Seeing that Steve was relieved because of her casual praise, Ryan asked curiously, "Can you tell me why you seem to be exhausted deep down? In my impression, you've always been the type to be full of confidence."
"Because I thought of something today," Steve said. "In your absence, Overton and I were complaining about his twin brothers. When Ron was three, they turned his teddy bear into a spider, and he was mentally shattered because of it. When he was five, they almost tricked him into making an Unbreakable Vow."
"What does this mean? Are the Weasley twins so fond of mischief because they've been like this since childhood?"
"That's not it." Steve rolled her eyes. "Don't you see how much of an advantage wizards born into magical families have when it comes to learning magic?"
She started counting on her fingers. "Look, the twins are only two years older than Ron, yet they could already perform transfiguration spells strong enough to turn a teddy bear into a spider. Many students struggle to master that spell even after starting school. And the Unbreakable Vow—do you know how much research I had to do just to learn about it? Meanwhile, the twins knew about it when they were just seven."
Ryan listened carefully as Steve continued, "It's not just them. You can see how strong wizards from magical families are in everyday things. Take Ron's Slug Curse, for example. Madam Pomfrey had to use magic to force Malfoy to vomit faster, but she couldn't directly stop it. Ginny has a Bat-Bogey Hex that even Professor McGonagall praised. And Harry? His ability to learn combat magic is terrifying—sometimes he just reads the description in a book, tries it twice, and gets it right."
Steve looked Ryan in the eyes and said, "If those pure-bloods put pressure on me because of their family status, I wouldn't be too bothered—it's just how they were born. But you're the one putting the most pressure on me."
"Me?" Ryan was surprised. "What pressure could I possibly put on you? I didn't even score higher than you on last year's final exams."
"Yeah, but what else can I do besides excel in exams? In the wizarding world, only magic power determines everything, not test scores. You at least have a unique magic of your own. This time, I've learned a lot, but it's because of you. Otherwise, those ghosts wouldn't have spoken to me. And what can I do apart from burying myself in books? How can I protect my parents at this rate?" Steve's eyes turned slightly red.
Is this just adolescence and stress causing her emotions to overflow? Ryan thought. He couldn't imagine how Steve managed all this time with only Harry and Ron—two reckless friends—and no strong connections.
Then again, looking at the timeline, the basilisk was roaming the school right now, making the atmosphere tense. Plus, back then, Steve had been busy idolizing celebrities. With everything going on, she might not have had the time to dwell on these thoughts.
Ryan looked at Steve, who seemed overwhelmed, and reassured her, "You don't need to be so anxious. Exam scores in the wizarding world do represent skill, since they include a lot of practical application. And I actually envy your ability to read extensively and piece together spells from books."
"You feel like you're falling behind purely because magical knowledge is so restricted in the wizarding world. Unlike the Muggle world, where information is freely available, here it's hard to find resources to improve magical abilities. I was just lucky to stumble upon an old book that others had discarded." (For secrecy, Ryan told Steve he learned his unique magic from obscure British books found in a secondhand bookstore.)
After hearing Ryan's words, Steve seemed to relax a little. Seizing the moment, Ryan extended an invitation. "Last time, Nick told me about a hidden place at Hogwarts where students have been stashing things for centuries. Next time, you can come with me to explore it. Maybe you'll find some books that could help you."
When it came to magic, Ryan knew Steve had a sharper eye than he did. Recently, besides studying the standard curriculum, he'd been dedicating all his time to life magic and an obscure mystical practice called Liam Inheritance. He hadn't had the chance to devour half the library like Steve had.
By inviting her, Ryan wasn't just offering help to a friend—he was also enlisting her expertise to ensure he didn't overlook any valuable treasures.
Steve's mood shifted completely. She knew how rare it was for wizards to share knowledge. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she quickly hugged Ryan and whispered, "Thank you."
Ryan was stunned. Even after living in Britain for ten years, he wasn't entirely used to the local customs.
After helping a few first-years with their questions, Ryan went to bed early. Tomorrow was the first Quidditch match of the year, and his house team was playing. He needed to be well-rested.
The next morning, after breakfast, Ryan followed the crowd to the Quidditch pitch. The weather was hot and humid, with faint thunder rumbling in the distance.
The Gryffindor students looked tense. After all, Slytherin had upgraded to Nimbus 2001 broomsticks this year, giving them a clear advantage.
The match began, and Gryffindor's intensive training paid off. Despite their inferior equipment, they held their own against Slytherin.
That's when Ryan noticed something strange—a Bludger was aggressively chasing Harry, seemingly intent on knocking him down. Dobby's plan was unfolding.
Ryan nudged Steve and pointed at the Bludger. After observing it for a while, she gasped, "What's wrong with that Bludger? Why is it only targeting Harry?"
By now, rain had started falling, making conditions even tougher for Harry. The Weasley twins had to act as bodyguards, constantly batting the rogue Bludger away.
"That thing looks like it's going to seriously hurt him. It reminds me of last year. What should we do?" Steve asked.
"I have an idea." Ryan pulled a piece of talisman paper from his pocket and infused it with energy. The paper transformed into a tiny paper crane, which circled them twice before flying off in a specific direction.
"Follow it!" Ryan and Steve sprang into action, chasing the enchanted paper crane through the storm.
And thus, the hunt for the house-elves had begun.....
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