Chapter 198: The Talk and the Change
The night was very dark, and the corridors were silent.
Neville was returning from the Room of Hope on the third floor to the Gryffindor Tower. He usually feared the corridors, but the wand at his waist gave him a small measure of confidence.
"Neville."
A figure seemed to have been waiting there for a long time.
"Justin."
Neville flinched, then calmed down when he recognized Justin.
"Can we talk? About... Professor Quirrell." Justin said gently.
Hearing the name, Neville swallowed hard before daring to listen further.
"The wizarding world is never safe, is it? The First Wizarding War, the Second Wizarding War... Even the records in Significant Magical History of the Twentieth Century describe them as devastating. You... you must understand better than I do."
Justin paused, watching with slight concern as Neville's eyes shifted from fear to sorrow. Neville's chubby hand instinctively clenched the hem of his robe.
The wars were devastating. Taking the Battle of Hogwarts as an example: fewer than 400 people fought, and over 50 died. A casualty rate of over 12.5%, making it one of the Wizarding World's most brutal battles.
"Headmaster Dumbledore knows about Professor Quirrell, do you understand, Neville?" Justin paused again, waiting for Neville, eyes wide, to digest this fact.
"Headmaster Dumbledore naturally looks far ahead of us, but the danger won't simply vanish. We need power. We need to stand together. I need you to know... if danger truly comes, we'll be leaning on each other, just like with the troll..."
His firm, sincere voice carried a seductive power. For a moment, Neville felt something stirring in his heart.
In this small, dark corridor, Neville felt a change begin. A sense of responsibility settled on his shoulders, and he was willing to bear it.
"I... can I do it... What should I do?" Neville stammered, his lips trembling.
"Of course you can, Neville. What we need to do is simple—train ourselves. If danger truly arises, we should face it alongside Sean, not wait for someone to save us."
Justin finished and quietly walked away. Before leaving, he looked into Neville's eyes, certain that his friend possessed a deeply hidden strength.
These insignificant beings, overlooked by Dumbledore and dismissed by Voldemort, would make the arrogant stumble badly. He was certain of it.
Moonlight spilled in through the window. Justin's usually warm, cheerful face was indistinct in the pale light.
Of course, they had to stick together. Otherwise, they would just be waiting for Sean to rescue them one by one.
In this castle, only one person had the power to face danger and was willing to risk everything to ensure their safety.
Justin sighed. He had to make sure the students in the Room of Hope understood: Don't drag Sean down.
Not in power, and not in mental fortitude.
Since the Professor Quirrell incident, the students in the Room of Hope had been infused with zeal. They were training diligently every day.
Neville was achieving notable success in Defence Against the Dark Arts. When he tentatively asked Sean for help, Sean focused him exclusively on Finite Incantatem and the Stunning Spell.
Neville was mastering these two spells faster than even Hermione.
In contrast to Neville's specialization, Hermione's learning was vast. She was rapidly expanding her spell repertoire. The only thing that made Justin laugh was that when Hermione got nervous—for example, when they tried to subdue Sean's transfigured snowmen with spells—she would forget the charms she had learned. Justin had to take her proficiency chart and silently help her recall them.
Ron was the slowest in the group, but considering he had chosen Transfiguration, a vast and complex field, his progress was already fast among the first-years. He could now transfigure a wooden table into stone. Justin estimated Ron was already at the level Sean was when he first boarded the train.
"What do you mean, 'on the train'?" Ron asked blankly.
"Before Sean enrolled. The Hogwarts Express, remember?"
Ron slumped onto the chair, motionless.
Overall, everyone was improving. Justin looked at the rapidly changing proficiency charts and nodded in satisfaction. As the only person whose schedule mostly matched Sean's, he was working harder than anyone else in the room. His progress, however, seemed slow due to his less pronounced natural talent.
Still—
"Sean, want to practice together?"
It was a sunny afternoon, a brief reprieve from the January drizzle.
"Sure." Sean nodded.
"Finite Incantatem, plus the Smokescreen Spell, the Disillusionment Charm, and the Silencing Charm... I think I'm starting to grasp the spell combination you mentioned last time..." Justin was keen to learn defensive and concealment spells.
He often discussed the intricacies of these charms with Sean. With the help of an unnamed Expert, his progress was consistently good.
Before reaching the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Sean handed Justin a small notebook tailored only to his personal spell mastery. Justin's chosen spells were practically a copy of Sean's own set, so Sean had taken the time to write him a "Justin Edition Spell Study Plan."
"See you tonight." Sean stepped into the Forbidden Forest. He could already see Hagrid in the distance.
"See you tonight." Justin waved.
He walked away with a brisk step. As he cast the charm and waved his wand, his footsteps immediately quieted.
His reason for focusing on defensive and concealment charms was simple: facing dangerous figures in the wizarding world, the primary goals, even with a powerful ally, were gathering intelligence, self-preservation, and timely withdrawal.
He believed most students couldn't truly fight these dangerous individuals before graduation. Only a wizard destined for greatness, like Sean, had the ability to control the battlefield.
But does that mean the rest of them were useless? That the wizards without natural talent had wasted their lives?
Magic was more than just direct confrontation...
Even Professor Flitwick could be sent flying by Neville's Wingardium Leviosa...
Being outmanoeuvred was common in the wizarding world.
Edge of the Forbidden Forest.
In front of Sean, a narrow path disappeared into the dark, dense woods. He peered into the forest. A light breeze rustled his hair. Hagrid strode over.
"Glad to see yeh, Sean! Look over there," Hagrid said excitedly.
"See that big footprint on the ground?"
(End of Chapter)
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