Chapter 365: Give Us One Reason Not to Kill You
Chapter 365: Give Us One Reason Not to Kill You
Ancient Runic classes were scheduled for the afternoon.
This year, Professor Babbling still hadn't convinced Dumbledore to let her teach multiple grades together.
This displeased Professor Babbling, and her mood was conveyed to the students.
"How does the different arrangement of Runes affect the completion of a glyph?"
As Autumn looked at the day's lesson, her head began to spin.
"But Professor..." she said, raising her hand, "Isn't this what we're supposed to learn at the end? Today is only the first day of school!"
"That is true," Professor Babbling blinked her gray eyes and smiled, "So I've decided to skip the insignificant parts and spend more time teaching you something substantial."
"Everyone, look here. There are many components to a glyph, and we'll start with the most complex ones first..."
Autumn's head spun even more.
When Professor Babbling drew the glyph, she was already lost, frantically taking notes while trying to listen.
Connor, sitting next to her, was in a similar situation, her hand never stopping as her quill almost sparked on the parchment.
When the class finally ended, Connor and Autumn breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing their wrists.
After taking nonstop notes for an entire lesson, their hands felt numb and sore.
Then, Connor noticed Kyle's desk, which was surprisingly clean without a single word written on his parchment.
"Kyle, did you understand everything?" she asked.
Hearing this, Autumn also turned to look at Kyle, her expression as if she were looking at a monster with eight arms and five heads...
Definitely not human, at least.
"Understood everything? No," Kyle shook his head. "This part requires gradual accumulation. Professor Babbling covered a lot of ground, and it's impossible to master it in one lesson."
"Then why aren't you taking notes?"
Connor asked in confusion, "Didn't you hear clearly? Do you want to copy mine?"
She pushed her stack of thick parchments toward Kyle, "But I missed a lot of parts, so it might not be complete."
"I'm in the same boat,"
Autumn added, bringing over her own stack, "You can cross-reference as you copy, and if there are any discrepancies, it'll help us identify them..."
Autumn's head was throbbing, and she had no desire to look at the notes for a while.
"No need," Kyle said, looking at them, "I didn't plan to take notes at all. Otherwise, I would've used a shorthand quill to jot everything down."
"Oh... shorthand quill..."
Autumn pulled at her hair, letting out a pained whimper, "Damn, how could I forget about that!"
But Connor suddenly realized something and frowned, "You... didn't take any notes?"
"Yeah."
Kyle shrugged and took out a thick book, placing it on the table.
The Evolution of Magical Runic Glyphs
"Someone recommended this book to me last year, so I borrowed it from the library for a year."
As he spoke, Kyle flipped to a page and pointed, "Look for yourselves. Isn't this exactly what Professor Babbling said?"
"And these parts here too..." Kyle turned a few more pages.
Two heads leaned in simultaneously...
After a moment of silence, the atmosphere turned eerie.
Connor and Autumn stood on either side of Kyle, the pressure in the air palpable.
"You have one minute to explain," Connor gritted her teeth, glaring at Kyle.
Autumn's hands clenched into fists, "Give us one reason not to kill you.
"And you're even worse." He looked at Autumn on the other side, "I nudged your arm when I saw you weren't reacting, and you actually tried to kick me... luckily I dodged quickly."
Kyle lifted the hem of his robe, revealing a faint shoe print.
Autumn's face turned red, and she stammered, unable to speak.
Hearing this, she suddenly remembered the incident. But at the time, Professor Babbling had been explaining a crucial part, and she hadn't paid attention to what Kyle was saying, reacting instinctively.
Another silence fell...
Autumn and Connor silently gathered their notes, then turned and rushed out of the classroom.
...
By dinnertime, they had already borrowed the book from the library and were reading it at the dinner table.
For specialized knowledge books like this, the library had multiple copies, so it was rare to have to wait in line.
Seeing that they were engrossed in their reading, Kyle didn't disturb them and instead sat down next to Cedric.
The Great Hall was especially lively that evening, particularly the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.
Even from a distance, Kyle could hear Ron's loud voice...
He was enthusiastically bragging about something to Fred.
"You wouldn't believe it, but the baby unicorn I saw was golden!"
"Hagrid's amazing..." Hermione added, "I've read that young unicorns are rarely seen. They're usually deep in the forest and closely guarded."
"And I even got to hold it..."
Ron narrowed his eyes, looking a bit lecherous, "I don't want to wash my hand this entire year."
Fred and George took a step back, looking disgusted.
"Have you noticed Malfoy?"
Harry, too, was excited, "Ever since we got to the paddock, he's been bothering Hagrid. But after seeing the baby unicorn, he clammed up."
"In my opinion, Hagrid shouldn't have let that kind of person touch the unicorn..."
"Ron, Hagrid is a professor now!" Hermione objected, "He has to treat every student fairly."
"Yeah, you're right..." Ron said nonchalantly, "But Snape obviously doesn't think so."
...
"Wow, a unicorn!"
Cedric had also overheard their conversation and exclaimed in amazement, "It's incredible! When we were in our third year, we only got to see Bowtruckles and Flobberworms, and last year it was Fire Lizards! I can't believe they get to see a unicorn, let alone a baby one."
"I wonder if it's just like this for third years, or if it's the same for all grades?"
"That's not clear." Kyle glanced at the lively Gryffindor and Slytherin tables, "But you can always ask him."
"I'll go ask him first thing tomorrow morning."
Cedric still couldn't quite believe it, "How did Hagrid manage that? Unicorns are extremely wary magical creatures, and I've never heard of anyone seeing them in class before, let alone a baby one."
Kyle was eating a steak and didn't say anything.
He wasn't surprised that Hagrid had managed to bring a unicorn to the class.
If there was anyone in Hogwarts who could gain a unicorn's trust, it would be Hagrid.
Even Professor Kettleburn before his retirement couldn't have done it, or else he wouldn't have been gored in the stomach.
"All the classes this year are fantastic, from Defense Against the Dark Arts to Care of Magical Creatures..." Cedric said excitedly, glancing at his timetable, "Unfortunately, we have to wait until Friday for Hagrid's class."
...
(End of Chapter)
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