Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 45: Determination

Another day,
Sheen emerged from the cellar.

He carefully cleaned up the traces he had left behind, and even after Justin examined him closely for a long time, he couldn't find anything amiss.

A moment later, lightning flashed across the sky.
It's easy to see that today is another day of thunder and lightning at Hogwarts.

It was raining outside the castle, and Sheen was reading in the library.

The magic crystal ball emitted a soft, warm light. Mrs. Pince always glanced at Sheen before passing by.

If Hermione spending six hours a day in the library is considered diligent enough...
Sheehan, who opened and closed the library doors with Mrs. Ping every day, could be considered half a librarian.

Sheen would at least help organize the books on this row of bookshelves.

It wasn't because Sheen liked helping others; it was just that after skimming through all the books, tidying up was an easy task.

Occasionally Mrs. Pince would tell Sheehan—

Which books contain genuine content, and which are just empty talk?

Sheen was very grateful for this.

Mrs. Pince was not as kind and gentle as the little wizards had rumored.

At least when she sees Sheen's annotations in his History of Magic notes, she'd be happy to discuss them with him for a while.

She also enjoys sharing desserts with Sheen—not in the library, of course, but when it opens in the morning and closes at night.

Those desserts from Justin are currently very popular.
It's unclear how he convinced the house-elves to join the Hogwarts kitchen, but his culinary skills were truly top-notch.

Perhaps Hufflepuff is born with a magical talent for food, because Justin's improved desserts in "Conjure a Feast!" have recently received rave reviews.

Even Hermione can devour two daifuku in one bite, puffing out her cheeks.
As for Sheen, he's usually the first to try it out.

……

outside the window,

The rain pattered softly on the fertile soil, and a misty layer of vapor rose over the Scottish Highlands.
The nights here are always dim and warm, and when the damp breeze carrying the scent of earth brushes against Sheen's cheeks...

His emerald eyes always seemed to gleam with a magical light.

"Be more determined, the arc of your left hand should be larger, and most importantly, believe, believe that you can do it... defy gravity..."

Sheen spoke softly, correcting Justin's levitation spell once again.

Thanks to his dedication, in just over a week, Sheen's progress in spells has far surpassed that of the younger wizards.
Even Hermione would stop and carefully consider his teaching.

Sheen never minded sharing his experience.

He's happy to share some trivial knowledge about spells when he's tired after practice.

The only thing that bothered Sheen was that Professor Snape had been brewing potions far too frequently lately.

Professor Snape and Sheehan have been in a strange state these past few days.
If you enter the cellar and Professor Snape isn't there, then Sheehan is.

If not Sheehan, then there's Professor Snape.

Through hide-and-seek,
Sheen has unlocked more than two-thirds of his potion titles.

Sheen, however, still felt a sense of urgency; he had already been in school for a week and a half.

This progress was still too slow, so he made a decision.

Even without definite news from Professor Snape, he was still going to brew the potion.

Unlocking the potion title at least by this week is crucial for Sheen to go further in the potion-making journey.

In the magical world, where talent is paramount, the differences between wizards with different talents have always been significant.
Sheen understands this all too well.

……

Ravenclaw lounge.

Ever since the announcement of the flying lesson was posted, almost all the young wizards have been talking about Quidditch.

"Many people believe that the glorious era of the Chadley Artillery Corps has come to an end, but many more believe that they can certainly recreate yesterday's glory!"
"You know, the Chadley Cannons have won the UEFA Cup twenty-one times!" Michael said, holding a poster in one hand and leaning on a chair with the other, as he boasted.

On the poster, the members of the Chadley Artillery Corps are wearing bright orange uniforms decorated with a speeding shell and two black letters "C".

"Oh, okay, Michael, can you explain their slogan?"
Before 1972 it was 'We will conquer everything,' how did it later become 'Let's all cross our fingers and be optimistic'?

A tall, thin little wizard suddenly laughed out loud.

"That doesn't count!"

Michael seemed to have been hit where it hurt.
Then came some slogans that were "made by the management," "have nothing to do with the team," and "you have no idea about the glory of the Chadley Artillery Corps," which made everyone laugh.

"How decadent..."

In the end, even Michael himself couldn't help but sigh and helplessly spread his hands.

The warm fireplace crackled with firelight as Sheen, pale-faced, happened to pass by.
Behind him was Anthony, who pretended to be reading a book, but whose eyes never left Sheehan.

He was always a step behind Sheen.

"Oh! Sheen, Anthony!"

Sharp-eyed Michael spotted the two and walked over quickly and enthusiastically.

He casually hooked his arm around Sheehan's, and the group sat together on chairs in the Ravenclaw lounge.

The velvet seat above has been slightly worn due to its age, giving it a warm luster.

Scattered throughout were star-shaped cushions and low stools, upholstered in deep purple, dark blue, or bronze silk.

They were casually placed on Persian flying carpets or velvet rugs, like scattered constellations.

The sounds of enthusiastic discussion mingled with the torrential rain outside, and Sheen took a breather in the common room.

The Ravenclaws talked about various Quidditch teams in England and Ireland, having forgotten their earlier boasts about their Quidditch skills.
Sheen slowly took out "The Amazing Quidditch," and it must be said that this book was indeed very interesting.

For example: The Falmouth Falcons are known for their aggressive and daring style of play, and they have world-renowned hitters Kevin and Carl Broad.

The team's motto is: "Let's fight for victory, but if we can't win, let's smash a few heads."

That's quite intimidating.

Suddenly, Sheen noticed that the discussion around him had stopped. He looked up in bewilderment and found that there were six or seven heads crowding around him.

"Sheehan, you borrowed Quidditch?!"

Michael's exclamation broke the silence.

"Sheen, may I take a look?"

Sheehan heard Michael say, somewhat embarrassed,

The long-haired black wizard Anthony sighed in frustration.
He glanced at it casually; Terry was still observing the raindrops by the stained glass window, where he had been for three hours.

Anthony sighed again.

Sheen nodded and generously placed the book on the table.

The young wizards immediately erupted in a commotion:
"Let me see, Michael."

"Me, me, me, and me too."

Even the young wizard who owned the book couldn't resist joining in the fun. Could Mrs. Pince's precious book be the same as the one he bought...?

"Oh, everyone, I should say we need to be careful..."

Michael's voice drifted away with the raging wind and rain outside the window.

Sheen then thought of tomorrow's plans.

That's right, as long as Professor Snape isn't in the cellar tomorrow, even if we don't find him, we'll ensure his safety.
Sheen also had to risk brewing the potion.
He only needs six more points of proficiency.

The hardest pieces of the scholarship are finally about to be collected.

(End of this chapter)