Return Journey

Before the banquet began, Sean went to the shore of Black Lake again with practiced ease. After tapping the scales, it didn't take long for the Basilisk's huge emerald green head to emerge from the lake.

"The stuff is ready, let me give it a try." Sean hissed, then made the Basilisk had its back to him, lower its head.

The glasses Mr. Wallop specially made for him this time were enormous, with an overall shape somewhat similar to goggles, but with an extra strap for securing them. This was Sean's special instruction to prevent the Basilisk from accidentally slipping off the glasses.

The glasses consist of a light black frame and pure black lenses. There is a mechanical button on the side; pressing it will cause the outer black lens to pop up, revealing the inner transparent crystal lens.

The frame also integrates an electronic control device. Sean has a remote control to open and close the inner and outer lenses—of course, electronic products within Hogwarts automatically malfunction, so that will have to wait until later to try it out.

Although time was tight, Mr. Wallop, who had the power of money, still gave himself a surprise; he was very satisfied with the glasses in front of him.

The Basilisk its eyes tightly closed and lay motionless on the ground; anyone who didn't know better would think it was already dead.

Sean took out the enormous glasses, and the six-legged Cat-Leopard Pudding emerged from the ring. It walked upright, moving like a human with four arms.

"Meow?" Pudding glanced at the Basilisk with considerable apprehension.

Sean rubbed its head. "Don't be afraid, we're one of you."

The Wampus Cat, possessing both hypnotic and Legilimency Eye Technique, was naturally at a disadvantage against the Basilisk could be fatal. However, with Sean's reassurance, it obediently took on the enormous glasses.

Before long, the originally terrifying Basilisk began to wear a pair of pure black glasses, giving it a strange and comical appearance.

"How are you feeling?" Sean asked the Basilisk.

The Basilisk shook its head, looking somewhat unaccustomed. "It feels strange, like I have an extra thick, hard eyelid."

Sean patted its head. "Please bear with it for a bit. After you come with me, I'll find a way to get it made of a more comfortable material. But, will wearing this affect your mobility?"

The Basilisk shook its head. "It doesn't matter. For me, there's no difference between swimming with my eyes closed and swimming with my eyes open."

"That's good, but remember, you can't take your glasses off without my permission," Sean instructed.

"No problem, I'll do whatever you say." The Basilisk nodded.

Sean took out a cage containing several mice, which were the usual snacks for Cat-Leopard Pudding.

After placing the cage under the Basilisk, Sean asked, "Can you sense the rats normally?"

"Able."

"Okay, then open your eyes and stare at that mouse, and see if my glasses are actually useful."

The Basilisk moved with great force, its emerald scales scraping against the rocks with a grating sound. Then, it raised its head in the sunlight and looked at the trembling rats with its yellow pupils hidden by black lenses.

One second, two seconds, three seconds, the mice were still huddled together and trembling, but they were not harmed in any way.

Sean grinned. "It really worked! How do you feel?"

"I don't feel anything, except that the lens in front of my eye feels a little hot."

Sean clapped his hands; this was exactly the effect he wanted. Now he no longer had to worry about being harmed by the Basilisk's unintentional actions.

"Excellent, big guy, now, come with me?" He stroked the Basilisk's cold scales.

The Basilisk lowered its body and rubbed its truck-shaped head against Sean: "Okay."

Sean opened the ring, widening the passage to its maximum. The Basilisk squeezed in forcefully, Transfiguration the door frame before finally slipping inside.

"Meow!" Pudding let out a threatening growl.

The Basilisk didn't care; its superior intelligence allowed it to clearly distinguish between enemies and friends.

Sean poked his head in and comforted Pudding for a while, then called out to the Basilisk in Parseltongue, "There's a cave and a lake on the left. See if you're getting used to it?"

"Very good, I like it very much." Perhaps because it was the first time in a different environment, the Basilisk's hissing sounded somewhat excited.

Sean was relieved. After talking with the two Magical Creatures for a while, he closed the ring portal and headed back the way he came.

Now that we have the Basilisk, we don't have to worry about fighting anymore.

Sean over the cliff and landed beside the castle. As he walked toward the Great Hall, he pondered what to do next.

First of all, since we agreed to take the Basilisk out for a trip, let's go on a trip to other places during the summer vacation, let it see the scenery outside of Hogwarts, and it will also be a good opportunity for the two of us to get to know each other better.

As for how to feed the Basilisk, it's not difficult; the only downside is that it's expensive.

The Basilisk has a very wide diet; it eats everything except chicken. Sean plans to get it some cattle and sheep to change things up when he gets back. This guy has been at the Black Lake for hundreds of years, and it must be too miserable to only eat fish every day.

Of course, in addition to cultivating a relationship, one should also consider how the Basilisk can provide him with assistance.

First, the ring passage needs to be enlarged; otherwise, in an emergency, the Basilisk will get stuck for a long time just trying to swim out of the ring. Second, you can teach the Basilisk some things, such as how to use its various deadly weapons effectively.

Besides its infamous ability to kill instantly upon direct eye contact, the Basilisk's venom is also one of the most potent poisons in the world. We could consider having the Basilisk expel some of its venom and preserve it, but we must be very careful when using it...

Sean walked toward the Great Hall while pondering these questions.

Before long, he arrived at the entrance of the Great Hall. At this time, the students had already gathered in the Great Hall, and the various flags symbolizing the four colleges were fluttering in the air.

"Sean, over here!" Daisy, with her sharp eyes, waved at him.

He smiled and sat down next to his friend, greeting the classmates around him and telling jokes.

When the dinner party began, Professor Dumbledore, who had not appeared since that night in Paris, finally appeared before Sean.

He was in good spirits, and even through his glasses, one could still see the wisdom and gentleness in his lake-blue eyes.

Dumbledore, the duel with Grindelwald appearing to have had no effect on him. He was still chatting and laughing with the professors, occasionally raising his glass in a toast.

The Riddler... Sean didn't look at him much, nor did he try to make contact with Dumbledore.

He knew all too well that if Dumbledore didn't want to see him, no amount of trying would help.

Perhaps, as Aurelius said, only Dumbledore and Grindelwald themselves can explain everything clearly.

It's worth mentioning that the House Cup was not awarded this year, and the trophy is still kept by last year's champion Ravenclaw.

Dumbledore believed that the school was missing nearly half its students, and that Professor McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor, had gone to Newmontgard with the team, which made the House Cup competition very uncertain.

After careful consideration, the teachers unanimously agreed that the House Cup would not be awarded this year.

However, Sean felt that Snape might not be very happy— Daisy wasn't at school, and Snape rarely gave other houses extra points throughout the second half of the school year. In the end, Slytherin's score was far ahead of the other three houses.

This is probably why the professors "unanimously agreed".

The old bat sat at the professor's long table, his face expressionless, only occasionally using a fork to put some food into his mouth.

Noticing Sean's gaze fixed on the professor's table, Hermione nudged him with her elbow and whispered, "Are you really not going to take two Divination next semester?"

Sean nodded. "I don't think I have much talent for this."

That was actually an excuse; to be precise, Sean had already learned something from Grindelwald, the Seer.

Divination, Prophecy, Seer —are these mysterious and mysterious magics real and effective? —Yes, absolutely effective.

But without exception, the wizards who learn useful knowledge from these courses are usually the most special ones.

If you don't have a talent for Prophecy Divination, even if you study for decades, your abilities will never match those of an eleven-year-old Seer. It sounds harsh, but that's the truth.

So Sean decided not to take the Divination.

He plans to devote a lot of energy to the course on Ancient Runes next semester. Even if he only has a little talent, with the help of top students and the help of props, he should be able to learn something, right?

Hermione, looking somewhat troubled, propped her cheek on her hand. "I'm torn between Arithmancy and Divination, and whether I should choose just one."

Sean raised an eyebrow. "Do we really have to choose so many?"

"Of course!" Hermione glared at him. "Now that the Four Houses have adopted the unified large class model, I have plenty of time."

"Okay, I believe in you," Sean replied with a smile.

Hermione proudly raised her nose, then looked puzzled. "But it's strange. I talked to Percy before, and he also took all the courses, but in his third year, he wasn't taught in the common courtyard. How did he find the time to take so many courses at the same time?"

"Time-Turner, huh..." Sean smiled but didn't say anything.

Daisy, who was standing nearby, listened to the conversation between the two of them. She narrowed her eyes slightly and took small sips of Pumpkin Juice.

She has always enjoyed the atmosphere of friends getting together to discuss various things; even if she doesn't join in the conversation, just listening to them talk is very interesting.

Little White Flower, carrying a cup of Pumpkin Juice, casually glanced around and then her eyes met those of Snape at the long table in the classroom.

Daisy raised her glass of Pumpkin Juice to Snape and gave him a sweet smile.

At the long table in the classroom, Professor McGonagall turned her head and saw Snape standing motionless beside her. She asked in surprise, "Severus, is the food not to your liking today?"

Snape swirled his wine glass, then downed the wine in one gulp. "No, tonight's dinner was excellent. I'm very satisfied."

"Oh, that's good..."

The banquet was finally coming to an end, Dumbledore stood up.

He glanced gently at all the students and said slowly, "Another school year has passed, and you will be leaving school tomorrow. First of all, I would like to congratulate the seventh-grade students on their successful graduation!"

A round of enthusiastic applause rang out in the Great Hall, and the seventh-year students all stood up and bowed to Dumbledore.

"I hope that this year of learning will fill your smart little minds with what you want, that you will have a clearer understanding of the path you want to take in the future, and that you will live a healthy and happy life."

"I'm sure you have more to say to your friends. That's all for today, students. Enjoy your summer vacation, and the Magical World awaits your return."

Cheers and applause resounded throughout the Great Hall.

The next day, they boarded the Hogwarts Express for their return journey. Sean, Hermione, and Daisy sat in a compartment sharing snacks, while Harry and his group followed George and Fred around. The twins had specially reserved a few Filibuster Fireworks for the return trip.

Percy, who had just become Head Boy, was chasing his brothers through the train car, but the twins were running and shouting for Penelope Clearwater to help them—she was Ravenclaw Prefect and Percy's new girlfriend.

Percy, blushing furiously, quickly backed down under his girlfriend's smile, muttering under his breath that he'd teach those two bastards a lesson when they got back.

In the train carriage with Sean and the others, Hermione used the last few moments of free time on the train to practice spells. None of them were adults, and they were not allowed to practice spells during the summer vacation.

However, Sean then realized that Grindelwald had switched his wand with Grindelwald's, and he was now using Grindelwald's branch wand without a core. He was still unsure whether the Trace was on the young wizard or inside the wand.

If the Trace is inside the wand, does that mean he can use magic freely during summer vacation?

You can ask Barty Jr. during the summer vacation. His father is preparing for the Minister for Magic election during the summer, so he should know a lot about these things.

Daisy, meanwhile, blinked and clung to Hermione's arm, saying in a soft, sweet voice, "You can come play with me! In the Wizarding Family, the Ministry of Magic can't accurately detect whether a spell was cast by a young wizard."

Sean raised an eyebrow. Young wizards from native Wizarding Family do indeed have a significant advantage in practicing spells.

Hermione was clearly tempted, but such behavior was obviously illegal. She said hesitantly, "But... but it's illegal... and your parents will be watching us..."

Daisy chuckled and hugged Hermione even tighter, "Hehe, my dad is an illegal Animagus anyway, don't worry, they don't care about that."

Hermione bit her lip; she was even more tempted.

Sean laughed and said, "Go ahead, Daisy has extended a warm invitation, and you'll be an illegal Animagus next semester."

Sean's words became the final bargaining chip. Hermione sighed and looked at Daisy: "See you this summer!"

"Yay!"

Daisy cheered and looked at Sean expectantly. "Sean?"

I'll come visit you when I have the chance.

"It's a deal then!" The girl held up her little finger.

The train is gradually slowing down, and you should be able to see the station in the distance from the window.

Sean ruffled Daisy's hair, smiled, and made a pinky promise with her, "It's a deal."