"Please address Mr. Green with respect, big guy!"
Will roared, shooting an arrow that pierced the tree beside Hagrid.
"Sean... did the esteemed Mr. Green not tell you that I would be coming back?" Hagrid said, feeling aggrieved.
"Mr. Green told me that once the master of this place returns, my mission will be complete," Will said, tilting his head back. It seemed that carrying out a mission for the "Mr. Green" he spoke of was an incredibly honorable thing.
"I am the master here!" Hagrid shouted hopefully at the top of his lungs.
"Mr. Green didn't say anything about that—"
Will pointed his arrow at Hagrid's forehead.
"Stubborn goblin! Can't you just ask?!"
(Remember, 101 Novel Network is your companion for leisure, 101𝓀𝒌𝒔.𝒄ℴ𝓂 is super thoughtful)
Hagrid couldn't help but growl.
According to Will, the master of the house could enter, but Will didn't know who the master was, so that meant no one could enter?!
"Pot-bellied mole! How dare you try to guess Mr. Green's deep meaning!" Will roared back without backing down.
Sean watched silently from the edge of the tall grass. A silvery-white owl flew onto his shoulder, carrying a seemingly lifeless Mr. Owl in its beak.
Mr. Owl wasn't seriously hurt, just exhausted.
He had fought three rounds with Bai in her owl form, and his desire to compete with her had been thoroughly crushed.
If he had seen Bai's feat of defeating dozens of owls before landing on Sean's shoulder, perhaps he wouldn't have had such thoughts.
"Bai."
Sean tapped the owl's head with his finger.
"Coo coo coo..." Bai complained.
The Forbidden Forest was quiet, save for the standoff between Hagrid and Will.
Suddenly, they both looked toward the tall grass, where a young wizard walked out.
"Will, this is the master of the house, Hagrid," Sean said.
"Ah! Please come in, Mr. Hagrid."
Will's face changed instantly, and he respectfully stepped aside to clear the way.
It was a stark contrast to his previous demeanor.
Hagrid scratched his head, suddenly developing a great curiosity about this goblin-like creature.
What a stubborn one!
"Sean, come on in, and you too, Will," Hagrid called out warmly.
His black beard looked glossy, and he was wearing a long moleskin coat. A joyful smile spread across his face as soon as he saw Sean.
Inside the hut, the fireplace was warm. Hagrid drank eggnog as he recounted his thrilling experiences at the Ministry of Magic.
"...Fudge didn't want to dismiss my case; he thought it would be a big loss for the Ministry. But he changed his mind quickly...
Professor Dumbledore came, and the news about you guys in the papers reached his ears. Oh my, you said in the paper that I'm your best friend—is that true?
The Ministry finally agreed... By the way, Fudge asked me to send you his regards... What good is that?
After he agreed, the Wizengamot retried the case. Do you know the Wizengamot? It's the highest court in the wizarding world.
Doesn't matter if you don't know. They're planning to elect you as a Youth Representative, but they couldn't find you, and Professor Dumbledore wouldn't allow anyone else into Hogwarts..."
Hagrid had been away from Hogwarts for a long time, and it seemed he wanted to pour out all the words he had held back during those days.
Sean listened quietly, nodding from time to time.
"Hagrid, it must have been a hard journey, right?" he asked.
"Of course not! I could go to the Ministry three more times if it meant good things like this."
Hagrid's large face looked ruddy in the firelight.
"But there were troubles too; they kicked the matter around like a ball."
Hagrid's beard twisted together, looking very distressed.
"But you completed it very well," Sean said.
"Of course, of course..." Hagrid laughed heartily.
After talking with Hagrid for a while, the moon hung high over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid reluctantly saw Sean off.
He waved his large hand by the hut, watching the young wizard disappear into the ink-black darkness.
Entering the castle corridor, Sean walked silently toward Ravenclaw Tower.
The matters with Hagrid and Lockhart had come to an end.
As for the things outside Hogwarts Castle that Hagrid mentioned, such as the invitation from the Wizengamot, Sean had no interest.
This was the wizarding world, and magic was the foundation of everything.
Rather than accepting an interview with Transfiguration Today or publishing an alchemy manual, Sean preferred to first advance his Charms to the [Expert] level.
He opened his panel:
[Levitation Charm: Master (600/?)]
[Finite Incantatem: Expert (1201/9000)]
[Quietus: Expert (1011/9000)]
[Disillusionment Charm: Expert (2380/9000)]
[Advancement: Twelve Expert-level spells or five Master-level spells to unlock the Expert title in the Charms field]
Originally, with his talent in Charms, it would have taken him until at least his third year to raise his Charms title to [Expert].
But now, having received personal guidance from Ravenclaw, Sean was confident he could complete the advancement in his second year.
However, he still needed to choose which five spells to master.
Because the Shield Charm, which he once considered difficult, was no longer the biggest problem.
Now that difficulty was no longer the biggest headache, the issue before him was how to choose the most suitable spells.
Sean pondered as the night grew deeper.
[Patronus Charm], [Shield Charm], [Legilimens].
The parchment rustled as Sean wrote these three at the top of his notes.
The Patronus Charm was preparation for next term, and as a universal defensive spell, Sean naturally wouldn't miss out on the Shield Charm.
As for Legilimens, that was Sean's research in another direction.
...
Hogwarts Castle fell into slumber, only occasionally disturbed by owls gliding past, their wings brushing against the air with a faint sound.
Sean's Two-Way Mirror suddenly rippled. He took it out; the tabby cat was no longer grooming itself.
The moment Professor McGonagall's angry face appeared, Sean quickly summoned Pukwudgie the butler.
Almost forgot again...
"Sean Green," Professor McGonagall said sternly, examining Sean's surroundings.
"Professor."
Pukwudgie the butler returned to the Book of Wizards, and Sean appeared out of thin air on the hospital bed.
Beside him, Madam Pomfrey rubbed her eyes, muttered "peculiar," and then paid it no more mind.
She was a doctor; as long as the patient returned, it didn't matter how they returned...
She had seen too many peculiar methods with Dumbledore.
"Mm."
Professor McGonagall's expression softened.
The two remained quiet like this. The last snow of winter was about to melt completely.
Hogwarts was no longer as cold as before, and Sean no longer wore scarves from various wizards all day long.
"Professor, can I learn the Patronus Charm from you?" Sean suddenly asked.