Side Story 17: A Witch from Great Ming

At nine o'clock in the morning, Harry went to the library to meet Cassandra as agreed.

He thought he would be the first to arrive, but he found Cassandra already sitting in their usual corner, with several thick books and a roll of Parchment spread out in front of her.

"You're thirty seconds late," Cassandra said without looking up, her Quill writing smoothly on the Parchment.

Harry glanced at the magical clock on the wall—it was exactly nine o'clock.

I thought—

"I asked you to arrive five minutes early to prepare, not to show up on time." Cassandra finally looked up, a hint of anger on her face. "But since it's a holiday, I can make an exception this time. Sit down, let's begin."

Harry sat down opposite her and took out a new manual for practicing Protective Charm, as well as a notebook of Disarming Charm that she had given him, from his bag.

He noticed a steaming cup of tea on the corner of the table, the kind of black tea he liked with a touch of honey.

"Thank you," Harry said softly.

"Prepared by the House Elf," Cassandra said briefly, pushing a piece of Parchment covered in writing in front of him. "This is my idea for improving the Disarming Charm; take a close look."

Harry took the Parchment and immediately felt a headache coming on.

But at the same time, I also felt some respect for him.

"That's amazing," Harry said in awe. "How did you do that?"

"Practice." Cassandra's lips curled into a smile. "I have my own training grounds at the Malfoy Manor, and I've been training under the guidance of tutors ever since I was able to use Charms."

Harry rubbed his forehead, finding it hard to imagine what such a self-disciplined girl's childhood was like.

But Cassandra didn't stop. She pulled a beautifully bound Notebook from the pile of books, turned to a page, and said, "I've recorded your practice data since December. Look here, on December 18th, after seven consecutive failures, you suddenly succeeded in casting a near-perfect Disarming Charm. I even recorded the ambient temperature, your mental state, and the phase of the moon."

Harry stared in astonishment at the dense data. Cassandra had not only recorded his successes and failures, but also the time, location, weather conditions, what he ate for his previous meal, and how long he rested before each practice session.

Harry couldn't help but admire the fact that he came from a prominent family; he was different from a self-taught wizard like Harry.

At the same time, he didn't forget to ask, "Why record these things?"

"Because magic isn't something you can just do on a whim," Cassandra closed her Notebook. "It's influenced by countless factors: the wizard's physical condition, emotions, even Astronomy changes—most wizards are completely unaware of these, simply blindly repeating actions. But if you want to truly master a spell, you must understand all these variables."

She stood up and took several older books from the bookshelf. "These are 17th-century texts on Charms. Wizards back then didn't have the convenient wand techniques of today; they had to understand the nature of magic more deeply. Read them, and you'll see something different."

Harry opened one of the books; the Parchment was yellowed and brittle, and the cursive script on it was difficult to decipher.

But as he focused on reading, he found the insights truly astonishing—the wizards viewed each spell as a living entity, requiring "invitation" and "persuasion" rather than "command."

"It feels completely different from modern teaching," Harry commented.

"Modern magic education places too much emphasis on standardization," Cassandra said. "Hogwarts ' curriculum teaches all students the same spells and the same gestures, as if everyone perceives magic in the same way, but that's clearly absurd."

However, she overlooked the fact that not every wizarding family has as many resources as the Malfoy family.

She looked at Harry: "Your affinity for the Disarming Charm likely stems from a unique talent or a unique experience. That's why I need so much data; I need to understand why you can occasionally unleash magic beyond your usual level."

As she spoke, she glanced at the scar on Harry's forehead.

Harry, of course, noticed Cassandra's gaze, and he scratched the scar on his head.

"Maybe it's just... luck?" he asked tentatively.

"There is no luck in magic, only uncomprehended laws," Cassandra asserted. "Now, let's get to work—I need you to thoroughly understand the insights and data I've compiled before lunch."

For the next three hours, Harry followed Cassandra's instructions, repeatedly casting the Disarming Charm with the new practice equipment and recording the data each time. Cassandra, on the other hand, used a series of complex Detection Charm to collect data and occasionally adjust the experimental parameters.

To Harry's surprise, this new method did indeed greatly improve practice efficiency.

Around noon, Cassandra finished recording the last set of data and nodded slightly.

"Although it's still far from excellent, at least it's no longer completely unqualified."

This would be considered high praise in Cassandra's dictionary.

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Miss Malfoy."

"Don't get too excited," Cassandra, tidying up the Parchment on the table. "This afternoon we need to begin formally writing the project report. Professor Ronan requires a first draft by January 10th, and I hope our report will be a model for the entire grade."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Starting tomorrow, we'll meet here at seven every morning. There are still ten days of vacation left, and I hope you can fully master the modified Disarming Charm during this time."

"Seven o'clock?" Harry's eyes widened. "The library doesn't open until seven-thirty—"

Cassandra ignored Harry, stood up, and commanded in an unquestionable manner, "Go eat now, come back at two o'clock this afternoon, and bring your brain—if it's not completely covered in Christmas pudding yet."

Harry sighed, his lips twitched slightly, but he ultimately said nothing.

On his way to the Great Hall, he ran into Gareth and Pabbie, who had just come down from upstairs.

"We found this!" Pabbie excitedly displayed an old copper coin. "It's behind that changing tapestry on the fourth floor! Benjamin said it might be currency used by medieval wizards!"

Gareth, looking terribly cold, kept rubbing his hands and stamping his feet while hissing. "We also found a room in the West Tower full of old brooms, at least a hundred! Some of them look older than me!"

"It's a miracle you weren't caught by Mr. Yue," Harry said with a laugh.

"Mr. Yue is in a good mood today," Pabbie in a low voice. "I heard him arguing with Peeves — Peeves tried to steal the Christmas cake from the Kitchen, but Bobby chased him away with a rolling pin!"

They went to the Great Hall and sat down to eat and chat, sharing their mornings. When Harry mentioned his research with Cassandra, Gareth made an exaggerated face.

"Seven o'clock? On holiday? Merlin, she's a tyrant!"

"But what she taught was really useful," Harry instinctively defended Cassandra. "I learned a lot about the principles of magic this morning, not just how to chant spells."

Pabbie tilted his head curiously. "I've heard that the Malfoy family has a long tradition of magical research. My dad said he read a paper written by Mr. Malfoy Sr. — Cassandra's grandfather—about the resonance between magical plants and wand wood. Although the views are somewhat outdated, the research is still very solid."

"She certainly knows a lot," Harry admitted. "Sometimes I feel she knows even more than some professors."

"That's not surprising." Gareth took a sip of creamy soup. "You have to consider the Malfoy family's history, plus their rules—"

In the afternoon, I went to the library to find Cassandra again.

Harry secretly longed to play with Pabbie and Gareth, but he couldn't. If he went, Cassandra would be furious, and it would be bad if she cut his allowance.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Cassandra finally announced the end of class.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. As he packed his things, Cassandra suddenly said, "I have other plans for tomorrow. You can use that time to see Professor Hoot. I have an appointment with her."

"Professor Hoot?" Harry was stunned.

He certainly knew Professor Hoot; in fact, Pabbie had invited him to visit Professor Hoot together.

"The professor of Care of Magical Creatures is from the East," Cassandra said casually. "She keeps some creatures rarely seen at Hogwarts, and her research perspective is different from ours. If you want to become a qualified wizard, you should have a broader view."

Harry looked at her in surprise, somewhat puzzled as to why Cassandra would recommend him to Professor Hoot.

"Don't misunderstand," Cassandra resumed her usual haughty tone, "This is simply an arrangement made by you as my follower. If you have such a narrow perspective, you'll embarrass me, your master."

"I understand." Harry nodded. "Thank you for your advice, Miss Malfoy."

During dinner, Harry, Pabbie, and Gareth discussed their plans for the next day.

"Professor Hoot?" Pabbie's eyes lit up immediately. "I was just about to ask you to come along, but Cassandra wouldn't let me—yay, let's go together!"

With his mouth full of roasted potatoes, Gareth mumbled, "That sounds more interesting than just wandering around the castle. I heard that professor makes weird food?"

"It's Chinese food," Harry corrected. "Miss Malfoy said it tastes very special."

"Let's go!" Pabbie was so excited he couldn't sit still. "When do we leave?"

"This afternoon," Harry said. "Miss Malfoy has already made an appointment for us."

The following afternoon, Harry, Gareth, and Pabbie were already standing in front of the cabin at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

This building was quite different from the rest of Hogwarts —with upturned eaves, red pillars, and wind chimes hanging from the eaves that tinkled crisply in the cold wind.

"It looks amazing," Pabbie said softly.

Harry knocked on the door, and it opened almost immediately, revealing a witch in the doorway.

She looked to be in her forties, with a gentle and elegant face. Her black hair was styled into an elegant bun at the back of her head, secured with a jade hairpin.

She wore a strange, dark blue dress with delicate silver cloud patterns embroidered on the lapels and cuffs, and a light-colored cloak over it. She exuded an air of scholarly refinement and a uniquely Eastern elegance.

"Ah, these are the three visitors Miss Malfoy has booked." Professor Hoot's English had a slight accent, and her voice was extremely gentle. "Mr. Potter, and two friends. I am Haoying, the professor of the Care of Magical Creatures."

Please come in, it's cold outside.

The interior of the cabin was much larger than it appeared from the outside, clearly due to Untraceable Extension Charm.

The room was simply and elegantly furnished, with black and white paintings on the walls depicting various Magical Creatures they had never seen before.

Although Harry couldn't understand the painting, he immediately felt it was very sophisticated, giving off a unique and indescribable feeling.

On the wall without any paintings, there was a whole row of bookshelves, crammed with books and scrolls. Some of the books had text that they couldn't understand at all; the text was square and rectangular, like blocks.

"Wow----" Pabbie exclaimed softly, while Gareth stared at a large enclosure in the center of the room, where several furry little creatures were playing.

They look like rabbits, but their ears are translucent and shimmer with a faint light.

"These are Moonshadow Rabbit," Professor Hoot explained, her skirt swaying gently with her movements. "They come from the mountains and forests of Great Ming. Their fur turns silver in the moonlight and is one of the auxiliary materials for making Invisibility Cloak —of course, we don't use the ones here for that purpose; they are my friends."

She gestured for the three of them to sit down at the tea table, her movements elegant.

Tea set was already laid out on the table; instead of English teacups, they were small ceramic cups decorated with delicate blue and white patterns.

Please have some tea.

Professor Hoot knelt on the futon and skillfully began to brew the tea.

Her movements were as fluid as flowing water; lifting the teapot, pouring water, rinsing the tea, and brewing it, each step carried a Zen-like tranquility.

"This is Longjing tea, from my hometown of Hangzhou. It's hard to find good quality in Britain, but these are the ones I brought from my hometown, which is now occupied by barbarians."

The three of them carefully picked up their teacups and looked into them. The tea was clear and green, emitting a fresh, spring-like aroma.

"It's delicious," Harry said sincerely.

"It smells of grass and chestnuts," Pabbie savored carefully. "Very refreshing."

Professor Hoot smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"A beautiful description. Tea is like life: a light initial taste, but a lingering aftertaste. So, what are you most interested in? Magical Creatures, Eastern magic, or perhaps you'd like to hear a story?"

"I want to hear it all!" Pabbie said immediately.

Gareth added, "Especially Magical Creatures; Hogwarts ' curriculum mainly focuses on Britain and Europe creatures, with very little mention of Eastern ones."

"Let's start with animals." Professor Hoot stood up, her wide sleeves swaying gently. "Follow me."

"So beautiful----" Pabbie covered her mouth, looking at Professor Hoot's gorgeous and exquisite clothes with starry eyes, her face full of desire to wear them.