Hospitalization and Penelope

Ye Ting and Hermione fell into the woods together. Madam Hooch and the young wizards rushed over, and the scene descended into chaos.

Hermione was helped up first. Her long curls were a tangled mess, and she was covered in wood chips. Her little face was deathly pale, but she was not badly hurt—Ye Ting, who was taller than her, had held her in his arms and protected her well.

Her roommates, Lisa Turpin and Padma Patil, rushed over to hug her and comfort her softly.

However, compared to Hermione, Ye Ting was in far worse shape.

To protect Hermione, he had taken most of the impact, whether when they crashed into the treetops or hit the ground.

Ye Ting's current state could no longer simply be described as disheveled.

Blood ran through his messy black hair and down his face. Every inch of exposed skin was covered in cuts and scrapes, and his hands could not exert any strength at all. As for the skin beneath his clothes, it was already black and blue with bruises.

In fact, it was practically a miracle that Ye Ting had not suffered any fractures or massive bleeding.

To thank him for his design sketches, Madam Malkin had made his cloak and school uniform from the finest materials, with excellent craftsmanship and enchantments added. They had protected him well in the accident, and combined with his extraordinary physique, had kept him from breaking his neck.

Seeing Ye Ting's miserable condition, before Terry Boot and the other roommates could react, the girls around them had already swarmed forward in panic. Whether they knew Ye Ting or not, they all looked utterly heartbroken. Crying and sniffling, they helped him up and supported him toward the hospital wing.

"I'm so jealous," Michael Corner said as he watched the departing crowd, genuinely beginning to question his life.

Why didn't so many girls flock around him?

Anthony Goldstein nodded in agreement. "So being handsome really does mean you can do whatever you want..."

Hermione finally snapped out of it. She struggled toward Ye Ting and, after much difficulty, squeezed through to his side.

When she saw how badly hurt he was, Hermione let out a "Waaah—" and burst into tears.

"It's all your fault! You got him hurt like this!" a Hufflepuff girl beside her accused.

"You're the culprit!" another Ravenclaw girl chimed in.

Hermione instantly became the target of everyone's anger. The girls turned their grief over Ye Ting's injuries into fury toward Hermione and took turns condemning her.

There was certainly anger involved, but more than that, they were jealous that Hermione had been saved by their idol.

But this time, the proud Hermione did not fight back. She limped along behind the group escorting Ye Ting, looking so guilty that she seemed willing to accept any scolding or beating.

And the boys? They could only remain where they were, looking at one another.

The envy in all their hearts was practically bursting out.

Ye Ting's first flying lesson ended just like that.

After class, major news swiftly swept through all of Hogwarts.

Ye Ting, the male idol among Ravenclaw's first-years and a "heartthrob to all," had actually been injured in a fall during flying class!

The news caused a huge uproar throughout Hogwarts.

The last person to be injured in a flying lesson had been Gryffindor's Neville Longbottom. Though it had happened only the day before, it had caused nothing like today's commotion.

The doors to the hospital wing were soon packed with girls who had come to visit Ye Ting.

Madam Pomfrey tirelessly drove them away, but they were impossible to disperse. There was always an endless stream of girls arriving, hoping to catch even a glimpse of him.

The boys, meanwhile, sank into a spiral of envy and self-doubt. This injury had fully displayed the true charm of the "heartthrob to all"—no one had expected Ye Ting to be so popular with girls, and because he had risked himself to save someone, his popularity was climbing even higher.

By comparison, all the other boys seemed utterly unattractive, which left them deeply wounded.

At this rate, once Ye Ting was discharged, he would probably become the boys' public enemy.

When Ye Ting woke up, it was already the next morning.

He lifted his head and immediately saw Hermione slumped beside his bed.

The little girl was still asleep. Her swollen red eyes were ringed with tear stains, making it obvious that she had cried for a long time the night before. Even her breathing was a little heavier than usual.

Beside her was Himari, curled into a ball. Orianna, meanwhile, stood motionless atop the bedside table in a dancing pose, disguising herself as an ordinary toy.

Hearing him stir, an elegant girl soon appeared before him.

She was Penelope, Ravenclaw's female prefect.

Carrying a basket, she came to his bedside and calmly took out a jug of milk, a sandwich, a serving of fries, a plate of fried eggs, and a plate of fried fish.

"These are all things you often ate for breakfast before. I remembered, so I picked them out for you. See if they suit your taste." Facing Ye Ting's surprised gaze, she explained, "You were unconscious all night and didn't eat anything. I was worried you'd be hungry. Also, the fish is for your kitten."

Not only did she remember his eating habits, she had even remembered to feed his cat.

Even in his previous life, Ye Ting had never met a girl who cared about him and understood him so well.

In that moment, Ye Ting was truly moved by her gentle smile.

She was completely different from her usual image of being intelligent, poised, and somewhat aloof. Right then, Penelope made him feel as though she were an older sister.

"Thinking of a young girl as my older sister... I must be crazy."