"Even though you said you'd be leaving at noon, I still need to remind you—closing time for the library is eight in the evening."
As Irma Pince led Chu Yang toward the Restricted Section, she didn't forget to warn him.
Based on her impression of him, Chu Yang almost always left right at closing time. If she didn't remind him, he would definitely end up locked inside the library overnight.
In the quiet library, Madam Pince's voice appeared briefly—then faded away.
Sunlight slid past the library windows as the sky gradually dimmed.
On the desk in front of Chu Yang, a pile of thick volumes with excessively long titles had accumulated without him even noticing.
He had not only fully memorized the content of Apparition and the Extension Charm, but had also read the practical insights of several masters.
Among them were interpretations and extensions of the Extension Charm by Newt Scamander, the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Newt Scamander was exceptionally skilled at using the Extension Charm.
The suitcase he carried with him was practically a small world unto itself.
Newt's whimsical ideas gave Chu Yang a great deal of inspiration, immersing him so deeply that he found it hard to pull away.
"I know that acquiring knowledge is something people can easily lose themselves in," a weathered yet mellow voice suddenly sounded beside him, "but it's also important to know when to rest."
Chu Yang looked up to see Albus Dumbledore, dressed in blue robes, gazing at him with concern.
He reminded him gently, "After all, today is Halloween."
"I remember we haven't reached closing time yet…" Chu Yang said awkwardly as he began tidying the books on his desk, preparing to return them to the shelves one by one.
Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder, stopping him.
"Go to the Great Hall," he said. "The Halloween feast is about to begin. Leave these books on the table—Madam Pince will return them for you."
"Please help me apologize to Madam Pince," Chu Yang said. Seeing that it really was getting late, he hurried off toward the Great Hall at a light jog.
The Great Hall was already packed, though the feast hadn't started yet.
Since it was Halloween, seating etiquette was relaxed—students from all years and houses sat wherever they liked.
Chu Yang scanned the room, intending to find a quiet corner, when he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
At the center of the hall, Draco Malfoy, flanked by Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe, had cleared out a massive area of seats for Chu Yang.
The table was piled high with food, and gifts were stacked all around it.
The display was so exaggerated it drew countless stares. Draco seemed completely oblivious to the teasing looks being thrown his way.
He grinned smugly, waving at Chu Yang nonstop like he was waiting to claim credit.
Come over here!Come on—get over here already!
With everyone watching the spectacle, Chu Yang suddenly felt like a panda on display at a zoo.
He coughed lightly and turned his head away, deliberately avoiding Draco's hopeful gaze.
And then he saw Hermione Granger waving at him.
Chu Yang immediately walked over to Hermione's table, leaving Draco frozen awkwardly in place.
What made it even worse—
Ron Weasley stood up with Hermione and pulled a face at Draco in blatant provocation.
If this weren't the Great Hall, but Draco's own living room, he probably would've smashed a plate on the spot.
"That Malfoy guy really goes all out. He still doesn't understand that Chu Yang hates being put on display like that," Hermione said, shivering slightly as she recalled Draco's over-the-top performance.
"If Chu Yang weren't a guy, I'd almost think Malfoy was trying to court him…" Ron added casually—then froze mid-sentence.
A second later, Ron, Hermione, and Harry Potter all stared at Chu Yang in shock.
"Damn it—don't look at me like that! I'm not into that!" Chu Yang snapped, his eyelid twitching as he hurriedly explained. "If I had to guess, it's probably because of his father."
"When his father came to the school last time, he was clearly here to cause trouble for me—but it ended quietly. He must've had some other agenda."
The three of them nodded in realization.
Chu Yang was already a well-known genius—and an orphan. It wasn't strange that major wizarding families would take an interest in him.
"Still, if he keeps this up, the entire school's going to think he likes you," Hermione said with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the chaos.
"What am I supposed to do—beat him up again?" Chu Yang shrugged helplessly, looking utterly exhausted. "That wouldn't make sense. I'm not afraid of people going hard—I'm afraid of them going soft."
"Alright, enough about that," Chu Yang said, smoothly shifting the topic. "Harry, how's your training been lately? The inter-house matches are coming up, and you're the Seeker. That's got to be a lot of pressure, right?"
Harry smiled shyly. "It's been okay. At first, I thought you might become Slytherin's Seeker—that would've been terrifying. But then you said you wanted to focus on studying and turned it down, so the pressure eased a lot."
Quidditch training took up a huge amount of time.
For Chu Yang, who was desperate to absorb magical knowledge, it was simply incompatible.
His interest in Quidditch didn't even come close to his fascination with spells in books.
Maybe in second or third year, when his schedule loosened up, he'd consider joining a Quidditch team.
A short while later, Neville Longbottom arrived just in time and sat down beside them.
The Halloween feast officially began. Everyone raised their glasses, laughter filling the hall.
Even Goyle and Crabbe were stuffing their faces without restraint—
Leaving Draco Malfoy alone, sulking miserably at his table.
In the Great Hall that night…
A world where only Draco got hurt was successfully achieved.
(End of Chapter)