The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 325 Hermione's Thoughts

The room that grants every request.

The spacious room had a somewhat mysterious feel to it, illuminated by candlelight.

But what's even more mysterious is Hermione's current statement.

"Are you sure? You heard Ms. Ravenclaw's voice?" Ino's expression was somewhat serious.

To be honest, this information was beyond his expectations. Logically speaking, after the crown was brought into the sanctuary, any unknown attachments on it should have dissipated, and Voldemort's remnant soul was a good example.

However, Hermione's next words dispelled his doubts.

"While I'm not sure if it was Ms. Ravenclaw, I did hear a voice, and she only said one sentence."

Hermione sat on the floor, a brief look of reminiscence in her eyes, then spoke in a soft voice:

"Exceptional wisdom is the greatest wealth."

"That's it?" Ino breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Hermione's retelling.

For a fleeting moment, he almost thought a black swan event had occurred, and he even considered some plot points from novels, such as the Ravenclaw legacy, a conspiracy hidden for thousands of years, and so on...

But now it seems more like a simple prompt, like a Muggle game console that you hear a startup sound after turning it on correctly.

However, after relaxing, his gaze turned to the girl next to him.

"Hermione, fifteen minutes is still a bit of a burden for you. If you want to think while wearing the crown in the future, it's best not to exceed ten minutes."

After much deliberation, Ino shortened the time.

"Hmm!" Hermione nodded slightly, seemingly accepting the suggestion.

Seeing that Hermione neither objected nor argued, he felt something was off; something seemed to be missing from his memory.

However, Hermione's mind was not on any crown at the moment.

The moment her shoulder was supported, she kept thinking about whether she should fall down as if it were a momentum, just like the girls in her dormitory had said before, to seize the opportunity precisely.

If she really falls down, how can she act more naturally, so that it's immediately obvious that she actually wants to be held?

Thinking about this, Hermione was immediately caught in a state of hesitation and confusion. As for what Ino had just said, she didn't care at all now.

On the other side, Ino also noticed something was wrong. Hermione seemed to be under a spell, her eyes were somewhat glazed, and her breathing seemed very short. In the candlelight, she appeared to be completely absent-minded.

"Hermione? How about I have Crib take you back? Anyway, these potions are safe here."

Nobody's a fool, and Hermione's state is actually quite easy to guess.

But looking around, the crucible simmering over a low flame, the slowly rising white smoke, and the one or two scattered books... gave him the feeling of being in a classroom.

"Potion? Oh right, potion!" Hermione snapped out of her daze upon hearing the word "potion."

"I need to write these down now! I just had a new idea: bat spleens can actually be replaced with lionfish spinal powder, and also with sapwort and peppermint..."

As Hermione spoke, she also took out a thick notebook from her bag and began taking notes without saying a word.

……

Time flies.

Even in ordinary times, different stories unfold, some exciting, some tragic.

Late November, the second to last weekend.

On Friday, after finishing his last Charms class, Harry walked wearily out of the classroom.

Although Ginny, Ron, and Hermione had stood by them last time, and Cedric had intervened afterward.

During this time, he did feel relieved, after all, there was less pointing fingers and gossip, and everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.

However, it seems that suffering always chooses its own people.

After the mental torment subsides, physical training follows.

To be honest, if it were in the past, Harry would have looked forward to the sound of school letting out on weekends the most.

But now, not only weekends, but even the end of the last class each day has become the time he least wants to face.

Because it meant that he would have to go outside the castle again to practice magic with Mad-Eye Moody.

The thought of Moody's scarred face and his wildly spinning demonic eye always made him feel uneasy.

……

"Why!"

Walking along the path outside the castle, Harry couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

He also knew that Moody was helping him, although the method was somewhat extreme, but the effect was also very significant.

During this time, Harry could clearly feel his progress. If he were to duel Malfoy again, he was confident he could dodge all of Malfoy's spells, after all, the skill Moody taught him most was dodging.

As they walked, Moody's cottage came into view.

That was another newly built round house not far from Hagrid's cottage.

"Hurry up! You don't have time to waste!"

Outside the house, Moody saw a hesitant and dawdling figure from afar, which made him feel a little helpless, but he had no choice but to urge him on.

On the other side, upon hearing the urging voice, Harry subconsciously changed his original pace, becoming agile and elusive.

"Dodge is the first step to becoming an Auror. No matter how powerful the magic, if it can't hit you, it's meaningless."

Harry recalled what Moody had said when they first met.

……

Outside the cabin.

When Moody saw Harry's pace change, a hint of relief finally appeared on his scarred face.

"Come here, no dodging practice today! I'll teach you a couple of spells. I think Hagrid should have already told you about the first event."

Upon hearing Hagrid's name, Harry turned his head slightly to look at the small hut next to him, but unfortunately, no one was there.

"Yes, Professor! Hagrid told me that the first match is a dragon fight."

"Very good! Now that you know, things will be easier." Moody nodded slightly, then turned his demonic eye wildly.

Just as Harry was feeling extremely uncomfortable, Moody slowly spoke:

"When facing a fire dragon, simply dodging isn't enough! You also need to learn to hide and stall for time..."

Harry listened to Moody's explanation without offering any opinion, but he felt somewhat disagreed.

He persevered through the intensive training, determined to prove himself rather than just muddle through.

Although the task involves fighting an enraged fire dragon within a set time, what's the point of passing the level if you just hide and run away the whole time?

Putting aside the fact that others might look down on them, the scores given by the five judges alone are unlikely to be very high.

Harry's changing expression naturally did not escape Moody's notice, but the experienced retired Auror did not point it out.

In his view, the boy's defiance was a good thing, proving that he still had energy and should be able to cope with the upcoming training.

Thinking of this, Moody couldn't help but grin, his scarred face becoming even more ferocious.

(End of this chapter)