Chapter 78: Assimilation and Learning
Chapter 78: Assimilation and Learning
After a brief welcome ceremony, Harry, with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, asked, "Er... This is actually my first time joining a club, and I'm not quite sure what to expect. Could someone tell me the rules of the SSC club? Is there anything I need to do?"
The group exchanged puzzled glances.
"A club?" Theo asked, perplexed. "Are we even considered a club?"
Neville was surprised. "I thought SSC was already a club! Didn't we establish it a while ago?"
"Do students need to inform professors if they want to form a club?" Lian asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Michael chimed in, "I thought we were more of a society?"
"Don't clubs have membership fees?" Lian added, basing his understanding on snippets of information he had gathered from his Muggle relatives. "We haven't collected any money."
Neville looked confused. "What's the difference between a club and a society, anyway?"
Everyone fell silent, contemplating the same question. Aside from the name, what was the distinction?
For a moment, they couldn't quite put their fingers on it.
Harry never expected such a scene to unfold. He seriously reflected on how things had come to this and then quietly turned to look at Hermione beside him.
Viet glanced at Hermione, who was stifling a smile, and asked helplessly, "Hermione, what exactly did you tell Harry?"
Hermione burst out laughing. "I didn't say anything! You and Ron made all those wild guesses yourselves, didn't you?"
Harry: "..."
Indeed, she hadn't said anything. She had only emphasized repeatedly how important it was, how he needed to be well-prepared, and to make sure he brought his wand. Then, she had watched with amusement as they anxiously speculated about the challenges of joining a club.
Ron had even come up with an outrageous hypothesis.
"Maybe they'll ask you to sneak into Snape's office and steal something personal from him, like his underwear or socks. Or, they might ask you to throw a Dungbomb in the corridor right in front of Professor McGonagall to prove your courage!"
At the time, Ron had given Harry a solemn look, as if he expected him to be torn apart by angry professors any moment.
Now that he thought about it, Hermione's painful expression—which he had assumed was due to pain—was probably her trying to hold back her laughter, wasn't it? Or perhaps... it was precisely because of their bizarre speculations that she hadn't said anything at all?
"It's like this," Viet said, unable to hold back his laughter. "We're more like an after-school study group. We get together to practice spells, discuss homework problems, or borrow each other's notes. Usually, we come here to study after dinner, but it's entirely optional. If you don't feel like coming, you don't need to ask for leave or anything. There aren't any fixed rules. The guidelines are posted on the wall behind you."
Harry turned to look. There was a piece of paper pinned to the wall, containing only a few brief sentences. They included things like members helping each other, being united and friendly, and not touching other people's belongings without permission. Essentially, they were basic moral standards that even primary school students should abide by. The only unique rule was that no one could bring others to the Umbrella House without the consent of all members.
Harry first felt relieved—these "rules" were hardly rules at all, and there were no harsh penalties or constraints. Obviously, their previous guesses had been completely off the mark. But as he read the last rule, Harry's heart sank again.
—He was new himself. Could he introduce Ron and invite him to join?
"Harry, your seat is over here," Neville said enthusiastically, leading Harry to the side.
Next to Neville's seat was an empty desk, complete with an independent bookshelf and cabinet. The surrounding wooden boards formed a semi-enclosed structure, providing privacy from others and allowing for easy communication by folding down the boards.
There were also a few small tea tables, a food cabinet, and a soft, old sofa with several fluffy cushions. These items had been prepared by Viet, who had asked Zoe and the others for help. The used furniture from the Room of Requirement almost formed a small town, and they had selected the relatively intact pieces, patching them up so they looked as good as new.
Within the food cabinet, there was always an abundance of cakes, biscuits, puddings, and candies, while several dark silver tin kettles held beverages and clear water, all prepared proactively by the house-elves. Moreover, whenever the house-elves had free time, they would find ways to decorate the Umbrella House.
Viet and the others would often walk in to discover subtle changes in the Umbrella House, be it strange decorations and photos adorning the walls or a few pots of blooming wildflowers in the corners, or perhaps the addition of a useful piece of furniture or two.
Unknowingly, this originally empty and abandoned classroom had become increasingly vibrant. Traces of the few students living and studying here were evident everywhere, and the room exuded a warm and lively atmosphere.
Harry had taken a liking to this place almost instantly.
He had also received a piece of parchment for contacting other SSC members—the 'Friendship Book', which was now well-known to everyone. However, Harry, who had stayed at school during the Christmas holidays, had nowhere to go to buy one despite having the money.
Among the people he knew, Hermione had one, and she gave Harry a page to contact her, but since they were together most of the time, there were few occasions when he actually needed to use it. Ron had two, one from Hermione and the other sent by Mrs. Weasley after the holidays, ensuring that each Weasley child had one. Ron often used his Friendship Book to chat or argue with his brothers before bedtime, only to be sternly told by Mrs. Weasley to go to sleep immediately.
Sometimes, Ron would complain about his mother's strictness, but Harry was extremely envious of him.
Now, he, too, had a second Friendship Book.
He slipped the two pieces of parchment between the pages of his textbook and tucked it into his bag, then looked around—the others had already started doing their homework or reading, even Neville was diligently copying notes from their Transfiguration class.
—This was quite different from studying in the common room. In the Gryffindor common room, there would always be students chatting noisily or looking for others to copy their homework, lacking the quiet and studious atmosphere here. If they wanted to study seriously, they would have to go to the library, but Madam Pince was strict and did not allow eating or talking, which was another inconvenience.
Harry settled down and took out his Charms homework to start, but after writing just the title, he found himself at a loss for how to proceed.
—He should have first gone to the library to borrow a couple of reference books... But would it be awkward to leave suddenly when everyone was studying? Perhaps Hermione might have the books he needed...
As Harry began to fidget in his seat, feeling uncomfortable, Theo nearby noticed his dilemma and asked understandingly, "Don't know how to start?"
Harry instinctively covered his textbook, which was filled with messy notes and doodles, and replied awkwardly, "Yeah, I don't."
"It's alright, we didn't know how to either when we started," Theo reassured him. "You can ask Viet, he'll teach you how to write essays and which reference books you need to read for now. Go borrow the books from the library before you come tomorrow, and follow the method Viet teaches you. You'll soon find that completing homework is actually quite simple."
In reality, Hermione read the most, but she had a habit of writing down everything she read—in her eyes, all the knowledge she gained was important. In contrast, Viet could pinpoint exactly what their current problems were and which areas of knowledge needed reinforcement, then select the most valuable book for them to read. Essentially, after reading the book he recommended, those initially incomprehensible topics became much simpler, as if they had suddenly understood everything.
As he approached, Theo also noticed the messy notes on Harry's book and hesitated before pointing to it and asking, "Do you mind if I take a look?"
(End of Chapter)
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