Chapter 230: Influence Spreads
Chapter 230: Influence Spreads
The crowd dispersed, but the young wizards continued to discuss the topic of the Lover's Mirror with great enthusiasm. In a corner of the common room, Harry said thoughtfully, "Fred and George Weasley must have taken inspiration from real telephones, but so far, it only works for one-on-one calls."
"That’s the one that kept dropping during the holidays when I tried to call you, right?" Ron said. "That word is so weird!"
Harry recalled, "You were shouting so loud, I thought you believed you were talking to someone across a Quidditch field, worried they couldn’t hear you."
"During that call, I got you into trouble. Your uncle answered, and he sounded pretty mad", Ron said awkwardly.
"Yeah, he hung up and gave me a good scolding, almost shoving me back into the cupboard", Harry said nonchalantly.
Ron and Hermione looked at him with concern. Hermione said indignantly, "Your family is terrible!"
Harry shrugged, "It’s the only place I can go during the summer, but it’s only for two months. And once I turn seventeen, I can move out."
Ron suddenly said, "Why don’t you just come to the Burrow for the summer? We have the Quidditch World Cup next summer, and my dad can get tickets from the Ministry."
Harry's heart leaped. "Really? Can I?"
"Of course! My parents will be happy to have you, and Ginny will be thrilled too..."
Harry's mood brightened, and even the thought of not being able to visit Hogsmeade on weekends didn’t bother him anymore. "I bet the Dursleys will let me go, especially after what I did to Aunt Marge."
Hermione thought for a moment. "Harry, from the Dursleys' address, you must live close to London. You’re welcome to visit my place too. When you come, I can introduce you as my wizard friend Mick."
"Who’s that?" Harry asked.
"The main character in a magical comic strip from the wizarding world", Hermione explained.
"I’ve never heard of it", Ron said skeptically.
"It’s a new series. I got it a few days ago through owl from Flourish and Blotts", Hermione said, rushing back to her dormitory. She returned shortly with a stack of books and slammed them on the table.
Harry examined the books. One was a thick tome titled The Magic of the Muggle World, and the rest were a series of comic strips, slightly thinner but wider, with a cover depicting a fairground. A wizard-dressed boy was peering curiously at the entrance, and the title read Mick the Young Wizard's Adventures.
Ron glanced warily at the thick book, not even touching it, and casually flipped through the comic strips, quickly becoming engrossed. "Wow, this is amazing!"
Harry noticed the author’s name on the cover: Felix Hep. "Is this Professor Hup’s work?" he asked, surprised. He found it hard to imagine Professor Hup writing a comic strip.
Thinking he might have misread, he instinctively opened the thick book The Magic of the Muggle World. The pages were filled with dense text and various illustrations, making his eyes hurt.
Now that’s more like Professor Hup’s style!
Ron closed the book and examined the bottom right corner of the cover. "It is! Wait, L.C.A. comic book publisher, wow, this is my favorite publisher!" He was so excited that he was jumping up and down, only to realize Harry and Hermione were looking at him with puzzled expressions.
"L.C.A. is famous. They publish The Adventures of Martin Miggs, which I loved as a kid!"
Harry suddenly remembered the comic strips he had seen in Ron’s room during his last visit to the Burrow. The magic in them had almost faded, and the character in the beret moved jerkily, making it hard to read.
He opened the new Mick the Young Wizard's Adventures and flipped to a random page. The page was divided into nine panels, each telling the story of Mick the Young Wizard’s first encounter with a pop-up toaster at a friend’s house.
Harry couldn’t help but laugh as he saw Mick pointing in shock at the bread slices popping up, his mouth wide open, with the text, "This is magic, absolutely magic!" He had seen toasters at the Dursleys, but seeing it from this perspective made it incredibly entertaining.
He even started looking forward to seeing Ron’s reaction when he first saw a real toaster, imagining his jaw dropping open in amazement.
Harry and Ron soon gathered around, starting from the first page and reading through the comic strips together.
"Wait, I’m not done yet", Ron said urgently as Harry was about to turn the page.
Hermione looked at them with confusion. "I admit the comic strips are good, but you don’t need to be so dramatic, do you?"
Ron looked up. "Dramatic? This is the best comic strip in the last decade, I bet. It can stand shoulder to shoulder with The Adventures of Martin Miggs, and to be honest, that book is a bit outdated..."
Harry admitted, "I think it’s great too. It makes my ordinary life before Hogwarts seem extraordinary."
"But—" Hermione said, "don't you think the book The Magic of the Muggle World is more logical and charming?" She flipped open a page of the thick book. "Look, here it talks about the prototype of the steam engine. It even combines the Levitation Charm to conceptualize a large airship..."
Ron raised his head blankly, "What are you talking about, Hermione? What's a steam engine, and what's a large airship?"
Seeing Hermione's intention to give a science lesson, Ron quickly hid behind a comic strip and shouted, "Hey, Harry, look! Why did the toast jump up..."
His voice drew the attention of their roommate, Seamus Finnigan, who pulled Neville and Dean Thomas over. They all pointed at the comic strip.
Some young wizards, thinking there was something entertaining to see, also gathered around.
Dean Thomas, who grew up in the Muggle world, saw one of the pages and couldn't help but explain, "This is an ice cream machine. It's very convenient. You just add cream, milk, and other ingredients, and you get a constant supply of ice cream."
The others stared at him blankly. Dean, feeling proud, said, "My uncle has a mobile ice cream truck. I used to play on it when I was a kid." Ron looked at Dean enviously; he, too, wanted a constant supply of ice cream.
Hermione tried several times to explain the greatness of steam engines and airships to the young wizards, but she only received polite glances before everyone's attention returned to the comic strip.
Percy didn't show much interest, but he jotted down the book's title. "I think it's worth recommending to Madam Pince. Hogwarts needs this book."
Hermione was puzzled. Why didn't anyone like steam engines and airships?
The next day, after their Ancient Runes class, Hermione brought up the issue. Felix laughed, "Granger, you have a special... passion for knowledge, but you can't expect others to share your interest in somewhat dry subjects. That book is for adults, even a reference book to consult when needed."
"Oh, right, here's the list for the Rune Club and these coins. I need you to distribute them to the students on the list. You can ask Percy Weasley for help; he's the Head Boy."
Hermione had no objections. She just looked at the stack of Warmnuts, each with an ouroboros pattern, and couldn't help but pick one up to examine it closely. "These are hot knuts?"
"Exactly. I made a few adjustments, inspired by Fred and George Weasley. They can heat up and display text", Felix explained. "We haven't set a date for the first club meeting yet. My schedule is full, so it might be mid-November."
Hermione nodded, preparing to put away the list and coins. However, when she saw the names Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, and Pansy Parkinson, she couldn't help but frown.
Felix turned and beckoned to Harry, who was waiting for Hermione by the door. Harry walked over, looking a bit nervous. He hoped Professor Hup wouldn't ask about his essay, which still needed a conclusion.
Luckily, Felix didn't mention the essay. Instead, he whispered, "Harry, do you still have that Scrying Mirror with you?"
Harry pulled out the pocket scrying mirror, and Felix took it. "Wait a moment", he said, tapping it repeatedly with his wand. Soon, Felix drew a fine thread from the Scrying Mirror and quickly attached it to a Galleon.
"What is this?" Harry asked, looking surprised.
"A Synchronization Magic", Felix explained. "Once the pocket scrying mirror is activated, I'll get an immediate notification, no matter where you are."
Harry understood. Professor Hup was concerned about his safety, just like Mr. Weasley, who had recently sent a letter criticizing their attempt to investigate Sirius Black's secrets as "reckless, unwise, and unnecessary." He believed the best course was to stay safely at school.
In comparison, Harry preferred Professor Hup's approach. At least he wasn't trying to lock them in a cage.
In the following days, the young wizards welcomed their first Hogsmeade weekend of the new school year. Many had a wonderful time.
For example, the Weasley Twins went to Zonko's Joke Shop and bought a batch of dungbombs. As they put it, "Without these cute, stinky little guys, we'd feel uneasy and restless... Seeing Filch makes us feel like something is missing."
The Halloween feast was also fantastic, with the castle's ghosts putting on a perfect performance. However, soon the young wizards were completely absorbed by the upcoming Quidditch match.
On the first Saturday of November, thunder rumbled, the wind howled, and heavy rain poured down.
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(End of Chapter)
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