After class, Hermione cornered Vincent.
"You've actually learned to Wandless Magic!"
"I can only be considered a beginner."
She pursed her lips. "I just happened to see that you didn't even recite the incantation."
"Uh—that's Nonverbal spells." Vincent glanced around. "The reason I can see Thestral is because I had to learn these spells a few years in advance."
Hermione took a half-step back in alarm, lowering her voice to a whisper, "You haven't learned some terrible Dark Magic, have you?"
"Professor Dumbledore knows." He lowered his voice as well. "You should know about Dark Magic —well, I guess you can figure it out yourself."
She looked directly into those deep blue eyes. "Are you saying that magic doesn't have black and white, only the wizard who uses it has black and white?"
"Yes." Vincent was slightly surprised. "I thought you would be very resistant."
"That was indeed the case at first." Hermione looked towards a tall tower in the castle.
"Later I realized that it's not good to know nothing about Dark Magic, and it's even worse to study it in depth."
Vincent remained silent.
Dark Magic is Dark Magic because, in addition to affecting the user, there is no counter-curse that can completely negate it.
While it may not affect usage, it doesn't mean one can act recklessly.
He didn't remain silent for long. "How does it feel to try to fit in with the crowd?"
"It's terrible, I feel like I've split off into another personality."
"Keep going, you will become the perfect Hermione Granger in everyone's hearts."
Hermione was not encouraged at all, and even rolled her eyes at him.
"Thank you, I feel pretty good right now."
"Hmm, 5 minutes left."
"What, 5 minutes?"
Vincent held up his wristwatch in front of her eyes. "There are 5 minutes left until the next Transfiguration class."
"Then hurry up and go there!" Hermione ran towards the castle.
"Aren't you going to get rid of the smell first?"
As she ran, she drew her wand, and before she could even utter the spell, she felt the breeze blowing in her face grow much stronger.
She looked back and saw that Vincent had just put down his wand.
"Is there anything you can't do?"
"Dark Magic, plus the Unforgivable Curses."
"I'm really curious about what you've been doing in North America."
"You know I can't say it, at least not now."
Hermione turned her head back, pouted, and rushed into the castle even faster.
When the two ran to the Transfiguration classroom, Harry and Ron had just come down as well.
Although they had just taken a shower, they were both covered in sweat again.
"Thank goodness I wasn't late!"
The two social misfits still remember their first class last year.
They still vividly remember the long speech McGonagall delivered at an incredibly fast pace.
"Where did you guys go?" James asked with a wicked grin, giving Vincent a nudging with his elbow.
We chatted for a while.
"And appropriate exercise?"
"My Merlin— " Vincent leaned back dramatically, "What did you learn during the summer vacation?"
James smiled mysteriously, "I came back too late yesterday, I'll show you guys something after class."
"Thank you, but I don't need it."
"I don't need it either."
Although Neville didn't quite understand, he politely declined as well.
All three of them believed that the title of "Hogwarts' Great Pervert" belonged to James.
"Tch—you'd better not regret this."
Vincent suppressed a laugh and jabbed him in the elbow.
When James saw McGonagall come in, he immediately sat up straight like a good boy.
"You've all improved since last year." Her gaze swept over Harry and Ron. "I hope you can keep it up."
The students all suppressed their laughter and looked at the blushing duo.
"Alright, let's turn to page seventeen of the textbook." McGonagall pulled a large cage from under the podium.
It was teeming with tiny, dark beetles.
"Can anyone tell me the difference between the Transfiguration of a living creature and the Transfiguration of an object?"
Hermione raised her little hand high with unprecedented speed, almost as soon as she finished speaking.
"Miss Granger."
"Objects can transform into any shape at will, but the Transfiguration of living things must take into account factors such as size."
"Correct answer, 10 points Gryffindor." McGonagall opened the large cage, clapped her hands gently, and the little beetle flew automatically towards the students.
"Take it and turn it into a button, according to the textbook."
Vincent is still the fastest.
After all, he called himself Dr. Beetle and knew everything about them.
The black button has a gold trim, and in the center is the same gold letter "W".
"Very beautiful." McGonagall picked up a button. "Mr. Wayne, I think it deserves 20 points for you."
"Thank you, Professor."
Hermione's finished product was basically the same as his.
However, it has a red border, and the letter is changed to "G".
Both scores were 20 points, leaving the other Little Eagle in the class stunned.
Even with the presence of the socially awkward duo, Gryffindor's momentum remains strong this year.
"Crackling—" Sparks flew from Ron's wand.
The little beetle in front of him remained unmoved, too lazy to even twitch.
"Transform!"
Perhaps he used too much force, because the crack on his wand widened, and thick gray smoke with a rotten egg smell even emerged from the tip of the wand.
"Hey, lend me your tape."
Hermione opened her pencil case without a word and took out a roll of magic tape.
The tape that can repair ordinary items obviously cannot repair his wand.
"Change again—"
Ron's wand, which was wrapped around several times, emitted an even larger cloud of smoke.
"Cough cough—" Hermione, who was the first to be affected, unfortunately inhaled a mouthful.
McGonagall raised her wand and dispelled the expanding smoke.
"Mr. Weasley, is there something wrong with your wand?"
"Professor, since yesterday—"
"Puff--"
Ron narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Seamus sitting behind him.
"It's been like this ever since it fell yesterday."
McGonagall nodded slightly and sat back down without saying a word.
"Transform for me, transform, transform—"
With thorough preparation, Hermione waved her wand and put on a gas mask that had transformed from a textbook.
"Cough cough cough—" Ron was so choked by the smoke that he couldn't open his eyes and frantically waved his arms to try and drive away the thick smoke.
After McGonagall chased the beetle away again, he found that the little beetle on his table had been crushed.
Her face looked very pale.
"Professor, may I have another beetle?"
"Come and get it." She didn't give Ron, who was forcing himself to be polite, a friendly look.
Although the wand had major problems, the blame ultimately fell on him.
If you hadn't secretly driven, it would have been impossible for you to be controlled by the House-elf.
Without being controlled, it wouldn't have bumped into the Whomping Willow and cracked its wand.
She hoped Ron would understand this.
But clearly, he didn't think it was his problem.
When the bell rang to signal the end of class, she was not surprised to see Harry looking relieved.
If we want them to reflect deeply on their actions, it seems we need to take something even tougher.