Hagrid

The Prefect's bathroom on the seventh floor truly lived up to its reputation. It had a spacious interior, a luxurious bath built from snow-white marble, and warm water that gave off a faint, relaxing fragrance—probably the effect of some sort of magical bubble bath. The mermaid holding a salmon on the wall was fast asleep behind the glass window, while moonlight streamed through it and scattered shimmering ripples across the water.

Silas submerged his entire body in the warm water, leaving only his head exposed. It felt as though even the exhaustion and sourness lodged between his bones had been soaked away. The Levitating Cloak had found itself a dry hook to hang from, its collar bobbing slightly as though it, too, was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

"Phew... I finally feel alive again." Silas let out a long breath and closed his eyes contentedly. But only seconds later, he remembered the hole in the wall and the system's notice about emotional bonuses. He could not help calling out in his mind, "System, come chat. What exactly is this emotional bonus? And how should I invest points in my skill tree next?"

[At your service, Host!] The system's voice became a little more serious. [First, regarding emotional bonuses: intense emotional fluctuations can indeed greatly increase magical power for a short period of time. This is common to many magical systems, and your Vishanti Magic is no exception. Anger, fear, extreme joy, or unwavering conviction can all serve as catalysts for magical power. But the drawbacks are obvious—control drops sharply, things can easily spiral out of control, and it places an immense burden on the mind. It is recommended as a last-resort burst technique rather than a standard fighting method.]

Silas nodded thoughtfully. That was easy enough to understand—something like going berserk or suddenly powering up.

[As for the skill tree,] the system continued, [as you have seen, after the second tier, the 'Vishanti Origin' begins to branch into more specialized paths. There are two primary directions: energy shaping and energy release.]

As the system spoke, the translucent skill tree interface unfolded before Silas once more. Above the two nodes he had already unlocked—Ring of the Ragaddor for energy shaping, and Claws of Denak for energy release—two new skill paths extended upward, each glowing faintly.

The system guided Silas's attention. [Look. Going upward from the energy-shaping branch of 'Ring of the Ragaddor,' the two spells available to unlock on the next tier are:]

1. Seraphim Shield: Its icon was the phantom image of an enormous, heavy shield made of countless golden hexagons. The system explained, [This is the fully upgraded version of the Ring of the Ragaddor! No longer a tiny ring, it is a solid energy shield wall whose size and shape can be changed at will. Its defensive range and strength are on an entirely different level. Just imagine it—a massive golden shield as sturdy as a wall!]

2. Vishanti Holy Sword: Its icon was a longsword formed of pure white light, its blade covered in runes. [It shapes the sacred energy of Vishanti into a sharp blade and is exceptionally effective against evil spirits and dark creatures. It is the perfect weapon against Dementors—far more useful than chocolate!]

Silas's eyes lit up. A shield and a lightsaber! Those were practical combat tools!

[Now look upward along the energy-release branch of 'Claws of Denak,'] the system continued. [The next tier contains:]

1. Balzar's Lightning: Its icon showed several leaping bolts of turquoise energy. [Note that this is not the 'Borsat's Thunder' commonly used by Doctor Strange. It is another form of lightning magic, turquoise in color, incredibly fast, and capable of causing paralysis and piercing through defenses.]

2. Hogus Ancient Lord: The icon for this skill was rather abstract, resembling flowing energy transforming into harmless physical objects such as butterflies and ribbons. [This is a very sophisticated transmutation spell! It can transform an enemy's incoming energy attack into harmless physical objects before it makes contact, such as... butterflies, flower petals, ribbons, and so on.] The system spoke in a highly tempting tone. [Just imagine turning your opponent's incoming curse into a swarm of beautiful turquoise butterflies. How elegant—and how infuriating! It can be used in tandem with your light shield, making it impossible to guard against!]

Silas stared at the tempting icons on the skill tree, his heart itching with anticipation. The absolute defense of Seraphim Shield, the evil-slaying power of the Sword of Vishanti, the swift strike of Balzaha Lightning, and Lord of Hogus's almost artistic method of neutralizing attacks... every single one of them appealed to him.

"Looks like I need to train harder." Silas scooped up a handful of hot water and splashed it over his face. "First, I need to master the Ring of the Ragaddor and Claws of Denak. Otherwise, all this high-end stuff is just a castle in the air."

Leaning against the smooth side of the bath, he began planning his next "training" schedule. He had to make good use of this "early adaptation period" at Hogwarts. At the very least, before next term began, he ought to be able to patch up that hole in the wall himself, right?

Just as his thoughts began to wander, faint footsteps seemed to come from outside the bathroom door, along with a soft scraping sound as though something were being dragged across the floor...

Silas abruptly sat upright in the water and stared warily at the door.

"Don't tell me... Filch? Is he really this dedicated?"

The suspicious footsteps and dragging sounds outside immediately replaced every trace of laziness in Silas's body with alertness. He had no intention of getting caught by Filch and sentenced to detention before term even started—or worse, having someone discover that he was not only wandering the castle at night but had also illegally used the Prefect's bathroom!

"Time to run!"

He made his decision at once, not even bothering to dry himself off. The warm morning breeze would dry him soon enough anyway. His hands rapidly traced circles through the air. Perhaps the crisis had drawn out his potential, because this portal opened exceptionally quickly and steadily. On the other side was the soft four-poster bed in his Ravenclaw Tower dormitory.

He sprang out of the bath like a loach and dove through the portal, landing precisely on his own bed while still dripping wet. The portal closed behind him with a soft pop, cutting off everything in the bathroom.

"Okay, got away..." Silas let out a long breath. The release after such intense tension, combined with the warmth of his bed, made his eyelids feel impossibly heavy. He could not even be bothered to take off his wet robes. Muttering a few words, he fell asleep at lightning speed almost the instant his head touched the pillow.

He completely forgot that the loyal—if perhaps slightly temperamental—Levitating Cloak was still hanging all alone from a hook in the Prefect's bathroom.

The collar of the Levitating Cloak moved in confusion. Sensing Silas's presence vanish in an instant, it seemed to freeze. Then it floated down, spun helplessly around the empty bathroom still filled with mist and fragrance, and finally curled up miserably in a corner like an abandoned red rag. (If it could speak, it would probably be drawing circles resentfully: "Oh no, I think I've been abandoned... that heartless host!")

The next morning, sunlight streaming through the windows of Ravenclaw Tower woke Silas. He stretched lazily in satisfaction, feeling completely refreshed. Then he instinctively reached for the cloak that should have been draped over the back of his chair—

His hand grasped nothing.

"Hm? Where's my cloak?" Silas woke up at once, sitting bolt upright and looking around. The dormitory was empty. Aside from him, there was only the still-charred hole in the wall.

Just then, he felt an intense, resentful "gaze." Turning his head, he saw the dark red Levitating Cloak hovering silently by the dormitory door like a sorrowful ghost. Its collar drooped, and every inch of its fabric radiated an aura of, "I'm very unhappy. Hurry up and comfort me."

Silas blinked, completely failing to notice the source of the cloak's foul mood—or rather, not even considering it. He jumped out of bed, walked over, grabbed the cloak, and casually threw it over his shoulders. "Why are you hanging around by the door? Whatever, get ready. We're leaving!"

The cloak: "..." (If it could speak, it would definitely be roaring: "Why am I by the door?! I slept on the cold bathroom floor all night! And you have the nerve to ask?!")

But Silas paid no attention to the cloak's silent protest—or rather, he simply could not interpret a cloak's emotions. He walked to the window, looked at the clearing in front of the castle below, and decided to save himself the trouble of going downstairs.

"Let's just fly down!"

He braced one hand on the windowsill and nimbly flipped out! Though the Levitating Cloak was still angry, professional ethics—or perhaps its instinct to protect its host—made it immediately do its job. It steadily supported Silas like a red parachute, slowly descending toward the grass in front of the castle.

Just as he was about to touch down, a booming voice rang out like a bell:

"Hey! You there, kid! You're Silas, aren't you?"

Silas jumped, nearly losing his balance. He turned to look and saw a giant as huge as a mountain, with a thick black beard, striding over from the direction of the gamekeeper's hut. He wore a moleskin coat and held a pink umbrella in his hand, despite the clear weather.

The giant wore an honest, enthusiastic smile. "Professor Dumbledore asked me to take you to Diagon Alley today to buy some school supplies! Oh, and I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds."

Silas landed and straightened his robes—the cloak took the opportunity to give him a retaliatory squeeze—then replied politely, "Thank you, Mr. Hagrid. I understand. Let's go, then!"

He thought it would be convenient to avoid the castle's main entrance and all those curious stares. Raising his hand, he prepared to open a portal directly to the backyard of The Leaky Cauldron in front of Hagrid.

Golden sparks crackled as they began gathering at his fingertips.

Hagrid's beetle-black eyes instantly widened into circles, and his mouth fell open wide enough to fit a dragon egg inside. His huge finger trembled as he pointed at the gradually forming ring of sparks before Silas, and he let out a roar of utter shock:

"Merlin's—Merlin's beard!!!"