Chapter 288: Magic Used with Such Grace
"How was it?"
Seeing Neville slowly climb down the ladder, his face displaying confusion and fatigue, Dylan asked, his gaze settling on Neville's slightly trembling hands.
"It was the same old routine she made us read the crystal ball... I'm not sure how much she believed, but I stuck to what I prepared." Neville rubbed his stiff neck, his face showing the exhaustion of having finished an exam, mixed with a hint of subtle nervousness.
To cope with this final exam, Neville had meticulously conceived a tragically violent "death" for himself. Something along the lines of being killed by the lethal shriek of a Mandrake while handling it, with his corpse subsequently torn to shreds by venomous tentacles and Devil's Snare in the greenhouse. This kind of brutal ending was precisely the type Professor Trelawney favored, as she felt it was sufficiently "ominous" and held the "deep meaning" of a true prediction.
"I'm confident you'll get a high mark." Dylan looked at Neville, his tone certain.
"I hope so," Neville sighed softly, straightening his ruffled sleeves, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. He regretted not being more dramatic in his performance.
They waited a little longer.
Trelawney's slightly mysterious voice drifted down from upstairs, calling Dylan's name.
"Dylan!"
Dylan nodded to Neville, reassuring him. Then, gripping the rails, he slowly climbed the ladder. The old wooden ladder groaned softly with each step.
The Divination classroom was still dimly lit. Only a few candles burned around the small circular table in the center of the room, casting flickering shadows on the walls. The air was filled with a faint, indistinct smell of dust or perhaps some kind of spice.
A dark tablecloth covered the round table. In its center, a cushion held the crystal ball, which lay there quietly, smooth and translucent, reflecting the candlelight with a warm sheen.
Across the table, Professor Trelawney looked at him through her magnifying-glass-like spectacles, which made her eyes appear unnaturally large.
"Come here... sit down, child." Her voice was slow and rhythmic.
Professor Trelawney raised her hand, her withered fingers gesturing slightly toward the crystal ball. "Try it... what can you see in there? Although whatever it is, you'll still get full marks, but try anyway."
Dylan smiled and focused on the crystal ball.
Inside, a rotating white mist, seemingly alive, condensed and dispersed under the guidance of Dylan's spiritual power as he watched. A moment later, the mist gradually cleared, revealing the result Dylan wanted to divine.
"It's a young Unicorn... it's wandering deep in the woods, surrounded by lush, green trees." Dylan frowned slightly, as if trying hard to recall the scene he had just witnessed, and then spoke after a few seconds. "Does this seem like a good omen?"
"Ah! Yes, child, you are not mistaken!" Trelawney's face showed clear astonishment, her eyes widening further. She stared intensely at the crystal ball for a long while, as if trying to find something more inside. But she seemed to see nothing.
Then, she abruptly looked up at the ceiling, her hands beginning to wave involuntarily, muttering to herself as if communicating with some invisible force.
"Ah... I understand How could I refuse?" Trelawney finally sighed deeply, clutching her chest. Her voice carried the tone of someone resigned to destiny, yet subtly laced with excitement. "I will certainly certainly accept the arrangement of fate... Congratulations, child, you may leave." Her fingers slightly curled, gripping the scarf at her chest.
"Did you see any revelations in there?" Dylan asked with a perfectly timed curiosity, his eyes slightly widened, focused on Trelawney's magnifying spectacles, seemingly trying to discern her current expression through the lenses.
"Yes, but I cannot speak of it of course not!" Trelawney shook her head repeatedly, her bushy hair swaying with the movement. She turned sharply, avoiding Dylan's gaze, looking instead at a dim oil lamp in the corner. "Now, child, go quickly. Congratulations in advance that is all I can say." She waved her hand, her tone slightly hurried, as if fearing that one more word would reveal a secret of the heavens.
"Alright, goodbye Professor." Dylan shrugged, not pressing further, turned toward the ladder, gripped the rails, and slowly descended step by step. The wooden ladder creaked softly under his feet, mingling with the sound of Trelawney's suppressed breathing upstairs.
"How was it?" Neville, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately moved closer when Dylan came down, his eyes bright with expectation.
"Probably full marks." Dylan spread his hands, his tone light. Although he hadn't continued observing, Dylan knew that, purely based on his relationship with the professor, he would get full marks even if he just said a few random things.
"That's great..." Neville showed no doubt, a look of clear envy on his face, sighing softly, his eyes filled with longing for a high mark. He scratched his head, a little annoyed that his own performance hadn't been more outstanding.
Over the next two days, the exams for Potions, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Herbology proceeded one after the other.
In Potions, the air was thick with the pungent smell of various concoctions, as students carefully stirred the liquids in their cauldrons.
Astronomy took place atop the Astronomy Tower late at night. Students strained their necks to identify star charts, their noses red from the cold.
The History of Magic written exam was a guaranteed source of drowsiness, even for those who didn't listen to the lectures, with its dizzying array of dates and events.
In Herbology, many students were flustered dealing with the mobile plants.
Finally, the time arrived on Thursday morning, leaving only the final subject: the Defence Against the Dark Arts assessment. For Dylan, this was the last exam of the term.
"Students, gather here! Maintain order!" Professor Lupin led them to a carefully set-up area just outside the Forbidden Forest. Wooden stakes with flashing signs stood at the edges of the field, a pond shimmered in the distance, and the locations of pits and a bog were clearly marked with white chalk.
This assessment had no written component. Professor Lupin firmly believed that Defence Against the Dark Arts was pointless if one only knew the theory but lacked practical skills.
"Let me quickly review the course again Pass through the pond ahead, avoid the pits, cross the bog, and finally enter that trunk and come out." Professor Lupin waved his wand, and a bright spark flew from the tip. The spark nimbly traced the route he described around the field: skimming the surface of the pond, circling the edges of the pits, passing over the bog. It then exploded with a "snap" above the trunk covered with black cloth, dissolving into starlight.
"Did everyone remember? Good, then one by one!"
This novel form of examination was a first for the students. Many faces lit up with excitement. They talked in low whispers and eagerly rubbed their hands, even the most timid students straightened their backs.
Dylan, meanwhile, was exceptionally happy. Vacation was imminent, finally providing a temporary escape from heavy coursework. Beyond that, he knew that a lot of action would be taking place today. A slight smile couldn't help but curve his lips at the thought.
Dylan was in a wonderfully carefree mood. He casually brandished his wand, completely ignoring the standard methods Professor Lupin taught in class to deal with the magical creatures.
The Grindylows he encountered along the way, who were thrashing in the pond, trying to grab his ankles, were struck by his Transfiguration Spell and instantly turned into a cluster of gorgeous white roses, floating on the water's surface.
The Red Caps hidden around the pits, shrieking shrilly, were transformed into brightly coloured ribbons that fluttered gently in the wind.
The pits obstructing his path were easily filled with his magic, the ground becoming flat and solid.
Above the bog, a bridge covered with various flowers materialized out of thin air. The petals gently trembled with his footsteps, emitting a faint fragrance.
He thus passed through all the obstacles with ease and grace, heading toward the trunk. The students waiting behind watched the scene, their eyes wide with astonishment. They had never imagined an exam could be handled this way. Magic could be used with such grace! It was incredibly fluid!
Neville, who was positioned toward the back, watched Dylan's relaxed silhouette, his palms sweating from nervousness.
When it was his turn, he took a deep breath, clutching his wand tightly, carefully dealing with the magical creatures using the methods Professor Lupin had taught. Despite a slightly messy process, he successfully navigated all the obstacles. A relieved smile spread across his face as he emerged from the trunk.
With Dylan's casual handling, the intended hazardous environment was momentarily transformed into a floral spectacle, completely incongruous with the atmosphere of a dangerous simulation. White roses floated in the pond, coloured ribbons fluttered by the pits, and the flower bridge gently swayed over the bog, looking more like the setup for a celebration.
Nevertheless, when Dylan finally emerged from the trunk containing the Boggart, Professor Lupin couldn't help but applaud him.
"Very well done!" Professor Lupin's face was alight with genuine smiles and approval.
Dylan offered Professor Lupin a slight bow. At the same time, his wand subtly flickered behind him. With a flash of light from the tip, the displaced and transformed elements of the field instantly reverted to their original state. The white roses reverted to Grindylows that sank into the water, the coloured ribbons became Red Caps that scuttled back into the pits, the flower bridge vanished, and the bog and pits were revealed again, as if the previous scene had been an illusion.
After all, Professor Lupin was a competent teacher: his lessons were well-structured, and he was rich in combat experience. And Dylan, as a Gryffindor student, had a straightforward side to his personality. As long as the peculiar smell of the Wolfsbane Potion wasn't mentioned, they generally got along well, occasionally exchanging tips on defensive spells.
"I'm going to grab lunch. I'll head off first." As soon as the assessment ended, Dylan turned to Neville and the others and his steps were already moving toward the castle.
"Huh? You don't have an exam this afternoon, you don't need to rush for lunch, do you?" Seamus, who still had an exam that afternoon, sighed as he watched Dylan's retreating back, his voice tinged with envy and the frustration of being left on the exam grounds.
"Gotta eat early so I can go back to the dorm and pack my bags. I don't want to be scrambling right before we leave." Dylan waved his hand, offering a casual explanation, and quickened his pace.
This afternoon was the last stretch of free time this term. Starting tonight, a series of big events would take place. Finally, he himself had to "let off some steam" ah, no, friendly participation.
So, besides having a hearty lunch, he also needed to prepare a private dinner. This was an important occasion to celebrate the end of another school year, and it couldn't be treated lightly. He was already planning what ingredients to get from the kitchen, perhaps asking the House-Elves to help with a few specialty dishes.
He mentally ran through his upcoming schedule.
First, he had to go to the kitchen and ask the House-Elves for some piping hot stews and freshly fried chips the kind that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. He'd also get a few thick beef patties the filling had to be fresh and juicy, bursting with rich meaty flavour.
Next, he had to find Cedric and ask him to get some pumpkin pie. The pumpkin pie made by Cedric's family was always exceptional; the pumpkin puree was smooth and sweet, the crust baked golden and crispy, and it was drizzled with a thin layer of honey always unforgettable.
Finally, he would use the ingredients he brought to personally cook a dish he had recently replicated: Guo Bao Rou (Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork). This dish wasn't easy to make, especially since white vinegar was hard to find in the UK. He had put in a lot of effort, repeatedly experimenting with a recipe he had divined, to finally achieve the right flavour.
Once all that was done, he could eat while everything was still hot, and then it would be his turn to take the stage.
With so much to do, he still had to hurry just to make it in time! Dylan quickened his steps, already imagining the taste of the delicacies. The soft potatoes and carrots in the stew, the tangy sweetness of the chips dipped in ketchup, the scalding juice of the beef patties, the perfect sweetness of the pumpkin pie, and the unique crispy, sweet, and sour flavour of the Guo Bao Rou. At the thought of all this, his stomach couldn't help but rumble, making him even more eager to finish his tasks.
The setting sun was like blood, staining the trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest with a deep crimson glow. The light leaking through the branches dappled the ground, carrying a desolate warmth.
(End of Chapter)
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