Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 38 Leaving School

Watching Gryffindor rise from last place to win the House Cup in the Great Hall, Harry, Neville, and their friends once again became heroes of the Masters House, winning cheers from almost everyone except Slytherins.

That's the charm of a major reversal; things that don't meet expectations always excite people.

In the vast majority of cases.

Ike also applauded generously, maintaining a calm smile, but his eyes were fixed on Dumbledore in the very center of the professors' table.

Dumbledore blinked, looking pleased, a stark contrast to Professor Snape's cold expression.

That's understandable. Their seven-peat was over just like that, and as the head of Slytherin, how could Snape possibly be all smiles?

This has absolutely nothing to do with not wanting to see Harry looking smug!

The Gryffindor revelry, the Slytherin atmosphere, and the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws enjoying themselves—the last banquet of the term ended in this strange atmosphere. Once the young wizards had packed their things, they would board the Hogwarts Express again to leave school and return to London.

Of course, before leaving, all the young wizards who haven't graduated have one last thing to do:

Sign an agreement.

It was called an agreement, but it was really just a guarantee. The Ministry of Magic did not allow underage wizards to use magic during holidays, and the school rules also stipulated this. The young wizards needed to sign their names on a piece of parchment, making a guarantee that they would not use magic.

If a young wizard is found to be using magic, the Ministry of Magic will issue a warning or even expel him/her from school.

As for how it was discovered, the common explanation is that there are clues in the wands that young wizards buy, which monitor the young wizards during holidays and inform the Ministry of Magic in a special way.

However, in Ike's opinion, the real reason might be the guarantee he signed before leaving school that he would not use magic outside of school.

"It's very much like a legendary magical contract." Perhaps because of the unbreakable vow he made to Dumbledore, Ike now had a slight sense of contract-based magic. At the moment he wrote his name, Ike had a feeling that he had signed another contract in the dark. It was very faint, and if it weren't for the almost imperceptible magical fluctuations on the parchment, Ike would have almost missed it.

Magic affinity is still quite effective.

On their last night at Hogwarts, almost every common room was filled with revelry. Buckets of butterbeer, magical fireworks, and all sorts of sweets were laid out on the tables. The young wizards laughed and cried, a mixture of anticipation for the upcoming holidays and reluctance to leave school life behind.

Ike quietly ate the pile of cockroaches in the corner, watching the people in the lounge, relaxing for once, and even echoing their cheers.

For Ravenclaw, the wonderful holiday began with a perfect report card. The report cards were handed out the second week after the exams, and Ike got seven O's in Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbalism, Potions, Astronomy, and History of Magic, with only an A in Flying. This caused him to fall to second place in the year after leading for the entire semester.

Hermione's flying grade was an E, which was exactly the difference.

The Hawks felt sorry for Ike, but Ike himself didn't seem to care much.

The following morning, the young wizards changed into their everyday clothes, dragged their luggage, left Hogwarts, and boarded the Hogwarts Express.

Ike sat with Stewart, Terry, Michael, and Anthony, chatting as they waited for the train to depart.

In the world of young wizards, sadness is rare, even in parting. They agreed to correspond during the holidays, and Terry even invited everyone to his house, where the freedom to use magic was a great temptation for Stuart.

Wizard families have it much easier than Muggle families in this regard.

After most of the day had passed, Hogwarts finally arrived at King's Cross Station in London in the afternoon.

The station was full of parents picking up their children, waving enthusiastically to the kids through the train windows. As soon as the train stopped, the young wizards eagerly dragged their luggage off the train and ran to their loved ones, looking up and laughing as they talked about how good their grades were and how fun school life was. Of course, the most talked-about topic was their incredible comeback in the Academy Cup.

And so, the scene from the farewell dinner was repeated once again. Gryffindor was elated, Slytherin had gloomy faces, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw happily ate their fill.

Ike smiled and said goodbye to Stuart and the others. He pushed his luggage and stood at the station for a long time until there were almost no people left before leaving the platform.

As soon as he came out, he saw Julianne smiling and greeting him. He jogged a few steps to her side and flashed a bright smile.

"Mom Julianne, I'm home."

"Welcome home, little Ike." Julianne patted Ike's head, and the familiar feeling made Ike's eyes sting a little.

"You seem to have grown a little taller." Julianne gestured with one hand to measure their heights, her right hand still resting on Ike's head. "Looks like the school food is pretty good."

"It's really nice." Ike nodded. "I also brought some local specialties. I'll let you try them when we get back. There's a kind of candy I really like."

"What little Ike likes must be delicious," Julianne said with a smile. "I think I'll like it too."

After exiting King's Cross Station, they stuffed their luggage into Julian's still-sturdy Rover and began their journey home.

Even though he wrote back frequently, Julianne still asked about everything related to school life, and Ike answered with a smile, telling many interesting stories about school, which made Julianne laugh from the bottom of her heart the whole way.

More than two hours later, Luo Fu drove into the St. Mary's Welfare Home. It was already evening, and listening to the melodious chimes, Ike was filled with nostalgia.

Perhaps it was because of the filter, but Ike suddenly felt that everything in Santa Maria was warm and cozy, with warm colors. Even the fish and chips that he hadn't eaten in a long time tasted much better than he remembered.

Friends from the orphanage were asking Ike how he was doing at the boarding school. Ike answered them all with a smile and even took out a lot of toffee from his pocket for the younger brothers and sisters, which made the little ones cheer.

This is a tradition at the orphanage: children who have been away from home for a long time will bring gifts and tell their younger siblings that there are many delicious and fun things in the outside world, and that they should try their best to leave the orphanage and live a happy life.

Ike had received candy, cakes, and toys from his older siblings before, and now it was his turn.

After dinner, Ike returned to his room. The moment he pushed open the door, tears almost welled up in his eyes.

The room remained exactly as it had been when he left, spotless and immaculate. A small vase sat on the table, holding a vibrant rose.

It smells very good, and it's as red as blood...

Okay, I failed. It's past midnight after all. I'll do a 12-degree roll to apologize!

By the way, shamelessly asking for votes. I'll be a little earlier today, trying to evolve into the Midnight Beast!

(End of this chapter)