My partner at Hogwarts is Tom

Chapter 100 Lottery and Invitation

The professors did not publicly refute or strictly prohibit the increasingly rampant "potion prank theory," "Weasley twins revenge theory," and various other strange speculations at the school.

In a speech to the headmaster, Dumbledore gently reminded the students to "maintain their curiosity about the legends of the school, but pay more attention to safety and discipline in reality."

Then, the deans of each college were asked to convey a simple request: the class leaders must take responsibility and do a good job in providing positive guidance and promoting safety awareness.

When this directive reached Percy Weasley, it was interpreted as a serious "propaganda and education campaign" to defend Hogwarts' discipline and rationality.

So, at an evening gathering in the Gryffindor common room, Percy stood before the fireplace, back straight, his prefect badge gleaming, and began his speech in his distinctive, slightly bureaucratic, clear voice.

He began by talking at length about the "importance of rational thinking" and "not blindly following rumors," before suddenly changing his tone and listing "irrational behaviors that have been observed recently that do not conform to the Hogwarts student code of conduct."

"—For example, some students, driven by unfounded fantasies of adventure, frequently linger in places they should never go and that may pose safety hazards."

Percy's gaze swept over Ron, who was trying to huddle in the corner, seemingly unintentionally.

"Especially near the abandoned girls' restrooms." He emphasized his words deliberately, as if he were announcing a major disciplinary charge.

"This behavior is not only extremely undignified, but also a manifestation of extreme irresponsibility towards one's own and others' safety!"

Imagine if there really were some dark magic traps or unstable ancient magic there.

"Shut up, Percy!" Ron jumped up, his face and ears instantly turning the same color as his hair.

He never expected that his own brother would expose his secret operation with Hermione and Harry in public, in such a way that it was almost a direct naming and shaming.

Although Percy didn't know the full story, this undoubtedly exposed them to dangerous scrutiny.

"You shameless schemer!" Ron's voice trembled with rage as he pointed at Percy's nose.

"All you care about is your ridiculous prefectural authority, and how to impress the professor! I'm your brother! Your own brother! And you're spouting nonsense and slandering me for your little bit of power?! You're a complete power-hungry animal!"

The common room fell silent instantly, all the young wizards staring wide-eyed at this rare infighting between the Weasley brothers.

Percy's face also turned red, not from shame, but from anger and the embarrassment of being contradicted in public.

He raised his voice, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses.

"I am Ronald Weasley, the prefect of Gryffindor! I am responsible for the badge on my chest, for the image and safety of the entire house, understand? You brainless idiot!"

"You went too! I clearly saw you loitering around the third floor that night!" Ron retorted without thinking.

"I was just doing my duty as a prefect, patrolling at night!" Percy's voice shrill with anger.

"Furthermore, I was in the direction of the boys' assembly washroom, which is completely different from your suspicious behavior! Given that you openly defied the prefect and disrupted the assembly order—Gryffindor, deduct ten points!"

"you--!"

Just as Ron was about to pounce, Harry and Hermione quickly grabbed him from either side.

Fred and George whistled loudly in the crowd, it was unclear which side they were cheering for.

It was only Professor McGonagall's authoritative voice coming from the portrait hole that finally brought the farce to an end.

She harshly criticized Percy for his "inappropriate work methods" and for "accusing his classmates in public by making guesses," and also reprimanded Ron for "lacking basic respect for the prefect and his older brother" and for "acting impulsively."

The two brothers turned their faces away angrily, but thankfully they didn't fight again.

After this incident, Hogwarts managed to maintain a semblance of "harmony and friendship," but the cold war between the Weasley brothers had dropped below freezing.

Rumors continued to circulate in the castle, but the absence of an attack did indeed alleviate much of the panic.

This fragile calm lasted until Saturday, the day of the first Quidditch match of the school year.

The clash between Gryffindor and Slytherin, these old rivals, was already full of tension.

This year, the fire was amplified: the Slytherin team "shamelessly" received generous sponsorship from the Malfoys, and the entire team was given the shiny, state-of-the-art Nimbus 2001 broomsticks.

Players from other college teams and Quidditch enthusiasts were eager to see firsthand just how much of an advantage this top-of-the-line broom could provide in actual gameplay.

On the day of the competition, the weather was gloomy and cold, with dark clouds hanging low, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the audience in the slightest.

The stands of all four colleges were packed, flags were waving, and the shouts and cheers almost shook the stadium.

Victor didn't join in the fun.

He had little interest in this sport of chasing a ball on a broomstick, feeling it was far less thrilling and exciting than the aerial racing and competitions he had witnessed in the Far East, where people rode magically modified "flying trees" with roaring engines.

He simply stood on the tower terrace outside his office, glanced at the stadium from afar, saw the tiny black dots darting swiftly across the gray sky and the shimmering broomstick tails of light, then listlessly withdrew his gaze and went back inside to continue organizing his magical creature notebook.

However, that afternoon, a big news story spread throughout the castle and reached his ears.

Harry Potter suffered a serious injury during the game, with his arm shattered into pieces, reportedly "broken into pieces."

Even more dramatically, according to eyewitnesses, before Madam Pomfrey arrived, Professor Lockhart, who happened to be in the stands, "remained calm and quickly used magic to shield Harry from pain and stabilized his injuries with White Dense Essence.

After Harry was taken to the medical wing, thanks to Madam Pomfrey's superb medical skills and Lockhart's initial treatment, he was basically cured in just a few tens of minutes.

This news caused a subtle shift in Lockhart's reputation among young wizards.

Although many people still think he is flamboyant, the evaluation that he is "reliable in critical moments" and "does have some skills" has begun to spread quietly.

"Oh?" Victor paused slightly as he was adding cat food to the feeder when he heard the news.

He put down the small shovel and thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"A comminuted fracture—using magic to block out the pain, White Essence Stabilizes—healing in a few tens of minutes?" He muttered to himself, shaking his head, a complex emotion on his face.

"Lochart may have a lot of problems with his character and personality, but his ability to execute on the spot and his foundation in memory magic are really not to be underestimated."

He walked back to the recliner behind his desk, settled comfortably in, and casually scooped Tom, who had jumped up, into his arms, stroking the cat's soft, smooth fur.

Tom squinted his big green eyes contentedly, making gurgling sounds in his throat.

Victor's gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if he were thinking about something, his fingers unconsciously scratching Tom's chin.

During this period, through the continued advancement of the "Pokémon Pokédex" project, the upgraded operation of the Duel Club, assisting in handling Ravenclaw's Corona Horcruxes, and resolving the Tom Riddle diary incident —

He did indeed accumulate another ten consecutive draws.

It's time to see what new and interesting things they can bring this time.

He silently recited the mantra, his mind gently touching the special interface that only he could perceive.

The next moment, as if invisible ripples were spreading in the air, a huge, illusory lottery wheel, divided into countless grids by countless fine lines, quietly appeared in the air in front of him.

The spinning wheel shimmered with light, its edges engraved with ancient, barely discernible runes, and the central pointer gleamed faintly, exuding a mysterious and alluring aura.

Without much hesitation, Victor stopped rubbing Tom's head and silently chanted in his mind, "Lottery!"

Without hesitation, he pulled the illusory lever next to the turntable ten times in succession.

"Buzz—"

—

The turntable emitted a deep hum and began to spin rapidly, its surface blurring into a dazzling band of colors that dazzled the eye.

The ten chances to win the prize were quickly used up.

Immediately afterwards, ten orbs of light of different sizes and colors flew out one by one from the rapidly spinning turntable, hovering quietly in mid-air, like ten strange fruits waiting to be opened.

Viktor extended his finger and skillfully tapped on each one.

The first few orbs of light dispersed, revealing the items inside: a packet of magical fish oil biscuits (white) that supposedly enhance the shine of a pet's fur.

Several white pet toy balls with cartoon dragon patterns printed on them, and larger internal space than they appear.

A small jar of white magic gel that smells refreshingly minty and automatically cleans pets' teeth, along with several other pet supplies with similar functions.

They are all practical but not particularly rare little gadgets.

Victor was slightly disappointed, but didn't pay much attention. He casually picked up a bag of delicious dried magic insects, chewed a few himself, and then fed some to Tom, who was curiously sticking his head out.

The cat sniffed, cautiously licked a small amount, then its eyes lit up, and it tugged at Viktor's hand with its paw, indicating that it wanted more.

Viktor smiled and gave it a few more, while his gaze remained fixed on the remaining orbs of light.

The next two items were also white: a large bag of premium mixed-flavor pet food and a finely crafted plush cat bed with a simple comfort charm.

Tom showed interest in the cat bed, jumped off Victor's lap, stomped around inside, and then lay down contentedly.

There are only three light orbs left.

The color seems somewhat different from the previous white, with a faint green and blue sheen.

Viktor's spirits lifted slightly, and he pointed his finger at the first orb of light emitting a pale green glow.

The light faded, revealing a small pouch woven from some kind of supple grass, containing about a dozen seeds of varying sizes and shapes.

The seeds range in color from dark brown to light yellow, and some even have unusual patterns on their surface.

The item information came to mind.

[A bag of magical seeds: No one knows what will grow after sowing. Perhaps ordinary flowers and grasses, perhaps strange magical plants, or perhaps—some unexpected little surprises. It is recommended to sow them in an environment with abundant magic and ample space.]

"A magical seed?" Victor picked up the bag of grass leaves, opened it, looked inside, and then sniffed it. There was only a faint, fresh scent, similar to hay.

He tried to draw upon the druidic abilities within him to explore the nature of these seeds.

But the feedback was a vague sense of vitality, nothing special, as if they were just a bag of ordinary, but remarkably resilient, unknown plant seeds.

"Interesting." Victor raised an eyebrow, not readily attempting to plant seeds in the office flowerpots.

He walked to the wall, opened the briefcase he always carried with him, and went down the ladder into the spacious interior.

Arriving at the area simulating a sunlit grassland, he casually grabbed a handful of seeds from his bag of grass leaves and scattered them evenly on the soft, fertile soil, just like sowing grass seeds.

"Grow, and see what you really are," he said softly, a faint trace of natural magic brushing across the land with his will.

The seeds lay quietly in the soil, without making any movement for the time being.

Viktor wasn't in a hurry. He dusted off his hands and returned to his office.

Then, he clicked on the second orb of light that glowed with a blue light.

The ball of light dissipated, revealing an object he was quite familiar with—a flat electronic device with a bright red casing and a black screen.

[Pokémon Pokédex: A technological creation from a world where Pokémon and humans coexist. It contains a basic Pokémon database and features Pokémon identification, simple data lookup, and capture time and location recording.]

"A Pokédex!" Viktor's eyes lit up as he picked it up.

He was no stranger to this concept; in fact, the Pokémon Encyclopedia project he led had initially referenced this portable Pokémon database idea.

He pressed the switch on the side, and the screen lit up, displaying a simple startup interface and operation menu.

Although the Pokémon data stored inside doesn't mostly match the magical creatures of his world, its data architecture, recognition logic, and portable design are excellent references.

More importantly, with this physical object as a blueprint and some technical support, the development of his Pokédex, which combines magical images, dynamic recording, attribute analysis, and many other functions, will undoubtedly be much smoother and more efficient.

"Not bad, this time the lottery finally yielded some substantial results."

Viktor nodded in satisfaction, carefully placing the red encyclopedia on the desk, preparing to study it more closely later.

Finally, his gaze fell on the last sphere of light, which was also the softest and had a faint golden sheen.

Tap lightly with your finger.

As the golden light faded, an invitation quietly floated into his hand.

The invitation is exquisitely crafted, made of a material that is neither paper nor silk, with a warm and smooth feel. The edges are inlaid with fine gold thread, and the cover is inscribed with the words "Luxury Invitation" in elegant cursive script.

When you open it, you find only a blank sheet of parchment of excellent quality.

But the relevant information had already entered Viktor's mind.

[Luxury Invitation: A magical invitation that automatically appears before the invitee and conveys the inviter's will. No address or postman is needed; simply decide on the invitee in your mind, write down the invitation, and it will transcend space and quietly arrive in the invitee's hands. Note: The invitation itself has no binding force; whether or not to attend is entirely up to the invitee's wishes.]

"Automatically appearing in front of the invitee?" Victor flipped through the ornate yet blank invitation with great interest, his smile growing wider and wider until he could barely suppress the upward curve of his lips.

This function sounds simple, but in the magical world, this kind of invitation that ignores distance, delivers precisely, and carries a certain sense of mystery and ritual is very rare and useful.

"It seems—" Victor gently stroked the smooth surface of the invitation, glancing at Tom, who was happily munching on a magical insect in his new cat bed, a mischievous glint of anticipation in his eyes.

"This Christmas, perhaps we can prepare a surprise gift for Tom."

He seemed to have already seen a certain scene, and his mood became increasingly cheerful.

Outside the window, dusk deepened, and the castle returned to tranquility.

Inside the office, the fireplace crackled, and Viktor leaned back in his recliner, playing with his newly acquired Pokédex and a deluxe invitation, while Tom licked his paws contentedly at his feet.

A day at Hogwarts is coming to an end, but some new plans and fun things are quietly brewing.