With little Aiyu by his side, Lewis found his school life becoming much more enjoyable.
The little dragon always managed to bring him endless amusement.
There was only one exception.
Other than Care of Magical Creatures, Lewis never brought Aiyu into any classroom.
He knew her personality far too well.
She was exactly the type to answer every sentence the professor spoke with a sentence of her own.
If he brought her to class…
He'd probably be thrown out before the lesson was over—
Even if every professor considered him their model student.
This semester, besides Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures, Lewis had chosen three additional electives:
Alchemy.
Arithmancy.
And Ancient Runes.
Of the three, Ancient Runes was unquestionably the most difficult.
None of Lewis's roommates had selected it, so he attended the class alongside Hermione.
Since so few students had enrolled, all four Houses shared the same Ancient Runes classroom.
Even so…
When they entered, the room still looked almost empty.
By sheer coincidence…
Malfoy had also chosen Ancient Runes.
When Lewis spotted him, the boy still wore enormous dark circles beneath his eyes, his bloodshot eyes proving he'd gotten almost no sleep.
Soon afterward, Professor Bathsheda Babbling entered the classroom.
She appeared to be around thirty years old, wearing glasses and a simple but immaculate blue robe.
The moment she saw Lewis, her eyes lit up.
"I'm truly honored that Mr. Lewis Green chose my elective."
"With your level of mastery…"
"I'm afraid there's almost nothing left for an ordinary class like this to teach you."
Lewis smiled politely.
"You're flattering me, Professor."
"Even I still have plenty to learn."
"Oh my…"
Professor Babbling chuckled delightedly.
"Hearing someone like you say that is an honor."
"Personally, I don't believe I have much left to teach you."
"In fact…"
"If I make any mistakes while lecturing, I hope you won't hesitate to correct me."
"Oh, that's right."
"A master like you doesn't need to waste time on assignments designed for ordinary students."
"When the final examination comes…"
"I'll simply award you full marks directly."
The exchange left every student in the room completely dumbfounded.
Especially Malfoy and the surrounding Slytherins.
They made exaggerated gagging noises, pretending to vomit.
This was simply too sickening.
The favoritism was outrageous!
Yet what followed was even worse.
Throughout the entire lesson…
Professor Babbling had everyone else reading, copying, and memorizing Ancient Rune characters.
Meanwhile…
Lewis sat comfortably at his desk, leisurely reading a completely unrelated book.
Professor Babbling didn't object in the slightest.
The rest of the students could only stare at him with envious eyes.
Even under Snape…
Malfoy had never received treatment like this.
This wasn't the relationship between a teacher and her student anymore.
Professor Babbling clearly regarded Lewis as an equal academic…
Perhaps even someone whose expertise surpassed her own.
Once the lesson was nearly over…
Professor Babbling assigned everyone's homework.
It consisted of translating a series of complicated Ancient Rune passages.
Each sentence was dense, obscure, and filled with words carrying multiple meanings.
While the students struggled desperately with their translations…
Professor Babbling walked over to Lewis and eagerly began discussing Ancient Rune theory with him.
Unable to bear it any longer, Malfoy shot to his feet.
"Professor Babbling!"
"I'd like to know exactly what level someone has to reach before they're exempt from all this practice!"
He had finally voiced everyone's thoughts.
The difference in treatment was simply outrageous.
They were sitting there, racking their brains over impossible translations…
While Lewis relaxed comfortably with a book in one hand and an afternoon tea set beside him…
And now the professor herself had come over to consult him.
Professor Babbling frowned.
"As the instructor, I naturally have my own standards."
"The only standard in my classroom…"
"Is ability."
"Anyone who reaches the required level no longer needs to attend lectures or complete homework."
She tore off a sheet of parchment.
With several quick strokes, she wrote a passage in Ancient Runes before slapping it onto Malfoy's desk.
"As long as any of you can translate this passage correctly…"
"You will receive exactly the same treatment as Mr. Green."
Malfoy immediately bent over the parchment.
Several other students crowded around, hoping they might get lucky.
But after staring at the densely packed runes…
Everyone felt dizzy.
Even recognizing one or two symbols didn't help.
They had no idea what the passage actually meant.
"Mr. Malfoy."
Professor Babbling smiled pleasantly.
"Would you kindly tell us the meaning of this passage?"
"If you can…"
"You'll receive the same privileges."
Malfoy's face turned bright red.
With his current level…
He probably wouldn't be able to complete that translation even after studying an entire year.
After a long silence…
He finally found a loophole.
"Then why haven't we ever seen Lewis complete a translation like this?"
"Because…"
Professor Babbling calmly held up another book.
"This merely represents the simplest application of Ancient Runes."
"As long as you've mastered this introductory textbook…"
"A Simple Introduction to Ancient Runes…"
"You'll eventually be capable of translations like this."
"But true practical application of Ancient Runes…"
"Requires far more knowledge."
"Yet, as far as I know…"
"Mr. Lewis Green was already using Ancient Runes in practical spellcraft during his first year."
"That's impossible!"
Malfoy blurted out.
"I don't believe it!"
"This is Ancient Runes!"
"No matter how talented Lewis is…"
"There's no way he mastered it in first year!"
"You don't have any proof!"
"Oh?"
Professor Babbling smiled.
"Of course I do."
"He was already modifying existing spells…"
"And even creating entirely new ones."
She drew her wand.
"I believe one of them is called…"
"Dancing Light."
With a graceful flick…
A glowing orb appeared at the tip of her wand before gracefully floating around the classroom.
"I've admired Mr. Green's original spells for quite some time."
"I'm grateful he taught me this one."
"It's remarkably elegant and practical."
She looked around the room.
"The truth is…"
"Every spell you know today…"
"Is fundamentally a combination of Ancient Runes."
"They've simply undergone centuries of revision and simplification."
"In sacrificing flexibility…"
"They became easier to cast."
"Eventually evolving into the standardized spells used today."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"If Ancient Runes are the programming language…"
"Then spells are finished software."
"The runes themselves are complex and highly flexible."
"They can be endlessly recombined and modified."
"But an actual spell is a completed program."
"It still contains all the structure needed for future modification."
"To transform that into an efficient spell suitable for everyday casting…"
"You must remove every unnecessary component."
"Only the essential structure remains."
"In other words…"
"Learning to cast spells doesn't require Ancient Runes."
"But if you wish to create your own magic…"
"Ancient Runes become absolutely indispensable."
The students nodded one after another.
Now they finally understood.
By that standard…
Lewis truly was an Ancient Runes master.
Over the past two years…
They had witnessed him and his friends using countless original spells.
Dancing Light.
The Anti-Evil Barrier that had driven away the Dementors aboard the train.
Even Malfoy remembered another spell—
Animated Rope.
The spell Hermione had once used to tie him together with six older Slytherins like livestock.
That memory still haunted him.
Finally…
Professor Babbling concluded,
"You're only just beginning to study Ancient Runes."
"Don't aim too high."
"I guarantee this is the most difficult elective offered at Hogwarts."
"But it's also the most rewarding."
"And it possesses the highest ceiling."
"For now…"
"You should devote yourselves to learning how to translate runes."
"Not questioning those who have already mastered them."
She smiled toward Lewis.
"To be perfectly honest…"
"With Mr. Green's current level…"
"He is already fully qualified to teach Ancient Runes."
"If he were willing…"
"I would happily study under him myself."
After hearing her words…
Malfoy felt utterly humiliated.
He realized once again that Lewis Green truly was his nemesis.
Every single time he believed he'd found Lewis's weakness…
He somehow ended up smashing his own foot with the stone he'd thrown.
For the first time…
The other students truly grasped just how enormous the gap between themselves and Lewis actually was.
Beside him…
Hermione looked at Lewis with eyes filled with even greater admiration.
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