The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 308 Casting Spells Without a Staff or Sound

"What do you want to bet? I'm ready to go all the way!"

Looking around, Ron became more confident than ever after realizing that this place had become the focus of the auditorium.

"Excellent! Very good! This is what Scarface meant by 'excellent'."

Draco subtly lifted Ron up again, paused briefly, and then continued:

"Since he's so outstanding, becoming a champion at Hogwarts will surely be a piece of cake."

With a push and a lift, in the blink of an eye, Draco had Ron suspended in mid-air.

The onlookers now wore expressions of anticipation, especially since this was the Slytherin Long Table.

The snakes are not speaking now because they are waiting for Ron's answer.

If Ron dares to admit it, they will definitely spread the story with exaggerated details; if he doesn't admit it, they will make this Gryffindor experience the power of gossip on the spot.

As the castle's messenger, how could Ron not understand such a simple truth?

But he knew very well that he had fallen into a rhetoric trap, and no matter how he answered, it would be a mistake.

Harry was equally troubled, feeling that he had messed with Ron; otherwise, given Ron's caution, he wouldn't be so smug today.

Just as Harry was feeling somewhat bewildered, a clear voice rang out from the crowd:

"Ron is Gryffindor, so you have no one else? Are you all here wholeheartedly hoping Gryffindor will become champions? If that's the case, I have nothing more to say!"

At the crucial moment, Ginny stepped forward without hesitation, and her thinking was so clear that it was impossible to refute her.

In fact, she didn't want to get involved, since Malfoy hadn't mentioned the Weasleys again this time.

But somehow, seeing Harry's furrowed brows, she inexplicably stepped forward.

……

The storms that raged in the auditorium had no effect whatsoever on the castle's underground.

Slytherin's bedroom.

On the round beechwood table were a few simple dishes: a plate of flower cakes, cream toffee wrapped in kraft paper, and a few cookies.

This is food cooked by Blue Lantern. Logically speaking, Hogwarts has no shortage of various ingredients, but Ino doesn't want to use it quietly.

Taking something without permission is considered theft.

Even if Hogwarts kitchens have no shortage of these things, some things are often judged by their essence, not by their size.

"Perhaps we could set aside a vegetable garden..." Looking at the flower cakes in front of her, Ino suddenly felt that it would be a waste to use a hundred acres of land only to grow herbs.

One hundred acres may not seem like much, but when converted to another common unit of area, it becomes quite considerable.

One acre is 4,000 square meters, a valley of 100 acres, a total of 400,000 square meters of land, the size of a medieval city.

Simply farming doesn't seem to be enough, but the shelter can't bring in outside life...

Gradually, Ino began to think of fairy tales, of dining tables that could open, tablecloths that could conjure up delicious food anytime, anywhere, and even more magical items related to food.

Thoughts are sometimes like dandelions drifting in the wind; no one knows where they come from, nor where they are going.

But one thing is certain: the sight of dandelions flying everywhere can sometimes be truly intoxicating.

Like boundless thoughts.

……

In the dormitory.

Following the anchor of food, Ino thought about many, many things.

Four years have passed since he entered Hogwarts, and it seems that not only has the original story changed, but he himself has also changed.

I used to worry only about everyday things, but after receiving the letter from the owl, I started worrying about the plot of the future story, and so it has continued until now...

There's probably nothing to worry about anymore.

But many things are relative, and so are worries. When there are no worries, there seems to be no corresponding motivation either.

Ino sat in the chair and gradually fell into a quiet state of contemplation.

Time, too, was lost in thought, passing by second by second.

The room was broken by a buzzing sound.

The source of the sound was still the cabinet next to the bed, and as the sound rang out, the cabinet seemed to be slowly opened by an invisible hand, and then a three-inch round mirror flew up out of thin air.

Looking at the two-way mirror floating in front of him, Ino was stunned.

The two-way mirror flew over, which wasn't anything to be surprised about, but what surprised him was that the mirror just flew over on its own.

Casting spells without a staff or sound.

The thought flashed through Ino's mind instantly.

It's quite amazing that, although he can now cast spells without a staff, it's limited to ice and snow magic that's integrated into his bloodline.

For other traditional magic, he still often needs to rely on a wand.

However, just now...

With just a thought, the cabinet opened, and the two-way mirror floated over naturally.

As if remembering something, Ino briefly recalled her previous state while her gaze fell on the toffee on the table.

In an instant, the kraft paper was opened, and the candy flew over on its own.

"The initial thought! I should have realized it sooner..."

Ino smiled, picked up the floating candy, and then connected to the two-way mirror.

At that moment, he finally understood the secret of casting spells without a staff or sound; it wasn't some profound theory.

It's simply about not thinking about it, not thinking about the wand, not thinking about the spell, and not thinking about any hand gestures.

Simply maintain the most basic thought, or even forget about magic, and let it become a natural conditioned reflex of the body.

Just like with ice and snow magic back then, it was simply a matter of belief, because he knew that his ice and snow were unique in the magical world.

It's an instinctive trust, which sounds simple but is actually quite difficult to practice.

……

The present moment.

Ino remembered the world she once knew.

In that faraway world, magic only exists in books and movies; it's just a bedtime story for children.

However, if magic truly existed in the past, and someone with wizarding talent was given a real wand, it would most likely still be useless.

The reason is simple: it's a matter of perception.

They always believed that magic was just a story in books and movies. Even if they were lucky enough to witness magic, they would find all sorts of acceptable and willing reasons to explain it in a self-consistent way...

For example, people might think it's some kind of magical trick, or some kind of invisible technological assistance.

If the seeds of doubt are sown, they will naturally not bear the fruit of magic.

Similarly, the young wizards at Hogwarts, after seven years of study, believed that only by waving their wands and chanting spells could they unleash magic.

After figuring out the reason, Ino felt a sense of relief, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

"You seem very happy?"

Hermione's voice came through the two-way mirror.

In fact, after the two-way mirrors were connected, Hermione saw a dazed figure through the mirror.

In the mirror, Ino sat motionless in the chair, seemingly deep in thought.

Seeing this, Hermione didn't want to disturb him, but she noticed that Ino, while sitting there, started laughing to himself again.

This made her change her original plan to wait quietly.

(End of this chapter)