Moriarty looked at Tonks strangely. Just as he had been about to release the Silver Snake's restraints, the system notification had appeared.
"Task issued: Perfect Whispering Serpent! Reward: 5,000 points! Time limit: three years! Failure penalty: deduct Ten Years of Magic Power from the host!"
Moriarty asked what standard he needed to meet to perfect Whispering Serpent, and the system gave him three levels.
The first level was to summon a greater number and wider variety of snakes.
The second level was the effect Salazar Slytherin had wanted to achieve: drawing Magic Power through the Ghost Snakes.
The third level was more difficult. If a Ghost Snake coiled around an enemy, Moriarty would have a chance of gaining one of that enemy's special abilities.
It was because of this task from the system that Moriarty gave Tonks a few extra looks.
Although he noticed the slight curves of her figure, he was more focused on the changes after the Silver Snake coiled around her.
If the Ancient Latin on the Silver Snake becoming more vivid counted as a change, then what did it mean that the senior's face had turned as red as her hair?
Moriarty immediately felt that this task was even more arduous than the previous one involving shampoo for Professor Snape. No wonder the system had given him three years.
But even with three years, Moriarty did not know whether he could complete it. Hogwarts did not offer Latin as a subject at all, which meant he could not get much more help with rune research.
Still, seeing the Silver Snake coil tighter and tighter, Moriarty knew that if he did not undo the magic soon, his senior might faint.
Moriarty flicked his wand, and the Silver Snake retreated. He helped Tonks onto the mat and, leaving out the system task, explained what had happened to her.
"No wonder you were staring at me so intensely just now. You were watching those snakes," Tonks said between deep breaths, nearly suffocated by the Silver Snake. "I thought you were some kind of... well, pervert?"
When she saw Moriarty looking at her with a snake-like gaze, Tonks casually changed the subject.
"Can your idea really work? Drawing Magic Power? Absorbing abilities? Believe me, even Merlin would never have come up with something that bold."
"That's because Merlin didn't need to." Moriarty watched her hair, which had turned white again. "Look, if my idea had worked, then after the Silver Snake absorbed your ability, I would have become a Metamorphmagus. Then I could..."
Tonks laughed and cut him off, eyeing Moriarty's hair with interest. "Then you'd dye that thing green? Hahaha..."
Her laughter was remarkably piercing, so Moriarty cast a Babbling Curse on her.
The laughter vanished, replaced by countless unspoken thoughts: "The Midnight Canteen in Hufflepuff is so delicious. I want to eat there until I'm a hundred without worrying about getting fat," and, "Professor Dumbledore is such a crazy old man—yes, especially after locking Grindelwald up in Nurmengard," among many others.
Tonks covered her mouth while casting Nonverbal spells at Moriarty, and the two of them started tussling again.
This time, they did not go on for long. Tonks lay on the mat, laughing happily. "You really are an excellent opponent, Moriarty."
"Dueling you has improved my basic magic as well." Moriarty looked around and found the place somewhat monotonous.
"Basic magic?" Tonks propped her head up with one hand, lying on her side on the mat. "I taught myself the Charms curriculum up through sixth year, and you call that basic magic? Oh, I remember now—you have Slytherin family magic. Can I see it?"
"You already have. Those Ghost Snakes."
"No~ I want to see the Magic Circle and the Great Ice Snake, just like they describe in novels." Tonks's hair turned yellow.
Moriarty gently shook his head. "Next time. We should go have breakfast, or we'll be late for first period."
"Alright, it's a deal." Tonks stood up and said happily.
"Provided you can withstand the fear brought by the Ice Snake."
"I'll practice the Shield Charm more."
"I don't think the Shield Charm will necessarily work."
"Then what about the Patronus Charm?"
The two chatted and laughed as they left the Room of Requirement and headed toward the Great Hall.
Under the enchanted ceiling, indistinguishable from the real sky, the long tables of the four Houses were covered with bottles of milk, plates of fish, and piles of sliced bread, eggs, and strips of meat stacked like small mountains.
"It's cloudy today." Tonks glanced at the ceiling and turned her hair gray. "See you later, little junior~"
"See you, Nymph."
They parted near the Slytherin table. As soon as Moriarty sat down, Jericho leaned over with a cheeky grin. "Was the reason Mr. Moriarty got up early to go on a date with a senior?"
Gemma watched Tonks head toward the Hufflepuff table, then winked at Moriarty. "And a Hufflepuff senior, at that."
Moriarty picked up a slice of bread. "It wasn't a date. Neither of us had that on our minds."
Jericho nodded noncommittally, then leaned close and whispered, "When I got up this morning, I heard those two guys in our dorm—Keith and Larpo. They were talking about you. They didn't seem to mean well, Mr. Moriarty. You should be careful."
Moriarty gave him a slight nod. Lilith had warned him twice that someone in Slytherin might want to harm him, and now Jericho was warning him too. That already showed how serious the matter was.
Students of Slytherin House actually wanted to deal with him, a true Slytherin. He wondered what ancestor Salazar would think if he knew.
No wonder Dumbledore was always so wary of Slytherin. Some pure-blood families really went too far.
Moriarty calmly finished breakfast and casually asked, "What class do we have this morning?"
"Transfiguration class!" Lilith walked over from the group of girls.
An amusing expression appeared on Jericho's face. "Miss Peverell, I've never seen you take the initiative to answer another boy's question."
"The moment you open your mouth, I know what this American cowboy is thinking," Lilith said, giving Jericho a cold glance. "I just want to follow Mr. Moriarty and catch a ride on the stairs."
Jericho suddenly understood, then put on an honest smile. "Mr. Moriarty, would you mind taking me along?"
More than a dozen first-year little snakes looked eagerly at Moriarty. As long as Moriarty was around, the stairs would not move around randomly.
Moriarty noticed that the other two boys from his dormitory were among them as well. Truly refined egoists.
"Let's go. After all, nobody wants to be late for Professor McGonagall's class." Moriarty took the lead, with Lilith and Jericho close behind.
The little snakes quickly discovered that following Moriarty was indeed the wisest choice. With a light tap of the Slytherin staff, the floating stairs automatically connected into a path leading directly to the Transfiguration classroom.
It did not take long for the little snakes to enter the classroom. Professor McGonagall had no choice but to abandon her plan of turning into a cat and awarded Slytherin five points.
"For your enthusiasm," Professor McGonagall explained. At that moment, a Gryffindor entered. It was Percy Weasley.
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall. Oh..."
Percy clearly had not expected so many people to be in the classroom.
Judging by Percy's expression, he seemed to want to greet Moriarty, but when he saw Keith and the others staring at him, he hugged Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and sat on the right side of the classroom.
Before class began, Moriarty started a conversation. "Jericho, how much do you know about Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United States?"
Before you continue