Chapter 480: A Novel Experience
Chapter 480: A Novel Experience
Many students overheard the conversation between Kyle and Professor McGonagall, but for those who couldn't even master the snail spell, it was clear they weren't qualified to engage in such advanced topics.
More importantly, they couldn't understand most of it, and they might as well continue their struggle with the snails on their desks.
The two classes passed quickly, and by the end, only Kyle and Connor had successfully met Professor McGonagall's challenge.
As a reward, Professor McGonagall not only gave them both ten extra points but also excused them from their homework.
Only Kyle and Connor were exempt from the assignment, while the rest of the class had to practice the spell overnight and write a five-foot-long essay to be handed in the next afternoon.
Almost everyone in the classroom groaned in unison, complaining about the excessive workload. It was at this moment that most of the students realized the true terror of their fifth year.
Last year's assignment was only three feet long, and now it had doubled to five feet.
They had always heard that the fifth year was the most daunting, and now they were witnessing it firsthand.
Michael and Ryan, in particular, looked like they were about to cry.
The amount of homework wasn't the issue; the problem was that Kyle didn't have to do any of it... There was little difference between that and taking away their reference answers.
The afternoon brought two consecutive periods of Charms class. Like Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick emphasized the significance of their fifth-year exams before the start of class, stating that they all needed to work harder than ever before to achieve their expected levels.
When the class ended, the students stared at him anxiously, and Professor Flitwick didn't disappoint as he assigned a mountain of homework.
Perhaps because the next Charms class was the following morning, Professor Flitwick only required three feet of written work.
However, judging by the students' reactions, they weren't feeling very cheerful about it.
That evening during dinner, almost all the fifth-year students fell unusually quiet. Even Michael, usually the liveliest of the bunch, remained silent. He shoveled a few mouthfuls of food and then rushed off to the library without another word.
With a total of eight feet of homework due in one day, they couldn't afford to waste a single moment.
Cedric, having gone through this himself, watched it all with a calm expression.
Most of the time, though, he and Kyle were among the small minority exempt from homework.
And this was just the first day.
Over the next few days, the fifth-year students finally understood what it meant to be in an O.W.L. year. Averaging ten feet of homework per day was just the baseline; there were also numerous spells to practice.
Even the usually relaxed Divination class became burdensome. Professor Trelawney instructed them to record their dreams and make comprehensive prophecies by cross-referencing them with the 'Dream Guide' at least three times a week.
The amount of time they spent in the library increased daily, and their once-beloved Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap games were left gathering dust in a corner.
Once, in the common room, Kyle even heard a chess piece in the corner swearing about the layer of dust it was accumulating, untouched and uncleaned.
As a result, nearly half of the students' Divination assignments looked remarkably similar... They were dreaming about doing homework in the library!
Ironically, Kyle seemed to become more lackadaisical in this situation. Because he was exempt from most assignments, he spent less time in the library, not more... Oh, and the same went for Connor.
In the spacious common room, they were the only fifth-years leisurely playing a game of Exploding Snap, while envious glances shot their way from all corners.
On the weekend, when Kyle woke up, he found himself alone in the dormitory... Michael and Ryan had already risen early and headed to the library, leaving their beds empty.
He never thought he'd be the last one to get up... It felt a little surreal to Kyle.
"Are you ready?" Kyle asked as he opened the trunk.
"I've been ready for a long time," Connor replied as she jumped into the trunk nonchalantly.
They arrived in the familiar small hut.
However, this time, with Kyle by her side, Connor felt distinctly different; she didn't have to worry about the Hungarian Horntail anymore.
The space wasn't large, and having explored it thoroughly on her previous visit, her gaze immediately turned to the door.
"Follow me..." Sensing her thoughts, Kyle pushed the door open and stepped out.
The next moment, Connor froze in her tracks.
Although she had imagined that the place where a dragon was kept wouldn't be small, she never expected the area beyond the room to be so vast!
She tiptoed to get a better view, but still couldn't see where it ended.
"You didn't bring the Forbidden Forest here, did you?" Connor asked subconsciously.
"No, no..." Kyle shook his head. "It's a bit smaller than the Forbidden Forest, probably about half the size."
As he spoke, Kyle skillfully extended his arm and caught the sneaky Scabbers, tossing him casually into the nearby bushes.
But Connor didn't notice this; her attention was entirely captured by the astonishing sights before her.
She was amazed to discover that there were multiple distinct climates; lush green forests stood alongside endless deserts, and directly across was a wintry world of snow.
Each area was separated only by a narrow path, resembling the squares on a Wizard's Chessboard, clearly demarcated from one another.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over the two of them.
Connor looked up and saw the massive Hungarian Horntail dragon that had startled Ron previously, swooping down from the sky and landing in front of them.
Connor felt a twinge of fear, but Norberta paid her no heed.
Once it landed, Norberta's head, as large as a table, nuzzled into Kyle's arms affectionately.
Despite being prepared, Kyle was still knocked back five or six meters.
"This is killing me..." Kyle rubbed his chest and said to Connor, who was trying to stifle a laugh, "I've reminded it countless times, but it clearly never listens.
Remember to be careful when you come here alone; getting bumped by it is no fun."
Connor's smile faded as she looked warily at the towering creature, silently vowing never to come here without Kyle.
"Is this really a dragon?" she asked in disbelief.
"What else could it be?" Kyle patted Norberta's scaly head. "It's not like it's a tabby cat..."
Connor thought, If it could change its appearance, it might as well be one. After all, whose dragon is this docile?
Noticing Connor's nervousness, Kyle smiled and asked, "Do you want to pet it?"
"Can I?" Connor's eyes lit up at the prospect, as she had never had the opportunity to interact with a dragon up close before.
"Of course, don't worry," Kyle assured her.
Encouraged by Kyle's affirmation, Connor mustered her courage and gently placed her hand on Norberta's body.
The dragon's scales weren't as smooth as she had imagined, and they felt warm to the touch, reminiscent of a wall next to a fireplace.
Kyle then led her onto Norberta's back.
Sitting atop the dragon, Connor wore a delighted smile, an entirely novel experience for her... It felt exciting.
However, Norberta seemed displeased, snorting and exhaling a small puff of flame. Unable to move freely with Kyle around, she could only express her discontent by thumping her tail on the ground, creating loud bangs.
...
(End of Chapter)
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