Chapter 129 "Support Skyler The Slytherin Champion"

Fourth-grade classes were not limited to the increasingly challenging Transfiguration lessons at Hogwarts.

In the Magical Creatures Department, the once diminutive Blast-Ended Skrewts had grown into formidable creatures, each now reaching three feet in length with astonishing strength. No longer the fleshy, carapaceless beings of their infancy, they had developed a thick, shiny, gray-white armor-like exterior.

Resembling a cross between a giant scorpion and an elongated crab, their anatomy remained puzzling, with the location of the head and eyes still unclear. These creatures had become exceptionally powerful and challenging to control.

Undeterred by the difficulty, Hagrid assigned students the peculiar task of tethering a snail with a rope and taking it for a walk. Throughout the lesson, a disconcerting crackling sound punctuated the air, signifying the explosive discharge from the tail of a Blast-Ended Skrewt, propelling the snail forward and occasionally toppling unsuspecting students to the ground.

Since Skyler vouched for Hagrid on a previous occasion, their relationship had slightly improved. Hagrid, known for his disdain for the Malfoy family in the original book, refrained from comment when he witnessed Skyler and Daphne holding hands and chatting while guiding lobsters. It was a rare moment of warmth and camaraderie during class.

Meanwhile, the unfortunate Slytherins were tasked with managing a Blast-Ended Skrewt each, leading to a chorus of complaints from both Slytherin and Gryffindor students after the class concluded.

The Charms class focused on Accio, a spell not inherently challenging in pronunciation or gestures. Its true difficulty lay in the capacity to vividly visualize the desired outcome in one's mind.

For instance, if one sought to summon a cow, the necessity was to picture a vivid picture of a cow with greater detail, enhancing the spell's efficacy. Additionally, magical power posed a constraint; while fourth-grade students could grasp the basics, mastering it was beyond their current capabilities.

Most magical items possessed inherent magical resistance, making it challenging to summon items unless one was the original owner, akin to Harry.

Breaking through this limitation necessitated at least Auror-level magical proficiency. Furthermore, magical creatures, encompassing animals and plants, also exhibited their magic resistance. At the fourth-grade level, the pinnacle achievement would be summoning a Flobber caterpillar.

However, it was essential to acknowledge that Accio carried inherent dangers. In 1743, the infamous anti-Muggle activist Gideon Flatworthy attempted to summon a product from nearby Muggle farmers, presuming he could appropriate it for himself.

Tragically, he miscalculated the force while casting the spell, leading to a fatal beating by the summoned haystacks and cattle.

(Note: Gideon Flatworthy is derived from "The Book of Spells," serving as an anti-Muggle activist opposing wizards mimicking Muggle tasks.)

Certainly, Slytherin's young wizard had undergone extensive training under Skyler's guidance over the past three semesters, exhibiting commendable performance even surpassing most counterparts in the same class. Rumors circulated about the misbehavior of Harry and Neville from another class, resulting in extra homework as a consequence of Professor Flitwick's disciplinary action.

Amidst the Charms Club activities, a new member made an entrance—an accomplished fifth-year Ravenclaw senior named Chang Cho.

The spells explored in the Charms Club delved beyond the standard seven-year magical education curriculum. Participants focused on learning less mainstream spells, akin to extracurricular supplementary learning in the Muggle world.

During a particular session, Professor Flitwick guided them through the advanced application of the Patronus Charm. Contrary to its fundamental purpose of summoning a guardian spirit to ward off dark creatures, the Patronus was revealed to be an collection of emotions such as happiness and protection—a manifestation of the caster's soul.

Its utility extended beyond creature repulsion; the Patronus could convey messages, being a magical guardian, repenting certain creatures, and Patronuses could even be the last beacon of hope to fight off desperation and sadness.

Given their closely matched grades in the club, Skyler took on the responsibility of practicing with Chang Cho. Her reputation as the most sought-after beauty in Hogwarts earned Skyler a myriad of envious glances, including those from Cedric Diggory, second on the list of girls' dream lovers, and Roger Davis, ranking third.

Chang displayed remarkable talent despite her excessive focus on Quidditch practice. Under Skyler's meticulous guidance, she successfully shed previously ingrained bad habits in spellcasting, abandoning overly exaggerated and forceful gestures, as well as the pursuit of strictly standardized pronunciation.

Gradually, Chang honed the most optimal method for spellcasting. Though she didn't achieve the ability to make her Patronus speak, her swan Patronus demonstrated a newfound understanding of how to move instead of blindly charging forward. This accomplishment was considered top-tier within the club, earning Professor Flitwick's full praise for the new member.

In the remaining time, Skyler embarked on an intensive study of Metamorphosis and reading the newly acquired Abatel book from Dumbledore.

He relentlessly pursued strength like never before by utilizing nutritional potions to replace meals, stimulating potions to forgo sleep, and occasionally resorting to items like the Time Turner and Ravenclaw's Diadem.

Metamorphosis, as its name implies, revolves around the transformation of the human body.

A master of this art can effortlessly assume the appearance of anyone, manipulating not only their figure and face but also their clothing.

This technique stands as an advanced iteration of Transfiguration and Polyjuice Potion. In the Fantastic Beasts movie, Grindelwald showcased this mastery by assuming the guise of Percival Graves for an extended period, infiltrating the Magical Congress of the United States of America, teeming with elite Aurors, without arousing suspicion—an extraordinary feat.

Certainly, Skyler, by discovering that he's one of the Metamorphmagi, he's been trying his best to push his limit on how far he could transform himself.

However, after Skyler conducted in-depth research, he discerned a fundamental difference between Metamorphosing and Human Transfiguration, despite their seemingly comparable effects.

Human Transfiguration, a form of blood magic, enables the alteration of appearance through magical power but is confined to human form. The caster can freely manipulate height, body shape, facial features, skin color, hair color, eye color, and even assume the guise of an old man or allow a man to appear as a woman. However, these changes remain within the realm of human forms.

Metamorphosing surpasses these limitations.

Beyond altering the appearance of the human form, the Metamorphosing Technique permits further "transfigurative" changes, with the added flexibility of applying these changes to entities other than the performer.

In essence, mastering the Metamorphosis technique represents an advanced version of Polyjuice Potion and Human Transfiguration. It lacks a time limit, allowing for sustained transformations, and breaks through the confines of the human form to cater to diverse situations.

Possessing the ability to Metamorphose, Skyler leveraged his prior experience in utilizing magic at the cellular level, facilitating a swift mastery of the human body transformation technique. Within a few days, he skillfully approached the threshold of this advanced magical art.

As time swiftly progressed, Friday the 13th of November arrived.

For fourth-year Slytherin students, Friday afternoons were a cherished time, but for Gryffindor, particularly the renowned Harry Potter, it marked the most dreaded period. This day entailed two consecutive potions lessons.

The previous Friday had been a torment for Harry during Potions class. Locked in the underground classroom for a relentless hour and a half, he endured relentless ridicule from Snape and Slytherins. Snape's exacting standards forced Harry to repeatedly redo his potion, subjecting him to considerable hardship.

The prospect of the impending Potions lesson sent shivers down Harry's spine.

Following lunch, he and Hermione proceeded to Snape's underground classroom, discovering Slytherin students gathered outside, most adorned with large badges affixed to their robes.

These badges bore the same inscription, vivid red letters blazing like fire in the dim underground corridors: "Support Skyler Malfoy, the true Champion of Hogwarts!"

"Like it, Potter?" Draco declared loudly upon Harry's approach. "They have other tricks—take a look!"

He pressed the badge firmly against his chest, causing the words to vanish. In their place, another line of text emerged, radiating a luminous green: "Potter stinks."

Even Skyler couldn't help but find it amusing. Skyler recognized that he shouldn't indulge in such behavior. He understood that Harry becoming a Champion was not his fault. Harry was genuinely pitiable, but it was undeniably amusing despite that!

Guided by Draco, Blaise, Goyle, Crabbe, and Pansy all chuckled oddly. Each one clicked their badge, culminating in the glaring words—Potter Stink—flashing around Harry.

"Very amusing," Hermione sarcastically remarked to Pansy, "Malfoy is entitled to be selected as a champion. Supporting him is your right, but there's no need to mock another warrior like this, is there? Your pure-blood family—"

Lowering her voice but maintaining a calm tone, she continued, "Can your so-called glory and enlightenment only reach this level? If you don't have the courage to compete openly in a contest, must you resort to petty tricks outside the arena?"

That is a valid point! Skyler secretly applauded, noting that Hermione displayed a level of maturity far beyond her character in the original narrative.

Being occupied with studies, research, and the Serpentis Vigil organization affairs in recent days, Skyler had reduced his surveillance of Harry's trio. Unexpectedly, Hermione had undergone substantial mental growth unnoticed.

Simultaneously, he recalled something—didn't Hermione organize a "House Elf Rights Promotion Association" in the original book? However, neither she nor Harry seemed to be wearing that badge now!

It appears she has truly evolved from her character in the original work!

Hermione's argument was logical, and her tone had shifted from sharpness to calm confidence. Draco was momentarily rendered speechless by her words. He could only snort coldly, avert his gaze, and resume ignoring them.

Oh, if the plot unfolds like this, Draco won't use the "big stick on the front teeth" on Harry, accidentally striking Hermione, and then Hermione won't take the opportunity to shrink her front teeth during the treatment process. What should be done?

Well, why should I be concerned about this?

With this thought, Skyler couldn't help but lift the corners of his mouth slightly.

He turned his head and noticed Daphne standing quietly beside him. She observed the unfolding scene with calm detachment, as if the present events were unfolding in a separate world from hers.

Skyler suddenly experienced an inexplicable emotion, and a phrase from the Chinese Muggle community floated through his mind. He almost expected to see that person in the dim light when he turned around abruptly.

Throughout this semester, from the school's commencement, Daphne had remained silently by his side, as inconspicuous as an unseen presence, causing him to overlook her existence nearly.

I recalled their initial meeting on the train as if that moment had unfolded just yesterday.

After Meredith's disappearance, Daphne didn't overtly express anything. Instead, she willingly assumed Meredith's former supportive role around Skyler.

Quietly, she delved into subjects like astronomy, herbal medicine, and A History of Magic—subjects she usually disliked. She claimed she aimed to build her power, but she took on the entire responsibility without uttering a single complaint.

She devoted herself to every detail, handling everything personally.

Throughout this semester, immersed in exploring Hogwarts and delving into magical studies, Skyler hardly exchanged more than a few words with Daphne, except during class and on activities revolving around the Serpentis Vigil. Skyler genuinely neglected her, yet she uttered no complaints.

Not a word of reproach, not a hint of coquettishness—nothing.

Skyler pursed his lips. "I've been so focused on what's too far ahead of me that I've neglected someone that truly cared for me…" he thought to himself.

As Snape swung open the door to the underground classroom, Skyler redirected his attention away from Harry and Draco. He openly held Daphne's hand in full view and without hesitation, walking into the classroom together, even amidst her surprised gaze.