Chapter 25. The Snot Curse.
Professor Fawkes's first lesson went very well.
At least, Lynn saw smiles on the faces of the young wizards when class ended.
Lynn also received a bonus in this class
, as he was the first among the new students of both houses to successfully cast the wand lamp.
Wednesday's classes were relatively relaxed, with only the Defense Against the Dark Arts class in the morning and the Astronomy class in the evening, leaving a large amount of free time for the young wizards to use as they pleased.
Lynn did not spend this free time in the library as usual, but instead took his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, "Dark Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense," to the lawn by the Black Lake.
It was still during class time, and the lawn was empty.
Lynn opened the textbook and put on one of his only two titles: Newcomer.
Although the name was not pleasant, the effect was surprisingly useful, increasing the learning efficiency of basic spells by three times, allowing Lynn to quickly learn and use many spells taught in lower grades.
It's not really suitable for use in crowded places, especially in the Slytherin common room.
Although the atmosphere in Slytherin seems pretty good right now, people's hearts are unpredictable.
Who knows if that friendliness is genuine or just a facade?
Lynn didn't want to test other people's attitudes towards him; even feigned goodwill was better than a confrontation.
So he deliberately found a quiet place, put on the title, and practiced magic alone.
Only this kind of visible progress could make Lynn feel a little more at ease living in the not-so-safe wizarding world.
The title's effect was fantastic.
After putting it on, Lynn immediately felt his mind become exceptionally active, and his brain's control over his body had never been so strong.
He looked at the spell recorded in his textbook: the Snot Charm, a spell that makes the target's nose run incessantly.
It had virtually no offensive power, but it was certainly disgusting.
Following the description in the book, Lynn waved his wand and softly chanted the spell at a frog by the lake: "Mucus ad Nauseam (Unstoppable Snot)."
However, nothing happened.
But Lynn wasn't discouraged at all, because the moment he uttered the spell, he sensed that his casting was doomed.
His incredibly clear brain told him that his wand swing needed to be faster, and his pronunciation of the spell wasn't precise enough.
So, Lynn used the Snot Charm again on the frog, who was completely unaware that it had become a test subject:
"Mucus ad Nauseam (Unstoppable Snot)."
A bright green beam shot out from Lynn's wand, accurately striking the frog that was standing there in a daze.
Instantly, the frog was startled, croaking, and hopped twice before jumping into the lake.
Lynn chuckled silently. His spell had clearly worked. The frog didn't have a runny nose because it simply doesn't have that ability. If the spell had hit a person, it would have had the intended effect.
Before lunch, Lynn spent the entire morning practicing various spells by the Black Lake. The constant self-improvement was incredibly addictive. In
just half a morning, he had learned three spells recorded in his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook: the Snot Charm, the Repel Charm, and the Smoke Charm.
These weren't particularly powerful spells, but they could have unexpected effects in certain situations.
... There's
no good food in England.
Lynn actually agreed with this statement, but in Europe, there's a lot of interaction between countries, and cultural barriers are quite blurred, especially when it comes to food.
British salted fish isn't good, but French food is quite delicious.
Lynn particularly enjoyed the cooking of the house-elves at Hogwarts, and his lunch was very much to his liking.
Just as he was enjoying his lunch, Prefect Betty sat down next to him.
"Hi, Lynn, are you free this afternoon? Professor Snape needs someone to help with some potion-making materials, and the other students all have classes this afternoon."
Lynn shook his head: "Sorry, I have an appointment this afternoon."
Betty frowned slightly.
"May I ask who it is?"
"Professor Fawkes." Lynn didn't intend to hide it; he'd probably need to use Professor Fawkes's name to borrow books from the restricted section of the library later, so the connection couldn't be kept secret.
Betty patted Lynn's shoulder, gesturing for him to look at her. She stared into Lynn's eyes, her tone very serious.
"Remember what I said at the opening banquet? Adrian Fawkes is a very dangerous person. I don't recommend you get too close to him."
"Of course I remember."
Lynn had almost finished eating. He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth.
"Thank you for your concern. I'll keep your advice in mind and be careful when I'm with Professor Fawkes. Goodbye."
Betty watched Lynn walk away, clenched her fist, and slammed it on the long table in frustration. She could tell that Lynn hadn't listened to her at all.
Lynn hadn't really paid much attention to the prefect's words. He had seen a lot of rumors online in his previous life. Normal people would have their own judgment and wouldn't be swayed by what others said.
As it was now, Lynn still didn't think Professor Fawkes was the kind of heinous, deranged killer they described.
In the afternoon, Lynn knocked on the door of Professor Fawkes's office.
"Come in, Lynn," Professor Fawkes's voice came from inside. Lynn pushed the door open and went in.
The office wasn't large, but it was impeccably tidy, completely befitting the status of a middle-aged bachelor like Professor Fawkes.
Lynn walked to his desk and saw that Professor Fawkes seemed to be working on lesson plans for an upperclassman course.
"Make yourself at home. I just moved into this office not long ago, so I don't have any afternoon tea or snacks to offer you."
Lynn found a chair and sat down, curiously examining a mural hanging on the wall.
It depicted a knight holding a lance, his warhorse glaring at Lynn with its nostrils flared.
"How have you been settling into life at Hogwarts these past few days?"
Professor Fawkes put down his quill, crossed his hands on the desk, and asked with a smile.
Lynn pinched his cheek with a worried expression. "The food at Hogwarts is so good, I feel like I've gained quite a bit of weight."
Professor Fawkes was amused by his words, and at the same time, two teacups jumped out of the cabinet next to them and ran to them.
The teapot on the desk suddenly floated up and filled Lynn's teacup with black tea.
Professor Fawkes looked at Lynn intently.
"You've been exposed to magic for a few days now, and you've also heard some things about me from your classmates. So, Lynn, are you still willing to accept my investment in you?"
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