Ancient Magic Awakens

Isolde Rozier strode over, her steps still steady, but a hint of bewilderment and unease lurked beneath her usually cold and tense brows.

She walked up to Su Yu, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders, the hem of her dark trench coat swaying gently. Her voice was lower than usual, tinged with uncertainty. "Su Yu, I feel like something's wrong with my body."

Su Yu raised his eyes, his gaze falling on her. He keenly sensed an unusual flow of magic around her, but it wasn't chaotic magic; rather, it was as if a hidden power was slowly surging beneath her skin. "Where do you feel unwell? Tell me in detail."

"How about we go somewhere secluded?" Isolde looked around at the group of people.

"You newcomer, you've become so bold now?!" Hermione had noticed something was off about this woman a long time ago, and now she dared to openly reveal her ulterior motives in broad daylight!

Hermione was like a cat with its fur standing on end; she no longer cared about the Divination, she was determined to tear this little bitch apart!!

"Honey, it's not what you think. Nothing really happened between us. Don't you trust me?" Su Yu quickly hugged Hermione and comforted her. Heaven knows, Su Yu had truly been wronged.

Hermione and Daphne stared at Su Yu speechlessly. "Don't you know your own limitations? Who would believe you in something like this?"

Left with no other option, Su Yu surrendered and could only return to the Slytherin common room with Hermione, Daphne, and Isolde.

Back in the Slytherin common room, the group began to listen slowly as Isolde recounted her unusual physical condition.

"Ever since I stepped into the shadows of the corridor, my body has felt light, as if I'm melting into the surrounding darkness. I don't feel any pain, but whenever I concentrate, I feel like I...disappear." Isolde sat on the sofa in the lounge, frowning, and touched her arm, her eyes full of confusion. She had no idea what this change was, let alone that it was the awakening of a special ability. She was simply bewildered by this strange physical movement. "I tried standing in the sunlight, and the feeling weakened, but it became extremely strong as soon as I got close to the shadows. I could barely sense my own presence."

Su Yu didn't know what this was either—an ability awakening? Or a bloodline awakening? He thought about the time he had spent with Isolde, and without hesitation, immediately said to Ka-jie, who had just come in around the corner of the corridor, "Ka-jie, come here for a moment, let me take a look."

Just seconds later, Cassandra walked in, her high heels clicking on her heels. She'd started wearing high heels lately too, just to see who could outrun whom!

Ka-jie was still dressed in an exquisite school uniform, her eyebrows and eyes haughty, but she softened her sharpness when she looked at Su Yu.

Before Su Yu could speak, Cassandra frowned, her tone tinged with surprise. "I was just about to look for you too. I seem to be having a strange feeling as well. During class today, my mind was clearer than ever before. Magical Theory and complex spell logic that I couldn't understand before were all crystal clear now. I could even hear the footsteps and heartbeats of the people around me clearly."

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly stopped, looked at Su Yu, and without opening her mouth, a very clear voice rang directly in Su Yu's mind. "Moreover, I can transmit my thoughts directly into your mind without making a sound."

Su Yu was taken aback. Had both of them started to mutate?

Meanwhile, Isolde, watching the interaction between the two, subconsciously moved closer to the shadow beside her. This time, her figure visibly blurred, the light around her seemed to be swallowed up, and she slowly became transparent. Without any magical fluctuations, she silently disappeared into the light and shadow, completely vanishing without a trace.

Su Yu tested his newly acquired Tenseigan, Mangekyō Sharingan, and Rinnegan, and found that only the Tenseigan and Rinnegan could see Isolde in her invisible state; the Mangekyō Sharingan could not see her.

Isolde herself was even more shocked. She hadn't done anything; she had simply followed the sensations in her body, and yet she had truly "disappeared." She couldn't even feel her own magic emanating from her, let alone be noticed by others.

A few seconds later, Isolde reappeared, and the composure in her eyes as she looked at Su Yu had finally faded, replaced by genuine astonishment. "What on earth is going on?"

"This isn't unusual. It's probably because your latent talents have been activated after you started practicing Ancient Magic, awakening your own unique abilities." Su Yu looked at the two of them, thought for a moment, and explained calmly. His gaze swept over the still bewildered Isolde, then landed on the bright-eyed Cassandra. "Your physical changes are due to the awakening of your innate talent for stealth, while Cassandra has awakened her mental enhancement and telepathic abilities. These should all be transformations brought about by Ancient Magic. After all, the biggest change in you two over the past few months has been learning Ancient Magic."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow slightly, trying to concentrate again. Her thoughts became clearer, and she could even easily sense the magical fluctuations of Su Yu and Isolde. She tried to transmit her voice to the two of them at the same time. This ability was quite useful, and her clear voice rang in their minds simultaneously, without any discrepancy.

Isolde looked down at her hands and slowly clenched them. Although she was still unsure whether her abilities had any other uses, she understood that this was an unprecedented transformation of her power.

Did you tell Graves?

"No, I came to you as soon as I felt something was wrong with my body. After all, you are the master to whom I have pledged allegiance," Isolde replied directly.

"Oh my, so you're already calling me 'master'? You guys are having a lot of fun." Fa-jie gracefully walked in from the hall. "How about I call you that tonight too? My little~master~, you can whip me as you please~~~"

Fa-jie leaned down slightly, extending a slender, slightly cool finger to gently lift Su Yu's chin. The force was light, yet carried an undeniable authority, forcing him to raise his head slightly and meet her sharp, cold eyes.

The next second, she gently lifted the toes of her high-heeled foot and lightly pressed it against Su Yu's leg, the heel scraping slightly against the fabric.

Fa-jie looked down at him, a crazy, playful smile creeping across her usually calm and aloof face. Her voice was low and magnetic, laced with undisguised teasing. "If little master wants to come along, I wouldn't mind~~~"

Hermione and Daphne felt incredibly uncomfortable sitting on the sofa, their faces flushed with embarrassment. These shameless guys! If they had known Su Yu and his friends were going to have such an exciting time, and it looked like they were going to throw a party, they shouldn't have come...

Su Yu sighed and slapped away Fa-jie's mischievous hand, pulling Fa-jie into his arms. "Alright, stop acting up. There are children here. Don't corrupt Hermione and Daphne."

Fa-jie lay in his arms, her fingers slowly applying pressure to his waist, her eyes filled with a hint of mockery and provocation.

Su Yu endured the pain and tried her best not to show it.

At this moment, Hermione suddenly asked in a low voice, "What... what kind of Ancient Magic do you study? Can I learn it too?"

"Of course, give me your badge and I'll modify it for you. Then, every night you just need to practice with the Slytherin students along with Ka-jie. I'll teach you, don't worry." Su Yu ruffled Hermione's hair. "I was planning to teach you this sometime anyway, how could I not tell you?"

The afternoon sunlight pierced through the stone walls of Hogwarts Castle, and as it fell into the courtyard, it was shredded into tiny pieces of gold leaf by the layers of leaves.

The aftertaste of lunch still lingered in their nostrils as the students walked in twos and threes toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures was starting as scheduled this afternoon, one of the most anticipated and nerve-wracking courses for the third-grade students.

Su Yu walked at the front, with Hermione and Daphne beside him. Hermione carried a well-furnished copy of * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, her fingertips still stained with traces of cream from lunch. As she walked, she turned the pages, her brow furrowed, muttering to herself, "Hagrid said today's lesson is about the Hippogriff. The book mentions that these creatures are extremely proud, and one must be humble when approaching them, and obtain their permission first..." Her speech was still rapid, with her usual rigor, as if she were going to an exam that required thorough preparation, not a practical lesson.

Daphne, on the other hand, walked with much more ease, her long golden hair loosely tied back, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks and swaying gently with each step.

She turned to look at Hermione, a faint smile playing on her lips, her voice soft yet clear. "Don't be too nervous, Hermione. You have to trust Hagrid. Hippogriff indeed formidable, but you can easily crush them now." As she spoke, her gaze casually swept ahead, a barely perceptible hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes—it was her first time truly experiencing Hogwarts ' Animal Practice course, and she was filled with anticipation for those magical creatures she had only seen in textbooks.

"Su Yu, have you ever seen Hippogriff before?" Hermione finally closed her book and looked up to ask.

Su Yu shook his head slightly, "I've never seen one, but I have seen Griffin. They're one star more dangerous than horse vultures, but they're nothing special. They were so scared by the Kurama that they lay on the ground, too afraid to move. Ka-jie even rode one, saying she wanted to be a female knight, but that very night Fa-jie became her..."

"Huh?" Hermione's innocent mind was completely baffled by what Su Yu was saying.

Daphne chuckled softly to herself.

A burst of boisterous laughter came from not far away; the newcomers were Harry and Ron.

Harry quickly caught up, his black hair slightly disheveled by the wind, his face still flushed from lunch. He patted Su Yu on the shoulder and said enthusiastically, "Su Yu! I finally caught up with you! Ron insisted on eating an extra piece of chocolate cake in the castle, and almost made us late!" As he spoke, he looked helplessly at Ron behind him.

Ron Weasley caught up, panting, his red hair sticking up like a tangled mess, and one button on his school uniform collar fastened incorrectly. He glared at Harry with displeasure and muttered, "So what if it's chocolate cake? It's Hogwarts ' signature dessert! Besides, so what if we're late? Hagrid's class won't be any shorter; it'll just mean we'll learn about another Fantastic Beasts." As he spoke, he rubbed his stomach, his face full of satisfaction.

"Ron, all you ever think about is food." Hermione adjusted her glasses with a sigh. "Hagrid said that the Hippogriff's habitat is deep in the Forbidden Forest, and we must get there on time, or we'll miss its active season. Besides, these creatures are very sensitive, and being late might disturb them." Her tone remained serious, but Ron was already used to it, so he just stuck out his tongue and didn't argue.

The five walked side by side, chatting about the fun things that happened on the first day of school. Harry talked about the owl letter he received from Mrs. Weasley that morning, which warned him to be careful of dangers on campus and also sent a huge pile of sweaters; Ron complained that his sweater was knitted to an enormous size, making him look like a dumpling; Hermione shared her third-year timetable, which she had prepared a week in advance, densely marked with important and difficult points. Su Yu and Daphne listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a word or two, responding appropriately, making the chat relaxed and warm.

Just as they were about to reach the clearing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, another group of people appeared ahead. Draco Malfoy was wearing a crisply pressed Slytherin uniform, his platinum tie gleaming in the sunlight, his blond hair neatly combed, and he proudly led his little gang.

Hagrid was already standing at the door of the cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He was wearing a mole-skin coat, the collar open, revealing a large patch of his furry chest. He was all smiles, and his loud voice could be heard throughout the yard. "Good afternoon, children! Welcome to your first third-grade Care of Magical Creatures!"

The students responded sparsely, many with apprehension in their eyes.

Hagrid, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, remained enthusiastic. "Today we won't talk about anything else, let's start with your textbooks! Take out your ' The Monster Book of Monsters '!"

The crowd looked at each other, then slowly pulled out the black book with a menacing cover and sharp teeth on the cover.

As soon as Ron took the book out, it suddenly jerked in his hand and bit his finger hard.

"Ouch!" Ron cried out in pain, flinging the book away. It fell to the ground with a "thud," and he immediately began to thrash about like a frightened wild animal.

A gasp rippled through the crowd, while Malfoy and the others laughed and mocked Harry and Ron for being cowards.

Hagrid Haha, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid! This book is just a bit temperamental! You have to gently tickle its belly button first, and it will calm down obediently!"

Upon hearing this, the students exchanged bewildered glances—scratching the belly button of a book that bites?

Hermione reacted the fastest. She carefully crouched down, extended a finger, and very lightly scratched the bottom of the fluttering Monster Book of Monsters. Sure enough, the book froze instantly, then obediently closed its fangs and lay quietly flat on the ground.

"See? It's super easy!" Hagrid said smugly.

Harry followed Hermione's example and successfully calmed his book. Ron tried several times before succeeding, and in the process, he was startled by the book and jumped several times, which drew snickers from those around him.

Daphne had never encountered such a strange magical item before and seemed a little hesitant. Su Yu gently reminded her from the side, "Just scratch it lightly, it won't really hurt you. Kurama is right next to you, she can protect you. Look at me, it's very obedient."

Daphne did as she was told, and the Monster Book of Monsters immediately became docile. She raised an eyebrow slightly, finding the lesson much more interesting than she had imagined.

Hagrid continued his lecture loudly, "This <The Monster Book of Monsters> is no ordinary textbook! It is a Magical Creatures in itself, with a bad temper, but if you know how to treat it, it will obey! This is the first thing I'm going to teach you—all Fantastic Beasts have their own tempers and rules."

As he spoke, he demonstrated: gently scratching the book, opening it, and closing it; the book was as docile as a kitten in his hands.

The students all imitated the sounds, and the open space was filled with hissing, "Watch out!" and "Don't touch its teeth!"—a chaotic yet orderly and lively scene.

After Harry calmed the book down, he asked curiously, "Hagrid, why did the book turn out like this?"

"It's an aggressive book that's been tamed by magic," Hagrid explained. "It's specifically designed to train your courage and patience! If you can't even handle a book, how will you deal with dragons and Giant Acromantula in the future?"

Ron's face turned pale. "A fire dragon??"

Hagrid chuckled, "We'll talk about that later! Let's get the book done first!"

Malfoy stood aside, watching the frantic scramble with disdain. He slowly pulled out his wand, held it to the Monster Book of Monsters's mouth, and cruelly said, "Either you listen to me, or I kill you. The choice is yours."

The Monster Book of Monsters immediately fell silent, though it trembled slightly.

Hagrid frowned. "Malfoy! Don't bully the books! They have feelings too!"

Malfoy scoffed, too lazy to bother with him.

The class continued, Hagrid had everyone take turns practicing calming the Monster Book of Monsters. Many students were initially flustered, but gradually they found the knack. The gasps that rose and fell in the open space slowly turned into attempts and laughter. Harry found it novel and exciting, Ron went from being scared to finding it fun, and Hermione meticulously recorded every detail.

Daphne stood beside Su Yu and said softly, "So this is what Hogwarts classes are like. They're much more interesting than I imagined."

Su Yu nodded slightly. "Although Hagrid looks rugged, he genuinely loves Fantastic Beasts. However, how much one can learn from him depends on fate. I always feel that having him teach is really unreliable..."

On the other side, Malfoy leaned against a tree, bored out of his mind, occasionally making a sarcastic remark, but he didn't actually cause any trouble. Crabbe and Goyle were clumsily struggling with the Monster Book of Monsters, while Pansy stayed behind Malfoy the whole time, saying she was afraid of being bitten by the book.

Su Yu was shocked. When did Pansy learn military strategy? Malfoy, danger!

Hagrid, leading a dozen or so chains, slowly entered the enclosure and announced loudly, "Alright, young third-year wizards, quiet down! Today we're going to talk about one of Hogwarts' most precious and dangerous magical Fantastic Beasts — the Hippogriff!"

Beside him stood a group of nearly twenty Hippogriff, with grey-blue feathers, golden eyes, eagle claws on their forelegs, horse hooves on their hind legs, and wings folded to their sides, occasionally flapping to create a gust of wind.

"Everyone, stand back!" Hagrid's booming voice echoed in the wind. "Don't come any closer. They're very proud; they might kick you away if you're not careful. Anyone want to try first?"

Malfoy scoffed from the side. "This thing has pride? How proud can it be?"

Hagrid ignored him and continued his introduction. "These are Hippogriff, very noble creatures. To approach them, you must first bow and wait for them to return the bow before you can get close. Don't blink, or they will think you have ill intentions."

Hagrid stepped forward and bowed to the largest Hippogriff. The grey-blue behemoth lowered its head and bent its front legs in return. Hagrid reached out and touched its beak, and it squinted its eyes, looking quite pleased.

"Who wants to try?" Hagrid turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

No one moved. The Slytherin students mainly felt that a beast couldn't possibly be that noble or proud, so they weren't very interested.

Harry hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward. He walked up to the Hippogriff and bowed deeply, almost falling over. The giant beast tilted its head, glanced at him, and then bent its forelegs in return. Harry reached out and touched its beak.

"Well done!" Hagrid shouted. "You can ride it and fly around in it."

Harry's eyes lit up. He climbed up, Hippogriff and soared into the Sky Void. The students looked up, some clapping, some exclaiming.

Kurama Fox looked up at Harry and the giant beast in the Sky Void, its tail swaying back and forth.

"Do you want to ride it?" Su Yu asked.

"I don't want to," Kurama said.

"Then why are you wagging your tail?"

The Kurama didn't answer; she couldn't very well say they looked delicious...

Harry came down from the sky, his face red from the wind, his eyes bright. Ron ran over and patted him on the shoulder. Malfoy also stepped out from the crowd and walked up to another Hippogriff.

"I'll give it a try too," Malfoy said, his tone laced with arrogance.

He bowed slightly, his eyes open but fixed on the golden pupils of the Hippogriff.

The giant beast did not return the greeting. It spread its wings slightly, pawed the ground with its forelegs, and let out a low, threatening growl from its throat. Then it pounced on Malfoy —its forelegs raised, its talons outstretched, and its beak aimed straight at his chest.

The students gasped. Crabbe and Goyle took a step forward, but it was too late. Malfoy didn't retreat; his right hand had already drawn his wand from his robes, the tip aimed at the charging beast. A beam of silver light shot from the tip of the wand—a precise Impedimenta. The barrier stood between him and the beast, its forehooves striking the barrier with a dull thud before bouncing back.

The behemoth wobbled after landing, then suddenly spread its wings and flapped them towards Malfoy. The wind from its wings whipped up bits of grass and dirt from the ground, stinging Malfoy's face. Malfoy didn't dodge; he swung his wand again, and a beam of red light shot from the tip, striking the Root of the behemoth's wing. The behemoth's wing stiffened abruptly, drooping halfway down.

The behemoth was enraged. It lowered its head and lunged at Malfoy with its beak. Malfoy dodged to the side, moving so fast it was almost invisible. At the same time, he twirled his wand in his hand, and an invisible force spread out from the tip of the wand, like a net, covering the behemoth's body. The behemoth struggled a few times, only to find itself frozen in place, its forelegs dangling in mid-air, its wings spread halfway, and its beak only a foot away from Malfoy's chest.

Malfoy stood there, his wand pointed steadily at the beast's neck, his expression as calm as if nothing had happened. His robes were stained with a little mud, but he had no wounds, and not even his hair was disheveled.

"That's it? Proud? Noble?"

Hagrid rushed over, his face pale. "Malfoy! Don't hurt it!"

Malfoy glanced at Hagrid, put away his wand, and the invisible force dissipated. The giant beast's body landed back on the ground, taking two steps back. Its golden eyes were fixed on Malfoy, but it did not attack again. It seemed to realize that the person in front of it was not someone to be trifled with; it folded its wings and lowered its forelegs.

Malfoy tucked his wand back into his robes and dusted off his sleeves. "That beast has quite the temper."

Crabbe and Goyle rushed over, both of them grinning foolishly.

Pansy stood behind, constantly praising Malfoy for being so handsome! It was so cheesy that Su Yu couldn't stand it anymore, but Malfoy was even more carried away.

Hagrid crouched down to examine the Hippogriff. The giant beast had no injuries, only some redness at the Root its wings. Hagrid touched its neck, and it rubbed against Hagrid's hand, slowly calming down.

"Are you alright?" Hagrid turned to ask Malfoy.

"It's nothing." Malfoy was still basking in the excitement of being praised by Pansy, and when he heard Hagrid's words, he replied casually and turned to leave. Crabbe and Goyle followed behind, with Pansy clinging to his arm and saying repeatedly, "Brother, you're so amazing!"

Hagrid stood up and clapped his hands. "Alright, alright, everyone, don't be afraid. This Buckbeak is usually very docile. It might just be in a bad mood today. Malfoy is fine, and it's fine too. Who wants to try?"

Now no one dared to move. Hagrid scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Alright, that's all for today's lesson. See you next week."

The students dispersed in twos and threes. Su Yu carried the gluttonous Kurama back home, with Daphne walking beside him Hermione walking ahead, still talking about how she remembered her notes for today.