Chapter 229: Neville's Affection
Chapter 229: Neville's Affection
Neville discovered that, besides Herbology, he had found another course he liked—Ancient Runes.
It wasn't that he had a special feeling for Ancient Runes, like he did for handling all sorts of magical plants. On the contrary, due to his poor memory, he was one of the few underperforming students in the class. In the most recent exam, his score was only slightly better than Crabbe and Goyle from Slytherin.
He liked Ancient Runes because he liked the professor, and this reason was somewhat similar to why he disliked Potions class.
"Neville, your grades may not be the best, but your attitude is serious, and that's what I appreciate about you", Professor Hup once told him after class, even gifting him a personally made bookmark.
On it was a short story written in Runic Script. According to Professor Hup, this story covered 127 theoretical Ancient Runes that would be covered in the school year.
With the help of the Ancient Runes prodigy Hermione, he completed the translation—
'Nar was a clumsy person.
This clumsiness was something others had told him, and over time, he began to believe it himself.
Nar enjoyed playing with clay dolls. He had a natural sensitivity to the properties of different types of clay. He liked watching black, red, brown, white, and gray clays gradually take shape in his hands, forming delicate and adorable figures.
This hobby brought him comfort when he was sad or upset.
His parents were very busy and rarely spent time with him. Even on important occasions like Christmas, they only saw him briefly. His greatest wish was for them to spend more time with him.
Nar spent two months secretly making a set of dolls, including his father, mother, and himself. They were holding hands and smiling happily.
He thought: When my parents see this, they will pat my head and say, "Nar is the best."
On Christmas Day, Nar gave the gift to his parents. They looked at him in surprise because the dolls were so exquisite and touching. They apologized to him, saying, "We've neglected you. You're not less capable than anyone else. We promise to be there for your growth."
Nar was very happy.'
...
Neville carefully placed the bookmark in his Ancient Runes textbook, his movements cautious and reverent, making Hermione feel a bit envious.
"Thank you, Hermione", he said sincerely.
"Ah? Oh, it's nothing..." Hermione was not used to his attitude and waved her hands dismissively.
She returned to her seat, where Ron was frowning at his test paper. "Hermione, the questions you set were too difficult."
"Really?" Hermione looked at him in surprise. "I based them on what we covered in class. Each question had a prototype."
Ron showed her his Ancient Runes textbook, with its scattered and messy notes. "Not everyone is like you, eager to write down every word the professor says. I'm the normal one here. Just look at the others." He complained, "Harry, Dean, Seamus..."
But Hermione didn't agree. "My test didn't go beyond the syllabus. It's your problem." She suddenly turned to Harry. "What do you think?"
Harry was taken aback and said tactfully, "Hermione, half the class didn't pass this time."
Hermione slumped onto the table in disappointment.
Harry opened his mouth, "Actually... actually, it's not so bad. Professor Hup said the final exam will be about this level of difficulty, so it's very useful for reference, right, Ron?"
Ron quickly agreed, "Yeah, that's right, exactly."
Hermione turned her head and looked toward the center of the common room. Only Fred of the twins was there, but he was surrounded by many people. He was excitedly showing off a heart-shaped Lover's Mirror. "It has both text and voice functions. Text communication has almost no distance limit, allowing you to chat with friends all over the world for a whole day during the summer. Voice calls are currently limited to the school grounds, but they're a favorite among couples. Let me demonstrate—"
He shouted into the Lover's Mirror, “George, where are you now?”
A clear voice came from the mirror, “I’m in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Do you need me to describe the layout here?”
Fred said, “I’ve already been there, but some of our friends haven’t.” He winked at the others.
The voice from the mirror continued, “So, for the next few minutes, I’ll be your guide through the Ravenclaw House common room. I’m George Weasley,” he cleared his throat, “let’s get started—
The main colors here are bronze and blue. The ceiling and carpet are adorned with stars, and I can see a white marble statue. The bookshelves are filled with various tomes and some small trinkets…
Overall, it’s quite different from our common room, but it’s fascinating. Speaking of which, I have to criticize the Slytherin common room. It’s like a dungeon underground…”
Jordan Lee looked at Fred in surprise, “You’ve been to the Slytherin common room?”
Fred grinned, “We had our heads covered and ran around in there.”
The voice from the mirror continued, “The small windows overlook the Black Lake, but it’s a bit worrying that you might get flooded while sleeping. Chains hang from the ceiling, and the decor is similar to Filch’s office. The lighting looks like ghostly flames—”
“George, you’re off-topic,” Fred interrupted.
“Alright,” the voice from the mirror said. Though unseen, many young wizards could imagine George shrugging and smirking, “Next, let’s randomly interview some Ravenclaw students. Hi, what book are you reading? Your necklace is beautiful, it reminds me of the landlady at the Three Broomsticks. She’s quite captivating…”
“George!” Percy shouted angrily at the Lover's Mirror.
But a distant voice from the other side said, “Selected World Jokes, a very interesting book.”
“Really? I’m suddenly interested. Dad’s joke books are too old-fashioned. Who cares about a troll’s smelly armpit…” George said.
“It’s Luna!” Hermione exclaimed to Harry and Ron, who also gathered around.
Ron, unsure whether to be worried or excited, said, “This girl is bound to surprise us.”
Then, nearly all the Gryffindor young wizards heard Luna’s ethereal voice tell a cold joke. No one laughed, but George asked with interest, “That sounds great, but what’s a lottery?”
At that moment, another cheerful female voice joined in—
“It’s a small card with a sticker. When you scratch it off, it reveals prizes of varying values, or you have to guess a series of numbers…”
Percy, in the common room, said in surprise, “Penelope?”
The voice from the other side asked, “Percy? This is the Lover's Mirror? It’s even better than I imagined… I almost want to confiscate it. Are you Fred or George? I remember paying a deposit.”
George’s voice sounded a bit awkward, “This is just a sample, not for sale yet. If you need it, Fred and I can tie Percy up and deliver him to you.”
Harry and the others didn’t hear what happened next because Percy snatched the half of the Lover's Mirror from Fred and ran to a corner to whisper.
Fred stayed where he was, smiling at everyone, “That’s the end of the demonstration. Pre-order now for just three Galleons. A friendly reminder: the price will go up soon…”
(End of Chapter)
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