From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

The light green Ford Anglia carried them toward the moon, and Harry felt the wind blowing in through the window was full of the scent of freedom.

Chapter 165 An Accident on the Express Train

Time always flies when you're studying magic.

During this time, Ivy received a letter from Hogwarts informing him that he would be attending the OWLs with the fifth-year students at the end of the school year. One of his privileges was that he could freely allocate his study time, just like when he first joined Hogwarts more than a hundred years ago.

However, he must prove that he does have this ability in three elective courses in order to gain the right to study on his own.

Ancient studies, such as Nehemiah and Muggle studies, did not include practical components, making it the simplest option for Ivy. He had already written to Professors Basilina and Kerridine, respectively, to schedule exams with them.

Protecting magical creatures is a must for Ivy, and he still has many ideas about magical creatures to try out. Moreover, Hogwarts has already completed most of its "base" facilities this year, introducing a wide variety of magical creatures. The materials obtained from these magical creatures could very well become the raw materials for Ivy's creations of wondrous items. Therefore, Ivy won't let such a good opportunity to profit slip by.

Looking at the shopping list sent by Hogwarts, Ivy realized that there was nothing she needed to buy, so she didn't go to Diagon Alley alone again, but instead continued to lock herself in her room to conduct magical research.

The newly acquired Melody Casting feat is an ability with unlimited potential.

Ivy discovered that the key to this expertise lay in melody, which refers to an organized and rhythmic sequence of sounds formed after artistic conception.

However, musical instruments are not included in this list.

In other words, sounds like whistling, clapping, stomping, or tapping your fingers on a table can all be considered part of a melody. Ivy remembered that before she traveled through time, she had listened to a cassette tape called "Golden Whistle" in her hometown, which contained melodies simply made by whistling.

If Ivy could do something similar, she might be able to cast the Avada Kedavra curse by whistling.

Moreover, through Ivy's experiments, melody casting also works on wizards' spells. He can now cast some simple spells by tapping his fingers on the table. Although melody casting is slightly less stealthy than silent, wandless casting, it is still a casting method with unlimited potential.

Just discovering this was enough to make Ivy happy for days. Isn't that the joy of studying magic?

Happy times always fly by, and before we knew it, it was time to head to Platform 9¾ again.

"I still can't believe you've grown so tall in just one summer vacation," Draco Malfoy muttered to himself as he sat opposite Ivy in the Hogwarts Express compartment.

When Ivy emerged from her room at Malfoy Manor, Draco was quite startled. Since moving into the manor, Ivy had been holed up researching magic and had never shown herself to him before. This made Malfoy think someone had intruded on their estate.

Even when Lucius and Narcissa later corroborated that the tall young man before them was indeed Ivy Doom, he dismissed it as a sign of being under a Confusion Charm. In the end, Ivy had to have his beloved ceramic dragon breathe fire to prove his identity.

Malfoy didn't say much along the way, but kept scanning Ivy with a suspicious look, as if that would strip away her disguise.

Malfoy only stopped his rude stare when Cassandra also sat down in their box. He noticed that Cassandra showed no discomfort or surprise whatsoever, as if she had known everything all along.

Because of their shared experience fighting side-by-side in the Philosopher's Stone room, Malfoy developed some trust in this equally proud girl.

“I’ll be participating in OWLs this school year, so I won’t be attending classes with you guys,” Ivy said softly. “But anyway, we all have a lot to do. Especially you, Cassandra.”

“I will make all the preparations as you wish, Lord Doom.” Cassandra nodded. Through prior communication via letters, she already knew that Ivy would begin cultivating her abilities this year, and she had been preparing for it for a long time.

Ivy nodded, preparing to close her eyes and rest for a while.

But the commotion in the corridor prevented him from doing so. He frowned and got up, intending to see what had happened.

The corridor was crowded with chattering witches, who talked and laughed among themselves, excitedly tiptoeing to look around.

From their excited words, Ivy learned who the culprit behind the congestion was—Giddro Lockhart.

Ivy closed his eyes in pain, unsurprised by his discovery. Having resolved during his vacation to avoid any involvement with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ivy turned to return to his private room. Perhaps a silent spell could help him escape the noisy environment.

Excuse me! Excuse me!

The chattering witches parted in the corridor, and a few young wizards emerged. Ivy recognized Harry walking in front, followed by two Weasley redheads.

Harry's face was flushed, just like the Weasleys's signature red hair.

“Ah! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Scarface Potter.” Ivy turned around and saw Malfoy emerging from the compartment. “Looks like you’ll be making headlines not only for walking into a bookstore, but also for taking the train to school. But if I were you, I’d choose a more attention-grabbing mode of transportation. How about riding a dragon?”

Harry, still seething with anger, stopped and glanced back. Aside from the chattering schoolgirls, he didn't see Lockhart. Then he started arguing with Malfoy: "Changed clothes and you've regained your confidence? Malfoy? Or is your confidence given to you by this new sidekick?"

Before Malfoy could retort, Harry exaggeratedly pinched his nose and made a fanning motion, as if Malfoy was still surrounded by the troll's stench.

Malfoy's face flushed red instantly, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "No wonder you wear glasses; your eyesight really isn't very good. This is Ivy!"

"Ivy?" Ron, who was next to Harry, was surprised. "You've grown so much in just one summer vacation?"

Ron is considered tall for a second-year wizard; at only 13 years old, he is already taller than his mother.

"I'm an ancient wizard, so this is just me regaining my original height." Ivy casually replied before preparing to crawl back into the private room. He didn't want to run into Lockhart, and any kind of encounter was best avoided.

“Harry! Ron!” Hermione’s fluffy head squeezed out from the crowd. “You can’t do that to Mr. Lockhart! He’s our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!”

“I don’t think that arrogant guy is any more competent than Professor Victor. Look at his textbooks, they’re full of novels…” Ron muttered.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, "Are you Ivy? You've grown so tall in just one summer vacation?"

Ivy had anticipated that her classmates would continue talking about her height for a while, so she didn't react much.

“Yes. You know, I’m over a hundred years old. In fact, Dumbledore is younger than me.” Ivy tried not to attract attention. “The magical effect that shrunk me has been removed, so I’ve just returned to my original height.”

However, this is not the case. Ivy's rapid growth was caused by the Philosopher's Stone, and he still doesn't know exactly how it happened. Perhaps later, when he obtains Nicolas Flamel's alchemical manuscripts, he will be able to glimpse the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone.

Ivy's intention was simply to give a few perfunctory replies and then return to her private room to rest. Talking in the busy corridor was too likely to attract attention, especially from those Ivy wanted to avoid.

"Snap!" A flash of light accompanied by a sound rang out, drawing everyone's attention.

It was a very thin, gray-haired boy who was staring at Harry as if he were under a spell, clutching something in his hand—a very ordinary Muggle camera, probably the kind that uses film.

“Hello, Harry? Uh…and Harry’s friends? My name is Colin Creevey.” The small, gray-haired boy took a step forward and said timidly, “I’ve heard so many stories about you…Could I take a picture of you? My parents are very surprised that I’m a wizard, and if I could send them some pictures, they could learn about the wizarding world!”

“You’ve already taken the picture!” Harry said sternly.

Before he could even get angry, Malfoy's mocking voice rang out: "No wonder you're the famous Scarhead Potter! You've even managed to hire a photographer for yourself! Are you going to start handing out autographed photos next?"

"It would be great if you could sign your name," Colin said, seizing the opportunity.

"What? Absolutely not!" Harry was bewildered by the outburst; he hadn't expected to have to deal with two "enemies" at once.

"Everyone, line up quickly!" Malfoy shouted. "Harry Potter is going to hand out autographed photos to everyone!"

"Photographer? Where's the photographer?" a booming voice rang out from the crowd. "How could I be left out of this autographed photo thing?"

For the first time, Ivy felt suffocated. In the magical castle of Hogwarts, too many unexpected things always happened. Was he going to meet the person he least wanted to see on the first day of school? Ivy hadn't even stepped into the castle yet; he had only boarded the steam train that led there.

"Ha! I found you, Harry!" Lockhart, dressed in a flowing green robe, looked extremely dashing. Even after squeezing out from a group of fierce female students, his clothes were perfectly intact. Ivy even wondered if he had used some kind of magic.

Lockhart had already embraced Harry affectionately, and the little witch behind them gasped in surprise.

Lockhart turned around and flashed his eight gleaming teeth, then Ivy heard Lockhart whisper to Harry, "I gave you a taste of fame, didn't I? You got hooked. You were on the front page with me and can't wait to do it again."

"What? No!" Harry looked like he was about to collapse; he never expected to face three brilliant minds all at once.

However, Lockhart didn't give him a chance to refuse. He called out to Colin, who was holding a camera, "Mr. Crevy, right?"

Colin nodded vigorously, making one worry about his thin neck.

“A photo of the two of you! It couldn’t be better, and we’ll both sign it for you!” Lockhart said with a friendly smile.

Along with the camera flashes, Harry's eyes flashed with a distress signal, which Ivy was probably the only wizard present to notice.

Ivy glanced at Malfoy, who was grinning maliciously, and thought to herself that he probably noticed it too. It seems that the old saying is true: the people who know you best are not only your friends, but also your enemies.

“Oh, that looks like a Muggle camera?” Lockhart asked with interest. “I know a way to make photos taken with a Muggle camera move like wizards, as long as you pour the right developing solution on them.”

Colin looked very interested, his eyes shining with longing.

But Lockhart wasn't going to continue: "While I'd love to tell you the specific configuration method, we've already taken up too much of this corridor. I have to say, that's very unethical."

He stood up and shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen! Let's go back to the box! We still have a whole year to get along!"

The smile on his face was impeccable, and the wizards in the corridor—mostly witches—applauded and cheered.

Lockhart gave an exaggerated bow, then put his arm around Harry and left.

"Give us some private space, thank you! Thank you!"

Harry's eyes were filled with despair. Just yesterday was a joyous summer vacation. He had enjoyed a lavish meal at the Weasleys' Burrow, with everything Harry loved, including a mouthwatering honey pudding at the end...

Looking back now, that might have been Harry's "Last Supper".

But Harry refused to give up! His only chance of survival was right beside him!

As Lockhart walked past Ivy with his arm around him, Harry grabbed Ivy's robe, his emerald eyes filled with a plea and longing for life.

However, while clapping and smiling, Ivy subtly snatched the "lifeline" from Harry's hands.

Let Harry deal with Lockhart; Ivy has no desire to have anything to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Meeting Harry's astonished and incredulous gaze, Ivy silently said, "I'm sorry."

Ivy was sure Harry understood, because his eyes were finally filled with a deathly calm.

“A word of advice, Harry,” Ivy could still hear Lockhart’s voice, “I covered for you in front of little Crevy…”

Until he closed the door to the private room, shutting all the noise and commotion out.

Chapter 166 Self-study Test

“It’s unbelievable, Mr. Doom.” Professor Basilina’s astonished gaze pierced through her glasses as she stared intently at Ivy’s face.

Just now, she watched as Ivy finished the ancient runes exam that she had spent the entire summer working on in less than ten minutes.

The "one summer vacation" figure is an exaggeration, because people always like to exaggerate their efforts. In reality, Professor Babling just casually put together the exam paper while submitting a paper to the Ancient Runic Research Association.

Studying a dead language is not an easy task, because languages ​​undoubtedly become fixed in memory with continuous use. This is why people say that the best way to master a new language is to live in a country where it is the native language for a period of time.

Clearly, no one in any country still uses ancient runes. Without the environment in which they used them, even seasoned wizards who have studied this subject for years cannot use the knowledge stored in their minds to answer questions as easily as Ivy can.