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Chapter 122
Chapter 122
After returning from the Forbidden Forest, Liam became even busier. He needed to dedicate a significant amount of time each day to unravel the mysteries of Nature Affinity. Fortunately, his constitution had been strengthened during his time in the Forbidden Forest. Whether he was practicing the core techniques of the Maoshan Daoist Scriptures or studying Nature Affinity, both activities helped his body recover quickly from fatigue, preventing any physical issues.
After several days of research and comprehension, Liam finally gained a basic understanding of Nature Affinity. However, to improve in this area, he would need to spend a lot of time immersing himself in nature, rather than the intense study he had been doing.
Only after he finished with these tasks did Liam realize that his classmates in the Common Room and the Great Hall were mostly discussing their summer vacation plans. It dawned on him that the school year had come to an end.
On the last day of school, during lunch, while Liam was discussing summer vacation contact methods with the Weasley Twins, a group of owls suddenly flew into the Common Room, delivering the final exam results to each student. Liam found that he was still second in his year, with Hermione Granger, as expected, taking the top spot once again.
This year, Liam's report card came with a thin letter. Unfolding the paper, he saw the contents written in emerald green ink:
Dear Mr. Liam Liang,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the exchange program at the Castro Brusco School of Magic.
The exchange will begin on September 1st and last for one semester, with the exchange students returning to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays. We await your reply by owl, along with your guardian's signature, by July 31st.
Deputy Headmistress
Minerva Mcgonagall
The letter was followed by a list of required items, which, in addition to necessary textbooks and supplies, noted a fee of 200 Galleons for the exchange program.
What's going on? Liam wondered, holding the letter. At that moment, Hermione descended the stairs from the girls' dormitory, holding an identical letter.
"Liam, you got this letter too?" Hermione asked, seeing the letter in Liam's hand. "Do you know what this is about? I haven't seen anyone else receive the same letter, and I asked a few upperclassmen, but they didn't know either. I was thinking of asking Professor Mcgonagall."
"Ask Professor Mcgonagall? That's a good idea." Liam followed Hermione out of the Common Room and headed to Professor Mcgonagall's office.
Upon reaching Professor Mcgonagall's office, Liam gently knocked on the door. Professor Mcgonagall's voice came from inside: "Come in."
Pushing the door open, Liam saw Professor Mcgonagall sitting behind her desk, writing something. She soon put down her pen, gestured for Liam and Hermione to sit, and asked, "What brings you here?"
Liam took out the letter and asked, "I noticed that only Hermione and I received this letter, so I wanted to ask what this exchange program is about. We didn't get any information from the upperclassmen."
"Oh, I see." Professor Mcgonagall removed her glasses and placed them aside. "This is a new international program initiated by the Ministry of Magic this year. They aim to revive the international exchanges that were interrupted by the war over a decade ago. Since this is Hogwarts' first year participating, we selected the top three students from the first, second, third, and fifth years, who do not have major exams next year, to participate in this exchange in Brazil."
After glancing at the attentive Liam and Hermione, Professor Mcgonagall continued, "I am pleased to see Gryffindor students participating in this program. Of course, participation is voluntary, and we have given you a month to consider and discuss with your parents before making a decision."
After Professor Mcgonagall finished her explanation, Liam indicated that he had a question. With Professor Mcgonagall's permission, Liam asked, "Brazil is a Portuguese-speaking country. How will we communicate when we get there? Also, our parents are not wizards and might not be able to judge the situation. Could you give us some advice?"
"The language issue is easily resolved. Since the wizarding world in South America uses so many languages, they have adopted a bilingual system of Spanish and English. At least the professors and many students there will speak English, so you don't need to worry about communication. Try to learn some Spanish in the meantime, enough for everyday conversation."
"As for advice", Professor Mcgonagall thought for a moment before continuing, "I personally recommend that you go. The students chosen for this trip are all in the top three of their year, and missing a semester at Hogwarts won't cause many problems. After all, Castro Branco is a world-renowned magical school, and their teaching standards are not far behind Hogwarts.
For a wizard, having a broad knowledge base is essential. The opportunity to study at a different school in another civilization can be very enlightening and highly beneficial for a wizard's growth."
"Thank you, Professor." After having their questions answered, Liam and Hermione thanked Professor Mcgonagall and left her office.
At the end-of-term feast that evening, the food was as abundant as ever. This year, the House Cup was won by Ravenclaw, with Gryffindor narrowly losing by just a few points in the Quidditch match. However, most of the house was still happy because they had successfully defeated Slytherin this year.
Hermione felt a slight regret, but it was quickly overshadowed by the overall joyous atmosphere in the house.
The next morning, the Hogwarts Express arrived on time to take the students back to London. Liam, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Fred, and George crowded into a compartment, enjoying the last moments of magical freedom before summer vacation.
Hermione had been reading a book, but soon joined in the conversation. Upon learning that Liam and Hermione had received the opportunity to study at Castro Branco, the Weasley Twins seemed to recall something.
"We've heard about Castro Branco a few years ago. Our brother Bill had a pen pal from that school, didn't he, George?"
"That's right, Fred. Bill's pen pal wanted to arrange an exchange trip, but our parents couldn't afford it. When Bill told him he couldn't go, the pen pal was so upset that he sent Bill a cursed hat, which made his ears shrink."
"In any case, the school has unique strengths in the study of magical plants. It would be a great opportunity to broaden your horizons. We seem to have a distant uncle in Portugal whose child studied there and is now a healer at St. Mungo's." Fred concluded.
After that, everyone started chatting freely. Ginny mysteriously revealed that she had discovered Percy had found a girlfriend. The twins were visibly excited upon hearing this. Liam bet they would take the opportunity to tease Percy.
The Hogwarts Express gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop. As they passed through the exit, Liam and Hermione met Harry Potter and Ron. When saying goodbye, Harry handed them a small piece of paper with a number on it. "Could you call me at the Dursleys during the summer? I can't bear talking to Dudley for two whole months..."
"Of course." Liam took the paper and put it in his pocket. Then they all passed through the entrance and returned to the Muggle world.
(End of Chapter)
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