Slytherin Daily Life (I)

Early the next morning, Su Yu woke up itching.

Something furry was rubbing back and forth beneath his chin. Half-asleep, he reached out to feel it, his fingertips sinking into a patch of soft fur. Then the thing moved, and a tail swept across the tip of his nose—a large, fluffy, furry tail.

Su Yu's nose tickled once, then again, and then—

He suddenly opened his eyes and looked down to find a little fox curled up in his arms.

The fox was covered in golden-red fur, with nine tails spread out behind her. Her ears stood upright, their tips trembling slightly, while amber eyes stared unblinkingly at him.

Su Yu froze for a moment.

Kurama looked at him too.

Their eyes met for about two seconds.

Then Su Yu grabbed the loose skin at the back of her neck and, toward the foot of the bed—

Threw her...

The scene shifted.

The sound of running water in the washroom stopped. Su Yu pushed open the door and walked out, his hair already combed and his robes neatly worn. He fastened his sleeve buttons as he walked, his face still carrying traces of sleepiness.

Kurama was still lying on the bed.

She was in exactly the same position as before—her four legs stretched straight out, chin resting on the mattress.

Su Yu walked over to the bed and glanced at her.

"I've already apologized to you so many times, okay? I didn't know it was you. You appeared in the middle of the night without telling me first. I got scared too, okay?"

Kurama buried her face in her tails and let out an indistinct mumble.

Su Yu took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

"I was wrong," he said.

"That's it?"

"I was wrong. I shouldn't have thrown you."

"That's it?"

In the end, after Su Yu signed a series of unequal treaties, Kurama finally forgave him...

Su Yu bent down and picked her up. Kurama adjusted her position in his arms, found the most comfortable spot, and rested her chin on his shoulder. Her nine tails hung down on either side of his arms like a fluffy shawl.

"Come on," Su Yu said. "Let's go eat."

He pushed open the bedroom door and entered the Slytherin common room.

Then he froze.

The common room's main hall was packed—from first-years to seventh-years, every Slytherin student was there. They sat on dark green sofas and silver chairs, some holding teacups, others carrying textbooks, but the instant Su Yu opened the door, every gaze turned toward him in unison.

Su Yu stood in the doorway with Kurama in his arms and swept his eyes across the hall.

"What's this?" he asked.

Daphne Greengrass stood up from the crowd. She wore a well-tailored dark green robe, her long golden hair draped loosely over her shoulders. She walked over to Su Yu and pointed at the people filling the hall.

"Everyone is here waiting for you. From now on, Slytherin will be led by you."

Slytherin was known for its cunning, ambition, and thirst for power. And what Su Yu had done yesterday—seeing through Professor Dumbledore's little schemes, confronting Professor Dumbledore directly, and using the Tailed Beast Bomb—happened to fit perfectly...

Su Yu looked at them.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Everyone looked at Kurama in Su Yu's arms. At first, their eyes were full of shock, but they quickly realized that she had to be the powerful fox from last night. Many students who had once been frightened now looked at her with worship instead of fear, their eyes brimming with the fervor of those who admired strength. They practically looked like they had Stockholm syndrome. Put harshly, they looked like a bunch of lunatics.

Daphne walked over to Su Yu's side and gently tidied his slightly messy collar. Su Yu sighed inwardly, feeling a headache coming on. He had never wanted to manage these people. He had intended to let this pack of little snakes fend for themselves, yet now he had been pushed into the position of leader. It seemed he would not have much peace and quiet in the future.

"Come on," Su Yu said in the same lazy tone. "Let's eat first."

Holding Kurama, he strode toward the common room exit. Daphne followed at his side, while everyone else—the Slytherins who had been sitting, standing, or leaning against the walls—rose one after another and followed behind him.

When they entered the Great Hall, students from the other three houses were still discussing last night's events in small groups. But when they saw the unusually orderly Slytherins, and saw that the one leading them was Su Yu—the half-blood they had privately called a mongrel last night—discussion immediately erupted, and all kinds of gazes turned toward them.

At the Slytherin table, Su Yu sat in the middle seat. Kurama jumped from his arms onto the tabletop and crouched beside his plate, her nine tails swaying elegantly behind her.

Su Yu ignored everyone else's gossip. All his attention was on Kurama.

Because Kurama was already clamoring for cheesecake.

"Cheesecake!" Kurama's voice exploded in his mind, even louder than her roar in the Forbidden Forest last night. "I want cheesecake! Right now! Immediately!"

Daphne sat down beside him as well.

Su Yu looked around and did not see Hermione or Neville. But when he turned around to call for food, he was stunned to discover that the table was already covered with every kind of cheesecake, piled high in a huge spread. Kurama had ordered all of it while he was looking away.

The corner of Su Yu's mouth twitched.

"You ordered this much," he said helplessly, as though asking if she had lost her mind. "Can you even finish it?"

Kurama turned and glanced at him. She responded righteously, "Why do you care? Being able to eat is a blessing!" Her mouth curled open slightly, revealing two sharp canine teeth.

Then she turned back and plunged headfirst into the nearest caramel cheesecake.

Su Yu did not want to use the word "elegant" to describe the way she ate. It was more like a miniature avalanche. The cake vanished into her mouth at an astonishing speed. Caramel sauce stuck to her nose, strawberry juice ran down the corners of her mouth, and crumbs sprayed from her lips onto the table, her paws, and beside Su Yu's plate. Every bite drew a satisfied hum from deep in her chest, like a cat getting scratched beneath the chin.

Su Yu watched her and sighed.

He turned to Daphne.

"Get me two cheeseburgers," he said. "Extra pickles, no ketchup, mustard. Add two German sausages, plus hash browns and pineapple yogurt."

Daphne nodded. She reached out and lightly tapped the tabletop, murmuring something under her breath. Su Yu did not hear it clearly, but a few seconds later, everything he had ordered appeared neatly before him.

He picked up a cheeseburger and took a bite.

Today was Monday.

As Su Yu chewed his burger, he ran through the day's schedule in his mind.

No first class. Defense Against the Dark Arts for second period. Herbology for third. History of Magic for the first afternoon class, then Transfiguration.

He took another bite of his burger. Right now, the most important thing was breakfast—and making sure Kurama did not eat herself to death.

Kurama had already finished her third cheesecake and was launching an attack on the fourth. Her nose was covered in caramel sauce, and a slice of strawberry was stuck to the tip of one tail. She looked like a warrior who had just returned from battle, covered in injuries. Her eating manners were far from elegant, but her happiness was real.

After breakfast, every Slytherin student who left greeted Su Yu respectfully before going.

Just as the crowd began to disperse, Su Yu remembered that two people he had seen earlier had seemed very familiar.

The first was a third-year girl. She stood at the back of the crowd, with dark brown hair falling in lazy, voluminous waves. The curls were natural and fluffy, giving her an effortlessly alluring yet fierce air.

She had said her name was Gemma Farley.

The second was a second-year girl. She stood not far from Gemma, but the two gave completely different impressions. If Gemma was a blade sheathed in its scabbard, then this girl was a dagger already drawn—her gaze was sharp, and her lips held a faint, ambiguous smile. Her hair was light gold and slightly curled, hanging over her shoulders. Her features were exquisite as a painting, but those eyes—those green eyes with a sharpness far beyond her age—made Su Yu think of some kind of feline predator.

Cassandra Vole.

Why were those two here? Su Yu also noticed that when they looked at each other, it seemed as if something crackled in the air. There was a subtle confrontation between them that needed no words.

Sister Farley and Sister Cassandra, Su Yu muttered inwardly.

But he did not dwell on it. Since they were here, he would take things as they came. He stuffed the last bite of his burger into his mouth and fished Kurama out from the ruins of the cheesecake. Kurama burped contentedly in his arms, buried her face in the crook of his elbow, and let Su Yu wipe her down.

Daphne simply sat quietly beside him.

The people in the hall gradually dispersed. Every Slytherin who had class greeted Su Yu before leaving. Holding Kurama, he sprawled over the Slytherin table and chatted idly with Daphne.

"Are you tired?" Daphne asked.

"Tired, because I can't lie down," Su Yu said.

"Then why don't you go back to the common room and lie down for a while?"

"It's close to the classrooms here. I don't want to walk."

Daphne looked at him. She said nothing more, simply sitting quietly beside him as she opened her textbook, occasionally looking up to check the time.

Before long, class was about to begin.

Su Yu pushed himself up from the table and gave a huge stretch. Kurama was squeezed in his arms and let out a dissatisfied mumble, but she quickly found another comfortable position and lay back down.

"Come on," Su Yu said. "Let's go to the fourth floor."

He headed toward Classroom 401 on the fourth floor with Daphne, Malfoy, and several Slytherin first-years. The corridor was packed with people—Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs—all rushing to today's second class. Some were rummaging through their bags for textbooks, some chatted with friends, some ran, and some chased after others.

Su Yu pushed open the door to Classroom 401.

A strong garlic stench hit him in the face.

Su Yu wrinkled his nose. Kurama abruptly raised her head in his arms, twitched her nose twice, and then her entire face scrunched up like a cat that had been force-fed a lemon.

"What is that smell?!" Her voice exploded in Su Yu's mind. "Is this a classroom or a slop bucket?"

Su Yu did not answer. He found a seat by the window and sat down, placing Kurama on the desk. Daphne sat beside him, took out her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, and opened it to the first lesson.

Before long, Professor Quirrell entered.

He wore a purple robe and an enormous turban, its purple cloth embroidered with strange patterns that could not be understood. His steps were fast, so fast that he was almost jogging. When he reached the front of the classroom, he tripped and nearly fell.

"H-he-hello, students," Professor Quirrell said in a halting voice, as though something were stuck in his throat. "T-today, we will be discussing—an experience I had—in Africa."

"At t-that time, I was in a small African country—helping an African prince—drive away a troublesome revenant zombie." He reached up and touched his turban. "Th-this was a gift from that prince—to repay me."

Daphne sat beside Su Yu with her hands folded on the desk, her body leaning forward slightly, an admiring expression on her face.

"I want to experience something like that too," she whispered to Su Yu. "An African prince, a revenant zombie, and gifts..."

Su Yu leaned back in his chair, glanced at her, and whispered, "Africa is full of princes. One village can have several."

"And those princes eat people too," Su Yu continued. "Because over there, it's still the tribal-conflict kind of society. Just imagine it—a Black guy wearing nothing but leaf-and-shell underwear, his face painted white, charging at you while yelling and trying to hug and kiss you—"

Daphne's expression changed visibly.

Her eyes widened first, then narrowed. Her slightly open mouth pressed into a tight line, and the admiration on her face seemed to be slowly erased bit by bit with an eraser. Finally, she turned to look at Su Yu with an expression that said, Why would you do this to me?

Then she reached out and pinched Su Yu's waist.

Su Yu bared his teeth in pain. He shrank to the side, nearly squeezing Kurama off the desk. Kurama raised her head, looked at Su Yu, then at Daphne, let out an unreadable hum, and buried her face back in her paws.

Su Yu rubbed his waist. This girl really pinched hard.

When class ended, Kurama stood up on the desk and shook out all her fur.

"Su Yu," she said, "that Professor Quirrell is full of malice."

"Not ordinary malice," Kurama continued, her amber eyes fixed on the direction in which Professor Quirrell had disappeared through the classroom door. "It's very thick, very deep... like something is living inside him."

Su Yu did not answer. He had known already. He merely nodded, picked Kurama up, and walked out of the classroom.

Third period was Herbology.

Su Yu, Daphne, and the Slytherin little snakes passed through the castle's back door and followed a stone-paved path toward the greenhouses behind the castle. Kurama lay in his arms, occasionally lifting her head to look at the flowers and plants along the road.

The greenhouse was warm, and the air was thick with the damp scent of soil and humus. Professor Sprout stood at the front, wearing an old patched robe, her smile as warm as an apple roasted by the fireplace for an entire afternoon.

"Alright, alright, children," she called in a loud, enthusiastic voice. "Today, we're going to learn about a very interesting plant—Puffapods. Come on, everyone gather around—"

Su Yu did not gather around. He and Kurama lagged at the back of the group, strolling slowly along the edge of the greenhouse. Daphne walked beside him with a small notebook in hand, stopping every so often to jot something down.

"This is wormwood," she said, pointing at a cluster of silvery-green plants. Her voice was light and natural. "It can be used to make Forgetfulness Potion. This is nettle, which can be used in swelling remedies. This is—"

Su Yu followed her finger and nodded. He did not really care what these plants were called or what they did—he cared more about something else.

"Can these be eaten?" he asked.

Daphne paused. Of course, only you would ask that...

"Most of them can't," she said. "But the raspberries planted along the path can be eaten."

She crouched down and picked several bright red raspberries from a bush by the roadside, then held them out to Su Yu.

Su Yu took them and popped one into his mouth. Sweet-and-sour juice burst across his tongue, carrying a crisp chill that belonged to the morning. Kurama poked her head out from his arms, twitched her nose twice, then opened her mouth with an expression that clearly said, I want some too.

Su Yu placed another raspberry into Kurama's mouth. Kurama chewed twice, her amber eyes narrowing as the tip of her tail lightly brushed against Su Yu's arm.

Daphne crouched by the path and continued picking raspberries. Her hands were nimble and quick, and before long she had gathered a small handful in her palm. She handed them to Su Yu, then stood and brushed the dirt from her robes before continuing onward.

"This is Mandrake," Professor Sprout said, pointing to a row of large flowerpots not far away. The plants had broad leaves, with small, wrinkled root tops sticking out from between them. "Next term, I'll have you transplant them. But you'll need to wear earmuffs, or their cries can kill you."

The young wizards all backed away several steps in fright.

"This is Dittany," she said, pointing at another plant. Its leaves were thick, with a fine layer of fuzz along their edges.

"This is..."

Su Yu followed Daphne along the way. He did not take notes or ask questions, merely listening quietly as Professor Sprout spoke. Daphne also added introductions for Su Yu, telling him whether each plant could be eaten.

Su Yu felt that even if he could not remember the names and uses of the plants, he could at least remember which ones were edible and which were not. That was probably enough.

When class ended, Su Yu had eaten so many raspberries that he wiped his mouth and hands on Kurama's back.

He rubbed his hands twice against Kurama's fur, smearing raspberry juice all over her golden-red coat. Kurama's body stiffened. Then, slowly, inch by inch, she turned her head and entered Spinosaurus Form.

Su Yu looked at her expression, the corner of his mouth curling upward slightly.

Then he turned and ran.

"Su—Yu—!"

Kurama roared furiously and sprang from the ground. Her four legs kicked off the earth, her nine tails spreading behind her as she chased after Su Yu.

Su Yu ran two steps, turned a corner, and circled behind Daphne.

"Y-you-stand-still!" Kurama's voice came out in broken pieces because she was running at full speed, every step squeezing another syllable from her throat.

Su Yu ran circles around Daphne. Kurama chased after him, her paws making tapping sounds against the ground while her nine tails whipped through the air behind her. Daphne stood in the middle, still holding her little notebook. The expression on her face shifted from surprise to helplessness, then from helplessness to a gentle, amused resignation.

"You two..." she said.

Su Yu circled from her left to her right. Kurama chased from her right to her left.

"Stop running!" Kurama shouted.

"If you stop, I'll stop running!" Su Yu shouted.

"You stop first!"

"You first!"

Daphne reached out and blocked Su Yu's path. Su Yu's steps came to an abrupt halt, but Kurama could not stop in time. She crashed headfirst into Daphne's calf, rolled over, and landed flat on her back with her paws in the air.

Her nine tails spread beneath her in an irregular circle. Her four legs kicked twice in the air before drooping down helplessly.

Daphne gently picked Kurama up and carefully wiped the stains from her fur bit by bit with a handkerchief.

Su Yu stood behind Daphne and reached out, intending to pat Kurama on the head.

Kurama's tail suddenly whipped out and smacked his hand.

"Don't touch me," she said coldly. "I'm angry. I'm really angry. This time, I mean it."

Su Yu did not pull back his hand. He reached out again.

Kurama's tail smacked him again.

"Don't touch me."

Su Yu reached out again.

Kurama raised her tail, leaving it suspended in the air without bringing it down. She paused, then turned to look at Su Yu with an expression that said, You win, but I won't admit it.

Su Yu's hand came down on her head and gently rubbed it twice.

Kurama's ears twitched.

Daphne held Kurama and watched the human and fox fool around.

By the time Herbology ended, it was nearly noon. Su Yu held Kurama again and returned to the Great Hall with Daphne. Lunch had already been laid out on the Slytherin table—roast beef, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and a large bowl of lettuce that did not look particularly fresh.

Su Yu sat down and was about to reach for the roast beef when a voice came from behind him.

"Su Yu!"

The voice was crisp and urgent, like someone had scattered a handful of beans across a drum. Su Yu turned and saw a mass of fluffy brown curls moving toward him.

Hermione Granger practically ran over. Her face was full of excitement, her eyes shining as though lamps had been lit inside them, and she clutched a thick book in her arms—Su Yu glanced at the cover. It was An Introduction to Advanced Transfiguration—and its corners had already been thumbed until they curled.

"Su Yu!" Hermione panted as she reached the Slytherin table. "You—you last night—I saw it—that—that fox—so big—so amazing—you—"

She spoke as fast as a machine gun with its trigger jammed, every word crowding into the next until they merged into a muddle of indistinct syllables. Her face was flushed from running too hard, tiny beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and several curls stuck up in front of it like a dandelion blown apart by the wind.

Su Yu looked at her.

"Slow down," he said. "One sentence at a time."

Hermione took a deep breath, then another, and then—

"Did you see it last night?!" Her voice was even louder than before. "I saw it! That fox! The huge one! Standing in the Forbidden Forest! The whole school saw it! Professor McGonagall said it was—that it was—she said it was from the East—but she didn't know what it was called—"

"Kurama," Su Yu said. "Her name is Kurama."

"Kurama!" Hermione repeated, her pronunciation a little awkward but surprisingly accurate. "How do you know? Is she your—your—pet? Familiar? Or—"

"She's my friend," Su Yu said.

Kurama shifted in his arms, her ears perking up before she lay back down.

Hermione's eyes brightened further. She opened her mouth, ready to keep asking questions, but Su Yu raised a hand and pointed to the seat beside him.

"Sit and talk," he said. "You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Hermione glanced down at the Slytherin table, hesitated for a moment, then sat down. She placed An Introduction to Advanced Transfiguration on the table, folded her hands over her knees, and leaned forward slightly like a bird ready to take flight at any moment.

"This is Daphne," Su Yu said, pointing to the girl on his other side. "Daphne Greengrass. She's in Slytherin too, in our year."

Daphne smiled and nodded to Hermione. "Hello, Miss Granger."

"Just call me Hermione," Hermione said, speeding up again. "You're in Slytherin too? Then you must know what happened last night as well? Did you see it? That fox—"

"I saw it," Daphne said, her voice gentle and calm. "I was in the hall at the time."

"Then you must have been terrified!"

Daphne smiled. "A little."

Su Yu pointed at Kurama in his arms. "This is Kurama."

Hermione lowered her head and looked at the golden-red fox in Su Yu's arms. Kurama raised her head and gave Hermione a weary look that said, You again? Her ears drooped, and her tail curled into a ball.

"She's the one from last night? But she's so cute!" Hermione said, reaching out to pet Kurama's head.

Kurama tilted her head aside, avoiding Hermione's hand.

"She doesn't really like strangers touching her," Su Yu said. "Give her some time."

Hermione withdrew her hand and nodded. Then she started again.

She talked about finding an ancient book on Eastern magical systems in the library that morning. She talked about successfully casting the Unlocking Charm in Charms class, earning five points from Professor Flitwick. She talked about running into Peeves in the corridor, about how Peeves had thrown a bucket of water at her, but she had spotted it and dodged in time, so the water had splashed all over Filch instead—

Su Yu ate the roast beef on his plate while listening to Hermione. Every now and then, he nodded, murmured "Mm," or interjected with something like, "What happened after that?" He realized he had already grasped the trick to talking with Hermione: he did not need to say much. He only needed to give her an opening, and she could tell the rest all by herself.

Kurama let out a long, pained sigh in his arms.

"She's started again," Kurama's voice echoed in Su Yu's mind, full of despair. "Her mouth hasn't stopped since she sat down."

"She's just excited," Su Yu replied silently.

"Excited? You call this excited? This is—" Kurama seemed to search for a suitable word. "This is noise pollution."

Su Yu did not respond.

Hermione went on for another ten minutes or so. Her voice grew louder, her speech faster, and her gestures more animated. Her entire body seemed driven by some invisible engine that simply would not stop.

Kurama's ears perked up. She looked at Hermione, then at Su Yu, and did something Su Yu had never expected.

She stood up from Su Yu's arms, stretched out a paw, hooked a slice of cheesecake from the table—Daphne had apparently brought it for her at some point—and shoved the entire piece into Hermione's mouth with her paw.

Hermione was in the middle of thanking her while continuing to talk to Su Yu.

Then another piece, another, and another.

Hermione's words came to an abrupt halt.

Her mouth was stuffed full of cake, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel storing nuts. Her eyes went round, and she could not make a sound beyond muffled "Mm, mm, mm" noises.

Kurama withdrew her paw in satisfaction and lay back down in Su Yu's arms. She buried her face in the crook of his arm and let out a contented sigh.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," Kurama said smugly. "Now we can eat properly."

Su Yu looked at Hermione. Her face had turned bright red, and she was choking on the cake. Her eyes were even wider than before. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to say something, but the cake clogged her throat and no sound came out. Her hands flailed wildly in the air, as if she were begging for help—or making an accusation.

Su Yu hurriedly picked up a glass of water from the table and held it to Hermione's mouth. Hermione took it and gulped it down in huge swallows. Only after she drained the glass did her complexion gradually return to normal.

"Cough, cough, cough—" Hermione coughed several times, wiped cream from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, then took a deep breath. "I—I nearly choked to death."

Su Yu reached out and patted her back. Hermione's back was narrow, and he could feel her shoulder blades trembling slightly beneath her robes.

"Are you all right?" Su Yu asked.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, much quieter than before because she still had cake in her mouth. "It was—it was just a bit sudden."

Su Yu glanced at Kurama. Kurama buried her face in the crook of his arm and pretended she knew nothing. The tip of her tail lightly brushed against Su Yu's arm.

Hermione swallowed the last bite of cake and took a deep breath. Her eyes brightened again, and her mouth opened once more—

Kurama's ears shot up.

"So," Hermione said, "what classes do you have this afternoon? I have Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Kurama buried her face even deeper. Why was she starting again?

Su Yu laughed inwardly but did not show it. He listened to Hermione while finishing the last piece of beef on his plate. Daphne sat beside him, quietly drinking tea. Occasionally, she nodded at Hermione; occasionally, she gave Su Yu a look that said, She really can talk.

As lunch was nearing its end, Su Yu noticed some commotion at Malfoy's table.

"Where's my cheesecake?!" Malfoy's voice rang out from the other end of the long table, full of offended fury. "Who ate my cheesecake?!"

Kurama's body stiffened.

She poked her head out of Su Yu's arms and glanced in Malfoy's direction. Malfoy stood beside the long table with both hands braced against it, his gray eyes sweeping back and forth over the table in the irritable manner of someone who had discovered something he ordered was missing. Crabbe and Goyle stood behind him, still incapable of putting together a single brain between them.

Kurama shrank back into Su Yu's arms.

She wiped her mouth on Su Yu's robe—quickly, like a cat that had stolen a fish and was destroying the evidence before being caught—then buried her face in the crook of his arm and closed her eyes.

Her breathing became steady and quiet, like a small animal that had already fallen asleep.

Su Yu did not expose her.

Daphne sat beside him and saw everything. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket, leaned over, and gently wiped the cream stains from Su Yu's robe.

"You and Kurama," Daphne said softly, with a gentle smile in her voice, "are really alike."

Su Yu did not answer. He only held Kurama a little tighter.

History of Magic was on the second floor that afternoon.

Su Yu carried Kurama into the classroom with Daphne. The room was not large, and the desks and chairs were neatly arranged. The windows were tall, sunlight streamed through the glass, casting square patches of light across the desks. The air smelled of old books and dust.

Professor Binns was already standing behind the lectern.

He was a ghost. His gray-white, translucent body floated behind the lectern, clad in an old-fashioned robe. His voice was soft, so soft it sounded like a bee buzzing in the distance, intermittent and faint.

"Today—we will discuss—the first part of—Introduction to History of Magic—"

Su Yu took a seat near the back and set Kurama on the desk. Daphne sat beside him, opened her notebook, and removed the cap from her quill.

Professor Binns began his lesson.

His voice had no rise or fall, no pauses, no emphasis—every word seemed to be placed on a conveyor belt, delivered from the lectern at a steady, monotonous, endless pace. He spoke of various people, various dates, methods of study, patterns of development—all of it blended together like a pot of porridge without salt. One spoonful was enough to tell you what the whole pot tasted like.

Su Yu's eyelids began to droop.

His head lowered bit by bit, like a flower wilted beneath the sun. Kurama lay on the desk with her chin on her paws, eyes half-open and half-closed, her tail slowly swaying across the desktop like a snake falling asleep.

Daphne sat beside him, her quill flying over the notebook with a soft scratch, scratch, scratch. Her handwriting was neat and graceful, line after line like a tidy little path spreading over the page. Occasionally, she paused, looked up at Professor Binns, then lowered her head and continued writing.

At last, Su Yu's head dropped completely, his forehead resting against the desk.

"You fell asleep," Daphne's voice came from beside him, soft as if she were calling a sleeping kitten.

"No," Su Yu mumbled. "I'm listening with my eyes closed."

"You were snoring."

"I wasn't."

"You were. It was very quiet, but you were."

Su Yu did not answer. His breathing became even and deep, his shoulders gradually relaxed, and his fingers slid from the desktop to hang beside his chair. Kurama closed her eyes beside him as well, her nine tails curled into a soft cushion beneath her chin.

Daphne looked at them. With a helpless sigh, she reached out and pushed Su Yu's textbook, which was about to slide onto the floor, farther onto the desk, then lowered her head and continued taking notes.

"You'll definitely need these notes at the end of term, so I'll write them down for you first," she whispered to Su Yu.

Su Yu did not answer. He was already dreaming. In his dream, there was no Professor Binns, no Introduction to History of Magic.