I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 442 Painful Bonds Destroy Common Sense

"Owen—" Hermione immediately stepped forward, "How did the test go? Hmm—you'll definitely get an 'A'."

I always felt that my worries were somewhat unnecessary.

Hermione took a deep breath and gradually regained her composure.

Perhaps she was influenced by Hannah; in any case, she couldn't stop fantasizing that something unexpected would happen during the exam.

"Something unexpected happened," Owen said, looking at her and shaking his head.

"You'll definitely get an excellent score," Hermione was still hypnotizing herself, "Wait—" she suddenly realized, "Something went wrong?"

"Of course it wasn't me who had an accident!" The boy took her hand and said with a smile, "How could a little Boggart possibly have any effect on me?"

Hermione stopped speaking, her brown eyes fixed on Owen.

What worries her is that Irving once confronted the Outer God.

To this day, he may be the only one in the world who has ever faced that ultimate evil.

She dared not believe what the Outer Gods would look like, but from Zhi's creations—the Imposter, the Child of Omens, and the Born of the Dead—she could roughly determine what kind of evil god they were.

She was worried that Boggart would imitate the appearance of the Outer Gods.

"Don't worry." He patted the little witch on the shoulder.

Then he turned around and pointed behind him.

The young wizards watching all looked towards the hall.

Harry came over too.

And Gemini.

And Koyatl, whom Hufflepuff treated as a tutor.

Everyone gathered outside the auditorium.

"What's wrong with him?" Harry immediately noticed that Ron's current state was extremely strange.

He didn't look relaxed at all; instead, he was trembling all over, like a frightened child.

“That’s just a Boggart!” he continued. “At Ron’s level.”

"He needs a little bit of help!" Owen chimed in, picking up where Harry left off.

"What each person fears isn't static, Harry," he continued. "Who knows, one day you might not be afraid of Voldemort, but of Ginny getting hurt."

He said jokingly.

Ginny, who was standing right behind Harry, blushed immediately.

Harry awkwardly rubbed his head.

I think I understand what Irving meant.

But then he thought again, and it seemed strange. "Ron, what could he be afraid of? I know he used to be afraid of spiders, but now—could it be Death Eaters? Or Voldemort?"

Considering that Ron was held captive by Voldemort for over a month, Harry has reason to believe that what he fears is the same Dark Lord that most wizards currently fear.

"No—" Owen shook his head, his gaze falling on Koyatl, "You know, right?"

The girl's deep gaze carried an unseen sorrow.

Before anyone knew it, her hands had clenched into fists.

She also had such terrifying memories.

Every time I think about it, I get drenched in sweat.

She didn't know when she fell asleep, but the nightmare finally stopped bothering her—perhaps she had become numb, and the painful memories of the past could no longer stir her heart.

But—now—as she stands here, looking out over the auditorium—she looks at her former self.

A wave of regret kept washing over me. I should have been more resolute back then. Besides that, there was also anger, a hatred for this damned world!

"It was my fault," Koyatl murmured. Her crimson eyes reflected the softness of her soul.

"Pretend," Owen sighed, raised his wand, and said to her, "I have no opinion on that."

He tightened his grip on Hermione's hand. "The key is in our own choices—to be our true selves. That's our own choice, and it's more important than any ability we have. In fact, the ability to feel this pain is what makes you—your greatest strength."

"Because pain is part of human nature, and that proves that you are still a human being, not a monster."

He spoke slowly, his tone like a warm breeze blowing through the Hogwarts hills in June.

Its gentleness carries an air of detachment from the situation.

The crystal wand emitted a silvery mist, radiating the condensed light of the moon.

"But we are ultimately different from that monster born from aphrodisiacs—after all, we are not alone."

He turned to face the auditorium.

He proclaimed loudly, "Call upon God—Protect!"

"Clang clang!"

A loud cry echoed throughout the auditorium.

It is a phoenix.

A phoenix burst forth from the vast silver mist.

The dazzling light shone on everyone in the auditorium.

Its head is held high, its body lines are smooth and elegant, and its tail feathers are long and gorgeous, like an open fan.

Burning with flames, it flew gracefully and calmly like an elf.

"Merlin's beard!"

"That's—a phoenix!"

The professors from the Ministry of Magic who were in charge of proctoring the exam gasped in astonishment as they looked up at the phoenix moving through the Gothic flying arches on the ceiling.

"Put Your God on the shield!!!"

Koyatl was the second wizard to cast a spell.

With great sorrow, she held Salazar's wand aloft.

The silver mist also originated from the tip of her staff.

Then, a huge silver serpent with wings on its back and fleshy horns on its head resembling a crown, radiating the light of a guardian deity, flew into the hall together.

"Um?"

Owen glanced at the guardian deity that resembled the feathered serpent god with considerable surprise.

This time, he did not sense any divinity or trace of ancient magic.

It seems that it was merely the guardian deity of Koyatl, but due to the power of the gods, it underwent a permanent change.

"Protect the Gods!"

Hermione joined in too.

So far, she doesn't understand why Owen would cast this spell, but that doesn't stop her from trusting the boy beside her.

The grapevine wand produced a cute little beast.

It was a four-legged beast with a mane around its neck and bright, alert eyes.

Its body shape resembles that of a lion—but its tail is not quite like one, as it is very wide and silky.

Its limbs are also longer, with toes like an eagle's.

Hmm—why does it look so much like Sirocco?

That little fellow with Zouwu blood.

Hmm—thinking—Owen suddenly paused—Speaking of which? Where's his cat? Where's his dragon?

I haven't seen it for months!!!

"Protector of God!!!"

Hermione raised her wand high, as if waving an invisible flag, her voice echoing through the air, sounding the battle cry.

Then, the chanting of incantations rose and fell, like waves crashing endlessly.

Inside the auditorium, all sorts of guardian deities emerged like a tide. They came in various forms, some majestic and powerful, some gentle and lovely, and some small and exquisite.

Harry's Patronus, a stag, also rushed into the Great Hall.

Although the young wizards were confused by Owen's sudden action, they trusted him, and more and more of them joined in.

More than a hundred physical guardian deities rushed into the hall.

The scene was as spectacular as a zoo cafeteria opening for lunch.

These guardian spirits were either leaping and bounding, dancing gracefully, or chanting softly, creating a lively scene.

Besides the young wizards in front of the hall, in the courtyard, and in the entrance hall, more and more people noticed the changes that had taken place here.

As a result, more guardian deities joined in.

"By Merlin!"

The examiners were speechless.

Looking at the ceiling, more and more guardian deities were perched on the flying arches.

The silvery ocean completely overturned their basic common sense.

The Guardian Charm is a highly complex and difficult-to-master form of white magic!

Right? Right?

But why do all these little wizards summon a physical guardian spirit?

They couldn't fathom how these young wizards had mastered such profound magic. Yet, the sight before them forced them to believe it was a miraculous moment.

"A miracle—it's simply a miracle," Professor Machiban said, trembling.

Although she already knew about the young wizards at Hogwarts before, knowing that many gifted young wizards had emerged in this year’s class, and that many people in the castle could use the Patronus Charm.

Whether it was Dumbledore or many other professors who had explicitly told her, or the news two years ago about the Dementors invading the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch and hundreds of young wizards wielding their wands to release their Patronus, it was all true.

However—at that time, judging from the photos alone, most young wizards could only make their wands emit a puff of silver mist.

Not many people can summon a guardian deity in physical form.

But now—there are hundreds of young wizards outside the hall, including several first and second graders who look quite young, still just children.

But they—their wands also emitted bursts of silver light, and with the support of the powerful positive emotions around them, they successfully released their physical guardian spirits.

She could find no words to describe the scene before her eyes, only shock.

More than a hundred guardian spirits in physical form, their silvery mist almost becoming a tangible substance, fell like clouds from the ceiling. Such a scene is something a person might never witness even once in their lifetime.

A powerful positive emotion enveloped the entire auditorium.

The Boggarts inside the cabinets trembled and shuddered, wanting to escape, but they dared not leave the cabinets at all.

Although both are dark creatures, Boggarts are not Dementors. If they were, they would have been vaporized by so many Patrons.

Ron slowly raised his head, his eyes gradually clearing from their daze.

The powerful positive emotions that filled the auditorium were like a sharp sword, easily severing the chains of memories in his heart.

Those heavy past events, those painful memories, receded like the tide, leaving behind a sense of tranquility and clarity.

Ron looked up at his companions standing in front of the auditorium.

For some reason, his vision was somewhat doubled.

Oh—it's tears.

The light penetrated the water droplets, dividing the scene into several parts.

He looked at Harry.

Look at the Koyat people.

He looked at Irving.

He looked at Hermione.

He looked at Ginny and everyone who cared about him and everyone he cared about.

The happy memories in my mind are filled with the smiles of my companions. They are their shared memories, the pillars that support their souls.

A warm feeling welled up in Ron's heart; he had emerged from the shadows of the past.

Wiping away her tears, she smiled.

Then, he raised the magic wand that belonged to his ancestors.

He spoke gently, "Call upon God—Protect!"

"call--"

Like surging waves.

Like a wanderer returning home.

It's like a river flowing into the sea.

The silvery mist rose against the current like a shooting star.

Then a hunting dog emerged from the mist.

It howled and rushed into the house on the ceiling!

------

The auditorium fell silent at this moment.

All the professors and examiners stood silently, watching the miracle that belonged to Hogwarts.

They were all enveloped in a powerful sense of happiness and joy.

The happiest moments of my life involuntarily came to mind.

The Guardian Spell doesn't have this effect, or it's very weak.

But when so many guardians gather together, the effect is amplified infinitely.

Professor Machiban looked up at the most prominent of the guardian spirits.

That phoenix.

Phoenix!

Very few wizards have magical creatures as their patron deities.

Most of them are ordinary animals without any magic.

This was only the second time in her life that she had seen someone's guardian spirit being a magical creature.

Last time, it was also a phoenix.

The professor's gaze gradually fell on Irving.

She couldn't help but recall what Dumbledore had said: that the child was the most outstanding student Hogwarts had ever had.

At first, she simply didn't believe it.

But now—when the phoenix reigns over all the beasts.

She believed it.

She firmly believed that another great wizard, a wizard far surpassing his predecessors, had been born.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After that day, the young wizards didn't pay any attention and went about their own business.

For example, preparing for the upcoming exam.

After all, everyone knew that their classmate could unleash a physical guardian spirit.

What's so surprising? They've seen even more spectacular scenes of guardian spirits casting spells years ago.

However, this incident has caused quite a stir in the outside world.

Although there was a previous Quidditch match where Dementors attacked Harry and hundreds of people cast Patronus Charms in a spectacular scene.

But that time it wasn't nearly as clear as this one; back then, many young wizards could only make their wands spew out silver mist.

Moreover, the current situation is precisely when "The Pretender" is causing widespread panic, so such reports can greatly boost everyone's confidence.

People attribute all the credit to Dumbledore.

Look, this is what it means to be the greatest white wizard.

Could Umbridge, that monster in human skin, really teach such students?

The Ministry of Magic is full of incompetent people. Why didn't the Minister of Magic let Dumbledore take on the role as well?

Many people have this or similar thoughts from the bottom of their hearts.

Poor Rufus Scrimgeour's approval ratings have inexplicably plummeted.

However, compared to the previous two idiots...

Rufus Scrimgeour was much smarter.

The next day, he personally went to Hogwarts to meet Dumbledore and even had a photo taken by reporters, thus getting a great deal of attention from the headmaster.

Irving felt that he was just there to use someone else's name to make a big show of things.

This feast also changed Ron.

Dumbledore talked to him for a long time.

In short—when he saw Ron the next day, he seemed to have returned to how things were before. Although Owen knew that was impossible.

But the suppressed feelings he had been carrying for months finally eased a little.

Koyatl went out that night and didn't return until late.

Hannah said she came back with a smile on her face.

Irving himself didn't see this because he was already asleep.

On Friday, Owen and Hermione went to take the ancient runes exam together.

Harry and his friends took a day off.

There weren't many wizards taking this elective course in the entire fifth grade.

The exam ended quickly.

Irving passed through easily.

Professor Bassheda Bablin went even further, stating that Owen's runic writing skills had surpassed those of some scholars in the wizarding world.

He could have established his own school of thought in this course alone.

The professor was not talking nonsense.

Modern runic writing is an archaeological discipline, with many character combinations and even some runic scripts themselves having been lost.

As an heir to ancient magic, Owen possesses a relatively complete lineage.

This alone is enough for other scholars to study for a lifetime.

Hermione naturally encountered no trouble in this class.

With him as her human translation machine, she progressed very quickly.

Getting a perfect score is a piece of cake.

Saturday and Sunday.

It was a time of leisure and relaxation for the young wizards (only Owen was one of them).

Everyone is busy reviewing Potions to prepare for Monday's exam.

This subject is very difficult for most students.

The main problem is that you don't know which potion will be on the exam.

You might spend ages memorizing a potion recipe, but they might not even be testing you on it.

To ensure absolute success, they had to memorize all the potion recipes for the fourth and fifth grades.

Harry was the last person who wanted to take this exam.

As expected, Harry suffered his biggest blow since exam week began during the morning potions test.

He couldn't answer several questions, and he only answered 90% of the questions on the test paper, without even knowing if they were correct.

It's obvious—he probably won't get an 'excellent' grade in this course.

Um—when did I start having these thoughts?

Harry shook his head. Did he really want to get 'A' grades in all subjects?

OMG—it must have been Hermione who brought it.

As long as I behave well and it doesn't affect his future as an Auror, that's fine.

Thinking about it that way, he did feel much more relaxed.

The practical exam in the afternoon didn't seem as difficult as the written exam in the morning.

Since Snape wasn't at the exam site, most people found it easier to prepare potions than usual.

Even Neville managed to perfectly concoct the potion in one go, so it's clear that the others won't encounter any trouble.

In the evening, everyone sat in the lounge, enjoying a relaxing time with their minds free.

Everyone did their best for today's exam.

"Ah—just four more doors, and I'll be free!" Justin said wearily, slumping onto the sofa in a completely unrefined manner.

Even Susan couldn't stand it anymore, so she went over and kicked him before he calmed down.

"Heh—" Owen laughed bitterly—he didn't want to get involved in this topic.

Because Dumbledore assigned him too many subjects.

He has four elective courses: magical creatures, ancient runes, alchemy, and divination.

He wasn't supposed to have to take an exam for alchemy; it was a course that was only for sixth-year wizards, with an exam for seventh-year students.

However, Victor gave him an early start, and Owen strongly suspected that Dumbledore had instructed him to do so—of course, it was also possible that Victor felt there was nothing more to teach him, so he considered this course as an early graduation and that Owen should not come back for the next two years.

Hermione is the same.

There's really no need for the two little wizards who routinely write textbooks to teach classes.

Collaborative research is indeed an option.

Anyway—ultimately, he'll be taking the exam this year with Hermione and a few other seventh-graders.

(End of this chapter)