Gryffindor Needs Someone Like You

The test paper was filled with blanks. If they had really prepared beforehand, it was not particularly difficult.

Vizet pointed at a blank space and said, "In 1754, the Ministry of Magic's Improper Use of Magic Office... Aurorabela Nutley... restored the accidentally destroyed Roman Colosseum."

"Mate! You're incredible!" Lee Jordan gave him a thumbs-up and immediately began scribbling away, filling in the blanks with the correct answers.

"The Patronus Charm. The incantation is spelled 'Expecto Patronum,' and its explanation is 'an ancient and mysterious spell capable of summoning a magical guardian'..."

One blank after another on the preparation worksheet was filled in. Cho Chang, who had been quietly snickering, changed her expression and stared at Vizet in surprise.

Whooo!

A piercing whistle sounded, and the Hogwarts Express finally set off.

Outside the windows were countless parents waving goodbye, along with many younger children crying and chasing after the train.

As the train picked up speed, the crying children were left behind. All they could do was keep waving farewell.

Now that they had truly escaped their parents' restraints, many children finally looked relieved. They pulled their Wands from their pockets one after another, and laughter and horseplay filled the train.

Having finished his homework, Lee Jordan was lively again. "I'm telling you! I met quite a few wizards in Africa, and I learned a kind of magic that doesn't require a Wand!"

Cho Chang became interested. "Wandless Magic? I read about it in a book. Africa seems to be especially skilled at that."

Lee Jordan waved his hand. "It's not simple Wandless Magic. It's magic performed through gestures! I'll perform... demonstrate it for you."

He rolled up his sleeves and went through a flashy sequence of movements, clapping his palms with sharp smacks.

But nothing happened. No unusual light appeared, and nothing special occurred.

Cho Chang murmured softly and asked carefully, "Are you sure it's magic? What kind of magic is it supposed to be?"

"Um... how about I try again?" Lee Jordan scratched his head, pulled his sleeves all the way up to his shoulders, and once more clapped his palms with loud smacks.

"Merlin's underpants! Have you been controlled by African Wizards?" an exaggerated voice rang out.

Fred slipped inside and grabbed Lee Jordan by the shoulders, shaking him desperately. "Don't let anything happen to you! We're still waiting for your Pouch Spider!"

"Hey! Vizet, you're here too!" George followed right behind, waving in greeting. "Oh... and the girl who distracted Cedric."

Cho Chang nodded without saying much, though her ears had turned a little red.

"Of course I'm fine!" Lee Jordan shrugged off Fred's hands. "Watch it—you might've crushed the Pouch Spider to death!"

"Then we'd regret it for the rest of our lives!" George clasped his hands in a prayer gesture. "Hurry up and take it out!"

For a moment, all five of them were focused on it.

Cho Chang was mainly on guard, afraid that the furry spider would suddenly leap up and jump in front of her.

Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were admiring it, marveling at the thick Bristles covering the Pouch Spider.

Vizet cast Magic Eye and swept his gaze back and forth across the Pouch Spider's body like an X-ray machine.

Other than its fangs and Venom Gland, which gave off a dim green glow, the rest of the Pouch Spider did not shine at all, appearing as a murky gray mass.

Vizet concentrated and observed the green glow around its fangs and Venom Gland. There seemed to be a symbol within that light.

However, the symbol was far too blurry for him to make out its exact structure.

A hand suddenly appeared by the Pouch Spider's fangs. Without hesitation, it bit down on the hand and injected its magic-infused venom.

Once all the venom had been injected, the green glow from its fangs and Venom Gland immediately dimmed.

The hand belonged to Fred. The bitten area swelled at a visible speed.

Cho Chang's eyes widened, and she instinctively drew her Wand. "Why did you put your hand right in front of it?"

"Don't worry. It's nothing serious." George remained perfectly calm as he pulled something resembling a suction cup from his pocket and slapped it onto the bite.

The suction cup seemed to come alive, making gurgling sounds.

The magic-infused venom was sucked out through the wound by the suction cup and collected in the small glass bottle at its top.

Fred's hand quickly went down, leaving behind two rice-grain-sized wounds.

Lee Jordan did not remain idle either. He took out a green leaf, chewed it carelessly, and spat it onto the wounds.

Several wisps of green smoke slowly dispersed. By the time he moved the leaf aside, the wounds had completely healed, though the healed spots were slightly smoother than the surrounding skin.

Only then did Fred bare his teeth and let out a long breath. "This Pouch Spider really packs a punch! That hurt like hell!"

"But we got this!" George removed the glass bottle and gently shook the green venom inside. "Ton-Tongue Toffee, here we come!"

Fred grinned. "But remember, next time you're the one getting bitten."

Vizet dispelled Magic Eye and asked curiously, "Excuse me... was that dittany?"

"You know your stuff!" Lee Jordan proudly held his head high and pulled out a bag full of green leaves. "I got this in Africa. This whole bag was free!"

"No wonder it healed so quickly. So it was this rare stuff!" Fred clicked his tongue in amazement. "Who knows how long it'll take before we earn enough money to take our families traveling."

"Probably soon," George reassured him. He then looked at Vizet. "I never expected you to recognize dittany at a glance too."

"My mate is amazing!" Lee Jordan threw an arm around Vizet's shoulders, acting as though they were old friends. "While I was waiting for you guys earlier, guess how I finished my homework?"

Fred said, "You must've just guessed randomly. It was only Professor Flitwick's homework, not Professor McGonagall's. No big deal."

"Ahem..." Cho Chang coughed twice lightly, making it known that this Ravenclaw was still present.

"I'm not as irresponsible as Fred." Lee Jordan said with a grin. "With Vizet's help, I finished the preview worksheet."

"Hmm..." George stroked his chin. "How is that any different from blindly guessing?"

Lee Jordan suggested, "How about we compare our papers? Anyway, I believe him. Belief doesn't need a reason."

Fred and George were both men of action. They quickly fetched their own preview worksheets and checked them word by word.

When they reached the end, George still refused to believe it. He even found The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 and went through the corresponding blanks again.

"Merlin's Mediterranean Sea! How could they all be right... In some places, I was the careless one—I'd spelled the words wrong..."

"See?" Lee Jordan said smugly. "If I hadn't actually cast the Mending Charm, I wouldn't have believed it either."

"He's only a New Student, yet he memorized all of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 just from the time he spent buying books in Diagon Alley. Amazing, right?"

"Interested in joining Gryffindor?" Fred's expression suddenly turned serious. He patted Vizet on the shoulder. "We need talented people like you!"