office quietly, Sheen heard a loud meow. He crouched down, waiting for Mrs. Lorris to pounce on him.

Whether it was because Sheehan always helped Mr. Filch clean his office, easing Mrs. Lorris's worries, or because Justin's dried fish was nutritious...

In short, Lady Lorris had gained weight, and Sheen could clearly feel that she was a little heavier when she stepped on Sheen's shoulders.

[You've gained the favor of the magical cat Lizi (Mrs. Lorris) using your expert skills; proficiency +10]

[Fantastic Beasts Cat Slang (Mrs. Lorris): Not Close (80/90)]

[Apprentice-level affinity with magical creatures unlocks the Apprentice-level title in the Magical Creatures realm]

He was just a little bit away from unlocking the magical creature talent. Sheen silently took out Justin's newly made dried fish from his bag. It was apple flavored... All I can say is that his magic is still too comprehensive.

While Mrs. Lorris was snoring, Filch's usually sinister face stretched out for a long time under the office oil lamp.

He stared longingly down the corridor, unable to take even a single step in the shadows.

He clearly had a scarf he had been choosing for a long time in his hand, and Mrs. Lorris had been purring for quite a while.

Ah, but he's a Squib. And Squibs are extremely rare in the wizarding world and face severe discrimination.

Pure-blood families often remove them from their names (such as Marius of the Black family), and the Ministry of Magic does not record their birth information.

As their name suggests, they are fireworks that only make a "pop" sound, and in colloquial terms, they are insignificant.

Most Squibs spend their lives on the fringes of magic, leading unproductive and impoverished lives.

So their anger seems to come from the bottom of their hearts, because their voices will never be heard by anyone.

Except for… Headmaster Dumbledore.

He generously gave this man, who longed for magic, a humble position.

Therefore, Filch cherished them especially. He despised those rule-breaking little wizards and hated the trouble they caused that made him anxious and constantly worried about being fired.

Those little wizards, who clearly possess the ability to cast spells, spend their days playing wildly and breaking the rules, unaware of how envious those without magical abilities are.

Except for... Green.

……

Sheen patted Mrs. Lorris's head. With the return of Bruce getting closer, he put Mrs. Lorris back on the ground.

They walked towards the auditorium.

Mr. Filch watched him walk away silently, then put the scarf back in the closet.

He got a new sweater...that's enough.

The watchful eyes gradually faded away; perhaps it's best to keep some things buried deep within one's heart.

There are too many lonely people in the world who are afraid to take the first step.
So when Sheen appeared in front of Filch with the biting doorknob, his expression was one of terror, as if he had seen a troll.

“Mr. Filch, this is something I asked Hufflepuff to help me buy.”

Sheen secured it to the door of the administrator's office, then cast a Disillusionment Charm on the original doorknob and handed Mr. Filch a bite-proof glove.

In this way, those mischievous little wizards wouldn't be able to get inside and cause trouble.

Filch stared blankly at the young wizard—who fiddled with it for a while, then clapped his hands in satisfaction, nodded to himself, and politely said goodbye before leaving.

Even at this point, Filch still hadn't fully grasped the situation.

Sheen thought it was just a small thing; the low-end version of biting doorknobs wasn't very aggressive, at most it would hurt the little wizards for a while.

In this way, the young wizards won't lose points in the academy, and Mr. Filch won't have to wipe down his office so often.

The cold wind still howled.

At the door of the administrator's office, Filch held a brand-new scarf, but his outstretched hand ultimately touched nothing.

(End of this chapter)