Chapter 66: Cognitive Interference

Although feeling somewhat regretful that she couldn't taste the giant's meat, Shanna made a new surprising discovery: "Hogwarts seems to be quite interesting."

After all, with giants wandering around the castle, wouldn't there be battles if they encountered anyone? And in battles, things are bound to get broken, right? Even if a few innocent bystanders were affected, that's normal, isn't it? Surely no one would blame a cute little witch for that?

This sounds very interesting!

...

According to the theory of relativity, happy days always pass quickly. So when Bell finally realized it, he found that it was time to return to school.

"Oh my! I'm already in my forties, why do I still have to go to school? When will this end?" Bell deeply felt the malice of the world. However, no matter how much Bell tantrumed, it couldn't change the fact that school was starting again.

Estimating the time, feeling that the Hogwarts Express should be arriving at the Hogwarts station, Bell bid farewell to Shanna reluctantly, and then used Disapparition to return to Hogwarts.

After waiting at the station for a while, the train arrived. A group of young wizards and witches began to disembark from the train. They looked at Bell standing on the platform strangely, wondering why he was out here on such a late night, not comfortably inside the castle.

Soon, Bell spotted Hermione. He walked up to her and greeted, "Hermione, how was your holiday?"

"It was great!" Hermione replied, then lowered her voice.

"Bell, did you Apparate back? I checked with my personal terminal during the holiday, and it said Apparition is only allowed after reaching adulthood and obtaining a license. You shouldn't use it casually, or you might get caught!"

"Don't worry, I rarely use Apparition outside Hogwarts, and it won't be noticed."

Watching Hermione carrying her luggage, Bell waved his wand to shrink it to the size of a book and handed it to her.

"Thank you," Hermione said gratefully. "Bell, your sister is so adorable. I'm an only child at home, and I really want a younger sibling."

"Perhaps you can discuss it with your parents? Considering their age now, having another child shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"I've talked to them, but they refused. Every time they mention something about their career, promotion, or something like that, which I don't quite understand. Anyway, they just won't agree to give me a younger sibling!"

Hermione was very dissatisfied with her parents' lack of cooperation. What does career advancement have to do with having a little brother or sister? Are they fun? Are they cute? Do they have any? Definitely not! She couldn't understand what they were thinking. Clearly, she was so clever, how could her parents be so stupid!

"Maybe you can secretly add some harmless magical potions to their food? Do you need me to recommend a few?" Bell suggested mischievously.

It was evident that Hermione was tempted. It seemed that the young witch really wanted a younger sibling. However, in the end, rationality prevailed, and she declined Bell's proposal.

After the two got into the carriage pulled by Thestrals, Bell gently tapped the carriage wall, and a magical wave emanated when his fingers touched the wall. Sensing the thoughts mingled in this magical wave, the Thestral snorted and obediently headed towards the castle.

"Bell, do you know what magic is applied to this carriage? Why does it move on its own?" This was Hermione's first time riding the Hogwarts carriage; she had previously taken a boat across the Black Lake to enter Hogwarts.

"The carriage doesn't move on its own; it's pulled by Thestrals."

"Thestrals? What are they? Why can't I see them?" Hermione leaned against the window and carefully looked at the front of the carriage, naturally seeing nothing.

"Thestrals are magical creatures that resemble horses but have wings and can fly fast. Only those who have witnessed death can see Thestrals."

"But why can't I see them?"

Hermione nodded vaguely, saying, "It's a pity. I also want to see what Thestrals look like."

"Then do you want to do an experiment with me?" Bell asked eagerly. "I can slightly interfere with your perception of the concept of 'death,' and maybe you'll be able to see Thestrals."

Hermione hesitated, not because she didn't trust Bell or thought he would do something harmful to her. But the idea of interfering with perception sounded terrifying. An 11-year-old witch was a little scared.

In fact, not only Hermione but also many adult wizards feel repelled and frightened by magic that can interfere with people's cognition. However, such magic is not as terrifying as people imagine. Especially considering the nature of magic, all wizards inevitably come into contact with this type of magic, consciously or unconsciously.

Take casting a Patronus Charm, for example. When casting this spell, one must recall happy memories and inject strong feelings of joy into the magic. But wizards can't feel extremely happy all the time, and memories also fade, unable to compare with the experience of the moment. Therefore, to master the Patronus Charm proficiently, one must learn self-hypnosis, which is to interfere with one's own consciousness.

After much hesitation, Hermione still chose not to let Bell interfere with her cognition. Upon careful consideration, whether she could see Thestrals or not wasn't that important. There were so many things she was curious about, and there were still many things she didn't understand.

The carriage soon arrived outside Hogwarts Castle. After entering the Great Hall, Bell and Hermione parted ways and returned to their respective house tables.

"Bell, how could you bear to part with your little girlfriend?" a teasing voice reached Bell's ears.

The one teasing Bell was a Ravenclaw senior—Penelope Clearwater. Currently a fifth-year student, she was excellent in both academics and looks.

Penelope resembled Hermione in many ways: Muggle-born, excellent grades, proud personality, and no friends. It could be said that apart from being in different houses, she was a mature version of Hermione. Therefore, naturally, she encountered similar problems as Hermione, such as feeling inferior because of her Muggle background.