Today is Hogsmeade Day. On this day, little wizards can go to Hogsmeade Wizarding Village to relax and have fun - this can be said to be a very exciting thing.
However, no matter how curious you are, it is an activity that is only allowed for students in at least third grade. For a first-year student like Alexander, even hearing about it from seniors can only make it more difficult to bear.
However, relatively speaking, the learning burden of the first and second grade students must be the lightest. Especially the first-year students who have just entered Hogwarts, compared with the fifth- and seventh-year students who have to face major exams, they are as relaxed as if they are on vacation every day!
Of course, Alexander didn't think so at this point.
Ever since Snape included Boggarts in the required weekly Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, everyone has been suffering from repeated scares again and again.
The Boggart will transform into the most feared thing in everyone's heart, and how can fear be easily overcome? But amid the constant cycle of panic, the little wizards gradually became numb. Regardless of whether other things can still cause panic to them, at least slowly, the things they fear most seem to become less scary.
Yes, everyone has made progress to varying degrees, and the effects can be said to be quite significant.
It's a pity that Alexander just couldn't overcome it. Even though he was the first child to realize Snape's intention, even though he was the first child to find out what spell should be used to deal with the Boggart, he still hasn't been able to use it until now.
He knew that using a Boggart banishing spell, which was not much more difficult than the wand glowing spell, could turn the object of fear into a comical one, but he could not take action against his mother's body;
He knew that laughing was actually the thing Boggart hated the most, but he couldn't laugh when he saw his mother's miserable appearance.
He also knew that even though everyone's fear was constantly diminishing through exercise, he kept recalling the blackened arm drooping in front of him when he opened his eyes in the square, and the flashing ring. Silver light.
"How can real fear be easily overcome?"
Alexander lay under the shade of the trees by the lake, squinting his eyes to see the tiny sunlight filtering through the gaps between the branches and leaves. The air was filled with the fragrance of earth. But no matter how fresh the smell was, it couldn't dispel the strong smell of blood that originated from his memory.
"Huh..."
Alexander let out a breath, then turned over and stood up from the grass, slowly walking further south along the lake shore step by step.
That direction is where you boarded the boat on the lake when you first came to Hogwarts. Except for the routine sailing of freshmen, no one usually goes there, so it is always quiet there.
But after Alexander walked along the lakeside for a while, he vaguely seemed to hear something, and he couldn't help but listen to the location of the sound. Before long, he found that the voice became more and more distinct and surprisingly familiar as he went on.
"This voice... could it be Enns?"
After making some guesses, his pace became faster. And when he walked around several big trees and a particularly lush bush that had not been cleaned by anyone, a figure immediately caught his eye.
"...Expelliarmus!"
That was indeed Enns, the first classmate he met. Although the two of them had barely spoken to each other since they were assigned to different colleges, he still remembered the other person's appearance very clearly.
He was not exactly tall, had short black hair, and had rather well-proportioned but unexpectedly ruffian facial features. Of course, there was also the other person's words that would never be pleasant, which left a deep impression on Alexander. .
"Expelliarmus!"
Another powerful wave of the staff, another clear incantation, but there was no magical brilliance as imagined. Obviously, the other party was practicing the magic spell, but was not successful.
"Enns?"
When the opponent failed again, Alexander, who was standing by a big tree in the back, called out. Enns immediately turned around and looked this way with a frown.
"Is that you?" He paused, then said impatiently, "Don't disturb me."
After saying that, Enns turned around again and waved the wand in his hand towards the tree trunk in front.
Alexander didn't care. He stepped out of the dense grass and walked a few steps towards the open space in front of Enns. Although the other party's refusal was clear, he didn't care.
"Are you practicing the disarming spell?" Alexander asked, "Why? Isn't that a spell that only the second grade can learn?"
Originally, Alexander didn't think that Enns would answer - given the other person's character, not scolding him to stay away from the area would be a sign of respect. Unexpectedly, although the other party still turned around and glared at him, he still made a specific response.
"It seems that you have also previewed it?" Enns stared at Alexander and looked at it, "You can start practicing earlier, why delay it until the second grade?"
"What about the first-year spells? Can you cast them easily?" Alexander asked in surprise.
Ens curled his lips and snorted softly.
"I just want to learn what works," he said, "like—petrification of everything!"
This guy didn't just recite a spell casually, he actually stretched out his wand towards Alexander. When Alexander saw the tip of the opponent's staff waving and waving, he quickly fell to the side.
Enns's spell worked, but Alexander's dodge was timely, and the effect of the whole body binding spell only affected a bush. Alexander glanced back at the completely still bush, then hurriedly climbed up.
"What are you doing!" Even with his good temper, he couldn't help but feel a little angry now.
"Am I demonstrating a spell to you?" Enns spread his hands indifferently, "How is it? It works well, right? Why don't you move, and I'll do it to you again to let you feel the effects of being hit by a full-body binding spell. Feel?"
"you-"
Alexander was so angry at his words that he didn't even know what to say.
"Okay, are you okay?" Enns shook his head, "If nothing happens, don't bother me. I'm going to continue practicing! I'm not interested in guys like you who live a leisurely life-"
"Stand still!" "Hey-oh!"
This was a leg-locking spell—Enns, who fell because his legs suddenly came together and his center of gravity was unstable, reacted immediately. But the curse came too suddenly, and he just turned around and didn't notice it, so he was hit without any suspense.
"Curse stop! Curse stop—damn it, I haven't learned this spell yet!" Enns was half lying on the ground, waving the staff at his tightly held legs again and again, but nothing happened. Fa'er untied.
There are two universal counter-curses, but both of them are the same as the disarming curse. They are magic spells that are not included in the scope of study until the second grade.
"Now do you still think that I am also a student who 'lives leisurely'?" Alexander asked angrily.
"Okay! You're not!" Enns said angrily, "So, Alexander, who doesn't live a leisurely life, must have learned a lot of magic spells, right? Let me ask you, can you use the universal counter-spell? "
"Uh..." Alexander's expression froze, "I've been practicing the first grade stuff!"
"It's terrible!" Enns slapped his two legs together hard, and then sighed, "I remember... the leg-locking spell lasts for two hours, right? A whole two hours!"
"How about... I go find the professor?" Alexander scratched his scalp and said hesitantly.
"Don't!" Enns waved his hand immediately, "I don't want to be laughed at... Besides, if the professor finds out, you bastard will just wait to be punished!"
After saying that, he raised his head and lay down on the ground, staring at the sky in a daze.
"Stop the curse—"
Abruptly, Alexander waved his wand tentatively. He still clearly remembered the movements of the stick and the syllables of the incantation, but without the teacher's specific demonstration and various analysis and interpretation, how could he succeed in just one or two attempts
Not surprisingly, his spell failed.
"Don't waste your efforts," Enns picked a piece of grass and held it in his mouth, chewing it casually, "Bah! It's bitter and astringent... Well, according to what you just said, I guess you haven't studied it carefully. A universal counterspell, right? I have thought about it several times, but I still haven't succeeded even once, let alone you!"
"Yes! I know, magic is not so easy to learn..." Alexander tried again, and then simply sat down next to him, "Just trying it."
"Alas..." Enns said with a bored look on his face, "Hey, tell me! It's been a while since I arrived at Hogwarts. Do you have anything interesting to tell me? Otherwise, just wait and see. It will be boring to death. Already…”
Perhaps because of this leg-locking spell, he had the most direct understanding of Alexander, so he was more willing to talk than before.
"Interesting thing?" Alexander thought for a while, "Speaking of which, there seems to be something happened this morning... In our Gryffindor common room, a gift box appeared out of nowhere. It looked quite high-end. "
"Gift box?" Enns clicked his tongue and interrupted the other party, "What kind of 'interesting thing' is this?"
"You should listen to it first!" Alexander waved his hand and said, "There is also a line written on the wrapping paper of the gift box, saying that it contains a box of chocolates mixed with the elixir of happiness. Whoever wants it can take it. But... "
He was about to continue talking when he suddenly heard a rustling sound, so he stopped talking and looked in the direction of the sound with his wand in hand.
"who?"
It seems that Enns has noticed it too.