In a used bookstore near University of Cambridge, several regulars were chatting around the counter.
A young man wearing round-framed glasses slammed the supplement onto the table. "I think Henry is quite right. The beginning of the third movie definitely doesn't have the same addictive feel as the first two."
"That's because you only read the first eleven chapters." The middle-aged man standing opposite him flipped through an old book without looking up.
Do you know how many chapters there are in the third part? Do you know that the second half hasn't been released yet?
"So what if it hasn't been published? The first eleven chapters aren't as good as the first two books, that's a fact."
"Facts are one thing, evaluation is another." The middle-aged man closed the old book and put it aside, then looked up at the young man.
"When you write an essay for an exam, and the teacher only reads the first half before giving you a grade, are you satisfied with that?"
The young man opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words to respond.
An elderly man with white hair, who had been listening quietly in the corner of the bookstore, finally spoke, his voice slow and deliberate:
"I've read Henry's article. Some of his points are valid, but he drew his conclusions too hastily."
"The narrative pace of the first eleven chapters of the third book is different from that of the first two books, that's a fact. But that doesn't mean the author has run out of ideas, it just means the author is telling the story in a different way."
"What if the second half is like this too?" the young man asked.
"We'll have to wait until it's out." The white-haired old man turned a page of the old book in his hand. "Saying the second half is bad now is just as pointless as saying it's good now."
The debates among readers were similar to those in the literary world, only louder and with more people banging on tables.
Two young people who had just bought books started arguing on the sidewalk in front of a bookstore in London.
"I think he went too far." A young man carrying a paper bag stuffed the books into the bag.
"I've read the first eleven chapters of the third book. It certainly doesn't have that 'grab your collar' feeling from the very beginning like the second book, but the Boggart section gave me goosebumps."
"That thing is so imaginative! When you open the wardrobe, everyone's worst fear is standing right in front of you. How could this idea be considered a waste of time?"
"But the points Henry made do exist," his friend said, somewhat unconvinced.
" Black's information comes entirely from the newspapers, and Ron and Hermione are constantly arguing over trivial matters; these things weren't as obvious in the first two books."
"That's because the first two films didn't have as much groundwork to lay," the young man carrying the paper bag said, putting his hands in his pockets. "The second film only had a few key characters."
"The third movie suddenly adds Black, Dementor, Lupin, and the Marauder's Map. These things have to gradually squeeze in, and it's normal for them to take up some screen time as they come in."
"What about Aunt Marge's part?" his friend pressed. " Henry said that part was too explicit, like a villain from a comic book. What do you think?"
"I thought that part was pretty good." The young man holding the paper bag shrugged. "Besides, people like Aunt Marge do exist in real life."
"She says 'I'm doing this for your own good,' but every word she says is actually hitting you where it hurts. Harry is already showing good temper by not punching her; the fact that she's blowing her up to the sky is just an accident."
"Alright," his friend sighed, "I think Henry's article makes a lot of sense anyway."
"That makes sense," the young man with the paper bag patted his friend on the shoulder, "but it doesn't make sense to lump 'flaws' together with 'running out of ideas.'"
Similar conversations are taking place simultaneously in every corner of the United Kingdom.
Some agree with Henry, feeling that the first eleven chapters of the third book are indeed less engaging than the first two; others disagree with Henry, believing that the so-called "problems" are merely the result of pacing adjustments and choices.
Many more people simply don't care what Literary Review say; they only know that the Boggart passage gave them goosebumps, and the Azkaban setting filled them with anticipation for the second half.
Meanwhile, in the study of his suburban London villa, Allen was hunched over his desk, repeatedly flipping through a copy of the Times supplement.
"It's all your fault, System," he muttered, staring at the ceiling. "You had to release it in half. If you had just released the whole thing, none of this would have happened."
The system remained silent, refusing to speak.
Allen shrugged and sat up straight in his chair. He glanced down at the black-covered diary on the table, picked up Quick-Quotes Quill, and wrote a line on the paper:
Is it considered bad behavior to only publish half of an article?
The ink was swallowed by the paper.
A second or two later, silver lettering emerged from the depths of the page, neat and orderly:
This diary cannot answer questions unrelated to magical knowledge.
Allen stared at that line of text for several seconds, his lips twitching slightly.
"Fine." He put the pen back on the pen holder. "You're more human than the system itself."
Just then, a pale blue light suddenly appeared in front of him.
[The feedback settlement for the release of " Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Part 1)" has been completed. Please check your rewards.]
Allen jumped up from his chair and took two steps to the sink in the bathroom, where he carefully washed his hands.
He dried himself with a towel, walked back to his desk, sat up straight, placed his hands flat on the table, and looked as serious as if he were taking the OWL exam at Hogwarts.
"Alright, come on."
The text on the light screen began to scroll.
[Reward 1: Limited Character Card ( James Potter ) x1.]
[Limited Character Card ( James Potter ): Grants the user the full power of peak James Potter for five minutes upon use. Uses: 2/2.]
Allen stared at the line of text for a moment, then his gaze shifted to the automatically unfolding character profiles below.
[ James Potter: Gryffindor alumnus, the Chaser the Hogwarts Quidditch team, a key member of the Order of the Order of the Phoenix, co-inventor of the Marauder's Map, and leader of the Marauders.]
He is agile, skilled in flight and dueling, and adept at using Invisibility Cloak for cover. He is naturally brave and passionate, daring to confront Dark Magic. He possesses exceptional skill in Patronus Charm; his Stag Patronus is stable and powerful, with outstanding casting fluidity and magical output.
Allen read the synopsis from beginning to end, then slowly leaned back in his chair, his mind racing as he searched for memories of the third film.
There are indeed traces of James in the third film.
Although James himself did not appear, he was listed in the " Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs " row on the Marauder's Map.
Harry saw his father on the Marauder's Map.
And then there's that description of the Patronus Charm: Harry thought he saw his father by the lake, the figure emerging from behind the bushes, the silver-white stag Patronus.
Although he later learned that it wasn't James, it was himself.
" James Potter," Allen murmured the name, recalling James's appearance in the movies—the disheveled, bespectacled young man.
It was then that he realized he wasn't just Harry's father; he was also a brilliant Quidditch player, a Gryffindor skilled in dueling, and someone who often bullied Snape.
It's important to know that Snape is now a true Potions Master, and according to the system's rating system, his magic level corresponds to the eighth rank.
Although James Potter sacrificed himself more than a decade ago, his peak strength must have been around the seventh rank.
Moreover, the introduction specifically mentions the Patronus Charm, a high-level spell that only a very few wizards in the Wizarding World can master and that requires extremely strong positive emotions to cast.
"Good stuff." A smile slowly spread across Allen's face. "Good stuff indeed."
He flipped to the next line on the screen, his gaze continuing to move downwards, already anticipating the rewards to come.