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Chapter 29: Hero Hals
The great White Wizard did not seem to find anything amiss in Ivan’s words. After hearing how Ivan used the "coincidentally" carried Iron Thorns and the Transfigure spell to complete a brilliant counterattack in just ten seconds, Dumbledore clapped his hands, his expression and tone openly showing his admiration.
"A splendid battle! You are even more impressive than I imagined. I think Severus was right; Hogwarts School has gained a genius!" Dumbledore remarked with a sigh.
A young wizard who had only been in school for a few months, facing a Troll for the first time, managed to remain calm and cleverly use the tools at hand to defeat it effortlessly. Dumbledore had not seen such an outstanding young wizard in decades.
Praised by Dumbledore, Ivan felt somewhat uncomfortable. After all, this meant he had caught the attention of the old professor, which was not necessarily a good thing.
The conversation that followed became increasingly relaxed. There was none of the expected probing or suspicion. Aside from the initial Legilimency, Dumbledore was as friendly as a chatty old neighbor.
This made Ivan maliciously suspect that Dumbledore might be suffering from senility.
However, during the conversation, Dumbledore casually mentioned Ivan’s mother, Aisha Hals, which piqued Ivan’s interest.
"Professor, do you know my mother?" Ivan asked, feigning curiosity.
"Yes, your mother was quite memorable when she was a student here", Dumbledore said, winking at Ivan and hinting with a knowing look. "In every aspect."
Dumbledore’s vague statements left Ivan feeling frustrated. He wasn’t sure if it was due to a lack of information or if it was just the way smart people communicate.
But he really couldn’t understand it!
Ivan managed to force a polite but awkward smile.
In the end, after some probing, Ivan only learned that his mother had once studied at Slytherin House. He didn’t ask about his father, as there was no relevant information in his jumbled memories, and he didn’t want to risk making a mistake.
Dumbledore seemed to deliberately avoid the topic, and after a brief chat, he cheerfully told Ivan, "Well, child, you can go back now. I believe there will be a surprise waiting for you."
Ivan didn’t have high hopes for the surprise Dumbledore mentioned. The news that he could leave was surprise enough for him.
Thus, Ivan left the room with a graceful and swift departure. Dumbledore, seated in his chair, stroked Fawkes and watched Ivan’s retreating back, lost in thought.
"Sugary Crisp!"
At the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, Ivan spoke the password. The Fat Lady nodded and moved aside, revealing a round opening.
Ivan couldn’t help but complain about the designer of this passage each time he climbed through it. Why couldn’t it be anything other than a pipe?
The Gryffindor Common Room was pitch black at midnight. The deep brown fireplace, which usually burned brightly, had been extinguished at some point, and the magical lamps around the room were not lit, making the atmosphere unusually quiet.
Ivan’s expression remained unchanged as he slowly moved forward, but his right hand gradually slid down to grip the wand at his waist.
*Puff!*
Just as Ivan reached the middle of the room, a burst of hot flames suddenly shot up from the fireplace. The magical lamps around the room emitted a bright white light, and the red Gryffindor lion banner hanging from the ceiling unfurled slowly. A series of colorful objects began to drift down gently.
The Weasley Brothers in their strange uniforms burst out of the Dormitory, throwing a large bundle of Festive Ribbons made from torn bed sheets over Ivan's head, then shouted to those behind them.
"Let's welcome back the Gryffindor Hero!"
The Gryffindor Hero? Who? How dare they be so arrogant?
Ivan, who thought it was a late-night celebration of Halloween, was stunned when the Weasley Brothers spoke. Before he could react, dozens of young wizards rushed into the Dormitory.
At the front were Harry and Ron, who immediately lifted Ivan together and then the Weasley Brothers joined in, laughing wickedly as they tossed Ivan high into the air.
"Cheer for the return of our Gryffindor Hero!" Fred shouted at the top of his lungs.
The young Gryffindors, the little lions, also joined in excitedly.
"Hero Hals~"
"Troll Slayer!"
Ivan was tossed around so much that his body felt like it was about to fall apart. After a while, the excitement of the little lions waned, and they finally put Ivan down.
Taking this opportunity, Ivan quickly figured out what had happened. It turned out that when Harry and Ron returned to the Dormitory, the big-mouthed Ron had exaggerated the story of Ivan killing the Troll and saving Hermione.
Because of the Troll incident, the young wizards who were stuck in the common room for Halloween had never heard such an exciting story. The news quickly spread, and Ivan was hailed as the Gryffindor Hero. Of course, this welcome party was organized by the troublemaking Weasley Brothers.
Understanding the sequence of events, Ivan was still a bit puzzled. In the original story, Harry and Ron, who defeated the Troll, didn't receive such treatment.
However, Ivan had forgotten that he was fundamentally different from Harry and Ron. Although they managed to knock out the Troll, they looked disheveled and their victory was purely due to luck.
In contrast, from the perspective of the onlookers, Ivan was a textbook hero saving a damsel in distress, and his method of killing the Troll was swift and decisive.
Moreover, the Troll just happened to fall in front of Ivan, its head pierced through, creating a highly dramatic scene. With Ron's embellishments, this caused such a huge reaction!
Ivan could even see some young witches in the crowd sending him flirtatious glances, and a few of the more daring ones even approached to ask for details about how he killed the Troll, their attentiveness almost making Ivan forget why he came to Hogwarts in the first place.
The energetic young Gryffindors continued to celebrate until the early hours of the morning. Considering they had classes the next day, they finally returned to their respective dormitories.
As the star of the welcome party, Ivan was already exhausted and parched.
"This surprise is quite something", Ivan thought, recalling the last words Dumbledore had said before he left, and couldn't help but mutter.
Despite his complaint, a smile still crept onto the corners of his mouth.
(End of Chapter)
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