Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 44 The Night Steed

The ice cream was quite potent; it had a remarkable effect on Ike's stomach in just one hour after he ate the whole tub.

But don't worry, potions are meant for this kind of situation. A small bottle of antidiarrheal potion will make you feel perfectly fine, and you can even enjoy another meal of fish and chips.

The Weasleys and Harry were returning to the Burrow, and Hermione was going back to her house in London with her parents. After saying goodbye to them all, Ike continued to spend time in junk shops until the day before school started, when he finally found a notebook belonging to a healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries, which contained many commonly used healing spells and special cases.

Of course, with Ike's current level of understanding, he can't comprehend those cases, let alone the treatment methods and philosophies involved. Perhaps he'll be able to understand them after returning to Hogwarts and studying more books on basic medical treatments.

However, that's for the future; we can add another item to the plan, though.

After spending his last night at the Leaky Cauldron, Ike checked out of the room around 9 a.m. the next day, carrying the suitcase with the Unseen Stretching Charm, and boarded the bus. He arrived at King's Cross Station a little after 10 a.m.

Passing through the partition wall, the Hogwarts Express was already there, and several young wizards had arrived. They randomly found a compartment at the back of the carriage, put their suitcases down, and took out their most treasured copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" to pass the time.

The young wizards gradually boarded the train, and the fledglings, now in their second year, quickly found Ike reading a book. A holiday had passed; Stuart had gotten a bit tanned, Terry had gained some weight, while Michael and Anthony hadn't changed much, except their hair had grown longer, making them look more like Snape.

As soon as they entered the cubicle, Stewart took out a lot of homemade snacks: macarons, muffins, and chocolate cookies. Terry also pulled out a handful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Michael and Anthony were not to be outdone, and the table in the cubicle was soon piled high with them.

Terry loves sweet macarons, while almost everyone hates Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. These candies, where getting the flavor is entirely a matter of luck, are either adored by those who like them or loathe by those who dislike them.

Ike tried it too: boogers, earwax, lamb liver, and devil's hot pepper. He ate four of them and not a single one was normal. Ike was so angry that he almost flipped the table.

This is certainly one of the reasons why some people become staunch advocates of cockroach-infested areas.

In contrast, Terry was different; the weird-flavored beans he ate were either strawberry or mango-blueberry. Unconvinced, Ike even tried splitting the weird-flavored beans Terry picked in half; Terry's were milk-flavored, while his were bitter melon…

While snacking and chatting, the train quickly started moving. Ike, with a licorice wand dangling from his mouth, watched Terry devour jelly beans, one watermelon after another, and felt a strong urge to build a swarm of cockroaches.

Unfortunately, his stock had long been depleted. Cockroach piles weren't Honeydukes' best-selling item; they were only available at the main store in Hogsmeade.

We could get a batch of twins.

As they were chatting, there was a knock on the door of the cubicle. Anthony opened the door and found Hermione and Ginny.

"Ike!" Hermione exclaimed anxiously, "Have you seen Harry and Ron?"

"No, didn't they get on the bus?" Ike shook his head.

"They might not be here. I've searched almost everywhere and haven't seen them," Hermione said hurriedly, while Ginny looked like she was about to cry.

"Don't worry, there are people from the Ministry of Magic at the station entrance, and they even have owls to deliver messages to the professors." Ike naturally knew that these two guys would be racing the Hogwarts Express in Mr. Weasley's beloved car, and they might be flying right above him now.

But she couldn't tell Hermione this, so she could only comfort her, saying, "As long as they wait on the other side of the wall for a while, someone will naturally help them."

"Of course I know, but I'm afraid those two won't just wait obediently," Hermione sighed.

"Alright, they'll be fine. Would you like some licorice wands?" Ike picked up a licorice wand from the table and handed it over.

"No, I'll go look again." Hermione shook her head, grabbed Ginny, and ran off.

As soon as he sat down, Stewart came over with a honey candy in his mouth, and the others perked up their ears as well.

"That's Hermione Granger from Gryffindor, isn't it, Ike? The one who knows everything?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Ike glanced at the strange-looking crowd and guessed what Stewart was about to say.

"You...and her, are you...?"

"No," Ike shook his head. "They're just friends."

"Oh... okay." Stuart drew out the "oh" for a long time, and the others all looked like they knew what was going on. Ike looked up and around, but everyone quickly avoided his gaze again, some eating candy, some performing spells, acting as if nothing had happened.

He nodded in satisfaction, and with a flick of his left hand, the candies and snacks that had been flying through the air returned to the table.

The Hogwarts Express is called an express, but its actual speed is quite frustrating. By the time we arrived at Hogwarts, it was already evening.

Second graders no longer needed to take a boat across Black Lake. After getting off the train, led by the prefect, Ike and the others walked a short distance along a small path and saw more than a hundred carriages parked by the roadside.

"Four people per carriage, don't crowd!" Roger called to the eaglets to get in. Stuart, Terry, Michael, and Anthony rode in one carriage, while Morag and the others rode in another. Ike didn't get in, letting the two carriages drive off towards the castle on their own.

"Ike, why didn't you get on the carriage?" Roger asked, looking at Ike who was standing to the side staring blankly at the carriage.

"I'll wait a bit," Ike shrugged and replied.

"Alright." Roger patted Ike on the shoulder, smiled, and climbed into a carriage.

"There are plenty of cars, don't miss the Sorting Ceremony!"

After waving goodbye to Roger, Ike lingered by the roadside for a while until all the other young wizards had left in their carriages before finally arriving at the last carriage.

"This is Thestral..." Ike raised his right hand, trying to reach for the head of the jet-black creature with a dragon's head and a horse's body. Thestral flapped its broad wings, shook its head, and stared intently at Ike with its blood-red eyes.

Ike didn't dodge; instead, he extended his right hand slightly forward. Thestral flinched back, but then leaned forward, resting its forehead against Ike's palm.

He chuckled and patted it, and Thestral seemed to enjoy it, nuzzling against him. After patting its massive body, Ike finally boarded the carriage.

The Thestrals at Hogwarts originally numbered only six—one male and five females—and the current herd is descended from these six. They are highly intelligent, and despite their ferocious appearance, they never attack humans unprovoked. Moreover, the number of people who have actually seen them can be counted on one hand, and most young wizards are unaware of their existence.

The Thestrals pulled the carriage smoothly and at a good speed, and in no time, Ike arrived at the castle gate. He got off and went into the Great Hall, where the young wizards were all seated according to their academies, chatting in small groups, looking very happy.

When Anthony saw Ike come in, he quickly waved him over. Ike smiled and jogged over to sit down.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Professor McGonagall led a group of little kids in.

The branching ceremony is about to begin.

I got a little engrossed in watching the League of Legends match and it's a bit late. There'll be more later.

I'm begging for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets!

Group number: 714141880

(End of this chapter)