No matter the reason, spending more time together can subtly change relationships. Some become closer—like Vid and his SSC companions; while others become increasingly hostile—like Potter and Malfoy, whose mutual pecking has become a spectacle at Hogwarts.
In the evening, Vid and Michael returned to the Ravenclaw Common Room just in time for curfew. As soon as they entered, Michael was called over by two girls—tomorrow was Halloween, and the students were excited, holding a small party in the common room. Michael was one of the few first-year students invited. During the Hogsmeade weekend, the older students had bought lots of Butterbeer, rum, and whiskey, and now the common room was filled with a heady aroma.
Michael wanted to drag Vid along, but he refused with a wave—Vid always avoided these parties. The last time, he had seen two people who were barely acquainted kiss passionately on the couch after drinking too much, surrounded by a cheering crowd, spilling beer, radiating a sense of drunken revelry and indulgence.
Even though Vid had lived in the West for eleven years, his thoughts remained introverted and reserved. When it came to relationships and physical contact, he was much more cautious than his classmates.
Returning to his dormitory along the spiral staircase, the room was as clean and tidy as ever, with yesterday's clothes already washed, ironed, and neatly folded in the wardrobe.
A pot of plain hot water sat on the desk, steaming slightly. Vid poured himself a cup, and the temperature was just right as it entered his mouth.
At the Hogwarts dining table, there were usually various fruit juices, vegetable juices, or hot chocolate, and students typically drank plain water. Vid wasn't used to this. Recently, he had tentatively left a note in his dirty clothes, hoping for hot water when he returned to the dormitory.
The next morning, he found a steaming pot of tea on his desk—the House-Elf probably didn't quite understand what "hot water" meant, maybe no one had ever made such a request before.
So Vid added: "Thank you for the tea. But what I wanted was hot water directly boiled from plain water, without tea leaves."
From that day on, whenever he returned to the dormitory, a pot of just-right hot water awaited him, even in the morning.
It must be said, at least half of the comfort of life at Hogwarts was brought by House-Elves.
Before sleeping, Vid placed three mini pumpkin carriages on the table—crafted with Transfiguration Technique, with a lantern the size of a bean hanging at the front, glowing a soft green light.
"To: Zoe, Phil, Habi
Thank you for your attentive service all along. This is a Halloween gift for you.
Happy Halloween!"
...
Upon waking up, it was Halloween, and the whole castle was filled with the aroma of baked pumpkin.
The pumpkin carriages on the desk had disappeared, replaced by a new pot of hot water, a plate of pumpkin cookies, a bouquet of fresh flowers, and a pile of beautiful small stones.
The heart-shaped cookies smelled delicious, the flowers still had dewdrops on them, and the thumb-sized stones looked like gems, all carefully prepared return gifts from the House-Elves.
Vid couldn't help but smile.
He didn't despise the gifts from the House-Elves for being cheap—they belonged to Hogwarts and had nothing besides the tea towels on their bodies, which themselves were technically Hogwarts property.
Halloween was not a holiday; the day started early with Spell Class. Professor Flitwick paired the students up to practice the Levitation Charm, and Vid paired with Anthony Goldstein.
"Do not forget the subtle wrist movement we've been training!" Professor Flitwick said sharply, "A swish and a flick! Remember, the wrist needs to swish and flick! Pronouncing the spell correctly is also very important—don't forget Wizard Balufio, who said 's' instead of 'f,' and ended up on the floor with a buffalo standing on his chest! Now, begin practicing!"
Students began chanting together: "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather in front of Vid immediately floated up—he had already used this spell many times at the Umbrella House, mainly for moving tables and chairs—Hermione and Michael also succeeded one after another, to which Professor Flitwick clapped happily and said, "Well done, I'm awarding you each two points!"
Then, an even more surprising scene unfolded—Neville's feather trembled and rose, like a small boat in turbulent waters, suspended two feet above him.
The Gryffindors were astonished, their eyes nearly popping out, for Neville had always appeared clumsy in any class, praised only by Professor Sprout. And the Levitation Charm was particularly challenging for young wizards, with most of their feathers remaining motionless. So seeing Neville perform the Levitation Charm (though not perfectly) was as shocking as watching a troll dance ballet.
"Wonderful! Wonderful, Mr. Longbottom!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, jumping with delight, "Five points to Gryffindor!"
"No way? Even Longbottom succeeded?"
Vid heard Anthony beside him say in surprise. Then Anthony repeatedly performed the spell, but the feather still didn't budge.
Anthony was a tall and strong boy, with no problem pronouncing the spell, but the "swish and flick"—a delicate and subtle gesture—was too difficult for him. As he practiced repeatedly, his movements grew increasingly distorted.
"Wait!" As Anthony was about to poke his wand into the back of the head of the student in front, Vid grabbed his wrist and said, "Try it this way—"
He drew a steep sine wave-like curve on paper, marked the direction with arrows, and indicated where to speed up. Enlarging it, he floated it in front of them and told Anthony, "Move the wand along this line, without exceeding the bounds."
Anthony offered no objections. As fellow Ravenclaws, they both knew that Vid's proficiency in charms was arguably the best in the year. The blond boy silently practiced once, then waved his wand—
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather immediately rose and, guided by Anthony, floated higher and higher, even reaching the ceiling lights. Anthony watched with a face full of surprise, almost reluctant to put down his wand.
Sitting on either side, Terry Boot and Lavender Brown exchanged glances, nearly reaching out for the parchment simultaneously. Ultimately, Lavender, with more agility, snatched the parchment and pulled it over to her group's front.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
On the right side of the classroom, more and more feathers floated upward, naturally catching Professor Flitwick's attention. Just as Lisa Turpin took hold of the parchment, a small hand from below snatched it away. Professor Flitwick glanced over and smiled, saying, "Oh, how clever of a way to guide it—"