From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

Of course, it's about whether you can cast a fireball! What else could it be?

Unlike the Scriveners mages, the Sorcerers will master a series of class traits from level 1.

First are the "Primal Speakers," arcane magic wielded by High Primal Warlocks imbued with elemental power, enabling them to speak, read, and write the Primal Speech. Understanding this language also allows High Primal Warlocks to understand each other with speakers of certain dialects, including Aquatic, Airfoe, Firefoe, and Earthfoe.

This means that Ivy can communicate with the magical elements. Elemental beings with physical forms typically live in their own elemental planes, and through certain summoning spells, spellcasters can pull them out of these planes to become their helpers. Proficiency in the Primal Language allows Ivy to give these elemental beings more specific and detailed instructions.

The second class ability of the Sorcerer is "Wild Elemental Surge". Due to the restless elemental magic in their bones, all elemental magic cast by the Sorcerer will be enhanced and gain a range of 2d6 feet. After that, for each additional level of spells that the Sorcerer can use, this effect will increase by 1d6 feet.

"Wild Elemental Surge" is a very powerful class trait, not only closely matching the class description of "skilled at creating massive magical effects," but also possessing considerable strength. Since warlocks are 9th-ring spellcasters, this ability's maximum effect is 10d6, with a maximum effect range of 60 feet.

60 feet is approximately equal to 20 meters, which is a significant improvement. Keep in mind that the effective range of the 9th-level spell Meteor Explosion is only a 40-foot spherical space, and the expected value of 10d6 is approximately 35. This means that this single class ability can roughly double the effective radius of the 9th-level spell Meteor Explosion.

Furthermore, doubling the radius doesn't necessarily mean doubling the area of ​​effect. The formula for the area of ​​a circle easily yields the result, and most elemental magic effects are only approximated as circular, since air and ground directions are generally considered to have zero damage. However, their actual effect is spherical, and this attribute becomes particularly terrifying when the magic effect can overcome environmental obstacles.

However, there are also drawbacks. If you cast a spell in a confined space, you might accidentally blow up a passageway or room. Causing friendly fire is one thing, but if you accidentally bury the caster, that would be a much bigger problem.

Despite the incredibly cool abilities of the Warlock class, Ivy couldn't afford to invest a single experience point into it, because all his remaining experience had been converted into that little fire dragon flying in the air.

Even worse, since the magical fire dragon is not a perfect Artifact Garden image, Ivy cannot treat it as a magical pet and sign a contract with it; at most, it can only be considered a magical artifact that can move freely.

Fortunately, thanks to Ivy's meticulous design, this little fire dragon, shimmering with metallic luster, possesses considerable artistic value.

When Ivy brought it back to the Slytherin common room, all eyes were once again on Ivy.

The one who seemed particularly unable to maintain his composure was the eldest son of the Malfoy family. His eyes were wide open like saucers, his gaze fixed on the little dragon flying alongside Ivy, circling it again and again. When the little dragon landed on Ivy's head and roared with a "Gah-woo!" while spewing out a mouthful of flame, Malfoy trembled all over and almost forgot to breathe.

This young master of the Malfoy family, named "Draco," or "Dragon," has an innate love for dragons. So, in full view of everyone, he came to Ivy's side, his gaze still constantly glancing upwards.

“Ivy.” Malfoy swallowed hard, looking quite hesitant and uncertain. “Christmas is almost here… I remember you said on the train that your parents are already… Anyway, would you like to come to my house during the Christmas holidays?”

Unlike all Muggle schools in the Northern Hemisphere, Hogwarts has three holidays in a school year: summer vacation, Christmas holiday, and Easter holiday.

Summer vacation lasts about nine weeks, making it the longest holiday of the school year. Christmas and Easter holidays are shorter, and students can choose to stay on campus or go home.

Because the Easter holidays are right after final exams, professors usually assign a lot of homework. Young wizards of all grades won't have a very pleasant time.

The Christmas holiday, which is the first half of the school year, is different. Professors will not assign extra homework, so everyone has a reason to have a good time.

Of course, for Ivy, the Christmas holidays would be a rare period of leisure. He wouldn't have to torment the Quidditch team's trolls or deal with homework from the professors, so he originally decided to lock himself in his room to study magic.

Seeing that Ivy didn't answer, Malfoy continued, "You know, I often write to my parents, and they send me lots of candy. And I often talk about you in my letters..." At this point, Malfoy quickly glanced at the little dragon above Ivy's head, "They all say you have a bright future and want me to learn a lot from you. They would be very happy if you could come!"

Malfoy stepped forward, turned slightly, and said in a very low voice, "And I also owe you several dark magic items. Since the school's owl communications are censored, I can't mail them directly. Besides, I think you'll want to pick and choose from the Malfoy family's collection."

Chapter 59 Stadium Stands

"Over here! Ivy! Come sit here!" In the bustling Quidditch stadium stands, Malfoy and his two friends were clearing the way for Ivy.

Today is Saturday, the last weekend before the Christmas holidays. Although they are still in the stands, the little wizards' minds have already wandered off somewhere else.

The crowds were restless and excited, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere at the stadium.

This was Ivy's first time watching a Quidditch match. Last time, when Slytherin played Gryffindor, he went into the Forbidden Forest to do some sneaky things and missed the match because of it.

However, he still paid just the right amount of attention to the game's progress. After all, everyone had witnessed Harry's heroic performance as the youngest Seeker in Hogwarts' history. There was a lot of discussion about him during that time. It was impossible for Ivy not to know.

But what he was most proud of was the anti-curse spell he cast on Harry's Nimbus 2000. It seems Voldemort and Quirrell really couldn't cause any trouble, as even his casually cast spell couldn't break through. Otherwise, everyone would be discussing Harry's crazed broomstick, not how he managed to swallow the Golden Snitch despite Troll One's interference.

As for the possibility that Quirrell didn't do anything bad to Nimbus 2000? How could a self-righteous fool miss the opportunity to show off in front of his master? Ivy was 99% certain that Quirrell must have done something to Harry.

"With your training, our Slytherin Quidditch team's strength will definitely rise to another level!" Malfoy pulled Ivy down to sit, and the two guys who might be blocking their view wisely moved to the back row.

"I thought they wouldn't let first-year students join the Quidditch team, otherwise I would have begged my dad to find a way to get me into Quidditch." Malfoy's excitement was palpable, because he knew that Slytherin was about to have a great victory.

“You know what, Ivy?” Malfoy suddenly lowered his voice, a hint of mystery in his tone, “My dad has some business dealings with Nimbus Corporation, and I heard they’re going to release a broom next year that completely surpasses the Nimbus 2000! They might even have a prototype by now, and we might be able to play with one right here on the estate!”

Ever since Ivy accepted Malfoy's Christmas invitation, he has always seemed very excited, and whenever he has time, he runs to Ivy's side to imagine what it would be like to play at Malfoy Manor.

Most of the time, however, he was still the arrogant young master of the Malfoy family, only he always had a bit of a bully-like attitude. Even when facing Cassandra, the leader of the first-year snakes, he always spoke with a haughty air, and he couldn't stop talking about Ivy, as if he wanted to tell the whole world that Ivy was going to visit Malfoy Manor.

“Lightwheel Corporation?” Ivy finally became interested. “Mr. Lucius certainly has a wide circle of connections.”

Malfoy, feeling proud to finally receive a response, was about to say something to praise his father when the person sitting in front of Ivy and Malfoy suddenly turned around, revealing a familiar face—Snape.

"I thought you'd be waiting in the players' lounge to get ready for the game, Mr. Doom?" Professor Snape still wouldn't give up his damn elegance. Malfoy's smile immediately vanished, and he turned into a kid waiting to be criticized. Judging from his practiced manner, this was probably not the first time he had a similar conversation with Professor Snape.

"Don't worry, Professor. You'll soon witness their transformation. Besides, the opponents are just a bunch of Ravenclaws; I don't even need to lift a finger." Ivy wasn't intimidated by Snape's dark expression, because he knew this man was a pure-hearted warrior, not at all as malicious and aggressive as he appeared.

"Ha! It seems our Slytherin has finally produced a Quidditch genius. I'm afraid I have to remind you—you've never flown across the pitch on a broomstick before, have you?" Snape's expression didn't improve; instead, he narrowed his eyes and praised Ivy's talent in a sarcastic tone.

“Don’t worry, Professor, I fly much better than you think!” Ivy said cheerfully. “I promise I’ll be there in the second battle against Gryffindor and personally defeat Harry, okay?”

“I don’t care how Potter fails, but remember, Slytherin’s honor is what matters most.” Snape turned away after saying that, but Ivy swore he saw a satisfied look on Snape’s face.

Having witnessed the whole thing, Malfoy silently uttered a "Cool!" He had never seen any student dare to speak to the headmaster of Slytherin like that before, but when he thought about Ivy, it suddenly seemed much more reasonable.

"With a whistle from Madam Hotch, the competition begins!"

The commentator for this match was once again Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasley twins and a fearless troublemaker. Professor McGonagall was by his side, keeping a close eye on him to prevent him from being beaten up by the dissatisfied Slytherin students after the match for being too biased.

"Okay... Now let's see how the first ball is handled... Oh no! The Slytherin Chaser has caught the Quaffle! I must say, their size is ridiculously large compared to the Ravenclaw students, but I'm sure they're just as clumsy..."

“Watch your words, Mr. Jordan!” Professor McGonagall warned.

“What I mean is, the Slytherin players might be less agile—goal! No fancy moves, just a speed boost and putting the ball in the box. It didn’t look technically impressive. If I were Ravenclaw’s captain, I might give the goalkeeper some individual training afterwards.”

Li Jordan's remarks provoked discontent in the Ravenclaw stands, with boos filling the air and some even giving the middle finger.

However, Li Jordan, with his big heart, seemed unfazed and continued his commentary: "Ravenclaw has kicked off! The three Chasers are working together seamlessly, passing the Quaffle back and forth. I bet the Slytherin Chasers are completely bewildered... Flint has launched a charge, will he succeed? Good heavens! He actually got the ball? How is that possible?"

“Jordan!” Professor McGonagall growled.

“I understand, Professor… Wait, is that the Golden Snitch? It seems Ravenclaw’s Seeker might end the match early because he’s so close. Slytherin’s Seeker, Higgs, has noticed it too and is charging over on his broomstick! Looks like we’re about to witness a Seeker battle… Hey! That’s a foul!”

Troll No. 7 perfectly executed Ivy's tactics. When the team had the upper hand, they didn't rush to catch the Golden Snitch. Instead, they used appropriate fouls to create opportunities for the team to widen the score gap. Only after completely securing the victory did they think about ending the game.

Chapter 60 A Walk in the Forbidden Forest

With Ivy's strategy in place, Slytherin undoubtedly secured a resounding victory. The final score was 310-50, and of the fifty points scored by Ravenclaw, forty came from free throws.

Thanks to goalkeeper Troll Six's enormous size, Ravenclaw's free kicks were repeatedly blocked by him with his body.

Finally, all the eaglets living in the tower hung their heads and returned to the castle in dejection. Meanwhile, the Slytherin serpents celebrated their well-deserved victory, each filled with anticipation for the second match against Gryffindor next year.

Instead of joining the celebration in the common room, Ivy headed alone into the Forbidden Forest, intending to gain some experience points from some "ferocious and evil" magical creatures.

Perhaps because they had plundered the giant eight-legged spider colony too thoroughly, Ivy noticed that they had intentionally shrunk their range of activity and moved deeper into the forest.

The Forbidden Forest wasn't a suitable place to ride a flying broomstick, and Ivy hadn't spent experience points to select the flight spell from her spellbook, so traveling back and forth on foot wouldn't necessarily guarantee a return to the castle before nightfall. Therefore, Ivy decided to get a means of transportation, just like she had done over a hundred years ago.

Hippogriffs and Thestrals are both suitable choices, but Ivy prefers the Hippogriff because the Thestrals' thin, bony backs are hardly comfortable to sit on. While Ivy could use the Cushion Charm, hiding in warm feathers is clearly the real reason for seeking a mode of transportation.

The Strychian Apprentice's specialization adds three 0-level tricks to Ivy's spell list: Fire Arrow, Freeze Ray, and Magic Trick. It also allows Ivy to choose one of the first-level spells from Bard and Warlock, and Ivy can cast this first-level spell without using a spell slot.

Ivy chose Animal Talk, a ritual spell that allows the caster to understand and communicate with animals for the duration of the spell. Furthermore, with sufficient Charisma, one can even persuade them to do small favors.

The hippogriff is undoubtedly a magical creature. Since it is an animal, Ivy's magic will definitely work. In addition, with his charm of 18 points, a small means of transportation is just a piece of cake.

And indeed, following the footprints in the snow, Ivy encountered a small group of hippogriffs in a clearing in the woods. These proud creatures were clearly well cared for; their feathers gleamed, and their sharp claws and curved beaks showed no signs of damage, indicating that someone was feeding them regularly.

As soon as Ivy emerged from behind the tree, the several harpy-headed winged beasts in the forest clearing immediately changed their posture, from relaxing on their sides to standing upright, scrutinizing Ivy from head to toe with their bright eyes, as if to confirm his threat.

"Relax. It's nice to meet you all." Ivy held out her hands to indicate that she meant no harm, but her eyes were already searching for her next mode of transportation.

Hippogriffs come in a wide variety of colors, from deep black to pure white, from understated brown to flamboyant pink—you name it. Over a hundred years ago, Ivy owned an agate-colored Hippogriff that looked noble and mysterious, with incredibly gorgeous plumage.

"You're not Hagrid! You're not welcome here!" The hippogriff standing at the front let out a loud cry, the magical power of which allowed Ivy to understand the meaning of each other's language.

Ivy lowered her head and bowed slightly, as if to say, "I once had many friends like you, soaring together through the forest, creating ripples on the Black Lake with our wings, and dancing on the castle's spires..."

"Get out of here! You rude brat!" The hippogriff standing at the front didn't move at all, seemingly not considering Ivy's bow as a proper greeting.

"Buckbeak. Don't be so mean to him." The cry sounded melodious and pleasant. A meteorite gray eagle-headed horse-bodied winged its wings and pushed aside its companion, whom it called Buckbeak, and came to Ivy, bowing its head properly.

"Hello, my name is Spot." You can tell Hagrid came up with that name just by listening to it. Just listen to the names of his pets: "Tooth," "Lowe (Furry)," and now he's named a meteorite-colored hippogriff "Spot." What's next? "Tall and Skinny"? "Short and Chubby"?

If a hippogriff bows to you, it means you can go over and touch it.

Ivy pointed her wand at a branch on the ground, turning it into a brush, and held it close to her hand.

"Oh...that feels so good." The cry was tinged with a joyful tremor, because Ivy had brushed the feathers on the spotted chin with a brush, their little weak spot, which Ivy knew perfectly well.

"Thank you for speaking up for me, Spot." Ivy reached out and pinched off an empty quill. Spot let out a satisfied sigh. Animals are much easier to handle than humans if you know how to treat them properly.

“It’s no big deal, you’re very good-looking.” Spot nudged Ivy’s arm with her head, hoping he would lower the brush a little more.

"Wait! You can understand us?" Spot belatedly raised his head, and the hippogriffs, who had been lying down again, stood up once more and began to call out to Ivy.

“Of course, of course. You can all understand. You don’t have to talk all at once, just one at a time. Oh, my name is Ivy.” Ivy brushed Spot’s fur while dealing with the chattering hippogriffs.

Finally, Ivy successfully sat on Spot's back using animal communication skills. However, the hippogriffs, who had never communicated with humans so smoothly before, also decided to follow and provide companionship for Ivy and Spot.

“Even Hagrid sometimes gets us wrong,” a brown hippogriff complained in the air. “He never remembers that I don’t like eating dead rats. Although I am quite good at killing them.”

“Perhaps when I see Hagrid next time, I’ll help you tell him.” Ivy nodded to show that she understood, while thinking about how to lead these arrogant fellows to the deepest part of the Forbidden Forest, the place where the eight-eyed giant spiders roam.

"No need to wait until next time! We can do it now!" The brown hippogriff suddenly became excited and plunged into the jungle, with Spot carrying Ivy following closely behind.

So Ivy, leading a herd of hippogriffs, suddenly appeared before Hagrid from the sky.

Forget that they have the heads of eagles, and even their eyesight is as good as eagles'.

Ivy cursed her miscalculation inwardly, and at the same time racked her brains for a way to avoid being confined.