Chapter 378: Activities at the Umbrella House
Chapter 378: Activities at the Umbrella House
"Sleep Spell! Sleep Spell!"
A giant stag beetle, now the size of a small dog, lazily swayed its antennae, seeing the faint red light hit it and then being repelled.
It clicked its mandibles and leisurely chewed on a huge leaf.
Theo glared at it indignantly.
Among the group at the Umbrella House, only Fred and George, who were the eldest, and Harry had mastered the Sleep Spell, and even he was practicing the Patronus Charm. The others still struggled with the Sleep Spell.
As they learned more magic, the gap between them became more apparent.
Although they didn't compare themselves to each other, the feeling of falling behind was unpleasant. So, even after third year when their homework increased, Theo and the others still made time to practice spells.
Vold was organizing the latest issues of Alchemy Magazine when he suddenly heard a 'thud' and turned to see Hermione putting down her backpack.
Michael couldn't help but exclaim, "Hermione, how many books do you have in your backpack?"
"Not that many. These are for class and some reference materials I need for my homework."
Hermione casually tied up her messy hair and took out over ten books from her backpack, stacking them on the table before starting her homework with the topmost book.
Michael looked at the tall pile of books with trepidation.
After vaguely guessing why Vold could take on so many classes, he had regretted not choosing all the courses himself, but now he could only feel relieved.
Vold, seeing Hermione work for a while, couldn't help but reach out and rub his shoulders. He suddenly asked, "Hermione, is your backpack heavy?"
"Hmm? Of course. She's practically carrying the entire library on her shoulders," Michael quipped.
Hermione hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you mean I shouldn't bring all these books? These are just the ones I need for today..."
"No, I meant... um... let me see your backpack." Vold reached out.
Hermione found it odd, but she handed over her backpack.
Vold lifted it, feeling its weight—goodness, it was at least eight or nine pounds, and that was after Hermione had already taken out a pile of books.
He shook his head, thinking to himself that he had almost forgotten—Hermione was only thirteen and hadn't yet mastered the Invisibility Expansion Charm.
When Vold first learned this spell, he had even worried about possibly violating the law—
The Ministry of Magic stipulated that the Invisibility Expansion Charm couldn't be used for personal purposes. It was only allowed for the production of individual items approved by relevant departments, such as travel tents and the like.
But over time, Vold realized that few of the adult wizards he knew actually followed the Ministry's regulations.
Mr. Scamander's pocket dimension, comparable to a small world, was one example. Even Arthur Weasley, a Ministry official, secretly expanded the space in his automobile.
When Lupin was broke, he had a piece of luggage with the Invisibility Expansion Charm; Vold's neighbor, Moody, had one too; Sirius had recently expanded the fuel tank and toolbox of his motorcycle.
When Lupin took out a drink from his pocket, Vold noticed that their pockets were much larger than those of ordinary clothes, and he couldn't help but laugh at his own caution.
In reality, the Ministry of Magic couldn't arbitrarily search a wizard's personal belongings without solid evidence, at least not when things were functioning properly.
"Take everything out, and I'll help lighten your load," Vold said.
"Oh, okay."
Hermione, guessing his intention, excitedly emptied her backpack quickly. Seeing this, the others gathered around.
"Vold, are you using the Invisibility Expansion Charm?" Theo asked excitedly.
"Yes," Vold replied, "but remember, this is against Ministry regulations. Don't tell anyone."
"Got it! We won't say a word," they all agreed with a laugh.
Hermione felt a bit conflicted upon hearing this, but when Vold raised his wand, she momentarily forgot her previous thoughts and watched intently like the rest.
The spell's glow fell upon the backpack, flashed a few times, and then slowly disappeared.
Vold lowered his wand.
Michael, expecting a more spectacular display, was taken aback and asked, "Is that it?"
"Of course," Vold said. "It's just a backpack; how complicated could it be?"
"I thought..."
Michael muttered, picking up the backpack and testing its weight before handing it back to Hermione.
"Hermione, you try it now."
"Okay."
Hermione swept all the items on the desk into her backpack. Unlike before, when it was bulging, the backpack now remained flat, as if it only held a few books.
The girl peered into the bag, confirming that all her belongings were still inside, then lifted it again, exclaiming in surprise, "So light!"
"Really, let me try!"
Everyone reached out to take turns holding the backpack, feeling its lightness.
"It's like when we first started school; we didn't have so many books," Neville sincerely shared his thoughts.
"But doesn't the Invisibility Expansion Charm only expand the space?"
Theo asked curiously, "My uncle has a bag that's so heavy when full, it feels like there's a Grawp inside. No one can lift it except him."
"An imperfect Invisibility Expansion Charm would be like that," Vold explained. "But with a truly successful spell, it's as if you've stuffed things into another dimension; you hardly feel any weight."
As the backpack returned to Hermione, she hugged it happily, saying, "Now I can fit all my books in! You know how frustrating it is when the book you want isn't in your bag!"
The group: "..."
They didn't quite resonate with her on this matter.
Suddenly, Michael hugged Vold and pleaded tearfully, "Vold, please, do me a favor... I want a lightweight backpack too..."
Everyone secretly envied Hermione's backpack, but only Michael openly voiced it.
Vold chuckled, "Empty your bags, and we'll do them one by one!"
The group cheered and began emptying their bags, while Hermione actively stuffed her notes from the bookshelf into her backpack.
Vold sighed and said, "Hermione, don't treat the space in your bag as infinite; it's about the size of a suitcase..."
Just then, the door of the Umbrella House opened, and everyone turned to look.
Harry, soaked to the bone, walked in with a broomstick, leaving a trail of mud prints behind him.
(End of Chapter)
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