Cognitive Interference

Although she was a little disappointed that her Gege hadn't been able to taste the Troll meat, Shanna also made a new and exciting discovery. "Hogwarts seems like a lot of fun."

After all, Troll are wandering around the castle; if you encounter one, you'll have to fight it, right? And if you fight, some things will inevitably break, right? It's normal for a few innocent people to get caught in the crossfire, isn't it? No one should blame a cute Little Witch for that, right?

That's really interesting!

According to the principles of relativity, pleasant days always pass too quickly. So when Bell realized what was happening, he found himself needing to go back to school.

"Good heavens! I'm already over 40, why do I still have to go to school?! Is this ever going to end?!"

Bell felt the malice of the world deeply. However, no matter how much Bell threw a tantrum, it couldn't change the fact that school had started.

Estimating the time, and feeling that the Hogwarts Express should be arriving at Hogwarts Station, Bell bid a reluctant farewell to Shanna and used Side-Along Apparition to return to Hogwarts.

After waiting at the station for a while, the Train pulled in. A group of Little Wizard gradually disembarked. They looked at Bell standing on the platform with curiosity, wondering why he wasn't comfortably staying in the castle at night, but instead came here to enjoy the cold wind.

Bell quickly spotted Hermione. He went up to her and greeted her, "Hermione, how was your holiday?"

"I'm so happy!" Hermione said. Then she lowered her voice.

"Bell, did you return using Side-Along Apparition? I checked on my Personal Terminal during my vacation, and it said Side-Along Apparition can only be used after you've reached adulthood and obtained a certificate. You'd better not use it casually; you might get arrested if you're seen!"

"Don't worry, I can't Side-Along Apparition normally inside Hogwarts, and I rarely use it outside either, so I won't be detected."

Seeing the suitcase Hermione was pulling, Bell waved his Wand and shrunk it to the size of a book, then handed it to Hermione.

"Thank you," Hermione said. "Bell, your sister is so cute. I'm an only child, and I really want a little brother or sister too."

"Perhaps you could discuss it with your parents? Given their age, having another child shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"I've talked to them about it, but they refused. They always talk about career, career advancement, and stuff like that—things I don't understand. Basically, they just won't give me a younger brother or sister!"

Hermione was extremely dissatisfied with her parents' lack of cooperation. What was this "career" or whatever? Was it as fun as having a little brother or sister? Was it as cute as having a little brother or sister? Did they have any?! Definitely not! She really didn't understand what they were thinking. She was so smart, how could her parents be so stupid?!

"Perhaps you could secretly add some harmless Potions to their food? Do you need me to recommend a few?" Bell suggested to Hermione.

It was clear that Hermione was somewhat tempted. It seemed the Little Witch really wanted a little brother or sister. However, reason ultimately prevailed, and she rejected Bell's offer.

The two men got into the carriage pulled by the Thestral. Since there were only two of them, the Thestral planned to wait a little longer.

However, Bell had no interest in adding another person, so he gently tapped the wall of the carriage. A wave of magical energy emanated from the touch of Bell's fingers. Sensing the intent mixed in with this magic, Thestral snorted and obediently walked towards the castle.

"Bell, do you know what kind of magic was put on the carriage? Why is it moving by itself?"

This was Hermione's first time riding in a Hogwarts carriage; previously, she had crossed the Black Lake by boat to enter Hogwarts.

"The carriage doesn't move by itself; it's pulled by Thestral."

"Thestral? What are those? Why can't I see them?"

Hermione peered through the carriage window and carefully looked at the front of the carriage, but naturally saw nothing.

"Thestral are Magical Animals, resembling horses in appearance, with wings, and capable of flying very fast. Only those who have witnessed death can see Thestral," Bell explained.

"However, I am skeptical of this view. The concept of 'death' is far too broad. In fact, death happens all around us at any moment. The death of small animals such as dogs, cats, and birds, the death of insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and ants—I think almost everyone has witnessed it to some extent. Yet these people still cannot see Thestral. Therefore, I believe that the ability to see Thestral depends more on the wizard's inner understanding and perception of death; witnessing death is not necessary."

Hermione nodded, seemingly understanding, and said, "What a pity, I also wanted to see what Thestral look like."

"So, would you like to do an experiment with me?" Bell asked, somewhat eagerly. "I can slightly interfere with your understanding of the concept of 'death,' and perhaps then you'll be able to see the Thestral."

Hermione hesitated, not because she distrusted Bell or thought Bell might do something bad to her, but the idea of interference with cognition sounded terrifying. The Little Witch, only 11 years old, was a little scared.

In fact, not only Hermione, but many adult wizards also feel resistance and fear towards magic that can interfere with people's perception. However, this type of magic isn't as terrifying as people imagine. Especially given the nature of magic, all wizards will inevitably come into contact with this type of magic, consciously or unconsciously.

To give a simple example, when casting the Patronus Charm, one must recall happy memories and infuse the magic with intense joy to succeed. However, wizards cannot be truly happy all the time, and memories fade and cannot compare to firsthand experience. Therefore, to master the Patronus Charm, one must learn self-hypnosis, that is, to interfere with one's own consciousness.

After much hesitation, Hermione decided against letting Bell interfere with her understanding. Thinking about it, whether or not she could see Thestral wasn't really important. She had so many things she was curious about, and so many things she didn't even understand yet.

The carriage soon arrived outside Hogwarts Castle. After entering the Great Hall, Bell and Hermione parted ways and returned to their respective house tables.

"Bell, how could you bear to break up with your girlfriend?" A teasing voice reached Bell's ears.

The person who made the joke about Bell was Penelope Clearwater, a fifth-year student at Ravenclaw. She's an excellent student and a beautiful young woman.

Penelope is similar to Hermione in many ways: Muggle background, excellent grades, arrogant personality, and no friends. Aside from their different house, she's practically a more mature version of Hermione. Therefore, it's natural that she also faces similar problems to Hermione, such as feeling inferior because of her Muggle background.