Chapter 131: The Beginning of the Second Academic Year

"Tom Riddle, is it?" Xiwen nodded slightly, then asked with curiosity, "Since you come from an orphanage, did you teach yourself this Green Spark Spell?"

The handsome young wizard named Tom Riddle nodded and replied to Xiwen, "I must say, I couldn't find any practical spells in the Charms textbook, *A Detailed Guide to Common Spells*. I had to scour various other books before finding this useful one in *Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Defense*."

"Not practical?" Xiwen paused, momentarily stunned. He had always believed that while their Charms textbooks were not as systematic or well-organized as Miranda's *Book of Spells*, they still contained a significant number of useful charms.

Suddenly, Xiwen caught sight of Lestrange, who was still sprawled on the floor, unwilling to get up, and finally realized what Riddle meant by "practical."

Xiwen frowned and said to him, "Riddle, I don't think you should focus solely on aggressive spells. In fact, many different types of magic are quite practical."

"Furthermore, I must tell you that resorting to violence to resolve disputes is not to be encouraged. You were originally in the right, and only Lestrange deserved to be punished. But by choosing to take matters into your own hands, you have also violated school rules and may even face more severe consequences than he will."

"Thank you for your concern, senior. But surely someone of your noble background cannot understand the feelings of a 'Mudblood' like me," Riddle smiled nonchalantly. "If I chose to endure his insults, would he really stop his malicious behavior? Or if I reported him to the school, would he not hold a grudge against me later?"

"Besides, if I didn't take action to make a scene, would anyone really step in to ensure justice?" Riddle added coldly. "So, I have absolutely no regrets about what I did!"

Hearing Riddle's words, Xiwen fell silent, gazing deeply into his dark eyes. Riddle stared back, not yielding in the slightest.

As the two exchanged looks, more and more students gathered around to watch the commotion, curiously eyeing the still-prone Lestrange, the rising second-year star Xiwen, and Riddle, who was locked in a staring contest with him.

"What is going on here?" A magnetic female voice cut through the air. The surrounding students obligingly parted, leaving a path for the newcomer.

It was a gray-haired witch wearing delicate metal-framed glasses and a prefect badge pinned to her chest. She asked sternly as she approached. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon the brown-haired boy in the center of the crowd, and her lips twitched involuntarily.

"Xiwen, you really can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Miranda looked at Xiwen, pouting with a sigh of resignation. "So, is this incident related to you again?"

Seeing Miranda, Xiwen greeted her cheerfully, "Miranda? Are you patrolling this carriage? What a coincidence!"

"However, familiar as we are, it's unfair to blame an innocent person. I’m just a good-natured bystander who came to break up the fight," Xiwen said. "Why don't you let them tell you what happened?"

Miranda nodded slightly and let Riddle and Lestrange each recount the sequence of events. Riddle told the truth of the matter, while Lestrange exaggerated and embellished his side of the story.

"Alright, no need to continue; the matter is quite clear," Miranda interrupted Lestrange impatiently before he could finish.

She pulled out a notebook and asked both of them, "Your names?"

"Tom Riddle."

"Dick Lestrange."

Upon hearing their names, Miranda took out a quill and scribbled two lines in the notebook.

"Very well. One student violated school rules by wantonly insulting a classmate, and the other cast a spell on a classmate aboard the train," Miranda said as she wrote. "Once I arrive at school, I will report your situations to the respective heads of houses. After the Sorting Ceremony, your respective heads will handle your cases."

With that, Miranda moved on briskly, intent on continuing her duties as a prefect.

"Haven't seen you in months; won't you stay and chat for a while?" Xiwen asked casually.

"No, I still have several carriages left to patrol!" Miranda paused for a moment before waving a hand and walking away.

Xiwen shrugged and returned to his compartment.

Elciona was lying on the seat, looking pale and weak. Her kitten huddled beside her, occasionally nudging her face with concern.

"You don't look well, El," Xiwen frowned, asking with worry.

Elciona shook her head gently and murmured, "It's fine, I have experience with this. I'll be better after a rest."

Seeing this, Xiwen dared not recommend any potions, fearing that the wrong medicine might aggravate her symptoms. The best course of action now was to reach the school quickly and take Elciona to the hospital wing so the matron, Madam Darrel, could examine her.

...

The Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade Station at dusk, and Professor Kettleburn's trademark booming voice rang out across the platform.

"First-years, this way!"

Xiwen waved to Professor Kettleburn from afar, and the professor waved back enthusiastically. The professor was missing an arm and half a leg, yet his spirits remained remarkably high, leaving Xiwen to marvel at the resilience of the Care of Magical Creatures professor.

Afterward, Xiwen helped Elciona toward the carriages pulled by thestrals.

A year had passed by in the blink of an eye. The experience of taking the boat to Hogwarts Castle felt like it was yesterday, yet also like it had been years ago. In just one academic year, Xiwen had experienced so much...

Now that Xiwen was a second-year, he no longer had to follow Professor Kettleburn along the long, muddy path to the docks to take the boats, nor did he have to climb the steep, winding stone steps from the boathouse to the entrance courtyard. He only needed to board one of the thestral-drawn carriages near Hogsmeade Station, which would take the students directly to the main gates of Hogwarts Castle—a far more relaxed and comfortable journey than the boats.

Of course, the less-than-clean environment of the carriage, with its musty, straw-filled odor, was not particularly pleasant, but Xiwen easily resolved this with a Cleaning Charm and a Refreshing Charm.

After dismissing his three roommates—Abraxas, Mobley, and Gomez—who had come looking for him, Xiwen and Elciona settled into a carriage.

The carriage creaked and swayed as it made its way toward the castle.

Xiwen looked at Elciona, whose complexion had improved slightly, and asked with concern, "You look a bit better. How do you feel now?"

"I'm perfectly fine!" Elciona's spirits lifted as her physical condition improved, and she said with a smile, "I told you, I'd feel better after a rest, but you didn't believe me!"

"This condition has lasted for a while; it was like this at home, too. Fortunately, it only takes a few hours of weakness to recover. I'm almost used to it!"

"I still suggest you let Madam Darrel examine you in the hospital wing later," Xiwen said seriously. "This kind of intermittent ailment is no small matter."

"Alright, I'll go after the Sorting Ceremony is over!" Elciona, unable to sway Xiwen, replied dismissively.

As they spoke, the main gates of Hogwarts Castle appeared before the students' eyes, the boar statues on either side clearly visible.

The second academic year at Hogwarts was about to begin!