78

Chapter 78: Integration and Learning

After the brief welcome ceremony, Harry spoke with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, "Well—this is actually my first time joining the group, so I'm not quite sure about it... What are the rules of the SSC? Is there anything specific I need to do?"

There was a moment of puzzled looks exchanged among them.

"—Group?" Theo asked, perplexed. "Are we even considered a group now?"

Neville looked surprised. "Isn't SSC a group? I thought it was established long ago!"

"Do we need to inform a professor if we form a group?" Ryan asked uncertainly.

Michael added, "I thought we were a group?"

"Do groups have membership fees? We haven't paid anything," Ryan said, drawing on what he knew from his Muggle relatives.

Neville frowned. "I mean—what's the difference between a club and a group?"

Silence fell upon them momentarily. Apart from the name, what indeed was the difference?

Harry never expected such a scene. He pondered how things had come to this and glanced silently at Hermione.

Wade looked at Hermione, who was trying to stifle her laughter, and asked helplessly, "Hermione, what did you tell Harry?"

Hermione burst into laughter suddenly, waving her hand as she replied to Harry, "I didn't say anything. It was all you and Ron's conjectures, right?"

Harry: "..."

Yes... She hadn't said anything, but she had emphasized how important it was to be cautious and prepared. She'd reminded him to bring a wand... and then watched nervously as they speculated wildly about the consequences of joining.

Ron had even come up with an outlandish idea—

"Maybe they'll make you sneak into Snape's office and steal something of his—like his underwear or socks. Or toss a dung bomb in front of Professor McGonagall's office to prove your bravery!"

At the time, Ron had looked at Harry with a tragic expression, as if Harry would face the wrath of an enraged professor.

Thinking back, Hermione's expression had been pained—well, he thought it was pained—but in reality, she'd been suppressing laughter, hadn't she?

Or... Was it because of their wild speculations that Hermione hadn't said anything?

"Well, you see," Wade chuckled, "we're actually more like an after-school study group. We gather to practice spells, discuss homework problems, or borrow notes from each other. Generally, we study here after dinner, but you're free to come and go as you please. If there were any actual rules, they'd be posted on the wall over there."

Harry turned and saw a piece of paper pinned to the wall, bearing a few brief lines. It outlined that members should assist one another, maintain unity and friendliness, and refrain from touching others' belongings. Essentially, it was a set of elementary moral standards observed by most schoolchildren, with the only notable rule being that no outsiders could enter the umbrella house without unanimous consent from all members.

Initially, Harry felt relieved—these "rules" were hardly rules at all, and there were no strict punishments or constraints. Clearly, their previous guesses had all been off. But as he read on, Harry suddenly felt a pang of apprehension.

—He was new here too. Could he bring Ron along?

"Harry, your spot's over here." Neville eagerly led Harry aside.

An empty table had been set up next to Neville's, complete with standalone bookshelves and cabinets. The surrounding wooden panels created a semi-enclosed space, blocking off views while facilitating conversation.

Nearby were several small tea tables, food cabinets, and soft, worn sofas adorned with plush pillows. Wade had enlisted Zoe and others to help prepare these—the old furniture from the Room of Requirement had almost formed a miniature town. He'd selected the most intact pieces and pieced them together, refurbishing them until they looked good as new.

The pantry was always stocked with cakes, biscuits, puddings, and candies, along with several dark silver tin jugs filled with beverages and water, all arranged by the house-elves. In their spare moments, the elves even took it upon themselves to decorate the umbrella house.

Upon entering, Wade and the others often discovered subtle changes in the umbrella house—perhaps new, quirky decorations adorning the walls, a few potted wildflowers blooming in a corner, or the addition of useful furnishings.

Unbeknownst to them, what had once been an empty, abandoned classroom had gradually filled up. Traces of several people studying and living there were evident, lending the room a warm and lively atmosphere.

Harry fell in love with the place almost immediately.

He was also given a piece of parchment—the SSC members' communication parchment. The Friend Book was something almost everyone knew about now, but Harry, staying at school over Christmas with money but nowhere to shop, had never bought one.

Among those around him, Hermione had one. She'd given Harry one to keep in touch, though they were together all day and hardly used it. Ron had two—Hermione had given him one, and Mrs. Weasley had sent him another after the holidays, just like she did for all her children. Ron often used the Friend Book to chat or argue with his brothers before bed, only to be sternly ordered by Mrs. Weasley to sleep.

Sometimes Ron grumbled about his mother's strictness, but Harry was secretly envious.

And now, he had a second Friend Book.

He slipped both pieces of parchment between his textbooks and into his schoolbag, then glanced around. Everyone else had already begun homework or were deeply engrossed in books—Neville was meticulously copying down Transfiguration notes.

—This was vastly different from studying in the Gryffindor common room. There, students were always making noise or pestering others to copy homework. Such a quiet and studious atmosphere was unheard of. If they wanted to focus on their work, they had to go to the library—but Madam Pince was strict, forbidding eating or talking, which was another hassle.

Harry settled down and pulled out his Charms homework, but he only managed to write the title before hesitating.

—He should have borrowed a couple of reference books from the library first... But everyone was so focused. Would it seem odd if he left suddenly? Maybe Hermione had some books...

As Harry glanced around uneasily, Theo nearby noticed his dilemma and asked, "Stuck on something?"

Harry instinctively covered his scrawled notes and doodles with his hands, embarrassed. "Yeah, kind of."

"No worries, we all struggle at first," Theo reassured him. "You can ask Wade—he'll show you how to write essays and which books to read now. Borrow them from the library before tomorrow, follow Wade's lead, and you'll find that homework isn't so daunting after all."

In truth, Hermione read more books than anyone, but she tended to jot down everything she learned—every bit of knowledge seemed crucial to her. Wade, on the other hand, could pinpoint their current challenges and areas needing reinforcement, selecting the most pertinent books for them to read. After perusing the volumes he recommended, what had once seemed perplexing suddenly became clear, as if everything had clicked into place.

Approaching closer, Theo noticed the messy notes in Harry's book. After a brief pause, he gestured towards the book and asked, "Would you mind if I took a look?"