Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 109 Simple Plan

There's a reason Cedric received so much praise. After he became a Hogwarts Champion in his sixth year, no one showed any opposition. This was inseparable from his usual demeanor and solid magical abilities.

Even when facing a younger schoolmate two years his junior, Cedric didn't have the lecturing tone typical of British people; he was very considerate of others' feelings.

Of course, no matter what others say, Ike will not change his study plan.

This is the most important thing for him this semester.

October marks the official start of the Quidditch season at Hogwarts. All four teams have entered a period of intense recruitment and preparation.

Both Stewart and Anthony, the two official players, have devoted a significant amount of their energy to the team. As captain, Roger made his stance clear shortly after the start of the school year: this year's Ravenclaw Quidditch team will not be swept and will strive for a top-three finish!

Having been in fourth place for so long, and with the players making significant progress, Roger felt it was time to take a step forward.

It must be said that this goal is quite realistic. Gryffindor has always been Ravenclaw's nemesis, Slytherin has always been a contender for the championship with its aggressive style of play, and Hufflepuff, originally one of Hogwarts' two weakest schools, has also basically escaped the ranks of the weak thanks to Cedric's growth.

Ravenclaw has been consistently strong, but they still have a chance this year. With some effort, third place is still a realistic possibility.

As always, Ike didn't care much about Quidditch, but because of Stewart and Anthony, he could still do some logistical support.

"That's fantastic, Ekko! How did you come up with that idea?"

In the common room, Roger held a small button, pressed it slightly with his finger, and a magical wave flowed through him, causing him to feel a warmth.

He picked up another glass of water and poured it over his head, but the water seemed to be blocked by something, and not a single drop fell on him.

"A simple little gadget. As part of LaVine's reward program, I've prepared two for each of you." Ike glanced meaningfully at the proud Stewart beside him. "The weather in England is so bad. With this, I think you'll be shielded from many unfavorable factors off the field during the game."

"That's right! God, I hate playing in the rain the most. I'm always soaked after the game!" Roger took the small box that Ike handed him and immediately started distributing them. Each Quidditch player got two, just the right amount.

After everyone received their devices, they all tried them out, and the common room erupted in deafening screams and cheers, their spirits soaring. Ike, however, quietly shrank into a corner, watching the revelry unfold, hiding himself away.

These are byproducts of his alchemy skills at a certain stage; in other words, they are just practice materials. The truly valuable things are already within him.

A very unassuming silver ring.

The ring wasn't large, but Ike had engraved over a dozen ancient runes and a complete set of magic circles on it. With the help of magic, it was easy to do this, but what was not easy was that so many ancient runes and magic circuits gathered together without any adverse effects.

Precision and rigor—that's the beauty of alchemy.

Initially, Ike wanted to create a spatial ring, but after actually trying it out, he realized that it was impossible to achieve with his current knowledge. The Seamless Stretch Charm expands existing space; it's not that it can't be used on a ring, although you can use the Shrink Charm to put things inside, but once you use it, you can't take anything out of it at all.

After all, the shrinking spell cannot be applied to the human body.

October isn't just about Quidditch; for students in their third year and above, Hogsmeade is the most anticipated event.

Having spent so much time in boarding school, occasional off-campus activities naturally garner praise from everyone.

However, for security reasons, Hogwarts only allows students to go to Hogsmeade on specific Saturdays, and they also need written permission from their parents or guardians.

This year, due to Sirius Black's escape, Hogsmeade, as the wizarding village closest to Hogwarts, has naturally been inhabited by a large number of Aurora and Dementors. Therefore, compared to previous years, the permit time this year is much later.

Ike was also looking forward to it, and Julianne had already signed it for him. Although the actual opening date wasn't until October 30th, which was just before Halloween, there were still more than two weeks to go, but it was just right for Ike.

Alchemy and potions are both very expensive, so he needs to find a reliable and stable market in Hogsmeade. If possible, he also wants to buy some of them back.

Those peculiar and interesting little gadgets.

"Listen to me, we absolutely have to go to Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks! Those are the places everyone goes!" Stuart was really looking forward to the trip to Hogsmeade. He had heard about how wonderful Hogsmeade was from Roger and other upperclassmen a long time ago, and they had even ranked the shops, with Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks being the top two.

In reality, everyone would rank these two companies first.

"I'd like to go to Devis and Bans stores; I heard they have a new batch of magical items there," Terry said, explaining that his parents had taken him there many times when he was a child, so his purpose was very clear.

"Count me in then," Ike said casually, holding a book. "I've always wanted to figure out how the memory orbs work, so I'll just go buy one."

"It can detect a person's memory? I couldn't find any information about that in the book."

"Alright, good luck. The way this stuff is made is top secret, just like Floo Powder. Over the years, countless people have tried to crack the recipe for Floo Powder, but no matter what they do, they haven't made any progress."

Terry shrugged; he wasn't optimistic about Ike's research.

"It's alright, it's just a small research project. I have more important things to do."

Ike said something casually, but it really startled the two of them.

"Ike Strayder, what... what are you trying to do now?" Stewart snatched the book from Ike's hands, and he and Terry grabbed Ike's shoulders on either side. "Listen, buddy! There's been enough trouble this year already, and I don't want to live on my deathbed like last year."

"Don't worry, it's just buying and selling some things," Ike said with utmost sincerity. "Alchemy and potions are extremely expensive; I'm almost bankrupt."

"Is that all?" Terry asked again, still not entirely convinced.

"No more!" Ike shook his head repeatedly.

Good heavens, he really just wanted to sell some potions, and maybe a few "trinkets" on the side.

For example, Bogut, or...

Dementors!

(End of this chapter)