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Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Split Rewards and Punishments (Part 1)

In her shock and anger, Rowena subconsciously used magic to examine Amanda's body, only feeling slightly more at ease after confirming she was fine.

But she still didn't know exactly what was going on. After some thought, Rowena simply exercised her founder's authority over Hogwarts, monitoring all the portraits and statues throughout the school. She successfully learned the whole story from two Little Badgers gossiping in the corridor.

Hearing that the Gryffindor trio went to stop Professor Quirrell from stealing the Philosopher's Stone, and hearing that Amanda had dueled Professor Quirrell alone, Rowena's first reaction was: had this child gone to duel Voldemort again?!

Although he wasn't in his complete form, it was still dangerous. It seemed she hadn't learned her lesson at all after being hit by that Crucio before.

Drawing back her attention, Rowena looked through the watch at Amanda, who was talking with Cho Chang and Marietta, feeling waves of heartache.

But as much as her heart ached, Rowena also understood that as a friend of that Gryffindor trio, Amanda would inevitably face such situations in the future.

Moreover, she and Hermione Granger from that trio... seemed to have a somewhat unusual feeling between them. Since her own partner was Helga, Rowena keenly captured the spark between the two girls.

Although she knew in her heart that these were essential trials for the children, it didn't stop Rowena from once again directing her anger toward Dumbledore.

They also tempered children back in the Middle Ages, but that was always outside the school! Who brings danger into the school? And does it intentionally!

Even during the most chaotic times of the Middle Ages, no one could run wild in Hogwarts. Now, look at this—Dumbledore dared to lead Voldemort straight inside. How capable of him!

Even if you set up a plan outside the school to let the children go out and be tempered, at the very least, you shouldn't let danger into the school. Hogwarts should be the children's home, not their whetstone.

Her head spun for a moment, and the Blue Eagle raised its wings to cover its head.

The Yellow Badger, who had just woken up, ran over and rubbed the Blue Eagle's head with its two paws.

The Yellow Badger let out two gentle cries, "You haven't recovered yet, have you? Hurry and get some more rest. As for Amanda's matter, once we've recovered, we'll settle all the scores for her."

The Blue Eagle flapped its wings twice and let out a cry, "Mhm. When the time comes, Salazar, Godric, that Dumbledore, and Voldemort—not one of them will escape."

"Good," the Yellow Badger cried softly, pulling the Blue Eagle into its embrace. "When the time comes, I'll help you beat them up. I guarantee not one will escape."

Feeling her partner beside her, the Blue Eagle soon fell back into a deep sleep.

Looking down at the Blue Eagle in her arms, a hint of softness flashed in Helga's Yellow Badger eyes.

But then she ground her teeth fiercely, the sharp edge of the Little Badger revealing itself at this moment.

If the four of them hadn't been injured in the final battle against the Church back then and needed a vast amount of time to sleep and recover, how could that descendant of Salazar be allowed to run wild? He even dared to harm the child they favored. He really thought too much of himself.

Their recovery time had entered its final stage. When she woke up again, she and Rowena would definitely let that Voldemort know that snakes are food for both badgers and eagles.

The Yellow Badger slowly closed its eyes and fell back into a deep sleep once more.

Deep within Hogwarts, the Green Snake coiled next to the Red Lion trembled slightly, as if having some bad premonition, though it did not wake from its slumber.

During the time Rowena and Helga were talking, Amanda's conversation with the two seniors had also ended. She watched the two seniors walk away.

Amanda expressionlessly raised her right hand to look at the watch on her wrist. She had felt a surge of magic flow through her entire body just now.

That feeling was the same as when Headmaster Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey examined her body, so someone had used a detection spell on her.

Amanda's brain reached a conclusion and further analyzed it, proving that someone existed within her watch.

Looking again at the Little Badger and Little Eagle marks that had suddenly appeared on the edge of the watch earlier, various deductions flashed through Amanda's mind, finally leaving a result that was both the most likely and the most incredible.

Possessing a watch—a type of magic that was hard to imagine even for a Wizard—within Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw House, the only ones most likely capable of this were Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, the two founders, witches of unfathomable magical power.

The two founders were in her watch. Having arrived at the final conclusion, Amanda had no other thoughts and simply lowered her hand calmly.

She pressed her lowered right hand against her left thigh and gripped herself hard eight times.

Her left thigh turned black and blue again. Without a ripple of emotion in her heart, Amanda picked up a book and leaned against the headboard to enter her study state.

It wasn't until Madam Pomfrey came over to take the book from her hand and ordered her to rest that Amanda slowly lay down under the covers and drank the draught of living death sent by Madam Pomfrey.

Moonlight shone on the hospital bed and scattered across Amanda's face. As she fell into a deep sleep, her face still bore that stagnant expression, like dead water—no smile, none of the comfort or tranquility a sleeping person should have.

In her sleep, the muscles of Amanda's left thigh twitched slightly, as if letting out a few faint protests... After staying in the Hospital Wing for three consecutive days and drinking the draught of living death for three consecutive days, Amanda was finally released by Madam Pomfrey.

But even after drinking the draught of living death for three days straight, Amanda still woke up every hour during those three nights. It seemed nothing about her had changed.

Returning to the Ravenclaw Common Room, bang! bang! Two loud sounds rang out in succession by Amanda's ears.

Streamers drifted down from the air, landing on her shoulders and scattering across the floor of the common room.

"Amanda! Welcome to the celebration we prepared for you!" The cheerful voice of the girl Prefect, Penelope, rang out.

Hearing her full name and disengaging from her study state, Amanda closed the book in her hand and looked at the Little Eagles in the common room with dead eyes.

She nodded politely to everyone. "Thank you, everyone. I only did what I should have done."

"I knew you'd say that." Penelope smiled and shook her head, and the Little Eagles also wore kind, friendly smiles.

Having spent an entire school year together, everyone understood that although Amanda always had that expressionless face and spoke in a mechanical, rigid way, she had absolute patience and politeness toward others.

Therefore, in Ravenclaw, there was no longer anyone who would fear or exclude her.

The female Little Eagles swarmed forward giggling. First, they took the book from Amanda's hand, then they pressed her down onto a sofa in the common room.

They had heard from Cho Chang and Marietta that Amanda was still reading books while recovering in the Hospital Wing. Now that the celebration had started, they couldn't let that happen.

As the great hero of the celebration, she naturally had to eat, drink, and relax properly.

"Here, exchange your book for this." Cho Chang smilingly stuffed a small piece of cake into Amanda's hand.

Amanda wanted to say that this should be her study time, but Hermione's words about taking a holiday, spoken earlier in the Hospital Wing, suddenly appeared in her brain, and her open mouth gradually closed.

She lowered her head and subconsciously stuffed the entire small cake into her mouth, chewed twice, and then swallowed it almost whole.

Penelope sighed at Amanda's behavior and handed her another small cake of a different flavor.

"Eat slowly and savor it, okay?"

Amanda took the small cake Penelope handed over, nodded with a flat expression, and lowered her head to eat the cake bit by bit.

Seeing Amanda slow down to eat, the Little Eagles all showed gratified smiles. Marietta moved a glass of juice in front of Amanda, and the other Little Eagles began eating, drinking, and chatting with each other.

This celebration after the final exams made everyone in Ravenclaw, except Amanda, feel happy and satisfied.

Sitting on the sofa, Amanda looked around with a blank gaze. Her classmates' faces were full of smiles, and the air was filled with laughter.

Amanda blinked mechanically. How many classmates would she still see next year?

Such a thought subconsciously popped into her brain. The bottom third of the students were to be destroyed—this was the rule of schools in her cognition.

All schools were like this. Hogwarts was also a school, so Hogwarts should be like this too.

Amanda once again established an equation in her mind, replacing the variable of a different world with the equivalent of "both are schools."

After all, in her view, all schools should be the same. Her past experience and cognition were also thus.

Although she had witnessed the differences between the Professors at Hogwarts and her previous teachers, this should only be a difference between teachers. The most basic rules of a school shouldn't change.

Thus, at this celebration, while laughter and joy surrounded Amanda, she herself was rapidly calculating in her brain how many acquaintances she would be able to see next school year.

This wasn't because she felt pity or was being sentimental; it was just her habitual thinking and analysis.

The celebration ended at eleven o'clock at night because tomorrow was the time for the End-of-Year Feast. Unsurprisingly, it would be another day of sleeping late, so today they shouldn't stay up too late.

Returning to her Dormitory, Amanda finished her shower in less than five minutes. After casually wiping her hair a few times, she came out, sat at her desk, and entered her study state to start reading.

Cho Chang and Marietta exchanged looks and shook their heads helplessly. Marietta stepped forward, picked up a towel, and helped Amanda dry her hair, while Cho Chang took her change of clothes and went into the washroom to shower.

"Amanda, you have to dry your hair after a shower." Marietta's movements were gentle as she dried Amanda's hair bit by bit.

"Wet hair is fine. Drying or blow-drying is just a waste of study time."

Amanda spoke without hesitation the words her mother had once said to her.

"It's not good for your health." Marietta sighed. By the time she had completely dried Amanda's hair, Cho Chang had also finished her shower and come out. Marietta draped Amanda's towel to the side.

Picking up her own change of clothes, she was about to go to the washroom to shower when Amanda suddenly disengaged from her study state and turned her head to look at Marietta.

"Thank you."

Although spoken without any expression or tone, Marietta still felt a bit of gratification. Vaguely, she sensed progress in Amanda. "You're welcome."

Smiling happily, Marietta walked into the washroom.

After studying until twelve o'clock, Amanda closed her book and lay down on her bed, beginning her cycle of repeated waking and sleeping.

Amidst her repeated waking and sleeping, the final day of Amanda's first school year at Hogwarts began.

The Castle was filled with a busy atmosphere that day. All the students began packing their luggage. In comparison, Amanda had it much easier.

She hadn't taken out much luggage, only some daily necessities. The small ornaments and various dolls the world consciousness had prepared for her were stuffed into her suitcase, untouched.

After putting these daily items into her suitcase, Amanda sat on the four-poster bed in the Dormitory and suddenly thought about her destination for the holidays.

Thinking rapidly, Amanda used to go home after school, and the same was true for holidays. But now, she had no home to return to.

Without a trace of sadness or loss in her heart, Amanda emotionlessly pondered where she could go.

Hotels, inns, homestays... various terms and definitions appeared in Amanda's brain. Before she could reach a conclusion, Cho Chang waved at her.

"Amanda, let's go. The End-of-Year Feast is about to start."

"Okay." Amanda nodded, stood up, and followed Cho Chang and Marietta out of the Dormitory.

Entering the Great Hall, Ravenclaw banners were already hanging, with an eagle prominently displayed on them.

The Hogwarts students were sitting in the Great Hall, chatting happily. Hermione, at the Gryffindor Table, stood up happily and ran over when she saw Amanda enter the Great Hall.

"Amanda, good evening." Hermione intimately took Amanda's hand. Amanda lowered her head and looked blankly at their joined hands, her voice unchanging as she spoke.

"Hermione, good evening."

"By the way, I should congratulate you on winning the House Cup for Ravenclaw." Hermione spoke her congratulations with a grin, her hand gently stroking the back of Amanda's hand.

"Thank you." Amanda nodded mechanically.

After a few more words, the feast began, and the two returned to their respective house tables.

Headmaster Dumbledore first gave a speech, then held up both hands to signal for silence.

"First of all, I must congratulate the students of Ravenclaw House. You have won this year's House Cup for Ravenclaw."

Hearing this, the Little Eagles turned their heads one after another to look at Amanda, who sat in her seat perfectly upright without any reaction or expression, with kind eyes.

There was no doubt that for Ravenclaw to win the House Cup this year, besides the joint efforts of everyone in Ravenclaw, the greatest contributor was Amanda.

"However, before awarding the House Cup, some recent events also need to be taken into account."

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