The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 141 Valentine's Day Gift

February 14, 1993, Valentine's Day.

Early in the morning, after confirming that she had no classes, Ino walked out of her dormitory with her suitcase, just like usual.

After having breakfast in the auditorium, we planned to continue fishing at Black Lake.

Although the giant octopus spider shares the characteristic of all spiders—resistance to hunger—it still needs a variety of meat to grow.

Similarly, he now carries his suitcase with him as much as possible, even to class. After all, those lively little guys inside, though seemingly well-behaved, are actually genuine 5X dangerous species.

Even though he is still a young spider, he already possesses venom, so he doesn't want to follow in Hagrid's footsteps and become another student expelled fifty years later.

……

While I was thinking, we arrived at the auditorium.

Although Lockhart, the blustering figure, was absent this year, the auditorium was still decorated, with blooming roses adorning the surrounding walls.

Looking at the decorations around her that matched the seasonal atmosphere, Ino chuckled and sat down at the Slytherin table. After gently tapping the tabletop, an English breakfast appeared out of thin air.

This is how it works during breakfast service: whenever a young wizard sits down and taps on the table, the house-elves in the kitchen will bring him a standard breakfast.

Everything is optional; you eat whatever the kitchen prepares. Of course, Hufflepuffs are an exception, since the little badgers order their food from the kitchen.

Looking at the sandwich with extra toppings and a bowl of pumpkin porridge in front of her, Ino picked up her utensils and began to eat.

Before eating, he placed his wand on the table so he could easily pick it up if needed. After all, today was a bit special; last year, he had almost suffered a terrible fate when he was caught off guard.

8 o'clock in the morning.

As if they had planned it all along, countless owls flew into the auditorium.

After the little creatures flew into the auditorium, they hovered in mid-air with their round eyes wide open, seemingly checking the recipient. Once they found their target, they would fly over the recipient's head and start their 'precision' throwing mode.

After a brief delay in flight, most of the owls in the Great Hall seemed to have found their target. This majority then split in two, with one group flying towards the Slytherin table and the other towards the Hufflepuff table.

"Yugadimurleviosa~"

Upon seeing a swarm of owls flying toward Slytherin, Ino immediately put down her sandwich, picked up her wand from the table, and cast the Levitation Charm.

After casting the spell, he kept his wand raised in his right hand, unlike when he used the Levitation Charm and then lowered it.

This is an advanced levitation spell trick he found in the library. After reciting the spell, hold your wand and concentrate; for a short time, you can then tap multiple objects in succession to cast the levitation spell.

Just like playing a shooting game, after waving the wand dozens of times, all the packages and letters floated steadily in mid-air.

Conversely, a devil's net, two meters in radius and intertwined, suddenly appeared on the Hufflepuff table, its long tentacles binding all the packages and letters tightly.

Seeing this, Ino sighed with admiration. As expected of someone valued by Professor McGonagall, Cedric's Transfiguration always carried a calm and precise style.

Although Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were in between, he still saw the other's helpless expression.

After exchanging a wry smile, the two left the hall each carrying a pile of packages.

……

Slytherin's bedroom.

No sooner had Ino returned to her dorm and put down her bag than Draco followed her back.

"Hehe! A total of 32 pieces! I was counting them just now!"

Hearing the teasing voice, Ino said without turning her head, "Do you have so much free time? Then please go and call Gore in. We can't finish all these candies, and it would be a waste if they went bad."

"Oh! Then I'll go!" Draco didn't hesitate. He was now used to Ino's favoritism towards Goyle, and any extra food he had was always given to Goyle.

He simply couldn't understand what merits that dull-witted Gore possessed.

"Bang!"

As the dormitory door was closed again, Ino began to unpack the packages one by one.

That's probably how lovers are; the package contains nothing but chocolates.

A stack of various postcards, two inches thick, was stored in an unused cabinet in the dormitory.

Although he didn't have the energy to read these cheesy love quotes, he wouldn't just throw them away. After all, they were written with great effort, and basic respect was still necessary.

Seeing the mountain of chocolates on the table, Ino decisively took out her wand.

"Reveal yourself immediately!"

A few seconds later, pink fluorescence began to gradually appear in the pile of candies on the table.

"...16 items? I really overestimated your limits."

Speechless, utterly speechless.

Ino now had an urge to take this pile of stuff to the Auror's office. While others were looking for added ingredients in normal chocolates, he was looking for normal ones in added ones. There were no more than 30 packages in total, and more than half of them had been spiked.

They really think no one cares about writing anonymous letters!

However, he also knew that, in reality, no one really cared about this kind of thing.

Putting aside whether the anonymous letter can be traced back to its rightful owner, even if it is, without the person having eaten chocolate, it usually results in only a minor punishment, especially for Hogwarts students, whose identity provides a natural layer of protection.

For students, the Ministry of Magic's punishments are mostly verbal warnings.

Only after graduating will the young wizards experience what true, cruel reality is.

……

at the same time.

A small discussion also took place in the second-year girls' dormitory in Slytherin.

In the dormitory, Daphne lay on the bed, looking at Pansy with a mocking expression.

"Are you really just going to watch like this? You won't even use the love potion I gave you! You must have heard the rumors, right? That Muggle witch from Gryffindor, oh wow! Her crystal ball actually contains Hogwarts Castle!"

Seeing that Pansy remained unmoved, Daphne was not discouraged and continued to speak tirelessly:

"Oh, right! Someone went to her house as a guest. That was the first time Ino had ever been to someone else's house besides Malfoy Manor, and it was even a friend of the opposite sex's house. I don't care, but I'm afraid some silly girls might secretly cry in bed..."

However, before Daphne could finish speaking, Pansy responded by standing up and lunging onto the bed.

"Hey! What are you doing? Go find the person who upset you..."

After their playful antics subsided, Daphne asked somewhat seriously, "You really aren't going to do anything about it?"

"What am I supposed to use to control her? A soul-stealing spell or a love potion?" Pansy rolled her eyes at Daphne, speechless. How old is she and still so childish?

"I mean that Gryffindor Muggle..." Daphne whispered quietly.

"Stop it! That won't work. Ino isn't stupid, and I don't think I'll lose to her. There's still plenty of time."

Lying on Daphne's bed, Pansy quietly stared at the ceiling.

After a while, she turned over, pressed her mouth to Daphne's ear, and lowered her voice even further.

"Don't forget, this is Hogwarts."

(End of this chapter)