"Occlumency?!" Cedric took the small booklet Dylan casually handed him, opened it, and his eyes widened. "How did you... I mean, you already know this charm?"
Dylan nodded. "It's actually not that complicated to learn. This booklet was given to me by a professor, and it has very detailed learning methods. Plus, I've added quite a few of my own notes. You can spend some time studying it."
Cedric felt his throat go dry. This charm... Dylan, a third-year student, already knew it? He couldn't help but be utterly shocked.
And what's more, what surprised him even more was that Dylan was in third year now. There's no way he only learned Occlumency this year. It must have been in the first half of the year, or last term, or even the term before that... Had the professors already considered Dylan capable of learning Occlumency? That was truly a bit too exaggerated. After all, he was almost graduating, and the professors had never mentioned teaching him anything about Occlumency.
In fact, unless you had a very close relationship with a professor or possessed extraordinary talent, it was difficult to learn some of the more advanced charms. And in the normal Hogwarts curriculum, overly complex charms simply weren't taught. If wizards wanted to learn these spells, one way was through family instruction, like Malfoy, who learned Occlumency with the help of his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. Another way was through private libraries or the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library, where one might find such advanced charms and their learning methods. Thirdly, after wizards graduated and came of age, they usually joined magical societies. To learn advanced charms not taught in the academy, they could also acquire them through these societies or by trading in magical markets or the black market. Yet now Dylan had casually pulled out a notebook detailing the practice methods for Occlumency.
Cedric's throat bobbed. "Can... can I learn it?"
Dylan: "(.)"
"Why wouldn't you be able to learn it?"
"Ahem, never mind." Cedric cleared his throat lightly.
Dylan said, "You know, Occlumency is a defense against Legilimency, and Voldemort has an extremely high level of control over Legilimency."
"If you ever encounter him in the future, even if he hasn't fully resurrected by then, if you don't have a defense, he can still freely probe your mind."
Cedric nodded gravely, his expression touched. "Thank you. I didn't expect you'd be willing to tell me all this." He knew that Dylan was aware of You-Know-Who's affairs, not only because Dylan himself possessed exceptionally powerful divination methods, but also because most of what had happened in the past two years was related to Harry. And Dylan, as Harry's roommate, must also know something. Cedric was convinced that Headmaster Dumbledore must have told them not to spread such information. Yet Dylan was still risking punishment from Headmaster Dumbledore to inform him of this... Even though the details weren't complete. Dylan hadn't explained much about Voldemort, only telling him that Voldemort wasn't completely dead and might return. He was still very moved. With this information, he would have more time to prepare.
"It's nothing. Anyway, when Voldemort really does come back, everyone will know. I'm just telling you ahead of time." Dylan waved his hand. "Besides defending against others' probes, Occlumency also helps you clear your own cluttered thoughts." Dylan looked at Cedric. "I think it should be just right for your current situation."
"Mm, I'll work hard to learn it." Cedric nodded, but his expression was a bit conflicted. "But what if..."
"I mean, what if I don't master it, or even if I do learn the charm successfully, I can't resist Vol— I mean, You-Know-Who? What then?"
Dylan rolled his eyes. "What else can you do? Just chill, I guess."
Cedric: ('-')
"Alright, alright, I won't waste your time. Go learn it. This charm is very simple; I learned it in a few days." Dylan waved his hand. "And your talent isn't bad. I believe in less than ten days—"
"You'll learn it?" Cedric's eyes lit up.
"No," Dylan shook his head. "You'll just get the hang of it."
"..."
Dylan raised a hand and patted Cedric's shoulder. "Go on back, I'm off to eat too."
Dylan finished his meal in the Great Hall. He had planned to go straight back to his dormitory to read, but as he passed the Hospital Wing, he decided to pop in. After all, Harry was his roommate, so he should at least show some concern. However, before he even reached the main entrance of the Hospital Wing, he heard a voice floating out.
"That's enough! Don't bother Mr. Potter any further! Get out, he needs rest! — Quiet rest!" Then, Dylan saw Madam Pomfrey ushering Ron and Hermione out of the Hospital Wing.
Dylan blinked. He walked closer. Madam Pomfrey looked over and, seeing it was Dylan, her expression softened slightly, though she still frowned. "Child, are you also here to see Harry? I'd love to say yes, but you're too late..."
Dylan didn't wait for Madam Pomfrey to finish speaking. Instead, he pulled out a few pieces of fruit from his bag, packed in a small pouch. Dylan handed the bag to Madam Pomfrey. "These are some very fresh fruits and vegetables. Please give them to Harry. I won't go in. I think he needs some time alone right now to heal his emotional wounds."
Madam Pomfrey's expression softened further upon hearing Dylan's words. "Yes, facing those foul things is always very taxing. At times like these, too many people chattering nearby will only give the patient a worse headache." As she spoke, Madam Pomfrey shot a meaningful glance at Ron and Hermione. The two lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound. "I'll take these for Mr. Potter. Now, you two should hurry back. I imagine Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger haven't eaten yet, have they?" Seeing them silent, Madam Pomfrey said bluntly, "Alright, go eat now. Don't stay here disturbing the patient's recovery."
With that, Madam Pomfrey turned and gently closed the Hospital Wing door. The movement was quick but quiet; the door made no sound when it shut.
Ron: (∧)~
Watching the Hospital Wing door close in front of him, Ron made a long face. But there was nothing he could do. He just shook his head with a sigh and turned to Dylan. "Harry's so sad right now, he must really need me by his side, talking to him, or at least comforting him, right?"
Hermione, who had been constantly bickering with Ron recently, seemed to have made up with him now. She nodded, agreeing with Ron. "Yes, Harry definitely needs me to stay by his side!"
Ron turned disapprovingly. "It's me! Harry needs me!"
Hermione shot him a glance. "You're too loud, not quiet and gentle like me. Harry doesn't need you at all."
Ron's eyes widened. "Your voice is shrill and sharp! Harry frowned when he listened to you!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "He was clearly frowning when he listened to you!"
Seeing Ron about to continue bickering with Hermione, Dylan interjected, "Alright, I think it's probably because you two were arguing like this in front of Harry that you bothered him."
Dylan's words made the two pause. They were a little embarrassed but had to admit it. It seemed they had indeed argued for a bit when they were in the Hospital Wing just now. Well, just a bit.
Ron pursed his lips and said, "Dylan, where were you? You took so long to come. If you'd come earlier, you could've joined the others. Maybe with you there, we could have talked to Harry a bit longer."
"Uh, I was just eating."
"What?" Ron turned his head blankly, as if he hadn't heard Dylan, blinking repeatedly. "You... you were just eating? While Harry was unconscious from being scared by Dementors?"
Dylan's fleeting embarrassment vanished. "Yeah, anyway, I'd just be bothering Harry here, so I went to fill my own stomach first."
"But..." Ron wanted to say something else but couldn't find the words.
"But nothing! Even though Dylan didn't specifically rush over to chat with Harry, at least he brought Harry something." Hermione scoffed softly. "And there were so many people here just now, and you were too. Did your comfort make Harry feel any better? I don't think so. Instead, Dylan specifically brought fruit; at least Harry can eat it to get some nutrients and recover faster."
Ron became indignant again. "As if you were any use! Your comfort wasn't useful either, and you didn't bring any comforting gifts!"
Dylan rubbed his forehead. "Alright, when visiting someone who's ill, it doesn't matter if you bring something or just offer comfort, or if you bring something and keep the small talk short. It's all the same; the main thing is hoping the person gets better."
With Dylan acting as a mediator, Ron and Hermione finally stopped bickering. They went to eat, and Dylan returned to his dormitory.
Actually, Harry hadn't suffered any real trauma. It was just that his mental state was a bit off after encountering the Dementors. Harry wanted to leave on Sunday morning, but Madam Pomfrey disagreed, insisting that Harry remain in the Hospital Wing for observation. Dylan, of course, felt nothing about this. He didn't interact much with Harry on a daily basis anyway, or rather, he didn't interact much with anyone else. However, Harry's absence made Ron miss him for two whole days. Dylan even felt that Ron spent both evenings that weekend tossing and turning in bed, looking utterly lovesick.
Monday. Harry finally "checked out." Professor Lupin also "checked out" and was present for the morning Defense Against the Dark Arts class. So, they wouldn't have to be taught by Professor Snape today. This made the students incredibly happy – because Professor Lupin immediately canceled the homework Professor Snape had assigned.
Some were happy about this, some were sad. In fact, most people were overjoyed because they found the homework incredibly difficult and headache-inducing. Plus, their completion rates were generally low. Of course, this also had to do with the Quidditch match held last Saturday. For that entire day, almost all the students in the school had no time to worry about how to write their homework. They were too busy watching the match for fun; who cared about homework then?! So, everyone had been quite apprehensive about this class, thinking they would once again endure an hour of Professor Snape's verbal onslaught. But then, a sudden turnaround occurred. Professor Lupin came to teach, and they were all happy again.
As for who was sad... naturally, it was Hermione, who wanted to do her best in every aspect. She had truly managed to squeeze in time at night to complete the homework. And it was homework that was far beyond her pre-reading progress. Goodness gracious! A two-parchment essay on the anatomy, habits, and other facts about werewolves. This was equivalent to asking a third-year student to write a detailed human anatomy paper right now. Just researching the information would take a lot of time! Such a complex assignment, and Hermione still managed to complete it.
However, she didn't remain sad for too long. Because as the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was about to end, Professor Lupin noticed the parchment Hermione had placed by her desk, ready to discard after class. After some questioning, he learned that Hermione had completed the homework Professor Snape had assigned last week. After reviewing it, Professor Lupin deemed Hermione's work to be of very high quality – though he wouldn't say perfect, as there were still several minor flaws. But it was still quite impressive, and Professor Lupin generously awarded Gryffindor a full fifteen points for it.
With the school week underway, Hogwarts gradually settled into a calm period, with no major disturbances or upheavals occurring for a while. Dylan also continued his daily routine: practicing Goblet of Fire, the Patronus Charm, and Food Charms.
The Food Charms were something Cedric occasionally taught Dylan when he came to ask for details about learning Occlumency, or when he wanted Dylan to test his progress. It was also precisely because Cedric taught Dylan charms that he realized just how terrifying Dylan's talent was! He would barely finish teaching Dylan a spell, even specifically mentioning the difficult parts, and then turn around to try casting Occlumency himself. But by the time he turned back, Dylan had already learned the spell and was even starting to produce food! This left Cedric even more dumbfounded.
Are you a god of magic? You learn magic that fast?!