The trip back was much quicker than the journey in.
Hagrid walked ahead, his strides so long that Gerald almost had to jog to keep up.
As they emerged from the Forbidden Forest, sunlight fell squarely on his face.
Gerald squinted, taking a moment to adjust before he could make out the outline of the castle in the distance.
Hogwarts gleamed golden in the afternoon sunlight, the flags on its towers fluttering gently in the breeze.
"Right, back to the castle with you. You've got classes this afternoon, haven't you?"
"Yes, Dark Magic Defence class," Gerald said with a nod.
"Dark Magic Defence class, eh? You'll want to study that properly. With Dumbledore here, we've got nothing to worry about, but you might need it someday."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, too."
Gerald said goodbye to Hagrid and headed toward the castle along the path beside the lawn.
After walking two or three hundred meters, he glanced back.
Hagrid was still standing outside his hut, watering pumpkins taller than himself with a large watering can.
When he saw Gerald look back, he raised his enormous arm and waved.
Gerald waved back, then quickened his pace and headed around to the side of the castle.
Rounding a corner and passing a neatly trimmed clump of bushes, Gerald stopped in a sheltered spot.
He pulled the large cloth bag from inside his robes and took out the Spirit Herbs he had just gathered, one by one.
Seven-Star Grass, earth lotus fruit, Heaven-Subduing Flower, Moonlight Fern, and over a dozen Ironwire Vines lay neatly arranged on the ground.
The Seven-Star Grass and earth lotus fruit were third-tier spiritual materials, while the Heaven-Subduing Flower and Moonlight Fern were second-tier.
Gerald's gaze shifted between the Seven-Star Grass and the Moonlight Fern twice before he picked up the Moonlight Fern.
It wasn't that he didn't want to eat the Seven-Star Grass first. Third-tier spiritual herbs were simply too potent, and his body might not be able to handle them.
It was like someone who had gone hungry for three days-they couldn't jump straight into a feast. They needed a little porridge first to ease their stomach into it.
The Moonlight Fern's leaves were only half the size of his palm, a translucent silvery white.
Moonlight Fern harvested during the day lost some of its potency, but its advantage was its mildness. It could be consumed directly, without any processing.
Gerald put the silvery-green fern leaves into his mouth and chewed.
The leaves were much thinner than they looked, breaking apart at the first bite.
Their juices spilled out, carrying a crisp, cool sensation.
That coolness slipped down his throat, turning into a warm current that slowly circulated through his meridians.
It felt different from eating Ironwire Vine.
The spiritual energy in Ironwire Vine was diffuse, like a cloud of mist once swallowed. It needed to be guided slowly through his body before he could absorb it.
The spiritual energy in Moonlight Fern was concentrated, like a slender stream. It flowed through his meridians on its own, requiring little guidance.
Was this the difference between second-tier and first-tier Spirit Herbs?
He closed his eyes and circulated the Divine Firmament Five-Elements Heavenly Thunder Art at full power.
The spiritual energy in his meridians abruptly accelerated, making his blood and vital energy surge.
He gritted his teeth and steadied his mind, directing the energy into his dantian bit by bit and using it to temper his muscles, bones, skin, and flesh.
Half an hour later, when Gerald opened his eyes, sweat had already soaked through his school robes.
[Cultivation] Eighth Layer of Chain-Form Refining Essence (1396/1600)
It had increased by nearly two hundred points.
A single Moonlight Fern was worth almost half a month of his usual hard cultivation.
How much would that Seven-Star Grass give him?
Five hundred? Eight hundred?
Gerald's fingers twitched, but he didn't reach for the Seven-Star Grass.
No rush.
He needed to build a solid foundation during the Chain-Form Essence Transformation Stage. He couldn't recklessly consume Spirit Herbs just because they were potent.
It wouldn't be too late to consider eating the Seven-Star Grass once he had digested the Moonlight Fern and Heaven-Subduing Flower and his body had adjusted.
Gerald stood up and brushed the dust and grass clippings off his robes.
He had gained far more from this trip to the Forbidden Forest than he had expected.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he headed toward his dormitory along the corridor on the side of the castle.
He had Dark Magic Defence class that afternoon, so he needed to go back for his book.
He didn't have high expectations for the class.
After all, the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts had been cursed after Voldemort's downfall.
Not a single professor had managed to last a full year.
From 1981 to Harry's enrollment in 1991, at least seven or eight people had held the position.
And how well had they taught?
It had been a mixed bag.
Fortunately, Gerald had already developed his own understanding of this world's magic. Even if the teacher was poor, he could study on his own.
If all else failed, there was still the library's Restricted Section.
But who was teaching Dark Magic Defence class this year?
When he returned to the dormitory, Fred and George had their heads together over a crumpled sheet of parchment spread out on a bedside table.
Lee Jordan leaned over beside them to watch, a Licorice Wand sticking out of his mouth.
"How about we set off a Dungbomb in the corridor?" Fred marked a cross on the parchment with his quill.
"Filch will go absolutely mad."
There wasn't a trace of concern on George's face as he said this. Instead, he looked strangely excited.
"You lot really are up to no good."
Lee Jordan took the Licorice Wand out of his mouth, though his tone was just as mischievous.
"But there's an old cupboard at the corner of the corridor by the Trophy Room on the second floor. If you hide inside, Filch can't see you from outside at all. I tried it when I passed by last time. There's room for two people, no problem."
"What about three?"
"Should work if we squeeze in."
"Three it is, then."
"Wait, we haven't decided how many Dungbombs to use yet."
Standing in the doorway, Gerald watched the three Gryffindor first-years plotting to disrupt public order at school and couldn't help marveling.
Were all Gryffindors this hyperactive?
He had only been here a day, and these three had already progressed from discussing girls' looks to planning a terrorist attack.
"Ah, Green!"
Fred spotted him first and waved him over.
"Perfect timing. We're discussing a great project. As our partner, you have both the right and the duty to take part."
"We call it the Dungbomb Plan."
George held up the parchment for Gerald to see.
"We're looking for the best place to deploy them. Hang on, why do you smell like grass?"
"I went outside for a little walk."
"A walk? On your own?"
"Don't tell me you've already found yourself a girlfriend?"
"Sod off!"
Gerald had originally intended to refuse.
But on second thought, this might be a good way to get into Filch's Office.
Then I could slip into Filch's Office during the chaos and get my hands on the Marauder's Map, couldn't I?
"As your partner, of course I've got to support your great cause, haven't I?"
"Then it's settled. We've got Dark Magic Defence class this afternoon, though, so we'll scout the place first and make our move tonight."
Gerald nodded and went to the washroom to clean the dirt off his face and hands.
Then he rummaged through his trunk for his Dark Magic Defence class textbook, Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection.
It was a secondhand copy, with a slightly worn spine, but the pages were mostly intact.
"Come on, let's go!" Fred urged.
The five of them set off from Gryffindor Tower, went down the stairs, and headed for the fourth floor.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was on the east side of the castle's fourth floor, in a room much larger than the Transfiguration classroom.
Several old portraits hung on the walls. The people in them wore clothing from different eras and watched the students coming and going with cold indifference.
The instant Gerald stepped into the classroom, he sensed that something was off.
The Gryffindor students were crowded on the left side of the classroom, while the Slytherin students occupied the right.
The two groups stared at each other with open hostility.
Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Classic.
Classes at Hogwarts had always been shared by two houses, which wasn't a problem in itself.
What Gerald had never understood was why they insisted on putting Gryffindor and Slytherin, the two houses that got along the worst, in the same class.
Flitwick's Charms class and McGonagall's Transfiguration class were both shared with Ravenclaw.
Yet for a class involving confrontation, like Dark Magic Defence class, they just had to put Gryffindor and Slytherin together.
Weren't they deliberately making classroom discipline harder to maintain?
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