Chapter 65: Christmas Approaching
Ron's sulking was quickly noticed by Harry, but he also felt somewhat helpless.
"Ron," he sighed quietly in his heart.
His roommate was a bit sensitive, with low self-esteem stemming from his family's financial situation and large size, so he often got angry over small things.
Even though he hated Malfoy and the others and believed there were indeed few good people in Slytherin, Harry was still more rational than Ron and wouldn't generalize everyone.
Take this matter, for example. Harry actually felt Ethan made some sense, although he defended Snape and didn't think he was the one trying to harm him.
Although based on subjective feelings, this matter seemed to be settled. After all, Hermione and Ron both saw Snape staring at him and chanting spells.
But he had to admit Ethan was right about one thing: Hermione couldn't confirm that he was safe and sound solely because she set Snape's robes on fire.
Harry didn't see it with his own eyes either; he was flying in the air. But given the current two-against-two situation, he actually leaned more towards Ron and Hermione, after all, Ron was closer to him.
Of course, he was now trying hard to find evidence to prove that Snape not only wanted to kill him but also wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone, thereby proving Ethan wrong.
On Ethan's side, his view of Harry had also changed a lot.
When he first regained his memories, he thought Harry was a pitiful troublemaker. It was better to avoid him to prevent getting involved in unnecessary trouble.
But after spending time with him, he found that although Harry might have shortcomings, his strengths were obvious too. He was upright and brave. Although sometimes reckless, he could definitely become a friend.
Time flowed quickly in this slightly awkward atmosphere.
After lunch, they separated. Those who should go to the library went to study, and those who should go to the common room went to play.
The free time of the weekend ended quickly, and the weekly cycle began again.
Perhaps the last probe was relatively successful, so Quirrell kept him after class again in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
However, Ethan, endorsed by Snape this time, was not full of fear like the first two times.
He approached Quirrell and asked some questions he had encountered during his practice, hoping to get answers.
Some of these questions were simple, and Quirrell answered them quickly. Some were more difficult; he thought for a while and barely managed to give an answer. But some questions really stumped him. He stammered for a long time but could not say anything substantial.
"These questions are, um, a bit tricky. I need some time to think. Wait until after next class, and I'll write the answers for you." Under Ethan's gaze, Quirrell felt a twinge of embarrassment.
"Alright, let's stop here for today. Actually, I have some other questions I want to ask. We'll talk about them next class." Ethan shrugged helplessly.
"Ask all your questions. Ask all of them. I'll answer them together next class." Quirrell frowned, pressing.
"Okay then, I'll start." Ethan rattled off quite a list.
Quirrell scribbled quick notes with his quill. Once he confirmed there were no more questions, he let Ethan go.
When he met face-to-face with Quirrell again the second week, he was completely different from last week.
Holding a stack of answers to the questions, Quirrell talked eloquently, answering the questions he raised clearly one by one.
Although he still stammered a bit when speaking, perhaps so Ethan could hear the content more clearly and avoid ambiguity, the frequency of stammering was significantly reduced.
Ethan was elated, hearing this, and took notes incessantly.
Looking at Ethan's admiring gaze, Quirrell felt somewhat flushed. Hiding his true self, he had disguised himself as a stuttering eccentric. Every day he received contemptuous and disdainful looks. When had anyone ever looked at him with such admiration?
Finally, with a wave of his hand, Quirrell handed the finished materials to him. "Go back and study hard."
"Professor, Professor! Is there a spell in Dark Magic that allows people to fly?" Ethan took the opportunity to ask a question he had been eyeing for a long time.
"Fly?" Quirrell was stunned. He had never seen anyone fly without using tools like broomsticks. "I'll check the materials again and reply to you next class."
"Okay, Professor! Then I'll go first." From Quirrell's barely perceptible frown just now, Ethan knew Voldemort had given him a nudge. Presumably, his dream of flying was secure.
Sure enough, after class the next week, Quirrell not only gave him the training method for the Flight spell but also handed over several extended spells related to it.
"This, this is the training method for the Flight spell I found in the book. You try it yourself first. If, if there's anything you don't understand, come ask me again." Obviously, Quirrell didn't understand what was written in it, otherwise he would have explained it to Ethan first. Time flowed steadily until Christmas.
Every Tuesday at noon, Ethan told Professor Quirrell about the problems he encountered in practicing the Flight spell, and Quirrell answered them the following week.
Every Saturday, he followed Snape to learn potion brewing. He had learned more potion material processing techniques and the brewing of various standard potions. A conservative estimate was that he had surpassed the level of a third year.
On Sundays, there were also spell practices with Hermione and the others, and chats with Hagrid. Life was fulfilling and beautiful.
Until Christmas approached.
On the day before Christmas, the Great Hall was decorated in Christmas style again.
The Christmas trees Hagrid brought were hung with glittering icicles, and the walls were covered with festoons of holly and mistletoe.
"Oh, am I leaving Hogwarts temporarily so soon? I'm happy to see Mom and Dad, but I really can't bear to leave Hogwarts. If only they could come to Hogwarts too."
Yesterday, the notice prohibiting the use of magic during the holidays had been distributed to them.
This was the real reason he couldn't bear to leave.
Ethan ate dinner reluctantly. Although he was going home for the holidays tomorrow, he had already begun to miss these days when he could cast spells freely.
Draco glanced at him. "I can cast spells at home without being warned. Pure-blood families just have advantages over other mixed-bloods."
He lowered his head and ate in silence, relieved that Ethan hadn't noticed him. After being teased by Ethan a handful of times this semester, he no longer dared to show off in front of him.
After all, the experience of the past half term had taught him that if he actually did something to displease Ethan, he had all sorts of peculiar ways to make him uncomfortable.
But the more he feared something, the more likely it was to happen. Whether Ethan had caught his gaze or not, he approached and struck up a conversation with him.
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