Long after Kate had stabbed the troll and successfully escaped, the System had already updated the rewards.
However, she hadn't had a moment to open it. Not only had she attended classes all morning, but after lunch, she was dressed up by Hermione like a doll.
It wasn't until she was wrapped up like a rice dumpling that Hermione finally went off to prepare for her next class with satisfaction, leaving Kate alone and disheveled in the cold wind.
Going back dressed like this would surely invite mockery from that fellow Malfoy, but if she didn't wear it... Hermione would definitely settle the score with her later.
An adult would certainly choose neither!
So, Kate ran to the library to hole up. Not only was it warm there, but the little snakes were definitely not around.
"System, open rewards."
Sitting down with a book, she casually opened the System interface.
[Congratulations Host for completing Mission Side Quest 2. Rewards opening...]
[Mission Rewards: Attribute Points +1, Wand Attribute Points +1, Intimacy with Hermione +1]
[Due to the Host defeating the troll, extra reward: Spirit +3, Phantom Clone upgraded to Level 2]
Sure enough, completing missions was much faster than her daily grinding to level up spells! Kate had only used the Phantom Clone three times in total, and two of those were just simple practice. If not for the mission bonus, how could she have leveled it up so quickly?
She didn't hesitate to add the Attribute Points to her Spirit. Now, her Spirit totaled 29 points, barely on par with a generic seventh-year graduate who had just come of age.
This way, manipulating a Phantom Clone wouldn't be as strenuous as it was last night. However, now that her Phantom Clone had been upgraded to Level 2, theoretically, she could manipulate two clones simultaneously. If she wanted to progress further, she would have to continue raising her Spirit.
"Achoo!"
Unable to hold back another sneeze, Kate secretly took out the jar of warming fire Hermione had given her and held it in her palms for warmth.
Her Strength was clearly at 24; reasonably speaking, her constitution should have improved significantly. So why was she still so afraid of the cold? Could it be that she really had to rely on exercise to improve her constitution?
After reading in the library for more than half an hour, Kate felt her entire body starting to turn stiff from the cold. With no other choice, she had to give up studying, hugging the warming jar as she headed to the Hospital Wing.
As soon as the matron, Madam Pomfrey, saw her come in, she hurriedly stood up. "Here for a physical checkup? Come to think of it, it is about time."
According to their agreement, Kate needed to come for a physical checkup every month.
"Mn." Kate sniffled, her small face flushed red from the cold. "I want to stop being so afraid of the cold. I wonder if you have any methods?"
Madam Pomfrey led her to the examination room, pulling out her wand to carefully check her body while asking, "You are very afraid of the cold?"
"Mn, I've been afraid of the cold since I was little."
Usually, it was fine, but living in a place as damp and gloomy as Slytherin every day, she would get rheumatism sooner or later.
The detailed examination lasted for more than half an hour before it ended.
"There are no problems with your body, and your magical power is very stable. It's best if you maintain a happy state of mind and body; don't get too tired." Madam Pomfrey explained, "Regarding your fear of the cold, I think it might be that your mother was frightened during pregnancy, which affected your development."
Kate blinked. She hadn't heard before whether her mother had been frightened during pregnancy. It was just that every time winter arrived, the old butler would sigh and lament whenever he looked at her, who was extremely afraid of the cold. Even her birthday was at the end of December, the coldest time of the year.
"I will write a letter back to ask." She nodded. "Is there any way to make me feel a bit better?"
"Body-strengthening potions, increased exercise, or perhaps waiting as you grow older and your constitution strengthens—it might get better."
Regarding this kind of congenital symptom, Madam Pomfrey didn't have any particularly good advice either. Kate had expected this.
It seemed she would have to write to the old butler to send some medicinal herbs. At worst, she would brew body-strengthening potions herself later and do some exercise every night. It was just that this way, the time for practicing spells would be shortened. She needed to re-plan her spell training schedule.
Rubbing her palms, which were getting cold again, Kate massaged her red nose and prepared to leave the Hospital Wing. But just as she was about to say goodbye to Madam Pomfrey, she saw Snape walk in, limping.
"Why are you here?" Snape's expression wasn't very good when he saw her there.
Kate answered calmly, "Head of House, I came for a physical checkup. You know, once a month."
"Finished checking?"
"Just finished. I was already preparing to leave. Goodbye, Head of House."
After Kate finished speaking, she tactfully walked quickly out of the Hospital Wing. Looking back, she saw through the crack of the unclosed door that Snape had lifted his robes above his knee. His calf was roughly wrapped in bandages.
The bandages were full of blood. Madam Pomfrey was complaining about his technique while hurriedly unraveling the bandages for him. Kate heard him whispering something about "three heads" or the like.
She didn't need to think to know that after the troll incident, he had gone to the three-headed dog's room, likely to investigate whether the three-headed dog had been overcome. Unfortunately, he had been bitten by the beast, which couldn't distinguish good from bad.
That night had been so chaotic—first the troll, then the "outsider invasion" fighting the troll and escaping. It was hard on Snape to have to pursue the entire investigation with such a leg. But looking at his expression, he presumably hadn't found anything.
Thinking that half the cause of this matter was herself, Kate felt a bit embarrassed. She didn't look any longer and left directly.
She strolled through the corridors for a while before walking toward the Quidditch pitch. As for exercise, flying on a broomstick counted as practice too.
After sneezing three or four times, she finally arrived at the pitch under the gray, overcast sky. However, she had miscalculated the time; the Slytherin team was currently training on the pitch, so it wasn't open for general use yet.
Fortunately, she was also a Slytherin student, so going in to observe the training wouldn't be a problem.
Walking to the spectator stands with difficulty, Kate realized that Malfoy was actually here too.
"Why did you come?" Malfoy frowned subconsciously upon seeing her. "Do you also want to join the school team?"
Truly a Young Master who couldn't hide his thoughts at all.
Kate didn't speak, her gaze looking toward the school team members practicing on the pitch. It wasn't that she didn't want to pay attention to him, but the scene from that day where she lost control and tossed Malfoy and his two lackeys up and down like yo-yos was still vivid in her mind.
Even if the victim himself didn't remember, that didn't prove the event never existed. So, during this recent period, she had been extra tolerant of Malfoy's daily provocations.
"I'm telling you, a sickly invalid like you who can't even master a broomstick can't possibly enter the school team!" Malfoy said with some annoyance when he saw she was ignoring him.
Kate turned her head. "You also think I'm a sickly invalid?"
"Aren't you?" He raised his head arrogantly. "Who doesn't know your health is terrible? You go to the Hospital Wing every month, and even the Head of House has to suffer the trouble of brewing potions for you."
This guy was actually quite knowledgeable about her whereabouts. That was true; currently, there were likely many people in Slytherin secretly spying on her. Kate naturally knew all this, but she couldn't be bothered to care.
"That's why I wanted to see if playing Quidditch could strengthen my constitution," she replied airily.
As soon as her voice fell, she saw Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint hit the Quaffle into the goal with his broom. The ball bounced back, smashing directly toward their direction.
"Hey! Watch out!" Flint didn't have time to chase it, so he could only roar loudly at them.
Malfoy panicked and dodged backward in terror. Until the Quaffle was about to smash into his face, it suddenly seemed to hit a barrier, stopped just a few centimeters away from him. The ball was still spinning rapidly.
He turned his head in surprise, only to see that Kate had drawn her wand at some point, chanting something under her breath.
"It seems Quidditch might improve one's constitution, but it doesn't necessarily strengthen one's courage."
Kate raised an eyebrow at him, then waved her wand. The Quaffle before her was fiercely blasted away, flying straight into the distant hoop.
"Good shot!" Flint couldn't help but shout loudly.
Turning her head to nod slightly at Flint in the sky, she turned around and left directly. She left Malfoy standing there with a nasty expression, looking up at the players in the sky who had completely ignored him, silently clenching his fists.
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