Chapter 94: Wand, Dragon Egg
Chapter 94: Wand, Dragon Egg
Weed didn't understand, "What does this have to do with wands?"
Neville looked at his wand, his eyes tracing over every familiar scratch on its surface, and murmured, "This isn't my wand. It belonged to my father—my grandmother didn't approve of me bringing it along. She said that using someone else's wand would greatly reduce its effectiveness... but I..."
He had insisted on bringing this wand, opting not to buy a new one from Ollivanders. This way, it felt like his parents were still with him.
Whenever he cast spells with this wand, Neville always felt inadequate, but he didn't take it to heart. He had long accepted his clumsiness, timidity, and lack of talent, often questioning why he was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Hufflepuff.
Back when he was being sorted, Neville had argued with the Sorting Hat for a long time. He believed he lacked the courage expected of Gryffindor and requested the hat to place him in Hufflepuff. However, the Sorting Hat insisted that he belonged in Gryffindor and ultimately announced its decision accordingly.
However, after joining the SSC, Neville felt himself improving steadily every day. Spells, which had once been daunting, were becoming more manageable, and he experienced immense joy and a sense of accomplishment for the first time. For this reason, when he encountered setbacks in his spell studies again, he couldn't simply tell himself,
"Yes, you're that stupid and incompetent; you can't do anything right."
—because he knew he could do better, but his choice of partner was holding him back.
Neville confided in his grandmother through the friend's account, and Mrs. Longbottom once again firmly told him—let go of your useless stubbornness; you need to get a new wand that suits you!
"Weed," Neville asked in a perplexed tone, "What should I do?"
Weed knew that when Neville hesitated like this, he already had a preference in his heart. But going against his long-held insistence was like asking him to let go of his emotions for his parents, which was why he was so conflicted.
Weed thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we let a coin decide?"
"A coin?" Neville, who was immersed in his dilemma, was taken aback.
Weed took out a Sickle from his pocket, holding it between his fingers, and said, "Heads—continue using your father's wand, even if it means expending ten times, a hundred times the effort to reach a normal level of proficiency. You won't give up!"
The Sickle turned halfway in his fingers.
"Tails—cherish the memories and love for your parents in your heart. Choose a wand that suits you best, gain greater power, become a son they can be proud of, and possess the strength to protect others."
"Did you get that?"
Neville swallowed hard and nodded, his eyes fixed intently on the Sickle.
Weed's gaze shifted downward, noticing Neville's hands clenched tightly into fists, the corners of his clothes crumpled in his grip.
"Then—let's begin."
As Weed spoke, he flicked his finger, and the Sickle spun rapidly, soaring high into the air. Neville involuntarily looked up, his eyes following the dazzling silver light as it ascended—and then descended—his heart leaping into his throat!
Weed covered the coin with his palm and slowly opened his hand.
"Thump."
Neville's throat constricted, and his palms began to sweat.
Just as the Sickle was about to be revealed, Weed suddenly clenched his fist again!
"Ah!" Neville exclaimed, "I didn't see it yet!"
"But you already know, don't you?"
Weed asked, "What is the answer you truly want?"
Neville was stunned, as if a thunderbolt had just exploded over his head.
Weed got up and left, leaving him alone on the sofa to ponder.
"How's Neville doing?" Theo approached with a concerned expression.
"He's fine. He'll figure it out," Weed replied, glancing down at the Sickle in his palm and suddenly smiling as he tucked it into his pocket.
"Fate does seem to be looking out for this clumsy kid!"
However...
It's always better to make decisions through careful consideration rather than being pushed by fate, isn't it?
...
Before long, it was time for the Easter holidays again, and this time, the professors had assigned a considerable amount of homework for each subject. With only a two-week spring break, most students wouldn't choose to go home.
Neville applied for leave from school as he intended to go to Diagon Alley to pick out a wand that truly suited him.
Weed also applied for leave, but he only went home on Easter day to spend the holiday with his parents. The rest of the time, he stayed in Hogsmeade, learning spells with Lupin.
The memory-extracting spell turned out to be not as profound as Weed had imagined. If the memory provider focused on recalling and was willing to give up the memory, the spell could be quite simple. Forcibly digging out memories that the owner wanted to hide, on the other hand, fell into the realm of advanced and dark magic.
The Mind-Closing Spell, on the other hand, required long-term practice. The most basic requirement was to clear one's mind—to stop thinking, recalling, or perceiving. More advanced techniques involved weaving false memories and emotions in one's mind to deceive a Legilimens.
During the break, Weed made the most progress with the Transfiguration and Disillusionment spells, and he also learned how to use several fire-based charms. Lupin even taught him some handy school tips, like a spell to check for typos in essays.
Weed returned to school the day before the term started. When he distributed the Easter eggs to his friends, he noticed that two Gryffindors looked tense and worried.
"What's wrong?" Weed asked.
"Well..." Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, after which Hermione replied anxiously, "It's Hagrid... He got his hands on a dragon egg, and he intends to hatch it!"
Weed recalled, "I think that's illegal, isn't it?"
"Yes!" Harry frowned. "What if someone finds out? Hagrid doesn't seem to care; he's only thinking about being a dragon mom!"
"Hmm... Quite Gryffindor of him," Weed muttered under his breath. Seeing their distressed expressions, he continued, "I have a friend who works as a caretaker for Mr. Scamander. Perhaps you could entrust the dragon egg to them for hatching? Or, you could secretly transfer the egg to a place where it's permitted to breed such creatures. Of course—"
As the two friends exchanged delighted glances, Weed added, "The prerequisite is that you can convince Mr. Hagrid to give up on his current plan. Otherwise, he might end up in Azkaban."
This wouldn't be an easy task.
Hagrid had an innate love for all dangerous creatures, and raising a dragon was his lifelong dream. Even knowing that Harry and Hermione's worries were justified, he couldn't bring himself to give up on the adorable, yet-to-be-born dragon baby. The thought of the little one facing a life of hardship and being captured by wizards for blood-letting or dragon liver extraction left the half-giant teary-eyed.
Time passed, and soon, the dragon baby's birth was imminent.
(End of Chapter)
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