"So that's how it is. Then… Chief, would you be willing to personally guide us in casting the spell? Even a single demonstration would be enough; I'd really like to see it." Mona, who had been praised by Alan earlier, gathered around him and interjected.
"With your level, you should be able to skillfully use this self-defense spell, right?" Alan knew Mona's capabilities. Although she wasn't like Evan and Jenny, with 'E' grades or above in all subjects, most of her marks were excellent.
"That's right, Chief. I do understand the principle of the spell, but because Defense Against the Dark Arts rarely has practical exercises, even though my spellcasting can pass exams, I can't use it proficiently." Mona, usually a woman of few words, mustered her courage and spoke with a slight blush while facing Alan.
"I see." Alan pondered for a moment. "Three days from now, after evening self-study, is the makeup session for the Defense Against the Dark Arts study group. Although you are not on the remedial list, if you wish to stay and listen, I will personally demonstrate it for you."
"Tha… thank you, Chief." Mona and the several young wizards beside her stammered their thanks before slowly turning to leave.
Alan's easygoing demeanor during evening self-study somewhat diluted the previously tense House atmosphere. When the young wizards discovered that they could only truly relax while studying, they did the only logical thing: they studied as if their lives depended on it. Now, their strained nerves could only be eased by academic focus, which, paradoxically, made their enthusiasm for learning even more fervent.
As Alan announced the end of self-study, many young wizards even showed reluctance when leaving the stone hall. They knew that from the moment they stepped out the next morning, they would have to remain on edge.
...
The next day, the young Slytherin snakes, whose doors were once again knocked on by the year group leaders, found that Alan had disappeared again.
This time, they wouldn't fall for it. Although they didn't know how Alan managed to observe so many people simultaneously, they now understood that the Chief was probably lurking somewhere, watching them. These year group leaders were even more on edge, especially Joey. Half of the fourth-year students had made mistakes the day before and received punishment.
At the same time, Joey had reached a realization after being educated by Alan. He knew that failing to strictly adhere to discipline would harm his classmates, so his inspections today were incredibly stringent. Lumen, who had tragically endured three punishments the night before, found his body aching all over. His arms felt as if they were filled with lead, yet he still bravely managed his personal affairs.
"Mona." After checking everyone's quarters, Joey looked at the female student with some embarrassment. He hadn't spoken to her much since enrollment.
"What is it?" Mona's expression was a bit stiff when she was called.
"I—you know I'm very clumsy, and after the Chief's reminder yesterday, I know you are more meticulous and remember the disciplinary rules more clearly. So, I want to ask for your help… or rather, ask you to guide me on how to prevent everyone from making mistakes, okay?" Joey looked at the girl in front of him with some trepidation.
"Uh, alright." Mona was unaccustomed to Joey suddenly becoming so humble, but she kindly nodded and agreed.
"Oh my goodness, Master, the conversation between these two is too stiff. Do they always talk like that?" A large dog's head nudged next to Alan, sniffing the steaming, rich coffee in his hand, then stared intently at the mirror in front of them.
This was Hog, who looked like a dog but was actually a wolf. He and Alan were leisurely staying in the dormitory. Alan sat elegantly with his legs crossed, drinking coffee, while Hog was beside him, deftly manipulating the instrument in front of them.
The device in front of Hog resembled a large dressing table, but the upper part, unlike a normal mirror, was systematically arranged with dozens of uniformly sized small mirrors. Each mirror showed a different image, containing one to several young wizards—specifically, the Slytherin snakes.
It turned out that Alan was not, as those young wizards believed, following them invisibly at every step. Alan was only one person; it was impossible for him to be in several places at once monitoring others. He relied on the device in front of him, which could be called a Magic Monitor.
This monitor had been completed at the end of the previous school year. At that time, he had planned to investigate the backgrounds of the young wizards in the House. After personally tracking them for a few weeks with the Disillusionment Charm, he found the efficiency too slow, so he constructed this contraption.
It utilized the principles of the Floo Network and his Flying Raven spell's shared vision. When Alan wanted to activate the monitor, he would release dozens of Raven Number Ones, cast the Disillusionment Charm on them, and connect their shared vision to the mirrors. This allowed for close, real-time monitoring of the young snakes, and it was very flexible; as long as they were within Hogwarts, real-time sharing was possible.
At the same time, he didn't have to exhaust himself running around, giving him time to focus on his own work. The most excited about this arrangement was Hog. He had been brought by Kiki two days ago, Apparating directly into Alan's dormitory. Although he had stayed at Hogwarts the previous year, he had never entered the castle before, and arriving in a new place made him incredibly excited.
Upon arriving in Alan's dormitory, he discovered this magical contraption. This was much more interesting than gnawing on table legs. So, Hog volunteered to supervise the young wizards for Alan. Coincidentally, Alan felt he couldn't watch so many monitors by himself, so he let Hog join in.
Then Alan witnessed what it meant to be a true monitor of people—or rather, a monitor of dogs. Hog seemed to merge with the device, observing different mirror surfaces with both eyes simultaneously while meticulously capturing fleeting scenes of rule-breaking.
Yesterday, Alan had caught almost every young wizard who broke the rules, pointing out exactly where they had failed. None of the people he singled out cried injustice; they all admitted their mistakes on the spot and accepted the punishment. Such an exaggerated monitoring accuracy further intimidated the students, making them absolutely terrified.
All of this was actually done by Hog. Alan, after confirming yesterday that he was not as good as the wolf at monitoring, had run off to roast meat and pet cats by the Forbidden Forest cabin in the afternoon.
At this moment, Hog was seen squinting his small eyes, staring at the monitoring mirrors with complete focus. Just when it seemed he was only looking in one direction, his eyeballs would twitch around at an incredibly absurd speed. Then he would bare his teeth, give a cold smile, deftly pick up a quill with his paw, and meticulously record on a piece of parchment.