The second weekend was the day for Quidditch selection for new members.
However, this year was a bit different from before. Not only Hufflepuff, but the other three house teams also didn't need to recruit new players.
Among the four teams, Malfoy was the only new face, while the rest were familiar faces from last year.
Kael only watched for five minutes at the Quidditch Pitch before getting up to leave.
It was too boring; he'd rather discuss Magic Text with Riddle.
Of course, Kael also fulfilled the request Riddle made earlier... though it wasn't with a Fairy or Bowtruckle, but something else instead.
"Sorry, Tom, I was spotted by Hagrid when I went to the Forbidden Forest. He's the Gamekeeper and didn't allow me to enter, but I found this instead."
Kael placed an Earth Turtle on the Diary.
As food for Bowtruckles... this thing should count as somewhat related to Fantastic Beasts.
Also, Riddle didn't seem to mind whether it was an Earth Turtle or Bowtruckle. Instead, he asked with interest:
[Was it Rubeus Hagrid?]
"I think that's his name. Do you know him?"
[In fact, we were classmates, but he was expelled in the end due to a very serious mistake.]
[Do you want to know what happened? I can take you to see it.]
"I don't want to!"
Kael wrote decisively on the Diary:
"I'm only interested in studying right now, let's continue discussing Magic Text."
[What I mean is that Rubeus Hagrid's expulsion was related to another matter, a legend at Hogwarts, concerning Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets...]
"What Chamber, greenhouse—what does that have to do with me? Only studying makes me happy."
Before Riddle's writing disappeared, Kael wrote in the blank space below:
"By the way, I still have some questions about the symbol representing 'light'. Is there another sequence for constructing it with Magic Text..."
Kael wrote a lengthy passage until he couldn't write anymore before stopping.
Riddle was a bit dumbfounded. It was the first time he had encountered someone who didn't play by the rules.
That was a Hogwarts legend... really had no interest at all?
But to avoid arousing suspicion, he had to abandon his original plan and didn't mention anything related to the Chamber of Secrets again, instead answering Kael's question.
Kael talked with Riddle for a long time, and by the time it was six o'clock in the afternoon, he went to the West Tower to attend Professor Flitwick's Charm Club.
There were more people here than in Professor McGonagall's, over twenty, but Kael didn't meet any familiar faces.
The content learned here was mainly hands-on practice, somewhat like dueling.
Also quite interesting.
...
It must be said that since joining the professors' clubs, Kael had become increasingly busy.
Especially after entering October.
Because the three weekly Quidditch practices had begun too.
To accommodate Kael's schedule, Harris specifically adjusted the practices to days he didn't have to attend clubs.
This meant that Kael had activities scheduled every evening, whether it was going to the eighth floor, the West Tower, or the Quidditch Pitch, only able to return to the common room before curfew.
Adding those heavy assignments, Kael was so busy he wanted to apply for a Time Turner again.
There was no way around it, Professor McGonagall only allowed him to skip classes, but assignments still had to be done... this was to check on his learning progress.
So, to squeeze out more time, Kael set his sights on Defence Against the Dark Arts.
While Defence Against the Dark Arts was a core class that couldn't be skipped, doing something else during it was still permissible.
As Lockhart recited large sections of his book on the podium, Kael sat in the back row constantly scribbling with a Quill on Parchment.
He looked like he was taking notes.
But if you got closer, you'd find that the content on the Parchment had nothing to do with what Lockhart was saying.
"The tea leaves formed the shape of an eagle, this indicates he has an archenemy, and the stick under the eagle's claw suggests he will face an attack..."
Conna looked at the content on the Parchment and asked quietly, "...Do you have an archenemy?"
"Oh, not mine."
Kael said casually, "I asked the house-elves in the kitchen to send a cup of tea to Professor Dumbledore, which he drank."
"You're making a prophecy for Professor Dumbledore?" Conna said out of habit.
Perhaps her voice was a bit too loud, drawing Lockhart's attention.
"Miss Prince, do you have any questions about this section?" he asked.
"Sorry, professor, that was me."
Kael was the first to stand up, still holding the book "Wanderings with Werewolves".
"I've always been unclear about the principle of the Homorphus Charm you mentioned earlier.
Does it belong to Transfiguration Spell? Or is it more like Finite Incantatem, a special Charm that can negate magical effects?"
"A bit of both, child."
Lockhart paused for a moment, and then in a very upbeat tone, said: "Though it's simple for me to do it, in reality, the Homorphus Charm is quite complex and involves many areas of knowledge that you might not understand..."
Kael smiled at Lockhart and said:
"If it's you, certainly you can make us understand, right?"
"Of course, I can."
"But it would take several lessons, and I don't think your Headmaster Dumbledore would agree to that."
Lockhart blinked, "However, I am delighted you spotted that, five points to Hufflepuff...
Let's continue with the lesson; this is what you need to focus on."
Kael sat back down.
Once you find the right approach, dealing with Lockhart is quite straightforward.
"Thank you..." Conna murmured quietly, "But weren't you just reading a book on Divination? How did it become 'Wanderings with Werewolves'?"
"It didn't, it's always been Divination."
Kael opened the book in his hand, "I just swapped their covers."
"I should have guessed so earlier," Conna mumbled softly, then continued asking: "So, were you divining for Professor Dumbledore?"
"Pretty accurate, isn't it?"
Kael laughed softly, "Everyone knows that Professor Dumbledore has an archenemy, that part matched perfectly."
"What about the stick representing the attack... could anyone dare to attack Professor Dumbledore?"
"That's hard to say."
Kael stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Maybe it's Fawkes... haven't you noticed Professor Dumbledore's beard has been getting shorter? That's its work.
In a way, that could count as an attack too, right?"
Conna frowned, expressing doubt at Kael's statement, but she couldn't find any reason to refute it at the moment.
...