No matter the reason, the passage of time inevitably brings subtle changes to relationships.
Some grow closer—like Wade and his SSC companions—while others become increasingly hostile—like Potter and Malfoy, whose petty squabbles have become a notable fixture at Hogwarts.
In the evening, Wade and Michael returned to the Ravenclaw common room just in time before curfew. As soon as they walked in, Michael was called away by two girls.
Tomorrow is Halloween, and the students were excited, with a small party taking place in the common room. Michael was one of the few first-year students invited.
During the weekend in Hogsmeade, the older students had bought plenty of Butterbeer, rum, and whiskey, and a slightly intoxicating smell now filled the room.
Michael wanted to drag Wade along, but Wade waved him off—he had always been indifferent to such gatherings.
The last time he attended one, he saw two people who weren't very familiar with each other passionately kissing on the couch after drinking too much, with a crowd of people around applauding and cheering, beer splashing everywhere.
It all created an atmosphere of drunken revelry and indulgence.
Although Wade had lived in the West for eleven years, he remained reserved and cautious about emotions and physical contact, much more so than his classmates.
Ascending the spiral staircase back to the dormitory, everything was as clean and orderly as usual. The clothes he had changed out of the previous day were washed and ironed, neatly folded in the wardrobe.
On his desk was a pot of boiling water, emitting wisps of steam. Wade poured himself a cup; the temperature was just right.
At Hogwarts, the long tables usually only offered various fruit juices, vegetable juices, or hot chocolate, and students generally drank plain water.
Wade wasn't accustomed to this, so he had left a note on his dirty laundry a while ago, asking if he could have hot water when he returned to the dorm.
The next morning, he found a steaming pot of red tea on his desk—house-elves probably didn't understand what "hot water" meant and might never have been asked for such a thing before.
So Wade added another note: [Thank you for the tea. However, what I wanted was plain water boiled directly without any tea leaves.]
From that day on, whenever he returned to the dorm, there was always a pot of perfectly heated water waiting for him, even in the mornings.
One must admit, at least half of the comfort of life at Hogwarts is provided by the house-elves.
Before going to bed, Wade placed three mini pumpkin carriages on his desk—made using Transfiguration—with a small lantern hanging from the front, glowing with a faint green light.
[To: Zoe, Phil, and Happy
Thank you for your attentive service. This is a Halloween gift for you.
Wishing you a Happy Halloween!]
---
When Wade woke up early in the morning, it was already Halloween, and the entire castle was filled with the aroma of roasted pumpkins.
The pumpkin carriages on his desk had disappeared, replaced by a new pot of hot water, a plate of pumpkin cookies, a bouquet of fresh flowers, and a pile of pretty little stones.
The heart-shaped cookies smelled delicious, the flowers were still dewy, and the thumb-sized stones looked like gems. These were all thoughtfully prepared by the house-elves.
Wade couldn't help but smile.
He didn't think the gifts from the house-elves were cheap—they belonged to Hogwarts, and besides their tea towels, the house-elves had nothing. Even the tea towels technically belonged to Hogwarts.
Halloween wasn't a holiday, and the day started with a Charms lesson. Professor Flitwick divided the students into pairs to practice the Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa), and Wade was paired with Anthony Goldstein.
"Don't forget the subtle wrist movement we've been practicing!" Professor Flitwick said sharply.
"A flick and a swish! Remember, the wrist must flick and swish!
Pronouncing the spell correctly is also crucial—don't forget the case of Professor Baruffio, who pronounced 'f' as 's' and ended up on the floor with a buffalo standing on his chest!
Alright, let's start practicing!"
The students began chanting in unison: "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather in front of Wade immediately floated up—he had practiced this charm many times before in the umbrella room, mainly for moving tables and chairs.
Hermione and Michael also succeeded in turn, and Professor Flitwick clapped his hands joyfully, saying, "Well done! I'm awarding two points to each of you!"
Then a surprising scene unfolded—Neville's feather wobbled into the air, swaying like a small boat in turbulent waves, floating about two feet above him.
Gryffindors were astonished, their eyes nearly popping out, because Neville had always been clumsy in every class, and no one, except Professor Sprout, ever praised him.
Moreover, the Levitation Charm was very challenging for young witches and wizards, with most students' feathers remaining motionless.
So seeing Neville perform the Levitation Charm (even though it was still a bit shaky) was as shocking as seeing a troll do ballet.
"Fantastic! Absolutely marvelous, Mr. Longbottom!" Professor Flitwick squealed with excitement, hopping a little. "Gryffindor earns five points!"
"Are you kidding? Even Longbottom managed to do it?"
Wade heard Anthony beside him exclaim in surprise. Anthony repeatedly cast the spell, but the feather remained motionless.
Anthony was a tall and solid boy. His incantations were fine, but the precise and subtle wrist movement was too difficult for him. As he kept practicing, his movements became increasingly off.
"Wait a minute!" Seeing that Anthony was about to poke his wand into the back of the student in front, Wade grabbed his wrist and said, "Try this—"
He drew a steep sine wave curve on a piece of paper, with arrows indicating the direction, and marked where the movement should be faster.
After enlarging it, he held it up in front of Anthony and said, "Move the wand along this line, and don't go outside the range."
Anthony didn't question it. As fellow Ravenclaws, they knew Wade's spellcasting skills were probably the best in their year. The blonde boy silently tried the movement himself first, then waved his wand again—
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather immediately floated up, rising higher and higher under Anthony's control, even brushing against the chandelier above. Anthony looked on in delight, almost reluctant to put down his wand.
Terry Boot and Lavender Brown, sitting on either side of them, exchanged glances and almost simultaneously reached out. In the end, Lavender, with superior agility, grabbed the parchment and pulled it in front of her group.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
On the right side of the classroom, more and more feathers began to float, naturally catching Professor Flitwick's attention.
Just as Lisa Turpin grabbed the parchment, a tiny hand from below snatched it away. Professor Flitwick glanced over and, smiling, said, "Oh, what a clever guiding technique—"
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