Midterm Exams

The holiday had only just ended, and even the professors seemed not to have fully snapped back into things.

After an entire day of lessons, the young wizards gradually returned to their usual state.

Only Canopus was different. He nervously waved his wand while constantly flipping through textbooks such as The Standard Book of Spells.

"What's wrong with him?" Harry had never seen Canopus lose his composure before. Hermione and Ron, whom he asked, both shook their heads.

"Looking at him, you'd think there was an exam tomorrow." Ron turned to Hermione.

Hermione shook her head firmly. "Impossible. Exams would definitely be announced beforehand, and the holiday only just ended."

No one could come up with an answer, and no one dared ask Canopus directly. Then, at midnight the next day, Canopus opened his eyes, slipped past Filch and his cat, and headed for the shore of the Black Lake.

The thick mist churned, and a Druid in green robes stepped out of it.

He had a youthful face and held a wand in his hand as well.

"Son of the Oak, Canopus Black." He bowed. "By Lady Morgan's order, I have come to assess your progress in magical studies."

Canopus returned the bow. "May I ask your name?"

The other man paused, then said with a smile, "I am merely an unaccomplished apprentice. Otherwise, Lady Morgan would not have sent me. You may call me Ovate."

Ovate was the lowest of the three Druid ranks, a designation for new initiates. Anyone willing to study diligently could become an Ovate.

They often wore green robes and had served as the logistics personnel and entertainers of the ancient Celts.

Strictly speaking, Canopus, who had not yet undergone assessment, was also an Ovate.

However, Canopus did not dare underestimate the Ovate before him. His youthful appearance was likely because he had died young. If he had truly been weak, he could not possibly have known Morgan, much less entered Fairyland after death.

The two wizards took their stances and swung their wands at the same time.

Canopus raised a wall woven from vines in front of himself, blocking Ovate's sight. At the same time, his eyes began to glow with green fluorescence.

This was Canopus's innate ability, Life Vision, which allowed him to see the images of living beings directly through obstacles.

Ovate swept his wand to either side. Two branches fell from the lakeside trees, transformed into wooden spears, and flew toward Canopus's position, only to be caught by the flexible vines.

At that moment, Canopus was stirring his magic. It surged back and forth within his chest as he began to chant.

"Moonlight Ray."

After several lines of incantation, Canopus swung his wand. Moonlight gathered above Ovate's head into a beam and crashed down.

Ovate swung his wand as well. Water from the Black Lake immediately flew up and condensed into a shield, absorbing Canopus's moonlight.

"Very good, Mr. Canopus. Moonlight magic is not something every apprentice can master."

"I still can't cast it instantly, and you still blocked it."

Canopus's voice came from behind the vines. Ovate immediately fired three wooden spears in succession, piercing Canopus's defense, but Canopus was not standing where the voice had come from.

"An Illusory Sound Charm. I can do more than just Druid magic now."

As Canopus spoke, the ground beneath Ovate's feet turned into a swamp and surged like a tide.

Ovate immediately transformed into a white owl, escaping Canopus's restraints.

"You can transform into a bird—what kind of Ovate are you?"

"This is also my innate ability. You can't expect me not to use it." The owl spoke human words as its head turned sharply, searching for Canopus's location.

Canopus secretly curled his lip. At present, he could only transform into a white hound or a small wild boar. The next stage of Druid transformation was turning into birds, such as eagles or owls.

A Druid transformed into an animal could not cast spells. Canopus repeatedly tapped the ground with his wand, sending wave after wave of wooden needles flying from the surrounding trees toward Ovate's owl form.

The snow-white owl transformed back into a man in midair and swung his wand, setting up a defense around himself. The wooden needles struck the wall of air with dull thuds, and Ovate eventually landed safely.

Canopus, hiding behind a tree, suddenly felt his legs tighten. Two thick thorny vines viciously wrapped around his calves, driving their spikes into his flesh.

In Celtic culture, owls could travel between life and death. Naturally, their eyes could lock onto the living.

The thorny vines wriggled swiftly, dragging the exposed Canopus out from his hiding place.

Ovate continuously created wooden spears and hurled them at Canopus. Canopus could only repeatedly cast Diffindo to shatter the spears and protect himself, with no time to break the thorny vines.

Before long, he was dragged before Ovate, who extended his wand and pointed it at him.

"You have lost, Mr. Canopus."

"I don't think so."

Ovate suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and fell to the ground. Canopus snapped the two thorny vines around his legs, rose to his feet, and took Ovate's wand.

"Very good. How did you do it?"

The next second, Ovate's figure flickered, and the wand in Canopus's hand turned into mist and vanished.

Canopus first grimaced as he pulled several thorn spikes embedded in his flesh free, then felt around the ground behind Ovate and found two thin metal needles. Their tips gave off a faint green glow.

Ovate took them with great interest and sniffed them beneath his nose.

"They have a powerful sleep-inducing effect, but I have never seen this potion before. Did you invent it?"

"How could I?" Canopus shook his head. "They were tempered with a few drops of Draught of Living Death. It's a powerful sleeping potion invented within the last few centuries."

"And these two needles were transformed on the spot from wooden needles with Transfiguration." Canopus lightly pointed with his wand, and the two metal needles turned back into wooden ones.

"You mixed those two iron needles in with the wooden needles when you attacked. If I'm not mistaken, you also used a knight's armor-piercing technique." Owad patted Kano on the shoulder approvingly.

"I played a little trick. We're both druids, and we're highly sensitive to trees, water, and wind, but aside from gold and silver, we rarely come into contact with other metals."

"So when those two needles turned into iron and pierced through your shield with the technique of a knight's armor-piercing arrow, you didn't even notice them."

Kano leaned back, and the vines on the ground formed a chair beneath him. Owad did the same and sat beside him.

"Lady Morgan will be very pleased." Owad looked at Kano, who was somewhat exhausted from using so much magic. "This is exactly the direction she wanted you to grow in."

"Absorb the cutting-edge knowledge of modern magic, continuously refine the abilities of the ancient druids, and when facing different opponents, always use the methods they know nothing about to secure victory."

"Isn't that a little too underhanded?" Kano was confused. He had thought that even if he won today, it would not be acknowledged.

"Lady Morgan only wants you to win every battle, fulfill your destiny, and return to Fairyland." Owad's figure gradually faded away. "She doesn't care about the means used to achieve that goal."

"Go back and rest. Before your vacation begins, I'll come test you again."

Kano sat quietly in the moonlight for a while, then smiled.

"That really is your style, Sister Morgan."