Hogwarts really was a treasure trove.
Ezio looked with satisfaction at the three Milestones that had yet to light up. They had nothing to do with map exploration progress; they were probably bonuses for discovering certain special areas on the map.
"Maybe I can try visiting other magical schools during the holidays? But that might be a little difficult. I'll think about it later."
"Still, these three Milestones don't seem easy to complete."
Take the first one, Conqueror of the Sky. Ezio wouldn't feel the slightest fear about free-falling from ten thousand meters up, but managing a precise aerial assassination while falling from that height would be incredibly difficult.
He couldn't just tie some random bloke to a post, then dive down from the sky and kill him. That kind of cheating wouldn't work. He had already tried taking shortcuts when unlocking Milestones in the Trial Space, but it had been completely useless.
So, to complete this Milestone, he'd have to scout the area first, then swoop down and give the target a surprise. The target had to be humanoid or human-like, which was already a very broad range.
But getting up to ten thousand meters... Honestly, that would be a bit of a challenge.
Ezio had bought the latest Nimbus 2000, but there was a good chance the broom couldn't climb that high.
There was a Wizarding World legend about someone who'd "flown to the moon," but that was clearly the sort of thing people made up to brag about. Wizards didn't even know what a vacuum was, and as for the speed of a Flying Broomstick... Even the latest Nimbus 2000 could only reach one hundred miles per hour. The closest distance between Earth and the moon was 225,623 miles, which meant that even if you could fly there, you'd have to keep going nonstop for 2,256 hours—more than three months.
In Ezio's tests, the Nimbus 2000's flight became unstable once he climbed to a thousand meters above the ground. He hadn't tested its absolute limit, but it was unlikely to reach ten thousand meters. Magic wasn't all-powerful. Perhaps magic itself had no limits, but things made by wizards certainly did.
"Looks like Hagrid really is Hogwarts' biggest asset."
Ezio gazed into the distance, toward the stone hut beside the Forbidden Forest. Smoke rose from its chimney. Perhaps Hagrid was baking Rock Cakes.
Aside from the third Milestone, which was hidden and had a time limit, Ezio wasn't in a hurry to complete the two known ones. The school year had only just begun, and he had many more important things to do.
He had only one Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that afternoon, so he spent all his free time exploring the library. He asked Madam Pince for a copy of the Hogwarts Library's catalogue. The library was so enormous that even if Ezio lived there for seven years, reading around the clock without sleeping, he still wouldn't finish it. He had to focus on the books that could help him. A good plan made the work easier.
Madam Pince finally told him to leave. Only then did Ezio rub his sore eyes and get up. Even the catalogue had left him dizzy, and he still hadn't managed to organize it all.
It was already half past ten at night, with just half an hour remaining before Hogwarts' curfew.
After taking a slight detour, Ezio made it back to the common room right on schedule. Most of the young wizards had already returned to their dormitories. Only a few were still warming themselves by the fire, and Ezio spotted Harry, writing furiously.
"What are you writing?" Ezio sat down across from Harry and took a bite of freshly baked pizza.
"Homework... Oh, Ezio, where were you this afternoon?" Harry looked up and shook out his aching fingers.
"I went to the library, then stopped by the kitchen on my way back. Ham and shrimp pizza, extra cheese. Want to try some? The House-elves cook so fast. Magic really is wonderful."
"Actually, I'm a little hungry." Harry took a slice without hesitation and bit into it. Then he gave a thumbs-up. "This is ten times better than meat pies!"
"Maybe it'll be on the menu in a few days. I made a few suggestions, and the House-elves are really easy to talk to."
"Hogwarts' House-elves?" Harry asked curiously.
"House-elves. Hogwarts probably has two or three hundred of them. They're great at housekeeping and other chores, and they clean the school, too."
"I was wondering why my socks had been washed when I got back. They're amazing!" Harry happily accepted a second slice. "By the way, I need to tell you something."
Harry struggled to swallow the pizza in his mouth, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a note.
"Hagrid invited me to visit him on Friday afternoon. You should come too, Ezio. I can introduce you to Hagrid. I'm sure you'll like him."
Hagrid was Harry's first friend in the Wizarding World, and he treasured their friendship. Hagrid was old enough to be his grandfather, but as a half-giant, he was still young. His life span was much longer than an ordinary wizard's, and that was why he was sixty-four but still had a full head of black hair and boundless energy. Ezio had no doubt Hagrid could grab a Dragon by the tail and throw it over his shoulder.
Once they'd filled their stomachs, the two of them ambled toward their dormitory. When they opened the door, the room was still lit. Their other two roommates were awake, and Draco instinctively straightened up when Ezio came in.
"I thought you and Blaise might be playing chess or something in here, Draco."
Draco sat on his bed with a book open in his lap. Blaise Zabini was doing the same on the other side of the room. He and Draco both came from Pure-blood families and got along fairly well. He was also one of the few Black boys in Slytherin. His ancestors came from Africa, though that was all in the past. His mother was a charming widow who had already had seven husbands, all of whom had met untimely deaths. She was very wealthy.
He was also extremely proud and arrogant, and could be rather conceited. Unfortunately for him, there was no way he could act superior in this dormitory. His family couldn't compare with Draco's, his reputation couldn't compare with Harry's, and Ezio could beat him with one hand tied behind his back in both brains and brawn.
"We don't want to fall behind, either," Blaise said quietly from the side. "That classroom that reeks of garlic is disgusting. I don't want to go back there."
"I'm glad you see it that way." Ezio shrugged. "If my roommates were hopeless, I'd lose face. But I'm sure you can keep up. Since we're all living in the same dormitory, if you have trouble understanding anything, I can help you."
"Getting expelled has some pretty nasty consequences, you know."
Ezio grinned, and Draco turned pale.
"What consequences?" Harry wasn't worried. He'd found that if he applied himself, the material wasn't all that difficult.
"Obviously, you'd get kicked out of the dormitory and have to sleep in the corridor. I talked to Professor Snape today, and he agreed to introduce a system of elimination within Slytherin. The proposal was also approved by the former Hogwarts Headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black. He thinks it's absolutely necessary to throw idiots and fools out of Slytherin."
"Professor Dumbledore's opinion was that it would be beneficial to Hogwarts."
Ezio was very good at invoking powerful names to back up his words. After all, everything he'd just said was true. Not a single word was a lie.
"I said there'd be no room for idiots in Slytherin anymore. Either they'd be buried underground, or they'd get out of here on their own."
"People should keep their word, shouldn't they?"
Draco and Blaise nodded stiffly. In their minds, Ezio's reputation rose another notch. They weren't sure how he'd managed to get the triple approval of their Head of House, the Headmaster, and the former Headmaster, but since he had, Slytherin was in for an earthquake.
"Don't hang around with idiots from now on. It's late. Get some rest."
The boys changed into their pajamas and climbed into bed amid a rustle of clothes. Draco, who had the most on his mind, tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He decided he'd write to his father tomorrow and tell him to keep Crabbe and Goyle away from him. He didn't want to hang around with idiots anymore.
Before you continue