Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 142: New Member

Chapter 142: New Member
The Gryffindor long table was filled with almost all of Gryffindor, including Harry and Ron, of course.

Right now, they were sitting there, eating everything they could pick up with a fork—bread, flatbread, mushrooms—while devising ways to increase the chances of their plans succeeding, even though these plans were all difficult to implement. But talking about it was always a pleasant experience.

Ron also started teaching Harry how to play Wizarding Chess. Wizarding Chess is exactly the same as Muggle Chess, but its pieces are alive, so it feels more like commanding an army in battle.

Ron's chess set was old and worn. Everything Ron owned originally belonged to other members of his family; this chess set belonged to his grandfather. However, the age of the pieces didn't bother him at all. Ron knew them very well and could command them effortlessly.

Ha was using the set of pieces Siem Renigan had left him, and they didn't trust him at all. His skill level wasn't very high either, and the pieces were giving him all sorts of advice, making him dizzy and confused.

"Don't send me there. Can't you see your horse? Send him instead. It doesn't matter if he's killed."

"Marco won't do."

Harry rubbed his temples and forced the noisy witch out.

Scattered around them were books such as "The Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century," "A Directory of Famous Contemporary Magicians," "Major Discoveries in Modern Magic," and "A Study of the Development of Modern Wizardry," as if they were searching for someone.

Unsurprisingly, Harry lost the match, and when he and Ron looked at each other, they knew they were facing that dreaded problem again.

"I suspect there must be some kind of test."

Ron said with certainty,
"Remember the Blind Man's Secret Passage Club? The one Fred and his gang secretly set up, ostensibly called the Castle Explorers Club, but actually used to steal secret passages."

Their test was to rush blindfolded into a wall; no one knew if there was a secret passage behind it, and those who had experienced it said it was terrifying.

Harry remembered that Fred and the others had been winking and making faces at the young wizard outside the changing room:

"Yes, you'll never know there's a secret passage behind it unless you close your eyes and bump into it."

Then a resolute glint flashed in Harry's eyes:

"We will pass the test!"

He thought: What could be more terrifying than endless homework?
Professor McGonagall severely criticized their Transfiguration paper, and Professor Snape coldly deducted five points from it.

If this continues, all of Gryffindor's house points will disappear.

The two looked at each other and saw the determination in each other's eyes.

"What are they going to do?"

After finally coming to her senses, Hermione saw Harry and Ron walking towards her "in high spirits".

They walked to the entrance of the auditorium, then quietly hid behind their armor, waiting for something.

At the entrance of the Great Hall, the hourglasses of the four houses stood quietly, with Ravenclaw's score remaining firmly in first place after experiencing a rollercoaster ride.

Even Ron said with some despair: if they don't win the Quidditch Cup, they will never be able to surpass Ravenclaw.

But he quickly cheered up again: "Slytherin can forget about it."

The food on the table gradually disappeared, and the dessert that appeared later also vanished.

Sheen, holding "The Fifth Element: Inquiry," was about to walk from the auditorium to Hope Hut.

Then he saw the two people sneaking around.

"Harry, Ron?"

They appeared so often that Sheen asked in a low voice.

“Oh! Sheen! We want to join the trial, no matter what organization it is, we…”

Harry trembled with fright at the unexpected sound.

When he realized what he had said, despair was written all over Ron's face.

“Yes. I agree. Ron, you, and Harry. But you’ll have to ask the others for their opinions.”

Sheen stared at the two of them and instantly understood what they were planning to do.

He himself wasn't against it, and he wouldn't object if everyone in the cabin agreed.

In comparison, it wouldn't be bad if Harry and Ron could keep track of the Mystic's movements.

"Ah—you mean, ah, I mean... there aren't any tests? Like, like making us bang our heads against a wall or something."

Ron stammered, the surprise was too sudden; he hadn't expected it at all. He steered the conversation back to the area they had already planned, and the discussion flowed more and more smoothly. At the same time, his eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. Sheehan was talking about him, and Harry…

"Bumping into a wall?"

Sheen raised an eyebrow.

"Oh! Ron means we should go and ask right away!"

Harry covered Ron's mouth and walked away.

"...Ron, why do we have to keep banging our heads against the wall?!"

Harry said with a hint of helplessness, "I've never seen anyone so eager to bang their head against a wall."

"oh oh--"

Ron blushed, looking both embarrassed and angry, and somewhat frightened.

How could he have blurted everything out!

"We two really lost our minds in front of Sheehan."

Harry said, and then the two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

The next day, Wednesday.

Hope Hut in the early morning.

Sheen was sitting in front of the fireplace, organizing his notes.

He added much more about potions and defense against dark magic, and as he placed the items in the wooden cabinet by the entrance, the enchanted mirror cried out:

"Neat and clean! But the style is damn messy!"

Sheen silently reviewed his outfit: scarf, sweater, gloves, robe, and recently, hat... all of which came from different sources.

That's absolutely right.

So he returned to his seat by the fireplace and continued flipping through his alchemy books, since he was going to Professor Terra's place that afternoon.

Just then, a commotion arose from outside.

"Mr. Finley, are we really not supposed to do anything?"

It's Harry's voice.

"Oh—yes, we don't mind..."

That's Ron's voice.

"Do you think this is some kind of cannibalistic place?"

This was clearly Hermione; her voice was both helpless and amused.

"Of course not. The important thing is to remember one thing—Mr. Owl."

Justin greeted them warmly.

Only then did Harry and the others notice an owl wearing gold-rimmed glasses on the wall.

"It's so amazing..."

Ron spoke to Harry, his voice trembling slightly, clearly very excited.