The Second School Year Begins

"Tom Riddle, right?" Xiwen nodded slightly, then asked curiously, "Since you come from an orphanage, did you teach yourself this Green Light Burst Charm?"

The handsome young wizard named Tom Riddle nodded, then said to Xiwen, "I must say, I couldn't find any useful spells in the Charms textbook, <Detailed Guide to Common Charms>, and I had to search through all sorts of textbooks before I finally found this one in <Dark Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense>."

"Impractical?" Xiwen paused for a moment. He had always believed that although the Charms they used were not as systematic and organized as Miranda's Book of Spells, they still contained quite a few practical spells.

Suddenly, Xiwen noticed Lestrange still lying on the ground, unwilling to get up, and realized what Riddle meant by "practical."

So Xiwen frowned and said to him, "Riddle, I think you shouldn't only focus on offensive spells. In fact, many different types of spells are quite practical."

"Furthermore, I must tell you that using violence to resolve disputes is not a commendable approach. You were in the right in this matter, and only Lestrange needed to be punished. However, by choosing to resort to violence, you also violated school rules and may receive a more severe punishment than him."

"Thank you for your kindness, senior. But I suppose someone of your noble birth wouldn't understand the feelings of a 'Mudblood' like me," Riddle said with a casual smile to Xiwen. "If I choose to tolerate it, will he really stop being so hostile towards me? Or if I report him to the school and he gets punished, will he stop holding a grudge?"

"Besides, if I don't make a big deal out of this, will anyone really stand up for justice?" Riddle said coldly. "So I don't regret what I did at all!"

Hearing Riddle's words, Xiwen fell silent, staring intently into Riddle's dark eyes. Riddle, in turn, met his gaze without flinching.

As the two looked at each other, more and more young wizards gathered around to watch the spectacle, curiously observing Lestrange Xiwen, the popular new second-year student, and Riddle Xiwen.

"What's going on here?" A magnetic female voice came from nearby. The young wizards who were gathered around respectfully parted to make way for the newcomer.

Arriving here was a gray-haired witch wearing exquisite metal glasses and Prefect Badge on her chest. She walked along, asking questions sternly.

Suddenly, she spotted the brown-haired little wizard in the center of the crowd, and her lips twitched involuntarily.

"Xiwen, you really can't just sit around doing nothing!" Miranda looked at Xiwen in front of her, pouted, and said helplessly. "So this matter has something to do with you again?"

Xiwen saw Miranda, he greeted her happily, "Miranda? Are you on patrol in this carriage? What a coincidence!"

"But even though we're close, it's wrong of you to wrong an innocent person. I'm just an innocent bystander trying to break up the fight," Xiwen said. "Why don't you let them tell you what happened?"

Miranda nodded slightly, allowing Riddle and Lestrange to each recount what had happened.

Riddle simply recounted the events as they happened, while Lestrange embellished and exaggerated the story.

"Okay, there's no need to continue. The matter is already quite clear." Lestrange impatiently interrupted Miranda before he could finish speaking.

She then pulled out a notebook and asked the two of them, "What are your names?"

"Tom Riddle."

"Dick Lestrange".

Upon hearing their names, Miranda took out a quill pen and wrote two lines in her notebook.

"Alright, one person violated school rules and insulted a classmate, and the other cast a spell on a classmate on the train," Miranda said as she wrote. "Once I arrive at the school, I will report your situations to the respective deans. After your sorting process concludes, your respective deans will deal with you."

After saying that, Miranda decisively tried to leave the carriage to continue her duties as Prefect.

"It's been months since we last met. Why don't you stay and sit for a while and chat?" Xiwen asked casually.

"No, there are still several carriages I haven't inspected!" Miranda paused, then waved her hand and said.

Xiwen shrugged and returned to his private room.

Elshiona was lying weakly on the cushion. The Little Cat was lying beside her, occasionally nuzzling her face affectionately.

"You don't look too well, El," Xiwen asked, frowning with concern.

Elshiona shook her head gently and muttered, "It's okay, I have experience, I'll be fine after a rest."

Seeing this, Xiwen dared not recommend any medicine to her, fearing that unsuitable medicine might worsen her symptoms.

The best course of action now is to get to the school as quickly as possible, then take Elshiona to the Hospital Wing and have Nurse Mrs. Dallaire examine her.

The Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade Station in the early evening, and Professor Kettleburn's signature loud voice was already ringing out on the platform.

"First-year students, this way!"

Xiwen waved to Professor Kettleburn from afar, and the professor waved back enthusiastically.

The professor only had one arm and half a leg left, but his mental state was still very good, which made Xiwen marvel at the strength of this professor who Care of Magical Creatures.

Then, Xiwen helped Elshiona toward the carriage drawn by white horses.

Before we knew it, a year had passed.

The experience of sailing to Hogwarts Castle feels like it was just yesterday, yet also like many years have passed. In just one school year, Xiwen has experienced so much...

Now that Xiwen is in his second year, he no longer needs to walk the long, muddy dirt road with Professor Kettleburn to the dock to catch a boat, nor does he need to climb the steep, winding stone steps from the boathouse to the Entrance Courtyard.

All he had to do was board a white horse-drawn carriage not far from Hogsmeade Station, which would take the young wizards directly to the main gate of Hogwarts Castle —a much easier and more pleasant experience than taking a boat.

Of course, the not-so-clean environment and the unpleasant smell of mustiness and straw in the carriage were not pleasant, but Xiwen easily solved the problem with Cleaning Charm and Air-Freshening Charm.

After seeing off their three roommates— Abraxas, Mobley, and Gomez— who had come looking for them, Xiwen and Elshiona boarded a carriage.

The carriage creaked and swayed as it made its way toward the castle.

Seeing that Elshiona's complexion had improved somewhat, Xiwen asked with concern, "Your complexion seems better. How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine now!" Elshiona's spirits lifted as her physical condition improved, and she said with a grin. "I told you, you'd get better after a while, but you wouldn't believe me!"

"I've been experiencing this for a while now, even when I'm at home. Thankfully, the weakness only lasts a few hours, and I'm pretty much used to it!"

"I still suggest you go to the Hospital Wing later and have Mrs. Dallaire take a look at you," Xiwen said seriously. "This kind of intermittent illness is no small matter."

"Alright, I'll go after the Sorting Ceremony!" Elshiona couldn't persuade Xiwen, so she replied casually.

As they talked, the main gate of Hogwarts Castle suddenly came into view of the young wizards, with the warthog statues on both sides clearly visible.

The second year at Hogwarts is about to begin!