Chapter 31: Padma
Chapter 31: Padma
"I really thought we were going to die when I first saw that giant creature!" Padma held onto Hermione's arm and said sincerely, "Hermione, you were so brave."
Hermione's face turned slightly pink as she replied, "I wasn't thinking about anything else at the time. All I could think about was the Levitation Charm. I mean—I was just so lucky that I had only managed to levitate books before!"
"Brother, that Sliding Charm of yours was amazing!" Michael waved his wand as he spoke excitedly. "Slidify! You have to teach me that charm during our next self-study session!"
"No problem," said Ved, turning to face him. "—Harry, don't mind Professor Snape's evaluation. Using the water bucket was a good idea. In fact, regular spells would have had little effect on the troll; it would be like being bitten by a mosquito."
"No wonder Michael's Petrification Curse didn't work earlier—none of you directly cast spells at the troll afterward." Harry said thoughtfully. "But I don't remember seeing the two spells you used in 'Standard Charms: Primary'."
"Ved has already been self-studying 'Standard Charms: Third Level'," Michael said proudly. "He spends all his time in the library and the self-study rooms, and he knows more spells than all of us combined—even though it's only been two months since school started."
Harry suddenly felt a twinge of shame and inferiority—if it had been Ron, Michael, or even Malfoy who knew more spells than him, he could have consoled himself with the thought that they had already learned them at home. However, he knew that neither Ved nor Hermione had any prior exposure to magic before coming to Hogwarts, yet they were now among the best students in their first year.
He couldn't help but wonder if he had been too lax in his studies.
As the group chatted and laughed, even Harry naturally joined in the conversation. Ron, on the other hand, felt left out and awkward as he tried to join in but couldn't find an opening.
Soon, they reached a fork in the road and parted ways. Harry, Hermione, and Ron headed toward the Gryffindor tower. Without Michael and the others, the atmosphere among the three immediately became stiff. They avoided looking at each other and quickened their pace, hurrying back to the common room.
...
On their way back to the Ravenclaw tower, Padma casually looked ahead at the road and said, "Ved, that Slidify charm—can I learn it too? It seems like a lot of fun."
"Of course," Ved replied. "We don't have classes tomorrow morning, so I can teach you then."
"Um... it might not be very convenient to practice in the common room," Padma said, glancing quickly at Michael. "I heard that—you have a special place to practice spells?"
After all, she was only eleven years old, and even though she tried to make her request sound casual, her hint was still rather obvious.
Ved understood. He paused for a moment, considering his words carefully. "I'll need to ask the others, but I think they won't refuse your request to join us."
"Of course—you're welcome to join us!" Michael said with a smile.
"That's wonderful!" Padma exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. Her face turned red, and she pretended to adjust her clothes, adding, "I'm honored."
When they reached the door to the common room, the eagle-shaped door knocker asked, "O, T, T, F, F, S, S, E, N, what is the next letter?"
"Er..." Michael was the type of Ravenclaw who wasn't very good at riddles. He pretended to think with his chin in his hand, but after three seconds, he gave up and asked, "What do you think, Ved?"
"It's 'T'," Padma answered.
"Correct answer," the door knocker said in a singsong tone, and the door swung open.
"Why is it 'T'?" Michael asked as they entered. "Is it the 'T' for 'troll'? Does this door knocker know that we defeated a troll today?"
He made exaggerated faces as he spoke, and Padma couldn't help but laugh. "It's asking for the first letters of the numbers one to ten—One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten."
The common room was packed, seemingly filled with the entire Ravenclaw student body. Several long tables had been added by the fireplace, laden with food and drinks. The students were celebrating their second Halloween, and the atmosphere here was even better than in the Great Hall—after all, there were no professors keeping a watchful eye on them here.
Ved noticed that some students who usually kept to themselves had also chosen to stay in the common room, opting for a quiet corner. At some point, the room had also been decorated for Halloween, with a giant skeleton wandering about, eliciting occasional shrieks from students, and others donning skull masks that let out eerie wails from time to time.
"Would you like a bloody lollipop?" Terry offered enthusiastically to Lisa.
Ved weaved his way through the bustling crowd and headed straight back to the dormitory. The stench of the troll still lingered in his nostrils, and he wasn't in the mood for food just yet.
Padma watched his retreating figure, a hint of anxiety in her voice as she turned to Michael. "Isn't Ved hungry? Why didn't he come to the feast?" She worried that her presence was bothersome, causing Ved to prefer an empty stomach over spending time with them.
"Don't worry, it's not you," Michael replied casually, focusing on piling food onto his plate. "Ved just doesn't like crowded places."
Padma breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a bit peckish herself. The two of them filled their stomachs to about three-quarters full before they had the leisure to continue chatting.
"By the way, about your study group," Padma suddenly remembered, "when Ved asks the others for their opinions tomorrow, please put in a good word for me!" She couldn't help but emphasize her request repeatedly.
"OK! OK! Mission accepted!" Michael raised his hand and replied with a beaming smile.
—Asking for opinions?
Michael knew better than anyone that as long as Ved agreed, the others wouldn't have any objections.
Theo and Leon were both easygoing and unlikely to reject a candidate suggested by their peers. Neville was meek and lacked assertiveness, in Michael's opinion. The only one who might be a bit tricky was Hermione, and Padma had just established a fairly good friendship with her.
When Michael had initially suggested that "the addition of new members must be approved by everyone," his true intention was to restrict the other four members. The rule effectively meant, "If Ved disagrees, you can't bring others here."
He was well aware that while SSC appeared to be a mutually supportive group, most of the time, it was Ved who was helping the others. Ved's organized notes helped them understand the obscure expressions in their textbooks. Ved taught them efficient ways to write essays, enabling them to complete high-quality assignments in a short time. Ved even guided them in quickly and accurately mastering various spells.
Anyone who joined this group would soon realize the benefits it offered.
Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students were known for their enthusiasm, and if they found the group beneficial, they might bring their other friends along without notice. Perhaps they would even think that increasing the group's numbers was a contribution—when in reality, it would only burden Ved. SSC wouldn't be able to sustain such a large group.
Ved wouldn't refuse outright, but as the group grew noisier and more crowded, there would come a day when he would quietly disappear from the Shrieking Shack, just as he had today, seeking solace in a place of quiet solitude.
That was why Michael had established the rule—to curb the enthusiasm of students from the other two houses, to politely reject those who tried to join through him, and to maintain the group's cohesion. The only exception to the rule was Ved, for he was the core, and it was only right that he decided whom he wanted to help.
Michael kept these calculations to himself, and at this moment, facing Padma's request, he merely smiled and nodded, assuring her that he would do his best to convince the others.
(End of Chapter)
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