09: Lessons and Magic Upgrades

The group sprinted away, not caring if Filch was patrolling the corridor.

Luckily, they had good fortune—Filch had gone elsewhere. They ran all the way back to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room.

The Fat Lady in the portrait looked at them in surprise, "Where have you all been?"

"Don't ask, just open up," they replied, panting heavily and nervously glancing back, fearing the monstrous creature might follow them.

Harry quickly said the password, "Pig snout," and the portrait swung open, allowing them to enter.

"Wait, John, aren't you in Slytherin?" Harry remembered just as they were about to go in.

John then realized he wasn't a Gryffindor and had to watch them go into the Gryffindor common room.

As the door closed, he ignored the Fat Lady's astonished expression at a Slytherin mingling with Gryffindors and walked back alone.

On his way back, he encountered Malfoy.

Perhaps checking to see if his plan had worked, Malfoy was equally surprised to see John.

As Malfoy turned to leave, John sprinted forward and cornered him, using his height advantage to trap him against the wall.

"Little Malfoy," John said menacingly, "you wouldn't want the head of the house to know about your nighttime wanderings, would you?"

Malfoy instinctively looked around; the corridor was empty except for them. His henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, were likely asleep in their warm beds.

"What do you want? Where is the proof? You were the one out at night!" Malfoy stammered, intimidated by John's presence.

John sneered, "I'm not one to hold grudges. I usually deal with them on the spot. What do you think I want to do?"

Before Malfoy could react, John covered his mouth with his right hand to muffle any outcry. His left hand flicked out, revealing his wand.

"You know, a wand isn't just for casting spells. Its material is quite sturdy."

John waved the wand near Malfoy's eyes, its thin end threateningly close as if it was going to pierce in the next second, causing Malfoy to tremble with fear.

"Shh— keep your voice down, don't let Filch hear it, you know, there are many instruments of punishment in Filch's office."

The voice that echoed in his ears like a devil made Malfoy regret why he provoked such a madman.

After a few tense moments, John saw Malfoy grabbing his wand, John clenched his fist and punched Malfoy in the stomach.

This punch made Malfoy almost vomit, and he curled up in the corridor holding his stomach.

"Remember, don't think about plotting against me in the future," John said, looking down at Malfoy curled up on the corridor floor. 

He walked away but then reconsidered, not wanting Slytherin to lose points if Filch found Malfoy. John didn't want Slytherin to be the last in the house cup—this isn't it, the real reason is that John is still very soft-hearted.

Returning, he helped Malfoy up and spoke sincerely, "We're in the same house. There's no need for conflict."

Malfoy's face was pale and his lips were trembling. How could a weakling like him withstand John's punch?

"We are all Slytherins, why can't we get along well? As long as you don't mess with me, I won't mess with you. We might even be friends," John continued.

John's impression of Malfoy was that he was a spoiled child.

Malfoy was taught from a young age that pure blood was supreme, and John would not blame him for this.

Heck, if the other party had not been blind enough to provoke him, he would not have done anything to Malfoy.

...

At a damp stone wall, John said the password, "Pureblood."

The Slytherin common room door opened, and he placed Malfoy on a sofa.

' I don't know who designed the common room.'

The common room's design puzzled him. It was narrow and low, decorated with bones and bronze, giving it a dark, cold atmosphere with no warmth.

The Black Lake shimmered outside, a giant squid swimming by.

John leaned close to Malfoy, "Remember what I said. We may not become friends, but trust me that you would not like me being your enemy."

Malfoy clutched his stomach, eyes wide as he stared at John, not sure how much he absorbed the wisdom behind John's words.

 John waved his hand and didn't say anything else. He turned back to his room.

After a day's training, his magic power had reached 65, close to leveling up.

After washing and going to bed, he lay on the bed and recalled what the big dog with three heads was called. He saw a trap door under the big dog.

He remembered there was a weakness, possibly something to do with music.

Thinking about it, he fell asleep.

...

The next day, Malfoy strutted past John as if nothing had happened. However, he didn't provoke John anymore, likely due to their earlier confrontation.

Malfoy was stunned to see Harry and Ron still at Hogwarts. The two were discussing what might be hidden beneath the trapdoor guarded by the giant dog.

Harry recalled a report about a robbery at Gringotts and recounted his visit there with Hagrid when they retrieved a small package. The two boys brainstormed various conspiracy theories.

Meanwhile, Hermione, who had argued with Harry and Ron the night before, was now ignoring them. She sat down next to John, pouting and complaining, "Those two arrogant idiots! We almost got eaten by that giant dog, and they think it's funny."

"Oh my, how can anyone be so stupid, especially my classmates?" Hermione muttered incessantly, which John had grown accustomed to. All he needed to do was listen.

Neville also joined them, feeling safe around John. If it weren't for John, Neville might have ended up as the dog's breakfast.

It was unusual to see two Gryffindors mingling with a Slytherin.

After breakfast, John didn't forget his workout routine. Mornings were too precious to waste.

John's daily schedule:

- Morning: Run a lap around the Black Lake after breakfast.

- Noon: Push-ups and frog jumps.

- Evening: Visit the Trophy Room after dinner to clean the trophies, then return to his room for push-ups and sit-ups while studying.

His days were packed, with occasional relaxation by walking near the Forbidden Forest with Tom and Basil.

One unlucky day, Hagrid caught John near the Forbidden Forest. Although he didn't enter the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid still gave a verbal warning.

John didn't take it to heart; instead, he befriended Fang, who became fond of Tom's dog food.

...

[Ding! Magic level-up successful! Current magic power: level 2]

Jogging by the Black Lake, John wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, smiling brightly. "Finally leveled up. Now I can start practicing other spells."

With his magic at level 2, John only knew one spell. Practicing the unlocking charm seemed pointless; he needed to learn new spells.

With his excellent learning abilities provided by the [Scholar] blessing, John mastered the Levitation Charm before Charms class began.

Holding his wand, he cast a spell on a leaf that had fallen in front of him. "Wingardium Leviosa."

He felt his magic deplete slightly as the leaf floated up.

[Magic: Level 2 (10/500)]

[Spells: Alohomora (Level 3), Wingardium Leviosa (Level 1)]

[Skills: Short Weapons Mastery (Level 7), Long Weapons Mastery (Level 6), Heavy Weapons Mastery (Level 3), Firearms Mastery (Level 1)]

[Blessings: Physical Fitness, Quick Attack, Precision, Academic Scholar, Pilot, Long-Distance Running]

Though still at level 1, he could only levitate light objects like leaves. Yet, John smiled, his thoughts turning to the Restricted Section.

He preferred offensive spells, like violent attacks, over the Levitation Charm.

He can go to the restricted book zone while completing his 'boogieman' mission.

After completing the night tour mission, he will also get the mission rewards.

With the punishment of cleaning the Trophy room on him, it is reasonable to go to the Restricted Books Area to clean it himself, right? He is a good student after all, hehehe.

____