First Day of School

Pomona Sprout was a plump, kind-faced witch and the professor of Herbology.

"Herbology is a fascinating and important subject."

"Today, I will teach you how to care for Valerian Shoots, which are a key ingredient in many potions."

Sprout wore a dark green robe as she led the students to Greenhouse One. Damon breathed in the fragrant herbal scent in the air, his posture relaxed.

At the same time, a line of text appeared before his vision.

[Herbology--LV1 (Beginner)] 1/100

[You can handle simple herb management techniques with relative ease, but your ability to deal with advanced magical plants and complex potions remains weak.]

"Still starting at level one? How many Magic Points do I have now?"

Damon opened his system panel and found he still had over thirty thousand Magic Points.

In that case, no need to fuss.

Just add points.

[Herbology--LV2 (Apprentice)] 1/1000

[You can make preliminary adjustments to plant growth conditions and medicinal properties, and understand more complex plant knowledge.]

Continue.

[Herbology--LV3 (Advanced)] 1/10000

[You can skillfully handle some complex plant treatments, brew potions based on plant characteristics, and innovate in the use and ratio of ingredients.]

Herbology also ties into potion-making?

Damon raised an eyebrow slightly and continued adding points.

[Herbology--LV4 (Expert)] 1/1000000

[You can quickly master how to deal with rare and dangerous plants, combine herbs with magic as needed, and gain the skill to independently create advanced herbal potions.]

Seeing the threshold jump directly from ten thousand to one million, Damon quietly withdrew his hand.

In the first class, Sprout taught the students to care for Valerian Shoots, occasionally asking questions. Hermione was always the first to raise her hand, earning Gryffindor two points.

While pleased, she instinctively glanced at Damon, only to find him somewhat distracted, absently stroking the plant before him.

Maybe he's just good at spells?

Hermione felt happy at this thought—not that she didn't want Damon to excel, but she felt she ought to have an edge over him somewhere.

Still, Hermione's assumption wasn't far off. Damon wasn't that interested in Herbology, and Professor Sprout was a gentle, kind person—Damon wouldn't cause trouble in her class.

The lesson ended quickly. The young witches and wizards happily left class and hurried to the next one, A History of Magic.

Then their smiles quickly faded.

The teacher for A History of Magic was the ghost Professor Binns. Throughout the entire lesson, he droned on in a monotonous, dull voice. Apart from Hermione and Damon, no one could stay alert for the whole class.

But Damon didn't listen to Professor Binns's lecture; instead, he read the textbook A History of Magic on his own. To him, it was like reading an extracurricular book—not boring.

As class ended, Professor Binns's voice cut off abruptly like a programmed script, and the young witches and wizards let out sighs of relief.

"Harry, Neville, class is over."

Damon shook the drowsy "The Boy Who Lived" on either side of him. They opened their bleary eyes. Ron, sitting next to Harry, woke up too, drool still hanging from his mouth.

His first sight was Hermione, meticulously attentive in the front row. He instinctively wanted to make a snide remark, but when he noticed Damon was also perfectly alert, he dropped the thought.

"Damon, I'm glad to see you didn't fall asleep, but I noticed you just buried your head in the book without taking any notes. I think you should be more diligent."

Hermione tilted her chin up at Damon, then swung her arm and walked away.

"I think you should be more diligent~~" Ron finally couldn't help it, mimicking Hermione's words in a strange tone. "Who does she think she is? Daring to tell Damon what to do?"

"Thanks for having my back, Ron," Damon looked at Ron, his blue eyes fixed on him. "But I think Hermione meant well. You don't need to talk about her like that."

"Oh, sorry, Damon," Ron hadn't expected Damon to say that, flustered. "I didn't mean it that way. You know that."

Damon nodded, didn't press further, and returned with them to the Gryffindor common room.

The rest of the time was entirely their own.

"Hey, it's still early. Want to explore the castle a bit?"

As soon as they got back to the dormitory and put their things away, Ron forgot his earlier displeasure and eagerly invited everyone.

"I need to do my homework first, and also write a few letters to buy some things. You guys go ahead."

Damon declined first, grabbed some reference books, and left the dormitory.

"Homework as soon as you're back? Damon, tell me this isn't true!"

"I'm sorry, Ron, but it is."

Damon gently closed the door, leaving the people inside staring at each other.

"What about you two?"

Ron looked at Harry first.

"I—I'll go with you!"

After hesitating for a moment, Harry ultimately couldn't suppress his craving for adventure and chose to temporarily forget about the homework.

Seamus naturally chose adventure as well, and Neville silently went along with their decision.

The Herbology homework was relatively easy, mainly revolving around writing a paper on the characteristics and precautions of Valerian Shoots, as well as listing three potions made from them as ingredients, with the essay length no less than six inches.

The former could all be found in books, and for the latter, after Damon borrowed Magical Drafts and Potions from the library, he quickly found the answers.

During this time, whether in the common room or the library, Damon kept crossing paths with Hermione. The proud little witch pursed her lips at him, a glint of approval in her eyes, as if she admired his approach.

However, Damon clearly caught the competitive edge in her gaze.

At this stage, Hermione's Gryffindor traits hadn't yet awakened; she did everything by the book. Even though she had a decent relationship with Damon, she still saw him as a rival.

Damon smiled and didn't mind.

After finishing the homework for two classes in succession, Damon headed to the first-floor dining hall for a meal, mentally listing the items he'd need to order by mail later.

His roommates, back from their adventure, sat beside him in high spirits, discussing everything they'd seen and done along the way. They said it was a huge loss that Damon hadn't joined them and once again extended a warm invitation.

"Next time for sure. I had other things to do this time."

Damon declined again with a smile, and this time, Ron's expression shifted subtly. But due to Damon's earlier feat on the train, he held back from making a scene.

As for what he might be thinking, Damon couldn't care less.