Chapter 126: Friendship and Tagalongs
Chapter 126: Friendship and Tagalongs
When Ved woke up in the morning and saw the ceiling adorned with stars and moons, he was stunned for a few seconds before realizing that he was already at school.
It was Wednesday, and Ravenclaw only had one Herbology class in the morning, and that too wasn't the first period.
After getting up and having breakfast, Ved once again made his way to the Room of Requirement.
He transformed the room to suit his alchemy practice, setting up the spyglass and detector he had bought from the grocery store. Damaged items like the two-way mirror were placed on the shelves, and then he approached the disappearing cabinet.
Before the holidays, Ved had already repaired a large part of the disappearing cabinet.
For the parts he couldn't quite understand, he sought guidance from Newt Scamander, and the insights he gained were invaluable.
The lake water in Newt's luggage, which was connected to Loch Ness, functioned on almost the same principle as the disappearing cabinet.
The difference lay in the barrier Newt had set up at the connection point, allowing only certain objects, usually seawater and small marine creatures, to pass through.
The disappearing cabinet, on the other hand, had no such barrier, and the simple act of opening and closing the door activated the two-way transportation.
What had been a perplexing problem for Ved was basic magic knowledge for Newt.
He effortlessly solved the issue and even suggested improvements to make the transportation more stable and secure.
In the last few days of the summer vacation, Ved completed the repair designs for the disappearing cabinet at home. And now, it was time to test if they were correct.
He stared intently at the disappearing cabinet, his eyes seemingly turning golden at the depths.
The tip of his wand also glowed with a golden arc.
...
"What's wrong, didn't you sleep well?" Michael asked, seeing Ved yawn for the third time.
Ved, looking weary, replied, "A bit tired."
Focusing his eyes and using his magical powers, even while sitting still, was quite exhausting.
Thankfully, the disappearing cabinet was now fixed.
As Ved observed, the magic circuits were smooth and natural, without any flaws.
All that remained was to conduct multiple experiments to ensure safety, and then he would truly be able to come and go as he pleased.
As they walked across the grass toward the greenhouse, they encountered a group of Slytherin students also heading in the same direction.
Draco Malfoy, surrounded by his companions, caught sight of Ved and suddenly raised his voice, "The Nimbus 2001 is the best broomstick available now. It's so much faster than the Nimbus 2000, and it has better defensive mechanisms too. It just came out last month..."
Whenever Malfoy spoke, Pansy was always the most responsive.
She asked in a tone of amazement, "It must be really expensive, Draco?"
"Of course!" Malfoy replied boastfully, "My father told them, 'We want to buy seven Nimbus 2001s,' and everyone in the store was stunned."
The number of the latest broomsticks, seven, surprised even students from well-off families.
Terry Boot from Ravenclaw, who also got along with the Slytherins, asked directly, "Malfoy, why are you buying so many brooms?"
"An interesting question, Boot," Malfoy narrowed his eyes, "Guess why it's exactly seven?"
There was no need to guess.
Boot exclaimed in surprise, "You joined a Quidditch team?"
Malfoy smiled mysteriously, as if he enjoyed the attention, and continued, "The broomstick store didn't even have that many Nimbus 2001s in stock. They're working overtime to meet the demand! It'll only be delivered to me by the weekend..."
Malfoy drew out the last word, glancing meaningfully at Ved, who was walking at the back of the group, and said,
"I heard some people are still using ancient brooms from decades ago. Comet 140, tsk tsk tsk... How pitiful."
"I wouldn't mind letting him admire it when my new broomstick arrives."
Draco Malfoy was well aware of Ved's daily commute to and from the Ravenclaw Tower on his broomstick.
"Comet 140," Malfoy scoffed, referring to Ved's current broom.
But Ved was so absorbed in thoughts about the disappearing cabinet that he didn't realize Malfoy was mocking him until Michael spoke up.
"Malfoy, I heard you tore up your own friend's account?" Michael asked, feigning surprise. "Don't tell me you're still using owls to communicate with your family?"
At this, the Ravenclaws and a portion of the Slytherins burst into quiet laughter.
Using owls was quite normal, after all, as the friend's account couldn't teleport the items prepared by their families.
Every morning during breakfast, owls still fluttered about busily in the Great Hall.
But what made this situation amusing was that, regardless of Malfoy's motivation—be it maintaining his pride or swallowing his words and secretly using the friend's account—it was laughable either way.
He was either foolish or embarrassing, and he always seemed to choose the worse option.
In reality, his dorm mates were well aware that Malfoy had regretted his decision the very night he tore up the account.
He had only lasted a day.
The next evening, he wrote a letter to his parents, and on the third day, Mrs. Malfoy sent him several new friend's accounts.
Malfoy turned red with anger and exclaimed, "Some people are like lapdogs, always following others around. Disgusting... ooh..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, rendering him speechless.
"Draco!" Pansy cried out, turning angrily to Ved. "What did you do to him? Undo it now!"
"If you can't speak like a human, then don't speak at all," Ved replied coldly as he lowered his wand. "Malfoy, you probably can't distinguish between friends and hangers-on. Because in your heart, you've never considered anyone a true friend, have you?"
This statement hit the mark, and even Pansy turned to glance at Malfoy.
Everyone was all too familiar with the young master's usual attitude towards his entourage.
Malfoy fumed, his wand pointed at Ved, his face red with anger, but only a few sparks appeared at the tip of his wand.
He looked around.
Crabbe and Goyle had drawn their wands but seemed to be waiting foolishly for his command.
Could they not tell that he couldn't speak? Or did they find Ved's words reasonable and were merely pretending to support him? Pansy stood by his side, unwilling to make a move, and the other Slytherins were even less likely to intervene.
It wasn't just because many Ravenclaws had also drawn their wands, but also because these particularly perceptive Slytherins had realized a startling fact the moment Ved cast his spell—
He had cast it silently!
A silent spell... something that wasn't taught until the sixth year.
The little snakes instinctively chose to remain silent and give way, while the Ravenclaws, who had been smiling, now wore cold expressions.
While Ved was reclusive, Michael was not, and he got along well with students from all houses.
Just as Malfoy found himself in a tight spot, the arrival of one person broke the stalemate.
(End of Chapter)
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