??? I Became a Celestial Dragon Again?

Professor McGonagall's teaching style was remarkably smooth. She made knowledge slip into your head like a long, damp bar of soap, so that even the dullest wizard could not help but take it in.

Whether they could understand it and truly master it afterward, however, was beyond Professor McGonagall's control.

Fortunately, Kane's little brain was quite sharp. From the moment Professor McGonagall began teaching, he had tirelessly absorbed and processed the knowledge, and even his SAN value had recovered a little.

By the time class ended, the other young wizards had already rushed out, but Kane remained in the classroom.

The moment Harry and Ron saw his familiar opening stance, they understood. They strolled out to wait for him in the corridor, unconcerned about missing dinner. At worst, they could pick up some scraps around Hogwarts and have Kane use his cauldron to make them meatballs.

Seeing that Kane had stayed behind so obviously to get Professor McGonagall's private tutoring, Hermione thought that if someone more talented and better born than her was still working so hard, she certainly could not slack off in the slightest.

But... would Professor McGonagall agree to give extra lessons to a young wizard of Muggle blood like her?

Exceptionally unashamed about asking questions in such matters, Hermione decided to leave the classroom first and wait outside for Professor McGonagall.

After all, Professor McGonagall was the head of Gryffindor, and she was a Gryffindor student. Surely there had to be at least a little bond between them.

When Professor McGonagall saw Kane sitting alone in the classroom, his eyes eager as he looked at her, though he was probably still thinking over how to begin, she simply asked the question for him.

"Is there something you don't understand that you'd like to ask me?"

"Yes, Professor, yes!" Kane immediately pulled the detailed guide to the Summoning Charm that Professor Flitwick had recommended from his pocket. "Professor McGonagall, I want to learn the Summoning Charm, but my foundation isn't very good."

Professor McGonagall sat beside Kane and casually flipped through the book. "Hmm. This looks like the Restricted Section permit Filius gave you. It's a relatively safe spell. Though it can summon some dangerous creatures, considering a young wizard's magical power, it's still within the safety threshold."

"I imagine what you don't understand are the many prerequisite concepts in this book that haven't been annotated, correct?"

Kane nodded furiously.

"There are two options. First, I can stay late and explain all the prerequisite knowledge you don't understand. By then, you'll be able to read this book. Second, I can give you a reading list. Read all of those books, and once you've fully mastered them, learning this Summoning Charm will take half the effort for twice the result."

Professor McGonagall was also somewhat curious as to why Kane wanted to learn this spell. If he merely wanted to show off in front of others as quickly as possible, like he had in the entrance hall, then she would explain it to him herself.

It would not make much difference to his magic, but it really could earn him the admiration of many young wizards. And if a young wizard wanted to show off a little, that was perfectly understandable.

But if he wanted to improve himself, then she needed to take responsibility for this extra tutoring. Regardless of speed, she had to give him a sufficiently solid foundation. She absolutely had to avoid cramming knowledge into him for a quick result. It would be best to give him a reading list and let him understand its contents himself, with her offering guidance at the end.

Now it depended on what Mr. Heath would choose.

Fortunately, Mr. Heath apparently was not looking to boast to his friends. He sincerely intended to improve himself.

"I'll choose the reading list, Professor."

Professor McGonagall smiled, picked up a piece of parchment from the desk, and wrote down three book titles. "These books are all foundational. Read them in whichever order you prefer. If there's anything you don't understand..."

Just as Professor McGonagall was about to continue, a silvery-white little phoenix suddenly flew in through the window.

"Minerva, could you please come to my office? This is extremely important."

"Mr. Heath, you heard that. I have to go. In any case, if there's anything you don't understand, come and ask me. If I have time, I'll explain it for you."

With that, Professor McGonagall hurried out of the classroom. Hermione, who had been waiting outside the classroom to catch Professor McGonagall the moment she emerged, instinctively waved.

Then Professor McGonagall seemed not to see her at all and walked straight toward the staircase.

"Harry, Ron, we should go eat. Hm? Hermione? What are you doing here?" Kane came out holding the reading list, about to call to Harry and Ron, when he saw Hermione looking as though she might shatter and asked curiously.

Hermione took a deep breath. Kane was a good person, so she had no intention of taking her frustration out on him. After making a great effort to calm herself down, she asked, "What did you ask Professor McGonagall about just now? Would you mind telling me?"

"Oh, some questions about Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall recommended three books to me." Kane waved the parchment in his hand.

"Would you mind sharing them with me?" Hermione hurriedly asked. Back in the Muggle world, she had been a proper middle-class girl from old London, England, beneath the Union Jack. She would naturally have disdained doing something like freeloading off someone else's educational resources.

But now she had come to the magical world, where she was practically Hogwarts's onion, ginger, and garlic—a Dalit among Dalits. If she did not take advantage of a Celestial Dragon's educational resources now, how was she supposed to improve?

Fortunately, Kane, as an "emmm, Celestial Dragon," was surprisingly generous. He directly handed the parchment to Hermione. "Make a copy."

Hermione had not expected Kane to be so easygoing and was pleasantly surprised. She quickly pulled out paper and a pen from her pocket, then leaned against the wall and began copying the reading list.

With nothing else to do, Kane noticed Harry and Ron nearby, who could start a game of Wizard's Chess anytime and anywhere. They had nearly finished their game, packed up the pieces, and walked over to urge him, "We need to hurry to the Great Hall, or there won't be any food left again."

"Mm, let's go." Kane took the parchment Hermione handed back to him and prepared to head for the Great Hall.

Seeing this, Hermione felt that such a generous Celestial Dragon deserved a small favor from her. "I'm going to the library now. Do you need me to bring the books back for you?"

Kane was instantly delighted when he heard that. "That would be wonderful, thank you so much. Do you need us to bring you dinner?"

Hermione had been about to nod, but after thinking about it, she decided against it. "I'm not hungry."

"Thanks anyway, Hermione!" Kane said, then ran toward the Great Hall with Harry and Ron.

Hermione headed straight for the library as well. As for whether she was hungry, of course she was.

But why had she not asked Kane and the others to bring her food? Honestly, she did not know either. Perhaps it was because it would make it seem as if she were going to the library for Kane, hungry and all, just to repay the favor of that "Celestial Dragon" sharing his reading list with her.

Even if she went hungry, she would still go to the library to fetch Kane's books. It made her feel like a lackey... and she did not like it.

"I clearly never cared about this sort of thing before." Hermione curled her lip and muttered as she walked toward the library.