CHAPTER 34
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CHAPTER 34
During the daytime, he cautiously ventured near the forest's edge, keen on testing the limits of his magical abilities. The wind of magic spells he had been practicing was evolving, growing more potent with each passing month. His damage spells exhibited increased power, leaving a more pronounced impact on the surrounding environment.
One of Elmi's notable achievements was the growth of the eagle he could summon. The majestic creature had expanded in size; it wasn't an enormous growth, but it still showed his growing proficiency in conjuration. However, he refrained from testing the strength of his shield magic against the formidable inhabitants of the Dark Forest. The thought of facing an Acromantula, one of the forest's more dangerous inhabitants, gave him pause.
The spiders stayed in their lair in the daytime and only came out at night. Entering an acromantula nest was as idiotic as staying in the forest after the dark. Elmi was determined to hone his skills but wisely chose not to provoke the creatures that roamed the forest at night.
The end of October was coming close, and with it, Elmi remembered the troll attack; if it was going to happen as the canon, it would happen at the Halloween feast. Elmi decided to stay as unassuming as possible for this year. After Voldi left the school, he was going to start showing his real talent, but he wanted the dark lord to forget he existed as much as possible so he could blindside him.
...
In the dimly lit corners of the Hogwarts library, Elmi and Hermione found themselves again engaged in a quiet rivalry, but Hermione was the only one competing. Elmi didn't care if he beat her or not. All he cared about was learning more things about all kinds of magic. The air was thick with the musty scent of old parchment and aging books. The shelves, packed with volumes on every conceivable magical topic, whispered the tales of countless wizards who had sought knowledge within these walls.
Hermione, her brow furrowed in determination, approached Elmi, who sat hunched over a well-worn book on spellcasting. The soft rustle of pages being turned and the occasional creak of a chair marked the subdued symphony of the library. Elmi, unfazed by the competition, looked up, meeting Hermione's gaze with calm curiosity.
"Elmi, I just can't get my head around it. How do you manage to outperform me when I practically live in this library?"
Elmi responded, his words carrying a straightforward honesty. "It's not about time spent; it's about what you focus on. I stick to practical magic, stuff I can use in real situations."
He looked at the books in her arms and, while smiling, said,
"While you indulge yourself with less useful... practically useless materials."
Hermione's eyes widened, a mix of disbelief and frustration. "I do not do such a thing. Less useful? Every piece of magical knowledge matters!"
Elmi nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips. "True, but some things are more applicable."
He pointed at her books: "Take, for example, 'The Enchanted Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Eggplants' or 'The Unabridged Guide to Gnomish Poetry.' Interesting, but not exactly handy in a duel or real-life magic."
Hermione huffed, "Those books have historical and cultural significance!"
Elmi chuckled, "Sure, Hermione. But for exams and practical magic, focusing on what's directly relevant might be more beneficial."
Of course, one of the reasons for Elmi's edge was his reincarnation since it provided him with plenty of time. While Hermione was playing in a sandbox while eating sand, Elmi was reading books about magic.
...
The Great Hall buzzed with excitement as Hogwarts students gathered for the annual Halloween Feast. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows on the walls and the aroma of pumpkin treats filled the air. Despite the festive atmosphere, Elmi couldn't shake the knowledge he carried from another life—that a troll might be unleashed into the castle tonight, but he decided he was not going to get involved.
Seated with his friends Tracey, Zabini, and Daphne, Elmi engaged in cheerful conversations,
Elmi, savoring a piece of pumpkin pasty, grinned at the group. "You know, these pumpkins must be enchanted. I saw some of them as they came from Hogsmeade, and they were as big as us."
Zabini indifferently said, "Who cares? As long as they taste good, I don't care how big they are or who makes them. More importantly, did you hear Nearly Headless Nick's latest attempt at a Halloween joke? Classic Nearly, always trying and always nearly missing. Gryffindors has a ghost as lame as them."
Daphne rolled her eyes and said,
"Why do you hate them so much? Isn't hating them so tiring? Just be indifferent to them. They are just the student of this school like us. You are really weird. Tracey and I don't care about muggle-borns and don't like death eaters. Elmi likes everyone as long as they are respectful to him, but he doesn't like Death Eaters. But you, you are just weird; you don't like death eaters but don't like muggle-born either. Why?"
Zabini took a deep breath and said,
"Death Eaters are nothing but a bunch of murderers,"
When he said that, Nott, Malfoy, Avery, Goyle, and Crabbe started looking at Zabini like they were going to eat him, but he didn't care about them and continued talking.
"...but I don't like muggle-born because they act like my family's thousands of years of history mean nothing while they just come out of nowhere. Other than that, I have no problem with them."
Elmi took a sip from his pumpkin drink while pointing at the legacy death eaters; he said,
"You can ignore them just fine, so ignore the muggle-borns too. I agree with Daphne hate is so tiring. I know we have noble families, and we will always have them, but muggles came from a world where there are no nobles, so you can't just expect them to fit in with us right away."
Zabini shrugged his shoulders and said,
"I don't know. I just don't like them."
Zabini was a good boy in Elmi's eyes, but even though his family was neutral in the war, it didn't change the fact his family was a bit racist. So Zaibini was a perfect example of learning to hate from his parents. As they continued their conversation, even the shy Tracey joined,
"Yes, Zabini, you are really weird."
Elmi, to annoy him, nodded and said,
"Yes, Zabini, definitely weird!"
Zabini grabbed a piece of cream on his spoon and flung it towards Elmi,
"Ohh, yeah, It is not like you guys are perfectly normal either. I will show you all weird!"
The cream slammed on Elmi's face. He wiped it off, grabbed a cupcake, and winded up. Just as he was about to throw, he felt the cupcake touch something as he turned. He saw Pansy Parkinson; the cream on top of the cupcake was all over her; she screamed and started hitting Elmi's back.
"You idiot, look at my hair; you ruined everything!"
"Aw, Aw, Aw! Sorry!"
She continued hitting him, and Elmi was having it enough, so he stopped apologizing and said,
"Oh, come on, Pansy, it doesn't look that bad; I think you look so sweet," he said while pointing at the cream all over her. People started to laugh, and Pansy continued hitting him,
"You, dunderhead, git! I hate you!" She got up and left the feast. Elmi apologized to her as she was going out. Elmi grabbed a piece of salad and threw it on Zabini's face.
"It is all because of you, you muppet!"