Flying Lesson

Snape's pupils contracted sharply. The suppressed rage in his chest erupted like a volcano, yet he forcefully suppressed it, transforming it into a cold killing intent that could freeze the very air.

Leoqi... wanted to kill him.

The thought pierced his mind like the coldest venom.

A first-year student dared to use such a malicious method against a Hogwarts professor, against him, Severus Snape!

Using a flower as a medium, how insidious!

How... like the ways of a Dark Wizard!

[Emotion Points +80] (From Snape's extreme shock, rage, sense of threat, and cold killing intent)

[Emotion Points: 775/100]

Snape tightly clenched the flower, his knuckles emitting faint cracking sounds from the force. The petals were crushed in his palm, their sap staining his pale fingers.

The muscles in his face twitched slightly, his eyes terrifyingly sinister.

He did not destroy the flower immediately.

Destroying the medium would indeed interrupt most curses, but it would also alert the snake.

Moreover, he needed evidence, needed to understand the specific effects of this curse, and even more... he needed to make that impudent little monster pay!

He slowly released his hand, looking at the crushed mass of petals and satin remnants in his palm, imbued with a strange magical aura.

He took out a small crystal vial used for storing dangerous potion ingredients and, with extreme care, used magic to draw all the remnants, including any magical dust that might have attached to the air, into the vial. He then sealed it tightly.

Next, he picked up his quill, spread out a piece of parchment, and began to record all the details he had just detected with the rigor of a Potions Master and a Defense Against the Dark Arts expert.

The characteristics of the curse's residual magic, its attachment points, its possible directional tendencies...

After completing this, he locked the sealed crystal vial and the recorded documents in the bottom drawer of his desk, which was protected by multiple layers of powerful charms.

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed out at the eternal darkness of the Black Lake.

A cold fury burned in his chest, but more than that, it was a hunter's calm, thoroughly ignited.

Leoqi...

You have successfully captured my... "special attention."

Starting tomorrow, every move you make will be under the strictest surveillance.

No matter who stands behind you, no matter what secrets you hide, I will personally... dig them out.

A cold, cruel curve formed on Snape's lips.

Tonight, he might still be unable to sleep soundly, but at least, he had found a clear target.

A silent hunt had begun.

And the prey, still blissfully ignorant (or perhaps, feigning ignorance?), was reveling in its own small "success."

The next morning, Skofot woke up and habitually summoned the system panel to check the shop.

[Today's Items: [Legilimency - 200 Emotion Points] (Permanently master Legilimency)]

Seeing this, Skofot's eyes narrowed slightly. Legilimency...

This was almost an essential survival skill at Hogwarts, especially in front of the Headmaster who was skilled in Legilimency and the inscrutable Potions Professor.

Although the price was not cheap, it was absolutely worth it.

He hesitated for almost no time.

"Purchase [Legilimency]."

[Emotion Points - 200]

[Emotion Points: 575/100]

A cool, flowing stream of information instantly surged into his mind, Techniques on how to construct mental barriers, how to block external probing, How to hide true thoughts and memories, as if he had possessed them since birth.

He tried to construct an invisible barrier in his mind, feeling his thoughts become more reserved and hidden.

He closed the panel with satisfaction, got up, and prepared to go to class.

With this, he would have more confidence when facing Snape and Dumbledore.

The morning classes passed uneventfully.

In the afternoon, it was the Flying Lesson that all first-year students looked forward to.

The weather was clear, and a gentle breeze brushed across the lawn.

Madam Hooch stood in front of a row of neatly arranged broomsticks, her voice loud as she explained the key points.

Skofot stood in the Slytherin line, listening to the command "Up."

"Up!" he said to the broom at his feet, which looked rather old, just like everyone else.

The broom lazily rolled on the ground, not moving.

Skofot frowned, concentrated, and commanded again, "Up!"

This time, the broomstick reluctantly left the ground with a wobble, hovering at waist height.

But it was still shaking slightly, as if it might fall at any moment.

He could feel a sense of stagnation from the [Scavenger] card, something contrary to "lightness" and "flight," affecting him.

He struggled to control it, awkwardly mounting the broomstick.

The broomstick immediately bucked up and down a few times in dissatisfaction. He could only grip the handle tightly to avoid being thrown off, appearing precarious in the air and flying crookedly.

Just then, Neville Longbottom on the other side, due to extreme nervousness, kicked off the ground forcefully. His broomstick shot up like an arrow from a bow, then tumbled uncontrollably.

-- He screamed and fell off the broomstick, his wrist bending at an unnatural angle, causing him to cry out in pain.

Madam Hooch's expression turned serious. She immediately picked up Neville and shouted sternly at the others:

"Nobody move! Anyone who dares to get on a broomstick before I return will be expelled immediately!"

With that, she hurried off towards the Hospital Wing with the crying Neville.

As soon as Madam Hooch left, the students immediately relaxed, chatting in small groups or curiously fiddling with their broomsticks.

Skofot also dismounted the disobedient broomstick, tossed it aside, and walked alone to the edge of the lawn, staring blankly at the distant castle.

He suddenly realized a problem.

The cooldown for the Card Draw... seemed to have passed seven days long ago?

Why hadn't the System given any notification?

"System, what's going on?" he asked in his mind.

[Rule Correction: The condition for obtaining the next card will be unlocked based on the host's accumulated Emotion Points' "cohesion" and "quality" for evaluation, no longer based on a fixed time. Hint: You can now unequip or change cards that have been equipped for seven days at any time.]

Skofot: "..."

He felt like cursing.

This meant he could no longer reliably obtain new cards by timing it as before; the uncertainty had greatly increased.

And he had completely forgotten about this before. The "unusual" debuff from the Scavenger card had been affecting him the entire time!

Thinking of this, his mood became even more irritable. For a moment, he forgot to restrain the uncomfortable aura radiating from him.

His classmates, who were already keeping their distance, felt the invisible pressure intensify. They involuntarily moved a few more steps outward, creating an even larger vacuum around him.

Just then, Malfoy, wanting to show off, deliberately flew his broomstick low over the Gryffindor side, snatched the Snitch Neville had dropped, and was flying around the field triumphantly, mocking Harry and Ron.

Perhaps he was too pleased with himself, perhaps the broomstick itself was a bit unruly, or perhaps... he inadvertently flew through Skofot's area and was disturbed by the suddenly intensified "unusual" debuff--

"Ah!"

Malfoy let out a short shriek, his broomstick lurched violently, and he instantly lost his balance, plunging headfirst from less than two meters high!

And the direction of his fall was precisely where Skofot was standing!

Things happened too quickly. Skofot's arm shot out almost reflexively--

"Bang!"

Malfoy landed squarely in his arms!

The immense force was too much for the already slender Skofot to support. They both stumbled backward and finally fell in a heap onto the soft grass.

Skofot, trapped underneath as a cushion, grunted.

Everything had happened too suddenly.