The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 40: The Story Begins

After the White Witch and the giant wolf left, Ino returned to her room with nothing to do.

He's starting to feel like he's eating soft, sticky rice more and more.

Confined in the castle, with no worries about food or drink, all he had to do was tell the White Witch a story each day and try to make her happy.

But the thought of the other person always being melancholic and moody because of various stories made him feel genuinely tired.

That's alright, a few snacks can always do the trick.

He now fears an ending like One Thousand and One Nights, where one story is told each night, and when there are no more stories to tell, the king will kill the storyteller.

……

He returned to his room alone.

Ino picked up "Practical Magic for the Home" again and began to read.

One must be strong to forge iron, for all reluctance and lack of freedom stem from one's own weakness.

It's strange, really. It seems like there are too many people in the magic world who don't care much about strength, and even treat magic merely as a tool for making a living, rather than a means of survival.

Take this book, "Practical Magic for the Home," for example. It's a treasure trove of a book, yet it's severely underestimated and even sits untouched on library shelves.

Even if there are a few readers, they can only be full-time housewives and homemakers.

Although the book was not well-received, Ino did not underestimate it at all.

Three months is not a short time.

Over a hundred days and nights, he had already mastered various musical instruments and singing... no, he had mastered various cooking methods.

From cooking on the stove to daily chores, all kinds of magic are now readily available to her, much better than three months ago.

After all... whether it's cutting vegetables or peeling apples, magic doesn't only target one object; replacing the vegetables and fruits with people will have the same effect.

……

When focused, you never notice the passage of time.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as Ino was preparing to practice how to peel lobsters, his train of thought was interrupted by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

He got up and opened the door, and as expected, it was an old acquaintance, Simon, the dwarf coachman from before.

"Guest! Starting tomorrow, you don't need to go to the garden on time anymore. Everything else remains the same. If you need anything else, just come to me."

Simon the dwarf brought the White Witch's new instructions.

This is good news, but it is also something to be wary of.

After the dwarf left, Ino went to the window.

The area outside the castle seemed unusually lively. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the icy plains were filled with scattered shadows: wolves, hyenas, vultures...

Clearly, the curtain has been raised on Narnia, and the White Witch has no time to listen to stories for entertainment anymore.

But faced with such an epic story, he knew very well that there was nothing he could do, and he wasn't even qualified to be a spectator.

A sense of powerlessness arose spontaneously.

It is undoubtedly a great irony for a storyteller to be unable to experience the story firsthand.

……

Time passed day by day.

Narnia has also quietly changed; the sky, the earth, the mountains, the rivers... are all changing silently.

Meanwhile, more and more creatures are gathering on the ice plains outside the castle.

At first, there were only wolves and vultures serving as scouts, but now there are minotaurs wielding giant axes, majestic polar bears, and even cyclops twenty feet tall...

Not counting those who arrived gradually, the ice field is now a dark, dense mass, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Judging from this posture, the White Witch seems to be gathering all the armies she can command.

In contrast to the tense atmosphere outside, Ino found peace and tranquility in her room.

Aside from going to the auditorium for meals every day, he spent the rest of his time practicing magic without leaving the house. No matter how noisy it was outside, he was neither curious nor asked any questions.

Even so, this tranquility did not last long.

At dawn on the seventh day, the dwarf knocked on his room again.

……

The castle gardens.

Ino saw the White Witch after a long separation. She seemed even more dignified than before, exuding a suffocating aura.

"Good day, Your Majesty," Ino greeted softly.

However, he was met with silence.

The White Witch sat quietly in her chair, gazing at the only flower in the garden without turning her head, seemingly indifferent to everything around her.

After some time, this ice-blue rose has become even more crystal clear.

Seeing that the other person didn't want to talk, Ino sat quietly to the side. If he didn't want to talk, he didn't want to talk. When it came to silence, he was never afraid of anyone.

Time seemed to stand still; in the vast garden, the two of them remained motionless, like ice sculptures.

a long time.

Spring is coming to Narnia... The snow is melting, and the rivers are awakening!

The White Witch's voice remained as cold and aloof as ever.

Ino did not rush to take over the conversation and remained silent.

After all, the more critical the situation, the less one should speak; silence is the best response.

After a brief silence, the White Witch continued speaking to herself:

"For hundreds of years, you are the first person to live in the castle and remain safe and sound..."

Upon hearing this, Ino felt an urge to turn and run. After all, the hundreds or even thousands of living statues in the hall were no joke; who knew if the other party might suddenly say, "You can't break the tradition..."

Just as he was secretly calculating his escape route, the White Witch's next words made him breathe a sigh of relief, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

"Do you know why? Because you're the only one who neither treats me with hostility nor flatters me, which I find very interesting. Of course, you didn't disappoint me either; the stories you told later were really interesting and very exciting."

"Thank you for your praise and recognition, Your Majesty!" Ino said softly.

That's the art of language: knowing when to be silent and when to respond.

"While the story is compelling, what I want to say is that you don't need to change the original storyline just to please me. Tragedy is destined not to become comedy; even if you forcibly reverse it, it will only result in awkwardness."

At this point, the White Witch turned her head and gazed silently at the sky.

"Is it because you're afraid? If so, you don't need to. If I really wanted to hurt you, I would have done it long ago!"

The White Witch spoke slowly but forcefully, as if she possessed an innate air of authority.

"Besides, with your half-baked magic tricks, you have absolutely no chance to resist, and you know that very well. Even if you are favored by fate and have some fortune-telling skills."

the other side.

Faced with this sudden showdown, Ino was momentarily at a loss for words.

He might have wanted to offer a few words of flattery, but the moment he saw those calm and indifferent eyes, all his lies vanished.

Their sapphire blue pupils were as deep as the starry sky; anyone who looked into those eyes would probably not have the courage to lie.

After three months of getting along, at this moment, the White Witch felt incredibly unfamiliar to him.

It seems that she is not at all the easily fooled artsy young woman he thought she was. Instead, she is more like a wise person who sees through everything but doesn't say it, who understands everything and quietly appreciates everyone's performance.

"Your wisdom is truly admirable, Your Majesty!" Ino exclaimed sincerely.

This time, he was genuinely relieved that the White Witch was just a villain in a fairy tale, not a villain in the traditional sense.

"Hahahaha..." The White Witch laughed out loud for the first time ever.

The silvery laughter echoed through the castle garden, and it sounded strangely pleasant.

After a moment, the laughter gradually subsided.

"Let's go! Leave this place, leave the castle, go wherever you want."

Today is just a transitional day; things will be fine in the next two days.

New book release, a new journey begins. Thank you to all the big names for your support.

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Please add this to your favorites! Please recommend it! Please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)