October 31st, Halloween Eve.
The air in the castle was filled with the sweet, enticing scent of roasted pumpkin, and today's breakfast included pumpkin pies, which Ivy found quite satisfying.
It wasn't just the delicious food on the table that pleased him, but also the looks his classmates gave him.
After over a month of meticulous crafting, Ivy's three Elemental Orbs were finally completed. So, on this special night, Halloween Eve, he decided to showcase his Elemental Orbs for the first time, from morning till night.
The three-colored Elemental Orbs orbited around Ivy's shoulders like satellites, and everyone who passed by him couldn't help but admire them with envy.
As a typical Slytherin, Ivy felt quite pleased. He was thoroughly enjoying the attention, from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet.
"Wow! What's the new product from the joke shop? Besides glowing, what else can they do?" said a redhead from Gryffindor. Ivy wasn't sure whether it was Fred or George.
"They can turn your enemies into dust," Ivy answered honestly and courageously, never lying.
"You know, we like that idea. If only we had a bit more money in our pockets, we'd ask about the price," another Weasley said, before walking off under the hungry stares of the Slytherin students.
Throughout the rest of the day, Ivy was always followed by one or two Slytherin upperclassmen. They didn't speak to him or disturb him in any way; their role was simply to block any younger witches or wizards from getting too close to him.
Ivy found this puzzling. Had these guys lost their minds again?
However, seeing no signs of hostility, Ivy decided to let them be.
That afternoon, Slytherin first years had a Charms class, and Ivy made his way to the classroom with his three Elemental Orbs floating around him.
Just after passing through a corridor lined with portraits, Ivy bumped into a small witch who was rushing in the opposite direction.
Fortunately, neither of them was walking fast, so there were no dramatic incidents. Ivy only heard a tearful "Sorry!" before the small witch ran off without looking back.
"Move! You're blocking my way!"
Ivy turned around to see a brown-haired witch being stopped by two upperclassmen from Slytherin who were following him.
These upperclassmen seemed to be on some kind of "succession-following" mission; at least the two in front of him were not the same two that Ivy had known at first.
They were moving in sync with Hermione, always firmly blocking her path.
Reluctantly, Hermione raised her voice in protest to their actions.
Around them were many Gryffindor students who had just come out of the Charms classroom, but none of them stepped in to help.
"Move," Ivy said in a commanding tone.
"But she…" one of the taller Slytherin students started to protest, but was quickly pulled back by his companion, who then stopped talking and silently stepped aside.
Hermione didn't continue walking but stood still, wiped her eyes, and looked back and forth between the Slytherin upperclassmen who had blocked her and Ivy.
"Thud, thud, thud." The sound of Hermione's small shoes tapping on the floor echoed as she marched up to Ivy, her expression determined.
She then said, "How did you do that?"
"What do you mean?" Ivy tilted his head, not understanding why she was asking this question so suddenly.
"I just accidentally bumped into you, and the two 'bodyguards' behind you immediately stopped me." Hermione glared at the two Slytherin upperclassmen, then added, "You always speak from a position of superiority, yet people respect you. Why don't they follow what's right, but instead gather around you, this arrogant guy?"
"What's right?" Ivy understood Hermione was referring to school rules and the like, and smiled. "That's not something you can explain in just a few words. If you have time, maybe we can find a place to talk about it."
"I think you're the one who doesn't have time," Hermione said, looking at the Standard Charms 1 book in Ivy's hand.
"No worries," Ivy winked at the two upperclassmen who were following him, and, in their confused gaze, cast a Disguise spell from the DND world to make the student look exactly like him.
He then shoved the book into the student's hand, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Go to the Charms class for me. I'm sure the first-year content won't be too difficult for you. And remember not to be too conspicuous."
In the stunned gazes of everyone, Ivy led Hermione away from the Charms classroom corridor.
By the Black Lake, Ivy used magic to conjure two chairs and a tea table filled with snacks. Of course, this didn't violate the Gamp's Basic Laws of Transfiguration because the food and drink had been prepared by the house-elves.
Ivy had used a communication spell to inform them, and these all-purpose helpers were more than happy to serve every young wizard in the castle.
Before Hermione spoke, Ivy raised a finger to stop her and pushed the freshly brewed tea toward her.
Watching Hermione take a large sip, Ivy finally asked, "You've been having a tough time lately, haven't you?"
Hermione's mood, which had been lifted slightly by the warm tea, immediately dropped visibly.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your troubles." Ivy softened his tone, and the three Elemental Orbs hovering around him slowed down. "I think, perhaps, I bear some responsibility for this. Recently, I've been so caught up in crafting magical items that I've neglected the feelings of my friends, so I didn't notice your situation right away."
Hermione glanced at the three glowing Elemental Orbs. The word "friends" gave her some comfort. Just recently, Ron had sharply pointed out, "She doesn't even have a friend."
Ivy took a sip from his cup. "Very well, let's talk about your problem. Why do people prefer the arrogant me over the always correct you, Miss Granger?"
Hermione's gaze focused on Ivy's face, filled with expectation.
"Because kindness from the strong always surprises people," Ivy smiled. "Compared to Harry, Ron, Malfoy, and even other students from the other years, my strength is obvious."
Hermione's brown eyes filled with doubt.
"Do you remember Harry and Malfoy's duel? On the very first night of school, I defeated almost all of the Slytherin upperclassmen in a duel and sent them all to the hospital wing."