Chapter 14

Perhaps for most people, studying magic was not as interesting as they had imagined.

But Zhang Xiao enjoyed every moment of it. Even History of Magic, which all the other students considered the most boring and painful subject, seemed quite interesting to him.

Still, there was no denying that History of Magic was difficult to memorize precisely. It was unlike Huaxia history.

The wizarding community was too small, while Huaxia's history was so long that a single brief sentence in a history book might encompass someone's entire remarkable life.

Wizarding history, therefore, consisted largely of specific people and events, which made it feel scattered and redundant.

Take the second Goblin Rebellion, for instance. In Huaxia's historical records, it might simply say that a rebellion broke out somewhere in a certain month of a certain year, and that the imperial court sent someone to deal with it.

If nothing worthy of inclusion in the history books happened along the way, the account would probably end with roughly how long it took to suppress the rebellion and what the outcome was.

History of Magic recorded it like this: on such-and-such a day, month, and year, in such-and-such weather, in Hogsmeade, a goblin named Larak the Lout got into an argument with a wizard whose name was whatever, over some particular matter.

The goblin spat at him, and the wizard thought, Well, well, you little runt. You dare spit at me?

So he used his height advantage to teach the goblin a lesson with a thick wad of phlegm. The goblin refused to take it lying down and jumped up to punch the wizard's knee...

In short, everything was recorded in excruciating detail, which meant the students had to memorize vast numbers of names, exact dates, and precise locations-right down to a particular pub.

Aside from purely theoretical subjects like History of Magic, the professors teaching practical classes had not started hands-on work in their first lessons either. Instead, they covered the theories and fundamentals of their subjects.

One thing worth mentioning was that, whether Zhang Xiao remembered incorrectly or something else was going on, Professor McGonagall's first lesson consisted entirely of classroom rules and theory. Harry and Ron had not arrived late, nor had there been an assignment to turn a match into a needle.

Instead, she went over Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration again and again. After listening to it all, Zhang Xiao had only one thought.

Wizard magic might not be all that powerful, but its effects were downright absurd!

Screw the law of conservation of energy!

Because of their schedules, Zhang Xiao did not have many chances to meet up with Harry and Ron. Neither of them had Malfoy as a human navigation system, so they were always rushing around trying to find their classrooms.

During their only two or three encounters, they barely had time to exchange hurried greetings. Harry and Ron always looked at him with concern and sympathy, though, and made sure to give him a thumbs-up and shout encouragement before leaving.

Another thing Zhang Xiao had not expected was Malfoy's attitude.

He still remembered Draco's arrogant expression at the opening feast, as though saying, Just you wait. I'll get you sooner or later. Yet after a night's sleep, his attitude had changed completely. He was not exactly warm, but they could at least coexist peacefully.

If Zhang Xiao had to choose a word for it, it would be "ignore." All of Slytherin seemed to ignore his existence. No one greeted him first, but whenever Zhang Xiao spoke to them, they observed every courtesy.

That evening, after Astronomy, Zhang Xiao was curious enough to try asking a first-year Slytherin about it. But the young witch named Davis merely gave him a terrified look before fleeing like a startled rabbit (note 1).

Were they ostracizing me?

Zhang Xiao shook his head inwardly. Ostracizing someone did not look like this. It meant cutting them off completely.

It certainly did not involve perfectly polite responses to his greetings. Besides, what good would it do if only Slytherin ostracized him?

The young witches and wizards in the other houses were still quite friendly toward Zhang Xiao. After all, as long as they stayed with him, they did not have to worry about Peeves causing trouble.

Even several Gryffindor students readily smiled at Zhang Xiao. Presumably, Harry, Ron, and Neville had been putting in plenty of good words for him in Gryffindor.

Now those were true friends!

Shaking his head, Zhang Xiao returned to the common room, only to discover that Davis, whom he had just tried to speak to, was hiding in a corner and quietly sobbing.

As any normal person would upon seeing a classmate crying, Zhang Xiao walked over and asked:

"Hey, what's wrong? Do you need help?"

Davis suddenly shuddered and shook her head frantically, sobbing timidly:

"N-no... no, thank you. I... I'm fine."

"If I were you, I wouldn't lower myself by talking to a Mudblood."

An arrogant voice came from behind him. Zhang Xiao knew who it was without turning around.

"A Mudblood?" (note 2) Zhang Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly. Anyone from his community primary school would already have been frantically wondering whether they had said something wrong and angered Crazy Zhang.

"Oh, right. You're Chinese. You probably don't know what Mudblood means." Malfoy stood with his hands behind his back, a malicious smile on his pale face. Crabbe and Goyle were still trailing behind him.

He walked up to Davis, lowered his head to look down at her trembling figure, and said softly:

"A Mudblood is someone born into a Muggle family who was extraordinarily lucky enough to possess magical talent. But even that talent can't change the fact that they're inferior by birth!"

Malfoy looked at Zhang Xiao, his face slightly flushed with fervor:

"Even the Sorting Hat makes mistakes occasionally. Noble Slytherin is no place for a Mudblood.

"She is defiling this great house!"

"Did you do this?" Zhang Xiao pointed at the trembling Davis.

Malfoy paused, then replied with a restrained smile:

"Of course not. Does a 'king' need to discipline a Mudblood personally? But yes, she was punished for talking to you."

King? Deep in thought, Zhang Xiao pressed on:

"Malfoy, what happened on the night of the opening feast?"

Crabbe answered in his thick, muffled voice:

"That night, Draco received the support of all the pure-blood families and became the leader of the first-years."

Goyle added, "The half-bloods knelt on one knee and polished Draco's shoes with their sleeves. The Mudbloods were strung up outside the bathroom and left in the cold draft all night!"

Malfoy shot his two lackeys a fierce glare, then eagerly held out both hands, his face wreathed in smiles:

"Zhang, join us. We don't know much about your family yet, but my father said you must come from a noble family. You're entitled to enjoy pure-blood glory!"

Now I understood! I understood everything.

In both his previous life and this one, Zhang Xiao was no stranger to school bullying. Sometimes, its severity made even him shudder, despite all the darker sides of society he had witnessed.

At his community primary school, Zhang Xiao had beaten up every bully who dared get physical. His presence had given many children who had once been bullied a relatively healthy environment to grow up in, and had earned him their genuine affection and respect.

It had also taught Zhang Xiao something:

Strength was far more powerful when used to protect than when used to do harm!

School bullying was common even in China, where most students attended day schools and both families and schools intervened to keep it in check. How much worse must it be in Western boarding schools?

Hogwarts was like a miniature society. It had long since ceased to be merely a school.

Zhang Xiao suddenly shuddered. To him, Harry Potter had been children's literature-a series for young readers filled with friendship, love, and growing up.

The strong preyed on the weak. Only the fittest survived!

There was nothing warm or friendly about it. Slytherin, in particular, was a place where the majority collectively bullied and oppressed the few!

Newt Scamander, Moaning Myrtle, Severus Snape, Rubeus Hagrid, even Hermione Granger and Neville-all those names belonged to victims of school bullying!

It was at that very moment that Zhang Xiao finally felt the world before him was no longer the novels, films, and games of his memories. It was so real!

So... brutally real!

Seeing Zhang Xiao standing there expressionlessly, Malfoy pressed harder:

"Come on, join us. Pure-blood glory will be yours. Those lowly half-bloods and Mudbloods deserve only to grovel at the feet of pure-bloods!

"We are the true heirs of Salazar Slytherin!"

Note 1: Tracey Davis was one of the forty students Rowling originally created. She was most likely a half-blood or Muggle-born witch.

Note 2: It is difficult to grasp how offensive the word "Mudblood" is without living in that cultural context.

It is an extreme insult-the sort that would make a Chinese person slap you twice even knowing they would have to pay compensation. However, the public security law seems to have been amended recently: if someone provokes or insults another person until they lose control and attack first, it does not count as assaulting another person.