Winter sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows into the Great Hall of Hogwarts, illuminating the four long tables laden with a hearty breakfast.
Cho Chang sat at the long table, clutching a steaming cup of coffee and gulping it down in large mouthfuls.
Her beautiful large eyes were currently bloodshot, clearly troubled by heavy drowsiness.
Cho Chang knew that if she couldn't shake off this sleepiness soon, the upcoming lessons would be exceptionally difficult; thus, she pinned her hopes on the magical power of caffeine, expecting it to be like a shot of adrenaline to quickly revive her spirit.
Fortunately, the tactic seemed to work. Before long, she felt her mind gradually clearing, and the studious overachiever Cho Chang of old was back.
Cho Chang picked up a muffin and studied her timetable while eating. When she realized it was the eleventh week of the semester, a hint of anxiety welled up in her heart.
According to the school schedule, odd and even weeks had different classes, and on Monday afternoons of odd weeks, Ravenclaw would have Transfiguration with Hufflepuff.
But because she had been so worried about her friend Adelaide returning late last night, Cho Chang hadn't had any time to properly preview the lesson.
Thinking of this, Cho Chang quickly pulled her wand from her robe pocket, intending to cram at the last minute.
She muttered an incantation and waved her hands, wanting to turn the coffee cup in front of her into a practical fork—but an accident occurred. No matter how hard she waved her wand, the coffee cup remained steady on the table, without the slightest change.
This sudden situation made Cho Chang pale with fright. Normally, even if it didn't turn into a fork immediately, it should change shape slightly... Cou-could there be a problem with her magic?
Cho Chang turned helplessly to Adelaide beside her for help, only to find her friend's head drooping lower and lower, looking as if she were about to plunge face-first into her dinner plate.
Anxious, Cho Chang shook Adelaide's shoulder vigorously while shouting, "Adelaide, wake up! Something big has happened—do you really want to suffocate yourself in a Pumpkin Pasty?"
After some effort, Adelaide finally regained some consciousness amidst Cho Chang's shouts.
She lifted her head with bleary eyes, let out a massive yawn, and asked dizzily, "What's wrong?"
"I can't cast magic anymore!"
Cho Chang cried out with a face full of terror and despair, tears welling in her eyes and her voice clearly sobbing.
Hearing this, Adelaide was startled awake, her sleepiness vanishing. She had never heard of a Wizard suddenly being unable to cast magic under normal circumstances—
"Before that, let me ask, Cho, were you planning to cast a spell with that Chopstick in your hand? Even if it were Dumbledore, the strongest White Wizard, he couldn't cast any magic with a Chopstick."
Adelaide bit her lip, suppressing a laugh as she pointed at the Chopstick Cho Chang was clutching, retorting mercilessly.
Stunned by Adelaide's words, Cho Chang froze for a moment, then seemed to realize something and quickly looked down at what she was holding.
One look was all it took to make her both embarrassed and annoyed—what she was holding wasn't a wand at all, but a Chopstick she had used for Hotpot last night!
She must have been so groggy and muddled when she woke up this morning that she picked up the wrong thing in her confusion.
Seeing Cho Chang's embarrassed state, Adelaide couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into a deafening roar of laughter: "Hahahahahahahahaha!"
The laughter drew gazes from all around, and Cho Chang's face turned redder and redder, like a ripe apple.
She glared at Adelaide and hissed through gritted teeth, "What's so funny! I don't believe you've never been this muddled!"
Adelaide reached smugly into her pocket, shaking her head and saying sarcastically, "At least I wouldn't be so muddled as to grab the wrong wand. A wand is a Wizard's lifeblood, how could anyone grab the wr—"
She pulled another Chopstick out of her pocket, making a perfect pair with the one in Cho Chang's hand.
Sure enough, within seven steps of a Crouching Dragon, there must be a Fledgling Phoenix.
"...Pfft!"
This time, it was Cho Chang's turn to burst out laughing.
"Hiss~ Cough, at—at least we can make a pair of Chopsticks now. It'll be much more convenient for eating spaghetti at lunch."
Adelaide sucked in a breath awkwardly, making up a random excuse—it seemed she had to be more careful with Chopsticks in the future, especially in emergencies. If she accidentally mixed them up with her wand, it would be a total mess!
Just as the two were immersed in this humorous atmosphere, a strange and arrogant voice suddenly rang out from behind Adelaide: "Heh, that was quite a comedy performance. It certainly opened this lady's eyes!"
Hearing this, Adelaide's heart skipped a beat. To think a student would dare to openly provoke her to her face these days; had the value of being the "Hogwarts Dragon Rider" dropped so quickly—
Adelaide whipped her head around and saw a tall, stunningly beautiful girl standing behind her.
What was striking was not just the girl's breathtaking beauty, but her deep, cold purple eyes, which held an indescribable haughtiness that made one afraid to look her in the eye.
Adelaide quickly recognized the person before her: Alice MacFusty, a first-year Slytherin and her fellow patient who had spent over ten minutes soaring freely with her on Halloween night before sharing a stay in the Hospital Wing.
Oh, it's just the Dragon itself. Never mind then.
Adelaide was still feeling guilty toward Miss MacFusty, so she awkwardly looked away, not daring to speak up immediately.
Cho Chang, on the other hand, remained extremely calm. Despite the sudden appearance of this uninvited guest with unknown intentions, she maintained her politeness and asked softly, "May I ask if there's something you need from us?"
Facing Cho Chang's friendly inquiry, Alice MacFusty didn't seem to intend to give a direct answer; her searching gaze fell straight onto Adelaide, as if trying to pierce right through her.
"I simply wish to have a private word with Miss Grindelwald."
Cho Chang noticed that the other girl deliberately emphasized the word "private," an action that immediately put Cho Chang on alert.
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