A New Light Ball Game

As the holiday ended, students returned to school with remnants of holiday excitement on their faces and anticipation for new classes.

Professor Fawley had announced that this term would be different, which stirred their curiosity.

However, their smiles faded after experiencing the new class.

"What were we even looking forward to?!" George complained, nursing his swollen feet with a hot water bottle while stuffing chocolate into his mouth.

Hearing this, other third-year students in the common room, performing similar aftercare, simultaneously wore bitter expressions.

They had expected a new, entertaining game.

After all, they had grown weary of the old light ball game, where scores fluctuated by only a point or two, devoid of the initial joy of progress.

The game had indeed been revamped but at a painful cost!

"What exactly did you do in such a small classroom to end up like this?" Ron asked with schadenfreude.

George didn't have the energy to retort and merely smiled helplessly, "It's still the light ball game, but now it includes maneuvering."

Fred, feeling a bit revived after the chocolate eased his foot swelling, explained to the still puzzled trio.

"We had to stand in the center of a nine-square grid. Every two seconds, we needed to step to the correct square around us. Then in the next two seconds, return to the center and repeat the process. Meanwhile, we had to keep playing the light ball game with our hands. However, stepping on the correct square doesn't earn points, but stepping on the wrong one deducts points."

Hermione puzzled, "Isn't that good? It could train our positioning skills."

George scoffed coldly.

"It would be great, if not for the clamps that suddenly appear when you make a mistake. Especially with eight squares where only two are correct each time. If they happen to be behind you, you can only watch as your ankles get clamped! The difficulty was already high, but then everyone's feet hurt from the clamps, and our scores kept dropping. After two minutes, everyone's scores were less than half of what they used to be!"

George then showed them the red, swollen marks on his ankles, where a serrated imprint was faintly visible.

However, the marks and swelling were visibly receding thanks to the chocolate's medicinal effects.

Ron pushed George's smelly foot away in disgust, but he also realized the severity of the issue.

"We can't exactly grow eyes on our backs, can we?"

George and Fred, as if reliving the classroom agony, sniffled and added: "The professor said, 'An enemy's spells don't choose targets either. Only by mastering movement in all directions can you better dodge spells and survive in combat.'"

"What should we do to dodge spells from behind?" Harry asked urgently.

At that moment, Percy came over with two bottles of potion, ready to clear up their confusion.

"Sensing! Every spell emits magical fluctuations. By enhancing your own sensory abilities, you not only can detect spells from various directions but also discern their power and characteristics based on their feedback. Moreover, when we are in an environment filled with magic, we can determine which spells are harmful to us."

"Here, these are potions from Madam Pomfrey, drink them quickly!" he insisted, handing the potions to the twins.

George and Fred grimaced; the potion smelled as unpleasant as it tasted.

"We worked hard to make those Christmas badges for the professor, and this is how he repays us!"

"Decided, we're removing Professor Fawley from our list of idols for a month!"

The twins looked at each other, "Let's make it a week instead."

After settling on a week, they pinched their noses and downed the potion.

Percy nodded in satisfaction.

"If that's the case, why not just hand over the professor to us, and let Professor Quirrell teach you little devils!"

"Delusional!"

"Just because you received a Christmas present, you dare to covet our professor!"

"You didn't even get a chance to sing a Christmas carol for the professor!"

"Go hang out with your Garlic Professor!"

George and Fred tossed their empty cups and immediately started horsing around in the common room, leaving Hermione's questions unanswered.

"First tell me, what was the professor's Christmas present?" she pouted, clearly displeased.

She had given the professor a book, but it was evident that she hadn't received a gift in return.

Harry watched them playfight but didn't forget to explain to Hermione.

"It was imp-shaped chocolates, just like the ones on their heads. Supposedly, it contains a potion that makes one happy, though Percy is too reluctant to eat it, so we don't know if it's true."

"If you ask me, just getting chocolates from the professor is pleasant enough, unlike us, who only got Chocolate Frogs."

Ron enviously held up a box of Chocolate Frogs, which was an extra given to George and the others as a reciprocal Christmas gift.

He was halfway through opening it when Hermione snatched it away.

"You want to eat—"

His sentence was cut short by Hermione's actions.

"I found Nicolas Flamel, right here!"

Harry turned his head and, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the inscription on it.

"——has been remarkably successful in alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel."

"That's right!" Harry exclaimed excitedly to Hermione, "If it's someone who had a good relationship with Dumbledore, then it must be this Nicolas Flamel!"

Ron, feeling left out, shoved Harry's head aside since he hadn't seen anything, "What are you talking about?"

However, Hermione had already dashed back to the dorm to fetch a book, leaving only Harry to show Ron the wizard card of Dumbledore, on which they had inadvertently found the elusive name.

"I have a thousand Dumbledore cards!" Ron lamented, hitting his forehead. "And I never noticed Nicolas Flamel's name was right there on them!"

By then, Hermione had hurried back, this time carrying a thick book, the kind heavy enough to crush Harry and Ron if it fell on them.

With a "thud," she spread the book open on the table.

"I should have thought of this earlier; such a famous person has to be in a book," Hermione flipped through the pages quickly. "Look here!"

Suppressing her excitement, she whispered, "Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

"Sorry, but you'll have to consider our background here, so what exactly is the Philosopher's Stone?" Ron scratched his head awkwardly.

Hermione gave him an annoyed look, "The Philosopher's Stone can turn any metal into pure gold and can produce an Elixir of Life, making the drinker immortal!"

"Pure gold!" Ron's eyes widened.

"Immortality!" Harry's mouth hung open in amazement.

She cautiously looked around; fortunately, Harry and Ron were somewhat isolated at school, so no one was keen on getting too close to them. However, she didn't notice the badge on the table shimmering briefly with a flicker of light.

"That means Nicolas Flamel entrusted Dumbledore to protect the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape is forcing Professor Fawley to steal the stone!"