My Dad Isn't Even This Punctual Getting Off Work!

After the Christmas holidays, students gradually returned to school.

Hogwarts returned to its former state.

"Not bad." Silan put away her wand. "Neville, your Protego is quite good."

"Thank you, Silan. I've been able to improve so quickly because of your constant help." Neville chuckled and scratched his head.

Before the Christmas holidays were over, Neville and Silan practiced Spells together and are now quite proficient with Protego.

"I have to go." Neville glanced at the time. "I'm going to the library today to find some Herbology information."

"See you later." Silan nodded.

After leaving the Room of Requirement, Neville walked towards the library.

In order to better cultivate medicinal herbs, he is now diligently studying other Herbology knowledge in addition to his Herbology textbook.

This pleased Silan greatly.

A herb-growing kit that can learn and update itself automatically is definitely worth having.

Neville wandered around the library, found the book he wanted, and started reading it at the desk.

He lowered his head and then looked up again, and a long time had passed.

After handing the book to Madam Pince for registration, Neville pushed open the door and left the library.

He had just stepped outside when he saw Malfoy with his two henchmen loitering near the library.

Although it had only been a few months since the start of the school year, Neville already knew Malfoy's character quite well.

To avoid trouble, Neville, clutching his book, pressed himself against the wall, preparing to leave quickly.

When Malfoy saw him, he acted as if he had discovered an interesting toy, and beckoned his two companions to gather around.

"Well~well~ well~"

Malfoy walked toward Neville. "Look who's here? It's Mr. Longbottom."

Upon noticing the book Neville was holding, Malfoy let out a long, snickering laugh, "I must remind you, Mr. Longbottom, Sickle bread. Don't put it in the cauldron to boil."

Neville pursed his lips, ignoring his words, and lowered his head to walk past him, only to be blocked by Goyle and Crabbe who surrounded him.

"Mr. Longbottom, I'm talking to you." Malfoy, with an air of aristocratic refinement, spoke with a sharp tongue, "Did you go to the library to sleep?"

"No, I'm going to read a book," Neville said.

"Ha!" Malfoy chuckled as if he'd heard a joke. "How astonishing! You can actually read? The Sorting Hat should have sorted you into Ravenclaw!"

"I always thought you had as much guts as the Weasley family' Galleon; you didn't deserve to be in Gryffindor."

Hearing Malfoy not only mock him but also mention the Weasley family, Neville suddenly felt a surge of anger and began to speak more rudely.

"Get out of the way, Malfoy!"

Malfoy, who had always thought Neville was easy to bully, was instantly enraged when he heard Neville speak to him like that, and drew his wand.

"You want to go back to the lounge? Let me help you. I remember you have a toad; I want to see if you can hop back to the lounge like it."

Malfoy is currently practicing his Leg-Locker Curse and is looking for someone to practice on.

Goyle and Crabbe quickly scattered to avoid being accidentally injured.

Malfoy waved his wand. "Locomotor Mortis."

"Protego!"

Neville instinctively pulled out his wand and cast the Shield Charm on himself.

The light emanating from Malfoy's wand struck Neville and vanished.

Was it blocked?

How is that possible?!

Malfoy stood there, stunned. In his memory, Neville knew almost nothing except for a little bit of cleverness in Herbology.

How could his Leg-Locker Curse, which he had practiced for so long, be blocked so easily?

And when did he learn the Shield Charm?

While Malfoy was still in a daze, Neville rushed towards him with the book in his hand.

"Stop him!"

Malfoy shouted at Goyle and Crabbe as he backed away.

But the two of them had just scattered to the side, and now it was too late to stop Neville.

"You are not allowed to insult my friend!"

Neville shouted and rushed up to Malfoy, raising the book he had just borrowed from the library and smashing it down on Malfoy's head.

After experiencing the "power of knowledge," Malfoy staggered a few steps.

Although children don't have much strength, this was a great humiliation for him.

"Never mind me! Grab him!"

Malfoy clutched his head, furious.

Unfortunately, Neville had already broken through their encirclement and escaped in a flash.

As Neville ran up the stairs, he could still hear Malfoy shouting behind him, "I'm going to tell my dad! I'll make him..."

Neville, however, didn't care at all. He felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration, like drinking a sip of ice-cold soda after working up a good sweat in the summer.

His frustrations and anxieties were all washed away by the refreshing soda.

Neville laughed and ran all the way back to the lounge.

Harry was talking with a worried expression about Snape becoming the Quidditch referee.

"How about we pretend to break our leg?" Hermione suggested.

Ron said quickly, "He really broke his leg."

"Oh, Neville, why are you all sweaty?" Hermione asked, somewhat surprised, noticing Neville come in.

"Malfoy..."

Neville wiped his sweat and gasped for breath.

"Did he bully you?" Hermione frowned angrily. "Go find Professor McGonagall and tell him!"

Neville waved his hand and swallowed hard. "I'm fine. He was going to use Leg-Locker Curse on me, but I happened to have learned the Shield Charm from Silan, so I blocked his Spells."

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

They all knew that Neville had some talent in Herbology, but he had never been very good at Spells.

Silan actually taught him the Shield Charm?

They haven't even learned about this Spells in class yet.

"Well done!" Ron clapped in celebration. "Malfoy is always arrogant; you have to be brave and deal with him. We have no reason to give in to him!"

"I told you long ago you're better than twelve Malfoy, you're in Gryffindor..."

Harry stopped mid-sentence; he was about to say, "Malfoy is in that nasty Slytherin."

But then he remembered that Silan was also in Slytherin, and swallowed the rest of his words.

"If Snape is going to be the Quidditch referee, then at least we won't have to worry about him getting the Philosopher's Stone for a while," Hermione whispered after Neville left.

Ever since Sheeran told Ron and Harry Nicolas Flamel who Nicolas Flamel was, they deduced that Snape wanted the Philosopher's Stone.

"Hermione is right, I need to prepare for the competition first."

Harry agreed with her.

"It's almost time," Hermione glanced at the time. "I need to go find Silan."

Ron muttered to her retreating figure, "She treats us like it's her job."

"She's never as punctual as my dad getting off work!"