Everyone, Be Serious. No Crying

Everyone, Be Serious. No Crying

The Little Witch lowered her head and silently returned to her seat, looking utterly devastated—almost as bad as Bell.

...

What happened? What was that about? I didn't even bite her. Why had she turned into a zombie?

Bell was completely baffled, mentally spamming question marks. Could it be that time of the month, and she suddenly felt unwell? No way! Were little girls these days really maturing this early!?

"I must be the worst Little Wizard at Hogwarts."

Hermione looked like she was about to cry. She missed Dad and Mom a little.

"I studied magic very hard during Summer Vacation, but even now, I can only turn a matchstick into a needle, and it takes me a long time..."

"I'm definitely going to be expelled from Hogwarts. Maybe the moment I get off the Train, they'll tell me, 'Your magical talent is simply too poor. We can't teach you, so you should go back.'" Hermione had already completely immersed herself in the miserable future she had concocted. "Then I'll have to go home and tell Dad and Mom that Hogwarts didn't want me because I was too stupid, so I can only go back to a Muggle school, boohoo~~"

Before she had even gotten through a tenth of it, Hermione could no longer suppress her grief. Her tears poured out like a burst dam, impossible to stop.

╥﹏╥

...

Watching the little girl's tears fall in big drops, Bell felt awkward to death.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like he had made the little girl cry, didn't it? He really hadn't meant to!

Still dazed from having such a huge blame dumped on him, Bell glanced at Neville, who sat there blankly, and seriously began considering murder and silencing the witness. He did not want people calling him someone who bullied little girls in the future.

Realizing that, in this short time, Hermione had already imagined a miserable life where she failed to get into university at eighteen and had to make a living cleaning toilets, Bell helplessly prepared to comfort the Little Witch.

As for how Bell knew what Hermione was imagining? Well, naturally... ahem, he had used a little Legilimency.

This was a sacrifice made so that he could comfort the little girl better. Bell truly had not wanted to do it, really!

"Hermi—"

"Waaah—ah, ah—!"

(;Д`)

An ear-splitting wail rang out. With his sharp hearing, Bell could even hear a Little Wizard in the neighboring compartment get so startled by that cry that he fell straight onto the floor.

Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

What now? What happened this time? Was this ever going to end!?

"I-I can't even turn a matchstick into a needle... I can't cast a single spell properly. When I was little, my family thought I was a S-Squib... I'll definitely... definitely be expelled from Hogwarts... M-my grandmother will kill... kill me... ah—!"

The round-faced boy sobbed uncontrollably, crying miserably. Still, it was not without its benefits. At least Hermione no longer needed Bell to figure out how to comfort her. She was busy comforting Neville now, with no time to ponder the profound question of whether canvas or burlap made a better mop.

Bell felt like his head was about to explode. Hermione was frantically trying to comfort Neville, but the effect was practically zero. Bell had had enough.

A cute little girl was one thing. Although Bell was perfectly capable of being single for forty years through sheer skill, he still could not bring himself to be harsh with a little girl. But this round-faced boy—though he looked rather adorably dim thanks to his age—was a boy. Bell was not going to indulge him!

(╬￣皿￣)

"Shut the hell up, all of you! Cry again, and I'll turn you into a toad so you can keep Trevor company and breed tadpoles!"

The crying stopped abruptly. Hermione and Neville stared blankly at Bell. Neville in particular would probably have grabbed Trevor and fled the compartment if Hermione had not been blocking the door.

The crying had finally stopped. Relishing the long-lost silence, Bell nodded in satisfaction and looked at Hermione.

"You! Sit down!"

"Okay..." the Little Witch replied pitifully.

"Hm!?"

"Yes!"

Hermione returned to her seat, her back ramrod straight. Even now, she had not forgotten to return to her seat. She would rather die than sit beside a toad.

"If you've read your first-year textbooks..."

"Yes! I've memorized all the first-year textbooks!" Hermione answered loudly, trying her best to prove that she was still salvageable.

"Mm, very good. Then I assume you've gained some understanding of the first-year curriculum."

Neville looked at Bell as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself. He really wanted to say that he had not read the first-year textbooks.

Although his grandmother had told him countless times to carefully preview the textbooks before school started, or he would definitely fall behind in class. But every time he opened a book, it was like he had been hit by a Stunning Spell—he immediately fell asleep.

But when he remembered Bell's expression just now, like that of an evil ghost from Neville's perspective, he ultimately did not dare make a sound.

"The material in the textbooks is what you'll be learning during your first year. In other words, most Little Wizards haven't mastered most of what's in the books before they enroll. As long as you can proficiently master the textbook material during your first year, that will be enough to prove that you are qualified Little Wizards," Bell patiently explained to the two of them.

He did not want the two Little Wizards to start doubting their lives because of him. The guilt of crushing the flowers of the nation was far too great; he could not bear it.

"Hermione..."

"Yes!"

"Uh, relax a little."

Bell had already lost track of how many times today he had felt like he was bullying a little girl. The awkwardness inside him was practically overflowing.

"Being able to successfully Transfigure a matchstick into a needle before enrollment proves that you're already very outstanding. Believe me, most Little Wizards from wizarding families can't do that."

Hermione looked at Bell hesitantly.

"But, Bell, you..."

"Don't compare yourself to me. I'm an exception."

Bell pointed at Neville across from him, who did not dare move and was trying his best to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Actually, someone like Neville is the normal case. I'm the abnormal one."

"..."

An odd silence fell over the compartment. Hermione lowered her head, unwilling to speak. Neville lowered his head, not daring to speak. Bell looked at one, then the other, unsure what to say.

The atmosphere grew more and more awkward, but Bell no longer intended to deal with it. Whatever! Wasn't this exactly what he had wanted in the first place? At last, he could quietly begin recalling every little moment he had shared with Shanna.

Thank Azure Heaven. May it remain strong and not be taken down by Yellow Heaven.